How To Make a BUNNY Happy

Let's talk about how to make a bunny happy! (Because you have to admit, when they're happy, we're happy too!)

Holland lop show bunny broken sable point (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First things first. How do you know when your bunny is happy? Bunnies love to show it! If your bunny flops on her side and just lies there with her eyes closed, you'll know all is right with her world. She might scare you the first time she does this, and it's not uncommon for a new bunny owner to think something is wrong. Don't worry. Your bunny is just telling you she's happy. It's the happy flop.

Then there's the binky. If your bunny binkies, you know she's on top of the world. Binkies are crazy happy dances. Your bunny will hop in the air, twirl her head and spin around then maybe start running at top speed. Any bunny owner will attest to the great joy it brings to see their bun or buns do the binky dance.

Now, how to keep your bunny content? First and foremost is attending to her chewing needs. Bunnies absolutely love to chew. Phone books are popular with bunnies who love to shred the pages, so make sure you keep all of your old phone books (you might even ask your friends and family for theirs.) A bunny can go through a phone book pretty quickly.

Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are also safe and popular chew toys for bunnies. To make it even more fun, you can take a roll and stuff hay inside for them to dig out.

Boxes and paper bags are also a great source of entertainment for bunnies. You can fill the paper bag with hay, or just put an open paper bag on the floor for the bunnies to crawl into and dig. You'll be surprised at how long they can entertain themselves by playing with the bag.

Cardboard boxes are also an incredibly easy source of entertainment. Take a fairly large box and cut several doorways and windows into it. (Bunnies always prefer to have at least two entrances.) Your bunny will love to go in and dig, chew (making the doorways or windows bigger) and hide away. It's also a great place to put your bunny's haywhich she can eat as well as dig. You can also securely tape a bunch of cardboard boxes together, so the bunnies can run through them and play.

Use your imagination and creativity, and you'll find there are endless ways to turn everyday cardboard boxes into a playground for your bunnies.

By Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. Article Source: EzineArticles

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Pet RABBIT Nutrition 101

One of the most important aspects of properly caring for your pet rabbit is providing him with a healthy, satisfying, and well-balanced diet. Fortunately, doing so is relatively easy, since there is general consensus about what is good for rabbits and a wide range of great food pellet options. 

Rabbits can also eat many of the fruits and veggies that you probably have on your dinner table every night (see below for recommendations and portions).

Bunny in cage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hay 

Hay is an essential component of a rabbit's healthy diet. One reason why is that feeding a rabbit hay on a daily basis seems to reduce rabbits tendencies to pull out and consume or chew on their own hair, which leads to (sometimes very dangerous) hairballs. 

Buy high-quality leafy grass hay, timothy hay or clover hay. Avoid alfalfa hay, as it can sometimes be problematic and has been shown to increase the risk of bladder stones. 

FRESH Water 

Like all creatures, rabbits need fresh water in order to survive. Change water daily or at least every two days. When you change the water, also wash the water bottle or dish thoroughly to get rid of bacteria. 

You may want to use a water bottle that can hang on a cage, as this can reduce the messiness factor. If you prefer to use a bowl, make sure it is sturdy and heavy enough so that your rabbit won't overturn it. 

Yogurt? 

Although it may sound funny, rabbits can actually benefit from yogurt just the same way that humans do. Yogurt is proven to reduce the bad bacteria in the body, balancing out the good bacteria in the process. Many pet rabbits seem to like yogurt and accept it as a part of a balanced daily diet. 

Chew Toys 

As you will quickly learn as a new rabbit owner, bunnies love to bite and chew on things. This is actually essential for good dental health, but the trick is to give them good substances to chew on so they won't be tempted to eat up your furniture or other, more dangerous substances, like wires or electrical cords. 

A dog's chew toy (on the smaller side) can be a great alternative, one which most rabbits seem to enjoy a great deal. Two more natural options are a large bone from a piece of boiled meat, with the bone marrow taken out, or some apple tree branches (the twigs are great roughage and help keep the bunny's intestines clean). 

Rabbits tend to be quite sensitive when it comes to changes in their diet or feeding schedule. In fact, if there is a sudden change or interruption, a rabbit may lose his appetite or become ill.

