Rabbits are small hopping delights that do bring great company at your homes as pets. However, they are one of the most delicate animals that we need to take care of properly. Otherwise, because of slight carelessness, their life can be at stake.
You cannot afford to lose something that has brought happiness for you. Hence, to make sure you know how to take care of a rabbit, we came up with this rabbit care guide for new owners.
Rabbit proof your house:
You will need to let out your Rabbit twice or thrice. That is for letting them hope around and to exercise a little bit. But before doing that, you will need to make sure that your house is safe for your Rabbit to roam around. And to ensure that follow the things listed down below.
Cover wires:
If there are any wires or cords in your house, cover them with flexible tubing. Remove the cables aside if it is possible. Doing this is essential since bunnies are full of curiosity in them. They will try to chew things that make them curious. And if they try chewing cables, they will get electrocuted.
Limiting hopping space:
Limit the areas where your Rabbit can go. You can do that by using a baby gate that your Rabbit can not cross over. You can let your bunny to roam around in just one room and not the whole house. It will help you keep an eye on your furry friend.
Poisonous plants:
Make sure that your Rabbit cannot reach toxic plants like poinsettia, tulips, holly, and tomato leaves.
Create the best house for your Rabbit:
Your Rabbit will need a particular habitat to live in other than your own home. You will need to create that habitat for your bunny by doing the following things listed down below.
Cage:
Get a spacious cage or hutch for letting your Rabbit stay in. Make sure that your Rabbit can hop around in the cage. The bottom of the cage should not consist of wire. Even if it is of wire, buy a piece of wood to place it beneath the base.
Urine guard:
Get a urine guard and place it around the bottom. That is to prevent urine from spreading since rabbits spray during urination.
Litter box:
Get a triangular-shaped litter box. And fill in the box with newspaper or rabbit litter. Don’t use any other kind of litter since that is toxic for bunnies.
Bedding:
Create bedding by using straw or gay.
Food dish:
Place a bowl with a heavy bottom in the corner of the cage. Make sure that the position of the food dish is at the opposite of the litter box. Place a water bottle beside the food dish. But keep it at a distance, so that water does not spill into the food.
Buy some wooden toys for your bunny to nibble on. Place a tunnel inside the cage for your Rabbit to hide and play around.
Provide the right rabbit food:
Like you cannot munch green grass, rabbits also have limitations on what they can eat. Have a read below to know about the food that you can serve to your friend.
Rabbit pellets:
Get some rabbit pellets that are high in terms of quality, and as well as they have high fiber in it. Make sure that you don’t buy massive amounts since they can go quickly stale. You can buy a supply for one month.
Hay:
Get some hay for your bunny. If you have a young bunny, it will need to have some alfalfa hay, grass hay, oat hay, and some timothy hay. Older bunnies will go for other hays mentioned and lesser amounts of alfalfa hay. You will need to keep hay available for your rabbits 24 hours.
Vegetables:
As your rabbits grow up, the requirement for nutrients will increase. You will need to included root and leafy green vegetables in their diets. You will need to have carrots along. The average amount of chopped leafy vegetables that adult rabbit intakes daily is two cups.
Water:
Make sure that you regularly keep changing the water inside the bottle. They must get a supply of fresh water all the time. Need to for your Rabbit.
Cleaning your bunny:
We recommend you to take your Rabbit and visit a veterinarian for cleaning. But if you want to do the cleaning yourself, follow the steps listed down below.
Clean the ears:
Keep the ears of your furry friend clean. With the help of a very soft cloth gently, wipe the long section of the ear. Don’t use the cloth for cleaning any wax or debris present inside the ear canal. If you see something like that, you will need the help of a vet. You can injure your Rabbit if you do it yourself.
Brush the fur:
Bunnies shed off fur just the way we shed off the hair. Hence, it is essential to comb their fur using a brush, very gently. Do the brushing once or twice every week.
Nail trimming:
Using the help of nail clippers just cut the very end of the nails. Do the job of clipping every three to six weeks. Use the help of light to cut the nails at the correct length. Take your bunny to a groomer if you find the job risky.
Clean the scent glands:
If you find your bunny has some odd odor, it is time for getting the scent glands cleaned. The scent glands are located near the anus. If you are uncomfortable cleaning the glands, you can take the help of the vet to do it for you.
Cleaning the cage of your bunny:
For keeping your Rabbit healthy and free from diseases, it is essential to keep the cage clean. Make sure that you keep your Rabbit safely in a room while you clean out the cage using the steps listed below.
Cleaning the litter box:
Disease can spread from feces. Make sure that the litter box is cleaned on a regular basis.
Cleaning the food bowl:
If you see your rabbit leftover some food, throw those away. Replace with new food but in lesser amounts. Rinse the food dish every day and also refill the bottle with water daily.
Bedding:
Change the bedding every time it seems dirty to you.
Scrubbing:
Make sure that you scrub the cage twice a week, by using warm water and vinegar only. Do not use any chemical or soap for cleaning. That can cause harm to your Rabbit.
Final Words:
To sum up, you got to learn about all the rabbit pet care basics. We tried our best to enlighten you regarding how to take care of a rabbit. Do everything out of love and not by thinking it as a duty. The sense of responsibility and care for your pet will come out from immense love.
Furthermore, whenever you are in doubt about the behavior of your bunny, get it checked by a vet. That is an essential part to do as well for taking care of your bunny friend.
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