Keeping Your Pet Rabbit Healthy and Happy for As Long As It Lives

By Tony F Green

Not too many rabbit owners realize this, but rabbits can actually live as long as 18 years. In the wild where predators can go hunt for them, rabbits usually live an average of 2 to 3 years. Interestingly enough, experts suggest that pet rabbits kept inside the household live longer than rabbits kept in cages outside the house. It's also important to note that the size of the rabbit has a direct impact on how long it would live. Generally speaking, the smaller the rabbit, the longer it will live. For this reason, if you want a rabbit you can enjoy for a very long time, pick a smaller breed instead of a large one.

You can't blame the short life of a rabbit all to genetics, though. Even if you've chosen a smaller breed, there's still a chance it won't live up to its maximum age if you won't care for it properly. In short, how happy and how long a pet rabbit lives depends mostly on how you care for it. As the pet owner, it is your responsibility to make sure it receives the best diet, the best environment, and the best veterinary care.

What a Healthy Rabbit Diet Looks Like

Many rabbit owners think that rabbits should be fed mainly with pellets. While it's absolutely okay to feed rabbits with pellets, their main diet should be composed of 90% good quality hay. A rabbit's digestive tract is very delicate and should be constantly in motion. Feeding hay will help make sure your rabbit's digestive tract won't shut down, but at the same time make sure your pet don't get too fat. Brome hay, orchard grass, and Timothy hay are all excellent options.

Meanwhile, pellets should be given to your rabbits sparingly or at least 5% of their main diet. If you are feeding your rabbits with high-quality hay regularly, pellets can act as supplements for them, providing a fortified source of nutrients to keep them healthy.

Choose Your Rabbit Vet Carefully

Regular visits to the vet is also crucial to keep your pet happy and healthy. One thing you should realize, though, is that most vets consider rabbits as exotic animals. This means you should find a vet that specializes in treating rabbits to make sure illnesses can be diagnosed successfully and that proper care could be given to them.

Stress is an Enemy

As mentioned above, rabbits kept indoors live longer lives than those kept outside the house and in cages. Perhaps the reason is that when kept indoors, factors that can cause stress to rabbits are minimized such as extreme weather conditions. Stress, just as with human beings and other animals can be a huge factor that affects the longevity of rabbits. Moreover, letting rabbits free indoors also allows them to exercise more, which helps prevent obesity that can shorten their lives.

Feeding high-quality rabbit pellets is an excellent way to prolong the life of your pet rabbit. Find the best brands of rabbit pellets at Aussievetproducts to ensure you are giving your pets nothing but the best quality diet.

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