Lets look at some really, really crazy facts about rabbits! Maybe you have heard the old saying multiply like rabbits well lets investigate that a little more. Rabbits are quickly becoming one of the number one sources for meat world wide! Do you believe me? Let us look at some rabbit facts. Ok, what animal was used to feed almost all the Germans in World War 2. What animal can multiply like crazy? What animal can live in small places like in cities?
Answer............
The RABBIT
More Rabbit Facts:
A Rabbit Doe can have bunnies about every 40 days!
A litter can consist of a count around 8 kits. Sometimes this number can be around 12! Every once in a while there will be a report of a doe having 23 bunnies! No- I am not joking!
If a rabbit had bunnies every 40 days (possible) they could have 9 litters a year.
Sometimes a Doe can continue to have litters until age 6.
Do the math that is a crap load of bunnies!
On average an American family has 2.5 children. China's population is decreasing.
Remember the energy pyramid? Only 10% of energy moves to next level. Rabbits are herbivores right? Humans in some cases are quaternary consumers. Get the picture?
When Rabbits Rule the World? What would happen? Who would be in charge?
By the way they are already in charge of todays dogs: The Rabbit vs. The Dog
Tell us what you think by commenting on this post!
An additive to the Raising Rabbits series or the Rabbits Raising Humans series, LOL
To be or not to be. To believe or not to believe. The choice is yours. The sky is the limit.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
All about Rabbits
A few simple and quick facts about rabbits:
There are lots of interesting facts about rabbits like how long their ears get, or how they aren't the same as hares but we found 6 super-cute facts to share. And, reading these, reminded us of just why we love our little buns so much. Ok, well maybe apart from number 5 but it's still cute that your bunny loves you that much right?
#1. A bunny can learn simple tricks
...like standing on their hind legs, rolling a ball back to their owner, go into his cage or jumping up on the couch on command. That's of course only if they want to learn it. As other owners will tell you it's darn near impossible to teach a rabbit anything if he doesn't want to do it!
# 2. A happy rabbit will purr with contentment.
It's not quite the same as a cat purring, it comes from their teeth not their throat, but it means the same thing. There isn't much better in the world than a bun purring with happiness is there?
# 3. Rabbits can learn to walk on a harness and leash
Always start gently and use some tasty treats as encouragement. Start with just the harness and attach the lead when he's comfortable. Of course he won't go where you want to go so in reality you'll end up the one being led around!
#4. Bunnies have their own special dance called a 'binky' or 'binkie'.
It's difficult to describe unless you have seen one for yourself but it it a combination of a jump, twist and kick. Binkies are unique to rabbits and are an expression of sheer joy. When you get to see a binkie for real you'll know what happiness is!
#5. If your bun circles your legs and then pees on you it means she loves you.
While it may be the ultimate sign of affection in bunnyville, it's not recommended that you try this one on your own boyfriend!
#6. Bunnies can be put into a trance.
This is similar to when a person meditates but it's just so much cuter when your bunny does it!
To put yours into one, pick her up underneath her front legs with your right hand while supporting her bottom and back legs with your left hand. Turn her over gently and cradle her in the crook of your elbow/arm like a baby or between your legs.
Now comes the Bunny Whisperer magic - gently stroke her face until you feel her head relax backward. To wake her up from the trance, just gently roll her back on to her side or tummy. NB: Be very gentle doing this as a rabbit's spine can be damaged very easily.
So there you go, 6 of the coolest, cutest things we like about our bunny buddies!
Read more facts about rabbits.
=================================
Abbey Mitchell is a long-time animal lover and rabbit enthusiast. Abbey's site http://www.RabbitsForPets.com is dedicated to providing you with the best information available on pet rabbits, delivered in her signature down to earth, fun style.
=================================
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abbey_Mitchell
There are lots of interesting facts about rabbits like how long their ears get, or how they aren't the same as hares but we found 6 super-cute facts to share. And, reading these, reminded us of just why we love our little buns so much. Ok, well maybe apart from number 5 but it's still cute that your bunny loves you that much right?
#1. A bunny can learn simple tricks
...like standing on their hind legs, rolling a ball back to their owner, go into his cage or jumping up on the couch on command. That's of course only if they want to learn it. As other owners will tell you it's darn near impossible to teach a rabbit anything if he doesn't want to do it!
# 2. A happy rabbit will purr with contentment.
It's not quite the same as a cat purring, it comes from their teeth not their throat, but it means the same thing. There isn't much better in the world than a bun purring with happiness is there?
# 3. Rabbits can learn to walk on a harness and leash
Always start gently and use some tasty treats as encouragement. Start with just the harness and attach the lead when he's comfortable. Of course he won't go where you want to go so in reality you'll end up the one being led around!
#4. Bunnies have their own special dance called a 'binky' or 'binkie'.
It's difficult to describe unless you have seen one for yourself but it it a combination of a jump, twist and kick. Binkies are unique to rabbits and are an expression of sheer joy. When you get to see a binkie for real you'll know what happiness is!
#5. If your bun circles your legs and then pees on you it means she loves you.
While it may be the ultimate sign of affection in bunnyville, it's not recommended that you try this one on your own boyfriend!
#6. Bunnies can be put into a trance.
This is similar to when a person meditates but it's just so much cuter when your bunny does it!
To put yours into one, pick her up underneath her front legs with your right hand while supporting her bottom and back legs with your left hand. Turn her over gently and cradle her in the crook of your elbow/arm like a baby or between your legs.
Now comes the Bunny Whisperer magic - gently stroke her face until you feel her head relax backward. To wake her up from the trance, just gently roll her back on to her side or tummy. NB: Be very gentle doing this as a rabbit's spine can be damaged very easily.
So there you go, 6 of the coolest, cutest things we like about our bunny buddies!
Read more facts about rabbits.
=================================
Abbey Mitchell is a long-time animal lover and rabbit enthusiast. Abbey's site http://www.RabbitsForPets.com is dedicated to providing you with the best information available on pet rabbits, delivered in her signature down to earth, fun style.
=================================
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abbey_Mitchell
Raising Holland Rabbits
What you should know about raising rabbits: Hollands
If you've decided to add a rabbit to your family and have settled on a Holland Lop then you've made a great choice! Holland Lop rabbits are a popular family pet for good reason. Of course every bunny has its own personality and there are always exceptions to the rule but in general they have friendly, inquisitive natures and love to be included in the family. Plus they are outrageously cute with their signature lop ears and baby-like appearance.
They are also known as Netherland Dwarf Lop but should not be confused with the Netherland Dwarf rabbit which is a completely separate breed with classic non-lop rabbit ears. The Holland Lop life span is around 10 years. Indoor rabbits tend to live longer than outdoor ones as they are more protected from predators and weather.
So, are there special things you need to know to care for your bun?
Here are our 5 top tips to caring for Holland Lop rabbits:
1. Don't over feed her
Obesity is a major problem with this breed because of their small size. It is ok to feed hay freely but be careful of pellets as well as high sugar fruits and vegetables. A serving of carrots or fruit for a 3lb lop is 1 tablespoon per day.
2. Watch her teeth
Holland Lop rabbits have very small heads and this can create problems with their teeth. Check your bunny's teeth regularly to make sure she is able to chew. If she stops eating (or chewing) she may have a problem with them. This can be serious so get her to a vet to be checked over asap.
3. Make sure her cage is big enough
Many people think that because their Holland Lop is so small (usually under 4 pounds) that they don't need a big cage/hutch. If anything, the opposite is true. A smaller rabbit tends to be more active than a larger breed and needs a cage that is at least 4-5 times their size.
4. Be careful of temperature changes
Rabbits are delicate creatures when it comes to changes in temperature and even more so when they have a very small body weight. No matter what the time of year always ensure your bun has access to somewhere she can cool off or keep warm so that she can regulate her temperature.
5. Be extra vigilant
Holland Lops are a very small breed. Always make sure your home is well fenced if you are exercising your bun as she could escape through the smallest of gaps. Also be careful when she is inside that she doesn't get caught under your feet.
More Holland Lop rabbits info. Plus your FREE copy of Rabbit Care Secrets mini course is available at Rabbits For Pets
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abbey_Mitchell
If you've decided to add a rabbit to your family and have settled on a Holland Lop then you've made a great choice! Holland Lop rabbits are a popular family pet for good reason. Of course every bunny has its own personality and there are always exceptions to the rule but in general they have friendly, inquisitive natures and love to be included in the family. Plus they are outrageously cute with their signature lop ears and baby-like appearance.
They are also known as Netherland Dwarf Lop but should not be confused with the Netherland Dwarf rabbit which is a completely separate breed with classic non-lop rabbit ears. The Holland Lop life span is around 10 years. Indoor rabbits tend to live longer than outdoor ones as they are more protected from predators and weather.
So, are there special things you need to know to care for your bun?
Here are our 5 top tips to caring for Holland Lop rabbits:
1. Don't over feed her
Obesity is a major problem with this breed because of their small size. It is ok to feed hay freely but be careful of pellets as well as high sugar fruits and vegetables. A serving of carrots or fruit for a 3lb lop is 1 tablespoon per day.
2. Watch her teeth
Holland Lop rabbits have very small heads and this can create problems with their teeth. Check your bunny's teeth regularly to make sure she is able to chew. If she stops eating (or chewing) she may have a problem with them. This can be serious so get her to a vet to be checked over asap.
3. Make sure her cage is big enough
Many people think that because their Holland Lop is so small (usually under 4 pounds) that they don't need a big cage/hutch. If anything, the opposite is true. A smaller rabbit tends to be more active than a larger breed and needs a cage that is at least 4-5 times their size.
4. Be careful of temperature changes
Rabbits are delicate creatures when it comes to changes in temperature and even more so when they have a very small body weight. No matter what the time of year always ensure your bun has access to somewhere she can cool off or keep warm so that she can regulate her temperature.
5. Be extra vigilant
Holland Lops are a very small breed. Always make sure your home is well fenced if you are exercising your bun as she could escape through the smallest of gaps. Also be careful when she is inside that she doesn't get caught under your feet.
