With such a loveable and gentle nature rabbits are great pets.You will find that a rabbit will often be happy to sit on your lap and be stroked and petted.It is important to remember that rabbit care is essential and as with any other pet, a responsible owner will do all in his or her power to ensure their rabbit is healthy.Rabbits are easy to look after and make a great addition to any family. To ensure your rabbit is healthy and happy try and follow some of these great tips.
Your new rabbit will need a safe, clean hutch with plenty of bedding for warmth. Make sure you can afford the cost of food and ideally buy a run so it has the opportunity to run around.The hutch will need to have adequate height to allow the rabbit to stand on its back legs. It also needs to be wide enough for the rabbit to hop around.In terms of space make sure the hutch is big enough to allow the rabbit to make at least 4 hops in any direction.Just like us, a rabbit likes to have a distinct area for certain activities, so make sure you allocate a space for sleep, a space for the toilet and a space in which to play.Don’t forget that if you have more than one rabbit the space should be increased accordingly.To ensure the rabbit is warm at night you must invest in a good quality bedding.When lining your hutch use newspaper which should then be covered with dust free straw.The location of the hutch is really important and you should make sure it is not placed in an area of direct sunlight, or open to draughts.During daylight hours your rabbit should be free to look outside the hutch. However, at night you need to cover the hutch so the rabbit cannot see predators such as foxes and cats.In addition to your hutch consider buying a run. Rabbits enjoy being allowed to hop around and a run provides them with a protective area in which to do this.
A rabbit needs a specific diet and digestible and non digestible fibre is important.This type of fibre is required because a rabbit will digest its food twice.Your rabbit does not need a high level of articicial sugar in its diet, so make sure you don’t feed it mass market rabbit museli.The best type of rabbit food is usually available from a specialist retailer and will have been extensively tested and formulated.You can buy specialist rabbit food online or through your vet.In addition to specialist food try and give your rabbit treats such as apple, banana, broccoli, celery, tomato, turnip and cabbage.
Pets thrive in a loving home, and by following these simple guidelines you are playing your part in being a responsible pet owner.