Looking after your pet

Pet-Rabbit Information – What Is Domesticated Rabbits? How To
Care For Your Pet-Rabbit?
By Lay Peng Goh

Domesticated rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart
from dogs and cats. They look attractive, lovely, gentle,
friendly and cute. They are easy to take care and undemanding
in terms of care and housing. They will settle well either
indoor or outdoor, at home.

There are 40 species of rabbits and hares worldwide. All
domesticated rabbits are originated from European rabbits. The
scientific name for domestic rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.

Typically, domesticated rabbits weigh between 2.2-221lb
(1-10kg). The domesticated rabbits can be fed on commercially
produced rabbit food, pellets, hay, green food, root
vegetables, tree bark, herbs and apple.

The gestation period of a rabbit is 31 days and the typical
litter size ranges from 6-8 young. The lifespan varies with
breed.

Keeping a rabbit as pet requires a good training system to
prevent unnecessary destructions or hassle. For example,
furniture and carpet chewing problems, pseudo pregnancy
symptoms, litter problems, fights, behavioral problems,
rabbit-house worries, sickness, fleas, predators and etc.
Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome when the owners
have the knowledge and experience to deal with them. Thus, one
of the recommended ways to acquire the important knowledge is
to read widely and exchange practical information with
experienced rabbit owners.

A good rabbit cage must be large enough for the average
sized-rabbit. A rabbit’s living area must be spacious enough
for a litter box, toys, and perhaps a cardboard box, with
enough room left over for him to be comfortable. The minimum
size recommended is 4 times the rabbit’s stretched out length
as to ensure the cage is tall enough for the rabbit to stand up
straight.

It is important to watch out for any abnormalities in your
rabbits as rabbits are susceptible to various digestive
ailments and other life-threatening diseases. For example,
rabbits are vulnerable to myxomatosis and VHD viruses. These
are the killer viruses!

There is no universal system of classification for rabbit
breeds. Some popular breeds of rabbits include:

• Alaska
• American Fuzzy Lop
• American Sable
• Angora
• Belgian Hare
• Beveren
• Californian
• Champagne D’Argent
• Checkered Giant
• Chinchilla
• Dutch
• Dwarf Hotot
• English Lop
• Flemish Giant
• Florida White
• Harlequin
• Havana
• Himalayan
• Hotot
• Jersey Wooly
• Lilac
• Holland Lop
• Mini Lop
• Mini Rex
• Netherland Dwarf
• New Zealand
• Palomino
• Polish
• Rex
• Rhinelander
• Satin
• Silver
• Silver Fox
• Silver Marten
• Tan

Domesticated Rabbits As Pet

The most important criterion before deciding to adopt a
domesticated rabbit as pet is that you MUST have interest, love
and willingness to take great care of your rabbit. This little
cute bunny will need care and attention for approximately 10
years. Never adopt a rabbit and leave it uncared for at the
corner of your house and the worst case is to abandon it in
shelters, parks or even woodland areas. Once the poor rabbit is
left wild, it has very little chance to survive. I am a rabbit
lover, so I cherish rabbits a lot and treat them with bundles
of affection.What Are The Daily Rabbit Care Rituals?

Balance Diet:

A rabbit's diet should be balance, made up of good quality
pellets, fresh hay, fresh vegetables and water.

Water should be fresh. It is recommended to change it twice a
day. If water is not available, the rabbit will stop eating.
The water container should be washed daily.

Treats such as bananas or carrots should be given in small
amounts and only on occasion. Rabbits have a sweet tooth and
will consume sugary foods to the exclusion of healthy ones. Never give a rabbit chocolate, sweets or chocolates. These
stuffs may lead to an overgrowth of "bad" bacteria in the gut
that leads to fatal cases of enterotoxemia.

Litter Training:

Train your rabbits to use litter boxes. Replace litter boxes
with fresh litter everyday.

PRECAUTION: Do not use any litter containing pine or cedar
shavings as these contain oils, which can cause respiratory and
liver disease in rabbits. Litter made of plant material (hay)
or paper (cellulose) is the safest litter to use with rabbits.Droppings should be inspected daily without fail. Normal
droppings look like regular round dry marbles, called pills.
There may also be some clusters. An abnormality in droppings
can be the first sign of illness in rabbits. For example, if
you find your rabbit’s droppings that are getting smaller,
infrequent or misshapen, it signifies less is coming through.
Thus, you ought to check out the reasons. It could be
intestinal problems or any other kinds of illnesses.

