Many owners acquire pet rabbits thinking they are easy pets but in fact, they are rather high maintenance and complicated! Coupled with the fact that many petshops and vets are not savvy with their care, this leads to inadequate care which ends up shortening their lifespan.
So, are you a savvy rabbit owner? Let’s do a quick test!
1. Do you know rabbits have 28 ‘open root’ teeth that are always growing?
2. Do you know that their small intestine is almost 3m long and they are very sensitive to sugar and fat such as that in carrots and colorful pellets?
3. Do you know that they require at least 80% of fresh hay in their daily diet?
4. Do you know that rabbits cannot vomit which is why a gas bloat can be fatal?
5. Do you know that as scary as parasites like E. Cuniculi are, they are found in over 60% of rabbits in Singapore?
6. Do you know mites love to munch on their fur and it’s best to apply Revolution (kitty formula, not the ‘plus’ version) on a regular basis?
7. Do you know that rabbits can live an average of 8 years and by sterilizing, you can extend this further by 2 years and more?
8. Do you know that some over the counter medications such as applelin and rid wind can be used to improve their appetite and sooth their tummy?
9. Do you know that their poop can tell you a lot about their health and appetite for the day?
10. Do you know they make a special ‘night poo’ called cecotropes that they need to re-ingest to stay healthy?
Our rabbits are indeed special little ones and there is so much interesting things to learn about them! We hope owners will dedicate time to ‘figure them out’ and be well-informed to provide the best care to them. For a start, you can take a read at our Rabbit Care Guide (https://bit.ly/2FdMFA6) for some general guidance! Hope that helps!
(Photo credit to Yinling & Michael with their adopted rabbits Murray, Michelle and Murdoch)