10 Things You Should Know About Rabbits as Pets
“...1. Rabbit personalities differ.
Just like people, some rabbits are shy & quiet, while others are mischievous & rambunctious...
2. Bunnies can live a long time.
...rabbits can live 8 to 12 years or more... be sure you are ready to provide appropriate pet care — including food, housing, daily attention, & veterinary visits...
3. Socialization is essential.
Many rabbits can be reserved when they are first taken home, wanting to hide & resisting handling. That’s why it’s very important that when a bunny is brought into a new environment, a new owner is willing to spend time talking to it & working up to petting & handling it to ensure it becomes acclimated...
4. Proper nutrition is key.
Rabbits are herbivores...& should be offered unlimited amounts of timothy or grass hay each day to help them wear down their continuously growing teeth. Alfalfa hay is not generally recommended for full-grown rabbits... as it is too high in calcium & calories; it is appropriate for young, growing bunnies up to 1 year, & pregnant or nursing bunnies. Rabbits also should be offered dark green or yellow leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, beet or dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, carrot tops, endive, basil, kale, cabbage, radicchio, wheat grass, squash, Brussels sprouts, & pea pods...
Fruits should be limited to small amounts of high-fiber apple, pear, plum, peach or berries. Carrots also contain a fair amount of sugar & should be offered in small quantities...
... rabbits also may be offered high-fiber, timothy hay-based pellets in limited quantities... Bunnies also require fresh water daily...
5. Bunnies are usually very clean.
Rabbits generally do not need to be bathed & will groom themselves frequently. Their cages should be lined with paper-based bedding... They can be trained to use a litter pan containing a different type of paper-based bedding in a corner of their cage...All rabbits, but especially long-haired breeds, such as the Angora,should be brushed weekly to prevent matting of hair with food, stool or bedding, & all require nail trimming every few months.
6. Exercise is important.
Though rabbits don’t need to be walked... they do need time every day out of their cages. Activity helps prevent weight gain & promotes healthy digestion... They should be left out only when supervised...
7. Bunnies & extreme weather don’t mix.
With their thick & sometimes-long fur coats & lack of sweat glands, rabbits don’t tolerate heat well & overheat easily...If they are allowed outside, they should be provided with water & a shaded area...
8. Chewing is a must.
Rabbits’ teeth grow continuously. They must not only have an endless supply of hay to nibble on, but also hard wooden toys & branches (such as commercially available apple wood sticks) to gnaw on to help keep their teeth worn down...
9. Never trust predators.
Rabbits are prey species, & other commonly kept pets... are predators whose instincts are to catch prey...Therefore, dogs, cats, & ferrets should never be left alone in the presence of a rabbit, no matter how gentle & sweet they are. Also be aware that the presence of such species may stress out your bunny.
10. Veterinary care is vital.
Bunnies... require regular, preventive veterinary care. While they do not typically require vaccines, they should have annual checkups & fecal examinations to check for parasites... In addition, female rabbits not intended for breeding should be spayed, as after 3 years of age, 70 to 80% of un-spayed females get uterine cancer...”
Dr. Laurie Hess (Vetstreet.com)
Feb. 8/2017
care2.com
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