Usually by the time a rabbit is about two years old, they’ll be starting to settle down for some relaxing petting. If your rabbit believes they are are the dominant bun, they might get offended by your hand coming directly at them. Local rabbit groups can usually find a good match for your rabbit and help with the introduction and bonding process. What's the Best Way to Move My Pets Cross-Country? While it may be necessary to hold your rabbit occasionally, you should avoid making it a common way that you interact with your rabbit. That means they are naturally used to being hunted, so if you startle them they'll run away. Similarly, you can desensitize your rabbit’s paws by touching them for short periods of time while you are also petting them in ways they enjoy. A rabbit's top front teeth grow at a rate of 3mm a week! Rabbits love the sensation of being pet here. Rabbits & Other Pets (7) Rabbits & the Family (15) Rabbit Care (169) Allergies (2) Babies & Orphans (12) Diet (24) Elderly and Special Needs Rabbits (30) Grooming & Handling (12) House & Home (24) Litter Training (10) Mental Health (19) Safety (15) Spay/neuter (9) Travel & Holidays (9) Rabbit … These Natural Remedies Will Help Curb Your Dog's Bad Breath, The 6 Biggest Challenges All New Puppy Owners Face. And speaking of children ... 2. Most of the time rabbits don’t like to be held. They may say they trust you by laying down on the floor next to you, or they might lick you to groom you and show that they care about your well being. Subscribe to the Bunny Lady e-Newsletter and receive a FREE pdf guidebook going over all the basics of rabbit care. Being able to touch their butt and chest will be useful when you need to pick up your rabbit. 2. The safest place to pet your rabbit is on their forehead. Petting is a great way to calm an anxious rabbit down and to bond with your pet rabbit. Remember to also keep any poisonous cleaning products out of reach, and protect your rabbits from potentially chewing power cords… These little bunnies tend to have a lot of energy and a short attention span. Most of us know what to expect when we get a cat or a dog, more or less, but caring for a rabbit isn't something we just know. As you are petting their forehead, occasionally give them a little rub on either cheek. Making sure your rabbit has plenty of safe and chew-friendly toys as alternatives. The common conception is that rabbits will just nosh on vegetables all day long, and some might want to do that, but providing your rabbit with a varied but healthy diet is important. Pet rabbits are becoming popular, but there are things to know before bringing a bunny home. All in all rabbits are very social, and if you take the time to bond with your rabbit, they’ll be happy to send love back to you too. While this is great for evening cuddles on the sofa, it may not be the best thing while you're trying to sleep ... especially if they have free run of the house, like this guy. Ideally your indoor rabbits should have some access to a safe place outdoors some of the time, or they can be trained to use a cat flap to a secure safe outdoor area. You can charge more if your rabbit is fixed. 8 Use a Super Enchanted Egg to obtain an Epic or Legendary Rabbit Pet. This way you can handle them more easily when you need to. Does My Dog Really Need a Dental Cleaning? Be a rabbit — mimic the way two rabbit friends interact with each other, such as grooming or relaxing. Rabbits are naturally clean animals and wash themselves frequently. Pet Rabbit Habitat, Pet Rabbits 101, Rabbit Care Rabbits Need Lots of Safe Space Now that you have decided to keep a rabbit for a pet, there are some things that you might need to know about indoor pet rabbit … Young rabbits can be a little bit of a different story. It makes them feel trapped and unable to escape if a predator happens to come along. If you don't have the space, then the cage or container holding your rabbit needs to be five times the size of the rabbit at minimum, according to the HSUS, and this includes on a vertical level so the rabbit can stand up on its hind legs without bumping its head. Rabbits aren't great pets for kids. PedMD recommends a solid four hours of exercise a day for rabbits, which basically means that leaving them cooped up in a cage all day isn't the best idea. 8. Rabbits are NOT low-maintenance pets… Most rabbits love being pet. This helps your rabbit see your hand and will prevent them from taking offense at the gesture. Their body language will tell you whether or not they are happy with your petting technique. Be prepared to rabbit-proof your home. Yes, every kid would love a hoppy little bunny to call their own, but the rabbit may be less thrilled with a small kid as their primary caretaker. But as your rabbit gets older they’ll start to mellow out. While petting your rabbit here, you can give them little scritches with your fingers, or you can give them small strokes on their forehead. Rabbits may shy away from hands, or they may even seem to get aggressive or upset with someone who tries to pet them. For this, we need to have an understanding of rabbit vision and how they see the world around them. Get the scoop on feeding your rabbit … This is very painful for rabbits. Fresh, cool water must be provided … Use an Enchanted Egg to obtain a Common, Uncommon or Rare Rabbit Pet. Rabbits, however, need to be approached in a completely different manner if you want them to see your hand in a friendly way. In my experience, even these rabbits actually love to be pet. And since rabbits only speak rabbit, it helps them feel immensely