The European rabbit or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula, western France, and the northern Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, often with devastating effects on local biodiversity.
Caring for your pet rabbit
It is important that you understand all the requirements for caring for a rabbit before you buy one. Rabbits generally live for 5 to 8 years depending on their environment and breed, but they can live for as long as 12 years.
To keep your rabbit healthy and happy throughout their life, you need to understand your rabbit's needs. Most domestic rabbits can easily live to be 8 years old, and many can live for up to 12 years.
Rabbits, just like other domesticated animals, have an average lifespan which can help an owner keep their bunny in optimum health in every stage of life. Unlike their wild relatives, who live for an average of one to two years, domesticated rabbits can live between eight to 12 years.
Rabbits can have a long life span – up to 10 years, with an average life span of at least 6 years. Note that Rabbits are generally common pets in Australia, but the death rate is relatively high and most Bunnies don't live to anywhere near their average lifespan.
1) Rabbits are very intelligent
Some breeds are even particularly trainable. You can, for example, teach them to recognise their names and come to you when called. Rabbits also have a very good memory: they don't forget negative experiences and emotions easily.
Myth #1 - Rabbits eat carrots
Rabbits don't naturally eat root vegetables or fruit. Carrots and fruit are high in sugar and should only be fed in small amounts as occasional treats. Rabbits need mainly hay and/or grass, some leafy greens and a small, measured amount of pellets.
Even if you have a pair of rabbits, 24 hours is the maximum time they should be alone. Like all pets, rabbits rely heavily on their owners. Domesticated rabbits lack the survival skills of wild rabbits. Your rabbit has basic needs surrounding food, exercise, and stimulation.
There is no right or wrong way to keep your rabbit, as long as it has enough space, companionship and exercise. Indoor rabbits have a longer lifespan on average, mainly due to the lack of predator attacks and the fact that any health issues are picked up much quicker.
Changes in behaviour as your rabbit gets older
You may need to make some adjustments to their enclosure to ensure they're still happily able to get around it all. Slowing down a little with old age is normal, and many older rabbits have some form of mobility issues.
Rabbits are naturally very clean animals and do not like their toilet to be anywhere near their food or bedding area (just like cats!). They will happily use a litter box — and in the right environment, are quite happy as 'house bunnies'.
The oldest rabbit ever recorded was an Australian rabbit named Flopsy, who lived to be 18 years, 10 months, and 3 weeks old. Flopsy was caught by her owner in 1964 in the wilds of Tasmania, and lived out her life as a beloved pet.
A rabbit's lifespan is influenced by breed, living conditions and healthcare but the average lifespan is likely to be around 8 to 9 years. It can be helpful to think of one year in a rabbit's life as ten years in a human's life, so an 8 year old rabbit could be thought of as approximately 80 years old in human terms.
Most rabbits love to be cuddled and stroked when approached in the right way. Few like being held or carried as being so high up from the ground makes them feel insecure, however, many will happily sit on your lap or snuggle up next to you for a cuddle.
If you pick your rabbit up every time you interact with them, they'll start to get scared of you and run away whenever you approach. They won't even come up to you to be pet anymore because they want to avoid being picked up. Most rabbits don't like to be held, so you shouldn't pick them up all the time.
You may worry that your rabbit will be lonely. If you spend a lot of time with your rabbit, they will undoubtedly miss you when you're away, the same way you miss them. The two of you have developed a bond and friendship that your pet rabbit also understands.
Although rabbits can be happy singles if they have enough companionship from humans, a rabbit that has been used to living in a pair is unlikely to ever be completely happy on its own again. A bereaved rabbit will sometimes accept a new partner very quickly, even the day after its old partner has died in some cases.
A lonely rabbit may become hyperactive and angry. They may display destructive behaviour such as gnawing at the carpets and other furniture. Lonely rabbits may pull at their fur and overeat.
Likewise buttercups, foxgloves, primrose, delphiniums/larkspur, columbine (aquilegia) hellebore, comfrey, poppy, periwinkle, monkshood, rhubarb, nightshade, ivy, privet, holly and yew are all reasonably common garden plants and all are toxic.
Can rabbits eat tomatoes as an occasional treat? Yes, but there are a couple things you should know first. Tomatoes do have some health benefits (they're a great source of vitamins A and C) — but they're also high in sugar. As a result, as with all fruits and vegetables, a small amount is key.
While rabbits cannot understand human language, they can be trained to understand what we say through gestures and verbal cues. Rabbits understand words using cues. These can be conscious cues, such as verbal commands and gestures. These can also be unconscious cues, such as body language and tone of voice.
They also lose much of their depth perception at close ranges, seeing in two dimensions (instead of the three that we are used to). Their vision also isn't as sharp as humans' vision. This grainy vision is why it's so easy to startle your bunny – they might not always recognize your shape.