How to Take Good Care of a Pet Rabbit
Nowadays, rabbits are becoming increasingly popular as pets. Nevertheless, the specific need of the rabbit must be met to enable it to live a healthy, long, and happy life. Most people who adopt rabbits as pets didn’t first research the proper way to take care of their rabbit and can end up having a rabbit with health issues.
Here’s a brief guide on how to take good care of your pet rabbit. Read on.
Build a Secured Indoor House
This is the first thing to do before bringing your new pet rabbit into your home. There are many options available to keep your rabbit indoors. You can either let your cat live freely in a rabbit-proofed room or contain it in a pen, rabbit condo, or big bunny cage.
If you contain your rabbit, make sure that the cage is not isolated from you and your family, and the space is large enough for your rabbit to hop around. Free your pet rabbit from its cage/pen for a minimum of a few hours every day for exercise.
Rabbit-Proof Your Home
Rabbits are naturally active and need space to explore and run around. One way to set up safe indoor housing for your rabbit, as well as protect your home and property, is to thoroughly rabbit-proof your house. This includes using wire covers on all wires, lifting wires 3ft to 4ft beyond the reach of the rabbit, using plastic guards, blocking off some areas, and so on. You wouldn’t want your rabbit to gnaw on what can harm it.
Give Fresh Hay
Rabbit’s main diet is hay. So, always provide your rabbit with large amounts of dry, clean, and fresh hay all the time. While the alfalfa plant is good for baby rabbits, adult bunnies should be given oat, grass, or timothy hay. Provide a big hay feeder for your rabbit to keep food accessible.
Provide Fresh Vegetables, Fibre-rich Pellets, and Clean Water
While hay is the rabbit’s main diet, you should supplement the hay with fresh green vegetables and fibre-rich pellets for your rabbit every day. Don’t forget to add fresh water. Note that the fibre-rich pellets should be given in limited quantities to adult rabbits.
Make a Litter Box
Naturally, rabbits are inclined to eat and poop at the same time. Maximize this opportunity by making a shallow storage bin or medium-sized litter box close to their food bowl or hay feeder. In the litter box, put a slim layer of bunny-safe, recycled newspaper pellet litter inside the litter box at the bottom.
Avoid wood shavings or clay cat litter because they aren’t safe for bunnies. Then place some hay over the litter.
Groom Your Pet Rabbit
Though rabbits naturally clean themselves like cats, you still require to groom the rabbit regularly. Rabbits shed their fur a couple of times a year. So, you need to brush the rabbit to get rid of any excess fur. If this is not done your rabbit might ingest the fur and develop serious health complications or digestive issues.
You should also clip your rabbit’s nails regularly as long nails can either curl into the rabbit’s paw or inadvertently tear things.
Take Your Rabbit for Regular Check-up
Rabbits can naturally hide any signs of illness. So, we suggest that you take your rabbit for a regular check-up. As a caring pet owner, you should be very watchful to ensure that your rabbit is drinking, eating, peeing, and pooping regularly.
In case you see any unusual pattern in your rabbit’s behaviour, it is essential to call your veterinarian immediately. Your vet would check your rabbit’s eyes, ears, teeth, and other body parts to ensure that your rabbit is in good health. If necessary, you may have to neuter or spay your rabbit. Doing this will help in reducing aggressive behaviour, get better litter-box habits, as well as improve your rabbit’s general health.
Adopting a rabbit is a long-term commitment as they can live over 10 years. Keep that in mind when deciding whether or not getting a pet rabbit is the right choice for you. Taking care of your bunny and keeping it happy and healthy is relatively straightforward but they do need social interaction, plenty of exercise as well as enrichment activities.