Before you get a decorative rabbit, you should think about where he will live. It is completely unacceptable to think that it is enough for an animal to get food and water on time. It is very important that the pet has a comfortable home, equipped with exactly his needs in mind.
If the housing for the rabbit is a cage
The most common housing for a rabbit is a cage. First of all, you need to pay attention to its size. If an adult pet weighs about 2 kg, the optimal dimensions for a cage are 100 × 65 × 50 cm or close to these. For dwarf rabbits, cages measuring 70 × 55 × 40 cm are suitable. The rabbit must have room to move. He should not be cramped when he lies stretched out.
The cage should be wooden or metal, with unpainted twigs. The exit from it is preferable in the form of a wooden bridge. The floor of the cage cannot be smooth or lattice. It is harmful to the health of the animal. It is best to divide your pet's home into an area for sleeping and walking.
Inside the cage must contain:
- large manger for hay;
- an automatic drinker is better, but a bowl is also possible;
- the grain feeder should be ceramic, with a thick bottom;
- a shelter made of unpainted wood;
- a tray 15 cm deep, attached to the grate.
As an addition, you can hang a toy sennik.
Rabbits are clean animals, so the cage should be cleaned. The litter in the cage should be changed every other day, and in the house - once a week. Every month it is necessary to disinfect the cage with hot water and manganese solution.
The dwelling of the decorative rabbit should be located away from the air conditioner and heater. You cannot put the cage in a draft or sun.
Some breeds of rabbits can be housed in the balcony or outside in the summer. In this case, the cage should be deaf on three sides, and on the fourth, it should have a door made of metal mesh.
Alternative to the cage
Recently, there is an opinion that the cage is not the most suitable housing for a rabbit. After all, he is an active animal, in a cage he can get sick or obese.
Aviaries and even the ability to keep a rabbit in free movement are called alternatives for a cage today. The aviary can be arranged in a convenient part of the room. It will accommodate a variety of tunnels in which the animal can hide, play, and dig. There is also enough space for cardboard houses, where the rabbit will be able to arrange minks. Just like in a cage, the floor should not be very hard or slippery. You can put a soft covering on a certain area.
A sennik, a bowl for water or a drinker, a tray, a feeder - all these are the necessary attributes of an aviary. In addition, a variety of toys for your pet will fit here.
When kept free, the rabbit has the ability to actively move around. This is important for health: the animal's musculature develops, excess fat does not accumulate, the pet communicates with its owners more often.
But with this choice of rodent content, you will have to think about the safety of the apartment and the animal. You need to hide the wires, move poisonous plants to an inaccessible place, isolate the rabbit from other animals. And it will take a lot more time and effort to train a pet, because he must understand and accept the rules of his master. And the reward for both parties will be a pleasant coexistence.
