How to Care for a Rabbit
If you have plans of taking care of a rabbit, you better be prepared. These adorable animals may be popular pets but they have special care requirements that you should keep in mind. Rabbits can live up to 10 years so you need patience and enough knowledge if you plan to adopt a long-term pet. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Provide a safe and comfortable home.
The safest place to raise a rabbit is indoors. Though most rabbits adjust pretty well to cool environments, the majority of them cannot tolerate hot temperatures and can be at risk for domestic predators such as your neighbor’s dog or cat when left outside your lot.
If you are planning to care for your rabbit using a cage, make sure that it is big enough. It should be five to six times the size of your pet. Rabbits kept in cages should be allowed to roam free for a few hours at a time to explore their surroundings and exercise. Devote some time to play with your rabbit every day.
You should also teach your rabbit to use a litter box. Put a litter box in the cage, ideally made of just sticks and newspapers. Also include fresh hay in the litter box everyday since most rabbits love eating while staying in their litter box.
If you are planning on letting your bunny roam around the house, make sure that all electrical cords and outlets are out of reach or covered. Rabbits should also be distanced from storage areas that may contain poisonous stuff, like cleaning supplies. Also keep them away from seemingly common plants that may kill them, such as aloe and other assorted plant bulbs.
Feed your rabbit every day.
You can’t just feed rabbits anything since their digestive systems are so complex. Make sure that your rabbit is having a balanced diet, including fresh water.
For starters, rabbits need hay everyday plus vegetables such as leaf and romaine lettuces, cilantro, parsely dandelion greens, arugula, among others. You can also give your pet rabbit fruit such as apples, papaya, peaches and melon. As supplements, you may want to give your rabbit a steady amount of pellets. You can buy any as long as it is approved by you veterinarian. Foods to avoid include corn, onions, bamboo grainsm beans and potatoes.
Pamper your rabbit to a nice chewy treat.
Keep your pet happy by providing untreated wood blocks or cardboard in its cage of play pen. Rabbits love chewing all day long so keep dangerous items away and provide only the safe ones like paper towel rolls and other chewable cardboard items. When giving items from your home, make sure that you remove any tape or staple wires from them first.
Taking care of a rabbit is a long commitment much like owning a pet dog or cat. You need patience and dedication but once you have mastered these daily care tips, it will all be worth it.