Going Green With Your Pet Rabbit
Being Environmentally conscience is now more important than ever. I found and interesting article packed full of tips on how you can keep your pet rabbit in a “greener” Way. There are many small simple things you can do to keep your pets in a sustainable way.
“One fun approach to be environmentally friendly together with your bunny would be to allow them to gnaw on older phone books. They love the chewing and also the challenge, specifically with massive phone books. You can leave the phone book inside the rabbit cage at all times or you may make certain you keep an eye on him to make sure nothing goes wrong. You are rabbit will have fun even though saving the environment, 1 phone book at a time!”
For more Great Tips check out the link below
Rabbit exhibition held to greet Year of Rabbit
Photo taken on Jan. 13, 2011 shows a Holland lop at the provincial museum in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. A rabbit exhibition was held at the museum on Thursday to greet the traditional Chinese lunar year of Rabbit
You can see the full article and more cute pictures at the link below
http://english.sina.com/life/p/2011/0113/355854.html
If you are considering getting a pet rabbit this year we would recommend that you do your homework first as they are a big commitment. Take a look at our Large Rabbit Hutches if you are thinking of keeping your rabbit outside.
How to Build a Rabbit Hutch
We are often asked for rabbit hutch plans and how to’s for building hutches. I found these instructions online today and they look about the most comprehensive that i have seen.
We have not tried to follow them and have not built a hutch using them but they look like a reasonable place to start so i thought I would share them. In most cases, unless you are particularly good at diy and have all the tools we would recommend that you buy your rabbit hutches.
Here is a list of items you will need from the article
Things You’ll Need
•Staple gun
•12;-inch-long Industrial Staples
•1-inch-long Wood Screws
•3-inch-long Wood Screws
•12;-Inch-thick Treated Plywood
•60 feet of Treated, 2-inch-wide by 4-inch-thick Lumber
•Skill Saw
•20-foot length of 3-foot-wide Wire Mesh
•4 Elbow Joiners
•2 Hinges
•Table Saw
•Chop Saw
•Measuring Tape
•Wire Cutters
to Take a look at the full step by step instructions click here (you will need to scroll down)
Heatstroke the Number One Killer for Pet Rabbits in Summer
Warning Rabbits and Hot sunny Weather do not mix! You must keep an eye on your pets during the summer months. Heat stroke is the number one killer of pet rabbits at this time of year. Each rabbit is different so you must keep an eye on each of them for signs of overheating.
Heres what you need to look for
- laboured breathing
- flaring of the nostrils
- general signs of distress
- salavating
- confusion
- inablility to move
- in sever cases convulsions
Heres what to do
- prevent it happening, see our tips below
- if you rabbits body reaches 104 deg fahrenheit seek emergancy treatment straight away
- If it does happen DO NOT immerse your rabbit in cold water, the shock will cause more harm then good
- use tepid water or a damp towl to gradually reduce your bunnie temperature.
Top 9 Tips to Keep your Rabbits Safe From Heatstroke
- Make sure your bunny is out of the sun, Use a Rabbit Run Shade or Insulsated Hutch cover to keep things cool.
- set up a circulating fan to breeze past your rabbit through the day, use damp towls over your hutch or cage to keep things cool
- Place a marbel or ceramic tile in buns hutch to lie on.
- Use an Rabbit Ice Pod stright from the freezer to keep your rabbits hutch cool all day
- Place a few ice cubes in your rabbits water bowl to keep this cool, your bun will lie up against it to keep cool
- Mist water over your rabbits ears with a fine spray bottle
- Brush out excessive fur or even consider cropping your bunnies coat short for the summer
- Feed lots of fresh veggies to keep your rabbit hydrated
- Be particulary mindfull of young bunnies and adults over 5 these are most prone to heat stoke.
Pet Rabbits love the summer and with these guidelines you will be able to keep them extra cool
How to choose a Rabbit Cage
We all cherish our homes, thinking of them as a refuge, a snug hideaway, a place to relax and to sleep off the stresses and tiredness which day brings. Human health, physical and mental, depends on having a secure, warm habitat. Pets are not so different from ourselves, if perhaps less consciously aware of the reasons they need for a designated ‘me’ space. In fact, if anything, our four -legged friends are even more territorial than we are, and can be quite compulsive in their behaviour towards their own spot.