More Holland Lop rabbits info. Plus your FREE copy of Rabbit Care Secrets mini course is available at Rabbits For Pets
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abbey_Mitchell
Protecting your Rabbit?
If you have been looking for information about pet insurance for rabbits then there are a few fundamental things you should know about before taking out a policy on your pet. Not all rabbit insurance companies are quick to insure animals but many of them are willing and able to insure "exotic pets" which rabbits conveniently fall under. Taking the necessary precautions to ensure that you are only dealing with reputable companies is another major part of the decision making process. Getting pet rabbit insurance is one of the biggest steps you will take towards protecting your pet bunny for the rest of its life; making sure to have a quality insurance plan backing you and your lovable pet up is the key to keeping a strong bond together for years to come.
The journey begins by trying to locate a good rabbit insurance company. This can be done either by looking on the web or through a phone book for potential companies that you are considering. Another great way is to find friends and family who currently have rabbit or another type of pet insurance and ask them for their opinion and experiences with various companies. Once you talk to some close contacts and begin to search online you will begin to see a clear picture develop about who you should speak to. It's recommended to get a couple of different quotes before actually settling for one. It's always a good thing to know that your estimate can likely change before everything is finalized.
You should always be aware of the fact that in the unfortunate event something should ever happen to your bunny rabbit, you are usually responsible for paying the entire sum of the bill up front unless you can find a veterinarian who is willing to wait for your insurance claim; this is a very rare occurrence indeed and not something you should count on happening all of the time. On a more positive note, you can expect to be reimbursed for about 70-80% of what your bill was providing your claim was accepted and processed successfully. It can be financially difficult to wait for your claim to be processed but choosing the best rabbit insurance company possible will increase the processing period of your claim and serve to expedite everything else as well. Always remember that the long term benefits of pet insurance for rabbits weigh the heaviest.
Rachael has been a rabbit enthusiast for many years and has learned a great deal about Rabbit Insurance over the years. She has dedicated her time and energy to empowering her readers to make the best decisions possible when it comes to Pet Insurance for Rabbits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachael_Ben
The journey begins by trying to locate a good rabbit insurance company. This can be done either by looking on the web or through a phone book for potential companies that you are considering. Another great way is to find friends and family who currently have rabbit or another type of pet insurance and ask them for their opinion and experiences with various companies. Once you talk to some close contacts and begin to search online you will begin to see a clear picture develop about who you should speak to. It's recommended to get a couple of different quotes before actually settling for one. It's always a good thing to know that your estimate can likely change before everything is finalized.
You should always be aware of the fact that in the unfortunate event something should ever happen to your bunny rabbit, you are usually responsible for paying the entire sum of the bill up front unless you can find a veterinarian who is willing to wait for your insurance claim; this is a very rare occurrence indeed and not something you should count on happening all of the time. On a more positive note, you can expect to be reimbursed for about 70-80% of what your bill was providing your claim was accepted and processed successfully. It can be financially difficult to wait for your claim to be processed but choosing the best rabbit insurance company possible will increase the processing period of your claim and serve to expedite everything else as well. Always remember that the long term benefits of pet insurance for rabbits weigh the heaviest.
Rachael has been a rabbit enthusiast for many years and has learned a great deal about Rabbit Insurance over the years. She has dedicated her time and energy to empowering her readers to make the best decisions possible when it comes to Pet Insurance for Rabbits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachael_Ben
Buying Rabbits
If you want to buy a pet rabbit, where do you go? While not as common as pet dogs, pet rabbits for sale can be found at all sorts of places. You can own a cute little bunny of your own just by visiting a few pet haunts, consulting friends and even surfing online. Here are some of the places you can find your desired pet.
Rabbits for Sale at Local Breeders
If you want to own a bunny from when it is still a little one, you have to go to the local breeders. You can buy a rabbit that has just been born. It is also actually a cost-effective decision to buy from a local breeder because you can take your pick of rabbit and bring it home. There is no need to pay for shipping fees. Shipping fees can be very costly depending on where you are.
Rabbits for Sale at Pet Shops
One obvious place to look for a rabbit is at pet shops. If you have several local pet shops in your area, you should first scout for prices. The prices could go up if you buy from a pet shop rather than directly from a local breeder. Still, the price could still depend on the particular seller. Some shops may be more expensive than most because of their location.
Neighborhood Rabbits for Sale
If you have a neighbor whose pet rabbit has just given birth, you can go over and ask if you can buy one of the little rabbits. Of course, the neighbor could always refuse you. With luck, however, you could get your own pet rabbit for free, especially if you have a close relationship with that neighbor. Some neighbors, though not close, still prefer giving away some of the baby rabbits especially if there are plenty of them to go around, anyway.
Online Rabbits for Sale
In this modern age where the all sorts of products and services are being offered over the World Wide Web, you can also buy pets online. This means that you can definitely buy a pet rabbit online. There are even websites that sell only rabbits and rabbit accessories. You get to pick from a more varied selection. Of course, you do have to pay for shipment that could balloon further if you are buying from outside the country. What you could probably do is find an online seller that is headquartered near your home. This is a combination of cost-efficiency and convenience.
Learn more about where to find rabbits and rabbits for sale the first time and avoid having to make painful mistakes that beginner rabbit owner's are prone too. Separate yourself from the average rabbit owner who will end up harming their rabbits without knowing it and you could learn more tips on raising rabbits from the guide here: http://www.howtoraiserabbits.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Paterson
Places I recommend to buy rabbits:
AA Rabbitry- californian rabbits for sale
(Your Rabbitry Here- email me: garywise76@gmail.com)
Rabbits for Sale at Local Breeders
If you want to own a bunny from when it is still a little one, you have to go to the local breeders. You can buy a rabbit that has just been born. It is also actually a cost-effective decision to buy from a local breeder because you can take your pick of rabbit and bring it home. There is no need to pay for shipping fees. Shipping fees can be very costly depending on where you are.
Rabbits for Sale at Pet Shops
One obvious place to look for a rabbit is at pet shops. If you have several local pet shops in your area, you should first scout for prices. The prices could go up if you buy from a pet shop rather than directly from a local breeder. Still, the price could still depend on the particular seller. Some shops may be more expensive than most because of their location.
Neighborhood Rabbits for Sale
If you have a neighbor whose pet rabbit has just given birth, you can go over and ask if you can buy one of the little rabbits. Of course, the neighbor could always refuse you. With luck, however, you could get your own pet rabbit for free, especially if you have a close relationship with that neighbor. Some neighbors, though not close, still prefer giving away some of the baby rabbits especially if there are plenty of them to go around, anyway.
Online Rabbits for Sale
In this modern age where the all sorts of products and services are being offered over the World Wide Web, you can also buy pets online. This means that you can definitely buy a pet rabbit online. There are even websites that sell only rabbits and rabbit accessories. You get to pick from a more varied selection. Of course, you do have to pay for shipment that could balloon further if you are buying from outside the country. What you could probably do is find an online seller that is headquartered near your home. This is a combination of cost-efficiency and convenience.
Learn more about where to find rabbits and rabbits for sale the first time and avoid having to make painful mistakes that beginner rabbit owner's are prone too. Separate yourself from the average rabbit owner who will end up harming their rabbits without knowing it and you could learn more tips on raising rabbits from the guide here: http://www.howtoraiserabbits.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Paterson
Places I recommend to buy rabbits:
AA Rabbitry- californian rabbits for sale
(Your Rabbitry Here- email me: garywise76@gmail.com)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Benefits of Raising Rabbits
Benefits Of Rabbits
Raising rabbits are much cheaper, more efficient, and more productive than raising chickens.
Raising Rabbits is Fun
Don't expect to make a profitable business raising rabbits. Only a small minority of those who raise rabbits are capable of making a living out of it. Think about it, , an enjoyable hobby that can help pay for itself. Raising rabbits gets in your blood. Two times you have had some nice rabbits, you need to keep them around. I found that when I was raising lots of and didn't have markets, the rabbits were eating me out of house and home. And so I got rid of them -- for a while. I then took up the hobby again because I found it was in my blood to raise rabbits.
Rabbits are fun to raise except when you must go out and take care of them at 10 below zero. Thinking about this is the exception than the rule, we'll assume that, generally speaking, they are fun to raise. You may have different reasons for raising them - enjoyment, education, business, show, laboratory, meat, fur, and the bi-products they produce, such as fertilizer and fishing worms.
Before you get lots of rabbits, it would be a nice idea for you to join the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). The low membership fee includes a very nice booklet on raising rabbits. It lists all of the recognized domestic breeds of rabbits along with their characteristics. Membership in ARBA includes a subscription to Domestic Rabbits magazine that supplies you with helpful articles on rabbit raising. Each year you will also receive a booklet listing the over 35,000 ARBA members and their addresses. You will easily find rabbit fanciers living close to you.
Join ARBA
Check out ARBA's web page for helpful books and materials. ARBA's web-site also lists shows throughout the United States. Find a show near you and go to it. You'll learn a great deal there. Watching the judges, you will find what they think about nice qualities in each particular breed. By exchanging information with other breeders, you can learn techniques that work. Shows are great places to shop for rabbits. You can find the breed(s) you would like to raise by seeing the rabbits up close and asking the owners what experiences they have had with them.
If you start showing your rabbits, you'll need to be a member of ARBA in order for your rabbits to be awarded grand championships. A rabbit wins a grand championship when it's won first place in two rabbit shows. Having a grand champion is valuable. Not only does the rabbit's monetary value go up, but also its offspring are thought about valuable.
Purchase Only Pedigree Rabbits
Usually, it is not a nice idea to go out and buy rabbits from somebody who cannot give you a nice pedigree certificate. Without knowing a rabbit's ancestry, neither it nor its offspring to the fourth generation may become grand champions. You risk getting a mixed rabbit (two that is not of a specific breed), a low quality specimen of a particular breed that somebody knew was poor and sold it as a pet, or a rabbit that has serious genetic defects. The principle of only buying animals with a pedigree applies anywhere. When acquiring a dog, why receive a mutt, even though it might be free, when you can buy a pedigree whose offspring you can sell for over two times the price you paid?
