The soft and delicate fur and touching appearance of rabbits are pleasant to people - many choose them as pets, especially if household members are allergic to traditional cats and dogs. After acquiring a long-eared animal, you need to be patient and take the time to tame, establish contact and educate. Let's look at how to accustom a decorative rabbit to your hands and make communication with your pet safe and enjoyable.
Are decorative rabbits trainable?
Any rabbit can be trained to perform certain actions and behavior; even ordinary (non-decorative) rabbits can be trained. So that the owners do not lose patience and optimism during the training, we remind you that training to develop and consolidate conditioned reflexes involves repeated repetition.
A rabbit's intelligence alone is not enough; it will take time for the animal to get used to acting automatically, not to be afraid of the owner, and to know how to behave. A pet needs care - this is the main reason why taming and training is needed.
In nature, relatives of decorative rabbits live in families united in colonies; they are collective animals. Ushastikas are used to being in a group and need communication. In the absence of relatives, the pet will be friends with the owners, who will replace its family.
Factors influencing the domestication process
The owners want not only to establish contact with their pet and tame it, but also to instill certain skills that will make living together easier. Not all rabbits are equally easy to train; there are a number of factors that influence an animal's ability to learn.
Age
The younger the pet that comes into the house, the easier it is for it to accept the owner’s demands. The baby grows up, feeling the smells of home and people as if they were familiar. She learns the rules, like her mother, and considers them natural and necessary. The rabbit perceives the household members as an ordinary family, elders from whom they need to learn knowledge and skills.
Health
A sick rabbit suffers, is closed in on its feelings, and does not make contact well. When purchasing a pet, you need to check the eyes, ears, and make sure that the fur is shiny and even. A sick baby will have to be treated, time for training will be lost.
Genetics
The hereditary factor is one of the main ones. If the rabbit’s parents are friendly, well trained, and the owners were able to instill in them the skills of living with humans, then the little animal will easily follow in their footsteps.
Advice: it is better to purchase a pet after first taking a closer look at its parents, understanding how well-mannered and friendly they are towards people. Genetics will play a role.
How to properly pick up a pet and pet it?
In order for petting and playing with your pet to be pleasant not only for humans, but also for the rabbit to enjoy communication, you should learn to pick him up without causing horror and pain. You should not, like a magician, grab your pet by the ears or pull it out of the cage or from the floor. Fingers or palms are placed under the front legs from the side of the abdomen, lifted, supporting the back of the body. If the rabbit has not yet gotten used to it, you should not do it abruptly, with cries of delight.
Even a child for a small pet is a huge, noisy creature, similar to a predator. Instinct requires you to perceive attempts to grab, take in your hands, as danger. You need to behave carefully with the rabbit so as not to frighten it with sharp sounds and actions.
How to tame a rabbit
Taming requires patience, friendliness and trust. You should not exercise with a sick rabbit; it is better to postpone exercise when the pet is better and in a cheerful mood. Taming is a process that needs to be started on time and not forced. Each animal has character traits - some get used to it quickly and are sociable, while others will take time to get used to it and make friends with their pets.
Main stages
The first days in the house should be spent in a warm, quiet environment - the rabbit needs adaptation. The animal must get used to new noises, smells, and living conditions.A cozy crate should be a place where your baby feels safe. There is no need to crowd around the rabbit's house, pick it up, examine it, stick your fingers in and pull out the animal. You need to accustom your pet to your voice, talk calmly, like with a child. If the rabbit shows interest, looks out, reacts to the voice, you can give him carrots or a piece of apple.
The pet should be the initiator of communication in the first days; there is no need to force him into contact. Gradually, the communication time is increased, observing the following rules:
- It is better not to hang over the baby, but to be on the same level with him. To do this, they lift the cage onto the table or sit down on the floor.
- They open the cage and give the opportunity to get out - to leave the safe corner.
- Accustomed in the hand - slowly served from the side of the face, quietly brought closer without rapid movements. They let you lick and touch them yourself. At the same time, it’s better to keep something tasty.
- Stroking begins when the animal is used to it - carefully touching the back, neck, head. They don’t give a hand from the side of the muzzle, they don’t stroke it under the mouth.
- When establishing contact with the animal, they talk quietly, and when speaking, clearly pronounce the invented name so that the baby gets used to the nickname.
- If the baby shrinks into a ball and freezes in horror, he is left alone, allowed to come to his senses, or immediately returned to the cage.