In the case of rabbits, this is in fact one of the reasons for having one’s pet neutered. Female bunnies, in particular, can develop a rather aggressive habit of lunging at their handler when the door of the rabbit cage is opened. (Of course, if you have rabbits of both sexes you need to have them neutered. Additionally, non-neutered females invariably contract uterine cancer.) That aside, the importance of establishing a comfortable home for your pet cannot be overstated.
Options when it comes to purchasing a rabbit cage are surprisingly wide. In shape, size and construction materials, there is considerable variety. You can house your rabbit out of doors, but don’t forget that these are creatures which in their natural habitat would get to huddle together for warmth within the warren. Therefore, in bad weather it is best to cover the open mesh front. Equally, take precautions against excess heat and avoid a spot that is in direct sunlight.
All hutches need a nesting area with a solid front. This is for cosiness, privacy and darkness. The living area needs a chink-free mesh front with no ragged wire which could damage the occupant. Over time it is necessary to check for stray ends of wire or possible corrosion.
Not every owner chooses to go down the hutch route, but instead some keep their rabbits as house pets. This works fine once Bunny has been trained to use a litter tray. Of vital importance, though, is to have a secure cage for use when no owner is present. Equally, an indoor rabbit must have a sleeping area, the safest option being within the cage.
Inside the rabbit cage, the bedding material options are hay, straw and wood shavings (avoiding aromatic evergreens). Be aware that hay will need to be replenished, as Bunny munches his way through it. Among the really quite engaging accessories is the ‘Super Sleeper Critter Cuddl-E-Cup’. This is a diminutive pet bed lined with imitation lambs wool that has the benefit of being machine washable.
Life can be boring for our long-eared friends. However, they do spend a surprising amount of time eating. This is the way nature keeps their teeth from getting too long. To facilitate this natural eating pattern, hay is essential. Ways to prolong feeding time and reduce boredom including packing a helping of hay into a used water bottle or other narrow-necked container, or stringing up vegetables such as carrots so that they dangle from the cage roof.
Where possible, fresh grass (plucked no more than thirty minutes previously) should be provided. Best of all, give your rabbit access to grazing in the warmer weather. It is, besides, the best food for rabbits, and a great fibre provider. Keep dry food mixes to a minimum.
The domestic bunny when out of its rabbit cage and running around the house will tend to transfer its love of chewing to household objects, given half a chance. If you can’t instantly spot him, this may well be what he is up to. Some suggested solutions include smearing eucalyptus oil or lemon juice on items such as furniture that you know your rabbit tends to target. Whether in or out of the rabbit cage, a well-cared for bunny will give, and hopefully receive, many hundreds of hours of enjoyment in its (relatively) long life.
Darius Crowned World Largest Rabbit.
Darius the Coninental Giant bunny Has been crowned The Biggest Bunny in the World. At over 4′ long and weighing more than 3 1/2 stone he really is a heavy weight and he is still growing.
Initially Ms Edwards thought that Alice would be the pick of the litter but Darius really has proven to be “Big Brother”. A spokesman from Guinness World Records said: “This is the biggest bunny in the world. Darius is bigger than all the previous record holding rabbits. It’s unbelievable that a rabbit could grow to over four-foot long.”
Ms Edwards from Worcester has bred a lot of very large bunnies, here offspting have held the title for quite some time. Darius’s mother Amy also held the title and having had over 30 offspring daruis really is pick of the bunch. These contintal giants are so large they have to live in dog kennels as even the largest rabbit hutch is just not big enough!!
Read the full story in the telegraph.
“The Live in Rabbit” Should I Keep my Rabbit Inside?
Increasingly, the approach being taken towards pet rabbit ownership is to treat them very similarly to guinea pigs and hamsters, i.e. as house pets. That said, no matter how greatly loved, not everyone wants the presence of their rabbit and its odours and little noises 24/7. One solution that suits everybody concerned is to give the rabbit time both in its outdoor (or outbuilding) hutch and time indoors. If this is what you opt for, you will need to make a suitable choice from the range of rabbit cages available. These of course can be obtained from a large number of online stores, including therabbithutchshop.co.uk, as well as high street retailers. These cages, constructed from plastic and metal, are for indoor use only.
In rabbit cages, a solid floor is preferable. Chafing of the feet can result from the mesh of a wire floor. Gauging your rabbit’s size is important when judging whether the cage door is large enough. Sometimes a side door is the better option as it is easier for large rabbits to get in and out.
