Rabbit, Guinea Pig & Ferret Care Information
Rabbit Care
Rabbits need large amounts of fibrous material:
- Hay & vegetable base
– Hay (grass or meadow is best)
– Lucerne has a higher calcium content, so only give in small amounts; it is best for young, pregnant, or lactating rabbits. - Weeds and flowers.
- Vegetables.
- Fruits, occasionally as treat.
Problems with commercial diets:
- Pellets – lack fibre, vitamins and calcium, and are high in calories and fats.
- Rabbit mix – deficient in fibre and calcium.
- Salt licks are not advisable.
Rabbits are hindgut fermenters, and as a result their first stools are soft and mucous covered. Rabbits eat these stools directly from their bottom. This usually occurs during early morning. Later stools are hard, and are mainly undigested fibre; these are not eaten.
Breeding
- Pregnancy 30-33 days.
- Does (mums) only feed their young for few minutes once to twice a day.
- Young can drink up to 20% body weight at a time.
- Eyes open at seven days.
- Start eating vegetables at three weeks of age.
- Wean at 4-6 weeks of age.
- Rabbits are social – preferably keep as bonded pair.
Handling
A rabbit’s spine is relatively lightweight and fragile. When a rabbit becomes frightened, it violently struggles by powerfully kicking its back legs. The lightning-fast movements of the rear legs cause over-extension of the lumboscaral (lower back) region of the spine, which frequently results in fractures or dislocations. Never try to overpower a struggling rabbit. If a rabbit violently resists physical restraint, it should be immediately released and approached later when it has calmed down.
Remember:
- Rabbits have fragile skeletons.
- Always support the hind legs when carrying.
- Do not carry by the ears.
- Frequent, gentle handling will result in a better pet.
Housing
Rabbits can carry bordetella and this is potentially fatal to guinea pigs, so do not house rabbits and guinea pigs together. The enclosure should be large enough for rabbits to stretch out in every direction (including hind legs). Provide a dry sheltered sleeping area with bedding, and an outside, partially protected, play and grazing area with toys.
Rabbits like to explore but they also like to chew, so they need toys for this, such as branches, wooden toys, toilet rolls, and parrot-type toys. Beware of heat stress – rabbits can cope with low temperatures but cannot sweat. Consider placing frozen water bottles in hutches on hot days.
Reasons for Desexing Rabbits
- Desexing prevents cancer
4% of rabbits have uterine cancer at 2 years.
60-80% of rabbits at 5 years of age have uterine cancer. (Whether rabbits have had young or not makes no difference to the statistics.)
- Facilitates house and litter training.
- Decreases aggression, especially in male rabbits.
- Permits multiple rabbits to be kept together.
Guinea Pig Care
Regular health checks are suggested for guinea pigs to ensure they are healthy and happy. Dental health is very important for guinea pigs as their teeth continuously grow throughout their life, so having good food and roughage is important to keep the teeth healthy and at a good length.
Diet
- Guinea pigs are herbivores and need a high fibre diet.
- Best feed is hay and grass – Alfalfa or Lucerne hay are very high in calcium and protein so should only be given as a treat, and for pregnant or nursery guinea pigs, as excess calcium can cause bladder stones.
- Guinea pigs need vitamin C every day as they can’t make their own. So provide fresh vegetables and fruits daily, eg: carrot, parsley, tomato, green or red capsicum, spinach, rock melon and strawberries.
- Do not feed rabbit or rodent pellets. (Rabbit pellets contain no vitamin C, and may contain antibiotic traces which could kill a guinea pig.)
- Do not feed seeds, as seeds are too oily and husks get stuck in teeth and can cause choking. Seeds are often in rodent mixes.
- Do not feed cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, bok choy, broccoli or lettuce, except in very small amounts as treats, as they cause tummy upsets.
- Do not feed nuts, dried fruits, sugar, dairy or meat products, cereals, grains, corn, peas, beans, bread, sweets or chocolate.