more safe if there's another rabbit about. Rabbits love the sensation of being pet … This could explain why rabbits are the third most surrendered animals to shelters, according to PETA. All of a sudden, they’ll become the most cuddly rabbits who are always demanding to be pet. Always remember to introduce new food slowly to avoid digestive upset. The majority of a rabbit's diet should be composed of grass hay (any variety), which is rich in vitamins A & D as well as calcium, protein and other nutrients. Learn more at Enrichment for Your Pet Bunny, Logic Toys for Rabbits, and Playing with Your Pet Bunny. Mini Rex. Let the rabbit know that you're coming. Support wikiHow by Rabbits have personality plus. Learning how to read your rabbit's body language and give him what he needs will help your rabbit learn to trust you and deepen the bond between human and pet. It’s a neutral area for rabbits. These vegetables can include kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce and parsley. Similar to being pet on their backs, they may be startled at first when you go to pet their cheeks. Rabbits are crepuscular, which means they typically sleep during the day and the night. Even shy rabbits or those who have had traumatizing experiences with human hands in the past can learn to love petting. Many rabbits also enjoy being pet on their cheeks. Picking up rabbits is also a no-go as it may make them think they've been grabbed by a predator. Rabbits … Exercise for rabbits, like for humans, helps with overall health, including digestion, and mental health, and why wouldn't you want a happy rabbit? While most rabbits aren’t necessarily going to enjoy an ear massage, they don’t mind when their ears are touched either. This helps your rabbit see your hand and will prevent them from taking offense at the gesture. She helps to socialize the rabbits and educate volunteers on the care and behavior of these small mammals. For their chest, you can first start massaging the rabbit along the sides of their body. In groups of rabbits, a dominant rabbit will display his position by getting in the face of other rabbits. The ideal owner for a pet rabbit is an individual or family with the time and space to dedicate to an active pet that enjoys cuddling and playing and requires a bit of maintenance. When you are going to pet your rabbit, make sure your hand is approaching from above their head and to one side. However, the idea of bonding your pet rabbits sounds... My name is Amy and I am the Bunny Lady! You also want to pet your rabbit with your hand above their head. In fact, having a house rabbit has many benefits, not just for your pet, but for you, too. They will eventually be content to sit with while you give them a nice massage. Hay or grass should make up the bulk of their diet, according to the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), with fresh vegetables providing a smaller portion of their intake. It’s also the easiest place to reach with your hand coming from above their head. Therefore you always want to approach your rabbit with your hand at least a little bit to one side of their head. One of the main characteristics of these animals is the fact that their teeth grow continually, so they … If your rabbit is not used to being stroked like this, they might be startled at first. However, you should not under any circumstances try to pick your rabbit up by their ears. Small bits of fresh carrot, apple and pineapple are treats that should be given only once or twice a week. (If they’re not willing to pay for a fixed and socialized rabbit, chances are they wouldn’t pay for medical care either.) They will be completely avoidant of human hands at first, but then they have a eureka! Rabbits are pretty much the cutest thing. So when are they awake? 1. They’ll be more likely to enjoy a good cuddle session sitting next to you. Like with any pets, you need to be aware of your rabbit's overall well-being, but rabbits have their own needs. Rabbits have continuously growing teeth. Petting a rabbit is a little bit different than petting a cat or a dog. Size: 3.5–4.5 lbs. As for wood furniture or baseboards, Best Friends Animal Society recommends wood or plastic coverings, cardboard barriers around chair legs or chewing deterrent sprays, like Grannick's Bitter Apple. This way your rabbit will no longer be afraid of being touched on their underside. Get the Right Litter Box. “Keeping rabbits indoors is ideal because it … 5. Rabbits are prey animals, as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) notes, and as such, they're easily startled by loud noises and lurching movements. Rabbits keep their own time. As you’re petting your rabbit try giving them long strokes down their back that end at their butt. Instead you want to learn how to hold your rabbit correctly by supporting both the front and back halves of their body. We also need a basic understanding of some dominance-based rabbit behaviors. Before you ever touch your rabbit, you want to make sure your hands are approaching them in a way that is not scary or offensive. I am here to make sure all of you rabbit lovers have everything you need to care for your fluffy little bundle of joy. The rabbit may be afraid of being picked up, or they have been handled roughly in the past. The rabbit's area will need to be spruced up every day and cleaned once a week. You should find lots of valuable information and links on … Many will calmly sit with you for long periods of time while you give them a nice massage. Rabbits are very social as well as active and playful, forming a