RABBIT BEHAVIOUR DAY!
Want to find out more about your rabbit’s behaviour and what it means??? Then this could be the course for you…
Suzanne Rogers is running a rabbit behaviour day. The day includes such topics as: wild rabbits and what we can learn from them, how to provide the best possible home for them, behaviour problems, what your rabbit is trying to tell you and much, much, more!
Suzanne has plenty of hands on experience and acts as an animal consultant for several animal welfare organisations – you can read more about her at the link included here: http://www.
The day is open to all and promises to be lots of fun as well as full of useful information. Why not go along and meet new friends… making contact with other bunny enthusiasts is always a good move.
Animal Behaviour Day takes place on: 26th February. The address is Effingham/Buckingham, Post code: KT24 5ND
Time: 10am until 4pm so a packed lunch is advisable.
Cost £20 – £15 for members. Consider it in the light of a present to your bunny…. J
The Sport Of Rabbit Jumping
For those of you who are new to the sport of Rabbit Jumping let me first explain a little about its’ origins. Rabbit Jumping or ‘Kaninhoppning’ began life in Sweden in the early eighties, some thirty years ago. Basically it involves bunnies having to bounce their way around an obstacle course that is made up of jumps of varying height and length. The idea behind this sport is simple: Rabbits are seen to be natural hoppers and so it is this energy that is being harnessed. The sport is timed and so the winner of the course is the fastest to complete without fault. Owners of Rabbits that compete assure me that the rabbits are completely happy to do this and that they would never force an animal to jump if it didn’t want to.
Now it seems the sport is taking off in the U.K too. The Burgess Premier Small Animal Show in Harrowgate (Saturday 28th - 9.00-16.00 – and Sunday 29th January) is hosting an event that is being billed as the only Rabbit Grand National to take place in the country. Here’s what Naomi Chatterley, Marketing Manager at Burgess Pet Care and the Small Animal Show Sponsor has to say about the event:
“Rabbits are natural hoppers and, because of their agility, it’s natural and healthy for them to hop. Rabbit jumping is fun for owners and rabbits alike, but these rabbits have been specially trained for jumping and travelling. While we wouldn’t encourage just anyone to do this with their own pet rabbit, it does demonstrate to people who might be thinking of getting a pet rabbit, just how much exercise and space they do actually need.
A trainer/owner recently explained the rudimentary aspects of the sport to me as this: The training for rabbit hopping starts with getting the rabbit to walk happily on a lead. Once this is achieved the rabbit is presented with very small obstacles and encouraged to go over them. Praise and treats are offered as rewards for the correct behaviour. As time goes on and the rabbit begins to get the idea of what is required then the obstacles are made slightly larger. Jumps of eight to twelve inches in height are fairly average. Never force a rabbit to go over a jump. This kind of training is an accepted classic approach and is done through the positive reinforcement of the reward system.
So what do you folk think? Is Rabbit hopping for you or perhaps more importantly your rabbit? I ask this question out a general curiosity only. And at this point I do freely admit that I have never actually witnessed a rabbit hopping event and so am not equipped to make any kind of comment on this sport myself. I can however imagine my own bunnies having to do it and am not sure what they might make of the whole thing, but then my bunnies are lucky enough to have a whole garden to run about and play in, in whatever manner they choose and so it is not, for us, an issue.
Perhaps you are dead set against or perhaps you own a champion Bunny Hopper as it were… whatever your opinion we want to hear it. But whatever you or I might think it certainly looks as if this sport is here to stay.
DESIGNING YOUR RABBIT’S DREAM HOME….
We must all have thought at some time or other of how nice it would be to design our very own rabbit’s dream home and then even better it become a reality… well this is what has happened for a number of just such aspiring young owners. Caitlin Lethbridge, five from Harrogate, Lara Lewis, 10 from Jersey, and Charlotte McLatchie, 14 from Doncaster, have taken the top spots in The Burgess Premier Small Animal Show’s My Pet Palace competition, which encouraged budding young artists and small animal lovers from across the UK to design their pet a palace of the future. You can see these grand designs at http://www.thesmallanimalshow.
So what might a rabbit’s ideal home include? Space to move around and play certainly and somewhere to hide and sleep safely too – it would also need to take into account the climate of the area you live in – so plenty of airy spaces and shading for a hot climate and likewise insulation for colder climates. Another important aspect would well be access to a large outdoor play area where the rabbit can hop about in complete freedom and without the stress of predators. It may even have an extension so that your rabbit could choose a change of scene if it wished. Just think how happy your rabbit would be if this is what it had.