- Do not give multivitamins – but you can give vitamin C, 10-30 mg per day, or dilute cranberry juice (but this must be changed twice a day) and give fresh water as well.
Housing
- The bigger the cage the better.
- Wire bottoms can injure feet and legs.
- Do not use cedar shavings (they contain aromatic oils which are phenols, and cause respiratory problems); do not use sawdust (too dusty); do not use corncob (too mouldy).
- Newspaper is better.
- Do not keep rabbits and guinea pigs together. This is because of the risk of cross infections of bordetella, pasteurella and pseudomonas which can be fatal.
One or Two?
Guinea pigs are very social and are best kept in pairs, not alone.
Hygiene
Guinea pigs are slobs, so their food and water containers need to be cleaned daily. Water bottles are useful, but sometimes guinea pigs will block the end of the water tube with a slurry of food and water because they spit as they drink. A metal tube end to a water bottle is better than plastic because they chew on the plastic.
Interesting Statistics
- Guinea pigs live on average 4-5 years (but can live up to 8).
- Males are called boars.
- Females are called sows or does.
- Young are called piglets.
- Pregnancy lasts 59-71 days and they may have up to 10 piglets in a litter.
- Guinea pigs can run around within a hour of being born.
- Piglets are weaned at 3 weeks but may even start eating grass at 2 days of age.
- They are sexually mature at 4 weeks – so separate sexes at 3 weeks of age.
- They weigh 75-100 gm at birth.
- They drink 85ml per day on average, and eat 6gm per 100gm body weight per day.
- Their body temperature is 38.3 -0 degrees.
- Heart rate 230-320 per minute.
- Respiration rate 90-150 per minute.
Ferret Care
Ferrets are very social, and they are happiest in pairs or in small groups. They are inquisitive, playful and mischievous.
Housing Options
A. Cage
They can be kept in a cage inside or outside, but must be protected form the weather. A veranda or balcony is suitable.
A simple metal frame with a minimum size of 2m square or larger with wire mesh (1.75cm square). The cage requires a solid weatherproof overhanging roof. This size will house two ferrets comfortably.
The cage is best divided into levels using a shade cloth and flexible pipes. A sleeping box is best made from plastic or wood with clean, dry bedding, eg: towels, blankets etc. Wood shavings and sawdust are not recommended. Feeding area should have a solid floor, with heavy bowls. A water bottle is best so that it can be kept up and away from the food and the litter. Like cats, ferrets use a litter tray, so a level area is best for this.
B. Living free in your home
If ferrets are to live free in your home, you will need to ferret-proof your house. You will need to block off any holes or entries into appliances and walls, and move all fragile or precious items. Ferrets will get into almost anything. You will also need to provide a sleeping area, feeding area and a litter tray area.
Toys
Variety is the key with toys. The toys need to withstand chewing; vinyl and rubber balls are OK. Ferrets love, and have most fun with, tunnels.
Diet
A ferret’s main diet is good quality dry cat food (at least 32% protein eg: Hills Science Diet). Ferrets under the age of 3-4 years should be fed kitten dry food. Over 4 years old, they need adult formula. Fresh water daily is a must.
Treats:
- chicken wings
- fruit
- nuts
- puppy milk
Never give:
- dairy products
- chocolate
- fish based biscuits
- cooked bones
- salt
- dried coconut
- dogs leather hide chews
- sausage mince
Grooming
Bath no more frequently than fortnightly, and use a gentle pet shampoo. Regularly clip nails, and clean ears with cat or dog ear cleaner.
Health Care
Vaccinations are needed annually; distemper vaccination is essential.
Worming every 3 months.
Flea treatment monthly with a puppy or kitten product.
Desexing females is essential. This is because unmated females are in danger of dying from anaemia. Entire males are more aggressive, and also have a very strong smell.
IMPORTANT FACT: Flu is transferable from ferret to human and vice verse. If exposed to flu or suspect flu, seek veterinary assistance.
For further information: NSW Ferret Welfare Society Inc, Information officer: 02 9638 5021