A house rabbit is a domestic rabbit kept as a pet for companionship, who lives inside the home with his owners. House rabbits usually have an indoor pen and a rabbit-safe place to run and exercise, such as a living or family room. They are easily trained to use a litter box and can learn to come when called. Their diets typically consist of unlimited timothy hay, a small helping of pellets, and some fresh vegetables and fruits. House rabbits are very quiet pets with a life expectancy of 8 to 12 years. They are not well suited for families with unsupervised children under seven years, due to the likelihood of frightening or harming these timid creatures by loud sounds or mishandling.
Acquiring a rabbit
There are many rescue groups, humane societies, and local city animal shelters and individuals that have rabbits available for adoption, typically for a small fee. Additionally, reputable breeders and some pet stores sell rabbits. Pet stores are often considered the least preferable place to acquire a new rabbit as the rabbit's history is unknown, and many come from pet farms with poor conditions. Some stores, however, do document the history of their stock, which can be used to verify their environmental conditions.
A house rabbit is suitable for a household with the time and energy to care and interact with him. While children often have the time and interest, house rabbit organizations caution that a rabbit does not make a good pet for small children because they do not know how to stay quiet, calm, and gentle around the rabbit. As prey animals, rabbits are alert, timid creatures that startle easily. They have fragile bones, especially in their backs, that require support on the belly and bottom when picked up. Children seven years old and older usually have the maturity required to care for a rabbit.
Socialization
Rabbits are very social animals. House rabbits become part of the family, just as cats, dogs, and birds do, and often get along well with these other animals. It is not uncommon to see a house rabbit grooming the cat or dog or another rabbit. Socialization takes time, especially between two rabbits, where the process is called bonding. Until two rabbits are bonded, they tend to be territorial and can be a danger to each other.
A rabbit needs at least two hours per day of out-of-cage time in a safe environment (see house proofing below). The strong muscles in his back legs will weaken if he is not given opportunities to run, jump, and play. When a rabbit plays, he will often do a binky , which is a happy dance where he will jump into the air, turn around, and take off running. This is the equivalent of a dog's tail wagging or a cat pouncing in a play like manner. When calm and being petted on the head or cheeks, he may gently grind his teeth with contentment, which is the equivalent of a cat purring and is a sign that the rabbit feels comfortable and happy with his environment. Rabbits enjoy gentle, quiet attention from their human counterparts, although most do not like to be cuddled, which takes them too far from their natural comfort zone as prey animals. Rabbits can be taught to follow voice commands such as coming when called by name, much like a dog or cat. Other tricks include begging and jumping hurdles.
Socialization with other animals
It is recommended that dogs and cats generally not be left alone with rabbits as their predatory instincts (or overenthusiastic play) can lead to the dog or cat attacking the rabbit spontaneously. Many owners have found, however, that after careful introduction their dog or cat does get along well with their rabbit.
Some books recommend keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together to meet their social needs. While there is varied success with this technique, some have recommended that rabbits should not be kept in the same cage with guinea pigs. A rabbit can easily harass or injure a guinea pig, leading to severe distress, injury, or even death for the guinea pig. Occasionally an unneutered male may attempt to mate with a guinea pig and injure it. Rabbits and guinea pigs also have differing nutritional requirements and therefore require separate foods. Despite formerly proposed social compatibility and their mutual status as small herbivores, rabbits and guinea pigs do in fact have very different social signals and activities. Additionally, rabbits often harbour Bordatella bacteria, which is lethal to guinea pigs should they become infected.
Housing
Rabbits need an enclosure that is at least 4 times the length of the rabbit. Typical enclosures are x-pens, multiple-level condos, large dog cages, a room, and even a whole house.
A puppy training folding fence 26 or more inches tall serves as a simple pen, called an exercise pen or x-pen. It provides more free space and is easier to clean than some traditional cages. Multiple x-pens can be joined to enlarge the enclosed area. An x-pen’s portability is useful for travel with rabbits and for introduction and bonding.
A multiple-level condo is used to minimize floor space while keeping the rabbit quarters large. The rabbit condo can be made by using cable ties and storage cubes available at home supply stores (sample building instructions). Corrugated plastic and carpet remnants are commonly used as flooring. A multiple-level condo provides the rabbit plenty of jumping options and variety. The owner chooses the dimensions and layout.
Yet another option is a large dog cage. House rabbit organizations caution against using a grid floor, as this will cause sore hocks (sores or hair loss on the bottom of the rabbit’s back feet). Because they do not have pads on their feet, rabbits rely on the natural, thick hair growth on the bottom of their feet for protection against the elements and to cushion them from the surface they are walking on. When this hair is worn off by constantly being on a grid floor or by being kept in an unsuitably small enclosure, even soft flooring like carpet becomes painful to walk or lay on. Carpet or linoleum can be added to a cage that has a grid floor to protect the rabbit’s feet, or sometimes the grid can be removed.
A rabbit-proofed room outfitted with a litter box, toys, and food can also serve as an enclosure. Rooms shared with humans, such as a bedroom or a kitchen, are typical. Where it is practical to rabbit-proof an entire house, a house rabbit can freely roam the house as cats and dogs do. Depending on the rabbit, this could require additional litter boxes, possibly one per room or per floor.
Within his enclosure, a house rabbit may be provided a small shelter to hide and rest in, such as a cardboard box. Sometimes the shelter doubles as a chew toy. Alternatively, a towel or cloth may be hung from the top of the cage to section off a small, dark area. Shy or skittish rabbits use these to achieve a sense of the safety of a burrow.
Litter training
A house rabbit is easily trained to use a litter box, especially if spayed or neutered. When placed in a new area, it is common for a rabbit to mark the area with his droppings. After he gets acquainted to the area, he naturally starts favoring a certain location. A litter box filled with about one inch of non-toxic litter is placed there. Cat litter boxes are commonly used; additionally, pet stores sell small animal litter boxes marketed toward small rabbits and ferrets.
Most pet stores carry safe litter that is easy to handle, clean, and absorbent. Carefresh and Yesterday’s News are popular. Hardwood wood pellets designed for wood burning stoves offer a low cost, safe and clean alternative to store bought cat litter, with a 40 pound bag generally costing $5–$6 USD. Aspen, hay, straw, and folded towels can also be used. Experts recommend not using litter made from pine or cedar because inhaling the aromatic oils in them may cause liver damage to the rabbit. Clay based cat litter, scented cat litter and clumping cat litter should not be used with rabbits.
Placing hay close to the litter box can speed up the training, since rabbits like to defecate and eat at the same time. Due to this tendency, a rabbit may remain in the litter box for extended periods, increasing the importance of keeping the box clean. It can also be helpful during training to limit the space available to the rabbit. Starting at adolescence, rabbits that are not spayed or neutered may begin displaying territorial marking, which can frustrate efforts to litter train.
Feeding
House rabbits are provided an unlimited amount of grass hay, with a high concentration of timothy hay—roughage being recommended by many rabbit experts, which reduces the chance of digestive tract blockages and tooth maloc
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