Care of your rabbit General Information: The average life span of a rabbit is 5-8 years. They weigh between 1 and 8 kg depending on breed and gender. Breeds are classified into two broad groups - fancy and fur breeds. Fur breeds are further subdivided into normal, Rex and satin breeds according to the coat type. Like the cat, rabbits are induced ovulators (i.e. they remain in season until they are mated), and females usually give birth to between 4 and 12 offspring. Rabbits can be weaned at 7-8 weeks of age, and reach sexual maturity between 16 and 24 weeks of age. Rabbits make good pets, providing they are cared for and handled correctly. They can be quite inquisitive, and like to dig and chew. Particular care should be taken to prevent a rabbit being left unsupervised out of their hutch, especially around electrical equipment. Vaccination: Rabbits should be vaccinated against Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD). RCD is only a disease of European rabbits, and they show clinical signs less than 24 hours after initial infection. The disease progresses rapidly. The animals die of cardiac or respiratory failure as a result of infection, generally within a day and a half of contracting the virus. The infection causes almost a 100% death rate, and vaccination is the only form of protection against RCD, since there is no known therapy to reverse the progression of the disease once a rabbit has been infected. The first dose of vaccine is given to rabbits when they reach 10 weeks of age, another dose 1 month later and then repeated annually to maintain immunity. Feeding your Rabbit: Rabbits should be fed a balanced diet, consisting of a commercial pelleted feed (though not more than 1/3 diet as too much dry mix can lead to teeth and urinary problems), together with supplementation of hay (often provided as bedding) and small quantities of cabbage, lettuce, and carrots. Feeding on lawn grasses should be permitted, but the rabbit should be supervised while out of the hutch. Both food and water should always be fresh, and dishes cleaned daily. Sudden changes of diet should always be avoided since this can cause problems with digestion. Rabbits require a minimum of 100-150 mL of water per kilogram body weight per day, and more water should obviously be provided on hot days. Rabbits will primarily want to eat in the early morning and at night. It is perfectly normal for these animals to eat their own faeces. Because their food is primarily broken down in their hindgut, coprophagy (eating their own poo) allows rabbits to have a second crack at the nutrients once they have been partially digested. Coprophagy normally commences within several hours after feeding. Housing: As a general rule, pet rabbits should be kept in a hutch. There are numerous commercially constructed hutches available, in addition to a good selection of hutch designs for the homebuilder. Each hutch should include a separate enclosed area for sleeping as well as an area for play and feeding, and should be cleaned daily to prevent the buildup of faecal material, uneaten food and skin parasites. Always ensure that there is suitable floor-space available (0.3 metres squared for a small rabbit, with an extra 0.2 metres squared for each subsequent rabbit of the same size). Larger rabbits will need extra space. The height of the hutch should be sufficient for the tallest member to stand fully upright on its hindquarters, and the length of the play area should be at least three times the length of a large bunny-hop. Always position the hutch in a sheltered area, avoiding excessive sunlight, wind and temperatures below 4 degrees C and above 27 degrees C. Rabbits and your other pets: While dogs and birds can adapt well to having a rabbit in the family, cats are often far less forgiving and should never be left unsupervised around your rabbit. Guinea pigs should not be kept around rabbits - rabbits carry a certain species of bacteria that has no effect on them, but can kill guinea pigs if they become infected.
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