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A house rabbit sharing an apple with his owner.Rabbits are very social animals. House rabbits become part of the family, just as cats, dogs, and birds do, and often get along well with these other animals. It is not uncommon to see the house rabbit grooming the cat or dog. House rabbits learn their name and come when called. Other tricks that they can learn include begging and jumping hurdles.
A rabbit needs at least two hours of out-of-cage time in a safe environment (see house proofing below). His strong muscles in his back legs will weaken if he is not given opportunities to run, jump, and play. When a rabbit plays, he will often do a binky, which is a happy dance where the rabbit will jump in the air, turn 180°, and take off running. When calm and receiving pets on the head, he will gently grind his teeth with contentment. Rabbits enjoy gentle, quiet attention from their human counterparts, although most do not like to be cuddled, which takes them too far from their natural comfort zone as prey animals.
House rabbit organizations warn that a rabbit does not make a good pet for small children because they do not know how to stay quiet, calm, and gentle around the rabbit. The organization recommend rabbits as great pets for people who are older than 10, have patience, and have time to devote attention to their rabbit.
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Monday, 13 October 2008
