Bunnies Can Make Great Pets

If your child has been harping at you for a pet bunny and you’ve been stalling them because you aren’t quite sure about it. There’s some great news – bunnies can make great pets – you just need to know the basics about caring for your pet bunny.

The biggest mistake that occurs with pet bunnies is that they are taken from their mother way too early. Too often you hear a rabbit owner complaining they can’t get their young bunny to eat or it suddenly died. Sadly this occurs way too often and the reason is they were way to young to be taken home.

A rabbit is born after only 31 days but they are born deaf, blind, and without any fur. In the warmer weather they will stay tucked in the nest for a couple of weeks, but in colder weather this can be as long as four weeks.

They will nurse until somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks. By three weeks they begin to nibble but their digestive systems are not yet developed. It’s critical not to wean bunnies early because they will not develop the intestinal flora they need to be able to eat and digest solid foods.

The inability to digest solid food combined with the stress of being separated from the mother are the number one reasons why young bunnies die far to often.

So when you are looking for a pet bunny make sure it is at least 8 weeks old. Check the rabbit over carefully for any signs of infection or pesticide infestation. Make sure the eyes are clear and the rabbit is alert. Start with a healthy rabbit and your experience with a pet rabbit will be rewarding.

You’ll need to provide housing for your pet rabbit. If you are going to be keeping your bunny inside you need to find a quite place for their cage in an out of the way place since rabbit cages can smell pretty awful. If you have a basement you might consider that. Bunnies also do very well outside providing they are given adequate housing.

If you are going to have your bunny live outside then you need to make sure the cage is sturdy enough and secure enough that predators cannot get in. There is nothing more horrific for a child then going out to the pet bunny’s cage in the morning only to find fur and blood.

Predators can be very determined to get their meal and the rabbit has no where to escape, so you need to make sure the wire is thick enough, and that the latch is full proof. Your rabbit home should also have someplace where it can hide should a predator arrive. Even if the predator has no hope of getting into the cage it can frighten your pet bunny to death. An area with solid walls and a bit of a den will help your bunny feel secure.

In the winter you’ll need to make sure your rabbit is protected form the elements. Your bunny needs to be able to stay dry in order to stay warm and healthy but it also needs good ventilation. If you live in an area that sees minus temperatures throughout the winter you should move your pet rabbit into a shed or basement. You’ll also need to make sure the water is in a crock so it doesn’t freeze up.

Your pet bunny is going to need fresh water every day and it will also need to be fed daily. A diet of rabbit pellets as well as fresh vegetables such as carrot or celery are always good. Your bunny will love fresh treats. You’ll need to change your rabbit’s bed at least once a week and more often is better. Rabbit beds are generally made of hay or grass and remember they’ll be doing their business in it so it can get yucky pretty fast.

A pet rabbit should be just that a pet so right from the beginning be sure to spend lots of time handling your rabbit, brushing his coat, and interacting with your pet bunny. You can bring your pet into the house regularly and let him wonder around the house. However never leave them unattended even for a minute because they love to chew and they don’t care if it’s an electrical cord plugged into the wall.

They can do a lot of damage to furniture, books, plants, in no time, and they can also do serious injury to themselves or even electrocute themselves. So you’ll have to stay on top of them every minute.

Bunnies can make great pets. But be sure to spend a little time learning about rabbits before you get your pet bunny.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.