World Rabbit Day

The dwarf rabbit is the third most common pet in Italian households, yet ignorance and misconceptions make them victims of unheard-of mistreatment.

Some practical examples:

• The cage should not be considered their permanent location: the best way to keep a rabbit is to reserve a sufficiently large area for him in the house, which must, of course, be secured to prevent him from coming into contact with danger or escaping. And also, it should be provided with a “den” where it can take shelter if it feels threatened or something scares it or even just to rest in peace.

• Rabbits are not animals for children: shy, fearful and very delicate, they should always be monitored, managed and handled with extreme care and gentleness. Any sudden noise or smell stresses them, frightens them and causes their heart rate to speed up. Rabbits can die of heart attacks that’s why they need to live in quiet and peaceful environments. To pick up a rabbit without hurting it you lift it with one hand under the belly, with the other ALWAYS under the hind legs to prevent it from kicking and breaking its spine, NEVER go by the ears at all. To children, if you are unable to teach them how to behave, buy rabbit-shaped puppets if you really want to satisfy their tantrums.

The rabbit verse: when you zig, perhaps he is telling you (and he has a point) that you are bad human companions

• Rabbits belong to the lagomorph family and ARE NOT rodents. Unlike rodents such as hamsters and guinea pigs, they are HERBIVOROUS and not ONNIVOROUS or GRANIVOROUS. In practice, improper feeding can create damage to the teeth anddigestive system so severe that it can kill them.

• Rabbits are also susceptible to viral diseases that are deadly to them such as myxomatosis and MEV 1 and 2, for which they must be periodically vaccinated. In addition, it is good to sterilize them.

Abandonment in the wild in the false and hypocritical belief that the rabbit in the wild lives “free” and adapts without any problems is another way of condemning it to death: a rabbit born in captivity is incapable of living alone in a hostile and unfamiliar environment, cannot obtain food, and cannot defend itself against predators.

Rabbits are not animals for everyone: if you are unable to care for them in the proper manner, avoid claiming victims among individuals of their species and among animals in general.