I have just read an interesting article in a newspaper which says that rabbits are proving to be hit with dementia sufferers.

These cute and cuddly little animals have been introduced to a care home in Birmingham as part of an animal assisted therapy programme.  Apparently the manager of the care home had read about rabbits successfully being used as therapy with schizophrenia sufferers and decided to try them with dementia sufferers in the home.

Not only do the residents in the home love the rabbits but also their friends and family members.  Keeping the rabbits encourages the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the residents to want to visit the home and the rabbits are a talking point between the generations which increases interaction between the resident and the visitors.

Although the rabbit has always a been a popular pet, it is amazing and sad to hear that so many of them are often abandoned, neglected and cruelly treated, mainly due to ignorance.

Not everyone, for instance, is aware that the rabbit needs lots of company - either from other rabbits or from its owners.  They are also very active creatures and require plenty of exercise on a daily basis.  Their rabbit hutch should be at least 3 times the length of your rabbit to enable him to stretch out easily and the height of the rabbit hutch should allow him to stand on his hind legs to stretch.

Your rabbit should have toys to play with as he is an intelligent creature and it is therefore cruel to leave him in his hutch for long periods of time without anything to stimulate him.  He also needs his rabbit hutch to be kept scrupulously clean to keep him free from mites, flies and diseases.  He should ideally have a rabbit run or the use of a garden in which to hop around and kick his legs.  He also needs lots of handling so that he gets used to humans - this also makes grooming easier as he won’t get stressed.  Again, a lot of rabbit owners don’t realise that rabbits should be groomed regularly - this not only helps to keep their fur in tip-top condition, but also helps with bonding process between pet and owner and allows you to check his ears, eyes, paws and skin for any problems.

If you are considering purchasing a rabbit then please consider the amount of time you will have to spend with him and the amount of time it takes to clean his rabbit hutch out, play with him and groom him.   It is essential also that you make sure he has plenty of cold, fresh water easily available for him and that you purchase a good quality rabbit food to keep him in good health.  If you can provide him with all this and lots of love too, then you will have a happy, healthy pet who will give you years of fun and happines.