More about rabbits

Introduction:

Rabbits are unique and have their own set of behaviors and methods of being handled different from other pets or animals you have ever known. Applying what you know about dogs and cats to your bunny is not wise.

I enjoy quite time with my bunny, always fun to watch it nudge and chin my hand.

Communication, health, feed, hygiene, handling, discipline, exercise and life expectancy, are topics this article will cover to help you know your rabbit more. 

About: Communication

• Unhappy/scared rabbits will show they are unhappy, shocked or warn of danger if they sense any; like when you make a sudden strange noise close to them by thumping their back feet (hitting their back feet on the floor to produce a thud-thud-thud sound).

• Fear: When you touch the rabbit and it grunts or squeaks(lets out a loud sound), it may be telling you it does not wish to be touched or it may be in pain when held wrongly, or it may be displaying territorial behavior (This is my territory - back off). When forcefully picked from the ground, the rabbit may also squeal to express fear. When content, your rabbit will purr, click or grind its teeth at a low volume (your young rabbits may not exhibit this behavior until at a later age). Loud tooth grinding, grunting or growling is a threat. Loud tooth grinding can also be an indication of pain. Extreme fright is usually demonstrated by a loud scream, similar to that of a child.

• A happy bunny will not want to byte anyone, but may give you lick of gratitude. When he/she does this, feel privileged. His/her heart has been won. In addition, a happy bunny will jump into the air, twist and then flick.

• Territorial marking: This is when your bunny leaves droppings all over the house and wees everywhere as well. This is his way of claiming ownership of his domain from other rabbits (whether there are any other rabbits around or not). Bunny must be desexed when it reaches the right age (Neuter/Spay) to stop this.

• Flopping: rabbit rolls on side or back when very content and secure.

• Nudging: rabbit nudges your hand or foot to request food or attention.

• Chinning: rabbit rubs underside of its chin on objects to mark its territory.

• Circling Mounting and Honking: when your rabbit mounts or circles feet / object / other rabbit and honks (grunts) – rabbit wants to mate.  Desexed rabbits may honk and circle to request food / attention. 

About: Health 

• A rabbit’s stool should be firm and easy to sweep off. If you notice any changes or watery stool, it is a sign of illness. This can be caused by feed (low grade feed, wet leaves/greens) or intestinal problem. Withdraw feed and contact any rabbit expert near you as this symptom can lead to death.

• Sudden changes in behavior may be indicative of medical problems rather than true behavior problems.

•  Rabbits must be neutered or spayed to avoid health and behavioural problems. Spaying female rabbits is very important for health reasons.  If left unspayed, the risk of uterine cancer is approximately 80% above the age of 5 years old, and this is usually fatal. It can also affect females that have been bred.

• While neutering a male rabbit reduces or eliminates troublesome courtship behaviour such as spraying urine, mounting and nipping, spaying/neutering:

1. Makes urine and feces less smelly
2. Makes rabbit easier to litter train 
3. Removes sexual frustration and resulting possible aggression 
4. Change your rabbit's essential personality i.e. he will still be as warm and loving towards you and other rabbits

• Rabbits can develop Intestinal problems (bloat) and die within hours if they stop eating.

• Most common health problems such as obesity and dental disease can be prevented by proper care.

About: Feed

• Rabbits need lots of fiber to wear teeth down and keep digestive system moving Foods high in sugar e.g. carrots, apple, and banana should be fed only as a treat.

• Leaves and vegetables given to the rabbits should not be too wet.

• You can feed your rabbits any of the following in small quantity: Wheat, Sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, bread crumbs, banana, orange (without peels), Water melon fruit, peel and seeds, vegetable (Amaranthus), grass, banana leaves (for strong bones), groundnut (fresh/dried), garden egg, apple (without poisonous seeds), sun flower and seeds, rose flower. The list is endless. The guiding principle is that when you want to feed your bunnies with something you are not sure of; introduce it in bits. Watch out for changes in the bunny’s poop, which should be firm. If so, continue giving it the new food. If not so, withdraw the new feed you introduced to it.

Sprouted wheat

 

• Water – Your bunny should have fresh clean water the whole time. It is best for the bunny to have cold water but not ice cold during hot days and lukewarm water during cold days.

About: Hygiene

Rabbits generally do not need to bath. If your rabbit is dirty in only one area, only wash that area, as bathing a rabbit can be very stressful for the bunny.

