Is
a rabbit the right pet for you?
Any pet you take in to your
home is a commitment to caring correctly for that animal’s entire life. For a rabbit that could be anything from 5 to
over 10 years. Proper care doesn’t just involve correct feeding and cleaning out but also time spent with him, grooming
him and being able to provide vet care. Please consider carefully if you have the time and commitment for such a responsibility.
Veterinary fees can be expensive. There are yearly
vaccinations for VHD and Myxomatosis although not all strains are protected against.
Serious consideration should
be given to having your pet rabbit neutered as studies suggest that 'unused' rabbits have a much greater risk
of developing reproductive cancers.
Also please consider where you
are keeping your rabbit. Outdoors in a good sized, well made and secure hutch
out of direct sunlight, wind and rain, with several hours exercise each day in a secure run preferable.
Perhaps you
want him/ her as a house bunny in which case you must consider the type of housing, the rabbit’s safety regarding
electrical wiring, carpets etc, all of which can be chewed and cause harm.
Rabbits are social creatures they enjoy company either human or another rabbit. A bonded pair is ideal for rabbits
that will be left long periods of time with out company. A single rabbit is more likely to form a stronger bond with
its human.
If you have a bonded pair they will groom each other, however it will still be your responsibility
to groom them. Although they are naturally clean animals your rabbit will require grooming regularly, especially when molting.
Rabbits will ingest some of their fur whilst grooming, but do not have a natural ability to cough/vomit up hair balls like
cats, which can lead to digestive problems (sometimes fatal).
Litter
training can be achieved, you may be lucky enough to have a naturally clean rabbit, others may require training. Spaying/
neutering your rabbit can encourage tidier and more hygienic behaviours.
Is a rabbit an ideal pet for a child?
No! Unless supervised by an adult.
Young
children have little understanding of a rabbits needs and they can’t read bunny signals well. Young children want to
pick the rabbit up and cuddle it. They don’t understand that for a rabbit losing contact with the ground is a fearful
experience. Excited children squealing with delight is a wonderful sound to a parent but quite frightening to a rabbit.
The rabbit will bite, struggle, kick out and possibly injure the child in an attempt to get
back to the ground.
Then what happens? The child loses interest and the
poor bunny lives out the rest of its days cooped up in its cage with no affection or interaction. Boredom sets in the rabbit
becomes stressed, fearful or destructive.
Alternatively, an opposite
sex bunny friend is added to the equation. Not a great idea unless the buck is neutered and proper bunny bonding is established
first.
Some parents have this need to let their children witness the miracle
of creation!
For heavens sake why?
What will happen to all the babies? Will they find new homes? Or like so many others will they find their way to
the rescue centre? If not a cute enough to rehome then condemned to death.
Sensibly, a child supervised is fine.
Sit on the ground and let
the bunny smell, climb over and sit on your child. Have a tasty morsel to bribe the bunny closer. The adult should carry the
rabbit to and from the hutch.
Why should I neuter my
rabbit?
A neutered rabbit makes the best pet. Don’t
forget the most placid bunny has the potential to turn in to an extremely hormonal teenager. Dependant on the breed of rabbit,
any time after 3 months you may start to notice a change in its character. Your baby boy bunny may start spraying you or his
surroundings with urine or may become territorial and bite or box you as you enter his hutch. Your little girl bunny may start
nesting and have a psuedopregnancy. Her need to kindle may make her aggressive.
If you are to have 2 bunnies then the best combination is a male and female, ideally a pair from the same litter
with at least the buck being neutered. If you are introducing two opposite sex adults to each other please remember that bonding
can be more difficult and in some instances may not work. Rabbits are actually quite fussy about who they bond with. Two bucks
have a high probability of fighting, even if neutered!
Two doe siblings
can be raised together but there is no guarantee they will stay friends forever, especially as their teenage hormones kick
in and the desire to reproduce. It would be best to have them both neutered.
Whatever combination you select it is advisable to have both rabbits neutered, as mentioned earlier, to protect their long
term health.
Once rabbits have had fights even neutering may not guarantee
they will become a bonded pair again. So get them spayed before this has a chance to develop.
Please do research about rabbits, there is so much information on the internet and
of course we can offer you answers to any questions you may have too!