Even if you are purchasing a rabbit only as a pet, if you are planning on keeping the rabbit for any length of time, you need to think about its resale value. You may also later select to raise rabbits on a larger scale. Having a pedigree certificate ensures that you are beginning out right. When breeders give you a pedigree certificate, they are putting their reputation on the line. They are guaranteeing the background of the rabbit, specifying themselves as the owners, and authenticating it by their signature. Also, unless they are stupid, they are not going to knowingly sell you a defective rabbit. They would not stay in business long. Those that cannot provide a pedigree certificate may not be an expert raising rabbits. They may knowingly or unknowingly sell you two that is sick or has a genetic defect. Usually they are not very helpful in getting you started right. Stick with recognized breeders of pedigree rabbits that will provide you with a certificate.
Keep in mind, however, that pedigree certificates can be falsified by the person selling you the rabbit. It is best to buy from a reputable person. Try getting a recommendation from somebody who shows rabbits. They usually know the nice breeders.
The key idea is to purchase your rabbits from a reputable person who can help you with your questions after the sale, two who is recommended by others, and two who guarantees the rabbits you purchase.
If you need added protection, purchase a Registered Rabbit. A registered rabbit is two which an ARBA licensed registrar has examined and certified as free from defects and disqualifications. The registrar has determined that the rabbit is healthy and a nice representation of the breed. The registrar examines the rabbit's pedigree for completeness and accuracy. A copy of the rabbit's pedigree is forwarded to ARBA. Though inaccuracies can also be present with registered rabbits, the chances are better that you will receive a better rabbit.
I suppose the most difficult decision in raising rabbits is selecting the breed you need to raise. As for myself, I am not satisfied with two breed. I need representatives from several. I have Netherland Dwarfs in shades of white, black, chinchilla, chestnut, chocolate, and sable. I have white New Zealands, Californians, Rex in shades of white, black, lilac, chestnut, and broken (spotted). I also have Champagne D'Argents, chocolate English Spots, and black Silver Martens. I am planning on buying some Satins in the colors red, copper, and Siamese. I also need to purchase some more Netherland Dwarfs in the colors Himalayan, smoke pearl, black tan, and broken.
Pick Your Breed
Breeds are characterized by size, shape, ears, fur texture, sheen, and color. In some breeds, the individual fur characteristics are combined. The main fur types are:
Angora - The fur grows very long and is shaved or plucked and woven in to yarn to be used in making Angora sweaters, hats, and mittens. The long haired rabbits can become a real problem for the casual rabbit breeder. Their fur has a tendency to matt and shed. It is a real bear trying to neat the cages that have long hair everywhere. The hair also floats out and settles on anything in your rabbitry.
Satin - The fur has a special shine to it. It is used to make fine fur coats and hats.
Rex - The fur has a velvety touch and is short. It is used also to make fine fur coats and hats.
Multi-color fur - The fur is made up of two or two colors. Never will you find a fur coat made with these because of the problem of matching the patterns and colors. They are sometimes found in small furred items. Positive color patterns are sought for by judges when showing these types of rabbits.
The smallest breeds, the Dwarfs, vary in size from 1-3/4 to 3-1/2 lbs. They include:
Dwarf Breeds
Britannia Petite (White, black, black otter, or chestnut agouti) 1-1/2 - 2-1/2 lbs
Dwarf Hotot (White with black around its eyes) 2 - 3 lbs
Jersey Wooley (Lots of colors - Angora wool) 2 - 3-1/2 lbs
Netherland Dwarf (Lots of colors) 1-3/4 - 2-1/2 lbs
Polish (Black, blue, chocolate, blue eyed white, ruby eyed white, and broken) 2 - 3-1/2 lbs
These rabbits, as a group, are less than 3-1/2 pounds mature. These are the rabbits you will need to raise if you need small pets that don't consume much feed (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per day) and take up the least amount of cage space (about 2-1/2 sq ft). Lots of times, these are the only rabbits that pet stores will buy. You can expect to fetch about $7.00 from pet stores without having to supply a pedigree. The pet store will turn around and sell them for about $30.00. When you sell to other breeders and provide a pedigree, you can expect from $15.00 to $40.00 or even $100.00 or more for a grand champion. Price depends on the rabbit's show background, quality, and heritage, including the production characteristics of its parents.
The Netherland Dwarf is the breed in greatest demand. The Netherland Dwarf has the most ARBA-recognized colors and patterns of all the breeds. If you are in to variety, you cannot go wrong with Netherland Dwarfs.
The problems you will run in to with any of the dwarf breeds mentioned are the following:
The average litter size is 2 - 4 bunnies, as opposed to the larger breeds which have 6 - 12 bunnies.
The genes responsible for making a dwarf rabbit, in positive combinations is lethal. This combination occurs in 25% of the rabbits. The two having this gene usually dies within 4 days after birth.
Dwarf rabbits are more susceptible to coccidiosis, an intestinal parasite that lots of times proves lethal to the young rabbits between two and ten weeks of age.
I have found that a significant number of dwarfs have attitude problems. Lots of of them resort to scratching or biting you when you put your hand in to their cage. It could be that they are more afraid than the larger breeds, as chihuahua canines have a nervous fight-back tendency.
The above factors don't tend to discourage people from raising dwarfs. They think about these problems as challenges. Dwarf rabbits are in great demand because of their popularity with young people. This, coupled with the lower litter rate, portray why they command a higher price than other rabbits.
Small Breeds
The next group of rabbits make up the small size breeds. They vary from about 2-1/2 to 5 pounds. These rabbits consume between 1/3 and 2/3 cup of feed per day and take up 3-1/2 sq ft of cage space. The small breeds have characteristics between the dwarfs and the medium size breeds. They usually have 1 - 3 more children in their litters than the dwarfs and do not carryover the possibly lethal dwarf gene. However, they are still more susceptible to death from coccidiosis than the larger breeds. A few pet stores will carryover these small breeds and you can expect perhaps $2.00 less from the pet shops than the dwarfs will bring. They may only take them during Easter. Check with your local stores. Sales to other breeders will command similar prices to the medium size rabbits, about $20.00. The small breeds consist of:
American Fuzzy Lop (Lots of colors - Angora fur - Lop Ears) 3 - 4 lbs
Dutch (The feet, front half of torso and face are white, the other parts can be black, blue, chocolate, tortoise, steel, or brown-gray) 3-1/2 - 5-1/2 lbs
Himalayan (White with colored ears, nose, feet, and tail of black, blue, lilac, or chocolate) 2-1/2 - 4-1/2 lbs
Holland Lop (Lop ears - Lots of colors) 2-1/2 - 4 lbs
Mini Rex (Rex coat - Lots of colors) 3 - 4-1/2 lbs
The next group of rabbits make up the medium size breeds. This group is characterized by weights ranging from 4-1/2 to 7 pounds mature. These rabbits consume between 1/2 and 1 cup of feed per day and take up 5 sq ft of cage space. Usually, pet stores don't need these breeds except possibly around Easter. The medium breeds produce an acceptable amount of meat on small bones. Some commercial meat rabbit breeders raise these breeds. But they usually prefer the next group - the meat rabbits, because the feed-to-meat conversion ratio is apparently better. Usually, those that raise the medium size rabbits like to show them and eat the ones that don't make the grade. A number of these rabbits are raised for their fur as well. On the whole, it is harder to sell these rabbits except to other fanciers of like mind. You can expect about $20.00 with pedigree for mature rabbits.
Medium Size Breeds
Rabbits that make up this group of medium breeds include the following:
American Sable (Also nice for meat) 7-10 lbs
English Angora (Lots of colors) 5 - 7-1/2 lbs
Spanish Angora (Lots of colors - nice also for meat) 7-1/2 - 10-1/2 lbs
Satin Angora (Lots of colors) 6-1/2 - 9 lbs
Belgian Hare (Not seen much - different body style) 6 - 9-1/2 lbs
Standard Chinchilla 5 - 7-1/2 lbs
English Spot (White with spots of black, blue, chocolate, gold, gray, lilac, or tortoise) 5 - 8 lbs
Florida White 4 - 6 lbs
Harlequin (Has alternate bands of color) 6-1/2 - 9-1/2 lbs
Havana (Black, blue, or chocolate) 4-1/2 - 6-1/2 lbs
Lilac 5-1/2 - 8 lbs
Mini Lop (Lop ears - Lots of colors) 4-1/2 - 6-1/2 lbs
Rhinelander (White with spots of black and orange) 6-1/2 - 10 lbs
Silver (Black, brown, or fawn with white ticking) 4 - 7 lbs
Silver Marten (Black, blue, chocolate, or sable with white on belly, flanks, jaw lines, and eye circles) 6 - 9-1/2 lbs
Tan (Black, blue, chocolate, or lilac with tan on belly, flanks, jaw lines, and eye circles) 4 - 6 lbs
Meat Rabbits make up the next group. They are characterized by weights between 8 and 12 pounds. These rabbits are raised for both meat and fur. A number of these may also be thought about fancy rabbits because they have unusual fur, color, or ear characteristics. Most of these rabbits are shown a great deal. Rabbits in the meat group consume about 1-1/4 cup of feed per day and take up 7-1/2 sq ft of cage space. They will command a price comparable to the medium size rabbits, about $20.00 for mature ones. The rabbits that make up the meat group include:
Meat Rabbits
American (Blue or White) 9 - 12 lbs
Beveren (Black, Blue, or White) 8 - 12 lbs
Californian (White with black ears, nose, feet, and tail) 8 - 10-1/2 lbs
Champagne D'Argent (Starts as black, mature is silver) 9 - 12 lbs
American Chinchilla 9 - 12 lbs
Cinnamon 8-1/2 - 11 lbs
Creme D'Argent 8 - 11 lbs
Hotot (White with black around its eyes) 8 - 11 lbs
English Lop (Lots of colors - giant lop ears) 9 - 14 lbs
Spanish Lop (Lots of colors - regular lop ears) 10 - 15 lbs
New Zealand (Black, Red, or White) The standard meat rabbit 9 - 12 lbs
Palomino 8 - 11 lbs
Satin (Shiny coat - lots of colors) 8-1/2 - 11 lbs
Silver Fox (fur resembles fox) 9 - 12 lbs
The Giants
The next group of rabbits are the Giants. These are raised because some breeders like giant rabbits. They can sometimes weigh up to 25 pounds. The giants need 1-3/4 - 2 cups of feed per day and 11 - 12 sq ft of cage space. The giant breeds also need stronger cages. Because few people raise these rabbits, they are more rare than the other breeds. It takes a strong person to lift these rabbits, so their demand is not great and thus harder to sell. They may command up to $50.00 for a mature rabbit and about $15.00 - $20.00 for a 2 month elderly two. Most of the giants are shown (their presence is always appreciated). They are mainly used for meat and fur. The feed-to-meat conversion ratio is less than the meat group. The giants include:
Checkered Giant (White with spots of black or blue) weight over 11 lbs
Giant Chinchilla 12 - 16 lbs
Flemish Giant (Black, blue, fawn, light gray, sandy, steel gray, or white) weight over 13 lbs
The above discussion of the various breeds of rabbits touched on the
Feed and Cage Requirements
References:
http://typesofrabbits.blogspot.com
http://www.aarabbits.com/types-of-rabbits.html
http://debmark.com
Raising rabbits are much cheaper, more efficient, and more productive than raising chickens.
