What
breed is right for me?
There
are 47 recognized rabbit breeds with the American Rabbit Breeders Association
and a couple more in the works. Plus there are more and more breeds improted form
overseas that are not recognized in the United States at this time. This makes
the decision of which rabbit is best for you very hard. If you only plan to keep
one animal, a doe (female) or buck (male) will make a wonderful pet. If you want
to get 2 without the fear of babies you will need to get 2 does. Two bucks will
most likely fight and hurt each other as they get older in the same cage. Take
your time and look. Should
I get a bunny?
Do not rush into buying a rabbit. Look to see
what is out there. You need to realize that this is a long term commitment. A
rabbits life span is 5 to 10 years. Rabbits like dogs and cats are wonderful companions
for people of all ages. They can be litter trained and kept indoors or outdoors.
If you decide you want a bunny, you should never buy a bunny that
is under 6 weeks old and it is best to wait until they are 8 weeks old. The bunny
you choose should be
alert and aware of its surrounding. If it sits and does not react to surrounding
noise or quick movements; it might be sick. Do
Children and Bunnies get along?
If
you have small children you need to consider the child's age before getting a
pet rabbit. Many small children don’t realize they are being rough and they
may hurt the bunny by accident. Also the rabbit may scratch the child. A good
age for children to get a pet rabbit is 5 to 7 years of age. Some younger children
will be very good with bunnies and others may not. You need to use your own discretion.
All rabbits
make great pets and have gentle disposition. They range in size from 2 1/2 to
20 lbs. How
do I take care of a Bunny?
Basic Rabbit Care The
general care of a
rabbit is very easy and inexpensive. Rabbits
need a lot of cool clean water and a feed that is approx 17% protein, 22% fiber
and 3% fat ration. If the protein is to high or the fiber is to low, diarrhea
could result. Some brands of rabbit feed are Purina Rabbit Feed, Famo rabbit pellets,
and Pen Pals Rabbit Feed. How
much do I feed my rabbit?
PELLETED FEED
If you have
a small breed (under 5 lbs), you do not want to feed them more than 4 to 6 oz.
of pellets per day or they will become over weight. A medium size rabbit (5 to
8 lbs) needs approximately 6-8 oz a day of pellets and a large breed can eat as
much as it would like within reason. Treats
A
lot of pet owners feed carrots, apples and other fruits and vegetables to their
rabbits. If you choose to give treats, do so with caution. Introduce a very small
amount of a selected treat only one or twice a week at first. Then you can increase
slowly the frequency and the amount of the treat. A rabbit needs to gain tolerance
for different treats. One treat we give is oats. Rabbits like a mixture of oats
(the kind you and I cook) and rabbit pellets. This can be great for their coats,
help put on weight and is easy for them to digest. What
about Grooming?
Rabbits love to get brushed. You can pick up
a cat or dog brush and use that on your rabbit. If you brush your rabbit on a
regular basis, it will shed very little. Rabbits do go through molts once or twice
a year depending on the weather. If you brush your rabbit daily during this time
it will not be to bad. Sometime the fur comes out in clumps but don't worry this
it normal during a molt. As
the rabbit gets older you will need to clip their nails. This can be done with
a nail clipper. If their nails get too long it can effect their feet and cause
sores. Also their nails get caught on wire and other things and are torn off.
These
are the basics of rabbit care. As you can see rabbits are very easy to take care
of. As long as you feed, water and give them lots of love, they are happy and
healthy. | 
