Rabbit

Rabbit

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Lagomorpha
Family:	Leporidae

Rabbits are the members of the family Leporidae which are born naked, blind, in a furlined nest, and totally dependant upon the mother. They are often confused with the hare, which is born with fur, sighted, and able to move from birth. Like all leporids they grow long ears, buck teeth, small furry tails, and large rear legs.

The European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus has been domesticated and selective breeding has produced a wide range of breeds as pet rabbits. The wild form is well-known for digging networks of burrows called warrens. The American genus Sylvilagus consists of thirteen cottontail species.

Rabbits are popular pets. They are an example of an animal which is both petted and eaten by the same culture. Snares are usually employed when catching rabbits for food.

A young rabbit is called a bunny or kitten. "Rabbit" used to be the word applied to the young, with the adult being called a cony or coney (pronounced cunny). This term fell out of useage owing to the taboo value of a homonym, and "rabbit" became common usage for both the young and the adult, with "bunny" entering into use later. A male rabbit is called a buck, and a female rabbit is called a doe.

Rabbits are renowned for the speed at which they breed, and with each rabbit eating a pound or more of vegetation per day, rabbit populations can prove problematic for agriculture. Gassing, shooting, snaring and ferreting have been used to control rabbit populations, as has the disease myxomatosis.

Diet

The typical diet for a pet rabbit should consist of water, hay, pellets, and fresh vegetables. Anything else, including fruit and other treats should be given only in very limited quantities, as it may cause obesity in your rabbit.

Pellets should be less than a couple months old to insure freshness, and should consist of a minimum of 18% fiber. Depending on the amount of vegetables available, an adult rabbit should be given between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of pellets per 6lbs body weight daily. Pre-adolescent and adolescent rabbits (7 months and younger) can be given as much pellets as they can consume, although additional vegetables are preferable to additional pellets. An older rabbit (over six years) can be given more pellets if they are having difficulty maintaining a steady body weight.

Pellets were originally designed for rabbit breeders for the purpose of providing as many calories and vitamins as inexpensively as possible. This is optimal when the rabbits are being bred for food or for experimentation, but the long-term effects of a pellet-based diet on rabbits are quite negative, resulting in an obese, unhappy, and unhealthy rabbit.

Vegetables are essential to the health of rabbits. At least two cups of three different vegetables per 6lbs of body weight should be fed to your rabbit daily. A wide variety of vegetables will result in the healthiest rabbit; preferably a combination of dark green vegetables and a root vegetables. Stay away from beans or rhubarb, as they can cause your rabbit to become sick. Additionally, it is wise to select vegetables that are high in Vitamin A.

To ensure that your rabbit can tolerate a specific vegetable, add one vegetable at a time to its diet. If the rabbit starts to act lethargic, or exhibit diarrhea or loose stools, then discontinue use of the new vegetable immediately. Below is a table of vegetables considered healthy for a rabbit:

Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts Basil Beet greens (tops)† Bok choy Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)† Brussels sprouts Carrots & carrot tops† Celery Cilantro Clover	Collard greens† Dandelion greens and flowers (beware pesticides)† Endive† Escarole Green peppers Kale†‡ Mint Mustard greens† Parsley†	Pea pods† Peppermint leaves Raddichio Radish (tops) Raspberry leaves Romaine lettuce (no iceberg)† Spinach†‡ Watercress† Wheat grass
† = Contains Vitamin A.	‡ = Contains goitrogens and/or oxalates, and may be toxic over long periods of time.

Hay is essential for the health of all rabbits for a number of reasons. A steady supply of hay will help prevent hairballs and other digestive tract problems in rabbits. Additionally, it provides a number of necessary vitamins and minerals at a low calorie cost. Rabbits should be provided with a constant, unlimited supply of hay for their consumption. Rabbits enjoy chewing on hay, and always having hay available for your rabbit may reduce its tendency to chew on other items in your house. It is also a good idea to provide hay in your rabbit's litterbox, as rabbits enjoying munching on food while they are defecating.

Not all hay is created equal, however. Timothy hay and other grass hays are considered the healthiest to provide your rabbit. As a persistently high blood calcium level can prove harmful to your rabbit, hays such as alfalfa and clover hay should be avoided. Alfalfa is also relatively high in calories, and a constant diet of it can cause obesity in rabbits.

Rabbits in culture and literature

Rabbits are often used as a symbol of fertility. It is possibly as a consequence of this that they have been associated with Easter. There is a rabbit among the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Rabbits have appeared in a host of works of film and literature, notably the White Rabbit in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland; in the popular novel Watership Down; and as the cartoon character Bugs Bunny.

External Links

http://www.rabbit.org - House Rabbit Society