How to make a "rabbitat" for your pet rabbit and daily activities.
Tired of cleaning your rabbits cage so often? Afraid that you pet is being bored all the time while you are gone? If your answer is yes, a "rabbitat" is the home for your pet. A rabbits dream is to run around a portion of the yard, nibbling on grass, and being at home in its natural habitat. Here are the instructions:
Find a proper place outdoors for your pet. A good place is somewhere that is in the shade most of the time. Rabbits are extremely sensitive to heatstroke and setting their home in the sun could easily kill them in the summer.
Buy all necessary materials such as: screen, wire mesh, water bowl, food bowl (they can't eat only grass.), and a shelter. (Shelters can be built.)
A good material that will keep rabbits in is wire mesh. You should probably put something over the top of the "rabbitat" to prevent the rabbit from jumping out. It is also very wise to put screen underground beneath the home because rabbits are very good at digging. You can also use it as a floor but the the rabbit will have a hard time eating grass. Small half-inch pieces of wire work good for holding the sides of the home together because you can clip them around the sides. Make sure that you put in a "racoon-proof" door so you can visit your furry friend.
Racoons are extremely clever. Making the cage so racoons can't get in will be very hard. They can easily hurt your rabbit if they get in and could possibly kill it. I am writing this because I do not want to leave out any important things that could endanger your pet.
Grass is not the only thing that can be on the ground. Sand and rocks work well. However, sharp rocks can injure your rabbits feet.
Some good ideas for shelter are: 3-foot lengths of PVC pipes, wood shelters, and old clay pots. Another kind of shelter is made by taking a bunch of rocks that weigh from 2 to 5 pounds each and piling them up. Dig a small tunnel 18 inches deep and 8 inches tall and wide. Place wood on the inside to prevent the weight of the rocks from pushing the ground onto the rabbit.
Rabbitats can be expensive and may take a little time to build but it pays off, seeing your pet so happy. Don't forget that it is still your pet and you need to visit it, play with it, feed it, and give it water. Good luck building your rabbitat.
Ideas for activities!
Learning to sit up:
Try these exercises:
Hold a treat at floor level. As soon as the rabbit starts nibbling, lift the treat slightly. Offer the next treat higher to encourage stretching. Do this before mealtime because the rabbit is more motivated to reach up because it is hungry.
Fitness training for fun:
Rabbits are very agile and are natural jumpers. The smaller breeds are amazing acrobats, while the larger breeds are slower and less mobile
despite their longer legs. No matter which breed, however, they all love to jump hurdles. Place obstacles along the wall, and make sure they are long enough so the rabbits don't run around them. The height should be no taller that the rabbit sitting up. I own a black-and-white Dutch Rabbit. She is one of the smaller breeds, maybe 6 inches tall at the shoulder. However, I have seen her jump on top of a 25-inch box. You can try making taller obstacles but they will make your rabbit tired faster.
The obstacles can be homemade from wood, from bricks, stones or even cans of various sizes. If the rabbit does not jump the obstacle, hold a treat up so it will jump over for it.
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