On Kids , Rabbits And Rabbit Hutches. Or How To Keep Your Kids Happy
Children just love having a pet, and there’s dozens of different types of pets to choose from. There’s big and small, but many parents who are choosing a pet for their child would prefer to choose a small animal. And one of the best small pets for kids is a rabbit. Lets see why rabbits make such great pets, and let’s talk about some tips for building your own rabbit hutch to house that first rabbit for your kids.
Rabbits are very social animals and love to be with people. You can house train rabbit, though not necessarily easily, so they don’t make mess around the house. Rabbits are small enough for children to pick up and pat and kids just love them. Although you do need to understand that the average rabbits around 10 years, so you will have it for a while.
A rabbit has a relatively simple diet. You can buy bags of rabbit food at the pet shop and they are also happy to eat hay and vegetables. In particular they like to ask green vegetables like broccoli leaves and spinach as well as carrots and some fruits. Rabbits are quite cheap to feed.
If you’re thinking of getting a rabbit for a pet for your children there are some things to consider before you rush in and buy your first rabbit. The main consideration is housing the rabbit. You will need a rabbit cage, or what is often known as a rabbit hutch. A rabbit hutch is a simple construction that allows your rabbit to browse outdoors on grass whilst also having shelter from the elements in a part of the hutch.
Most rabbit hutches provide a sheltered area where the rabbit can sleep out of the weather as well as an area where you can hop around during the day to exercise and browse on grass. Good rabbit hutches can be moved around from place to place.
If you’re using wire on the floor of the rabbit cage you need to understand that rabbits don’t like to walk on wire. If the hutch is placed on the ground and the wire is in contact with the ground the rabbit will be fine but if the rabbit hutch is lifted off the ground, which is a good idea again for cold weather to avoid the rabbit getting sick from dampness, then you will need to cover the wire something that makes it easier for him to walk on such as hay.
But wire does allow the rabbit droppings to fall through the rabbit cage making it easier to clean. However again if you’re lifting the rabbit hutch off the ground try and find a material that is easier on the rabbits feet such as slats that allows the droppings fall through but doesn’t hurt his feet.
If you don’t like the thought of wire on the floor of your rabbit hutch then you can use either wood or metal. Wood will soak up smell more, particularly of urine. Metal is a better material for the floor of your hutch as it’s easier to clean. However if you’re hutch is on the ground it doesn’t allow the rabbit to eat the grass.
How big should the rabbit hutch be? Generally most hutches sold in pet shops are too small. Suggestions I have seen are that the cage should be 3 or 4 times the size of the rabbit, but I think that is way too small. Bigger is much better, but if you buy a small rabbit hutch you must take your rabbit out daily to exercise.
And build a hutch with a good door as you need to clean the hutch and replace the hay each day.
There’s no doubt that a rabbit makes a good pet for kids. But research a little before you buy and make sure you’ve sorted out a good well sized rabbit hutch for him before you buy.`It’s clear that a rabbit makes a fine pet for kids but you do need to do some homework before you buy, and make sure you’ve got an adequate or big hutch for him to live in.
Why not build a hutch for your rabbit yourself? That just adds to the fun.