Grooming & Health Care:

Rabbits enjoy human touch and love. By brushing and combing your rabbits for a few minutes daily will help them to feel
your care and presence. Typically, rabbits shed every 3 months.
Hence, it is absolutely for you to free your rabbits of this
excess fur. It is perfectly common for rabbit to shed. So,
spend enough time to help your rabbits to remove loose hair or
fur.

Nevertheless, rabbits are self-cleaning and healthy small
animals. They can groom themselves too. How do they do that?
They can swallow excess fur! Once swallowed, these rabbits
cannot vomit a fur ball, as what a cat can do. This excess fur can cause an obstruction. Technically speaking, we say that the
rabbit has developed GI Stasis, a common slowing down of the GI
tract. The symptoms of GI Stasis are smaller size droppings,
lesser droppings frequency, loss of appetite, hunched up
situation and teeth grinding due to pain. Bring your rabbit to
your vet at once when you see these symptoms.

Exercise And Play Time:

Human must get daily exercise, so must your rabbits! The
benefits of exercise for rabbits include smoother flow of blood
circulation, stronger muscles and prevention from fragile bones. A rabbit's bone weight is only 7% of his total body
weight compared with 15% in a cat.

Rabbits are crepuscular. Crepuscular refers to animals that are
most active at dawn and dusk. The perfect time for your rabbit
to get exercise is in the morning, when you are getting ready
for work and in the evening when you arrive home. By the time
you get home, your rabbit will have been napping all day! Bet
you will be happy and entertained to watch him running and
hopping around and doing bunny dances in mid-air, better known
as "binkies".Similar to kids, rabbits love toys! Rabbits like new toys
daily! So, what are the toys that your rabbits love dearly?
Some ideas of toys include toilet paper roll, cardboard box
with a rabbit side doors, newspapers, towels, untreated wicker
baskets and paper bags. Tunnels of any kind are always welcomed
too!

Spay/Neuter:

This procedure is necessary if you want your rabbit to lead a
healthy life, free from cancer. The risk of ovarian cancer in
an older female is approximately 85% if she is not spayed during puberty (4-6 months). The reason for a male rabbit to be
neutered is mainly behavioral reason. It is crucial as well as
to eliminate random spraying, reduce hormone-related aggression
and for easier housetrain.

The process of spaying or neutering your rabbit with minimum
risk can be performed professionally by your vet. A bonded pair
should each be spayed and neutered to avoid pseudo-pregnancies.

Rabbit Proofing:

Rabbits like to gnaw as it is a expected action for them.
Boredom is common reason for their chewing activity and other times, items such as electrical cords get in their way. Thus,
they are smart to use their mouth and teeth to shift it. Rabbit
is a must! It not only protects your belongings or furniture,
it keeps your rabbit safe and sound.

All electrical cords should be concealed in vinyl tubing. Hide
the cords before your rabbit move it.

By providing your rabbit with acceptable things like toys and
card box boxes to chew will not hurt you rabbit. If you see
your rabbit swallowing it whole, remove it.

All the best!Warm regards,
Amanda Gates
A Rabbit Lover
Website: http://www.careforpet-rabbit.com

Tips on the Proper Way to Pick Your Pet Rabbit Up

Improper handling may cause serious, life-threatening injuries.Fractures and dislocations of the back, most often resulting inparalysis of both rear legs, are the most common injuries. These
injuries also occur when rabbits are suddenly frightened and attempt to escape from a small enclosure.A rabbit's spine is relatively lightweight and fragile. When a rabbit becomes frightened, it violently struggles by powerfully kicking its back legs. The lightning-fast movements of the rearlegs cause over-extension of the lumbosacral (lower back) regionof the spine, which frequently results in fractures or dislocations.One should never try to overpower a struggling rabbit.If a rabbit violently resists physical restraint, it should be immediately released and approached later when it has calmed down.A soft-spoken, relaxed approach with rabbits works well.Covering the eyes and lightly stroking a rabbit will usually result in a hypnotic-like trance that often renders them less prone to panic and injury.Rabbits should never be picked up by their ears. If you are concerned about being scratched by the claws, place a towel over the rabbit's back and wrap it around the body to restrain all 4 feet before picking up the rabbit. An alternative method of picking up a rabbit involves sliding one hand under its breastbone and grasping both front legs between the fingers of this hand. The other hand is then gently worked under the rearquarters to fully support them as the rabbit is lifted upwards,in the same manner as cats are held and supported.

