It's a Pet - Not a Toy
As a pet, rabbits do not necessarily come to mind as a pet that needs to have a lot of care and attention. However, just like cats and dogs, rabbits need a considerable amount of both of those things in order to live a long and truly healthy life.
Spay or Neuter Your Bunny
A very important decision to be made is to spay or not spay. Spaying or neutering a rabbit typically lengthens their lifespan by two or more years. But factually, there is evidence that points to be spaying a rabbit leading to a more manageable behavior. Rabbits that aren't spayed can become territorial and very possessive later in their reproductive lives. When they are spayed or neutered, possessiveness is reduced, as well as moodiness, aggressiveness, and excessive biting and chewing.
Fur Balls
To avoid excessive fur balls, brushing a rabbit regularly is highly advised. At times, rabbits may swallow the fur balls their bodies create and that is a problem mainly because they can't spit it back up. So, this could definitely derail future digestive problems. For a short haired rabbit, brushing at least once a week is the advised brushing time. Rabbits shed every three months and it is advised to brush them daily when they do this and to brush even more frequently during the heaviest part of the shed.
The preferred brush to use on a rabbit is one specifically designed for them because to skin is very delicate and tougher brushes may irritate or cause them pain quite easily. Angora rabbits, no matter what period of time it is, require a daily brushing because their hair tends to be much longer than shorter hair rabbits. Along with daily brushing, keeping their hair trimmed to about 1-inch is also advised.
No Rabbit Baths
Baths as a way to clean them is definitely not advised. Baths tend to cause rabbits to develop a very stressful state and it is better to rely on "spot cleaning" opposed to placing them in a bath. Spot cleaning allows you to focus on one dirty spot a time to clean instead of getting their entire bodies wet.
If bathing is absolutely positively necessary, it is best to clean the rabbit as quickly as possible and to remember it takes a long while for their fur to dry so try not to get them too wet. A blow dryer is advised to use to speed the drying process. But even though instructions are given, it is best to try not to rely on bathing your rabbit at all.
Rabbits Chew
Rabbits need hard items to chew on in order to keep their teeth healthy and strong. If you allow your rabbit to roam free in your house, try to rabbit-proof the place so that rabbits do not chew on your furniture, wires, etc.
Keep within their reach plenty of chewable items because it is very vital to their day-to-day living.
Other Factors
Security is also important to rabbits. They have to be held properly and in a way that makes them feel completely and totally safe. They are used to being hunted so they automatically become defensive or afraid if held improperly, which can lead to scratching.
Finding a great veterinarian who is trained in rabbit care is also important in terms of caring for a rabbit because they are considered to be an exotic pet and when something goes wrong, you want to know that you have someone you can call to be there for you.
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