#rabbit info

[capt-snoozles]

I know it's a bit late, but I was at the local zoo and thought of you...

Text in the first image (in the picture are the german, french and english translation)

On the red background: European Rabbit - Cute but Dangerous

On the black background: These cute animals are among Australia's worst pests!

Text in the second image: Wild rabbits are also a huge threat. As a result of their rapid population growth, they strip whole landscapes clear of vegetation, leading to erosion. The indigenous rabbit-bandicoot (bilby) loses out. It is driven out of its natural habitat, both its feeding ground and its burrows. Bilbies are on the brink of extinction because of wild rabbits!

And also those guys (not) enjoying our 20 degree Celsius summer weather:

cute but dangerous,,, yeah

also i love that you saw this and went "ah, this reminds me of that guy on tumblr"

[bunnies-and-sunshine]

Everybunny needs a little help sometimes.

I will preface this post with:  DO NOT BATHE A RABBIT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

If you do find yourself in need of cleaning a bun, first try a dry bath using cornstarch.

If that doesn't work, move to a damp washcloth to spot clean the area.

If the first two methods fail, use as little water as possible and try your best to ONLY get the dirty area wet.  Avoid getting the inner ears wet at all costs because it can lead to an ear infection.

Bunny baths are stressful for all involved and should only be used as a last resort.

Through a perfect storm of heavy shedding, something a bit too rich in his diet, and being a senior bun (turns 8 in December), Simon needed a bit of help getting his backside all nice and flowery again.

I gave him breakfast before I started because I knew that he would be cleaning himself off and I wanted him to have food to help him pass any fur he may ingest while doing so.

Once he realized that I wasn't trying to drown him in 1 inch of water, he started cleaning my forearm (that he was draped across like a fluffy little football) while I attended to the mess.  Here he is flicking water all over the wall while enjoying some groovy tunes on the radio.  He was fascinated by the radio, so spent most of his drying off time hanging out there.

Slowly getting drier.  Despite what the above pics look like, the only truly wet parts on him are his hind feet, butt, and tail.  The rest is just a bit of damp that splashed on the top coat (the undercoat and skin was dry).

Typically, it is suggested that you use a cool blow drier setting to help dry their fur, but given that I never use one myself, I think the noise from it would be more stressful to him than it would be worth.

Noogies and a temperature check to make sure the wet fur hasn't made him hypothermic (too cold a body temperature).  He's mostly dry at this point and his temperature was good.  A rough day for the little guy, but he's happily eating hay as I type this.

Going forward, we will be decreasing his pellet ration a bit and offering a few different types of hay as well as limiting treats to one a day.  I imagine that like people, bunnies can start to have trouble digesting higher calorie/richer foods as they age.  A couple of dried cranberries a day is not worth this kind of drama!

[askarabbitbreeder]

Have you had any problems with mature dose and getting pregnant around this time of year if so how did you fix it if you did I hope I can get an answer from you and thank you

In late fall rabbits typically stop mating because the days are shorter. My does usually stop lifting for bucks in late October. I don't breed in the winter because I like to give my herd a break. It is also usually very cold and I have an outdoor rabbitry. Many breeders use light to prevent does from refusing bucks. If you are able to set up lights on a 12 hour timer in your rabbitry then breeding should go back to normal.

[alexanderhoppelton]

Hey everyone! I don’t know if any of you have heard of Bini the bunny but if you haven’t you should totally check him out and SIGN THE PETITION. It would be so great to have a bunny representative to be able to go on Ellen and show everyone how smart and loving bunnies actually are and help inform people about rabbits and how they are the 3rd most abandoned pet, make the world more aware of it and share the love and joy of rabbits with them!!!! Please reblog so as many people as possible see this!

Bini the Bunny

An Open Letter to Ellen DeGeneres from Bini. We have no idea how to contact her, but we trust the internet and you all! Let Bini be the amba

[tom-hanks-is-bae]

If you’re thinking about getting a pet rabbit or have one, then read this.

Ok, this post is to inform people about pet rabbits. Now some bunny moms and dads may know this information but when I first got my rabbit I didn’t know all these things and I needed to.

1. Picking up your rabbit- rabbits don’t usually like to be picked up, it can stress them out, so try and not pick them up unless you’re putting them somewhere, don’t pick them up just because. Also, when you’re picking your rabbit up from anywhere (especially their cage) MAKE SURE to support their back legs. I can’t stress this enough, if your rabbit gets frightened or upset due to you picking them up they may try to thump, and if they thump while there is nothing supporting their back legs IT CAN BREAK THEIR BACK.

