The rabbit whose Latin name Oryctolagus cuniculus is a member of the Mammalian order Lagomorpha, family Leporidae. Lagomorphs are herbivores, crepuscular or nocturnal, and territorial. Rabbit is a digger of underground passageways in the wildlife. A rabbit is one of the calm animals. Many breeds/types of rabbits are cute looking. A long-commitment when you decide to adopt a rabbit as your pet. (Read: Important Guide To Take Care of Baby Bunny Without Its Mother )
Here are some guidelines to adopt a pet rabbit for beginners:
1. Home Sweet Home
Rabbits are the active animals and need lots of space. Prepare a space for your rabbit in your home. Choose a hygienic, secure, and comfortable area. Buy some equipment, i.e. litter, a box, a scoop, 2 bowls for feeds and water, the tissue, and the cotton bud. Add a grass carpet or a wooden sitting board initiates your rabbit’s healthy feet. Their hutch or cage should be contained only a litter box with litter, food and water bowls, a carpet, and a toy. (Read: Ways to Get Your Pet Rabbit Back in Its Cage).
Your rabbit will enjoy playing in their own way. They are curious and excited about new playthings. Add some toys, i.e. a toilet paper roll, a parrot toy, maze-type balls with a bell in the middle, baby toys, PVC tubes, and cardboard boxes or oatmeal containers with holes or doors. Don’t buy or use anything treated with chemicals! (Read: Ways to Adopt A Free-Roam Rabbit for Beginners )
2. Availability of Healthy Food 100%
Since the rabbit becomes the roommate, the owner needs much of the detailed information on the nutrient requirements of the pet rabbit. They can provide homemade diets for their rabbit and make a schedule for the feeding of conventional homemade diets. The pet rabbit can live for 8-12 years. The nutrition program goals for rabbits promote growth, pregnancy and lactation, health, and longevity.
Some food requirements for your pet rabbits divide it into:
a. Greens
The rabbit can only feed carrot leaves, spring greens, spinach, and watercress in small quantities. It benefits to reduce the amount of the glucosinolate goitrogens that it takes into its body. Leafy vegetables have many sources of vitamins and minerals.
Grass and hay are the most useful for the rabbit. The grass is a rich source of protein, digestible and indigestible fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Grass should be fed fresh cut. Young grass can improve the rabbit’s growth. Hay is a vital feed. Lucerne (alfalfa) is very useful for growing rabbit and a common menu in rabbit diets. It is rich in protein, fiber, calcium, carotene, and vitamin E. In an adult, it should be limited or avoided.
Dandelion may cause a “red-water” condition in a kidney. Lettuce should be provided as the milky juice, but the wild varieties gave worst effects than cultivated.
b. Roots
Carrots, turnips, parsnips, and fresh sugar beet are helpful feeds. They are low in protein, starch, and fiber, a poor source of vitamins. The most popular food type of roots is a carrot. Dried beet is low in sugar. Potatoes are primarily a starch source.
c. Grains
Oats, maize, and wheat are preferential feeds. Oats are commonly to be the best grain feed. Maize is extremely good feed, but relatively expensive compared to other cereals. Wheat is very famous and useful for the domestic rabbits. Cereals are the best energy source with 80-120 g/kg protein. Cereals contain frequently twice the level of phosphorus.
d. Water
The high-quality of water should always be obtainable. A loss of 0.10 body water can cause death.
e. The other feeds
Both beans and peas are rich in protein 200 g/kg, low in calcium, and high in phosphorus. Many legumes contain antinutritional factors. The heated extrusion process can reduce these factors. The genus Phaseolus (butter beans) are toxic and should not be given. Sunflower seeds are also favorite feed.
The owner can offer branches from any tree that we eat the fruit from, for examples are apple, pear, and wild rose. Before you give it, make sure that the tree has not been sprayed with chemicals.
Vegetables that can be fed to a rabbit daily, i.e. bell peppers, bok choy, cucumber, herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley, and rosemary), and lettuces. Vegetables and plants that can be given one or two a week, i.e. broccoli (stems and leaves only), carrots, and spinach. Fruits that cat be fed your rabbit once or twice per week, i.e. apple (no seed), banana, berries, cherry (no seed), grapes, melon, orange, papaya, pear, pineapple, and watermelon.
The majority of owners fed pelleted-foods at least daily compared to feeding commercial breakfast food of crushed cereals, dried fruits, nut, etc. mixes. The most popular mueslis were bread or crackers, biscuits, and herbs.
3. Get a Good Bunny
When people approached the rabbits’ area, they will do ignoring, retreating, or be hiding. Many rabbits showed various signs of fear when handled. They will be slightly tense, but don’t struggle. Some rabbits will struggle slightly, struggle intensely, bite, scratch, and kicks, the others are not handled. A few of rabbits were described as calm and freeze when handled by people.
The majority of owners judges their rabbits’ to currently fine based on indicators of physical health, i.e. eyes, ears, nose, chin, teeth, mouth, feet, nails, scent gland, fur, and skin. Many breeds attract buyers with their good looks. Temperaments of individual rabbits can vary remarkably.
After you get a new rabbit, you can use a large box or a carrier. In the car, place the box or carrier on the floor and try to drive gently. Don’t play a loud music which can stress the rabbit.
4. Consult with the Vet
Your rabbits have to meet the vet for regular checkups. Rabbits are very good at hiding their illness. The ill rabbits should be observed before the physical examination. Pain in rabbits, when is recognized, is often underestimated. Signs of pain may be subtle such as a change in respiration, disinclination to move, sudden aggression, and inability to rest or sleep normally. The following parameters were obtained and recorded during clinical examination, i.e. body condition, skin and fur quality, and fecal characteristics. The rabbits which clinically showed any abnormalities. The normal body temperature of rabbits ranges from 38-40 °C (101-104 °F). A stressed rabbit may not tolerate the rectal thermometer.
The majority of owners said nails and teeth of their rabbit, at the present time be “okay”. Dirty bottom or droppings in fur is the most common indicator of underlying health issues of clinical signs. In addition, swollen body parts/lumps were the least common problems. The digestive problems were the most common presented veterinary conditions. The dental unhealthiness condition and being overweight were the most currently.
Please consult the vet if you have any concerns about your rabbit’s weight and behavior! Do routine vaccination for your rabbits can protect specific diseases by building up antibodies that will combat that particular disease. Drug and vaccine use is a professional and client responsibility.