• Grooming: This is when the rabbit cleans itself by using its tongue to lick dirt from its body. Grooming is also seen when the bunny use its front feet to clean its face and long ears. This one behavior indicates your rabbit is comfortable with its environment.

• Litter box: A good litter box that will not allow the rabbit come in contact with its urine, and minimizes odor from the droppings, should be adequate for your bunny. Sometimes the rabbit goes into its toilet and comes out smelling urine when you pick it up into your arms; not offensive to me though, it might be to you. This can be prevented by providing a good litter box for the bunny. In addition, lime, vinegar or salt can be sprayed in the litter box to prevent/control odor. If available, line the litter box with straw, so that the urine is soaked and goes to the bottom of the litter box. The sides of the litter box should be a little high with only one side low so that the rabbit can easily go in through the low side and the high sides prevents urine from spraying outside.  

About: Handling

• Picking/Taking a rabbit – put your one hand under the bottom of the rabbit and the other under its breast.

The right way to pick a rabbit

• Lift the rabbit up to you.

• Support the rabbit with one hand under the bottom and one hand around the neck.

• Hold the rabbit safe but not too tight.

• If the rabbit starts jumping or falling, and you still wish to hold it, hold it tightly with one arm then use your other hand to stroke its head and chin lightly. It will relax in your arms, but may start struggling to be dropped if the stroking stops.

• To drop the rabbit, go down a little so that the rabbit does not fall too long. 

  

  Grabbing the rabbit from the hips

The rabbit is grasped by the hips

• You can also pick the rabbit this way without hurting it – I prefer not to use this method for pet rabbits.

• Never hit, slap or tease your rabbit, and do not hold it into you too long, it, might get aggressive of it. 

About: Discipline

Do not apply what you know about cats and dogs to your new rabbits. Rabbits are “prey” animals, which is quite different from “predatory” cats and dogs. Almost anything that moves can be a predator to your rabbit, including you. This means that your rabbit will instinctively be timid and easily frightened, and discipline is out of the question – your rabbit will simply not understand, and only become frightened and withdraw.

• Litter training: This is teaching your rabbit to wee and poo in a specific location in the house. Rabbits usually like to use the corners of a room as their toilet. This is not a problem though, you can just provide a litter box (toilet box) in the corner your rabbit has chosen to be its toilet and it will always go there to do the job. If the rabbit refuses to use the box, try putting some of the poo swept from the floor into the litter box; that will make the rabbit feel more comfortable to use the box when it smells and sees its own poo in it.

• Unwanted behaviors: your rabbit might not chew furniture, electric wires, rug, or books in the house. Nevertheless, if it does, hitting it or slapping it will not help it learn that it has done sometime wrong. Be patient with the rabbit and place what it was chewing where it cannot reach, and provide the rabbit with alternatives as its teeth are constantly growing and need to be reduced. In this case, old newspapers or a clean untreated wood will do. Place this in the rabbits chamber (area) and allow it do its job.

• Restricting movement: You might not want to grant the rabbit access to every part of the house. This may not pose any challenge to you or the rabbit. Once kept and fed properly in one part of the house, the rabbit will be content and remain their till…. The rabbit will only venture into other parts of the house in search of food after it has been starved. If this is frequent, the rabbit gets use to sneaking out of its chamber into other parts of the house comfortably. The rabbit has to be locked in its chamber for some time (1 week) and fed properly too to restore its former behavior.

About: Exercise

• Rabbits like to play with toys, cardboard boxes and tunnels – they are curious and love to explore.

• They can be trained using a clicker, like training a dog.

• Rabbits do not like being picked up and prefer to be petted at ground level.

• Young children should not handle rabbits – if they kick out or are dropped, they can break their backs.

• Rabbits should not be laid on their backs – this is stressful for them.

About: Companionship

• Rabbits need constant companionship from you or another rabbit.

• Unneutered males will fight.

• Unspayed females will usually fight, not always.

• Best pairing is neutered male and spayed female.

• Introducing another rabbit to your rabbit(s) is known as bonding and can take a few days to a few months.

• Rabbits can live indoors with cats and dogs if they are not aggressive.

• A single rabbit will bond with their human owner and/or other animals.

-         Rabbits feel grief and mourn the loss of a partner.

About: Life expectancy

Rabbits live 5-15 years depending on the breed.