BUNNIES DOs & DON’Ts
Written by Cominica
Rabbits are not pets for beginners, let alone for young children. This is what is often misunderstood by many people, causing mishandling and mishandling of rabbits. Every Easter day, God knows how many bunnies bought as gifts for children end up being thrown away.. 😢
The first thing to remember, rabbits are prey animals, so they have a cowardly nature and are very careful about their surroundings, including humans. This is a trait inherited from their ancestors in the wild and is still passed down in their blood. However, that doesn't mean rabbits aren't suitable as pets. In fact, rabbits are one of the best pets ever!
Therefore, there are a number of things you need to know before deciding to raise a rabbit so that you can have an unforgettable experience of making a rabbit a part of your family.
❌ DON'Ts ❌
1. Never buy a rabbit to give as a gift to a child. Rabbits have a delicate bone structure and a fragile body so if handled incorrectly they can cause dislocation of their muscles and bones. This is very dangerous for rabbits!
2. Don't chase rabbits or force them to be held. Rabbits in the wild must escape in order to survive being preyed upon. Because of that, chasing and holding it will be very scary for the rabbit because it is like being chased by a predator.
3. Don't put the rabbit in a cramped cage. Rabbits need to move, jump and play to stay healthy and happy. Cramped cages can make them stressed and depressed.
4. Do not keep rabbits outside the house. Extreme weather such as very hot or very cold is not good for rabbits. Rabbits can die suddenly. Rabbits are suitable as pets in a house with a cool room and a calm atmosphere, it will make them very comfortable and happy.
5. Don't lift the rabbit by pulling its ears, tail, neck, or legs! Rabbits can be stressed from pain and cause serious injury to the rabbit's body. Mishandling can cause sudden death to rabbits.
✅ DOs ✅
1. Keep the bunnies happy by giving them lots of toys like cardboard, wooden bites and of course a big enough room for them to run and jump.
2. Feed them HAYS (Timothy, Orchard, Oat) as their main feed source with additional pellets 1 to 2 times a day to supplement their vitamin and mineral needs.
3. Rabbits really like to drink water. In fact, they drink more than dogs and cats. Don't forget to fill their drinking water in a bottle or bowl because water is very important for a rabbit's body to work properly.
4. Provide time for bonding with the rabbit every day. They are social creatures and love attention, otherwise, they will feel abandoned.
5. Give a variety of vegetables for rabbits such as Kale, Pak Coy, Coriander Leaves, and Parsley as snacks. You can also give a small piece of apple and banana once a week. They will be very happy to look for you to ask for their favorite snack.
6. Clean the rabbit cage regularly every day with a special disinfectant to kill mites, germs and bacteria. Safe liquids such as vinegar can also be used to get rid of the smell of rabbit urine and also kill bacteria.
7. Provide a hiding place for the rabbits as well as a tub for them to burrow into. Rabbits need a place to hide when they are scared or just to sleep to feel safe. In the wild, rabbits like to dig holes in the ground, so having a tub to dig can make them more active and less bored.
By remembering the Don'ts/DOs above, surely your pet rabbit will feel happy and happy. The points above include very important things that all bun parents and prospective bun parents need to know who wants to try to bring a rabbit home. Rabbits are different from dogs and cats, they are rabbits and have their own uniqueness!
Rabbits are very smart and also have sensitive feelings, they can understand our emotions. Take time to be close to them, consider them part of your family, and love them, then they will become a very valuable part of your life.
About the author
My experience taking care of 16 rabbits taught me that they are interesting animals. Rabbits have unique and different characters. Although they are all rabbits, they have different traits. These are my fur babies:
Shiro
Shiro is my oldest and first rabbit. She is very fierce and likes to do things his way. But even so, she can be spoiled and close to me. She can also comfort me when I'm sad, and at certain times when she has to obey, she can obey my wishes. Her bad character is because she is hard to tell, she has a hard time peeing in his place because he doesn't care about it. 😌
Luna
Luna is my second bunny, she is very sweet and obedient. She also has no problem getting close to humans and loves being loved. Spoiled Luna doesn't like if I don't fulfill her wishes as she can go berserk by making loud noises by slamming her dinner plate and drinking bottle. But, she is very obedient and always pee in the right place. Even so, she is a bit timid and really doesn't like being picked up.
Taro
Taro is my third bunny. He is very very spoiled and loves to be petted on his head. His hobby is sleeping and when he sleeps he can be unaware of his surroundings. He hates to be disturbed when he is sleeping, and Taro craves the company of either fellow bunnies or humans. He doesn't like being alone. Taro also has a habit of punching and kicking quickly when he doesn't want to be picked up.
Yuki
Yuki is my fourth rabbit and survived her illness when I bought her from the pet shop. At that time, she was very small and should not be sold by the seller. I took care of her until she was healed and healthy, but it seems she has become a bit traumatized because I often treat her illness. She likes to hide because she's afraid I'll treat him (maybe because of his childhood experience). Her hobby is eating and eating. Yuki has the "Gori Kick" style where she can kick very hard while doing somersaults to escape.
Kuma
Kuma is my fifth rabbit and is as cowardly as any rabbit in the wild. He is the most similar in nature to the wild rabbit, very careful and does not want to get too close to humans. Approaching Kuma took a very long time until he believed in me. With time and love, he can understand that I am harmless and slowly he can be approached.
Kiko
Kiko is a queen. She is my sixth rabbit and very introverted. Her movements are calm and elegant, unlike other rabbits who like to get excited. She is also very clean and does not like clutter. Kiko likes to be alone, lazing around and doesn't like being disturbed when she is having her "me-time". She feels we are his subordinates and must take good care of her. 😂
Leo
Leo is the only Lionhead here. He's a good kid, calm and very laid back. Currently, he lives with Yuki, and his food likes to be snatched because Leo takes a long time to eat (he is very patient). Since being with Yuki, Leo has imitated Yuki's habit of hiding. Sometimes, Leo likes to be absent-minded and sit pretty in the corner, whether he's thinking about what...
Ame
Ame is the eighth rabbit that I bought from breeders. Ame is an excited child and hard to keep quiet. She is energetic but sometimes could be so lazy that she often eats while stretching. Ame is a smart girl and likes to be curious, she likes to explore our house and climb the stairs herself from the 1st to the 3rd floor and then sleep somewhere if she gets bored.
Actually, there are 8 more bunnies who live with me, these 8 fur babies can be said to be my grandchildren from my furbabies above. They also have different traits from each other even though most of them inherit the traits from their parents.