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Everything You Need to Know About Rabbits!

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A runny nose on a rabbit needs to be taken care of ASAP. Rabbits only breathe through their nose so any kind of blockage is detrimental to their health. Be sure to take her/him to the vet if sneezing persists, clean the nostrils with a warm damp washcloth, and monitor closely.

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The Upside of Getting your Rabbit a Companion

As with any animal, adding a second one to the mix can always seem like not the best idea. There's more work, more cleaning, concerns about them getting along and many other speed bumps. But the rewards of such efforts benefit both rabbits and you if you put the time into it. Domesticated rabbits are quite social animals, and generally benefit from a furry companion. European rabbits, (domesticated rabbits ancestors), have a need to live in groups, which in turn has deeply ingrained the bunnies you see at pet stores with a need to have friends.  It's quite lovely watching them groom each other, snuggle, and play, and in my opinion is worth the extra work.

Although there are not rules set in stone to what age, breed, and gender will be the best mate for your rabbit, I always recommend a spayed and neutered female-male pair. They seem to have the lovey-dovey, marriage type relationship that makes people swoon. However, male to male and female to female pairs work well, but watch for territorial behavior. This goes double for unaltered animals. You may notice the alpha rabbit not using the litter-box as well as he/she did before. Random droppings are usually a way of a rabbit saying "hey this is mine", and is best fixed by spaying/neutering, or very strict litter-box training. Face-mounting and regular mounting is also very common in any pairs and may freak you out at first. This is another dominate behavior, that is usually very frequent at first but dies down as the rabbits bond with each other. My pair are both females, and the albino still occasionally mounts the mini lops head. Catching them in the act and correcting the behavior usually gets the point across, but still expect the occasional hump. 

The best way to introduce to rabbits to each other is gradually. Make sure you keep them in separate cages at first, as rabbits can be very territorial of their homes. Over time, the little ones will begin playing together, maybe even allowing the other one to hop around in their opened cage to explore and even re-decorate. Very closely bonded rabbits will start to nuzzle and snuggle together, (which is an overload of cute). Grooming for rabbits is very important. If rabbits groom each other at all that indicates affection. A few nips near the butt also can be an affection thing believe it or not, just make sure you monitor them and watch for missing fur or distress from either party. Never leave them alone together until you know for sure they're bonded. 

You'll notice a lot of pros to having two rabbits. Rabbits are very emotional creatures, and can get very depressed if bored. With two of them, there's always excitement and in turn may give you more time to do the things you need to do. Litter training may even be easier if one rabbit start copying the others good behavior.

In closing, a second rabbit to your household can be a rewarding, awesome experience for any rabbit owner. I highly suggest owning a pair from personal experience, and I hope this entry helped you!

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On a weekend in mid-September 2012, my boyfriend and I were spending the cloudy day together, shopping for things we needed for our new condo. As we conversed over some greasy lunch, I mentioned to him how much we needed a pet in our new condo. Being the impulsive people that we were, our grocery shopping turned into us commuting to local pet stores and gazing inside glass aquariums at different animals.

Now, most people that read a heartwarming story about a pet expect it to be a dog or maybe even a cat. I'm not going to lie, I wan't looking for her. But something about her stood out. I looked at the ferret enclosure and quickly realized I did not have the finances to afford taking one on, I looked at the rats and mice but wanted something bigger. Then, towards the front of the store a little white ball of fluff caught my eye. She had to have been 2 or 3 pounds, albino, and a little scraggly looking. Unlike her bunny friends she shared a home with, she was thinner and more timid. One of the pet store clerks immediately noticed my peaked interest and told me about how albino animals can sometimes have the hardest time getting adopted. "They can't get past the red eyes", she stated, reaching into the cage and stroking her forehead, "would you like to hold her?" I agreed and she handed her to me. She was very soft, and a little shaken. I could feel her fear as she nuzzled her head closer into my chest.

I knew at that moment she was mine. She put on a good act at the pet store though, because soon enough she was a tyrant. Hopping on top of my kitchen table to find goodies, bolting up and down the hallway at light-speed  fussing about me litter-training her, playfully nipping my ankles as I ran around the house trying to clean up her messes. But as much as she could be downright rude one minute, she slowly started being sweet. Randomly leaping onto the couch next to me and bowing her head down to be petted, nuzzling my hand and licking me. A lot of people ask me how I can understand an animal's feelings for me when they are nearly mute , it's simple. The way they gaze at you, the way they run to the cage door when you come home, and the body language that just says "please pet me!"

Bean is now about a year old. She has gained weight and is the epitome of great health. Her spunky, crazy attitude has not only made me love her more and more, but has created a new found hobby and passion of everything that has to do with domesticated rabbits. I created this blog in hopes I can inform people about owning a rabbit, and spreading all sorts of cute.

Thank you for your time.