But with the best will in the world we are not always able to give our bunnies exactly what we might like as time and money are often in the way of such dreams. And yet…. there are sometimes ways in which we can overcome even these most practical of considerations. Here’s a little story I came across recently.
Jenny, like ourselves dreamed of a rabbit palace for her beloved pets. She knew she would never be able to achieve such a thing on her own and so she took the unprecedented step of placing an ad in the local paper. It read: Aspiring Rabbit Enthusiast wanted for shared Palace building! It was an unusual ad and amazingly she drew in over thirty responses. From this a rabbit support club grew and between them they pooled resources and skills. Currently eight rabbits now have their own ‘Palace’.
Is this a true story???? Well that is for you to decide but one thing I will say is this. Whether it is true or not it is actually perfectly plausible, because a basic rule of humanity is that if you desire it then, there are certainly others out there that do too; for no man is an island as they say and as such we are never alone in our thoughts.
Well, what do you think, could you make this happen for your bunny??? Why not take heart from this and give it a try. After all there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you cannot afford an advert in the paper (they can be expensive) then you could place ads in local shop windows, or on supermarket notice boards or simply spread the word by talking to others. Whatever you decide though be sure to let us know!
* Pinky in the house donated by Nina Karnicnik
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY – 29 FEBRUARY EVENING OF RABBIT LECTURES
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU LIVING NORTH OF THE BORDER….in Edinburgh to be precise
Buddies Bunny Rescue is holding an evening of rabbit lectures at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. These lectures are aimed at ALL rabbit owners, workers and anyone with an interest in rabbits. Please do not be put off by the word lecture – the night is aimed to be informal and accessible to all. There will be time given to a question and answer session too.
The theme of the night’s lectures will be: What every rabbit owner should know. It aims to include: Animal Welfare Law, Diet, Dietary Complications, Obesity, Dental Disease, Urine Scalding, Flystrike & E.Cuniculi. The speaker will be Elisabetta Mancinelli
Also a further talk is planned entitled: Health checks and preventative medicine in rabbits” With Kevin Eatwell
This event will be held on Wednesday 29th February @ 7pm at the RDSVS Small Animal Hospital, Easter Bush Estate, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG
Tickets are priced at £7, refreshments available. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO BUDDIES BUNNY RESCUE.
Booking essential – for more details please email: buddiesbunnies@hotmail.co.uk
We hope to see lots of you there on the night!
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY 10 MARCH CHARITY BAG PACK!!
Not for the faint hearted this one… although common knowledge amongst my friends it is not generally known that I first met my husband (bless him) whilst doing a charity bag pack at Morrison’s in Penrith… however I digress. What I should really be telling you is this: On Saturday 10th March at Morrison’s Supermarket Solihull (George Road, B91 3BQ) there will be a chance for you to lend a hand in the self same way.If you have an hour to spend (or more if you wish) to help fundraise – you could combine it with your weekly shop… who knows what you may come away with…
More details at: www.tinyurl.com/
If you would like any further information then please e-mail abi@fatfluffs.com
Events co-ordinator
Registered Charity 1124870
ARE YOU GOING TO THE EVENT OF THE YEAR????
AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR SMALL ANIMAL LOVERS…. The Burgess Premier Small Animal Show which incidentally is celebrating its 90th year this year is all set to go and it looks like it’s’ going to be a MAMOTH EVENT. The event, which is organised by the Bradford Small Livestock society, takes place on 28th and 29th January 2012 in Harrogate. The organisers say they are expecting more than 10.000 visitors. So nothing small about it really as the dynamic, live Two-Day Event is packed full of hundreds of different breeds, amazing animal displays, and fun and informative talks and demonstrations.
For further information on the Burgess Premier Small Animal Show visit www.smallanimalshow.co.
or contact Michael Fox, BSLS Show Director, at michael@foxwood70.freeserve.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY 24 FEB – FAT FLUFFS PUB QUIZ
The second event to take place is a Pub Quiz at The Highwood (Highwood Avenue,B92 85X). The night is informal and aims at having fun whilst raising money for those lovely bunnies. Tickets are £5 and included in the price is a delicious supper. Come with friends or join a team on the night either way there will be a very warm welcome. To book tickets contact: www.tinyurl.com/FatFluffsQuiz
Look forward to seeing you there… Saturday 24th Feb.
GIVE ME SUNSHINE!!!
