| CARING FOR YOUR RABBIT |
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Animal charities have reported that domestic rabbits are one of the most neglected and ill-treated pets, because they spend most of their lives in solitude, imprisoned in their hutches in the back yard. As we said at the very beginning you must be committed to providing the very best for your rabbit. It is amazing how many people dont think its necessary to interact with their rabbits once they bring them home. But it is, and it is something you need to consider BEFORE you buy your pet. Lets see what rabbits need. Housing In the wild rabbits live in burrows and spend the majority of time foraging for grass, shoots and roots. Living in a hutch allows your rabbit to live outside and receive plenty of sunshine and fresh air every day. Rabbits need good, secure, roomy housing. Many hutches and runs are available at pet shops and are perfect for your pet. Rabbits naturally chew wood, so make sure that any wooden hutch that you purchase has been treated with non-toxic products. You might know someone who could make one for you. A good hutch will have two compartments one for the day and one to nest and hide in at night. Dont forget that if you have more than one rabbit you will need a bigger hutch. They prefer to sleep separately at night, too, so need their own nesting areas. The minimum size for a good hutch is 4ft x 2ft x 2ft high (120cm x 60cm x 60cm) for a single, medium size breed. It should be around 4-5 times the length of the rabbit when the rabbit is stretched out. This will need to be much larger if you are keeping more than one rabbit. It should always be high enough that the rabbit can sit upright, with his ears pricked, without touching the top of the hutch. Remember that a hutch can NEVER be too big buy or make the largest hutch you can manage. The hutch should be placed in a position that is sheltered, out of direct sunlight. Extremes of temperature can cause stress which may result in discomfort or illness. In cold weather there must be adequate protection from drafts, wind and rain. Repositioning the hutch can make the most of winter sunlight. Plastic sheets over the front of the cage can prevent rain from driving into the cage, but should allow for ventilation. Hutches should be checked before winter to ensure they are water and draft proof extra bedding should always be provided and check twice a day to be sure it is dry. If the bedding becomes wet or soiled your rabbit can suffer from hypothermia and die. Water is of concern during cold months as it can freeze. It is generally recommended that your rabbits be housed indoors in areas that fall below 45 degrees. Place the hutch on bricks or legs to avoid becoming damp during wet weather. Ensure the roof is sloping, waterproofed and overhangs slightly to avoid poor drainage on the top surface. Always ensure hutch doors are locked to avoid accidental escape or access by predators. Exterme heat is another concern as domestic rabbits are not used to very high temperatures and can succumb to heat stroke. Despite all this a rabbit will thrive with its hutch outside if proper care is taken. Just dont forget they still need lots of company! You must also provide a run for your rabbit that allows him plenty of room to exercise. Rabbits are naturally frightened of large, open spaces and love playing in a run that contains playthings, such as boxes, flowerpots, drainpipes and logs. Hutch Hygiene Hutches should be cleaned out on a regular basis. This is especially important in warmer weather in order to prevent flies being attracted to the hutch, as this may result in an infestation of maggots. In the winter months, bedding can become damp and moldy from extreme weather. Did you know that rabbits can catch nasty diseases such as Coccidiosis from dirty hutches? So make sure you pay lots of attention to keeping your rabbits hutch clean and hygienic. Here are some tips to help you: Every day Remove any soiled or damp bedding Once a week * Remove all bedding. Thoroughly sweep out all the old bedding. * Rinse with warm water and mild detergent and wait until dry. * Spray inside of hutch with a rabbit safe disinfectant/deodorant and wait until dry. * Replace with clean bedding. Carefresh - Supreme Science This is a top of the line bedding made from virgin wood pulp fibers. A great alternative to traditional bedding. It is more absorbent than wood shavings and really helps eliminate pet odors. It is an environmentally friendly product, contains no inks or dyes, is dust free, hypo-allergenic and is, therefore, particularly suitable for rabbits. Carefresh is both safe and hygenic, has been heat treated to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth. It absorbs up to 3 times its weight in liquid and lasts up to twice as long as traditional bedding. It is environmentally friendly. No trees were cut down to make this bedding. EXERCISE It is extremely important that your rabbit has the opportunity to exercise every day. Exercise is essential to:
Your rabbit will love running around and playing with his toys! (see Accessories). Watch him leaping around kicking his legs in the air with pure enjoyment.
