Rabbits can make great pets, but for that, you need to be careful, attentive, and gentle with them. Keeping a pet rabbit healthy, happy, and entertained is crucial. New pet owners find it quite difficult to handle the pet animals, but you get relieved once you know what to do. When you bring a pet home, it’s your responsibility that they stay healthy, happy, and entertained. Day to daycare plays an important role, and that’s why you should avoid any negligence while dealing with a pet. Little things matter a lot, and treating them is the basis to bond with your pet. In this article, we will suggest 21 ways that would help you to keep a rabbit healthy, happy, and entertained. If you want to give your pet rabbit an amazing life, then stay tuned and keep reading.
How to keep your pet Rabbit healthy, happy, and entertained
Rabbits have a fragile body and a complex digestive system. These adorable creatures can get hurt easily, and that’s why you need to protect them from any harm. Like every other pet animal, rabbits also have particular requirements. So, you need to provide everything they need to live a healthy and happy life. Here are some tips that would help you give the best life for your beloved pet.
Provide a comfortable space to live
The first thing you need to be sure about is their living space. You can prepare a hutch for your pet, but make sure that it is big enough as too small hutches can make rabbits uncomfortable. Everyone wants their home nice, clean, and big. So, if you keep this point in your mind, your rabbit would appreciate that.
Additionally, the main purpose of a hutch is to keep the pet safe and out of any trouble. Remember to place the hutch in an area safe from predators and any other kind of trouble. You must know that the rabbits like to stay in a clean environment, so you are required to give them enough space to eat and sleep. Avoid placing a litter box nearby their hay, food bowl, and water bowl.
Provide an appropriate diet
Among all the other things, diet is important, and you need to be attentive to it. You are not supposed to feed anything harmful to the rabbit. If you don’t know, rabbits are herbivores and would like to eat vegetables, hay, and sometimes fruits. The age of a rabbit affects their diet, so be attentive and consult the vet when you are confused about what to feed it and whatnot.
You can offer the following things to your rabbit.
- Fresh and filtered water
- Clean and fresh Hay
- Green Leafy vegetables
- Pallets
All the things listed above are safe for your rabbit to eat. The alfalfa and Timothy hay are high in protein, and the rabbits would love to chew on that. Rabbits are docile and playful, but their health is quite fragile. So, you need to provide a healthy diet for your pet. If you are struggling to schedule a healthy diet, then consulting the vet would help.
Things you should remember while feeding your pet Rabbit:
- The hay or grass you are offering shouldn’t be stale or dusty. Otherwise, the rabbit may get sick.
- Offer clean and fresh water. You should often clean your rabbit’s water bowl and their other feeding dishes.
- Don’t give your rabbit too many sweet treats. Instead of that, introduce a more nutritious diet.
- You can give your rabbit hay and dark green leaves vegetables to eat.
- Pellets are also a good option for your rabbits, especially young ones.
If your rabbit is allergic to certain food items, then avoid feeding it again. Additionally, consulting the vet would be a great idea if your rabbit has chewed on some inappropriate things. Rabbits like to gnaw and chew on things, so you should keep your essential things out of their reach.
Keep your Rabbit calm
Handling pets isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and if your rabbit is being too stressed lately, then you should consult the vet. Generally, pets like rabbits can get stressed easily, and they might have severe health conditions. It is necessary that your rabbit feel safe around the house and in their hutch as well.
Remember, if your rabbit feels threatened, it won’t behave the same way as earlier. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to your rabbit’s movements. Rabbits usually start hiding and cut themselves off from socializing. If they found their hutch safe from anything out there, then they would also spend more than usual time in their hutch.
Here are some tips to calm down a stressed Rabbit:
- Keep it away from loud noises
- Talk to your rabbit and try to tranquilize it
- Avoid disturbing their space
- Don’t make any sudden changes or movement
- Avoid handling your rabbit when it is upset.
- If possible, leave your rabbit alone for a while.
Sometimes, rabbits too need to stay alone, so don’t force anything. Give your rabbit enough time to process changes if you have made some changes. If the rabbit seems stressed for a prolonged period, you should take it to the veterinary doctor. Explain to them all the symptoms you have noticed, as it will help the doctor diagnose the cause behind this behavior.
