How Long Do Pet Rabbits Live For

Imagine having a pet bunny to snuggle on the couch while you watch Netflix, or maybe to hop around in your one thousand, posing for the cameras with your children on Easter morning. All that sounds pretty adorable, if you're into that kind of thing. And yet, similar whatsoever pet, rabbits are also a much bigger delivery than you might realize. So, what do you need to know before picking upwards a rabbit and commencing couch snuggling?

Starting time, allow'due south get i obvious but frequently disregarded fact out of the way: Like a kitten or puppy, the baby bunny you pick up at the pet store is going to turn into a full grown rabbit, which might live somewhere between 7 and 10 years, or even to 14 with the right diet. They have the reputation for being a petty wearisome-witted and passive, merely that'due south simply not the instance — they're smart and curious, crafty and sometimes even aggressive or destructive.

Here are four things you need to know before getting a pet rabbit:

1. Rabbits Eat the Aforementioned Things every bit Horses

"Rabbits take the same digestive process as horses, meaning their nutrition needs to consist of plenty of fresh hay," says Sydney Brehm, a veterinary at Sweetwater Creek Animal Hospital in Lithia Springs, Georgia.

Like horses, tapirs and rhinoceroses, rabbits are "hindgut fermenters," which ways all their digestion fermentation happens in the big intestine, making them highly sensitive to changes in nutrition. Beyond hay, you tin give your rabbit loftier-quality, loftier-fiber pellet food, but not likewise much, as they are prone to obesity. They besides like dark leafy greens and root vegetables as a care for. They obviously crave fresh water at all times, and though your rabbit would probably dearest to munch on carbohydrate cubes, they're not adept for rabbits or horses, so please refrain from giving them stuff like that.

2. Rabbits Are Social

Rabbits love visitor — because they're so smart, they can easily learn tricks and can exist trained to use a litterbox. They like spending time with their humans and usually like other rabbits, and then information technology's not a bad thought to keep them housed in pairs. Although every rabbit is unlike and some might have no desire whatsoever to share a cage, a neutered male and a spayed female generally do very well together.

They as well ordinarily do simply fine with very calm, charming dogs and cats, although it's important to retrieve they are very sensitive to dissonance; loud animals like talkative birds or constantly barking dogs can really stress them out. Interactions between your pet rabbit and a pet of a different species should always exist monitored.

3. Rabbits Get Hairballs and Their Teeth Grow Constantly

"It is vitally important to provide enough fiber in your pet rabbit's nutrition to foreclose some of the most common issues rabbits develop: teeth overgrowth and trichobezoars, or hairballs," says Brehm. "A rabbit'south teeth continually abound throughout its life, and having a diet that consists of at least 90 percent fiber will help a rabbit go on its teeth trimmed."

Rabbits are besides captious nigh grooming, much like cats. Hairballs grade from preparation, just unlike a true cat, rabbits can't throw up, so if a big hairball gets stuck in their digestive system, it can lead to something called gut stasis, which happens when their intestines get clogged similar a bathroom drain. Lots of fiber will help proceed the digestive system moving and subtract the likelihood of a hairball getting caught.

4. Rabbits Are Prone to Certain Diseases

While veterinarians in the U.s.a. most often eschew vaccinations for bunnies (they're not prone to rabies or distemper like your dog or cat), rabbits in other parts of the world — Europe, for instance — crave yearly vaccinations to protect against three mortiferous and painful rabbit diseases: myxomatosis and two dissimilar strains of Rabbit (Viral) Haemorrhagic Affliction (R(V)HD). Whether your rabbit requires vaccinations or not, yearly veterinary care is important because rabbits tin develop diseases and parasites just similar other animals.

For starters, rabbits have an astronomically high incidence of uterine cancer — something similar eighty percentage of females volition develop the disease in the first 6 years of life, then it's important to get your female person bunny spayed after vi months old.

There are also a few diseases rabbits can transmit to humans. One of the most common is a bacteria called Pasteurella multocida, which rabbits (and dogs and cats, too, for that matter) may acquit in their upper respiratory tract and transmit to you via a bite or scratch. In rabbits, it causes respiratory infections and may lead to abscess formation, so it's worth monitoring your rabbit for the sniffles.

"A parasite called Encephalitozoon cuniculi may cause sudden neurologic signs, and can be spread from mother to offspring," says Brehm. "People with compromised allowed systems would be the near susceptible to catching a illness from an infected rabbit."

Pet rabbits are legal in most parts of the world — certainly in all united states in the U.S. Easier to keep than about exotics, bunnies demand to exist kept absurd and taken out of their enclosure regularly to hop around and climb — then rabbit-proof your firm! They're fond of chewing cords and carpet, so be sure to keep an heart on your bunny while y'all're snuggling on the sofa watching Netflix with him.

Larn more well-nigh having a rabbit as a pet in " The Bunny Lover's Complete Guide To Firm Rabbits: The Ultimate Handbook for Successfully Living Indoors with a Pet Rabbit " by The Bunny Guy. HowStuffWorks picks related titles based on books nosotros think you'll like. Should y'all choose to buy one, we'll receive a portion of the sale.

Originally Published: May 9, 2019

Pet Rabbit FAQ

How long do rabbits live as a pet?

Rabbits typically live somewhere between 7 and 10 years, or even to xiv with the right intendance and nutrition.

Exercise rabbits make good house pets?

Rabbits make bully house pets. They're social, smart, tin can easily learn tricks, and can be trained to use a litter box. They also get along well with other rabbits and pets including cats and dogs.

Is it legal to have a pet bunny?

Pet rabbits are legal in well-nigh parts of the earth. They are legal in all u.s.a. in the U.S.

Are pet rabbits unsafe?

Rabbits are social creatures and are considered low-risk to humans. Information technology is important to be aware of diseases that rabbits may comport and to become proper vaccinations and care.

Are rabbits loftier maintenance?

Rabbits are loftier maintenance in the sense that they require daily intendance including fresh h2o, food and freshening their cage. Compared to other animals however, such as dogs, rabbits don't require as much attention or exercise which makes them lower maintenance overall.

Source: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/otherpets/pet-rabbits.htm

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