Raising Rabbits is Fun
Don't expect to make a profitable business raising rabbits. Only a small minority of those who raise rabbits are capable of making a living out of it. Think about it, , an enjoyable hobby that can help pay for itself. Raising rabbits gets in your blood. Two times you have had some nice rabbits, you need to keep them around. I found that when I was raising lots of and didn't have markets, the rabbits were eating me out of house and home. And so I got rid of them -- for a while. I then took up the hobby again because I found it was in my blood to raise rabbits.
Rabbits are fun to raise except when you must go out and take care of them at 10 below zero. Thinking about this is the exception than the rule, we'll assume that, generally speaking, they are fun to raise. You may have different reasons for raising them - enjoyment, education, business, show, laboratory, meat, fur, and the bi-products they produce, such as fertilizer and fishing worms.
Before you get lots of rabbits, it would be a nice idea for you to join the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). The low membership fee includes a very nice booklet on raising rabbits. It lists all of the recognized domestic breeds of rabbits along with their characteristics. Membership in ARBA includes a subscription to Domestic Rabbits magazine that supplies you with helpful articles on rabbit raising. Each year you will also receive a booklet listing the over 35,000 ARBA members and their addresses. You will easily find rabbit fanciers living close to you.
Join ARBA
Check out ARBA's web page for helpful books and materials. ARBA's web-site also lists shows throughout the United States. Find a show near you and go to it. You'll learn a great deal there. Watching the judges, you will find what they think about nice qualities in each particular breed. By exchanging information with other breeders, you can learn techniques that work. Shows are great places to shop for rabbits. You can find the breed(s) you would like to raise by seeing the rabbits up close and asking the owners what experiences they have had with them.
If you start showing your rabbits, you'll need to be a member of ARBA in order for your rabbits to be awarded grand championships. A rabbit wins a grand championship when it's won first place in two rabbit shows. Having a grand champion is valuable. Not only does the rabbit's monetary value go up, but also its offspring are thought about valuable.
Purchase Only Pedigree Rabbits
Usually, it is not a nice idea to go out and buy rabbits from somebody who cannot give you a nice pedigree certificate. Without knowing a rabbit's ancestry, neither it nor its offspring to the fourth generation may become grand champions. You risk getting a mixed rabbit (two that is not of a specific breed), a low quality specimen of a particular breed that somebody knew was poor and sold it as a pet, or a rabbit that has serious genetic defects. The principle of only buying animals with a pedigree applies anywhere. When acquiring a dog, why receive a mutt, even though it might be free, when you can buy a pedigree whose offspring you can sell for over two times the price you paid?
Even if you are purchasing a rabbit only as a pet, if you are planning on keeping the rabbit for any length of time, you need to think about its resale value. You may also later select to raise rabbits on a larger scale. Having a pedigree certificate ensures that you are beginning out right. When breeders give you a pedigree certificate, they are putting their reputation on the line. They are guaranteeing the background of the rabbit, specifying themselves as the owners, and authenticating it by their signature. Also, unless they are stupid, they are not going to knowingly sell you a defective rabbit. They would not stay in business long. Those that cannot provide a pedigree certificate may not be an expert raising rabbits. They may knowingly or unknowingly sell you two that is sick or has a genetic defect. Usually they are not very helpful in getting you started right. Stick with recognized breeders of pedigree rabbits that will provide you with a certificate.
Keep in mind, however, that pedigree certificates can be falsified by the person selling you the rabbit. It is best to buy from a reputable person. Try getting a recommendation from somebody who shows rabbits. They usually know the nice breeders.
The key idea is to purchase your rabbits from a reputable person who can help you with your questions after the sale, two who is recommended by others, and two who guarantees the rabbits you purchase.
If you need added protection, purchase a Registered Rabbit. A registered rabbit is two which an ARBA licensed registrar has examined and certified as free from defects and disqualifications. The registrar has determined that the rabbit is healthy and a nice representation of the breed. The registrar examines the rabbit's pedigree for completeness and accuracy. A copy of the rabbit's pedigree is forwarded to ARBA. Though inaccuracies can also be present with registered rabbits, the chances are better that you will receive a better rabbit.
I suppose the most difficult decision in raising rabbits is selecting the breed you need to raise. As for myself, I am not satisfied with two breed. I need representatives from several. I have Netherland Dwarfs in shades of white, black, chinchilla, chestnut, chocolate, and sable. I have white New Zealands, Californians, Rex in shades of white, black, lilac, chestnut, and broken (spotted). I also have Champagne D'Argents, chocolate English Spots, and black Silver Martens. I am planning on buying some Satins in the colors red, copper, and Siamese. I also need to purchase some more Netherland Dwarfs in the colors Himalayan, smoke pearl, black tan, and broken.
Pick Your Breed
Breeds are characterized by size, shape, ears, fur texture, sheen, and color. In some breeds, the individual fur characteristics are combined. The main fur types are:
Angora - The fur grows very long and is shaved or plucked and woven in to yarn to be used in making Angora sweaters, hats, and mittens. The long haired rabbits can become a real problem for the casual rabbit breeder. Their fur has a tendency to matt and shed. It is a real bear trying to neat the cages that have long hair everywhere. The hair also floats out and settles on anything in your rabbitry.
Satin - The fur has a special shine to it. It is used to make fine fur coats and hats.
Rex - The fur has a velvety touch and is short. It is used also to make fine fur coats and hats.
Multi-color fur - The fur is made up of two or two colors. Never will you find a fur coat made with these because of the problem of matching the patterns and colors. They are sometimes found in small furred items. Positive color patterns are sought for by judges when showing these types of rabbits.
The smallest breeds, the Dwarfs, vary in size from 1-3/4 to 3-1/2 lbs. They include:
Dwarf Breeds
Britannia Petite (White, black, black otter, or chestnut agouti) 1-1/2 - 2-1/2 lbs
Dwarf Hotot (White with black around its eyes) 2 - 3 lbs
Jersey Wooley (Lots of colors - Angora wool) 2 - 3-1/2 lbs
Netherland Dwarf (Lots of colors) 1-3/4 - 2-1/2 lbs
Polish (Black, blue, chocolate, blue eyed white, ruby eyed white, and broken) 2 - 3-1/2 lbs
These rabbits, as a group, are less than 3-1/2 pounds mature. These are the rabbits you will need to raise if you need small pets that don't consume much feed (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per day) and take up the least amount of cage space (about 2-1/2 sq ft). Lots of times, these are the only rabbits that pet stores will buy. You can expect to fetch about $7.00 from pet stores without having to supply a pedigree. The pet store will turn around and sell them for about $30.00. When you sell to other breeders and provide a pedigree, you can expect from $15.00 to $40.00 or even $100.00 or more for a grand champion. Price depends on the rabbit's show background, quality, and heritage, including the production characteristics of its parents.
The Netherland Dwarf is the breed in greatest demand. The Netherland Dwarf has the most ARBA-recognized colors and patterns of all the breeds. If you are in to variety, you cannot go wrong with Netherland Dwarfs.
The problems you will run in to with any of the dwarf breeds mentioned are the following:
The average litter size is 2 - 4 bunnies, as opposed to the larger breeds which have 6 - 12 bunnies.
The genes responsible for making a dwarf rabbit, in positive combinations is lethal. This combination occurs in 25% of the rabbits. The two having this gene usually dies within 4 days after birth.
Dwarf rabbits are more susceptible to coccidiosis, an intestinal parasite that lots of times proves lethal to the young rabbits between two and ten weeks of age.
I have found that a significant number of dwarfs have attitude problems. Lots of of them resort to scratching or biting you when you put your hand in to their cage. It could be that they are more afraid than the larger breeds, as chihuahua canines have a nervous fight-back tendency.
The above factors don't tend to discourage people from raising dwarfs. They think about these problems as challenges. Dwarf rabbits are in great demand because of their popularity with young people. This, coupled with the lower litter rate, portray why they command a higher price than other rabbits.
