Interesting Facts About Rabbits

Rabbits come in all shapes, colours and sizes. There are also many, many breeds. In fact, there are over 150 recognised rabbit breeds throughout the world and many have become popular to keep as pets, both indoors and out. For the last few decades, rabbits have taken a higher spot as best animals to keep as pets and there's a very good reason why – they are clever, friendly and a lot of fun to have around. Below are a few good reasons why keeping a rabbit is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that will change your mind abut these lovely creatures forever. Interesting Facts About Rabbits Everyone Needs to Know:

• Domestic rabbits today are descendants of the European rabbit
• Male rabbits are called 'bucks'
• Females are called 'does'
• Baby rabbits are called 'kittens' or 'kits' for short.
• A few breeds can reproduce very early – as young as 3 months old
• The gestation period for rabbits is just around 30 days
• Babies from the same mother are called a “litter”
• Baby rabbits (kittens) are born without any fur
• Domestic rabbit kittens are born with their eyes shut
• The largest litter of kittens born is recorded at being a total 24 of kittens!
• Rabbit's teeth grow continually throughout their lives
• The purring sound you hear that rabbits make is actually them grinding their teeth
• Rabbits sweat when they are too hot through the pads on their feet
• Rabbits cannot be sick – which is why hairballs can be a big problem for them
• A rabbit's backbone is incredibly fragile – which is why they need to be handled very gently and never be dropped on their backs
• Rabbits have 5 toe nails on their front two paws and 4 on their back feet – which makes a total of 18 toe nails!
• Bunnies are usually more active first thing in the morning and then during the evening too!
• The longest ears to be recorded stand at a whopping 31.125 inches
• The heaviest rabbit in the world is Darius – he weighs an amazing 50lbs!
• When it comes to eyesight – rabbits are near sighted
• Rabbits are not rodents
• Rabbits are very agile – they love agility and the record for long jump is 3 metres and for high jump it's 1 metre
• Rabbits have become the third most popular pet to keep in the UK – after cats and dogs

Who Introduced Rabbits to the UK?

For many years a lot of academics argued over who introduced rabbits to the UK. Some people claimed it was the Romans who first bought rabbits to England whereas others argued it was the Normans. Then an archaeological dig that took place in the county of Norfolk revealed the bones of a 2,000 year old rabbit – the oldest remains of a rabbit ever to be found on British shores. This discovery served as proof it was the Romans who first brought rabbits with them when they invaded the UK, and it's thought the rabbits the Romans introduced came from Spain. The ancient Egyptians used to race rabbits for sport much the same way as they did for dog racing. Throughout the ages, the rabbit has been thought of as mysterious, they have often been seen in mythology and religion as well as being the symbol for fertility. However, not all rabbits 'breed like rabbits'. Hundreds of years ago, rabbits used to be released on to deserted islands – this was done so that sailors who got shipwrecked might be able to have a reliable source of food should they get stuck on the islands.

Facts To Know About Domestic Pet Rabbits

Rabbits make gorgeous and loving pets. Over recent years many organisations have been established to help people find out more about these lovely, clever little creatures. There is a lot of advice out there so that people can find out more about how to look after bunnies and how to breed them - should they want to. However, a lot of pet bunnies end up in rescue shelters every year, so if you are thinking about having a rabbit as a pet – it is worth checking out with an rescue centre close to where you live before looking elsewhere. If you can rehome a rescue rabbit, you will be giving a lovely creature a second chance – but you may have to be a lot more patient and gentler with them especially if they have been mistreated in the past.

• Rabbits are extremely clean creatures and groom themselves and each other regularly
• Domestic rabbits will not be able to survive in the wild – never let a domestic rabbit out into the wild!
• These days, vets can spay and neuter pet bunnies just as they do for dogs and cats
• Wild rabbits do not normally make good pets
• These days people show their pet bunnies as much as others show their dogs
• Rabbits can run very fast – short bursts of up to 30 miles an hour are not uncommon
• Certain breeds of rabbits do make nicer pets than some other breeds
• The smallest ever recorded full grown pet rabbit weighs just under 1lb
• Rabbits can live up to 8 years if they are well looked after
• Dogs and cats usually get on with rabbits – however, some need to be trained to be around bunnies – so always stay with them for the first few days when they meet

If you are looking to adopt or buy a pet rabbit, you need to find out as much information about how to look after them properly, and then set up the perfect environment for them to live in. Bunnies are very clever little creatures, they are also very sensitive animals that love human contact and attention. You need to be able to spend as much time as you can with your pet rabbit so that you give them all the love and attention they need – this will also help create a very strong bond between you and your pet bunny – after that it's just a question of enjoying their wonderful company!