Low-eared rabbits are so cute! However, they need to be cared for in the right way just like any other animal. Follow these simple steps and you will become the perfect host.
Steps
Step 1. Consider everything carefully
The temptation to catch a rabbit with low ears because it's too good is strong, but you need to think about it first. Rabbits live for nine to eleven years and require a lot of attention and care. They can be expensive if they have health problems: from the initial 50 euros to grow, with an average of 20 euros per month. They are fantastic creatures with unique personalities and they need a master who is truly prepared to be their companion. Make sure local vets can be of help if needed.
Step 2. Buy the rabbit
Find a breeder in your area that sells rabbits of this breed or look for an organization or a shelter for abandoned animals. Read How to Buy a Rabbit for more information.
Step 3. Find him a name
You can think of its colors. If he's tan, you can call him Brownie. Or think about the features. A black rabbit with a white star on its forehead might be called Stellino.
Step 4. Choose the cage
You will need a large one with an even, solid bottom, because fishnet ones can hurt it. Place a litter box, toys, drinking bottle and food bowl inside, as well as a container for hay and a toilet bowl.
Clean the cage regularly. Collect the droppings and change the litter box every day, clean the area where he needs to and replace the bottom (a towel can replace the shavings for example) and clean the rest weekly. Change water and add food every day or every other day
Step 5. Feed your rabbit
Those within seven months should be given alfalfa pellets or hay and unlimited water. Older rabbits, seven months and older, should be given a quarter cup of timothy pellets, as well as all the necessary hay and fresh water, and can eat small bits of vegetables as well. Fruit should be served in moderation because it is too sugary. Safe vegetables include: bok choy cabbage, basil, brassicas, romaine lettuce (not iceberg), carrot tops (carrots contain sugar and should be served in moderation). Suitable fruit includes blueberries, apples (seedless and cored), cantaloupe, peaches, pineapples, plums, bananas, and strawberries. Talk to someone who has had a rabbit for longer than you or your vet for more information.
Step 6. Interact with the rabbit regularly
Read How to Bond with Your Rabbit to learn how to bond. Once you are friends, spend at least a few hours with him, two of them outside in a safe and enclosed area. To rabbits do not like a lot of being pampered often, they prefer an interaction at the same level, which allows them to get to know you and get close to you when they like.
Step 7. Buy him a company
Rabbits are happy if they have someone to keep them company and it is highly recommended to buy a second rabbit (preferably the same breed or size).
Let him choose his partner: would you like an arranged marriage? By adopting it from a shelter, the rabbit will also have met his fellow men. Don't expect him to fall in love at first sight - when two rabbits ignore each other it's usually a good sign
Advice
- Give the rabbit a daily food mix to keep it healthy.
- It doesn't happen often, but if the rabbit has diarrhea, don't give it pellets but just hay and fresh water. If the diarrhea doesn't go away after a day, call immediately the vet! Rabbits that get sick die quickly.
- Get the rabbit out at least twice a day to move.
- If you cut the rabbit's claws but accidentally sever a vein, use flour or a hemostat to stop the bleeding. Be careful when you poke your nails! Consider getting it done by a professional, most veterinarians or pet stores will do this for free or for a ludicrous sum.
- Timothy hay and pellets are better suited to low-eared rabbits than alfalfa. Alfalfa and pellets, on the other hand, are good for babies and slaughter rabbits. Other varieties of hay include those of oats, helpless bromine, and witch's grass.
- Rabbits should be brushed regularly to remove dead hair. They are quite clean and groom themselves, but the dead fur they lick off can form balls in their stomach. Rabbits are not anatomically made to throw up so these furballs can cause disease and death.
- When you get a rabbit, check immediately that it is not sick.
- Do not put it in a cage with a removable bottom. The paws are not like those of the dog and the net can hurt him: choose a cage with a solid, plastic bottom.
Warnings
- Do not give the rabbit too much oats, it can cause diarrhea.
- If your rabbit gets sick, take him to the vet right away. Rabbits are prey and tend to hide symptoms when they're sick - if you notice a problem, it could be serious.
- Always support his back legs: otherwise, if he kicks, he can damage his back.
- Rabbits like to chew. Give them things they can nibble on (non-toxic wood, pieces of cardboard, etc.), but make sure the area you place them in is completely rabbit-proof. Read How to Rabbit-Proof Your Home for more information.
- Never give your rabbit the same things you eat. Rabbits have a very delicate digestive tract and would fall ill right away. Feed them only the foods that are suitable for their diet.
- If you have a female, have her spayed. It is essential as there is more than 85% chance that she will develop ovarian cancer and die if she has not given birth or has not been spayed within two years. Make sure you can afford the grocery shopping or buy an already spayed female, such as those you find in animal shelters - most spay them before giving them to you for a small amount that is included in the adoption price.
- If you take your rabbit outside, always check it out.
- Human (refined) foods are not suitable for rabbits.