2. Food- this is SOOOO important. When I first got my rabbit I just wanted to buy her all these fun treats you see marketed to rabbits... DON’T DO IT. Those yogurt bites or those bright cookies are NOT good for them, their marketing is completely wrong. They say you can give up to 3 a day???? No, they will hurt your rabbits digestive system because they are not built for that. They will eat the heck out of them but it can cause bad times later. Also, all those “fun blends” of food with dried carrots and corn and dried whatever are NOT good. You’re bunny may love it and it may look good for them but it’s NOT. Especially the corn, CORN CAN KILL RABBITS. You can feed your rabbits things like strawberries and apples (NO SEEDS) and carrots etc, but sparingly!!!! They enjoy them but they’re high in sugar. Leafy greens are ok to have a little more often but don’t overdo it! If consumed too often they can have diarrhea. For their food just use pellets, nothing fancy, I promise they will still eat them. AND LOTS OF TIMOTHY HAY!! This is an essential part of their diet, not only do they love Timothy hay, but it helps them digest their food. So Timothy hay should not be skimped it on, it should be the main part of their diet. If you’re wanting to know what treats to give them, my top brand is rosewood, it’s organic (a little pricy) and my bun loves it! I also would look at SOME products from Kaytee, they have some good ones (like Timothy buiscuts) and some bad ones (like the fiesta rabbit food)

Good:

And bad:

And of course also be sparing with these treats as well.

3. Socialization- when people get a rabbit a lot of times they’re infatuated with it for a little bit and then it just becomes another thing in the house. DO NOT DO THIS. Rabbits are very social animals who require attention, if they are neglected then they can get depressed and just bad in general. You need to socialize with you’re rabbit and bond with it! Get it some toys! (But toys won’t replace human interaction!) if you’re getting one for your kids, don’t let them not pay attention to them. They are not a game that you can get rid of once you’re tired of it.

4. Cage&litter box- get a spacious cage! I’m actually going to make mine even larger and just build one coming up soon, but rabbits need space to lay out and be able to hop. And example of a bad cage is the one in that video where the rabbit is jumping out of it:

That cage is wayyy to small. Also don’t get a wire bottom cage, would that be comfy to you? I line my cage with aspen shavings, they’re natural and they love them. Now to the litter box. A lot of the time pet stores sell litter boxes that look like this

This is NOT big enough. Rabbits love their litter box and if you’re cage does not accommodate one AT LEAST have a large one for when you’re rabbit is out and roaming. I got a large plastic one (that was probably meant for cats) at the dollar store for $1! My rabbit can flop all the way out in it and still have room! A litter box should have litter and Timothy hay.

5. When you’re rabbit is roaming- if you are home, let your rabbit roam! They are very curious and love to explore. Set their big litter box out and I also suggest getting them safe things, for example I have a cat house and a big pillow for my bun and she loves them! Also rabbits WILL chew on things, base boards, furniture, wires etc. So I suggest you get some protective coverings for the wires if nothing else, it can be dangerous if they chew on them especially if plugged in or ingested. If you want to limit where you’re rabbit can go, just get a play pen you can set out, big enough for them to run and play in! Fold it up when you’re done!

6. Behavior- There are many ways your rabbit can tell you how it’s feeling, some of those things are: thumping- this means you’re rabbit is scared/senses a potential threat or is upset

Binky- a binky is something rabbits do when they’re reallllyyyy happy don’t get scared if you’re rabbit does this, it will run and jump suddenly often twisting its body and head.

Flopping- if you’re rabbit flops it means that they are very happy and feel safe, flopping is a position that makes them vulnerable.

Chin rubbing- you may see your rabbit rub its chin on certain items, this is their way of saying “I like this, this is mine now”

Bunny butt- this is when you’re rabbit puts its bottom towards you and looks at you over its bottom, it’s basically just saying “I’m not feeling it”

Screaming- THIS IS BIG, if you’re rabbit screams it means that it is in terrible pain and needs to be assessed IMMEDIATELY.

