Random questions about pet rabbits.. such as habitat and diet. 5 points for the best answer!!?
I would say that my dwarf rabbit 6 or 7 years old.. maybe even 8. I need to go through my my scrap books and double check his age! Either way.. let’s face it.. he’s getting old!
During the daytime, I open up his cage and close off the foyer with two baby gates. I would say the foyer is about 12ftx10ft.. I’m not quite sure. It’s a tiled floor.. is this okay for the little guy too run around in? will his paws get cold? His cage floor is wire, and there’s a slot underneath for the pan with the bedding.. so I know the wire must be tough on his feet! Today I just put a big cardboard box in the foyer with some newspaper on the bottom, a some wood shavings and lots of alfalfa for him to relax and dig and play in. Maybe it will even keep him warm? Is it ok to put newspaper in his playing area? Will the ink on the paper be harmful to him? I tried to get a piece with little colored ink just in case. Also, I put some newspaper in my gerbils cage too for him to shred and play in. I know this question is about rabbits… but hey if it’s harmful for rabbits it’s probably harmful for gerbils too.
Pumpkin is also very picky of what treats he likes. The only treats that I give him that he actually eats are raisins and pears. He LOVES raisins. But hates carrots… a rabbit that hates carrots… wtf? hahahhaa. I feed him Animal Planet Fortified Rabbit pellet-food. I give him a few raisins probably every day… is he receiving proper nutrition?
I know you must be thinking "oh, what a great time to ask these basic questions 6-8 years after she’s had the rabbit" but they were just questions that all of a sudden came to mind. He’s not overweight, has a nice, thick, soft fur coat and is most likely healthy because he’s pretty old. I’ve only taken him to the vet once… A few years back he hadn’t been eating for about 2-3 days and wasn’t pooping or even peeing. Food and water were readily available.
Also, is it neccessary to bathe rabbits on a timely basis? I’ve only given him baths probably about 2 or 3 times in his life because he got into some messes and was filthy.
Sorry this was so long and I kept expanding… but thanks to anyone who read this and can help! You will be rewarded!
5 Comments on “Random questions about pet rabbits.. such as habitat and diet. 5 points for the best answer!!?”
OMG all the stuff your doing with your rabbit is safe even newspaper is safe. Rabbits bathe themselve but if their coat gets a litter dirty put some baby powder on rub it around his coat and brush it out the dirt in the coat clings to the baby powder. I feed my rabbits all kinds of stuff even a little chicken here and there they are still fine and of corse pellets and hay, most vegtibles are fine, No jolipenio peppers though. Giving your rabbit that space to run around every day is great.
when i was a kid, we had a rabbit, and we thought it would eat what rabbits eat in cartoons… lettuce and carrots.. THIS IS NOT TRUE. He died. it was very disturbing… and this is all the advice I can give… cuz we failed. So don’t make the mistake we did!
Most rabbits hate tile. It’s uncomfortable to lay down on, and it’s chilly. They also can’t move around on it very easily – not enough traction. Give him carpet to run on, if possible.
Black and white newsprint won’t harm him (or your gerbil), but I would stay away from coloured prints.
Timothy Hay should actually be the primary part of a rabbit’s diet, just because it wears down their teeth (they are growing constantly). Make sure he always has something to chew. Fortified pellets are probably enough nutritionally though. Careful about the raisins, they are full of sugar and you don’t want him to get fat or have other problems – you should only give them to him occasionally. Try to get him on some other greens that are less sugary, if you can.
You don’t have to bathe your rabbit, ever, unless he’s super dirty. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, they hate baths and are very clean normally.
All in all, seems like you’re doing ok if you’ve had him this long.
Tiled floor? That’s fine
They have furry feet and the feet will not get too cold. Unfortunately, though, especially in an older rabbit, it can be hard for them to move around on.
As for the alfalfa in the box, since he is older than 6 months old…way older…you should feed him mainly Timothy hay. Too much alfalfa can cause urinary stones because of the high amounts of calcium.
Newspaper? You can put newspaper in his play area, but make sure it is only black ink, and not colored.
Food? Raisins are ok, but only in VERY small amounts. Make sure he gets a constant supply of Timothy hay. He should get approx. 1 cup of greens each day. Some grocery stores have a mix of bagged greens that are perfect. The bag has mustard greens, collard greens, and turnip greens. The Animal Planet food is not the best because its main ingredient is alfalfa. I would recommend Kaytee Timothy Complete, or even better, Oxbow Bunny Basics T.
Bathing? I would not recommend bathing unless he has feces stuck to his bottom and is unable to clean it. Even then, you only use a wet washcloth with a small amount of mild soap. Never give a complete bath to a rabbit.
Any other questions? hehe
The only worry I would have about the tile is him slipping. As you know, rabbits have furry feet. If he got spooked somehow and felt the need to bolt to safety he could slide and break a leg. Maybe put down an area rug or something for when he is out. Something his feet get get a grip on.
The newspaper should be fine. Try to avoid the shiney, colorful paper like flyers and magazines.
You give him pellets but how much? A rabbit really only needs 1/4 to 1/2 cup a day, depending on size. Also unlimited timothy hay is extremely important. Raisins and pear are ok but try to limit what he gets of those. They have a high sugar content and too much isn’t good for them. Same with carrots as well. Have you tried carrot tops? Other good veggies are romaine lettuce, parsley, dandelion, cilantro. Cucumber, celery, and iceburg lettuce are no-no’s.
Rabbits do not need to be bathed. They do a great job of cleaning themselves. Unless, as you said, they get messy somehow.