Rabbits: What You Need To Know

Do you have a new pet? Maybe… a rabbit? Small or large? Tall or short? It does not matter. This article is for you, who wants to know everything about your new pet!

### ***The basics:***

Every rabbit owner should know that the safest place for a rabbit to live is indoors. Rabbits should not be allowed outdoors. Domestic rabbits are different from wild rabbits, and do not tolerate extreme temperatures, especially during the hot, summer months. In addition, they are at risk from predators even if they are protected from a possible attack: just the sight or sound of a wild animal can cause rabbits so much stress that they can have a heart attack and literally die in fear.

If you decide to leave the rabbit free in the house, everything must be safe there. Because they like to chew things, it would be good to make sure that all electrical wires are away from them, as well as other dangerous objects. (Chewing a connected cord can be fatal for your little friend.) Chewing can also lead to poisoning if you leave the wrong items where he frequents or in low cabinets. In addition to toxic substances such as insecticides, rats, cleaning products, or anything else dangerous you should be aware that common plants such as aloe, azalea, lily, and several bulbs can be poisonous to cannulas. So if it is free with the house to have secured the place.

If you decide to keep it in a cage, keep in mind that it will need space to move, practice and play. The cage should be at least five times the size of the rabbit. When rabbits are kept in a cage, you must leave them outside for several hours each day to exercise. In addition to running and jumping, they also enjoy exploring their surroundings. This is the best time to play and interact with them. In any case, make sure they have a safe area to play and explore. Also if you keep it in cage and then you must let it free for sometime or else maybe it will be wrong for its legs.

Also the rabbit when they are new to the environment is very scared and in the first week it is difficult to adapt so they can be scared in the slightest so especially if they are babies (about 1-6 weeks) they should not come out of the cage or have a fuss with the home. Basically they are more frightened by "sudden" noises like things that can fall and that can make him die of fear. The reason is because he is afraid of predators and maybe he is afraid and you will catch his nose because it bothers and scares him. So let it adjust in the first week and as soon as it is about 2 months old you can open the door (if it already knows you) and when it comes out it will not be afraid to come to your arms…

### How to feed your young and old rabbits:

***Babies:***

From the birth of a rabbit until the cessation of breastfeeding (about a month old), the only food it consumes is breast milk. If the rabbit has been separated from its mother, you will need to feed it with powdered or whole milk, bottle-fed or finding a new mother. This phase is crucial, as it is the only food that is healthy at this age and if it is not available on a daily basis to the animal there is a case that it does not grow properly or is fatal.

**Bottle feeding:**

Make sure you pick up the rabbit correctly. Ask a vet.

After lifting the rabbit, fill the special bottle with the appropriate milk. The right temperature is around 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. Make sure the bottle edge is in the mouth, and take small sips, without rushing, to make sure the animal swallows the milk and is not going to choke.

**Foster mother:**

In case you are not able to feed the baby with a bottle, you can find another rabbit, ready to "adopt" it. It would be best to choose a rabbit that has recently given birth to rabbits about the same age as yours. When you choose the rabbit, leave your little one with her and her family. Supervise them for the first few minutes. If everything goes well and your rabbit enters the family, the mother will breastfeed it along with the rest. However, especially if you have touched the rabbit with your hands, the mother may smell it and not accept the new baby, or even become aggressive. In this case, you need to find a new mother or bottle feed the baby.

***1 month +:***

From 1 month, things get a little easier (there are still risks at home). First of all, have enough grass with chamomile and taraxacum in the cage. Also put vitamin for rabbits in the cage and if your rabbit finishes it during the day, do not put it again the same day but the next day. Have the cage full of sawdust. When the rabbit grows up it can be trained to defecate in a special place. In their water in the first days of adaptation add the special sedative so that they are not so afraid.

Whatever gender your rabbit belongs to, it would be best to live with a rabbit of the opposite sex, to prevent any battles for "hierarchy". If your rabbits are both females, they will probably coexist peacefully. If you have two males, contact between them can be from peaceful to very aggressive. If your rabbits, of any sex, live together peacefully, you do not need to interfere in their relationship. If you notice any aggressive behavior in a period unrelated to the mating season, it is best to separate them until they accept each other. If this does not happen, you will either need to have them in completely different places or try to reconcile them, transferring the smell to each other. If you have two rabbits of different sexes, it would be good to neuter them to avoid unwanted and small births that may end up in an inappropriate environment.

***Dog:***

If you have a dog and a rabbit, living together can be more difficult. If the relationship is friendly, all you need to do is prevent accidental injuries on the game. If not, the results can be fatal and it would be best to have them separately.

***Cat:***

The cat's natural instincts push it to hunt. Thus, your rabbit may be in danger along with your cat. But in big case cat is scared of rabbit if the cat is kitten ,cause the rabbit is bigger than her so she is scared. In other case they can be friends.

### ***Embellishment:***

***Bathing:***

Like some birds, hamsters and other rodents, rabbits are bathed with sand. At a young age, bathing with sand is necessary because during a bath with water the rabbit can be scared and get a heart attack or drown. Buy special sand from a local Pet Shop and you will receive information and instructions from the employee who serves you.

**Brushing:**

Buy a special pet comb or a simple small brush. Do not push the animal too hard, as you may hurt it. If the animal does not want to be brushed, don’t brush it, it will feel threatened.