While, on the one hand, a large rabbit living in an outdoor hutch should really have a home no smaller than five feet x two feet, the indoor cage may be a little smaller, since Bunny will not be spending a great deal of his time in it. The idea is to give your rabbit as many opportunities to run around and enjoy human companionship as possible by allowing him to live indoors. Obviously a cage in which he can be contained is necessary, especially when being left alone. If yours is an outdoor rabbit do nevertheless consider letting Bunny spend his nights in your house (unless the alternative is a good, ventilated yet snug alternative, such as an outhouse, conservatory, garage or utility room).
Top on every rabbit-centred website’s list of warnings is not to let the rabbit be exposed to possible predator attack. This where rabbit hutches, or for that matter rabbit cages, cannot be expected to do the job. Predators, by their very presence, are a threat to a rabbit’s life. Awareness of a fox, even a swooping owl, is enough to stop a rabbit’s heart. The inability to run away is unimaginably stress-inducing. Hence, unless you have very good reason to believe that no such predators ever enter your neighbourhood, the kind way to keep rabbits is inside a secure building, if not on your house itself.
Inside the cage or hutch, you really ought to give the rabbit a place to hide. A rabbit’s need to be screened off in a secure, enclosed space can be traced to life in the burrow. To address this natural urge, give your rabbit a nest or hide. It can take one of a variety of forms; one idea is a basket made from untreated wicker or cane; alternatively you might use a cat litter tray as a nest, or a cardboard box. If using the latter, a good idea is to cut an entrance hole. You can of course buy wooden versions of these small rabbit homes or hides. For snuggling inside his hide, hay is the obvious material for your rabbit, but likely to get eaten. You could choose a fabric such as artificial fleece or purchase a sisal mat. To be avoided are the shavings of evergreen due to the harmful oils which they emit.
In the extensive catalogue of rabbit accoutrements are also transporters especially designed for rabbits, roofed outdoor enclosures of various shapes, the more traditional apex run, playpens and rabbit beds. For rabbit devotees, the shopping possibilities are almost endless!
Rabbit Care Tips on the Web
Our pet rabbit friends – though they may not know it – are beneficiaries of the growing popularity of the World Wide Web. Owners young and old are tapping into advice and information about new products and care procedures etc., when they hop around the Internet. After those owners have got past the sites that are actually about the movie Watership Down and the sites devoted to Beatrix Potter, or to novelist John Updike who wrote Run, Rabbit, Run, there is no excuse for not being clued up on all aspects of bunny care. Added to that, the fact that ordering from afar then having your purchases shipped to your door is now such a common way to shop makes the choice wider than it has ever been.
Websites like www.happyhopper.co.uk, which advise rabbit owners, now abound. Obviously, these sites often double up as, or link to, the suppliers of rabbit cages, rabbit runs, rabbit accessories and rabbit food. Naturally, if you took all of the suggestions and offers on board, you could soon become an exhausted (and penniless) slave to your nose-twitching furry friend.
Indoor rabbit cages and playpens are among the products on our website www.the-rabbit-hutch-shop.com as well as being featured on many other company websites. Indoor rabbit cages made of plastic and/or metal are basically larger models of guinea pig cages. Since they give full 360 degree visibility – keeping all members of the family informed of Bunny’s activities – they are best used in conjunction with a hideaway, a darker mini-house, in which the bunny can nap. There are some fundamental points on which virtually all these websites are in agreement: rabbit cages need to be spacious enough, easy for a (possibly growing) rabbit to get in and out of and easily cleaned. Experts are also adamant that exercise and human contact time out of the cage are the very top priorities.
With rabbit cages and enclosures of all kinds, one inescapable requirement is to try to achieve maximum cleanliness. The best way is to litter-train Thumper, something you might not have imagined to be a possibility. This is not necessarily difficult, though it will of course vary from rabbit to rabbit. First, you need to obtain a litter tray and fill it with suitable material (which could comprise paper pulp, dry grass pellets or compressed sawdust pellets). You could add some droppings, to condition the rabbit to using the tray for ‘evacuating’, before placing it in the rabbit cage. Now, start watching where your rabbit is actually going ‘to the toilet’, if he didn’t choose the tray right from the start. Move the litter tray to this preferred spot. When the habit of using the tray in the cage has been established, the next stage is to let Bunny out of the cage in a demarcated area. In this area, too, you should now place a litter tray. When you detect that your rabbit is on the point of defecating or urinating, coax him at once towards the tray.
