Bunny and Guinea Pig Care
Buying your new bunny or guinea pig is a fun time, and you soon get lost in the excitement of it all! That's a good thing! But not to be forgotten is the correct care for your new pet. Sometimes exact requirements for pet care can be over-exaggerated, and made to seem so complicated,when really, it's quite simple if you follow the basic guidelines. However, that doesn't mean that the correct care for your new bunny or guinea pig should be overlooked by any means. Bunnies and guinea pigs are more than just a fluffy, cuddly pet; they require the correct housing, diet, healthcare, companions etc. Sound like a lot? Well don't worry - I have made this care page specificlly to help you, so that all of those things can be worked out!
The diet:
Rabbits and guinea pigs require a diet rich with variety! If you feed your bunny or guinea pig: rabbit/guinea pig pellets, hay, fresh vegetables and fruits, your pet will be satisfied and healthy. But please, don't be tempted to only feed your pets pellets, as this becomes boring very quickly; just imagine us humans surviving on peas and sweetcorn our whole life; it doesn't fullfil our dietary requirements and it's boring. So make sure you do provide a varied diet for your new bunny or guinea pig; they will love you for it, they will be happy and healthy!
Healthcare:
Rabbits and guinea pigs can catch diseases, also including ones carried by mosquitos, can be susceptible to fleas (just like any other species), and they can get heat strokes in Summer or freeze in Winter, so it is very important that you take the correct care of your bunny or guinea pig. To prevent your pet from coming into contact with insects (like fleas and mosquitos), installing an insect proof wire on your pet's hutch can be a good idea. Also, there is the option of using frontline plus, which is very well known in Australia as a flea preventative. Also to be remembered is the importance of keeping your pet's hutch at the ideal temperature in Summer and Winter. If you don't, your rabbit or guinea pig can have a heat stroke in Summer (which can be fatal), or they can get Pneumonia in Winter. So, in order to prevent any of these tragedies, I have prepared a list of things to remember in these weather conditions:
Summer:
In Summer you must provide your pet with plenty of fresh water 24/7! Yu can also make 'Ice Pillows' which your rabbits and guinea pigs can lay on and will cool them off. To make an ice cushion, firstly get a zip-lock bag and some ice. Then crush the ice and put it in the zip-lock bag. Now just place this on top of a tea towel and stitch the tea towel up (to prevent any choking or poisoning hazards for those smart bunnies or guinea pigs who would be able to prise open the zip-lock bag). As well as this, you can drape some damp towels over your pets cage, and this will automatically prevent some of the heat from coming into the hutch.
Winter:
In Winter, giving your bunny or guinea pig lots of blankets is the first step to warming up your pet's hutch. From there, you can heat up some rice socks in the Microwave for 60 seconds, and this is something soft and warm that your pet can snuggle up to. To make a rice sock, simply stuff an old sock with rice (then fold another sock over that too prevent your bunny from opening it and eating the rice).
Housing:
Choosing a hutch for your bunny or guinea pig is an important decision, seeing as it will most likely be your pet's home forever. So when you do, make sure that the hutch is at least 6 times the size of your rabbit, and make sure that for a guinea pig, there is at least 2 square feet of room. Also make sure that it has got an open area and a closed area; an area for sleeping, and an area for eating and playing.And don't forget that hutches need to be cleaned at least once a week!
Companions:
Just as humans wouldn't be, rabbit's and guinea pig's will not be content if they do not have someone to play with; whether that be another bunny or guinea pig or a human companion. So make sure that if you know that you don't have enough time to spend playing with your pet for a portion of the day, then definitely buy another!
