Who wants to know boring facts about rabbits? Not us!
Here are some fun, little-known facts that are a bit more interesting than your usual 'largest rabbit', 'longest ears' sort of stuff!
Rabbits hate baths (and don't need them)
Ok, so a few of you may know of a pet rabbit that doesn't mind the odd bath or shower (even with you!) but in general bunnies don't like baths and should never be given one. Their fur takes a long time to dry so they could catch a chill while drying plus moist fur can attract parasites. Rabbits like to spend a large part of their day grooming themselves and this, along with a little human help in the form of brushing, is usually all they need to stay clean and tidy.
Rabbits' claws don't retract.
Unlike cats' claws which extended to catch prey, hook a toy and scratch your favourite sofa, rabbits' claws are permanently extended. They need them for traction when they are walking so never get your rabbit declawed. It it a very painful procedure plus it makes it harder for them to walk on smooth surfaces.
Bunnies like chocolate
Bunnies have a sweet tooth and will happily munch away on chocolate, sweets and biscuits. That's not to say that you should be feeding these to your bun. They have no nutritional value and have no place in their diet! Buns also love vegetables and fruits that are high in natural sugars like carrots and apples but at least these are good for them in moderation.
Bunnies can sleep with their eyes open
If you've ever wondered why your bun sits in his cage and seems to stare at you with eyes wide open, it may be because he's asleep. The tell tale sign is his nose. If it's twitching he is still awake but if it's still then he's catching a few Z's.
Bunnies love to taste new things
Rabbits have over 17,000 taste buds in their mouths. Compare that to humans who have around 10,000. Your bun loves to try out new things and in the wild this comes in handy as they gather their daily nutrient requirements from taking a nibble here and there from many plants. You can cater to your bunny's refined palate by offering a wide range of vegetables, plants and fruit to eat along with his hay.
Rabbits really do breed like well, rabbits!
Female bunnies (does) can have a litter every month. Let's say just one mama rabbit starts out and has a litter every month and three of those are female babies. She and her babies will go on to have the same (3 baby girls, 12 times a year) as will their offspring. At the end of three years there will be over 50,000 rabbits and at the end of four years, just one year later, there will be 1.8 million... scary stuff!
Of course this example was just a bit of fun because conditions would not always be perfect (babies would die etc) but it does show what could potentially happen.
We hope you enjoyed these and they help you to understand a little bit more about your precious, intriguing and fabulous bunny.
Here are some fun, little-known facts that are a bit more interesting than your usual 'largest rabbit', 'longest ears' sort of stuff!
Rabbits hate baths (and don't need them)
Ok, so a few of you may know of a pet rabbit that doesn't mind the odd bath or shower (even with you!) but in general bunnies don't like baths and should never be given one. Their fur takes a long time to dry so they could catch a chill while drying plus moist fur can attract parasites. Rabbits like to spend a large part of their day grooming themselves and this, along with a little human help in the form of brushing, is usually all they need to stay clean and tidy.
Rabbits' claws don't retract.
Unlike cats' claws which extended to catch prey, hook a toy and scratch your favourite sofa, rabbits' claws are permanently extended. They need them for traction when they are walking so never get your rabbit declawed. It it a very painful procedure plus it makes it harder for them to walk on smooth surfaces.
Bunnies like chocolate
Bunnies have a sweet tooth and will happily munch away on chocolate, sweets and biscuits. That's not to say that you should be feeding these to your bun. They have no nutritional value and have no place in their diet! Buns also love vegetables and fruits that are high in natural sugars like carrots and apples but at least these are good for them in moderation.
Bunnies can sleep with their eyes open
If you've ever wondered why your bun sits in his cage and seems to stare at you with eyes wide open, it may be because he's asleep. The tell tale sign is his nose. If it's twitching he is still awake but if it's still then he's catching a few Z's.
Bunnies love to taste new things
Rabbits have over 17,000 taste buds in their mouths. Compare that to humans who have around 10,000. Your bun loves to try out new things and in the wild this comes in handy as they gather their daily nutrient requirements from taking a nibble here and there from many plants. You can cater to your bunny's refined palate by offering a wide range of vegetables, plants and fruit to eat along with his hay.
Rabbits really do breed like well, rabbits!
Female bunnies (does) can have a litter every month. Let's say just one mama rabbit starts out and has a litter every month and three of those are female babies. She and her babies will go on to have the same (3 baby girls, 12 times a year) as will their offspring. At the end of three years there will be over 50,000 rabbits and at the end of four years, just one year later, there will be 1.8 million... scary stuff!
Of course this example was just a bit of fun because conditions would not always be perfect (babies would die etc) but it does show what could potentially happen.
We hope you enjoyed these and they help you to understand a little bit more about your precious, intriguing and fabulous bunny.
More facts about rabbits.
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