While you should definitely never scold or punish the rabbit for failing to ‘go’ in the right spot, rewards can be connected with behaviour in the mind of the rabbit, so you might therefore choose to give a treat, but you need to do this straight away, without delay.
Since rabbits at play tend to defecate frequently, it is a good idea to take your bunny on a little ‘visit’ to his tray as often as once every ten minutes. Owners fortunate enough to possess rabbits which have become fully litter trained end up with highly cleanable rabbit cages and hutches. As a bonus, they are able to allow their pets the run of the home. Be aware, nevertheless, that accidents will continue to happen, on occasion. Be tolerant and where possible remind without reprimand that the litter tray is the place to go.
For more tips on training rabbits, or on purchasing rabbit cages, pens, litter and other items, take a look at http://www.happyhopper.co.uk and www.therabbithouse.com.
Top Bunny Care: Things to Consider Before Buying a Pet Rabbit
Rabbit Hutches, Rabbit Runs, Rabbit Accessories and Rabbit Food are subjects of great interest to rabbit owners – and rabbits, too, as they would tell us, if they could talk. It is worth getting all of these right from Day One, to be sure of giving your pet bunny the happiest life possible.
The most vulnerable part of the hutch is the spot where your rabbit most frequently urinates. Naturally, the resulting wetness can begin to rot the hutch floor, no matter what it is made of. Among the solutions are: when you first get your hutch, treat it inside with a wood treatment, such as Good for Wood, or similar wax-based product; carry out frequent hutch cleaning, including scraping the wet matter as this should ensure that Bunny continues to use just one area as a lavatory. Otherwise, the rabbit will be driven to select other corners as the original one becomes too dirty. Always have an adequate covering of shavings on the hutch floor, especially thick in that toilet area. Best of all, buy a litter tray, which of course acts as a barrier between the urine and the wood floor.
The next most vulnerable part of the hutch is the roof. This needs to have a covering of roofing felt or asphalt for protection against water penetration. Normally, such roof protection comes as standard. Being sure never to place objects on top will prolong the life of the roof. Probably the best design is the apex roof. For one thing, one isn’t tempted to store anything on top! Secondly, just like a house, the hutch with an apex roof has the least risk of rainwater getting in. Generally, the entire exterior of a rabbit hutch needs to be retreated regularly always with an animal-friendly product.
Let’s stray from the subject of Rabbit Hutches, for a moment, to one that exerts greater fascination: food. Rabbits are cheap and easy to keep as far as feeding goes. Roughage is important, partly as a means of preventing hairballs from forming. The best way to provide this is by giving the rabbit a daily supply of hay. Munching standard meadow hay has the added benefit of chasing away boredom. Younger rabbits can benefit from the nutrients found in alfalfa hay.
Next in importance are leafy vegetables and the green stalks chopped off when human food is being prepared. Go easy on vegetables that are high in calcium, such as broccoli and kale. Provided you haven’t been using any weed killer or other chemicals, the free food from your garden, especially rabbits’ great favourite, dandelion leaves, can be given. Grass is the most obvious free food, but rather than taking it to your pet, allows the rabbit outdoor time in a run or pen when he can do his own grazing for himself!
Rabbits can eat a small amount of fruit too, but not so much as would cause diarrhoea. Bananas, apples, peeled oranges and nectarines are fine, in small quantities.
Material comforts are, of course, not enough. That makes the next priority human attention. This should take the form of handling and stroking, but not teasing. It is for this reason that many people advocate indoor living for pet rabbits. If the bunny gets to be part of the family, hopping around the living room (supervised, of course), approaching human family members for cuddles, and learning to relax in the humans’ environment, then everyone gains. (It needs to be said that at no time should a rabbit be loose on its own in a room with electrical wires, since chewing through those is likely to be its very first thought!)
To take the companionship theme a little further, rabbits can be trained to be taken for walks. Admittedly, it won’t be like walking the dog, since your bunny doesn’t tend to maintain the same pace and rhythm as its human companion. More accurately, putting your rabbit on harness and lead is more likely to result in mooching around the garden, than actual walking! You can buy a soft, purpose-designed harness and lightweight lead from most pet supply companies. Additional accessories to help with the bonding process include grooming items and toys. The latter can take the form of found objects, such as cardboard boxes and tubes, balls made by crumpling up newspaper and empty cotton reels (not the tiniest). Plastic toys in the form of rattles, balls and tunnels can be purchased. While some of these can be placed in Rabbit Hutches to give the inhabitant a little diversion, the best place for toys is in the pen, whether indoors or out.
