BUNNY HOP

Consider the needs and what you can offer before introducing one into your family

Is A Rabbit For Me

Rabbits make wonderful pets whether they live inside or outside. Rabbits love the company of other rabbits and therefore shouldn’t live on their own. If you can answer yes to the following questions then a rabbit is for you.

·        Are you prepared to clean a rabbit out and if give the attention it needs even when the weather is bad.

·        Are you prepared to take full responsibility when your children have got bored or move away from home and they cannot take it with them? (75% of rabbits put into rescue is because the children get bored or have left home to further their education) as rabbits can live for up to 10years or more

·        Are you prepared to take the rabbit to the vets if it becomes ill (it is a criminal offence to deny any animal veterinary treatment)

·        Are you prepared to keep the rabbit vaccinations up to date (this can cost up to £40 per rabbit per year unless you live in a high risk area of myximatosis then it will be £60 per year per rabbit)

·        Are you prepared to make adequate boarding arrangements for when you are away from home whether it is for one night or 6 weeks?

Things you need to know about rabbits

Housing -Rabbits need as much exercise as a small dog. Their accommodation should have a sheltered resting area. The enclosure should have plenty of space for them to move around freely, and allow them to sit up straight and look around. The minimum requirements for a rabbit’s hutch is 6ftx2ftx2ft with a secure garden or rabbit run for them to move about freely.

 Bonded pairs- Rabbits love living with other rabbits and shouldn't be kept alone. From a rescue point of view we only rehome rabbits that are to live outside in pairs so they have the company of each other when their owners cannot spend a lot of time with them as rabbits are very sociable creatures.   

 Neutering Rabbits- Always make sure you neuter your rabbits as this stops any fighting of the same sex. Also female rabbits are prone to uterine cancer so by neutering your female you are giving her a longer happier life. Neutering also stops any accidental litters. If you adopt from a rescue then your rabbit/s will already be neutered thus saving the new owner in the long run.

House rabbits - Rabbits can be litter trained and make great house pets. You do however need to make sure you bunny proof any wires and anything that could cause harm to the rabbit as they do like to chew.

Handling your rabbit - Rabbits are shy and ground-living animals - they need time to develop trust with their owners before being picked up but even though your rabbit may trust you it doesn’t necessarily mean they will still let you pick them up. Rabbits may scratch you when you pick them up put panicking and throwing them down isn’t the answer you need to still be very careful. I would only let a child attempt to pick up a rabbit while supervised and stress this to your child.

The right diet - Rabbits' teeth never stop growing, so they need to grind them down as they eat. A rabbit’s diet should consist of hay, pellets and fresh vegetables and fruit.

Cleaning your rabbit’s home- Even if your rabbit’s lives outside in a hutch they can still be litter trained which makes it easier for cleaning them out. Most rabbits will only soil one part of their hutch and this should be cleaned every day with the remainder of the hutch being done at the very least twice a week. It is important to keep your rabbits home clean as in summer flies can lay their eggs in soiled areas of the hutch and produce maggots which if get on the rabbit this can be fatal.

Keeping a check on us- Most people think looking after a rabbit is easy and all it need is food and water (this is not so). Rabbits are prey animals and hide illness and pain to the very last minute. The more time you spend getting to know your rabbit and your rabbit’s ways will help you spot the first signs of illness. Most common conditions rabbits suffer from are dental problems which means they will stop eating, or drool or even have a runny eye  if this happens your rabbit needs to been seen by a vet immediately. Rabbit’s stomachs can also go into stasis (their stomachs get very gassy) and they stop eating. Rabbits can also get fly strike this is when a fly lands on your rabbit and lays egg and then maggots hatch and they start eating away at the rabbit this again needs immediate veterinary treatment. All these conditions I have mentioned can all be fatal if not caught quickly. It is advisable to prevent your rabbit getting fly strike that you check around your rabbit’s rear end at least twice a day and keep the area clean and dry.

Vaccinations – Like dogs and cats, rabbits need vaccinations too. They need a myximatosis injection every 12 months but if you live in a high risk are (your vet will tell you this) then you need to do the injection every 6 months. The other injection that a rabbit needs is VHD this is a 12 monthly injection. You should also treat your rabbit with Panacur every 4 months (this is a worming treatment) this treatment helps with a parasite that lives within all rabbits called Ecuncilli (or known as EC)