Pet Advice

Happy Bunny
Rabbits

Rabbits are lovely pets and have great characters, when given plenty of socialisation and company with their owners. The domestic pet rabbit has developed through breeding at such a rate that they would find it hard to survive in the wild today. The popularity of house rabbits has grown, house rabbits provide similar company to dogs with out the need for long walks, they can be house trained to use litter trays in much the same way as cats, the only main drawback is guarding electric, TV and phone cables from rabbits as they do like to chew.

Housing
Rabbits kept outdoors will need a friend, they soon become lonely and bored if kept alone. There are many hutches on the market now that are well constructed and waterproof, covers are also available to cut down the winter winds. The main thing to remember when buying a hutch is that rabbits need to be kept warm and out of drafts. Rabbits also require quite a lot of space to run around. The minimum requirement for a hutch length is about 90cm (36”) for the two storey type. Indoor rabbits will require a cage with a litter tray. Line the cage with a layer of clean wood-shavings, straw should be placed in the bed.

Diet and Feeding
Rabbits require plenty of roughage to keep their intestines healthy. Grass or hay should form the bulk of the diet along with a bowl of good quality dried food and plenty of fresh water each day. Rabbits should not have too much fresh food as it can cause digestion problems small bits of carrot or apple are a welcome treat. It is important to keep the rabbits teeth healthy as they grow constantly and need to grind daily to ensure that the rabbit can eat properly, this also helps to maintain the other functions such as cleaning of the ears and eyes to prevent infections. Some rabbits selectively eat favourite bits of food only there are several complete dried foods available to solve this problem.

Care and Maintenance
Rabbits are very clean animals and often leave their droppings in the corner of their cage. Soiled cages can make the paws sore if prolonged for any length of time. The cage should be cleaned out at least once a week, more during summer periods if there is a risk of fly infestation. Products containing lemon oil can be used to keep flies away and prevent the rabbits suffering fly strike.

Handling and Exercise
The golden rule to keep a rabbit happy and friendly is to handle them for at least an hour a day. Care must be taken when picking a rabbit up, a hand must be placed under the bottom to support the weight and the other hand around its chest. Rabbits may panic if they are carried around, best practice is to sit down and place them on a knee not to high off the ground. Pet rabbits require exercise, this can be provided in several ways, a run situated on the lawn is ideal, rabbit harnesses are also available. House rabbits should frequently be allowed time to run around outside their cage.