Pay attention to Grooming
Not only cats but rabbits are also enthusiastic groomers and spend a large amount of time cleaning themselves. While grooming themselves, rabbits need assistance as it is impossible to reach all the body parts. As a matter of fact, assisting your pet in grooming is a great way to bond with them. Regular grooming also keeps the rabbit from infections, viruses, and other diseases.
You are requested to keep your rabbit clean, and if you think you can’t do it, then you can take them to their grooming center or the veterinary clinic. However, the rabbits like and enjoy assisting them while grooming. Some many diseases and infections are caused due to uncleanliness. So, you should be aware of the consequences.
Keep it away from other pet animals
Rabbits may be playful, but they don’t find changes very amusing. However, not all rabbits are the same and have different personalities. These docile and innocent-looking animals enjoy the attention. When you bring a new pet to accompany your rabbit, they might feel different. Other than that, rabbits are prey animals, and they may feel threatened in the presence of other pet animals. It usually takes time to get used to other animals and be friendly with them. So, you need to give it some time and avoid introducing too many pet animals to your rabbit. It would be fine if you kept it away from other pet animals in your house.
Check your Rabbit’s teeth
If you have a pet rabbit, then you must know that the rabbit’s teeth never stop growing. The rabbits can also have various health issues because of their teeth. It would be best if you keep a check on your rabbit’s teeth, so they don’t suffer from any severe disease. Having constantly growing teeth can be challenging; however, getting them trimmed at the appropriate time would be relieved. If your rabbit is suffering from any dental disease, it might avoid eating.
Loss of appetite and stress are two very common symptoms you will notice if your rabbit has dental pain. Visiting the vet would be more than enough to tackle this health issue. Give your rabbit all the details that concern the condition, and you should adhere to the vet’s suggestions.
Make sure they are playing and doing exercise
Only eating healthy wouldn’t keep your rabbit away from diseases and health issues. So, along with a healthy diet, you need to make sure that your rabbit is doing exercise and playing enough. Sometimes, an unhealthy rabbit would refuse to come out of their hutch. Encourage your rabbit to spend time playing and doing exercise. You can also accompany your rabbit to make this more fun. Eating too much and not doing exercise would make your rabbit overweight. Being overweight isn’t good for anyone, whether human or animal. So, make sure that your rabbit is doing proper exercise and spending enough time playing.
Be careful while handling
We have mentioned earlier that rabbits should be in a comfortable space, and otherwise, they might get stressed easily. Similarly, if you handle your rabbit inappropriately, they try to escape, and in an attempt to escape from the holder’s lap, they might hurt themselves. Handling a rabbit can be challenging at first, but then you would know the comfortable position for your rabbit.
Learn to handle your rabbit gently; otherwise, your rabbit might get hurt. Do not hand over your pet to strangers or kids. Pets don’t feel safe in the presence of new members or guests, so you should keep this thing in your mind. You should avoid handling your rabbit all the time because they might feel uncomfortable after some time.
Here are some tips that would help in handling a rabbit:
- Make sure that the rabbit is calm and offer some gentle pat.
- Don’t pick your rabbit from their neck, legs, and the scruff of their neck. Instead, get down to your rabbit’s level and then proceed.
- You should handle the rabbit from its chest. Place one hand under the chest and the other under their rear end.
- Now, lift the rabbit around your chest and hold them close enough, so they don’t try to escape. Remember, a rabbit would try to escape only if it’s in an uncomfortable situation.
- If you see any discomfort and distress in your rabbit, then you should immediately put them down.
Nothing is better than being polite, gentle, and careful while dealing with a pet, whether it’s a dog, cat, or even a rabbit. You must keep your rabbit away from the kids because they won’t handle it the way it needs to be.
Clean your Rabbit’s cage or hutch
Cleaning is also a basic necessity of everyone’s life, and avoiding it can be the worst mistake. That’s why you need to keep your rabbit’s hutch clean and away from any kind of a mess. Rabbits like to gnaw and clean themselves, so they feel terrible staying in an unclean environment. It would be best if you kept their territory clean and clear of unnecessary stuff.
Therefore, you should clean the hutch often, and along with the deep cleaning, you should also use the disinfectant at least once a week. Other than that, you can also go for pet-safe cleaning materials. Don’t forget to place the things because rabbits don’t coordinate with changes. Give fresh food and water to your rabbit to keep it healthy. Also, provide fresh hay every day for your pet.
