Features of caring for a rabbit

The domestic rabbit is an affectionate and cute creature. These are cute and smart animals. It would be a good idea to have a rabbit for a child aged 5-12: you can pet the animal and play with it. Caring for a rabbit is not difficult. Watching the cute “bunny” is very interesting.

Back at the beginning of the 20th century, lagomorphs, to which rabbits belong, were classified as rodents. But in 1912 they were assigned to an independent detachment. The main difference between lagomorphs and rodents is that in the upper jaw they have not one, but two pairs of incisors. The second pair is less developed and is located behind the first.

Rabbit breeds are divided into three groups according to animal size: large, medium and dwarf. Large ones weigh from 3.5 to 12 kg, medium ones - 2.5 - 3.5 kg, and dwarf ones - 1 - 1.5 kg. Most large and medium-sized breeds are bred for meat and skins. And “for the soul”, mostly dwarf rabbits are kept as pets.

All breeds of dwarf rabbits are perfectly adapted to keeping at home. Each of them is interesting in its own way. Rabbits are predominantly solitary animals. Although they live in colonies, they live separately from each other. Families are formed for a short time - during the breeding season. Therefore, it is best to keep them alone. A little friend can be purchased at a pet store or from a breeder of decorative rabbits. Month-old babies are absolutely adorable. They have large shiny “surprised” eyes, a round muzzle, and short ears.

You need to choose not only the cutest, but also the calmest and healthiest little ear. And the signs of health are as follows: clear lively eyes, smooth shiny fur, ears clean from the inside.

Under no circumstances should you carry a baby rabbit or an adult rabbit by the ears. It must be carefully lifted by the scruff of the neck; a tame rabbit is simply picked up like a cat, supported by the hand from below.

Rabbit hole

A rabbit can be housed in a spacious plastic container, a metal cage, or a large aquarium; here they live in metal cages that grandpa made.

Rabbits are hardy animals. They are kept outdoors until cold weather sets in. But then the cage is reliably protected from rain and wind, as well as direct sunlight. It’s even better to build a pen of mesh or boards with high walls or covered with netting on top. After all, rabbits jump well and can run away.

Raising and feeding a baby rabbit

Rabbits are picky about food. For normal growth and development, a rabbit needs to eat frequently. It is advisable to feed him at least twice a day. The main menu includes dry rolled oats (oatmeal, oats), hay, bread or ready-made food for young rabbits. All this is supplemented with vegetables and herbaceous plants. Vegetables include carrots and a little cabbage.

In the warm season, rabbits happily eat clover, dandelion, corn leaves, coltsfoot, and cereal grasses. The collected plants are washed with water and dried a little - withered. You cannot feed fresh grass to your rabbits. They love to gnaw on branches with leaves: branches of willow, raspberry, serviceberry and any fruit trees are suitable.

In winter, when there is no greenery, babies must be fed hay. For variety, boiled potatoes are given. Rabbits can be pampered with a piece of apple, fresh cucumber, banana or banana peel. The baby rabbit should always have water in his drinking bowl.

A young eared dog should not be constantly cuddled, he should always live in a cage, but once or twice a day he should be let out for a walk under supervision.

To feed our pets, my grandfather and I spend:

Rough feed - 35 - 40 kg per year, approximately 100 g per day
Juicy feed - 50 - 60 kg per year, approximately 160 g per day,
Concentrates - 35 - 37 kg per year, approximately 100 g per day.

Care

Eared pets do not cause much trouble for their owners. Every day you need to remove any leftover food from the cage, rinse the bowl with water, and add fresh sawdust. Once a month, after leaving the inhabitant, you need to thoroughly rinse his home with hot water.

Rabbits are very clean. They carefully look after their fur coat, licking themselves and their fellows.

Periodically, “bunnies” have their claws shortened, which grow quite quickly. I really like watching these “fluffies.”