The most adorable animals that make very good pets are none other than rabbits. The glint in the eye, the hopping energy and the long ears are a delight to own. It’s easy to wonder how it feels to own a rabbit. Here are a few things one must know before you bring the bundle of joy home!
Cage Care
The hopping animals need space so get a spacious cage of plastic or wood with wired bars. The cage should be at least 2’ by 4’. Two bucks should not be placed in the same cage. The flooring should not be wired as rabbit feet do not have padding. The material should not be of a bad quality so invest in your rabbit’s health. Make the cage predator proof and check for damage from time to time. Refrain from keeping newspaper clippings inside as they may harm the rabbit and also make sure you clean the cage every other day otherwise it may get stinky. While their droppings help your lawn, try and be patient to teach them how to use the litter box. One might assume that keeping the rabbit in the cage is fine but ideally they do need around 4 hours every day to play around. Summers tend to get hot so keep ice bottles in their cage to keep them cool and they would happily go rub against it.
Food & Health
Rabbits like the pugs should not be overfed. That does not mean we can allow them to starve. They should be fed every day since their carbohydrates and nutrients get burned off fast due to the active energy. No matter what the weather and condition, they need to be fed and since they also consume a lot of water, they should be taught how to consume from a bowl or bottle. Fill it to the brim and keep your pet from dehydrating. Always check for their coughing and sneezing and also take it to the vet for a yearly check-up. Vegetables are good for their diet and also keep their diarrhea away. They eat a lot if given free access which might result in health issues for the furry animals. Green leafy vegetables, hay are what you should look at for a daily healthy dose.
Are you ready?
Adopting or owning a rabbit is more than just assuming you will have a personal soft toy like furry pet. One needs to be prepared to take responsibility and decide for their own if they are the rabbit kinds. Don’t make the poor pet suffer because of your inefficiency. They get comfortable around your house and mark their territory slowly. Open spaces scare them more since they fear predators. Rabbits like being around humans and they look forward to the interaction, the absence of which may lead to depression and loneliness for the social animals. They make an amazing pet for amazing people. The person should be willing to observe and listen. Listen a little more and they would give you a different perspective on the world. One should be friendly, patient, willing to spend time on the floor, stay home quite often and absolutely enjoy just watching and learning from the rabbits. You will find a unique pleasure in having rabbits as companions. You should be willing to clean their poop every now and then as they poop even when startled. They do not liked to be held and rather just petted while sitting next to you. They have a natural flair for digging and chewing and as an owner you should not be the one who frets too much. Make your house electric proof and give them the freedom to roam around. These animals are so smart that slowly you will realize that instead of you training them, they have started training you according to their needs. You need to be there to keep an eye out for them especially if you have dogs, cats or kids at home. Kids might handle them in a way that may affect their spine or other bones.
Keep them Happy
While there are many things for them to live for 7 to 10 years, interesting thing to note is their love for toys. They are most active early mornings and in the evenings which gives a breather time to working people. They prefer toys like cardboard boxes, hard plastic toys, wire cat balls, chew toys, bottle lids, toilet paper roll in hays, all these are a list of items. They also bond well with another rabbit. My rabbit became violent after I kept him away from his brother and the loneliness probably got to him. It is essential to keep them safe from cats especially and after some supervising they can get along. Keep them groomed and remember to cut their toe nails on time to prevent getting scratched. All in all, I would just say that learn to keep your rabbit happy and pamper it. Give them attention and they will never fail you as pets. They love snuggling and will do so happily with you once the bond is formed. Go get them and add charm to your lives.