Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

Amid all the snow that has landed on much of the UK, spare a thought for our furry friends outside in hutches and burrows. Yes, it’s National Rabbit Week, a celebration that includes seven days of “Healthy Hopper” rabbit MOTs, pet shop promotions and the Bradford Excel Small Livestock Show. Answers has lots of avid rabbit enthusiasts, asking and answering in the pets category so we thought we’d also mark the week here on Answers too.

Answers user Kangaroo has a rabbit and is curious whether their coats change colour in the winter. It’s a topical question, given today’s cold weather. “My lionhead rabbit was a browny-grey colour when I got him in October. Now he is completely grey with black around the top of his head. Is it because he’s getting older or is it a winter coat?”

Thankfully Devilishblueyes has the answer: “Dark coloured rabbits such a black rabbits will tend to get a brownish tint to their fur due to the sun hitting their fur. During the winter the sun isn’t as intense. When the rabbit gets it’s winter coat and all of the fur that has been tinted brown by the sun has moulted out, the rabbit’s true fur colour shows.”

Pamrats wanted to know about “house” rabbits and whether they make good pets. Nix C is quick to explain that it depends on your rabbit’s natural temperament. “If you have a natural chewer … you may want to keep it outside. Even if they don’t chew you will need to make sure all wires are kept out of their reach or in cable protectors… They are programmed to chew through roots which are in their way, and wires=roots!”

Paul.sperring1 has another issue: his rabbit is grumpy! Yes, while somehow rabbits give off the impression of being at all time docile and friendly animals, clearly even they get out of the wrong side of the hutch now and then. “He doesn’t like to be picked up and gets very stressed. He only likes to be stroked if he approaches me and he will often make a sort of growling noise and box me away with his paws,” explains Paul.

CanineHeroTahoe has an interesting answer: it turns out rabbits don’t like being picked up very much. “The rest of the behaviour isn’t unusual either, but you can work on it… Sitting on the floor while he is out in the room and letting him come to you can be very beneficial… Another idea may be to get a second rabbit. It’s good that your guy is neutered – a spayed female could be a great companion.”

So, got a question of your own for National Rabbit Week? Ask it on Yahoo! Answers or simply browse the pets category. Either way, to our furry friends everywhere: this week’s dedicated to you.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team