Domestic Rabbit
Other names: domestic rabbit, breeds: English Angora, Lionhead, Dwarf Hotot, Chinchilla, Dutch, Flemish Giant, Himalayan, Netherland Dwarf,Holland Lop, Silver, Silver fox, English spot, Havana, Florida White, New Zealand, Rex, Polish, Jersey Wooly, Satin, and Mini Lop
Description
A domestic rabbit is any of the several varieties of European rabbit that has been domesticated. Male rabbits are called bucks; females are called does. An older term for an adult rabbit is coney (derived from the Dutch word konijn), while rabbit referred only to the young animals. More recently, the term kit or kitten has been used to refer to a young rabbit. A young hare is called a leveret; this term is sometimes informally applied to a young rabbit as well.
Breeds
There are many different breeds of domestic rabbit, including the English Angora, Lionhead, Dwarf Hotot, Chinchilla, Dutch, Flemish Giant, Himalayan, Netherland Dwarf,Holland Lop, Silver, Silver fox, English spot, Havana, Florida White, New Zealand, Rex, Polish, Jersey Wooly, Satin, and Mini Lop. As with breeds of dogs, rabbit breeds were generally created by humans at different times for different purposes and vary in physical characteristics, care requirements, and temperaments just as the various dog breeds do. There are over 47 rabbit breeds recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in the United States. There are many more breeds of rabbits worldwide.
History
Phoenician sailors visiting the coast of Spain circa 1100 B.C.E., mistaking the European rabbit for a species from their homeland, gave it the name i-shepan-ham. A corruption of this name, used by the Romans, became the Latin name for Spain, Hispania. In Rome rabbits were raised in large walled colonies. These captive rabbits were raised as food and permitted to interbreed at will.
Selective breeding of rabbits began in the Middle Ages, when they were first treated as domesticated farm animals. By the 1500s, several new breeds of different colors and sizes were being recorded.
In the 1800s, as animal fancy in general began to emerge, rabbit fanciers began to attend rabbit shows in Western Europe and the United States. Breeds were created and modified for the purpose of exhibition, a departure from the breeds that had been created for food, fur, or wool. The rabbit's emergence as a household pet began during the Victorian era. The domestic rabbit continues to be popular as a show animal and pet. Rabbit shows occur in many places and are sanctioned in Canada and the United States by the American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA).
Rabbits have and continue to be used in laboratory work such as production of antibodies for life-saving vaccines and research of human male reproductive system toxicology. The Environmental Health Perspective, published by the National Institute of Health, states, "The rabbit is an extremely valuable model for studying the effects of chemicals or other stimuli on the male reproductive system." According to the Humane Society of the United States, rabbits are also used extensively in the study of bronchial asthma, stroke prevention treatments, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and cancer. Animal rights activists have opposed animal experimentation for non-medical purposes, such as the testing of cosmetic and cleaning products, which has resulted in decreased the use of rabbits in these areas.
Rabbits as pets
Rabbits have been kept as pets in Western nations since the 1800s. Like all pets, rabbits need a considerable amount of care and attention. Rabbits kept indoors with proper care can expect to live between 9 to 12 years. Rabbits are especially popular as pets during Easter, due to their association with the holiday. However, animal shelters that accept rabbits often complain that during the weeks and months following Easter, there is a rise of unwanted and neglected rabbits that were bought on impulse or as Easter "gifts", especially for children.
House rabbit organizations warn that a rabbit does not make a good pet for small children because they do not know how to stay quiet, calm, and gentle around the rabbit. As prey animals, rabbits are alert, timid creatures that startle easily. They have fragile bones, especially in their backs, that require support on the belly and bottom when picked up. A scared bunny may bite or scratch a child holding it in a precarious grip and be dropped, seriously injuring the animal, or kick hard enough to fracture or break their own backs. Children 10 years old and older tend to have the maturity and skill required to care for a rabbit.
Acquiring a rabbit
There are many rescue groups, humane societies, and local city animal shelters and individuals that have rabbits available for adoption, typically for a small fee. Additionally, reputable breeders and some pet stores sell rabbits. Pet stores are often considered the least preferable place to acquire a new rabbit as the rabbit's history is unknown, and many come from pet farms with poor conditions. Some stores, however, do document the history of their stock, which can be used to verify their environmental conditions.
Socialization with other rabbits
Rabbits are social animals. The process of introducing two rabbits in a common space is called bonding. Until two rabbits are bonded, they tend to fight with each other. Fighting is often the result of territoriality or sexual mounting, which is engaged in by rabbits of both genders upon other rabbits of either gender; this behavior stresses the rabbit being mounted and can make it aggressive toward its cage mate. Bonding rabbits requires additional care to protect against unwanted pregnancy and the spread of disease or parasites.
Training and play
Rabbits can be taught to follow voice commands much like a dog or cat, but they can also be trained to recognize different patterns of the voice. Rabbits can be taught their names, although they recognize the pattern of the noises more than the words. Rabbits can be very playful and enjoy games and toys. Toys keep a rabbit from becoming bored or frustrated. Rabbits have a tendency to chew on items in their space, particularly wires, although some can be encouraged not to chew dangerous or valuable items by offering alternatives such as chew toys. Some pet rabbit owners prevent access to electrical wires by blocking them off or using cord covers, such as corrugated tubing available at hardware stores.
