Move over dogs and cats - rabbits make excellent indoor house pets and in many ways are easier to look after, especially if you have access to an easy to use rabbit litter to minimise the few problems associated with keeping a rabbit as an indoor pet.
Cats and dogs are two of the most popular choices of pet in the UK. According to the Pet Food Manufacturer’s Association there were 8.6 million pet cats and 8.3 million pet dogs in the UK in 2011, coming second and third only to fish, which numbered over 40 million. Rabbits, on the other hand come in at a respectable 4th place with 1 million of them in UK homes, although not all of these will live inside the house.
While we can completely see why cats and dogs are so popular, we think rabbits are rather under-rated as pets - so here we will list the many ways in which rabbits can make excellent indoor house pets.
Rabbit Litter - visit our online shop
They are Easier to Contain
While a dog or cat will generally be allowed the run of a house (with consequent problems when they want to be where you don't want them to be) a rabbit can be allowed to run free or put back in its hutch when it suits the owner. Many cat and dog owners have the perpetual fear of their pet running out of the house and getting lost, or worse. Similarly, many cat and dog owners are subject to all kinds of unwanted disturbances from their pets, especially during the night and especially from cats who are rather nocturnal creatures.
A rabbit, however, can be returned to its hutch at any time, either to protect it (e.g. when unknown dogs, cats or children visit, or when non-rabbit-friendly activities are going on such as cooking or vacuuming) or to fit in with the owner's routine (e.g. to get an undisturbed night's sleep, or simply to allow you to get on with the housework).
While restraining a dog or a cat inside a cage for any length of time would be seen as cruel, it is in a rabbit's nature to enjoy being in an enclosed space, for sleeping and for a feeling of safety. Provided your pet has a good sized hutch (so it can stretch out or sit up on its hind legs comfortably) which is kept clean and dry with an absorbent rabbit litter and a good supply of food, water and comfy rabbit bedding, your rabbit will not mind at all being placed in there whenever you want.
A Rabbit Can Be Litter Trained
Rabbits that live inside the house can be litter trained and this is essential if you want your rabbit to be free to run around the house for extended periods of time. Rabbit litter training should be done at a very early age, just as for puppies and kittens - it will be harder to house train an adult rabbit.
Even when they are inside their hutches, rabbits will naturally tend to urinate and do their droppings in the same place, usually choosing a spot well away from their food bowl and their sleeping area.
You will need a litter tray filled with suitable litter, which initially will be placed inside the hutch in the place that your rabbit has already shown a preference for. Once your rabbit is generally used to the tray itself, as well as the litter, you can start moving the tray outside of the hutch and then progressively further away until your rabbit becomes completely used to finding the tray wherever you have placed it.
They Are Less Likely to Cause Allergies
Allergy to rabbits is very rare compared to allergies to cats and dogs, making them an attractive choice for anyone who needs to avoid dogs and cats for allergic reasons but would like to have a pet around the house.
And for any owners for whom allergies are a factor in their choice of pet, it's just as important to use non-allergenic rabbit bedding and litter, so that cleaning out doesn't produce any irritating dust. SmartBedz rabbit bedding is sterilised and dust-extracted during manufacture, making it a virtually dust free product. It is also completely free of perfume or any other artificial chemicals that might cause allergy problems for owners or rabbits.
They Have Less Natural Odour
It is usually very obvious if you are entering a household which has dogs or cats present, because of the smell. Even a dog that is shampooed regularly (e.g. every month) will still start to be distinctly odorous in the week or two before its next wash is due. Cats don't smell quite so much, generally speaking, but an unneutered tom cat can create a quite powerful smell at times. Cats (especially those who have not been neutered or spayed) can also decide to "spray" around the house to mark their territory, and this can be hard to clean up thoroughly, especially from carpets and other soft furnishings, resulting in a continual background smell that can be hard to eradicate.
Rabbits, by contrast, generally don't have much natural odour. As well as making for a more pleasant atmosphere for you and your guests, this also means you don't have to worry about bathing your rabbit (except for localised cleaning if fur gets dirty or matted, especially on its underside).
They Don't Need Exercising
Most dogs need a daily walk, which can be an onerous task for owners, especially during bad weather. Cats are often preferred as pets by people who are not able to commit to this level of exercise - but rabbits offer just the same advantage. Within a house, the amount of space in an average sized living room is more than adequate for a rabbit to get all the exercise it needs. In good weather, providing an outside run (with adequate protection from predators) is ideal - but apart from taking your bunny outside and putting him in it, there is little time or effort needed from the owner.
The Cuddle Factor
Let's face it, as beautiful as pet fish may be, you can't cuddle a fish! And for many pet owners a big part of the appeal of a pet is having a creature that you can...well...pet. Regularly stroking and cuddling a furry animal has been proven to reduce stress in humans and it has even been linked to longevity in elderly pet owners.
While dogs can't get enough petting and love to be in physical contact with their owners, cats are notorious for coming and going as they please, and their fickleness applies to being petted also. Even when they do deign to cuddle up with you there is an ever present risk of them digging their claws into you as they settle down - some even dig their claws in and out in time to their purring, to let you know just how relaxed and comfy they are!
