Is a rabbit the right pet for you?

Rabbits can be difficult to look after properly. They need lots of space for exercise, and large homes that can be expensive to create. Before you think about getting any pet you should think very hard about whether you can provide everything it needs.

Why would you consider a rabbit as a pet?

Rabbits are smarter then you think! Rabbits can be litter trained just like cats. And therefore can be a great inside pet.

When considering a rabbit as a pet remember that rabbits are social animals and will need another rabbit as a friend. The best pair is a male and a female as long as they are both desexed. Two females will often get along, but two males rarely get along.

What do rabbits need?

  Someone to provide them with all their needs for the rest of their life.
  Companionship to be with other rabbits or people.
  A balanced diet of grass, rabbit pellets and fruit and vegetables.
  A constant supply of fresh, clean water in a drip-feed bottle with a metal spout.
  A large weatherproof home that is kept off the ground, out of direct sunlight and strong winds. Many homes
        sold in pet shops are too small.
  A separate covered sleeping area for each animal inside the home.
  A clean layer of wood shavings on the floor of their home with plenty of hay or shredded paper.
  Daily exercise in a large, safe, grassy area. Rabbits burrow, so make sure that the enclosure is sunk into
         the ground, is escape proof and safe from predators.
  Their home to be cleaned every day and their bedding to be changed every week.
  A gnawing block to wear down long teeth.
  To be combed every day if they have a long coat.
  To be neutered at an early age. Ask your veterinary surgeon for advice.
  Injections to prevent some serious diseases.
  To be taken to a veterinary surgeon if they are ill or injured.
  To be looked after when you are away on holiday.

Selecting your rabbit

Ensure that you purchase your rabbit from a reputable source. Ensure that the rabbits are bright and healthy and that their enclosure is clean and suitable. It is also important to look at the mouth of the rabbit as rabbits frequently suffer from malocclusions. This is when the teeth are not properly aligned and therefore do not wear correctly. This can be quite costly as the rabbits teeth will need to be trimmed by a veterinarian every month or two.

Lifespan

Rabbits can live for up to ten years.

Behaviour

Rabbits still retain many of their natural behaviour patterns. In some ways, this makes them unsuited to life in captivity. In the wild, rabbits live in large social groups, and it is unkind to keep one rabbit on its own.
Female rabbits from the same litter can be kept together. Male rabbits will often fight even if they have been neutered. One male rabbit for up to every four female rabbits is usually a successful ratio.

Handling

It is important that rabbits are handled from a young age and regularly through out their life to ensure they are relaxed and social with people.

Rabbits don’t particularly like being picked up or hugged. Never pick up a rabbit by its ears or the scruff of its neck.  To correctly pick up a rabbit, scruff it and support its rear. It is also important to keep the rabbit close to you when it is picked up so that it feels secure. Lift the rabbit toward you and rest it against your body with its head toward your shoulder.  Rabbits are quite fragile, it is important that you handle them gently to avid distress or injury. You can train your rabbit to hop up on to your lap with left over vegetables like your broccoli stalks. Once your rabbit is happy and settled you won’t be able to sit on the floor without it jumping up on your lap looking for a tasty tit bit of vegetable.

Housing

Many people keep their rabbit in a hutch by day so that it can graze and then bring it indoors at night so it can romp around the house and watch TV with the family. But you do need to be careful as rabbits like to chew, so it is essential that they have no access to electrical cables or your prized possessions. If you are not going to let your rabbit romp around your house it is important that you provide a daily romp in a secure area.

If your out door rabbit hutch has a wire floor to allow grazing it will need to be moved daily, to ensure adequate supply of pasture, and not leave your rabbit in a soiled area. Out door hutches should be covered with fly netting to prevent the rabbits from contracting myxomatosis, which is spread by mosquitoes. All hutches and litter trays should be cleaned daily.

Rabbits will like to spend the cold winter nights and the hot summer nights in the comforts of their indoor cage. If not keeping your rabbit in inside comfort ensure that it has a good draft free and water proof hutch for the cold weather and supply a frozen bottle of water in summer for it to lie against to keep cool in summer.

Diet

The principal diet of a pet rabbit is rabbit pellets. These are a balanced diet. Other sources of feed include alfalfa hay, and oat hay for dry roughage. Carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips are a source of greens. Barley, beet pulp, buckwheat, corn, oats, and wheat are a source of carbohydrates and protein. Always ensure that your rabbit has access to clean fresh water either in a heavy non tip able bowl or a dripper bottle.

Rabbit’s teeth grow continuously through out their life so it is important that hay or fruit tree branches are provided to help wear their teeth down.


Breeding

The RSPCA strongly advises that all rabbits are desexed (all rabbits sold from the RSPCA are desexed).
A female rabbit (doe) can have several litters a year and as many as eight kittens (baby rabbits) in each litter.

Health

Rabbits should be taken to the vet yearly for a check up and for their calicivirus vaccination. Rabbits can also suffer from fleas and ear mites so a monthly spot on product live revolution is recommended.

Young rabbits should be vaccinated against Rabbit Calicivirus and given regular boosters (further injections) throughout their life.

Myxomytosis is a highly contagious disease that is spread by fleas and mosquitoes. Rabbits must be protected from these insects wherever they are living. The vaccine for Myxomytosis is not available in Australia.

Rabbits also get and carry Pasteurella bacteria which can cause respiratory disease and abscesses.

Rabbits need to be checked regularly for overgrown claws and teeth. Both can be trimmed by a veterinary surgeon if necessary.

If you have any concerns about your rabbits' health, ask your veterinary surgeon.

Choosing a new rabbit

It is a good idea to bring your rabbit in to meet its new friend before purchase. Remember that two males are unlikely to get along unless there are several females.

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