Rabbits are popular pets for many reasons. The most obvious is that they are so soft and cuddly. Their twitching little noses and their big ears make them irresistible to animal lovers. Another reason for their popularity is that rabbits stay small relative to dogs so they make great indoor pets. They are quiet, cheap, and fairly low-maintenance creatures. That makes them great pets for just about anyone, including children. But there is a little more to the story than that. Before you go out and buy a rabbit, read up on these seven basic things you need to know about owning one.
1) Baby rabbits are cute because they are so tiny. Beware of the little ones. A baby rabbit less than 7 weeks old is too young to endure separation from its mother.
2) Buying one rabbit may not be enough. Generally, rabbits are happier living in pairs. If you don’t want another rabbit but you want your pet to have a mate, consider a guinea pig. Rabbits and guinea pigs can live together peacefully in the same cage with no need for supervision. As a matter of fact, in most pet stores, the rabbits and guinea pigs are displayed together.
3) Purchasing a female rabbit is best, as males tend to show sexual aggression unless they are neutered. They will urinate all over the house until they are neutered.
4) Simply feeding a rabbit feed that comes from the pet store may not give your rabbit adequate nutrition. Rabbits need high quantities of fiber in their diets, so feed them plenty of fresh green vegetables and carrots. They may also need fresh hay which you can give them either daily or at least weekly.
5) In addition to supplementing their feed, rabbits enjoy chewing and nibbling on rough items. Sticks made for rabbits to chew on can be purchased at most pet stores. An alternative to buying rabbits chew sticks, you can gather up twigs from the yard and give them to the rabbit to chew on.
6) Rabbits can thrive under a variety of living conditions. They can be left to roam the backyard provided there are no other animals living back there. If you choose to let your rabbit live in the yard, be sure it has no means of escape or that other animals have no way to get into your yard. If you want to leave your rabbit outside but want it to stay confined to one area, you can give it a hutch to live in. In either case, rabbits should not be left outdoors in weather below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. An indoor rabbit cage is a good thing for any rabbit owner to have. The rabbits do well in cages as long as they are provided with proper bedding and adequate hopping room. Just because the rabbit fits inside a small cage does not mean that he should live there. Rabbits like to hop and roam so make sure it gets a roomy cage.
7) Though they may seem like quiet and sweet animals, rabbits are not perfect pets for children. It can certainly be said that many households successfully bring rabbits and small children together, but just remember that rabbits have large teeth and they like to nibble. Always supervise interaction between a rabbit and a child, even if it’s a rabbit that has been in the family for a few years. Rabbits don’t always bite out of anger; they might bite something that smells like food, or they might just do it out of curiosity.