Therefore, it's important to be consistant. Establish a feeding routine that is easy for you to stick to each and every day. Set your timer and fix the feeding schedule into your own everyday routine. Make sure you have enough rabbit food (whether hay, pellets, veggies, etc.) on hand so that you don't run out unexpectedly. 

Feeding your rabbit a consistent, balanced and healthy diet is one of the best ways to ensure that your pet has a long and happy life as your prized companion. 

by Andrea Austin,

http://www.rabbits-n-bunnies.com

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Keeping RABBITS As Pets

Keeping Rabbits as Pets is Fun Thing To Do

Rabbits will be your perfect family pets because they are very adorable and loveable. Keeping rabbits as pets needs a couple of factors that will help you to take care of them. You have to prepare the space that you can use for exercise. And then it is the time for you to find comfort accommodation for your rabbits. Bedding and food are also important to make them happy living outside or indoors. Meanwhile, keeping rabbits as pets will take a lot of your time every day in order to take care of them. Unlike other smaller pets, you have to give more attention to rabbits because they sometimes can bite and scratch. For those of you who have children, these pets are not suitable for them. But rabbits will become nice friends for older children with the help from their parents to supervise their kids.

Miniature Lop from the United Kingdom Pet's Name :Si (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How to Take Care of Indoor Rabbits

Rabbits are perfect family pets because they love gathering. You have to prepare a couple of important things such as a comfort space for sleep, and box and tray on keeping rabbits as pets. You will have to make sure that your rabbit can play in your garden because they have to achieve vitamin D from the natural sunlight. Rabbits can hang out well with a couple of other pets but you have to be careful with that and supervision is needed on keeping rabbits as pets.

How to Take Care Outdoor Rabbits

The first thing that you have to do in order to feed outdoor rabbits is to build a comfort place for your Rabbit. And it is important for you to apply clean straw. For those of you who have two rabbits with medium- sized you have to build a hutch with the measurements of 60cm x 60cm x 150 cm. But if you have a smaller hutch, you have to consider using a separate run in your garden or you have to do some exercise for your rabbits outside from their cage. You have to build the hutch that will allow shelter when winds come and shade during the summer time. You can build a grass run for the hutch or you can place it in your garden according to your needs. But once again, you have to make the nest area which is protected from the sunlight. You can empty the litter tray day by day and you can clean the hutch easier.

Feeding the Rabbits

Rabbits love fresh vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, watercress, apples and dandelion leaves. But you have to limit the consumption of the vegetables before it is overfed. There are a couple of foods that are not allowed to eat by your rabbits such as potatoes, grass clippings, and lettuce. Those foods will make your rabbits have a problem with their health. You can also try a diet schedule for your rabbits. 75% hay is good enough with the addition of fresh water. Vitamins and nutrients will be provided by a high quality of pellet.

By Kevin Coop http://rabbithutchworld.co.uk/information-pages/rabbit-and-guinea-pig-keeping-articles/looking-after-your-rabbit/ http://rabbithutchworld.co.uk/ Article Source: EzineArticles

Choosing Outdoor Homes For DWARF BUNNIES

When most people think about keeping rabbits or dwarf bunnies they think of a hutch, and if the bunnies are lucky, some sort of enclosure stuck on the front. Fortunately for bunnies, as the pet market increases in size, more types of bunny homes are being sold. Due to the size of their display area most pet shops still sell the traditional wooden rectangle with an enclosed area down one end for sleeping, but if you shop around, particularly online you can find a whole world of homes for your dwarf rabbits.

Young Netherland Dwarf rabbit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The first rule of buying a home for your dwarf bunnies is that bigger is always better, especially if you want happy, healthy and loving bunnies. Rabbits are extremely intelligent and need more from their home environment than somewhere to stretch and eat grass. Ideally you will be able to offer your dwarf bunny time out of its enclosure to run, interact with you, and jump around as all happy bunnies love to. Even so, it is important for you to provide a safe and interesting enclosure for your dwarf rabbits while they are confined.