Small Breeds
The next group of rabbits make up the small size breeds. They vary from about 2-1/2 to 5 pounds. These rabbits consume between 1/3 and 2/3 cup of feed per day and take up 3-1/2 sq ft of cage space. The small breeds have characteristics between the dwarfs and the medium size breeds. They usually have 1 - 3 more children in their litters than the dwarfs and do not carryover the possibly lethal dwarf gene. However, they are still more susceptible to death from coccidiosis than the larger breeds. A few pet stores will carryover these small breeds and you can expect perhaps $2.00 less from the pet shops than the dwarfs will bring. They may only take them during Easter. Check with your local stores. Sales to other breeders will command similar prices to the medium size rabbits, about $20.00. The small breeds consist of:
American Fuzzy Lop (Lots of colors - Angora fur - Lop Ears) 3 - 4 lbs
Dutch (The feet, front half of torso and face are white, the other parts can be black, blue, chocolate, tortoise, steel, or brown-gray) 3-1/2 - 5-1/2 lbs
Himalayan (White with colored ears, nose, feet, and tail of black, blue, lilac, or chocolate) 2-1/2 - 4-1/2 lbs
Holland Lop (Lop ears - Lots of colors) 2-1/2 - 4 lbs
Mini Rex (Rex coat - Lots of colors) 3 - 4-1/2 lbs
The next group of rabbits make up the medium size breeds. This group is characterized by weights ranging from 4-1/2 to 7 pounds mature. These rabbits consume between 1/2 and 1 cup of feed per day and take up 5 sq ft of cage space. Usually, pet stores don't need these breeds except possibly around Easter. The medium breeds produce an acceptable amount of meat on small bones. Some commercial meat rabbit breeders raise these breeds. But they usually prefer the next group - the meat rabbits, because the feed-to-meat conversion ratio is apparently better. Usually, those that raise the medium size rabbits like to show them and eat the ones that don't make the grade. A number of these rabbits are raised for their fur as well. On the whole, it is harder to sell these rabbits except to other fanciers of like mind. You can expect about $20.00 with pedigree for mature rabbits.
Medium Size Breeds
Rabbits that make up this group of medium breeds include the following:
American Sable (Also nice for meat) 7-10 lbs
English Angora (Lots of colors) 5 - 7-1/2 lbs
Spanish Angora (Lots of colors - nice also for meat) 7-1/2 - 10-1/2 lbs
Satin Angora (Lots of colors) 6-1/2 - 9 lbs
Belgian Hare (Not seen much - different body style) 6 - 9-1/2 lbs
Standard Chinchilla 5 - 7-1/2 lbs
English Spot (White with spots of black, blue, chocolate, gold, gray, lilac, or tortoise) 5 - 8 lbs
Florida White 4 - 6 lbs
Harlequin (Has alternate bands of color) 6-1/2 - 9-1/2 lbs
Havana (Black, blue, or chocolate) 4-1/2 - 6-1/2 lbs
Lilac 5-1/2 - 8 lbs
Mini Lop (Lop ears - Lots of colors) 4-1/2 - 6-1/2 lbs
Rhinelander (White with spots of black and orange) 6-1/2 - 10 lbs
Silver (Black, brown, or fawn with white ticking) 4 - 7 lbs
Silver Marten (Black, blue, chocolate, or sable with white on belly, flanks, jaw lines, and eye circles) 6 - 9-1/2 lbs
Tan (Black, blue, chocolate, or lilac with tan on belly, flanks, jaw lines, and eye circles) 4 - 6 lbs
Meat Rabbits make up the next group. They are characterized by weights between 8 and 12 pounds. These rabbits are raised for both meat and fur. A number of these may also be thought about fancy rabbits because they have unusual fur, color, or ear characteristics. Most of these rabbits are shown a great deal. Rabbits in the meat group consume about 1-1/4 cup of feed per day and take up 7-1/2 sq ft of cage space. They will command a price comparable to the medium size rabbits, about $20.00 for mature ones. The rabbits that make up the meat group include:
Meat Rabbits
American (Blue or White) 9 - 12 lbs
Beveren (Black, Blue, or White) 8 - 12 lbs
Californian (White with black ears, nose, feet, and tail) 8 - 10-1/2 lbs
Champagne D'Argent (Starts as black, mature is silver) 9 - 12 lbs
American Chinchilla 9 - 12 lbs
Cinnamon 8-1/2 - 11 lbs
Creme D'Argent 8 - 11 lbs
Hotot (White with black around its eyes) 8 - 11 lbs
English Lop (Lots of colors - giant lop ears) 9 - 14 lbs
Spanish Lop (Lots of colors - regular lop ears) 10 - 15 lbs
New Zealand (Black, Red, or White) The standard meat rabbit 9 - 12 lbs
Palomino 8 - 11 lbs
Satin (Shiny coat - lots of colors) 8-1/2 - 11 lbs
Silver Fox (fur resembles fox) 9 - 12 lbs
The Giants
The next group of rabbits are the Giants. These are raised because some breeders like giant rabbits. They can sometimes weigh up to 25 pounds. The giants need 1-3/4 - 2 cups of feed per day and 11 - 12 sq ft of cage space. The giant breeds also need stronger cages. Because few people raise these rabbits, they are more rare than the other breeds. It takes a strong person to lift these rabbits, so their demand is not great and thus harder to sell. They may command up to $50.00 for a mature rabbit and about $15.00 - $20.00 for a 2 month elderly two. Most of the giants are shown (their presence is always appreciated). They are mainly used for meat and fur. The feed-to-meat conversion ratio is less than the meat group. The giants include:
Checkered Giant (White with spots of black or blue) weight over 11 lbs
Giant Chinchilla 12 - 16 lbs
Flemish Giant (Black, blue, fawn, light gray, sandy, steel gray, or white) weight over 13 lbs
The above discussion of the various breeds of rabbits touched on the
Feed and Cage Requirements
References:
http://typesofrabbits.blogspot.com
http://www.aarabbits.com/types-of-rabbits.html
http://debmark.com
What do rabbits eat?
I thought you might find this article about feeding rabbits useful:
"Hay Alfalfa hay should be available to your rabbit at all times until he reaches the ages of 6 to 8 monts old.Because alfalfa provide a high concentration of calcium and carbohydrates, you have to gradually switch him to Timothy hay.Loose, long strands of hay contains fiber and promote good digestion.
Fresh Food Your rabbit should get about a cup of fresh greens everyday per 5 pounds of weight.Give him at least 3 different fresh greens like spinach, brocoli, celery leaves, fresh grass from the garden, dandelions leaves, romaine lettuce, ect.Start him out at the age of 2 months gradually, adding a new green every week and remove from the diet anything that cause diarrhea.
Fruits and treats Limit your rabbit to about one tablespoon of fruit a day.Too much fruit will make him sick and promote teeth decay.Great treats consist in strawberry, babana, pinaple, blueberry,apple, any fresh fruit that he likes. Avoid dried fruits, raisins, cereal bars,bread, salty or sugary snacks, oatmeal and fresh or dried corn.
Rabbit Pellets Young rabbits up to height month old should have free access to alfalfa pellets.After that limit the amount to 1/8 of a cup daily for a 2-4 pounds rabbit. Also gradually switch him to timothy hay based pellets.Resist the temptation to give him more. To much pellets will lead to obesity because of their high calcium and carbohydrate content.
Water and vitamins Fresh water must be available at all times for your rabbit.Serving it in a bowl is better for the rabbit to drink,promoting a natural drinking position.If you have to put him in a cage on some occasions and he spills all his water, then give him a drinking bottle instead.Vitamins and salts are not necessary when your rabbit get a balance diet everyday.
Night Droppings A few times a day after eating you will notice your pet licking his anal area and eating some of his droppings at the same time. This is normal for the rabbit so do not worry about it.What he is eating are called "cecotropes". They are made of vital nutriments that have not been absorbed well by the large intestine.The rabbit need these nutriments in his diet.It is just a part of what do pet rabbits eat.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I hope you found this information helpful on what do pet rabbit eat.Did you know that pet rabbits can be quite easily litter trained? To get a lot more free tips and watch videos about pet rabbits, please visit my blog at http://www.petrabbitcare.blogspot.com and enjoy learning about your pet rabbit!"
-Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
You might also find this article useful: Is your rabbit being fed properly?
Please leave comments below telling us what you think
"Hay Alfalfa hay should be available to your rabbit at all times until he reaches the ages of 6 to 8 monts old.Because alfalfa provide a high concentration of calcium and carbohydrates, you have to gradually switch him to Timothy hay.Loose, long strands of hay contains fiber and promote good digestion.
Fresh Food Your rabbit should get about a cup of fresh greens everyday per 5 pounds of weight.Give him at least 3 different fresh greens like spinach, brocoli, celery leaves, fresh grass from the garden, dandelions leaves, romaine lettuce, ect.Start him out at the age of 2 months gradually, adding a new green every week and remove from the diet anything that cause diarrhea.
Fruits and treats Limit your rabbit to about one tablespoon of fruit a day.Too much fruit will make him sick and promote teeth decay.Great treats consist in strawberry, babana, pinaple, blueberry,apple, any fresh fruit that he likes. Avoid dried fruits, raisins, cereal bars,bread, salty or sugary snacks, oatmeal and fresh or dried corn.
Rabbit Pellets Young rabbits up to height month old should have free access to alfalfa pellets.After that limit the amount to 1/8 of a cup daily for a 2-4 pounds rabbit. Also gradually switch him to timothy hay based pellets.Resist the temptation to give him more. To much pellets will lead to obesity because of their high calcium and carbohydrate content.
Water and vitamins Fresh water must be available at all times for your rabbit.Serving it in a bowl is better for the rabbit to drink,promoting a natural drinking position.If you have to put him in a cage on some occasions and he spills all his water, then give him a drinking bottle instead.Vitamins and salts are not necessary when your rabbit get a balance diet everyday.
Night Droppings A few times a day after eating you will notice your pet licking his anal area and eating some of his droppings at the same time. This is normal for the rabbit so do not worry about it.What he is eating are called "cecotropes". They are made of vital nutriments that have not been absorbed well by the large intestine.The rabbit need these nutriments in his diet.It is just a part of what do pet rabbits eat.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I hope you found this information helpful on what do pet rabbit eat.Did you know that pet rabbits can be quite easily litter trained? To get a lot more free tips and watch videos about pet rabbits, please visit my blog at http://www.petrabbitcare.blogspot.com and enjoy learning about your pet rabbit!"
-Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
You might also find this article useful: Is your rabbit being fed properly?
Please leave comments below telling us what you think
Before buying a rabbit you should know
"This article reveal interesting rabbit facts and information. Discuss that rabbits are cute and soft with fascinating behavior. While they are affectionate animals, rabbits may take some time to get adjusted to a new environment. But once they are given enough time and sense of security, rabbits love the company of human being.
The minute anyone thinks of a rabbit, most people will see rabbits as docile and cuddly animals. Rabbits however, do take some time to adapt and feel at ease in unfamiliar environments. With enough time and assurance provided by owners, the rabbits should adjust soon. They like human company but might respond less positively to being held.
Rabbits are more intelligent than most people thought. They can be litter trained and can even be taught little parlor tricks to amuse others. A Japanese man raised a rabbit named Oolong and it had a quaint talent for balancing miniature objects on its head while it hopped around.
There are over 50 different breeds that are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. However there is much more varieties than that, for example Snowshoe hares are not included in the listed 50 breeds.
This is because as a professional association concerned with organizing them in fairly strict standards they have differentiated the breeds accordingly. With different features, sizes and colors specific to each breed, there are some similarities among all the rabbits irrelevant of their breeds. Rabbits belong to Lagomorphs species. Since they have constantly growing teeth they are often misunderstood as rodents.
Rabbits breed very fast and tend to have a high number of offspring. They live up to 10 years and mature in about 6 months and start breeding immediately. This is because they had survived in the wild being prey to a lot of predations. They have an innate instinct to protect themselves and this has helped in their survival over thoussands of years. Their gestation period is as little as a month and they produce a lot of kits - rabbit babies.
Unlike other mammals whose teeth shift but do not grow after adulthood, rabbit's teeth keep growing through out their lives, To control the growth of the teeth, they keep chewing on anything and everything possible. That could be a problem for rabbit owners since they damage the furniture and other materials in the house. The most common or even favorite thing for the rabbits is the shoe. This problem can be handled by consciously keeping the shoes out of reach.
Rabbit proofing the furniture at home helps to prevent the furniture from further damages. Owners should provide their rabbits with lot of chewable toys available in pet shops to keep them from exploring and chewing other items in the house. Another natural instinct of rabbit is digging because they live in burrows in the wild. This can become and issue with domestic pets, as they will dig holes in the garden and spoil the foliage.
Their emotions can be adversely affected easily. Due to stress, rabbits can suffer from a number of medical afflicitons. They can be easily disturbed with loud noises and screaming. Children may not be aware that rabbits dislike to have their ears played with. They could even bite children if they are stressed.
Rabbits have a vision of close to 360 degrees to afford them a good view of possible predators. However, they do have a blind spot under their face that is approximately about 10 degrees. So, they could shift their heads frequently, and try to gauge the distance of objects through looking at the objects in different perspectives.
Rabbits need regular grooming. Though they are clean animals naturally, it is necessary to brush them often to avoid accumulation of fur balls in the intestine.
With more and more people choosing rabbits as their pets, it is clear that these small animals are gaining popularity and make good companions who amuse their owners well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Moses Wright is a an experience dog lover with 3 beautiful dogs. He created a pet problems and solutions site to help fellow pet owners stop their pet behavior problems. You can get more information about rabbit problems and solutions at his site."
-Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
The minute anyone thinks of a rabbit, most people will see rabbits as docile and cuddly animals. Rabbits however, do take some time to adapt and feel at ease in unfamiliar environments. With enough time and assurance provided by owners, the rabbits should adjust soon. They like human company but might respond less positively to being held.
Rabbits are more intelligent than most people thought. They can be litter trained and can even be taught little parlor tricks to amuse others. A Japanese man raised a rabbit named Oolong and it had a quaint talent for balancing miniature objects on its head while it hopped around.
There are over 50 different breeds that are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. However there is much more varieties than that, for example Snowshoe hares are not included in the listed 50 breeds.
This is because as a professional association concerned with organizing them in fairly strict standards they have differentiated the breeds accordingly. With different features, sizes and colors specific to each breed, there are some similarities among all the rabbits irrelevant of their breeds. Rabbits belong to Lagomorphs species. Since they have constantly growing teeth they are often misunderstood as rodents.
Rabbits breed very fast and tend to have a high number of offspring. They live up to 10 years and mature in about 6 months and start breeding immediately. This is because they had survived in the wild being prey to a lot of predations. They have an innate instinct to protect themselves and this has helped in their survival over thoussands of years. Their gestation period is as little as a month and they produce a lot of kits - rabbit babies.
Unlike other mammals whose teeth shift but do not grow after adulthood, rabbit's teeth keep growing through out their lives, To control the growth of the teeth, they keep chewing on anything and everything possible. That could be a problem for rabbit owners since they damage the furniture and other materials in the house. The most common or even favorite thing for the rabbits is the shoe. This problem can be handled by consciously keeping the shoes out of reach.
Rabbit proofing the furniture at home helps to prevent the furniture from further damages. Owners should provide their rabbits with lot of chewable toys available in pet shops to keep them from exploring and chewing other items in the house. Another natural instinct of rabbit is digging because they live in burrows in the wild. This can become and issue with domestic pets, as they will dig holes in the garden and spoil the foliage.
Their emotions can be adversely affected easily. Due to stress, rabbits can suffer from a number of medical afflicitons. They can be easily disturbed with loud noises and screaming. Children may not be aware that rabbits dislike to have their ears played with. They could even bite children if they are stressed.
Rabbits have a vision of close to 360 degrees to afford them a good view of possible predators. However, they do have a blind spot under their face that is approximately about 10 degrees. So, they could shift their heads frequently, and try to gauge the distance of objects through looking at the objects in different perspectives.
Rabbits need regular grooming. Though they are clean animals naturally, it is necessary to brush them often to avoid accumulation of fur balls in the intestine.
With more and more people choosing rabbits as their pets, it is clear that these small animals are gaining popularity and make good companions who amuse their owners well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Moses Wright is a an experience dog lover with 3 beautiful dogs. He created a pet problems and solutions site to help fellow pet owners stop their pet behavior problems. You can get more information about rabbit problems and solutions at his site."
-Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
Rabbit Blog: Comment Contest
Today we are launching a contest on this rabbit blog. We will give the person who leaves the most relevant comments on this blog a special prize. The prize will most likely be a cash prize. To qualify you must leave at least 10 comments throughout any of our posts.
So good luck and start leaving relevant comments!
P.S- You can get started by leaving a comment of this post!
So good luck and start leaving relevant comments!
P.S- You can get started by leaving a comment of this post!
The Rabbit vs. the Dog
Who do you think will win the fighting match the dog or the rabbit?
Leave your comments on this video in the comments section:
Leave your comments on this video in the comments section:
Chickens Protect Rabbit Citizens
Ok, this is another very cool rabbit video. Watch as chickens break up a rabbit fight!
Here are some funny comments that I found on the rabbit video:
Here are some funny comments that I found on the rabbit video:
Chickens: "Our job here is done. Keep the peace, citizens."
Strange comment:
imagen my friend we killing thats chicken's and we eat them look how life is.......men there is no right .......evil never dies evil in our blood!!!!! so now we are food lol
Tell us what you think! Leave comments about this video below:
Raising Rabbits for Meat
"Raising meat rabbits as a small backyard operation could be a positive experience for a family who wants some healthful,drug-free meat.Such project can involve all family members and provide them with an exceptional quality of meat/protein compare with what is found at the grocery store.Lets take a look at the pros and cons of this practice.
Pros
Rabbits are good for rural or urban areas.They are very quiet animals and are not considered as livestock such as chickens, geeses, turkeys or ducks.So they are permitted when those other animals are not.
They do not required a huge up-front money investment to get set up and you can get started with just a couple of rabbits.You can built a large pen to let them roam free out of cages and let them eat pasture.
Rabbits are fairly easy to raise, there is no need for special equipement and they multiply very very fast.Also their meat is low in cholesterol and fat and high in protein.
Cons
It will cost as much money to produce a pound of rabbit meat than buying any meat at the grocery store.It may be desappointing to expect much monetary profits from such operation.
Very few veterinarians have good knowledge about rabbits.So if a health problem arise among your bunnies, it could be difficult to get help.Also keep in mind that a lot of predators are going to be after your rabbits.
A lot of people, specially in the U.S. are considering rabbits as house pets.It could be hard to know with whom to talk to about your activity.Pet are consider as part of the family,people would never eat their dog or cat,or their pet rabbit.
Rabbits are very sensitive to overheating.Hot summer months could be fatal for their lives.Therefor do not set up such operation in a hot climat area.
People who want to get into raising meat rabbits should get a lot of documentation about this practice before starting so. Hear to mouth advice is never enough to aquire all the essential knowledge and it should be looked at with caution.
Since rabbits can multiply very quickly, some people woke up with a lot more animals than they could handle physically and financially.As a result rabbits where neglected and lived in miserable conditions,and animal shelters got overwhelmed.
Article Tags: Raising Meat
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hopefully you found this information helpful about raising meat rabbits.Would you know how to choose the right breed and what it takes to get started? Feel free to visit my blog at http://www.petrabbitcare.blogspot.com for a lot of ressources and videos. Enjoy learning about rabbits!" - Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
Pros
Rabbits are good for rural or urban areas.They are very quiet animals and are not considered as livestock such as chickens, geeses, turkeys or ducks.So they are permitted when those other animals are not.
They do not required a huge up-front money investment to get set up and you can get started with just a couple of rabbits.You can built a large pen to let them roam free out of cages and let them eat pasture.
Rabbits are fairly easy to raise, there is no need for special equipement and they multiply very very fast.Also their meat is low in cholesterol and fat and high in protein.
Cons
It will cost as much money to produce a pound of rabbit meat than buying any meat at the grocery store.It may be desappointing to expect much monetary profits from such operation.