Don’t believe it’s possible, well read on…
The charity arm of the Rabbit Welfare Fund Organisation has joined forces with the Sunshine Lottery scheme. What this means for you is that you get the chance to win enough money to bring out your personal bit of sunshine and help rabbits at the same time. To find out more follow:
https://weatherfunds.co.uk/playonline.php?scheme=RABWF
To play follow:
https://weatherfunds.co.uk/categories/players/join-sunshine.php?code=RABWF
Whatever you do though don’t forget to keep spreading the word… A HUTCH IS NOT ENOUGH!!!
http://rabbitwelfare.blogspot.com/2011/11/weather-is-lottery-literally.html
THE SAD FACTS ABOUT OUR RABBITS……
THE SAD BAD FACTS ABOUT OUR RABBITS… and how to combat them with the help of an exciting new initiative from the PDSA
There’s a question that is often asked isn’t there when someone has come to you with bad tidings… it goes like this: What do you want first, the good or the bad news? And that’s the predicament I’m in today. Because I do have to pass on some sad, bad facts about the state of the populations rabbits, that we none of us will enjoy reading, yet all of us ought to know. Why? Because forewarned is forearmed and prevention is better than cure. And if we are truly committed to do the best by our rabbits then we have to face the facts.
So I’m afraid the bad news is this:
- Recent research by the PDSA has shown that over 430,000 bunnies are eating a diet that includes toast, biscuits, cake, cheese and crisps – a far cry indeed from the hay, fresh greens and rabbit nuggets that they should eat.
- By feeding this kind of food to our rabbits we are causing them serious health issues – Weight gain can lead to sore feet, which may eventually bleed or worse, become infected. Joints become stiff and predisposed to arthritis. Heart problems become more prevalent, with a 50% increase in the likelihood of the rabbit suffering a heart attack.
- In this unhealthy state they are less able to reach their caecotrophs and so become dirty around the tail – this causes skin sores, which leads to flystrike and a particularly agonising death in many cases.
- Fat rabbits have a significantly lower survival rate when undergoing surgery and anaesthesia than slim rabbits.
But weight gain can happen even in the best of homes. In the first place they have naturally large abdomens and we are used to seeing what we already think of as fat. Couple this with a thick fur coat and it’s the perfect disguise isn’t it.
So how do we decide if our rabbits are fat? Well, if you have a purebred rabbit there are guidelines as to what constitutes a healthy weight – these will be readily available online or from your vet. But if you don’t have a purebred it can be a little trickier. The recommended advice therefore is to try to assess body condition.
Here’s how:
- Feel the rabbit gently around the hips, ribs and spine to try and detect whether there is a reasonable but not excessive amount of fat underneath the skin.
- In male rabbits the presence of a large dewlap underneath the chin indicates that fat is being laid down. Please note this is not the case for females.
- You can also check out this link: http://www.pfma.org.uk/petometer.html
Now for some better news because… PDSA IS BACK !!!
And with a vengeance too, as the registered pet charity re-news its’ campaign to keep our pets fit with masses of help, advice and support plus the chance to WIN the opportunity to take part in a six month weight loss programme. (Closing date – 25th November).
In the meantime though here are some everyday quick tips to help our rabbits keep in tip top condition:
- Key to staying healthy is diet AND exercise.
- Think green – feed your rabbit fresh grass whenever possible. Never let grass stand around for too long though once it’s been cut as it can ferment and cause serious stomach problems.
- Hay and grass supplies all the nutrients a rabbit needs.
- If you supplement with a pelleted food an eggcup full twice daily should be ample for most rabbits.
- Older rabbits and those that are underweight or have dental problems should be checked over by a vet and advice on diet taken.
- Encourage play and foraging by keeping rabbits together and supplying special rabbit toys and pelle ted food mix around the exercise space.
So that’s the facts, the bad and the good. And the best fact of all is that we are not alone in our quest to raise the profile of our rabbits health and well being.
To join the PDSA FIT CLUB please visit: http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-health-advice/pdsa-pet-fit-
A Hutch Is Not Enough
CHECK OUT THE CHANGES… WE WANT YOU TO GET INVOLVED AT…
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/involved/index.php
We think you’ll like what you find too. ‘RABBITING ON’ – More than just talk…
Packed full of top quality articles and advice about rabbit care we intend to raise the roof for our rabbits! So why not join us when we say A HUTCH IS NOT ENOUGH BECAUSE OUR RABBITS DESERVE BETTER…
By Joining the association you’ll be helping rabbits all over the world – the more of you join the stronger we get and the louder we clout… click on that link now and add your voice to the throng. We will not be content until our rabbits get the respect and love that is their due.
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/join/index.php
A hutch is not enough
www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk
Reg Charity 1085689