How To Look After A Lop Eared Rabbit

There is no doubt at all that lop eared rabbits are some of the cutest creatures on the planet. However, like all rabbits, you need to take care of them properly and handle them well so they become nice furry friends to have around. Rabbits can give you a nasty bite when they want to, and if you have children, this can be a real problem you want to avoid. The only way to do this successfully, which happens to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, is to handle your new lop eared rabbit with love and care as often as you can. The more you play with them – the friendlier and stronger the bond.

Adorable Looking Creatures Should Never Be Bought on Impulse

Because lop eared rabbits are so adorable looking, it can be all too easy to buy one on impulse which is something you must never, ever contemplate doing. You need to think about owning any animal very carefully and then get everything you need for your new pet so that it's there when you bring them home. Remember, a rabbit can live for anything from nine to eleven years – so they will become part of your family and will need to be cared for as such.It can be a costly business if your lop eared rabbit gets sick, so you might need to organise some sort of insurance for them. Rabbits are lovely creatures, full of character and each one has its own distinctive personality. These days, lots of people keep them as indoor pets. So when it comes to getting one, you need to think about things carefully and whether or not you would like to do the same. You need to understand you will have to give your rabbit all the time and affection they need. It is also a very good idea to check with your local vet to make sure they would be able to treat your rabbit should they every fall ill.

Where Do You Buy Lop Eared Rabbits?

Next, you have to carefully consider just where you are going to get your lop eared rabbit from. You really do need to find a reputable breeder, preferably someone who is local to you. You may also like to think about re-homing a rabbit from an animal rescue centre. If you give the shelter a call, they will be able to advise you on how to go about adopting a rabbit from them and if they have any lop eared ones looking for a good new home.

Where Will You Keep Your Lop Eared Rabbit?

You need to think about where you would like to keep your rabbit. Do you want to be one of those owners who keeps a rabbit as a house pet, or would it be better to keep your furry friend in a hutch and run outdoors?If you decide to keep your rabbit outside, then you have to make sure you buy a suitable rabbit hutch and run for them. These need to be placed in a safe outside area, out of draughts and well sheltered from any bad weather. You will also need to think about the warmer weather and make sure the hutch and run does not sit in direct sunlight. Rabbits overheat very quickly and can suffer some really bad effects if left in the sun for too long – they could even die of heat stroke.You have to make sure the rabbit run is secure and that the wire on the bottom will not injure your rabbits' feet. You also need to make sure there is good clean recycled litter in the hutch for your rabbit and that you have plenty of water and food dishes. Rabbits use litter trays too so make sure you have a few of them ready for your rabbit to use. Rabbits like toys, so to keep them happy, you need to buy some suitable ones for them to play with.Rabbit hutches need to be cleaned out regularly and litter boxes changed on a daily basis – just as you would with a cat. Bedding should really be changed every week – but water and food bowls need to be thoroughly washed out every single day to avoid bunny from getting ill through eating old contaminated food out of dirty bowls.

What Do You Feed A Lop Eared Rabbit?

Any young rabbit under the age of seven months needs to have unlimited access to food and this needs to be things like alfalfa pellets and hay. They also need plenty of fresh, clean water. Older rabbits need to be fed something like Timothy pellets and have access to hay at all times as well as clean fresh water.Older rabbits can also be given legumes which includes vegetables, a little fresh fruit but not too much as it is a little too sugary for rabbits. Carrots too contain a lot of sugar, so should only be fed to your lop eared rabbit sparingly. Healthy fruits like apples (stems and seeds removed) plums and strawberries can be fed to older rabbits and they will really enjoy and benefit from being offered them.

Make Sure You Spend Lots of Time With Your Lop Eared Rabbit

Needless to say, you will have to spend lots of time with your new furry friend. You need to interact with them regularly, like this you will form a strong bond with them. Once this happens, they will love being in your company although, rabbits are not overly fond of being picked up and cuddled. They do however, love to interact with their owners and are happy to come to you for affection when they want to. Strong bonds are formed and rabbits like to follow their owners around gardens on nice sunny day – they are delightful creatures to have around.

Think About Buying a Companion Rabbit Too!

Rabbits don't really like being kept on their own, in fact, many people buy guinea pigs to keep a rabbit company. However, if you are thinking about buying a lop eared rabbit, why not consider buying two of them so they can be company for each other. You should buy the same breed if you can and make sure that any females are spayed or you could end up with more than you bargained for. Another consideration to think about is that nearly 85% of female rabbits that are not spayed develop ovarian cancer – so this is something you need to talk to breeders about and then check with your local vet to see if they can do this for you as soon as you can if it has not already been done.

Conclusion

Lop eared rabbits make wonderful pets, they live for a lot longer than many people realise especially if they are well looked after. They also need regular grooming to remove any hair they may be shedding. Rabbits, like cats are good at grooming themselves, and just like cats they can suffer with fur balls. The problem is that rabbits cannot be sick, they are unable to vomit which means a fur ball can be a serious issue for them that may even result in their death.If you take care of your lop eared rabbit, they will soon become your best furry friend. Interacting with rabbits is fun which is why so many rabbit owners now keep their pets indoors – they are also easy to litter train which is why they are so good to keep as house pets.