Rabbits And Other Small Furries

One of the first considerations when thinking about a small mammal as a pet is how long a commitment you are happy to make. Rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets, on average, live for about 7 to 8 years, mice and hamsters for around 2 years, rats for around 3 years.

As a general rule with small furries, it is best to get them while they are young and handle them frequently to avoid them biting later on. If you do this, they are usually quite fun pets to have.

To find out more, please click on the headings below.

If you do not find all the information that you need, please click onto the Lifelearn link which will take you through to a 'pet information' site that we recommend.

Rabbits

Rabbits

Rabbits are very sociable and active and require lots of contact with their owners. Because they like company, ideally you should have more than one. Their hutches must be large enough to allow the rabbit to stand up on it's back legs and and hop 3 or 4 steps in any direction.

They should be exercised daily in either an outdoor run or within the home for at least 4 hours a day. Developmental and behavioural problems can occur when rabbits do not have social contact or regular exercise.

The hutch and the run should be somewhere safe and protected from the weather and predators.

Rabbits can make great house pets and be litter trained as easily as a cat. However, they do tend to nibble electrical cables, books and plants, so the house should be 'rabbit proofed' first.

Like cats and dogs, new rabbits should always come in for a health check and be vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases.

Please contact your branch surgery to make an appointment.