Funny Video of Bunny Jumping Out of the Cage

Many people who would like to welcome a pet into their lives are now opting for rabbits as pets. Rabbits have been a popular pet for many years and, in 2019, the PDSA Animal Welfare Report found that there are around 900,000 pet rabbits in UK homes!

Although this is still a small number, compared to the 9.9 million dogs and 10.9 million cats, statistics do show that having a rabbit as a pet is a growing trend in the UK!

With more and more people opting to have pet rabbits, how do we know if our rabbits are happy? In very simple terms, rabbits are happy when they are healthy, well cared for, and have a safe and enriching environment to live in.

You will know if your rabbit is happy because they will:

• Lie down with a relaxed body
• Lie down with a stretched body, still relaxed
• Lie down with a fully extended body, still relaxed
• Jumping into the air all 4 paws off the ground
• Have a healthy appetite
• Calm and quiet
• Inquisitive

How can I make my rabbit happy?

Like most pets, rabbits are happiest when they are well cared for, by owners who understand what they need on both a physical and a mental level. Rabbits are sociable and inquisitive little creatures, they like to interact, but they can also be quite sensitive and skittish, so it's important to always treat them with respect as you would any other animal

There are a number of ways you can ensure that your rabbit is happy, here are a few ideas we'll explore in this article:

• Rabbits are most happy with a companion, usually housed as neutered male and female.
• Rabbits don't really like to be picked up, so keep this to a minimum
• Rabbits need, at minimum, a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft (1.8m x 0.6m x 0.6m) hutch and an 8 ft (2.4m) run
• Rabbits prefer a clam quiet environment
• Rabbits like a lot of enrichment such as tunnels, cardboard castles, and hay racks

Companionship

Rabbits are sociable creatures and do better with a companion to live with. We always suggest that you should have at least two rabbits, called a bonded pair, living together to ensure that they both have company for each other.

Rabbits rely on other rabbits to keep them safe in the wild, they live in family groups called warrens ensuring that they have safety in numbers to keep them out of danger all day and all night.

Now, we know that your rabbits aren't at risk of any danger at home (as long as their outside run is fox-proof), but rabbits don't automatically know this. If they live alone, they are likely to become anxious and scared.

When matching a pair of rabbits, ensure that they are both neutered. We recommend neutering for all bunnies for a range of reasons from behaviour, health and unplanned pregnancies.

There is a great joint article by the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) and the British Small Animals Veterinary Association (BSAVA) all about pairing rabbit groups. It's quite a long article, but it's well worth a read and full of very useful information.

Do bunnies like to be held?

Whilst you may like to give your bunny a nice big cuddle every time you see him, this really isn't advised at all. Rabbits are prey animals and can become easily spooked and scared. They don't really like to be picked up and handled too often, even by humans that they like!

Rabbits are generally quite vulnerable creatures and, in the world, the only time they would be picked up is if they had been caught by a predator. In this case, there would be little chance of escape and this turn of events would usually be fatal.

With this in mind, you can probably see why rabbits don't really like to be handled too much!

Handling your rabbit is something that you will need to learn to do correctly though, just as with any pet, you will need to keep an eye on their health, check eyes, noses, ears, nails, and bottoms!

We'd recommend starting off by handing your rabbits little an often when they are young so that they get used to it a bit more. Make sure you hold onto them well, as even calmest of rabbits may suddenly decide to leap out of your arms.

You'll need to hold onto your rabbits close to you quite firmly, but don't squeeze too hard, rabbits have very fragile bones that can break easily and cause all sorts of serious issues. When you're ready to put him back down, get as close to the ground as you can before releasing him, this will mean they have less chance of jumping out of your arms from a height an injuring themselves.

Find out more about how to safely handle your rabbit here.

How do I play with my bunny?

If you collect your rabbit from a pet shop or from someone who isn't as well versed in rabbit care as they claim to be, you may be left under the illusion that a hutch is all that your new friends will need to be safe and contented. This notion is wrong.

