What I have learned about having a rabbit

[Gina L. Whitford]

I was given a new little 9 week old albino rabbit on June 1, 2008. I have always wanted a rabbit, I never knew though what was involved in taking care of one. It's definitely not as easy as I always thought it would be, but at this point I wouldn't change anything, I have fallen in love with this little furry white thing that inhabits my home.

First I have learned there are a lot of don'ts in feeding him, spinach and kale really should not be fed at all they develop a toxicity if fed in too high a quantity. He has to have a certain kind of hay, Timothy or Alfalfa, the Alfalfa is good for them when they are young but when they get to adult status it isn't good for them anymore. They have to have this available to them all the time this helps their digestion. They can't vomit a hair ball like a cat can. He has to have a good quality rabbit pellet, the hay and fresh lettuce, but not iceburg. I give him romaine, anything dark leafed. He gets the pellets and the hay available at all times, the lettuce once or twice a day. And the lettuce is about $1.50 a head and he has to have about a head a day.

THE HOUSE HAS TO BE RABBIT PROOFED! They chew on EVERYTHING, electric cords, wood, furniture, paper, this one has eaten the buttons off of my remote control and my cordless phone! He has gone into my purse and pulled out important papers and started to eat them.

He loves the food that I feed my rat, but he isn't supposed to have it because it isn't nutritious enough for him but if I don't give him some he gets an attitude with me and my fingers and toes get nipped on!

And they poop A LOT, all over the house, I have to go behind him several times a day with my swiffer sweeper to pick up the little rabbit pellets. They can be litter trained, but can't use the clumping cat litter that I use for my cats because he will probably eat it and since it clumps it can block his digestive tract.

He is funny though, my kids or I can be standing somewhere and all of a sudden he will just start running circles around us.

He gets along with my cats pretty good, he doesn't like the rat, when she tries to groom him she's just too rough and he doesn't like it. I was really worried about him with the cats at first but it doesn't seem to be a problem at all I have even left the house and left him and at least one of my cats unattended. (2 of my cats are mostly outside cats, there is only 1 that is strictly indoors).

They really don't like to be held very much, and there is a somewhat special way they have to be held, their back feet have to be secured whenever they are picked up because they kick so hard that they could actually break their spine.

Another must is to have a veterinarian that specializes in rabbits, and they aren't as easy to find as you might think. The one I found that's closest to me is an hour away! Other than that the next closest one is two hours away. They really need to be spayed or neutered as soon as they are sexually mature, males and females both spray, and from what I hear it really smells when they do.

He is so fast too I never thought they could hop so fast, does the flash mean anything to you, because that is what he is.

The cost of having one is not really cheap, first and foremost they need a big cage, and what you buy at the pet store really isn't up to par, so my fiance built one. The initial cost is approximately $135.00. $90.00 for a good cage, $30.00 for a carrier, and about $15.00 for a litter box. Then of course the food, that runs about $125 a year. Then you got to get toys and treats, so that's about $25 annually.Then there's about $125 for veterinary care and $400 annually for litter and bedding material.

[PetBrags Pet Lovers Paradise]

Great blog with wonderful information. Thank you for sharing this with all of us on PetBrags. I am adding your blog to our featured blogs, so even more rabbit owners will have the opportunity to read your blog.
Thanks again!