Two Story Hutch Accommodation

Many of the new hutches on the market have a second floor, which your dwarf bunnies can access by a ramp. These are a wonderful improvement on the old style single level hutches. Just like us, rabbits enjoy space and not having to eat, sleep and use the toilet in the same area. Having an upper floor also gives your bunny a different and interesting view on the world around it. Of the six dwarf bunnies I have known only one didn't like climbing up things and enjoying its new vantage point.

A Bunny Run With a View

Adding a run area to your hutch is always a must. Very few rabbit runs on the market are big enough to give your bunnies room to freely run and jump, but what they do offer goes beyond that. Bunnies need to see what is going on in the world around and feel part of it. You may know your bunny is safe in its enclosure, but unless it can see, it doesn't. Bunnies feel a lot happier and safer if they can see what is going on around them and a run will give this to them. A run will also give your bunny an opportunity to nibble fresh grass, get lots of fresh air and a feeling of being in a natural environment.

Thinking Out of the Bunny Box

When looking for an outdoor enclosure for your dwarf rabbits you can also look at products for other animals. We have an enclosure that is actually designed as a chicken coop, but is ideal for our dwarf bunnies. It is waist height and simply consists of a run area, a nesting box that is up off the floor and importantly a bunny door. The door lets our rabbits out to run about in our garden. Depending on your space and budget there are wooden pens designed for cats or dogs that are suitable and some people even use sheds.

The height of your bunny run is an important factor you should consider. Looking at the height of your dwarf rabbits, and even its height when stretching up, is not a height guide for a rabbit run. Bunnies have exceptional eye sight and a low roof will make them feel enclosed, even if their run covers a wide floor area. Sufficient height will let your bunnies express their happiness by jumping.

Time Out for Running Free

When you choose an enclosure, think about how much time you can spend with your bunnies and if your garden is suitable to let your rabbits run free. Bunnies do not need, or want, to spend all the day running around, but daily exercise is important, and they do need to feel in touch with their surroundings and be stimulated by them. Bunnies are not toys that can be kept in a box and taken out when you want to play with them.

You can also keep your bunnies as house rabbits, but that is anther story all together.

By Lindsay Pollard Lindsay Pollard is the author of Dwarf Bunnies - Hints and Tips Lindsay's site at [http://www.dwarfbunnies.org] Article Source: EzineArticles

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Indoor Vs. Outdoor BUNNIES

Most rabbit lovers insist the only way to properly house a rabbit is indoors because the outdoors, though not impossible (as we'll discuss) poses way too many hazards.

Rabbits are extremely social animals, and just like humans, they can become depressed if they don't get enough attention. Having an indoor bunny is the most popular and safest way to care for a rabbit, and it's the best way to make your bunny a real part of your family.

Domestic bunny (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you're going to keep your bunny indoors, we'll have to talk about bunny proofing. Bunnies love to chew, and they're particularly fond of phone cords, computer wires and Internet cables. (Keep the remote and phone out of bunny's reach too.) It's dangerous for your bunny to chew live wires.

There's a simple fix to protect your bunny (and the wires in your house). You can purchase plastic tubing from Home Depot or Lowe's. You can also get spiral cable wrap from Radio Shack. Or, you can simply make sure all wires are out of reach.

Bunnies also love to chew the baseboard and the edges of doorways. You can try spraying bitter applewhich you can buy at any pet storeon the enticing areas, but most bunnies aren't really bothered by the taste. (Kind of like how we might feel if someone sprayed bittle apple on a hot fudge sunday! Annoying, but not a stopper!)

Ivory Soap is usually more effective. Simply take a bar and rub it along the areas your bunny likes to chew. (Only Ivory Soap though is safe enough for your bunny - others have dangerous chemicals which will irritate Thumper's system.) Reapply after a few weeks (it wears out).

You might also want to get the plastic protectors that cover baseboard and corners purchase these at any home improvement store.

Bunnies also love to chew wood, so you might find they want to gnaw at your table legs, chairs and bookshelves. You can use Ivory on these as well. (Do you think the makers of Ivory had this in mind when they went into production?)