Very few veterinarians have good knowledge about rabbits.So if a health problem arise among your bunnies, it could be difficult to get help.Also keep in mind that a lot of predators are going to be after your rabbits.
A lot of people, specially in the U.S. are considering rabbits as house pets.It could be hard to know with whom to talk to about your activity.Pet are consider as part of the family,people would never eat their dog or cat,or their pet rabbit.
Rabbits are very sensitive to overheating.Hot summer months could be fatal for their lives.Therefor do not set up such operation in a hot climat area.
People who want to get into raising meat rabbits should get a lot of documentation about this practice before starting so. Hear to mouth advice is never enough to aquire all the essential knowledge and it should be looked at with caution.
Since rabbits can multiply very quickly, some people woke up with a lot more animals than they could handle physically and financially.As a result rabbits where neglected and lived in miserable conditions,and animal shelters got overwhelmed.
Article Tags: Raising Meat
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hopefully you found this information helpful about raising meat rabbits.Would you know how to choose the right breed and what it takes to get started? Feel free to visit my blog at http://www.petrabbitcare.blogspot.com for a lot of ressources and videos. Enjoy learning about rabbits!" - Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
Free Rabbit Websites?
Did I hear that right? When can I ever really get anything for free? Well I have found this site that is offering to help you setup your very own rabbit webpage: create a free rabbit website:
I haven't actually tried this out yet because I have plenty of websites already however this looks like a great idea for someone who doesn't.
Maybe some of you can leave comments below telling us what you think of this opportunity?
Ok, it looks like the guy is even offering to design the whole thing for you, FREE of Charge!
I haven't actually tried this out yet because I have plenty of websites already however this looks like a great idea for someone who doesn't.
Maybe some of you can leave comments below telling us what you think of this opportunity?
Ok, it looks like the guy is even offering to design the whole thing for you, FREE of Charge!
Rabbit Care Tips
This is a fact about rabbits, even more than with cats and dogs. People have a tendency to buy them on a impulse.Because they are so cute or because the kids wanted him, anyway you take him home wondering:how to take care of my rabbit?Does it sounds familiar?
It is important to do some research on pet rabbits before adopting one to make sure it is the right pet for you. There are 5 essential things they need to be healthy and happy.
Rabbits need a place of their own
First of all a pet rabbit need a cage to be his house. Get the biggest size that you can. A 2x3 feet cage is good for a medium size rabbit.Get the one with the plastic bottom, the wire bottom will damage the rabbit's delicate paws.Get a plastic pan a little bigger than the rabbit and put it in one corner of the cage to be his litter box.
Rabbits need a good diet
Young rabbits should be raised on alfalfa pellets and alfalfa hay at will.Start to give him veggies at the age of 2 months.Rabbits love fresh grass from the yard, dandelions leaves, spinach, celery, carrots leaves, anything dark green.Give him at least 3 different greens everyday to insure a balanced diet.Fruits should be given as treats, a small portion every other day.After the age of 6 months old switch him to Timothy Hay and pellets and reduce to a quater of a cup the amount of pellets per day.
Rabbits need to exercise
A lot of people think a rabbit can live in a cage like a hamster but it is not the case. They need exercise and freedom. You can give them freedom by rabbit-proofing your house.Rabbits can live like house cats and can be easily litter trained.Just pen your rabbit off in the room where is cage is at night or when you are gone using a baby gate.
Rabbits need to be spayed or neutered
Ultered rabbits live a lot longer and have a much happier life.For the females, it eleminate the risk of uterine cancer,witch they are prone to when they dont have babies. A fixed rabbit also have a much desirable behavior as a pet,stops marking his territory and become a lot easier to be litter trained.
Rabbits need your love and attention
Rabbits are highly intelligent and very social animals.They love to be around other rabbits, humans and even get along with other pets such as cats.You need to spend time everyday on the floor with your rabbit and play with him. Give him toys he can chew on such as cardboard tubes, old phone books or boxes.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I hope you found this little bit of information helpful on how to take care of my rabbit.
Do you know what are the best toys for your rabbit? Feel free to visit my blog at http://www.petrabbitcare.blogspot.com for a lot more tips and great videos and enjoy learning about your pet rabbit!
It is important to do some research on pet rabbits before adopting one to make sure it is the right pet for you. There are 5 essential things they need to be healthy and happy.
Rabbits need a place of their own
First of all a pet rabbit need a cage to be his house. Get the biggest size that you can. A 2x3 feet cage is good for a medium size rabbit.Get the one with the plastic bottom, the wire bottom will damage the rabbit's delicate paws.Get a plastic pan a little bigger than the rabbit and put it in one corner of the cage to be his litter box.
Rabbits need a good diet
Young rabbits should be raised on alfalfa pellets and alfalfa hay at will.Start to give him veggies at the age of 2 months.Rabbits love fresh grass from the yard, dandelions leaves, spinach, celery, carrots leaves, anything dark green.Give him at least 3 different greens everyday to insure a balanced diet.Fruits should be given as treats, a small portion every other day.After the age of 6 months old switch him to Timothy Hay and pellets and reduce to a quater of a cup the amount of pellets per day.
Rabbits need to exercise
A lot of people think a rabbit can live in a cage like a hamster but it is not the case. They need exercise and freedom. You can give them freedom by rabbit-proofing your house.Rabbits can live like house cats and can be easily litter trained.Just pen your rabbit off in the room where is cage is at night or when you are gone using a baby gate.
Rabbits need to be spayed or neutered
Ultered rabbits live a lot longer and have a much happier life.For the females, it eleminate the risk of uterine cancer,witch they are prone to when they dont have babies. A fixed rabbit also have a much desirable behavior as a pet,stops marking his territory and become a lot easier to be litter trained.
Rabbits need your love and attention
Rabbits are highly intelligent and very social animals.They love to be around other rabbits, humans and even get along with other pets such as cats.You need to spend time everyday on the floor with your rabbit and play with him. Give him toys he can chew on such as cardboard tubes, old phone books or boxes.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I hope you found this little bit of information helpful on how to take care of my rabbit.
Do you know what are the best toys for your rabbit? Feel free to visit my blog at http://www.petrabbitcare.blogspot.com for a lot more tips and great videos and enjoy learning about your pet rabbit!
Raising Rabbits 4 Pets
Rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart from dogs and cats. They look attractive, lovely, gentle, friendly and cute. They are easy to take care and undemanding in terms of care and housing. They will settle well either indoor or outdoor, at home.
There are 40 species of rabbits and hares worldwide. All domesticated rabbits are originated from European rabbits. The scientific name for domestic rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.
Typically, domesticated rabbits weigh between 2.2-221lb (1-10kg). The domesticated rabbits can be fed on commercially produced rabbit food, pellets, hay, green food, root vegetables, tree bark, herbs and apple.
The gestation period of a rabbit is 31 days and the typical litter size ranges from 6-8 young. The lifespan varies with breed.
Keeping a rabbit as pet requires a good training system to prevent unnecessary destructions or hassle. For example, furniture and carpet chewing problems, pseudo pregnancy symptoms, litter problems, fights, behavioral problems, rabbit-house worries, sickness, fleas, predators and etc. Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome when the owners have the knowledge and experience to deal with them. Thus, one of the recommended ways to acquire the important knowledge is to read widely and exchange practical information with experienced rabbit owners.
It is important to watch out for any abnormalities in your rabbits as rabbits are susceptible to various digestive ailments and other life-threatening diseases. For example, rabbits are vulnerable to myxomatosis and VHD viruses. These are the killer viruses!
There is no universal system of classification for rabbit breeds. Some popular breeds of rabbits include:
· Alaska
· American Fuzzy Lop
· American Sable
· Angora
· Belgian Hare
· Beveren
· Californian
· Champagne D’Argent
· Checkered Giant
· Chinchilla
· Dutch
· Dwarf Hotot
· English Lop
· Flemish Giant
· Florida White
· Harlequin
· Havana
· Himalayan
· Hotot
· Jersey Wooly
· Lilac
· Holland Lop
· Mini Lop
· Mini Rex
· Netherland Dwarf
· New Zealand
· Palomino
· Polish
· Rex
· Rhinelander
· Satin
· Silver
· Silver Fox
· Silver Marten
· Tan
Article Tags: Domesticated Rabbits
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rabbit Lover,
www.rabbitinfo.careforpet-rabbit.com
There are 40 species of rabbits and hares worldwide. All domesticated rabbits are originated from European rabbits. The scientific name for domestic rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus.
Typically, domesticated rabbits weigh between 2.2-221lb (1-10kg). The domesticated rabbits can be fed on commercially produced rabbit food, pellets, hay, green food, root vegetables, tree bark, herbs and apple.
The gestation period of a rabbit is 31 days and the typical litter size ranges from 6-8 young. The lifespan varies with breed.
Keeping a rabbit as pet requires a good training system to prevent unnecessary destructions or hassle. For example, furniture and carpet chewing problems, pseudo pregnancy symptoms, litter problems, fights, behavioral problems, rabbit-house worries, sickness, fleas, predators and etc. Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome when the owners have the knowledge and experience to deal with them. Thus, one of the recommended ways to acquire the important knowledge is to read widely and exchange practical information with experienced rabbit owners.
It is important to watch out for any abnormalities in your rabbits as rabbits are susceptible to various digestive ailments and other life-threatening diseases. For example, rabbits are vulnerable to myxomatosis and VHD viruses. These are the killer viruses!
There is no universal system of classification for rabbit breeds. Some popular breeds of rabbits include:
· Alaska
· American Fuzzy Lop
· American Sable
· Angora
· Belgian Hare
· Beveren
· Californian
· Champagne D’Argent
· Checkered Giant
· Chinchilla
· Dutch
· Dwarf Hotot
· English Lop
· Flemish Giant
· Florida White
· Harlequin
· Havana
· Himalayan
· Hotot
· Jersey Wooly
· Lilac
· Holland Lop
· Mini Lop
· Mini Rex
· Netherland Dwarf
· New Zealand
· Palomino
· Polish
· Rex
· Rhinelander
· Satin
· Silver
· Silver Fox
· Silver Marten
· Tan
Article Tags: Domesticated Rabbits
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rabbit Lover,
www.rabbitinfo.careforpet-rabbit.com
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Rabbit and Cat Love
OMG, this rabbit video is so cute! I guess rabbits get along with any type of animal as long as they are put together when they are still young.
