Rabbit Care 101
Channel: Pets Life
Date: 28/01/2021

In today's video, we are going to provide you an efficient guide for taking care of a rabbit.


Rabbits are becoming more popular as house pets. However, many adopt new pet rabbits without first researching the proper way to take care of them, and because of that, they end up with various health issues that could have been prevented. Here are all of the things you need to know if you want to bring a new pet bunny into your home.


DIET.

Rabbits are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. They’re built for a diet consisting of mainly large amounts of grass and leaves, as well as some flowers and fruits. GRASS HAY is the most important part of a rabbit’s diet. Rabbits should have grass hay available to them at all times. It’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins and encourages healthy GI motility and the appropriate wearing down of teeth through chewing, and also decreases inappropriate chewing of other objects. Grass hay helps create a full feeling in the rabbit’s stomach to prevent overeating and obesity.

Another type of hay available is legume hay, such as alfalfa and clover. Legume hays aren’t recommended because they have more calories, calcium, and protein than a regular pet rabbit requires and may lead to GI disorders and obesity. It isn’t even recommended to mix grass hay and legume hay because the rabbit may pick out only the legume hay and overload on calories. It is also important not to feed straw because it’s nutrient-free and will cause severe nutritional deficiencies if it is a key part of their diet.

Another important part of a bunny’s diet is GREEN FOODS. Green foods include dandelion greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, celery, and parsley. Green foods have all the same nutritional benefits as hay, but contain a broader selection of nutrients and also provide water to the diet. This is very important because rabbits don’t always drink as much as they should. If you feed the bunny a lot of greens, it is normal for them to drink less water.

Green foods are great for the kidneys, bladder, and gastrointestinal tract. The diet shouldn’t consist of primarily green foods since they don’t have enough calories to sustain a rabbit’s normal body weight. Green foods are appropriate for all ages of rabbits. If it’s possible, you should buy organic or grow your own green foods, and make sure to wash all greens first. It is recommended to feed at least 3 varieties of greens daily.

You should also include FRUITS AND VEGETABLES in your rabbit’s daily diet as treats. They can be used as a reward during training as well. Fruits and veggies are much healthier and cost less than commercial rabbit treats, which should be avoided because most are high in starch and fat and can cause serious health concerns.  Bananas and grapes are not recommended because rabbits can get hooked on these foods and may not want to eat anything else.

Foods that you should completely AVOID FEEDING rabbits include high starch and fatty foods, like beans, bread, cereals, chocolate, corn, nuts, oats, peas, refined sugar, seeds, wheat, or any other grains. It is also not necessary to feed healthy rabbit vitamins or other nutritional supplements because they will consume them in their diets if fed properly. Misuse of these supplements can lead to severe medical issues.

WATER should be available at all times for your bunny and changed daily. A dirty water container can be a breeding ground for bacteria. You can use either a water bottle or a heavy bowl secured to the side of the cage to avoid tipping.


ENVIRONMENT.

A rabbit’s CAGE should allow them to stand on their hind legs without hitting their heads on the top of the cage, have space for a litter box and a resting area, be easy to clean, and be made of metal or another indestructible material. Cages should be kept in a cool and well-ventilated area. It’s not recommended to place your rabbit’s cage in the basement because it is usually too damp and could cause respiratory disease. If the area is too hot, the rabbit can potentially suffer from a fatal heatstroke. 

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