Many bunnies will also love chewing on your rugs. If your bunny is going to have free run of the house, you really don't have many options to avoid this. However, this is by no means a reason not to allow your bunny run time or to allow your bunny free range. The key to preventing bunny destruction is to make sure your bunny has plenty of toys and entertainment. The more they have to do, the less destructive they will be. (You can also supervise them around the rugs and make a loud noise when they go to chew them).

Well... there's more!

Just like with children, you'll need to cover all of your unused electrical outlets. And bunnies love to hide under beds and couches, then dig their way into the underside of that furniture, curl up and go to sleep. At first, you might think it's cute and a nice little hideaway for bunny. But, the bad news is when bunnies snuggle away in the underside; they also tend to pee and poop.

Simply put a board around the base of your bed and couches. (Some people recommend a flat cardboard box, but bunnies eventually chew their way through).

Finally, you need to keep your plants out of reach of the bunnies since the vast majority of them are poisonous to bunnies if eaten. And be careful if you hang your plants from the ceiling. If the leaves fall, you'll need to make sure they are well out-of-reach of the bunny. (If your bunny eats a poisonous plant, call the ASPCA's National Animal Control Poison Agency at 1-888-426-4435).

By Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. Article Source: EzineArticles

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How to Find the Perfect BUNNY For You

How to find the healthiest, happy and placid bunny for your family

This is the question I am asked about most so I thought that I would share this procedure or method that I have devised so that people can make an informed decision on finding a healthy happy bunny and of finding the right breeder to purchase their bunny from.

Bunny in cage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I do think that a good breeder is still the best place to purchase your bunny because you can see first hand the bunny's parents and the breeders other stock and have all your questions answered whereas if you buy your bunny from a pet store where a good percentage of the pet shop staff knows nothing about rabbits or their care are unable to fill in the blanks for you.

So, now for the procedure to follow in finding a healthy and happy bunny: - make a list of several breeders in your area and ring the first breeder on your list and ask if you can come visit them and see the bunnies that they have for sale. You are going to test for smell, sound and handling.

When the breeder takes you down to their rabbit shed check for smell. If you get bowled over by the stench of urine from dirty un-cleaned cages this is not the place to find a happy healthy bunny so make a polite excuse and leave and go check out the next breeder.

If the breeder passes the smell test enter the shed and check out the bunnies whilst keeping your ears tuned for the sound of sneezing or coughing. If you hear a lot of sneezing or coughing once again make a polite excuse and leave and go check out the next breeder on your list.

If the breeder passes the smell and sound test you need to observe how the breeder handles their bunnies, and how the bunny reacts when the breeder opens their cage. If the breeder grabs the bunny by the scruff of the neck and/or the bunny lunges at the breeder, once again make a polite excuse and leave.

When you find a breeder who passes the smell, sound and handling of their bunnies test, you have found a person who looks after their bunnies. Now you can start handling the bunnies and see how placid the bunny is. Don't forget to handle the parents as well. A lot of breeders handle their bunnies on a daily basis and this ensures that most bunnies from this breeder will be gentle and placid.

In conclusion when you go to a breeder's shed it should be neat and tidy the bunny's water bottle should be filled with clean water with no green algae or other debris, the bunny cages should be clean and not stink of urine and faeces. The bunnies should look healthy and calm without any coughing or sneezing and the breeder should handle their bunnies gently but firmly and the bunny should be picked up as you would a small child, by placing their hands on either side of it. The breeder should be able to answer any questions that you may have in relation to bunnies, demonstrate how to hold them, and give you full care instructions. They breeder should also demonstrate how to clip your bunny's nails, carry out a health check and encourage you to ring them if you have any problems or further enquiries.

Don't forget to ask heaps of questions regarding the care and management of bunnies. A breeder who cares enough about their stock are more that willing to answer any enquiries that you may have.

I personally encourage people to check that the breeder only breeds for the love of the hobby and not breed for purely monitory gain. I personally dislike breeders who churn out bunnies just for profit without thinking of the bunny's welfare. By not purchasing any bunnies from this type of breeder you are sending them a clear message that you don't like their actions.

(c) September 2007 By Trish Ratford Article Source: EzineArticles

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