close bond with their owners. Build your rabbit … 3. Feeding quality pellets along with hay and other green leafy vegetab… A rabbit can be an adorable, beloved pet, but because rabbits exist as prey animals in the wild they can often be frightened and mistrustful of humans. Pet Rabbits Welcome! While some may raise rabbits as pets, others may choose to raise them for meat. There is the occasional rabbit who just doesn’t enjoy the sensation of being touched. Plastic tubing around cables will take care of that chew temptation, or taping the wires up and out of the rabbit's reach will also work. Follow the Bunny Lady and her bunny partner Elusive and they seek to educate rabbit caretakers and make sure everyone is able to have a happy and healthy bunny in their home. 6. Noel Kirkpatrick is an editor and writer based in Tacoma, Washington. Accordingly, you should always give your rabbit a warning that you're approaching so he won't get scared. This doesn’t mean your rabbit didn’t like to be pet this way, it just means that they didn’t expect it. I am a lifelong rabbit lover and have been specializing with rabbits at my local animal shelter. Most rabbits are playful, and some games are great for two. Most bunnies struggle away from water … This may be the most important thing to know when it comes to rabbits since they require a sizable degree of daily and weekly care over the course of their lives. One of the scariest parts of being a rabbit caretaker is when our pet rabbits get sick. Like dogs and cats, rabbits can live happily indoors. Rabbits need more than just carrots (and, in fact, they shouldn't get a lot of carrots). Dusk and dawn! Continue giving your rabbit scritches on their forehead and behind the ears while adding in the occasional stroke down their back. When a rabbit must be held or carried, support their front half, under their rib cage, with one hand and their rear end with the other, holding them close to your body like a football. This whole process could take a week or it could also take many months. When you are going to pet your rabbit, make sure your hand is approaching from above their head and to one side. Petting the head. Flemish Giants are notoriously one of the oldest, calmest, and largest breed of rabbit … Avoid the use of alfalfa after a rabbit has reached approximately 7 months of age as it is very high in calcium and protein and more than a rabbit needs. 1. To teach a shy rabbit to love being pet, you’ll need to have a lot of patience. Rabbits' teeth never stop growing, so they love chewing on everything, including furniture and cables. However, it’s important to learn the techniques to pet your rabbit in a way that they will love. Rabbits require unique medical care. If your rabbit is comfortable being pet on the head, the next place to move is behind their ears. Adults should be the primary caretaker of a pet rabbit and carefully supervise children interacting with them. In the meantime, you’ll want to avoid holding your rabbit as much as possible, because that will lead your rabbit yo distrust you and continue to be afraid of human hands. This means, if your hand approaches your rabbit from directly in front of them, they can’t see what you’re doing and they might get scared. Amy Pratt is a lifelong rabbit owner who has been specializing with rabbits at the Humane Rescue Alliance. Rabbits are social animals that rely on one another to survive in the wild. If you are interested in owning a rabbit click on want pet rabbit, if you already own a pet rabbit click on own pet rabbit. Stacking cups, plastic baby keys, and wooden blocks are fun for tossing and knocking over. Rabbits aren't great pets for kids. But as with any pet, bringing a rabbit home requires preparation and knowlege about what you're getting into. If you are patient with your rabbit, you can teach them to make good associations with human hands. The right diet is critical to keeping pet rabbits healthy. This tends to be a sweet spot for rabbits. (Yes, pineapple. As such, rabbits also have their own specialized vets, according to PETA, and they can be more expensive than your run-of-the-mill veterinarian. Many people believe that bunnies don’t really like being pet. Rabbits in the garden are an excellent way to get free manure fertilizer. How to Detect and Prevent GI Stasis in Rabbits. Adopting a rabbit is a long-term commitment. 7. The RSPCA recommends annual vet visits to check their teeth, to test for parasites and get vaccinations. With other pets, you will typically approach them with your hand directly in front of them to give them nice scritches below their chins and around their necks. Some rabbits will shy away from human hands and don’t seem to enjoy being pet. Even the best quality rabbit pellet is not adequate on its own as a diet for pet rabbits. Then leave your hand there for a short time to get them used to being touched while they are also experiencing the pleasure of a massage. Related to this, spaying and neutering your rabbit is a good call if you're going to have two rabbits, but it's generally smart even if you're going to stick to one rabbit. Rabbits are prey animals. Do rabbits like to be pet? Given how long they live, it's a good bit of work that's more than just feeding and picking up after their poop. They will often shift their position to relax more into the floor. If you don't have the space for a dedicated rabbit room or a large cage, giving your rabbit free rein of the living area may be your only option, and that means preparing the rest of the home. 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