Five tips for happy bunnies
It stands to reason that you want your bunny to be a happy bunny; but how can you make sure that he or she really is? Here are five tips that will help make your rabbit a contented rabbit.
Rabbits for rabbits
Rabbits are very social animals; what they need more than anything is to be able live together with their own kind. Even if you give your rabbit as much attention as he can handle, he won’t be truly happy if he doesn’t have a companion. But rabbits are very choosy when it comes to friends, so finding one and facilitating the ensuing bonding process calls for an expert touch!
A house with a garden or patio
To keep them happy and healthy, rabbits need a lot of exercise, with the amount of exercise depending to a great extent on how big they are. But consider this: a rabbit can run at up to 40 kilometres an hour and often feels the need to run at speed! Whatever you do, make sure your rabbit hutch has access to a run that is at least a few square metres, so he can run and jump to his heart’s content. And for maximum satisfaction give your rabbit the freedom of your house or garden for at least a few hours a day. Generally speaking, rabbits can be kept indoors or outdoors, but do decide what it’s to be in good time. If you want to keep your rabbit outdoors, keep him outside constantly from August onwards. This will enable him to develop his winter coat.
Eating and drinking properly
Giving your rabbit the right food is a sure-fire way of making him happy. Hay, which is rich in fibre, should be a mainstay of his diet. This can then be supplemented with vegetables, such as endive and chicory, and a little ready-made food. Rabbits cannot be fed just anything, because they have an extremely delicate digestive system! So make sure you do your research.
Burrowing and playing
Rabbits are intelligent animals that really love to play. Something as simple as a toilet roll or an egg box can make an excellent toy for a rabbit. And, of course, rabbits are literally in their element when they are burrowing, which they can do in your garden or even in a container of sand on your balcony. If you don’t have a garden or balcony, just let your rabbit shred old newspapers, which will also keep him occupied.
Attention
It goes without saying that a domesticated rabbit needs a lot of attention. Many rabbits just love being stroked. What they usually don’t like, however, is being picked up and held; it frightens them. They prefer to keep all their four feet on terra firma. Just sit in the rabbit’s run and wait till he comes to you. And if you play a game with him he’ll be in his own form of seventh heaven!