But rabbits can be great to stroke and cuddle, especially if they have been regularly handled from an early age and are very familiar with the person doing the cuddling. The cuddle factor does vary a bit by breed however. The Polish is quite skittish by nature and requires a lot of handling when very young to get them used to being cuddled. In contrast, breeds such as the New Zealand or Sussex are much more docile and are more likely to sit contentedly on your lap and have a doze while you stroke them.
However, even with all these attractive characteristics behind them, keeping rabbits as house pets, even if they are house trained, does pose the very real problem of how to control toileting odours coming from an indoor hutch. The answer is to use a super-absorbent form of rabbit litter such as SmartBedz which locks away liquid and prevents the formation of ammonia - the chief cause of those unwanted smells. Wet pellets can be quickly and easily scooped out daily, along with any solids, and topped up with a handful of fresh pellets. You will still need to do a complete clean out of all rabbit bedding and litter sometimes, of course, but not as frequently as you would with less absorbent litter.
Rabbit Bedding - visit our online shop
Monday 25 March 2013
Thursday 21 March 2013
The Importance of Keeping Caged Pets Dry All Year Round
The primary purpose of mouse, rat, guinea pig, gerbil, hamster or rabbit litter is, of course, to absorb the urine of pets that are kept in cages. But it may surprise you to learn just how important this simple measure is in protecting caged pets from an array of illnesses.
While most owners understandably look to gerbil, hamster or rabbit litter etc to soak up liquid and stop unwanted smells getting out of hand, in fact this unassuming product - whatever type you may be using - is your pet's first line of defence against disease and can even, when you really think about it, be saving its life.
Rabbit Litter - visit our online shop to buy rat, ferret, mouse, hamster, chinchilla, gerbil and rabbit litter - a Universal Pet Litter suitable for just about all caged pets.
Here we take a look at the variety of diseases and ailments that can arise in caged pets simply from being kept in damp conditions.
Hock Burn
Hock burn is a condition that can arise in any animal including small mammals and birds. It arises when the animal's feet are in prolonged contact with urine or with litter which is soaked with urine and wet to the touch. Very simply, the urine causes irritation to the skin which, if the dampness is not dealt with, gets progressively worse and can lead to redness or even severe blisters. (This is much like the problem of nappy rash in children, which is also caused by the skin being in prolonged contact with urine.) As well as being extremely painful, it can also lead to infections if the skin is broken, which in turn can lead to serious illness and ultimately death.
SmartBedz litter pellets are super-absorbent, quickly soaking up urine before it has a chance to come into contact with your pets' feet. Liquid is sucked into the centre of the pellet, minimising any wetness on the surface, producing a dry surface to walk and lie on. As well as using it as a litter in the area that your rabbit habitually goes to the toilet (they will usually have a favourite corner) it is also a good idea to use it as rabbit bedding in the sleeping area, topped off with something soft and warm to nestle into, such as clean hay. Using it as the base for your rabbit bedding in this way ensures that when your rabbit is asleep it is always lying on something that is dry.
Hutch Burn
Hutch burn is similar to hock burn and is an irritation of the genital region caused by urinating in an area and then sitting on it. It is most likely to occur in pets that tend to sit still for periods of time, such as rabbits - it is less likely to occur with smaller pets that are constantly on the move.
Skin in the genital area tends to be more delicate than skin elsewhere and will more quickly become damaged, making the animal vulnerable to infection, as well as being extremely sore.
As for hock burn, the solution is to use a fast absorbing litter such as SmartBedz so that urine is quickly drawn away from the rabbit's skin. If your rabbit is prone to this type of behaviour, it is important to use SmartBedz as a base layer for your rabbit bedding, to prevent prolonged sitting or lying on a wet area should they decide to urinate in their sleeping area.
Rabbit Bedding - visit our online shop
Attracting Disease Carriers
Apart from the wetness, urine can get smelly very quickly once it is exposed to the air. This smell is a magnet for flies and other insects looking for food or somewhere to lay eggs.
In the case of rabbits, flies will target animals with wet or smelly fur and will burrow into the skin, laying their eggs there. This is known as Flystrike and, if not noticed and dealt with extremely promptly, can quickly overcome a rabbit, often with fatal consequences. A rabbit whose fur is kept clean, dry and non-smelly will be far less attractive to these flies.
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections thrive in warm, moist conditions, so keeping your pet's skin and fur dry is an essential preventative against any type of fungal problem.
Respiratory Disease
It has been found that the amount of respiratory problems (or Snuffles) experienced by rabbits is directly related to the amount of ammonia present in the air. It seems that while urine can irritate the skin, it can also irritate the lungs and nasal passages when it turns into ammonia and becomes airborne. The smaller the pet, the smaller and more delicate the nasal passages and lungs, so minimising the odour in your pet's cage (caused chiefly by the formation of ammonia) is not just a matter of making the environment more pleasant for the owner, but is also important for your pet's health. Controlling ammonia, of course, goes hand in hand with controlling wetness - a dry cage is also an ammonia-free cage.
