Fear of predators may cause a mother rabbit to eat her litter. Both males and females can be neutered / spayed as soon as they reach sexual maturity and this very often virtually eradicates the troublesome behaviour.Once rabbits have been de-sexed, they tend to exercise less and put on weight easier and we should begin to limit their dry food to about an eggcup a day. Vetbed, which draws any urine away from the body is excellent for senior bunnies, and especially those with mobility problems, excess weight, or a thin layer of fur on the feet, which is found with Rex rabbits.Elderly rabbits normally have some degree of mobility problems, which will vary from rabbit to rabbit.Indoor rabbits may need rubber-backed mats placing over slippery kitchen or laminate flooring so they can grip better when hopping around.Low sided litter trays are often needed, since the rabbit may struggle to hop in and out of high sided trays. Some like fryers, I like fryers and roasters !! Losing a rabbit at any age is hard, but despite the satisfaction of knowing you have given a rabbit the longest possible lifespan, the pain of losing them at a very old age is all the harder to cope with due to the very close bond which has formed.Boyle's Pet Housing is a UK rabbit hutch manufacturer supporting rabbit welfarePersonalised artwork by Kelly Anderson raising funds for rabbits in needInformation on different types of rabbit behaviour and why they d...Which trees, shrubs, flowers, wild plants are safe for rabbits an...Bunnyhugga is an international non-profit site raising the profile of rabbits as pets.By providing simple, reliable rabbit information in a library of documents and links, it is designed to be a useful resource for experienced rabbit owners as well as an easy way in for those new to rabbits. Baby rabbits should be kept with their mother until they are at least 6 weeks old, preferably 8 weeks old.
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Just as with humans, their bodies start to wear out.Many rabbits can still be quite active at this age while others may slow right down to the point where they will need a different litter tray or access routes through their enclosures, due to an inability or disinclination to hop or jump. They are completely dependent on their mother, who usually feeds them once a day at most. It can be helpful to think of one year in a rabbit's life as ten years in a human's life, so an 8 year old rabbit could be thought of as approximately 80 years old in human terms. And if you are able to put the rabbits together for very brief periods every day, they’ll get used to each other far more quickly than if you do it less … By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. The whole process can take anything from a couple of hours to a couple of months. They like to dig, chew and explore and for house rabbit owners this can be a trying time! Do you eat old rabbits? Their eyes open at around 10 days and they continue to nurse on their mother's very rich milk until weaning at around 3 to 4 weeks old, when they also start to move around and 'walk'. They may also become more and more affectionate, particularly house rabbits who live closely with their owners. This happens to first time mother more often than experienced mother rabbits. As with humans, improvements in rabbit medicine and healthcare are enabling rabbits to reach very old age, in some cases as much as 12 years old, or 120 in human terms.Once other factors such as breed, neutering/spaying, living conditions and healthcare have been factored out, age is probably the greatest influence on a rabbit's behaviour.
Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Sudden changes in diet at this age may well lead to enteritis which is usually fatal and baby rabbits should always have access to fresh grass or hay and water, as well as dry food.A rabbit's behaviour at this age is lively and playful and regular handling from the age of 4 or 5 weeks is important to socialise the rabbit. Rabbits of this age put a huge amount of trust in their owners.It is perhaps one of the ironies of living with rabbits that the older they are and the more we are required to care for them, the more we love them. Even very well cared for rabbits may develop tumours, respiratory problems, kidney failure and so on which is ultimately fatal. Sometimes mother rabbits accidentally eat their young while they’re eating the placenta and afterbirth. Give them lots of attention, play with them and offer them plenty of toys, chewsticks, digging boxes and so on.At this age rabbits tend to slow down a little, sleep more and be generally less active. They may also start to go through phantom pregnancies, where they pull hair from their tummy to line a nest. If she lives in a cool part of the house, she’ll need to use more calories to maintain her body temperature. This is totally normal and just part of getting old. All this behaviour is distressing for rabbits, as well as their owners, but happily has a very simple solution. Or is it kinda like eating an old chicken or an old sheep?....the meat is tough and old? Once rabbits have been de-sexed, they tend to exercise less and put on weight easier and we should begin to limit their dry food to about an eggcup a day.
At this age, rabbits are still fully maturing and 'filling out' and if a rabbit has hereditary dental problems they are likely to become apparent at this age, so set good habits young and ensure that their diet is at least 80% good quality hay or grass. They require plenty of exercise, preferably in a secure free roaming environment, and will often 'binky' (jump in the air and race around) to let off excess energy. Be patient with them and don't take it personally - just think of them as teenagers!This is probably the most active phase of a rabbit's life.
A good diet should provide all of the vitamins and minerals they require and giving extra supplements can prove dangerous, especially an increased If you feel that your rabbit may have a need for supplements, you should discuss this with your vet before introducing them.It is advisable to perform a blood test to ensure the rabbit doesn’t have any non-symptomatic renal disease prior to starting Meloxicam, and repeat bloods every 3-6 months.