18 Feb 2008 04:33:57 | Amanda Gates
Rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart from dogs and
cats. They look attractive, lovely, gentle, friendly and cute.
They are easy to take care and undemanding in terms of care and
housing. They will settle well either indoor or outdoor, at home.
There are 40 species of rabbits and hares worldwide. All
domesticated rabbits are originated from European rabbits. The
scientific name for domestic rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.
Typically, domesticated rabbits weigh between 2.2-221lb
(1-10kg). The domesticated rabbits can be fed on commercially
produced rabbit food, pellets, hay, green food, root vegetables,
tree bark, herbs and apple.
The gestation period of a rabbit is 31 days and the typical
litter size ranges from 6-8 young. The lifespan varies with
breed.
Keeping a rabbit as pet requires a good training system to
prevent unnecessary destructions or hassle. For example,
furniture and carpet chewing problems, pseudo pregnancy
symptoms, litter problems, fights, behavioral problems,
rabbit-house worries, sickness, fleas, predators and etc.
Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome when the owners
have the knowledge and experience to deal with them. Thus, one
of the recommended ways to acquire the important knowledge is to
read widely and exchange practical information with experienced
rabbit owners.
It is important to watch out for any abnormalities in your
rabbits as rabbits are susceptible to various digestive ailments
and other life-threatening diseases. For example, rabbits are
vulnerable to myxomatosis and VHD viruses. These are the killer
viruses!
There is no universal system of classification for rabbit
breeds. Some popular breeds of rabbits include:
· Alaska · American Fuzzy Lop · American Sable · Angora ·
Belgian Hare · Beveren · Californian · Champagne D’Argent ·
Checkered Giant · Chinchilla · Dutch · Dwarf Hotot · English Lop
· Flemish Giant · Florida White · Harlequin · Havana · Himalayan
· Hotot · Jersey Wooly · Lilac · Holland Lop · Mini Lop · Mini
Rex · Netherland Dwarf · New Zealand · Palomino · Polish · Rex ·
Rhinelander · Satin · Silver · Silver Fox · Silver Marten · Tan
www.geocities.com/rabbitcare_lover
About Author :
I am Amanda Gates and I have been a rabbit lover since young! In
my eyes, rabbits are simply lovely, sweet, cute, soft and
gentle. It is my hobby to care for my rabbits and I spend most
of my free time doing research, collecting rabbit's beautiful
pictures and reading lots of books about rabbits. Currently, I
have two rabbits, a Florida White and a Polish, named Barbie and
Ken. 
