Rabbits As Pets In Australia
It is the owner s responsibility to read these guidelines and ensure that all requirements are met.
Rabbits as pets in australia. The lagamorph family includes all rabbits including cottontails and the closely related hare. Rabbits are social and curious animals who can make fantastic pets. It s a great way to introduce the responsibility that pet ownership brings. Home rodents as pets rabbits rabbits are small rodent like mammals called lagamorphs are found either natively or introduced on all continents and many small islands around the world.
An adult 18 years or older must be the primary carer of your rabbit. Unfortunately not every part of australia sees rabbits as pets rather they view them as pests that are not permitted to be kept. Australians have understood rabbits in many different ways as pests pets and a filling for pies. Rabbits make great pets.
The wild rabbit is now considered to be a pest in australia and in states such as queensland keeping a rabbit as a domestic pet is illegal although rabbits may be kept as pets in new south wales and victoria. But contrary to popular belief they are not an easy first pet for a child. It is important that you understand all the requirements for caring for a rabbit before you buy one. Rabbits like all animals have specific needs when it comes to their housing handling food and providing enough interesting and stimulating activities for them to do.
They were bred as food animals probably in cages. Burrow through this website to discover how objects from the national museum s collections reveal the diverse relationships that have developed in australia between rabbits people and places. For children 8 years and older an adult should be the primary carer of the rabbits. Children often refer to them affectionately as bunnies.
Domestic rabbits and european wild rabbits are the same species and readily interbreed. Where are rabbits considered a pest. They cause severe land degradation and soil erosion and threaten the survival of many rare and endangered native species. They are easy to look after and make a wonderful first pet for a child.
The restrictions aren t widespread but here is the run down of what regulations exist where. In general rabbits need appropriate housing exercise socialisation and a specific diet for good welfare. Rabbits are a popular pet in australia and a much loved addition to any family. Rabbits are australia s most destructive agricultural and environmental introduced animal pest costing up to 1 billion annually.