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| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Keeping your rabbit healthy and happy
Rabbits enjoy running and jumping, so it's important to provide them with a safe exercise area. Rabbits should have several hours of exercise time a day to ensure both their physical and mental well-being. This can include indoor or outdoor activities.Don't forget! Rabbits will chew on furniture, rugs, drapes and electrical cords, so remove these temptations or keep them out of harm's way. Outdoor areas must be fully enclosed. The temperature must not be above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Rabbits become easily overheated because of their dense coats and their inability to perspire. They must be supervised at all times so that no predator can strike unexpectedly. Other hazards of outdoor exposure include external parasites such as fleas and ticks. To make your pet rabbit happy, you can provide him raw untreated scraps of wood on which it can chew. A cardboard box or paper grocery bag filled with hay provides a place to hide as well as an appropriate thing to chew on and dig in. Don't forget to brush your rabbit's coat daily. This will help prevent hairballs which, as in cats, is associated with the ingestion of hair when grooming. A soft brush can be a useful grooming tool that rabbits seem to enjoy. Closely monitor your rabbit's teeth, eyes, and nose weekly for any abnormalities. Rabbits need to have their nails trimmed about every eight weeks. This can be done with a human nail clipper at home or by your veterinarian. When playing with or grooming your rabbit, be certain to support its forelimbs and hindquarters. Improper handling can cause spinal injuries. Also, never pick a rabbit by his ears. Rabbits can be litter-trained like cats, so a large litter box or two should be placed in corners of the cage and filled with shredded newspaper. Provide fresh water daily and wash and disinfect the bowl once a week. |
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| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
Rabbits are wonderful pets. With good care, an indoor rabbit can live
from 7 to 10 years. However, when caring for a pet rabbit, there are a few
important points we should keep in mind. 
