RABBITS
By now you will have worked out that I have a passion for rabbits. I worry so much for these beautiful creatures as they are often bought on a whim, for children who are not mature enough to be responsible for their fairly intenive care and are then left alone to rot in a hutch which is often too small and so causes the rabbit pain.
Many people wrongly think that rabbits eat carrots and live alone in a hutch. That is like saying a human will eat chocolate and never leave their bedroom. While we might like the idea to a point it would be an unfulfilling way of life that would cause us mental anguish and physical pain.
My aim is to help educate rabbit owners and share information with them so that as caring rabbit owners we can do the best for our long earred friends. No one can ever know everything there is to know.
Rabbits are not rodents they are Lagomorphs.
Lagomorphs differ from rodents in that:
- they have four incisors in the upper jaw (not two, as in the Rodentia);
- they are almost wholly herbivorous (unlike rodents, many of which will eat both meat and vegetation);
However, they resemble rodents in that their teeth grow throughout their life, thus necessitating constant chewing to keep them from growing too long.
That is one reason why the correct diet is vital to the health of your rabbits.
Another very important reason for feeding the correct diet is because the rabbit digestive system is delicate.
WHAT IS THE CORRECT DIET?
All animals including your rabbits, need clean fresh water at all times.
A good quality hay needs to be available at all times, Timothy hay, meadow hay and there are other hays with meadow flowers or calendula included.
In short WATER and HAY are vital.
Grass and hay are what rabbits should be eating as this will help to maintain health teeth and a healthy digestive system.
Other tasty things may be added to the rabbits diet. When you prepare your meals you can share the veg with your bunnies so there is no need to go out buying different food especially for your rabbits just share your veg, uncooked for bunnies of course.
WHAT VEG CAN I SHARE WITH MY RABBIT
Green leafy veg (not lettuce), some herbs in moderation and the green tops of carrots and only the trimmings from your carrots when you top and tail them during food preparation.
Rabbits should not be given lots of carrot. Carrots are very calorific in rabbit terms and if given lots of sweet food like carrots or fruit then the rabbits would not do the griding motion they need to keep their teeth shorter so would get painful dental problems and you would get expensive vet bills.
You may also feed a very small amount of commercial dry rabbit food in the form of pellets as these are hard and have balance nutrition. Avoid musli type foods as the rabbits often become selective and they will often eat the high calorie food and get fat and suffer teeth problems because they will feel full up so will not need to continually chew therefore allowing teeth to grow too long.
Willow balls are a bordom breaker but are fantasic for rabbits to chew on. I stuff mine with hay and little pices of veg. Keeping your rabbits occupied helps to enrich them and keep them happy.
Fruit should be given in moderation so when you have an apple or pear just give your bunnies a slice or the core with pips removed.
HOUSING
Rabbits do not live in hutches they sleep in them. Humans do not spend all of their time in one or two rooms but go out to earn their living , fetch food, play sports/do hobbies and generally move about and enjoy interaction with each other. Your rabbits are similar. They need to be able to run around and binky about the garden or the house. This makes them feel good and keeps them fit and healthy.
Like us rabbits need good food, safety, good housing, exercise, enrichment and companionship.