If trawling the market, whether for Rabbit Hutches at one extreme or small accessories at the end, be sure to look for recommendations and customer comments on the web, before you plump for a specific product.
Gimmie Shelter – Rabbit Style!
One way to look at the issue of Rabbit Hutches and how to build them is to think of how rabbits live in the wild. The warren (in other words, the burrow system which rabbits, rather amazingly, construct themselves) is not something you could possibly recreate, but certain of its features are worth bearing in mind. The first thing to bear in mind is the gloom of the warren. When rabbits go to bed in the wild, it is in the pitch dark. And down there, each rabbit has its own sleeping corner.
Trying to replicate this, with the minimum requirement being really well screened-off sleeping quarters, one area for each rabbit, is advisable. Additionally, it is paramount that the Rabbit Hutches be not only spacious, but also weatherproof, just like those burrows! Damp and draughts can give rise to illness.
For rabbits to be contented, they should receive plenty of human attention, including handling. The realities of family life can mean that a pet kept out of sight is also, regrettably, out of mind. Among the ways to combat this is to have a rota which family members are honour-bound to adhere to. Rabbit Hutch Chores shouldn’t be the main responsibility allocated, but instead make the top priority handling and stroking. Be sure to include all the children, even the youngest.
There is a belief which is increasing in popularity, that rabbits should in fact live indoors. It is felt by many advisers on pet care that the threat from predators, especially at night, is just too great a risk, even in towns and during daylight. Not only foxes, but even owls, hawks, cats and dogs can attack rabbits. Saddest of all is that such predators, just by being in the vicinity can do your bunny fatal harm. The rabbit, alerted by his own acute sense of smell, terrified, can injure himself or herself in panic, or die of fright. Those who simply can’t accommodate their pet rabbit in the house should do their utmost to make sure that the hutch is at the very least enclosed inside solid walls of some variety be this in a garage, garden shed, or dry basement.
Predators are not the only problem. With pets generally becoming more expensive to buy, and especially, of course, those that represent rare breeds, the pet thief is real menace. Prowling youngsters, sadly, too can get their kicks from teasing and tormenting other people’s pets. Don’t let yours be on their hit list. Use outdoor Rabbit Hutches only during those times when a member of your household is able to supervise it.
Never forget when using pesticides or fertilisers to consider whether your rabbit is within range. Don’t let your bunny on the grass until the recommended safe period of time has passed. Ideally, if at all possible, switch over to organic gardening methods, on which note it is worth mentioning that rabbit droppings make a great fertiliser! In other words, stick to the rules of a pet safe garden. The weather has been mentioned, but it is worth emphasising how harmful to the rabbit can be direct or prolonged exposure to cold, rain, heat or direct sunlight. Rabbit Hutches that are sited in a sun trap are just that: a Sunny Traps! While not a great conductor of heat, the wood from which the hutch is constructed will nevertheless warm up sufficiently to make the interior feel like an oven. Factor this into any decision to leave the rabbit out there. Sunny weather is, on the other hand, a high suitable time to choose for outdoor fun and letting that rabbit run, rabbit, run, within the confines of its run, of course!
Be very sure that your rabbit is not coming into contact with dog or cat faeces, since the bacteria these contain can be extremely harmful. Bear in mind, too, that diseases spread by insects are not to be sneezed at. Frequent scrutiny of the hutch interior is vital, to ensure no rotten food or urine-soaked corners are presenting an open invitation to airborne beasties.
Returning to the topic of ensuring that your rabbit receives daily attention, if there is no choice but to keep it out of doors, then keep your hutch as close to the house as you can. And definitely consider bringing him or her in at night, when predators are most common. It is not vital to try to manhandle a large hut indoors. A smaller cage for use at night is fine, or maybe you could give Bunny the run of the utility room, with bedding in one corner and a litter area in another.
If positioned out of doors, then, Rabbit Hutches should be the temporary, daytime, solution for rabbits’ containment. As such, they should be kept cool and out of direct sunlight and must be big enough for the occupants to stretch out and move about adequately. They should not, even if sited indoors, be the location where the rabbit spends its time 24/7. On the contrary, facilities to allow the bunny some outdoor exercise and some indoor love and attention are crucial to the rabbit’s happiness and longevity.