You need to provide a large, secure run for daily exercise. This can be free-standing or attached to the hutch. Security and position are extremely important to avoid any harm or stress to your rabbit during his playtime. If you want, you can take your rabbit for a walk on a harness, in a safe and secure area, or take them inside your home to play (but dont forget if they havent been house trained, they may make a little mess!). Beware the chewing houserabbit! The house offers numerous opportunities for play and investigation. BUT it can be a dangerous place for your rabbit there are electrical appliances, and wires to chew. Protect wires in your home with plastic tubing or cable guards. You will also need to bunny-proof your home so your rabbit only has access to areas that are safe and where you are happy for them to go. You can use items such as a baby gate to prevent them going upstairs. Be careful of open doors and human feet. Rabbits will dash around and under your feet without warning which may result in their escape, or even injury to you or your pet. Accessories Rabbits are naturally very active and inquisitive animals. They like to keep themselves busy and, when allowed, spend the majority of their time running around and investigating their surroundings. Their natural instincts are to forage, explore and socialize. It only takes a few items to create an exciting playground for your pet.
HANDLING YOUR RABBIT
To ensure that your rabbit becomes tame and affectionate it is important that you handle it frequently and correctly. Picking up a rabbit incorrectly could lead to your rabbit being permanently frightened and may lead to it becoming aggressive. Remember that most small animals are prey in the wild. So, if they are approached from above they will see a large shadow and become scared. They might run and hide or try to attack you. The best way to pick up your rabbit is to talk to him as you approach him - on the same level. Crouch in front of him and let him come to you, presenting the back of your hand for him to sniff. Gently take hold of the scruff with one hand, and support the weight of the rabbit by scooping up the rump with the other hand. Place him on your lap or hold him to your chest and very slowly stand up. Another way is to place one hand under his chest and support the hindquarters with the other hand; again, always talk to you rabbit to calm and reassure him. Grooming and health checks Grooming your rabbit is necessary to avoid matting of the fur and maintain a healthy shiny coat. It also helps to build a relationship with your pet. While you are grooming your rabbit is the perfect opportunity for you to examine your pet closely to look for any signs of illness. (See the next section called Is my rabbit well? for more details on signs of illness and behavior.) Check the whole animal, looking for any discharges, sore areas, scabs, soiling, etc. that may indicate a problem. It is especially important to check the teeth regularly becuase they are continually growing and if not properly worn down, they may require veterinary attention. To help prevent this, feed Russel Rabbit as it has plenty of ingredients for the animal to chew on which will help wear down his teeth. Be sure to provide some safe chew toys such as willow, apple, beech or hazel branches. COMPANIONSHIP We touched briefly on pairing rabbits at the beginning, but it needs explaining in more detail. Rabbits in the wild live in large colonies with a well-structured hierarchy. This is the opposite with domesticated rabbits where they are often kept in solitude. There should be no problems keeping rabbits together if the following rules are followed. First, as stated before, you must have a hutch which is large enough to accommodate more than one rabbit. It is best to acquire littermates in order to avoid fighting. Single sex groups will normally be fine. However, females can be more temperamental during the breeding season. Males will live happily together but may become agitated and fight if they are both chasing the same female. 1 female and 1 male will be happy together but will result in litters. The best advice is to have the rabbits neutered if you do not wish to breed them. This controls sexual behavior and aggression, prevents unwanted litters and reduces the possibility of diseases of the reproductive system. Rabbits should not be paired with guinea pigs. Rabbits are naturally dominant and may try to bully the guinea pig or, even worse, attack them. Veterinary treatment A rabbit is inexpensive to buy, but you must be prepared to pay for veterinary treatment if he becomes ill. Neutering If you would like two rabbits then it is important that you consider having them neutered to avoid fights or unwanted litters. Neutering of rabbits is now carried out routinely in most veterinary practices. You would probably need to leave your rabbit at the vets overnight, especially if it is a female. In any case, when you bring your rabbit home after neutering, it is essential that it is kept in the house for 2-3 days your vet will, of course, give you more guidance on how to care for your rabbit after its operation. Gestation and lactation If you do decide to breed your female rabbit, you will need to give her twice as much food (Russel Junior) as normal while she is pregnant. Her bodies demand for nutrients during this time is much greater. Once she has had the litter she will need three times as much food as normal while she is lactating (feeding her babies herself). Please do not be tempted to touch the kittens for the first week as the mother rabbit may reject them. Older rabbits When rabbits reach the senior stage of life, it is equally important to consider changes in their environment and diet. Older animals tend to be less active and will have lower energy requirements. Make sure that you feed plenty of hay and the correct amount of Russel Rabbit food for their actual body weight and activity level. Encourage them to exercise daily to maintain as high a level of fitness as possible. This will also help them fight off disease. As mentioned before, you should check all your rabbits on a regular basis for signs of illness or disease. Special care should be taken with senior rabbits and they may require daily help with grooming as well but this can be an enjoyable experience for both of you. VACATIONS If you want to go on vacation, you must ensure that someone responsable is happy to look after your pet properly while you are away. Otherwise, you will need to pay to have them boarded at a vet or at a kennel. |