Rabbits need a living environment that allows them to fully stretch out and move around, somewhere they can run and jump happily, whilst still being safe from outside predators. Much like chickens, rabbits need an enclosed hutch area to sleep in, and a run area to play and run around in.

Before getting a rabbit, make sure you have the space in your garden for such a setup, and that you have read about things you can put in the run for rabbit enrichment!

What noise do rabbits make when they are happy?

When you first welcome pet rabbits into your life, you may be a little shocked to realise they make all kinds of weird and wonderful noises!

It's certainly something that we as vets hear about quite often from worried new owners of rabbits, calls like "my rabbit is making this strange noise, is it normal?" are fairly common.

Rabbits make all sorts of noises depending on their emotional state. Some mean they are happy, some mean they are scared or annoyed.

Recognising these noises will allow you to make sure you can quickly intervene if your rabbits are uncomfortable, or carry on if your rabbits are happy.

Some of the noises you'll hear and what they mean are:

• Grunting – A common sound usually made by males that haven't been neutered, this usually means they want to mate.
• Clucking – This can sound like a rabbit hiccup, It's a contented noise, similar to the bruxing noise happy rats make. It's not incredibly common, but it's most frequently heard when the rabbit is eating or sleeping and contented.
• Purring – Just like a cat, a rabbit makes a purring noise when it's happy and contented
• Sighing – Another happy and contented sound, usually made when a rabbit is sitting comfortably and happily
• Growling – Growling is a common sound across species, and rabbits growl for the same reason: to warn you that you're making them unhappy.
• Hissing – Hissing is less common, but it's the next level up from growling for a rabbit. Hissing means your rabbit is REALLY unhappy
• Teeth Grinding – Teeth grinding can sound like rabbit purring, so you'll need to learn the difference. Tooth grinding usually happens when your rabbit is in discomfort or pain.
• Squealing – As you'd imagine, this one means your rabbit is really unhappy and in discomfort. It's not a common noise and you should always investigate if you hear it
• Screaming – Another distress noise for rabbits, always investigate this sound
• Wheezing – Just as in other animals, wheezing usually means your rabbit is having a hard time breathing. This can be a result of a simple respiratory infection (like a human cold) or an indication of something more serious. Pop bunny along to the vets to be safe
• Sneezing and Coughing – Rabbits can sneeze and cough just like humans, as a means to clear the airways. If this is a one-off event it's unlikely to be serious, but if it continues you may need to pop along to your vet to ensure everything is ok.
• Foot Stomping – This is where Thumper got his name, but unlike the happy cartoon, a foot-stomping rabbit is doing this as a warning of a threat

Happy Rabbits Are Healthy Rabbits

So now you know all about happiness in rabbits and you have some great tips on how to make sure your rabbit is well cared for to live a happy and healthy life.

The average UK pet rabbit can live up to 12 years, the same age as many pet dogs, and for that fact, we don't suggest people get rabbits as a 'starter' pet, but as a well-thought-out pet that will be part of your family for many years to come.

We see many pet rabbits in our practices, and we suggest that they are vaccinated against diseases regularly. We vaccinate against 3 different diseases, myxomatosis, the Rabbit Viral Haemorrhage Disease, strains 1 and 2.

Vaccines can't guarantee 100% protection against the above illnesses, but just as with the flu vaccine in humans, vaccinated rabbits will display much milder symptoms of the disease if they are unfortunate enough to catch it.

Although the vaccine can not guarantee 100% protection the vaccinated rabbits will display much milder symptoms which means they can often be treated.

E.cuniculi is a parasite that attacks the brain and kidneys and it can be contracted by rabbits. Although it's an easily treated parasite, it's also an easily caught parasite, and early diagnosis is really important.

If you're worried about your rabbits at all, we have a few very bunny savvy nurses here at the practice who will be able to help you spot any problem; so pop along and see us!

If you have any more questions about rabbits or any other pets, why not pop along to our Ask A Swindon Vet Facebook page?

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Source: https://thameswoodvets.co.uk/how-do-i-know-if-my-rabbit-is-happy

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