Nipping/ biting- this is a little complex because nipping and biting can both be signs of aggression and agitation and need to be monitored however nipping can also be a grooming technique, for example my rabbit licks me if whatever she’s licking is bare (also, rabbits lick for affection, not salt!) but if she gets to a clothed part of me she nips because it’s like hair. If biting/nipping persists DO NOT EVER hit or “spank” you’re rabbit, they are fragile. If it is something that really needs to be fixed (I only recommend this in desperate situations because it can scare the rabbit) then each time you’re rabbit bites you, scream. Scream a loud, high pitched scream, not a long one either. This is what rabbits do when they get hurt so eventually your rabbit will realize it is hurting you.

Spraying- I don’t have as much knowledge on this particular behavior because my rabbit has never done it, all it is is marking territory but can be messy sometimes.

Well, that’s all I have for now, I hope this post is helpful and helps keep pet rabbits safer! Just remember rabbits are A LOT of work, more than a dog or cat, so you need to be committed.

[bonesybun]

I know this may be a little controversial to some, but Bones needs to get his nails trimmed again soon. I cannot spend the money to have the vet do it for me again. Getting hands on and being able to physically handle my rabbit is one of the areas where I have admittedly slacked as an owner. He doesn’t seem to like it too much, but I have been acclimating him to being handled by me more. I think it’s actually making our bonding a little bit better. Yes, he’s mad immediately after I place my hand over his head and on his behind to pacify him enough to let me examine his claws up close without struggling. He doesn’t like when I put my hand underneath is chest and paws to stand him up. But those few foot flicks haven’t stopped him from spending time under my desk when I’m working or studying and following me to the other side of the room if I need to go there. While I’m at this, I’ve also been practicing picking him up and holding him, and rewarding him with treats afterwards. No carrier. No vet visit. Just being picked up for a few minutes, being pet, maybe even sitting down; and letting him go after a minute to receive some papaya. He’s gotten a lot better with it. if I sit down on the bed with him, I don’t even restrain him. I’ve been doing it on “you’re free to go whenever you want” terms. He’ll stay to be pet, but as soon as I stop he’ll casually walk onto the bed. He clearly doesn’t like the being picked up part, but he doesn’t FIGHT like he used to. And in a way, he IS enjoying the extra engagement. I think every rabbit owner needs to commit some time to doing this. I know the general consensus on bunblr is usually “don’t do it unless you need to,” and a lot of info I studied when I first became an owner advised against it, but really, your vet will probably really appreciate it! And who knows, every rabbit has a different threshold for handling, and I’d advise that you never let your guests do it(unless your rabbit is a freak that loves it) but if you can acclimate your rabbit to this, you just might find that they enjoy the comfort of sitting in your lap being pet gratuitously. Rabbits like to be treated like royalty. And like royalty, they might not be so keen on being handled. But there’s a time and place for it, and you and your rabbit need to both be trained for it.

[askarabbitbreeder]

I'm happy to see ARBA updated their article on Easter bunnies. They have this on the front page of their new website.

[askarabbitbreeder]

I need help with my sisters rabbit. She got into some candy (smarties not chocolate) and the vet isn’t open yet. She’s drinking water, has grass hay, and going to the bathroom (but it’s not it’s normal shape). But she’s not eating much, is kinda lethargic, and sounds like she’s grinding her teeth. It’s already been a few fours but I’m still worried. Can I go to sleep until the vet is open tomorrow or should I stay up with her just in case?

I am not a vet, however I have had rabbits sneak all sorts of food from me when I'm not looking. The strangest was when Tesla ate some of my spaghetti.

Do you know how many smarties she ate? In Canada smarties have chocolate in the middle but in the US they are a tablet candy. What she ate and how many is important in determining what care she will need. Typically rabbits can digest small amounts of random foods just fine.

It takes rabbits 24 hours to digest so her fecal pellets shouldn't look different because of the smarties yet. Are the pellets smaller, a different colour or sticky? If at any point she starts to have diarrhea you will need to offer her "bunny gatorade", I will add a picture of the recipe for that.

It's good she is drinking and eating hay, you could try offering some chunks of pineapple or papaya to her. If she refuses to eat that and stops eating hay I would recommend she sees the vet right away. I also recommend rabbit owners buy a product called "Critical Care" from their vet, it is very helpful in situations like this.

Bunny gatorade should help with the lethargy, the tooth grinding is likely due to stomach pain. When you listen to her stomach if you hear lots of gurgles it's a good sign that her gut is still moving and she has not gone into GI stasis. Personally I would check on her every two hours looking for any changes in behaviour. If she is still looking ill when the vet is open I recommend taking her incase she gets an intestinal blockage from the smarties.