What to Feed Your Pet Rabbit

The typical diet for a pet rabbit should consist of water, hay,pellets, fresh vegetables, and its own caecal pellets. Anythingelse, including fruit and other treats should be given only in very limited quantities, as it may cause obesity in a rabbit.Pellets should be less than a couple of months old to ensure freshness, and should consist of a minimum of 18% fiber, low protein (14–15%), and less than 1% calcium. Depending on the amount of vegetables available, an adult rabbit should be given between ¼ and ½ cup of pellets per 6 pounds body weight (20 ml to 40 ml per kilogram) daily.

Pellets for Pet Rabbits

Pre-adolescent and adolescent rabbits(7 months and younger) can be given as much pellets as they can consume, although additional vegetables are preferable to additional pellets.An older rabbit (over six years) can be given more pellets if they are having difficulty maintaining a steady body weight.Timothy hay-based pellets are great for rabbits that have stopped growing and do not need to gain weight.Alfalfa-based pellets are best only for young, growing bunnies or older bunnies who are under-weight.Pellets were originally designed for rabbit breeders for the
purpose of providing as much food energy and vitamins as inexpensively as possible. This is optimal when the rabbits are being bred for food or for experimentation, but the long-term
effects of a pellet-based diet on rabbits are quite negative,resulting in an obese, unhappy, and unhealthy rabbit.

Vegetables for Pet Rabbits

Vegetables are essential to the health of rabbits. At least two cups of three different vegetables per 6 lb (170 ml/kg) of body weight should be fed to the rabbit daily, ideally half in the morning around sunrise, and half in the evening around sunset, as this is when wild rabbits most frequently graze. Remove vegetables that have not been consumed within a half-hour, as they can develop unhealthy amounts of bacteria. A wide variety of vegetables will result in the healthiest rabbit; preferably a combination of dark green vegetables and a root vegetables. Stay
away from beans or rhubarb, as they can cause the rabbit to become sick. Additionally, it is wise to select vegetables thatare high in Vitamin A.

Hay for Pet Rabbits

Hay is essential for the health of all rabbits. A steady supply of hay will help prevent hairballs and other digestive tract problems in rabbits. Additionally, it provides a number of necessary vitamins and minerals at a low calorie cost. Rabbits should be provided with a constant, unlimited supply of hay for their consumption. Rabbits enjoy chewing on hay, and always
having hay available for the rabbit may reduce its tendency to chew on other items in the house. It is also a good idea to provide hay in the rabbit's litter box, as rabbits enjoying munching on food while they are defecating.Timothy hay and other grass hays are considered the healthiest to
provide the rabbit. As a persistently high blood calcium level can prove harmful to the rabbit, hays such as alfalfa and clover hay should be avoided. Alfalfa is also relatively high in calories, and a constant diet of it can cause obesity in rabbits.

Treats for Pet Rabbits

Treats are unhealthy in large quantities for rabbits, just as they are for humans. Most treats sold in pet stores are filled with sugar and high food energy carbohydrates. These should be avoided; the vitamins they claim to provide are not needed, since the vegetables will provide all the vitamins the rabbit needs. In addition, they contain high quantities of sugar and other simple
carbohydrates which will make the rabbit obese. If determined to feed the rabbit treats, the best treat to provide it with is fruit. Papaya is an excellent fruit to use as an occasional treat for bunnies. Papaya contains an enzyme that helps eliminate hair balls. Look for dried papaya with no sugar added, and feed only a very small amount per day.

These veggies and fruits are safe to feed a pet rabbit:

Apple (not seeds) ,Artichoke ,Arugula ,Asparagus,Banana,Basil ,Beet tops ,Blackberry (leaves, stems, fruit) ,Blueberry ,Broccoli,Brussel sprouts,Cantaloupe ,Caraway ,Carrot (tops and root) ,Celery,Chard ,Chives (in moderation) ,Cilantro ,Clover ,Collard greens ,Cucumber,Dandelion (leaves, stem, flower) ,Dill,Endive,Escarole,Fennel Zucchini,Grapes
Green pepper,Honeydew Melon,Kale,Lemon balm ,Lettuce (romaine, red & green leaf) ,Lilac,Marigold ,Marjoram,Mint,Mustard greens,Papaya (no seeds) ,Parsley,Peach,Pear,Pineapple,Radish Tops,Raspberry (leaves, stems, fruit),Sage,Savory Spinach,Strawberry,Tomato (fruit only; greens are toxic) ,Watermelon,Watercress.

Fruit should always be given in moderation as the high sugar
content may cause diarrhea.Introduce fruits and vegetables slowly over several weeks.
Remember no pesticides!!!!!

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