Rabbits are very popular as pets. Recently, they have been more and more used in modern psychiatry therapies based on animal healing for autistic children and people who suffer from similar conditions. They are dear and tender, lovely and friendly animals. Rabbits are very sociable and active furry fellows who love to play and who can be very loyal to their owners. As long as you know what your new little buddy needs, it is likely you’ll have a wonderful, satisfied and healthy pet.
Rabbits are sociable and of a gentle nature, so they are very easy to tame. You can teach them a lot of things; just treat them gently and with patience. They are also curious and quite active, so they need to play and run around. Rabbits can be extremely committed and faithful animals, who seek love and attention from their owners. They are not too complicated to take care off, but all bunnies need good living conditions, enough space and activity and proper nutrition. Life expectancy of rabbits varies depending on particular type. It ranges from five to fifteen years.
Rabbits are not easy to maintain like some smaller pets, such as hamsters and guinea pigs. They need a lot of patience, dedication and high level of interaction with their owners. If you decide to have a rabbit, be prepared to dedicate enough of your time to your new friend, in order to have a happy and healthy pet. Rabbits need daily play and exercise outside the cage and they should never be neglected. You should show them your love and devotion, because they like to be close to their owners.
On the other hand, try not to pick your furry friend in hands, that’s not on their list of good manners. This is the main reason why rabbits are not suitable for very small children. Children would most likely knead and squeeze them in hands and rabbits certainly don’t like that.
Rabbits’ nutrition
Rabbits need various food in order to be healthy and satisfied. However, there are some things essential to their diet. Hay is the most important food you should feed your pet and it must be available all the time. They need variety of hay, not just one type. Variety of hay maintains a balanced diet and minimizes hunger in rabbits, so they would eat other food in appropriate and healthy amounts. Just as much as you would benefit from fruits, your rabbit can also enjoy plum every now and then.
You need to provide your bunny unlimited supplies of high-fiber hay and to use low-fiber hay and legumes as a supplement. This is especially important for diversity in diet of rabbits that don’t eat pellets.
Vegetable
There are several reasons why you should include vegetable in your rabbit’s diet plan. Various types of vegetables are an excellent source of valuable nutrients for your pet. Also, liquid content in it is very important for a healthy gut motility and proper digestion. Whether they know this or not, rabbits enjoy nibbling all sorts of vegetables.
However, there are some precautions you should take on feeding vegetables. It is not advised giving it in an early stage, especially to little rabbits early divided from their mothers. They need some time to stabilize their intestinal flora and prepare for new food. You should feed them only high-quality hay in first months from the arrival to your home. Start including vegetable and other food gradually and there should be no problem.
When giving your bunny any vegetable, green, leafy or other, you should make sure it is well washed. Chemicals used in protection and treatment of plants can be dangerous and harmful to your pet’s delicate belly. Pesticides and other substances would make it sick and can lead to poisoning. You should always thoroughly rinse it before feeding your pet, even if you use organically grown vegetables or fruits.
Delicious radishes for your bunny
Radishes are juicy, mustard family vegetable with a distinctive, spicy flavor. They come in several types and the most common are red radishes with white flesh. There are also some other sorts, such as French breakfast or black radishes. They are full of liquid and have lickerish crunchy texture. We love them and often use them in seasonal salads or as a decorative vegetable. Our pets like radishes as well! Are they good for rabbits and, if so, how much can they eat?
Nutritional data of radishes say they are rabbit-friendly, but you should pay attention on feeding frequency and amount. Radishes contain a little calcium and phosphorus, small amount of sugar and fiber and they are quite acidic. Due to their acidic content, radishes are not to be given to rabbits too often. Consider radishes as a treat and surprise your bunny once a week. One medium sized radish will be sufficient at a time. Too many radishes could cause your pet stomach problems and diarrhea.
However, radish leaves are considered greens and they can be on a regular menu of your pet. Green, leafy vegetable is essential in their diet, so radish leaves are also a good choice to enrich your bunny’s nutrition. The occasional fruit is also welcome, as you’ll find our article on rabbits and oranges say.