Rabbit-proof your home
You may find living with a rabbit challenging at first, but in the end, you will start considering it as a family member. To live with this playful creature, you need to be prepared. Your pet may not know what’s important and whatnot, but they might consider all the things like toys. So, you should keep all your important papers and things away from its reach. You must know that rabbits gnaw a lot to keep their teeth in shape. Otherwise, their teeth may get longer than they should as they keep growing. If you don’t want to regret it later, train your rabbit and make your home safe. Here are some things that would assist you in dealing with this problem:
- Rabbits are not only docile, but they are playful as well. So, you should know that they also enjoy playing curious games like walking through small holes in the garden fence.
- You may see your rabbit happily jumping and hopping around. But it is also risky for the pet. That’s why you should place the soft pillows or blankets around the furniture to provide a safe landing.
- Having other pets is a good thing if they aren’t threatening your rabbit. So, you need to make sure that your other pets, like cats, don’t mistake your rabbit as a treat. Supervise them until they get along.
- Rabbits gnaw and chew on almost everything. They can also chew the electric cables and other wires. It is dangerous for them and can harm your rabbit’s health badly. Sometimes it can also risk your pet’s life.
You should keep all those points in mind while making your home rabbit-proof. Not doing so can also lead your rabbit to risk its life. So, you should be aware and prepare for anything worse that could happen.
Regular Veterinary visits
Sometimes, it is hard to recognize the early symptoms of mild and severe diseases. Therefore, it is good to get your rabbit health checkups from the vet. Pet owners should take their rabbits to regular health checkups. Another option you have is taking annual healthcare checks for your rabbit. It will ensure that your rabbit is doing good and living a healthy life. You must know that it is crucial to be updated regarding your rabbit’s health; otherwise, you may notice the signs and symptoms when it’s too late. Any potential health problem would resolve if you monitor your rabbit closely.
See for any signs or symptoms
As mentioned earlier, sometimes it becomes too late to improve a health condition if the symptoms haven’t been recognized on time. That’s why you need to monitor your rabbit’s health closely and be careful with the grooming too. If you see any changes in your rabbit’s behavior, then immediately consult the vet, no matter if the changes are positive or negative. Ignorance can cause more damage to your rabbit’s health. Rabbits have many health problems such as lethargy, overheating, infections, flystrike, and many others. So, it is better to get routine body checkups to make sure that the rabbit is healthy and away from any disease.
Give them a variety of toys
All the factors make life happen, and you need to be certain that you are providing everything your rabbit ever needs. Rabbits are very curious and playful creatures. Keeping your pet happy and healthy as you have taken responsibility for their life is necessary. You can offer your rabbit paper bags, cardboard boxes, paper towels, junk mail, straw, and many other things that may seem safe to play with. There are many other options available on online and offline pet stores. As long as they are safe, you can give them to your rabbit.
Spay or neuter your Rabbit
You must know that unspayed female rabbits have a high risk of uterine cancer. So, you should get your rabbit spayed at the appropriate time. The rabbits spayed late in life are likely to get mammary cancers. Surprisingly, spayed or neutered rabbits are calmer than the others, and a healthy rabbit is likely to live more than 8-9 years. So, keep your rabbit’s health intact and avoid any negligence. Rabbits can be spayed once they are four months old. Apparently, after four months, rabbits become sexually mature, and that’s why it is crucial to spay or neuter them by then.
Give your pet Rabbit occasional treats
Rabbits most of the time chew hay, but you need to offer them occasional treats as well. It makes the rabbit happy, just like a kid. So, to make your rabbit’s life entertaining, you should offer occasional treats to your pet. You can provide fruits and vegetables in their occasional treats as your rabbit would certainly appreciate that. But make sure that the occasional treats are healthy and safe because you don’t want to trouble your rabbit’s digestive system.
Positive Enforcement Training
Training your pet animals is crucial as it would help them understand what they can do and where they can do it. You may find training your bunny difficult at first, but they will learn things with a little bit of help. Besides, pet rabbits can be easily trained to do many basic daily things. You can also start with litter training and then proceed with other things. Don’t push your rabbit’s limit, and be gentle about it. Give your rabbit enough time to deal with the new changes as well.