SmartBedz tackles both wetness and ammonia very effectively, by locking away the urine inside the pellets, preventing contact with the air and thus minimising the formation of ammonia.
Cages with Multiple Pets
If you have multiple pets living together in one cage - as is common for pets such as mice, gerbils and guinea pigs - then keeping the cage dry becomes extra important. Many diseases and infections are transmitted from one animal to another via urine or faeces, so being able to quickly absorb and lock away urine will make it far harder for one animal to infect the others.
For super-absorbent and naturally odour-suppressing mouse, gerbil, ferret, rat, hamster, guinea pig and rabbit litter and bedding layer designed to keep your pet dry and healthy, visit our online shop.
While most owners understandably look to gerbil, hamster or rabbit litter etc to soak up liquid and stop unwanted smells getting out of hand, in fact this unassuming product - whatever type you may be using - is your pet's first line of defence against disease and can even, when you really think about it, be saving its life.
Rabbit Litter - visit our online shop to buy rat, ferret, mouse, hamster, chinchilla, gerbil and rabbit litter - a Universal Pet Litter suitable for just about all caged pets.
Here we take a look at the variety of diseases and ailments that can arise in caged pets simply from being kept in damp conditions.
Hock Burn
Hock burn is a condition that can arise in any animal including small mammals and birds. It arises when the animal's feet are in prolonged contact with urine or with litter which is soaked with urine and wet to the touch. Very simply, the urine causes irritation to the skin which, if the dampness is not dealt with, gets progressively worse and can lead to redness or even severe blisters. (This is much like the problem of nappy rash in children, which is also caused by the skin being in prolonged contact with urine.) As well as being extremely painful, it can also lead to infections if the skin is broken, which in turn can lead to serious illness and ultimately death.
SmartBedz litter pellets are super-absorbent, quickly soaking up urine before it has a chance to come into contact with your pets' feet. Liquid is sucked into the centre of the pellet, minimising any wetness on the surface, producing a dry surface to walk and lie on. As well as using it as a litter in the area that your rabbit habitually goes to the toilet (they will usually have a favourite corner) it is also a good idea to use it as rabbit bedding in the sleeping area, topped off with something soft and warm to nestle into, such as clean hay. Using it as the base for your rabbit bedding in this way ensures that when your rabbit is asleep it is always lying on something that is dry.
Hutch Burn
Hutch burn is similar to hock burn and is an irritation of the genital region caused by urinating in an area and then sitting on it. It is most likely to occur in pets that tend to sit still for periods of time, such as rabbits - it is less likely to occur with smaller pets that are constantly on the move.
Skin in the genital area tends to be more delicate than skin elsewhere and will more quickly become damaged, making the animal vulnerable to infection, as well as being extremely sore.
As for hock burn, the solution is to use a fast absorbing litter such as SmartBedz so that urine is quickly drawn away from the rabbit's skin. If your rabbit is prone to this type of behaviour, it is important to use SmartBedz as a base layer for your rabbit bedding, to prevent prolonged sitting or lying on a wet area should they decide to urinate in their sleeping area.
Rabbit Bedding - visit our online shop
Attracting Disease Carriers
Apart from the wetness, urine can get smelly very quickly once it is exposed to the air. This smell is a magnet for flies and other insects looking for food or somewhere to lay eggs.
In the case of rabbits, flies will target animals with wet or smelly fur and will burrow into the skin, laying their eggs there. This is known as Flystrike and, if not noticed and dealt with extremely promptly, can quickly overcome a rabbit, often with fatal consequences. A rabbit whose fur is kept clean, dry and non-smelly will be far less attractive to these flies.
Fungal Infections
Fungal infections thrive in warm, moist conditions, so keeping your pet's skin and fur dry is an essential preventative against any type of fungal problem.
Respiratory Disease
It has been found that the amount of respiratory problems (or Snuffles) experienced by rabbits is directly related to the amount of ammonia present in the air. It seems that while urine can irritate the skin, it can also irritate the lungs and nasal passages when it turns into ammonia and becomes airborne. The smaller the pet, the smaller and more delicate the nasal passages and lungs, so minimising the odour in your pet's cage (caused chiefly by the formation of ammonia) is not just a matter of making the environment more pleasant for the owner, but is also important for your pet's health. Controlling ammonia, of course, goes hand in hand with controlling wetness - a dry cage is also an ammonia-free cage.
SmartBedz tackles both wetness and ammonia very effectively, by locking away the urine inside the pellets, preventing contact with the air and thus minimising the formation of ammonia.
Cages with Multiple Pets
If you have multiple pets living together in one cage - as is common for pets such as mice, gerbils and guinea pigs - then keeping the cage dry becomes extra important. Many diseases and infections are transmitted from one animal to another via urine or faeces, so being able to quickly absorb and lock away urine will make it far harder for one animal to infect the others.
For super-absorbent and naturally odour-suppressing mouse, gerbil, ferret, rat, hamster, guinea pig and rabbit litter and bedding layer designed to keep your pet dry and healthy, visit our online shop.
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