- Eared animals are allowed to walk if they are not afraid to move away from the cage. The door is not closed so that the rabbit can return to the house at the first desire.
The main thing when establishing a warm relationship with a new family member is patience, caution, goodwill, and gradualism. When communicating, do not use perfume - the animal must master the smell of a person.
Advice: adult family members should establish contact with the baby.Children begin to communicate when the animal stops being wild and gets used to the elders.
Hygienic procedures (combing, trimming claws) are carried out when the animal has become accustomed to its owner and has adapted to new conditions. Taming is considered successful if the animal calmly leaves the cage, readily makes contact, allows itself to be stroked, and sits in your arms without fear.
Timing of taming
How quickly a rabbit feels comfortable and settles into the house depends on the characteristics of the animal, its contact and the efforts of people, their patience and perseverance. Some babies become completely comfortable within a few days and willingly sit in their arms. Sometimes taming takes several weeks or even months.
Possible causes of aggression
Usually, decorative rabbits have a good disposition, they are happy to be petted, and there are no problems with them. They bite when trying to pet or feed from the hand, they grab their legs from around the corner, they hit them painfully with their long hind legs - all these are examples of inappropriate behavior of animals.
Why your pet may exhibit aggressive behavior:
- a fear of man rooted in character, if an animal was treated roughly - shouted, beaten, hurt;
- females become angry due to hormonal surges during pregnancy, after the birth of the cubs they fear for the offspring;
- hormonal changes during puberty and the desire to mate cause sudden activity, jumping, animals bite, grab legs, and circle around the owner.
The reason needs to be determined in order to figure out how to behave with an unfriendly pet. What may be needed to calm the animal:
- The reason is sexual problems. Find a mate for your pet or sterilize it.
- Provide isolation to a fledged or pregnant female, reduce contact with her, and do not irritate her with affection and communication.
- A frightened rabbit will have to be re-educated and convinced with gentle treatment that it is completely safe. Screams and scandals in the family make the animals nervous, they feel aggression. It is useful to establish peace at home and treat your pet kindly. Gradually the animal will calm down, stop being afraid, and become less aggressive.
An uncontrollable hooligan can be intimidated - pinned to the floor, shown who is the real master of the house and who is the pet. Rabbits are smart, they can be taught a lot of tricks, and with proper persistence, they can be weaned from bad habits within the power of a person.
Breeds that are easy to tame
Rabbits of decorative breeds They have a sweet appearance and a good disposition. Breeders specifically bred animals intended for home keeping and close communication with humans. The following breeds are easy to tame, have an easygoing character and a touching appearance:
- Dutch dwarf. An active and friendly creature quickly gets used to its owners. Weight – 1.2-1.5 kilograms. The ears are small and varied in color. Loves communication with people, but if there are small children in the house, it is better to choose a different breed.
- Lionhead. The elongated hair on the head looks like a lion's mane, which is how the breed got its name. They have a soft, conflict-free character and become attached to their owners.
- Dutch Fold. Long floppy ears give the pet a special touching quality. They live up to 10 years, are distinguished by their good disposition and disinclination to aggression.
- Dwarf ram. Large eyes and a convex forehead make the pet look like a lamb. The ears fall off by the age of 3 months - this is a fold-eared breed.The character is characterized by perseverance, independence and distrust, although they get along with the owners.
- Dwarf butterfly. The cutest white creature with contrasting spots. Rabbits are playful, nimble, and curious.
- Dwarf rex. A calm, phlegmatic creature with plush fur that is pleasant to the touch. Suitable for the role of a pet in families where peace is valued.
- Hermelin. The breed is also called Polish. Snow-white fluffies have soft fur and red or blue eyes. Females are more active than males. Pets are calm, friendly, and feel good in a large family.
- Angora. Lush fur of monochrome colors completely hides the contours of the pet’s body. You will have to take care of your fur coat so that the fur does not mat. Shy, but well trained.
- Chinchilla. A rabbit's fur is soft and luxurious, like a chinchilla's. Pets are gentle and love to spend time with their owners.
New breeds of rabbits small ones appear regularly. The main directions of selection are funny appearance, lack of aggression, ease of taming.
When purchasing a rabbit, you need to be patient, forgiving and kind. A pet that feels love and friendliness will quickly settle down and acquire the necessary communication skills. Many people spend their entire lives training their pets. Rabbits easily learn funny tricks that bring pleasure to everyone, making life together in the house varied and fun.
