Care FAQ: Difference between revisions
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== General Care == | == General Care == | ||
[http://www.napoleonbunnyparte.com/blogs/care-resouces/34216068-bunny-care-checklist Care Checklist] from Napoleon Bunnyparte | [http://www.napoleonbunnyparte.com/blogs/care-resouces/34216068-bunny-care-checklist Care Checklist] from Napoleon Bunnyparte | ||
== Can a rabbit wear a collar like a cat or dog? == | == Can a rabbit wear a collar like a cat or dog? == | ||
Revision as of 13:32, 19 August 2015
General Care
Care Checklist from Napoleon Bunnyparte
Can a rabbit wear a collar like a cat or dog?
No, rabbits should never wear a collar. A rabbit can break its own neck or strangle itself when the collar catches on something or it tries to get the collar off. The rabbit may also get their jaw or paws stuck in the collar trying to remove it and injure themselves.[1] Additionally, the fur around a rabbit's neck is very thin and rabbit skin is very delicate. Extensive use of a collar can end up with irritated skin from friction, a symptom common with the use of E-collars for injuries.[2] Researchers that used radio collars on rabbits suspected deaths could have been attributed to neck abrasions and other injuries from said collars found on trapped rabbits and observed that there were many accidents with legs or jaws becoming caught under a cable-type collar which were mostly mitigated when switching to a strap-type.[3]
If you are worried about identifying your rabbit in the case that it escapes, please consider microchipping your rabbit. This will allow shelters and veterinarians to identify your rabbit without risking injury with a neck collar.
If you would like to take your rabbit outside for walking, please use a harness. See Walking a Rabbit for more details.
If your rabbit must wear a collar temporarily for whatever reason, use a break away collar for kittens to minimize the danger that the rabbit will accidentally strangle itself and never allow your rabbit to roam unsupervised while wearing one. Make sure the collar is snug to minimize the risk of a limb or jaw caught in the collar.
References
- ↑ Bobby T. Bond, Jacob L. Bowman, Bruce D. Leopold, L. Wes Burger, Jr. and Christopher O. Kochanny, An Improved Radiocollar for Eastern Cottontail Rabbits
- ↑ University of Louisville, Office of Research Services, Research Resources, Vol. I, No. 7. August 2006.
- ↑ Paulo C. Alves, Nuno Ferrand, Klaus Hackländer, Lagomorph Biology: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation