Rabbits are active, playful and very curious animals. Despite common belief they are extremely timid, always scared and prepared to run away, rabbits are enormously dear and cuddly beings. They are very common as pets to many people. Rabbits love company of other living beings, including other rabbits, other pets and their owners. If you are considering bringing home this furry ball, you need to be prepared to dedicate a lot of your time and patience to your new friend. Rabbits are not complicated animals, but they do need care and love, in order to be healthy, happy and to have long and good life.
This little fellow needs almost constant attention, so don’t take a rabbit if you live in small space or spend too much time away from home. It’s not suitable for small children, either.
However, if you have time and conditions for a rabbit, you’ll certainly make a very dear friend. Whenever you have time, focus on your pet and spend some time playing and cuddling.
Rabbits do not show their emotions so often, but you should know they really like to be near the owners. Your pet would most likely circle around your legs to attract your attention.
However, bunnies don’t like to be carried around, so try not to do that too often. Rabbits love to play and would most certainly let you caress their soft, cloudy fur. In fact, your long-eared friend loves that. Rabbits are gentle creatures, so you always need to treat your pet with tenderness and love. Experts say rabbits can be very loyal pets and good companions to their owners. As well as cats and dogs, their company reduces stress and makes people calm and relieved.
Feeding rabbits
Rabbits’ diet should consist of fresh hay and grass, fresh vegetables and herbs, such as lettuce, broccoli leaves, flowers and leaves of dandelions, chard, basil, carrots and so on. Their diet should also include small amounts of young wheat and mixture of seeds you can purchase in any pet store. Nuts can be good for their teeth, but only in very small quantities, given only as treats. Fruits can be also added to their menu, in order to promote digestion and prevent constipation, but you should be extremely careful with the amounts.
Hay should be introduced from an early age. In fact, it should be the only food for very young rabbits, separated from their mothers. Their delicate intestines need to adjust to new food gradually. So, include one type of food at a time. Keep to small servings until you’re sure your bunny does not have any stomach problems.
Fruit on the menu
Your pet will most likely eat any fruit you give it. Rabbits love juicy and sweet flavor of pears, apples and bananas in the first place. They are suitable to be given as treats. Other suitable fruits are peaches, oranges, pineapple, plums, blueberries and other. It is extremely important you always thoroughly rinse it before serving.
Fruit should not be given as a regular thing on the menu. Most of it contains too much sugar and can be very high in acidic content. Those are not good for rabbits. If your pet eats too much fruit, it will quickly get sick and get digestion problems. For wild rabbits, fruits are natural sources of energy, connected to a certain time of year they need it. So, just don’t go overboard. Consider fruit as a good treat for your bunny and never serve more than two tablespoons of it at a time.
Delicious and juicy pear as a treat
Fresh fruit is fine for rabbits, but only in small portions. If you are introducing new fruit, pears for example, begin with small servings to see if your bunny likes it and how its body behaves. If it is fine, you can give it really small amounts of pears as an occasional treat. Pears can be good for their digestion and promote their intestine functions. In addition, consuming fruit prevents making of hairballs.
On the other hand, pears are very high in sugar. Yes, we love their sweet juicy flavor and our pets would most likely love it too.
However, pears are not suitable for rabbits to be given too often or in larger quantities. Rabbits’ body is not suited for digesting sugar; it is adapted to eating hay that provides a lot of fiber. High fiber diet is needed to create good bacteria in rabbits’ intestinal tract and keep their digestive system in optimal condition. Sweet food, such as fruits like pears, could lead to diarrhea and other problems. Sweet food disturbs the balance of bacteria cultures in bunnies’ belly and can cause bloating as well.
So, pears are good for your bunny as an occasional treat. Your furry friend would most certainly love it, but don’t fall for its charm and keep to extremely small amounts once in a while.
