Caring For Rabbits As Pets

Caring for rabbits as pets takes some work, just as it does with any pet. You just need to learn the basics to get started. As pets they are gentle if a somewhat detached. Their basic nature is fearful so they will need to eased into everything. They can live to be ten years old, or no more than age four.

Take some time to allow your pet to get used to their new surroundings. This will take a few days as they are fearful by nature. Select a room in your home and let them explore while you make sure they don't hurt themselves. You can sit on the floor and let them approach you and get used to your presence. Do not touch them much during those first days. If there are other pets wait until after those first few days to introduce them slowly. Try to keep your home as quiet as possible during that time as well.

They will need to get used to your touch. To pick them up properly, use one hand to pick them up by the back of their neck. Use your other hand to hold their paws close to their body while holding them close to you. This will keep you from getting scratched by the back paws and they will feel safe. You will also want to train them to be held for grooming. Hold them on their back as you would an infant for a short amount of time each day.

Rabbits can be raised inside or outside, although indoors is considered best for their safety. If you intend to keep yours outside they will need a cage or an enclosure. A larger area surrounding it will also need to be fenced in as well. The cage or enclosure should have enough room for your pet to stand on their hind legs plus more room and they should be able to move around and stretch out. There should be room for a sleeping area as well. The bottom of the cage needs to be a solid surface. The cage wire hurts their paws.

If your rabbits are kept indoors you may allow them to roam but they will still need a private space just for them. You can buy enclosures specially made for rabbits. A cage is not a home as it just doesn't provide enough space. Electrical cords will need to be taped to the wall. Rabbits will chew them. Socket covers will work to keep them away from those. If you have heat registers in the floor you will need to cover them in whatever room you let your pets roam in. Their feet can become stuck in them and cause them to injure themselves.

Rabbits can be litter trained. It will take just a few weeks for them to get used to it. You will need to watch them carefully at first and each time they appear ready to relieve themselves take them to the litter box. To keep them from chewing the things you hold as valuable they will need chew toys, lots of them. Your pets will also enjoy pushing a ball around, if it makes noise even better. They are susceptible to fleas, mites and ticks. Colds can be a problem as well. Consult your vet on the best way to handle these.

Water is important. It should be clean and cool. If they do not get enough water it can cause health issues. A sipper bottle is ideal. If it is a bowl, use one made from metal or ceramic. These do not scratch easily. The rabbits nails would scratch a plastic bowl. Keep that bowl clean any thing in the home can end up in the bowl. They can also turn them over. Wet food or hay can turn to mold. For these reasons the sipper bottle is the better option.

Their main diet should be low protein pellets with treats once in a while. Do not change the kind of food you feed them often because they prefer a consistent diet. They should have at least three vegetables every day and that does not mean three varieties of the same vegetable. Organic is best due to lack of toxic pesticides. Whether they are organic or not they should be washed thoroughly. Any new vegetables you would like to introduce into their diet do so slowly. One new vegetable a day and watch how they respond. Your pets should have one to two cups of vegetables for every five pounds of their body weight each day.

Treats can be given once or twice a day. They are good as a reward when training your pet. A usual treat would be a small piece of fruit, like a slice of apple. Be careful with them because if given too much, your rabbit may not want to eat anything else. Carrots are considered a treat and should not be part of their regular diet. Celery should be given in a very limited amount. Avoid cauliflower, iceberg lettuce and corn altogether. This is an overview of what you'll need to do to care for rabbits as pets. Talk with the veterinarian about your rabbit and find out what is best and what more there may be to do with a particular kind of rabbit.

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