Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit Care!

Did you know that there reportedly 1.7 million rabbits in the UK that are kept as pets? That’s a serious amount of rabbits, isn’t it? It’s no wonder so many homes have opted for this type of furry critter for their home though. Alongside fairly minimal maintenance, they are great fun for kids and can even teach them a thing or two about caring for animals.

What a lot of people aren’t aware of is that rabbits need much more daily care then they are being given. Just think of how many people go away on holiday and only have their friends or relatives pop around once or twice in the week to let them out of the hutch, eat a bit of fresh greenery, and have a couple of poo’s in the grass. This isn’t enough care for a rabbit, not a healthy and happy rabbit anyway. This is why you should check out Pet Sitters in Cheshire before you go hop on a plane to a place sunny and far away…

Rabbits should have a home that is well protected from the cold and the rain. On top of this, they need a nice, large area that is both safe and secure in which they can round around in daily. How would you like being stuck holed up in a cage all day long? Rabbits are jumpy critters – let them jump!

On top of daily exercise, a rabbit will need a constant supple of fresh hay to nibble on. You should also feed them some fresh vegetables on a daily basis. It doesn’t need to be loads either – when you are doing your dinner, just chop up a little bit extra to feed to your furry friend. This is a great exercise to take up with the kids.

Of course, the rabbit will also need fresh water daily, and even more often than that if the weather is particularly hot. This should be just common sense for most pet owners these days though…

Generally a rabbit will only go to the loo in one area of their cage or hutch, so be smart and pack that area well with enough absorbent stuff to keep any nasty smells away. It also makes life a whole load easier when it comes to cleaning them out. You could get a small cat-litter box (or similar size/shape of box) and fill it with shredded newspaper or even rabbit-specific litter. Ask your local Cheshire Pet Sitter to give you a couple of names to look out for, and you could even ask in local pet stores and your Vet’s too. Never use wood shavings because it’s not really safe for the pet and could end up making them sick.

Once you’ve got your layer of shredded newspaper or litter, you’ll want to add another layer of hay. They eat and poo at the same time (Ew!) so they can eat and do their business as they normally would out in the wild…Gross but true!

Rabbits also need grooming, toys to play with, nail trimmings, and a careful eye kept over them. Generally rabbits are prey in the wild so their most basic instincts will tell them to try and hide any physical signs that they may be weak. If you don’t keep an eye out, you could miss something for weeks, running the risk of your poor bunny becoming seriously sick! That’s not something you’re going to want to explain to your darling children, is it?

They are great pets to have in any home, especially a home with children, but they do need human interaction from a young age to avoid them from nipping, biting and getting skittish. Before you go ahead and make the rabbit your pet of choice, ask yourself this – are you ready for a pet that needs a bit of maintenance?

*Image courtesy of [artemisphoto] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net