McGrady's Huskies Your New Pet Rabbit
A Few Key Steps to Pick Up a Rabbit:
1. In a kneeling position, pet with one hand, while sliding the other hand down bunny's side.
2. With your arm at bunny's side, slide it under his torso, while your (petting) hand moves toward his rump.
3. Support bunny's chest with your hand and his torso with your arm. Lift, while the other (unseen) hand supports the rump.
Rabbits can act as if they're hardy creatures, but they are, in fact, extremely delicate-from their skin to their spines to their external systems. Care must be taken to maintain their good health.
A rabbit's diet should be made up of good quality pellets, fresh hay (alfalfa, timothy or oat), water and fresh vegetables.
Anything beyond that is a "treat" and should be given in limited quantities.
They love apple slices.
Because of risk of infection, declawing is definitely NOT recommended for rabbits.
Rabbits teeth grow continuously and must be checked to ensure that they are wearing down. Properly. Keeping a chewing stick is strongly recommended.
Your rabbit needs safe activities and toys to keep her body in shape as well as her mind. She needs things to climb on, crawl under, hop on and around, dig into, and chew on.
Things you need to know:
· Rabbits shed every 3 months, so you may want to brush your rabbit. Bald spots are common during shedding periods.
· They insist on being clean & tidy and will lick themselves like cats, and like cats, they can get hairballs if they ingest too much hair. You can get hairball medicine for rabbits or cats to help.
· Cat flea products are generally safe for rabbits with fleas. It's better to stick with powders and sprays. One must be hesitant to treat rabbits' fleas aggressively, because the cure can be more stressful than the infestation, so flea baths and dips are not recommended.
· Because seemingly healthy rabbits can have undiagnosed problems, it's best not to subject them to the stress of a bath. NO BATHS.
· Rabbit skin is delicate and highly susceptible to cuts, so mats should not be cut off with scissors.
· Scratchy, flaky skin with bald patches is usually a symptom of skin mites or an allergic reaction to fleas.
· House rabbits that spend all of their time in homes with carpeting and linoleum periodically need to have their toenails trimmed, in the same way as dogs and cats.
· If excessive digging or scratching is a problem, then a large box of hay or straw, where bunny can pursue these activities, may help.
OUTDOOR HOUSING - Rabbits were not designed to live on wire floors--they're hard on their feet (which have no pads on the, like cats or dogs). If you must use a cage with a wire floor, you need to provide your rabbit with a resting board or rug for her to sit on; otherwise she will spend all of her time in her litter box. A cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny--more if he is confined for a large amount of the day. You can build or buy your rabbit a two-storey "condo" with the floors connected by a ramp--they love this!
The most immediate hazard to an outdoor rabbit is attack by predators. A backyard hutch does not protect a rabbit from predators. Incidents include attacks by dogs, feral cats, raccoons, and coyotes; and more rarely, owls, hawks, opossums, and weasels. Determined predators can bend or break wire; agile ones can open cage doors. The mere presence of predators may trigger an extreme reaction in a rabbit; a panic attack during which the rabbit runs wildly back and forth, twists, and thrashes. A rabbit in this state can break her own back, or die from a heart attack. A survivor may be permanently disabled, or develop infection from bite or claw wounds.
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