How to care for a domestic rabbit

The rabbits are becoming more and more a habitual mascot, since they are animals that contribute company, docile, they generate little work, they do not occupy too much space, etc. On many occasions, especially for people who live in a flat or small houses, adopting a rabbit as a pet is better than a cat or dog. Depending on the space available, our rabbit can live in a cage or in an area specially prepared for them, always taking the necessary security measures. In addition, there is a considerable number of rabbit breeds, among which we can choose the one that best suits our interests: size, type of coat, habitat ... To live like a king, in .com we tell you how to take care of a domestic rabbit.

Steps to follow:

one

First of all, when purchasing a rabbit we must take it to a veterinarian of exotic animals to make a first review and confirm that your pet is in perfect health.

In these cases, it is especially necessary to perform a stool test to verify that you do not have intestinal parasites.

two

Also, one of the main characteristics of these animals is the fact that the teeth grow continuously, so they have to chew a lot to wear them out, and they do not grow too much and cause problems. For this reason, hay should be part of the diet of our rabbit, as well as we can put wood, cardboard, tree branches that can gnaw with the aim of their teeth wear daily.

For more information about the care you should take with your pet, we recommend you consult our article on how to take care of my rabbit's teeth.

3

Another essential care for our rabbit should be the regular brushing of your hair. In general, we should brush our rabbit's hair several times a week, but in case your pet is of a race with long hair this activity should be daily.

With this, we will avoid that you can generate hairballs in the stomach, which can be fatal for rabbits. Feeding them with malt is also a good way to prevent the formation of these hairballs.

4

On the other hand, rabbits should not be bathed, since they spend a lot of time cleaning themselves. Although on very hot summer days, if we see them very overwhelmed, we can refresh the area of the ears and the neck. And if it is strictly necessary, for example because they have been soiled a lot, we can bathe a rabbit in the dry.

In the following article you will find all the answers about how should be the hygiene of your rabbit, from the baths, to the nails, going through the care of your coat and how to clean eyes and ears.

5

The rabbit is an animal that needs to exercise, so if we have it inside a cage - always of considerable dimensions - we should take it out a few hours a day so that it can run freely, for example on a terrace or balcony.

However, whenever we leave it loose, we must be attentive to its steps or create a suitable environment so that the animal can walk, moving away and protecting everything that our rabbit can gnaw and spoil. These animals have an innate tendency to bite and gnaw, and if we do not pay attention, we can discover damage in the house. In addition, it can be dangerous both for the animal and for the people of the house, because one of its favorite objects are the cables, so if they are bitten and skinned they can suffer some electric shock.

6

It is necessary to vaccinate domestic rabbits against myxomatosis, a disease that is transmitted through fleas and mosquitoes; It is recommended to vaccinate every 6 months, in spring and autumn. In addition, it is also good to vaccinate them against the hemorrhagic viral disease, especially if they live several together. It will also be useful to know what are the most common diseases in domestic rabbits in order to prevent them.

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It is also recommended to sterilize or castrate domestic rabbits, in the case of females to avoid possible tumors of the uterus and breasts as well as infections and other health problems. On the other hand, in males, castration will help to eliminate aggressive behavior typical of the rutting season.

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Food is also a key factor for your domestic rabbit to be well cared for and lead a healthy life. The basic ingredients of the diet of rabbits are: hay, vegetables and feed, but you can expand here the information on how to feed a domestic rabbit.