DAILY LIFE
A typical rabbit day
Julie Lambert, Paris, France
October 25, 2020
What does a rabbit do all day? Just like humans, rabbits have a very particular rhythm of life. Even if the rhythm of a domestic rabbit is different from that of a wild rabbit, it does not remain me that it is based on the same rules. Today, I invite you to discover how a typical rabbit’s day unfolds.
01 – Periods of activity
Like its wild cousin, the domestic rabbit has two periods of very high activity, early in the morning at dawn and at dusk in the evening. Wondering why these two periods in particular? This behavior is inherited from the wild. In the wild, the rabbit goes out during these periods in order to avoid predators as much as possible. It is therefore mainly during these two moments that you will be able to “play” the most with your rabbit.
Pinpine looking for a treat in her toy.
Photographed by Vincent Ribet.
02 – Feeding periods
Although you give your rabbit a meal in the morning and evening based on pellets or vegetables, the rabbit will still need to be able to eat all day long. Why? First of all because this corresponds to its natural rhythm of about 20 meals a day, which can even rise to 40 meals a day during its growth period. This is why I remind you that your rabbit must have hay all day long, this will allow both a good transit but also the wear of its teeth which is essential. And yes, the rabbit’s teeth, unlike humans, grow throughout its life and at a frantic rate of 10 cm per year!
Pinpin playing in his play tunnel.
Photographed by Vincent Ribet.
03 – One day cycle
1. Sunrise
At sunrise, your rabbit wakes up, so this can be very late in winter but also very early in summer. Therefore, please do not leave the day visible to your rabbit if you do not want to be the victim of an early morning wake-up.
2. Morning
Once well awake, the rabbit explores its territory to ward off any danger, then once it is sure that everything is in order, it sets off in search of food. Therefore, if the bowl and/or the rack are empty, expect your rabbit to make you understand it, sometimes noisily. It is only once it is full, that your rabbit will start alternating periods of curiosity, play, grooming and especially nap time.
3. Afternoon
The afternoon program is not much different from the morning, although your rabbit will spend even more time sleeping until around 5pm.
4. Sunset
At sunset, your rabbit will begin to regain activity and seek to explore its territory, eat, ask to play with you and receive your attention. He will also probably want to eat.
5. Night
The main difference with the wild rabbit is that the domestic rabbit is (in most cases) not very active at night. This is due to the fact that the domestic rabbit is not subject to the danger of predators and has therefore become accustomed to the human way of life. They will often spend the night sleeping, resting and of course eating.
You now know the rhythm of your rabbit’s life on a daily basis. However, don’t forget that every rabbit is different and therefore my comments may depend on your rabbit, its age or its personality. For example, in my case, Pinpin spends a lot of time during the day constantly exploring his territory, which is not the case for Pipine, who greatly prefers to take long naps.
HEALTH
Sterilization of the dwarf rabbit
ADOPTION
Which rabbit to adopt?
ADOPTION
Everything you need before adoption
0 Comments