Introduce to a companion
Another way to make your rabbit’s life enjoyable is by introducing a new companion. Rabbits don’t like to be alone, so giving it a pal would be the best idea. Pets enjoy the attention, and if you fail to do so, then you might see them a little upset. Therefore, bringing another rabbit for their company would be great. Your rabbit would be more than happy to share the hutch with their new friend. Along with that, you may have to watch them for the first couple of days to see if they are binding or not. Once both rabbits get along, you don’t have to worry about anything, but you should always supervise their activities.
Avoid sudden changes
Your pet rabbit might not appreciate the sudden changes and surprises. They may become slightly uncomfortable with the situation because you should make changes in their living space too often. But then you should know that not all rabbits have similar behavior, and you must learn about them before making changes. Remember, while cleaning the hutch, you should place the things earlier. You should observe your pet’s behavior closely as it tells a lot about themselves. Do the things they like and eliminate those they don’t. Along with that, a pet owner should spend enough time with the rabbit, so they don’t feel abandoned.
Bring them outside
Staying all the time in the hutch can be concerning. That’s why you should take it out to walk or play. The only feeding right won’t keep the pet healthy, and you also need to make sure that your rabbit is doing proper exercise and playing enough. Otherwise, the rabbit is likely to get various diseases when overweight. Don’t let your rabbit play alone outside, and rather you should accompany it in doing the same. Rabbits like to play, jump and hop around. Your rabbit must come outside their hutch because staying in for a long time indicates being sick.
Be attentive to the weather
Weather also impacts your rabbit’s health, and that’s why you need to take care of it as well. Sometimes, summers are too hot, and winters are too cold. In such situations, you need to keep your rabbit safe. Otherwise, your pet might get sick and unhealthy. During summer, you need to ensure that your rabbit doesn’t get hyperthermia or overheating. It would be best to keep the rabbit warm enough in winters, so they don’t feel cold. Rabbits have a hair coat on their body that keeps them warm during cold weather. Don’t keep your rabbit’s hutch outside during this kind of weather.
Respect your Rabbit’s boundaries
Rabbits have an adorable appearance and small to medium body structure. That’s why most pet owners expect their rabbits to be cuddly and affectionate. But you should understand that not every pet has the same character and appearance, and therefore, you shouldn’t expect it to be something else. Rather than that, you should understand what your rabbit likes and whatnot because if they find themselves in an uncomfortable condition, they might get stressed.
What makes a Rabbit happy?
New pet owners struggle to decide what to do to make their pets happier. If you are also a new pet owner, you should gather as much information as possible to give your pet a happy and healthy life. Rabbits are natural grazers, and a happy rabbit would graze all day long. If you offer occasional treats to your rabbit, they would also find that amusing. You should always consult the vet to determine what’s best for your rabbit and whatnot. We have also mentioned many other options or ways to keep a pet rabbit healthy, happy, and entertained. So, scroll back up and take a close look at the points that would vouch for a healthy life for your pet.
How do you gain your Rabbits’ trust?
If you think not interacting with your pet wouldn’t make any difference, then you are wrong. Rabbits are docile, calm, and playful creatures, but they also enjoy attention and company. Therefore, they don’t like being alone. If you don’t have enough time to spend with your pet, then you shouldn’t bring it home at all. When you bring a rabbit home, you take responsibility for keeping them safe, happy, and healthy all the time. But if you can’t do it, you need to think twice to get a rabbit. Spending enough time playing, feeding, and offering treats would help you gain your pet’s trust. Otherwise, it would be difficult to bind with them. Be gentle while holding the rabbit and avoid handing it over to any stranger because they might hurt themselves in an attempt to escape.
Final Thoughts
That was all about the ways to keep a pet rabbit healthy, happy, and entertained. I hope you found this article informative and helpful; you can use all the ways to give an amazing life to your pet animals. We have thoroughly discussed all the points that would positively affect your rabbit’s life. Be attentive to the signs and symptoms you might see when your rabbit is unwell. If you have any suggestions regarding this article, then feel free to drop them in the comment section. Your valuable point of view helps us to do better. Additionally, we would be delighted to hear from our fellow readers.