You can also check out this article about: how to train rabbits.
You can also check out this article about: how to train rabbits.
All about raising baby rabbits
Raising baby rabbits are not just like taking care of kittens or puppies because their mothers have a different way of nursing their young. Mother rabbits are very central to the lives of their babies or kits because they don't stop taking care of them until they are strong enough to fend for themselves. Thus, in raising baby rabbits, one must also give equal care to the doe in order to properly support the young. The first thing that needs to be done in raising baby rabbits is setting up a comfortable nest for the doe days before it is about to give birth. Common nests used are the wooden nest box or even an ordinary litter box. The nest should first be lined with a bunny litter material that will help absorb urine or birth fluids to make the mother rabbit comfortable. Afterwards, the nest should be topped with hay, dried grasses, or even saw dust to help make the space warmer.
In most cases, the doe is the one who really feeds her young so there should be no problem when it comes to this part. The owner's only concern would be to provide the mother with the appropriate foods to make sure that she generates good milk for her babies. In raising baby rabbits, some people think that the mothers don't feed their young because they rarely see the doe doing it. This is a misconception, however, because unlike other animals, baby rabbits are only fed once a day and within 12 midnight to 5 am in the morning only.
Also, in raising baby rabbits, it is important to assess the attitude of the mother with regards to her babies. If the doe appears nervous and agitated in her cage days after she has given birth, this is the time when the owner has to directly monitor the babies to see if they are warm enough. If the kits look shriveled with baggy skin and sunken tummies then they have to be fed with other food instead. Monitoring the temperature is also important in raising kits. The babies should be kept from losing too much of their body heat because the more they use it, the higher their chances of eating more. This may be a problem given that they are only fed once a day. In rare situations when the mother is not up to nurse her babies, a heating pad must be placed on the nest to keep the babies warm during their first week.
In most cases, the doe is the one who really feeds her young so there should be no problem when it comes to this part. The owner's only concern would be to provide the mother with the appropriate foods to make sure that she generates good milk for her babies. In raising baby rabbits, some people think that the mothers don't feed their young because they rarely see the doe doing it. This is a misconception, however, because unlike other animals, baby rabbits are only fed once a day and within 12 midnight to 5 am in the morning only.
Also, in raising baby rabbits, it is important to assess the attitude of the mother with regards to her babies. If the doe appears nervous and agitated in her cage days after she has given birth, this is the time when the owner has to directly monitor the babies to see if they are warm enough. If the kits look shriveled with baggy skin and sunken tummies then they have to be fed with other food instead. Monitoring the temperature is also important in raising kits. The babies should be kept from losing too much of their body heat because the more they use it, the higher their chances of eating more. This may be a problem given that they are only fed once a day. In rare situations when the mother is not up to nurse her babies, a heating pad must be placed on the nest to keep the babies warm during their first week.
Hunting for Rabbits is CRUEL
For many people, hunting rabbits is cruel and strange punishment. For others, however, hunting rabbits is an age old sport that requires patience and knack. This clause will address to the later while paying no demur to the past, realizing that the rabbit obtain is as old a tradition in America as hunting other animals and acknowledging that, while hunting may not be vital in any modern situation, it is a heck of a lot of fun.
Most people elect to rummage rabbits with a dog. This is because with a dog can help pass the rabbit out into the open or can help draw the seeker towards the grassland in which the rabbits are more abundant. A dog could also fulfil as a great companion to hunting, enabling the seeker actually to have superstar to talk to instead of the cold steel of the Remington ransack. Still, some people show to quest lacking a furry comrade, making for a different hunting experience.
When people shadow for rabbits lacking a dog, it is important to learn the persona and factors tangled with rabbits. The hunter must virtually become the rabbit; culture the rabbits pathways and food stops are really important to a successful rabbit seek, so thoughts like a rabbit is basic to the victory of the hunt. Of course, thoughts like a rabbit may tell you that murder these furry little links for sport isn't such a great idea. If that happens, flaunt those details and focus in on your goal of bagging a fluffy bunny.
A value time to hunt bunnies is in the first snug existence of give. Here, bunnies will prone be drenched up the sun and having a great time in open fields. This is a great time to infringe out your rifle and depart bagging some rabbits. The time value because, relative to the coldness, the rabbits you seek will be more out in the open and more prone to be obvious to the naked eye. In iciness, rabbits lean stylishly to develop brush shield and brambles to encompass their tracks from snooping bloodhounds.
It is important to grasp the rabbits lean to run from part to area. This, of course, does not mean that you should not actively lookout the rabbit while firing amazingly into the open province. What it does mean is that a hunter can actively trail the alleyway of the rabbit by study for recurring steps in language of the tracking. A rabbit would only run in a curt line for a tiny time, altering velocity and darting back and forth in pointy hops awaiting it reaches its cautious protect. Knowing this, pursue the rabbit with your tracking skills and nail it before it hops down the rabbit aperture and back to Wonderland.
Many hunters make the gaffe of pitiful too swiftly and making too much clamor when hunting rabbits. Just ask Elmer Fudd about the best options for hunting rabbits and he will tell you that the best system for hunting "wabbits" is slowly to stalk the prey before firing off shot after shot from your alarmingly giant elephant gun. The upright fidelity about hunting bunnies is that the system must reduce somewhere in the median. Charging into the center of a known rabbit field with your guns intense will liable not discover you any rabbits, but you do essential to be somewhat pushy to bag a bunny.
The global best system for hunting rabbits is what is known as the "prevent and go" procedure. This skill is right what it sounds like; the essence of the interrupt and go practice is in using tip-toe grace movements and stalking the rabbit through study it, affecting towards it and touching expand towards it. As you can pattern the rabbits' movements, you can eventually squeeze off a shot and bewilder feeble Cottontail in the stem to impress all your friends. If you lose, however, be thorough. Some rabbits actually spiciness.
(ArticlesBase SC #758775)
Most people elect to rummage rabbits with a dog. This is because with a dog can help pass the rabbit out into the open or can help draw the seeker towards the grassland in which the rabbits are more abundant. A dog could also fulfil as a great companion to hunting, enabling the seeker actually to have superstar to talk to instead of the cold steel of the Remington ransack. Still, some people show to quest lacking a furry comrade, making for a different hunting experience.
When people shadow for rabbits lacking a dog, it is important to learn the persona and factors tangled with rabbits. The hunter must virtually become the rabbit; culture the rabbits pathways and food stops are really important to a successful rabbit seek, so thoughts like a rabbit is basic to the victory of the hunt. Of course, thoughts like a rabbit may tell you that murder these furry little links for sport isn't such a great idea. If that happens, flaunt those details and focus in on your goal of bagging a fluffy bunny.
A value time to hunt bunnies is in the first snug existence of give. Here, bunnies will prone be drenched up the sun and having a great time in open fields. This is a great time to infringe out your rifle and depart bagging some rabbits. The time value because, relative to the coldness, the rabbits you seek will be more out in the open and more prone to be obvious to the naked eye. In iciness, rabbits lean stylishly to develop brush shield and brambles to encompass their tracks from snooping bloodhounds.
It is important to grasp the rabbits lean to run from part to area. This, of course, does not mean that you should not actively lookout the rabbit while firing amazingly into the open province. What it does mean is that a hunter can actively trail the alleyway of the rabbit by study for recurring steps in language of the tracking. A rabbit would only run in a curt line for a tiny time, altering velocity and darting back and forth in pointy hops awaiting it reaches its cautious protect. Knowing this, pursue the rabbit with your tracking skills and nail it before it hops down the rabbit aperture and back to Wonderland.
Many hunters make the gaffe of pitiful too swiftly and making too much clamor when hunting rabbits. Just ask Elmer Fudd about the best options for hunting rabbits and he will tell you that the best system for hunting "wabbits" is slowly to stalk the prey before firing off shot after shot from your alarmingly giant elephant gun. The upright fidelity about hunting bunnies is that the system must reduce somewhere in the median. Charging into the center of a known rabbit field with your guns intense will liable not discover you any rabbits, but you do essential to be somewhat pushy to bag a bunny.
The global best system for hunting rabbits is what is known as the "prevent and go" procedure. This skill is right what it sounds like; the essence of the interrupt and go practice is in using tip-toe grace movements and stalking the rabbit through study it, affecting towards it and touching expand towards it. As you can pattern the rabbits' movements, you can eventually squeeze off a shot and bewilder feeble Cottontail in the stem to impress all your friends. If you lose, however, be thorough. Some rabbits actually spiciness.
(ArticlesBase SC #758775)
How to train a rabbit
f you own a rabbit and aren't quite sure what to do with him or her why not train him. I will show you step by step how to litter train your pet rabbit. Within a few weeks, your rabbit will be trained to use a litter box both in and out of his cage. Don't worry, its not that hard to do, I did it with my six year old daughter.
Here are three things you should do before you start to actually train your rabbit.
1) Make sure you have a proper cage for your rabbit:
His cage should be big enough for him to have a "living" area and a "potty" area.
2)Let your rabbit exercise everyday.
You should have your rabbit out to exercise 1-2 times a day for 30-60 minutes.
3) Feed your rabbit
You should feed your rabbit a combination of fruits, vegetables and dry food three times a day.You will find that your rabbit has one or two favorite treats which you will use when you begin to train him.
Ok now that you have spent a some time getting to know your rabbit and have become friends its time to start training.
Litter Training Your Rabbit
This should be the first thing you teach your rabbit to do. It is a fairly easy task to do plus it will eliminate having to clean up after him while you are training himother commands. You will need a litterpan about 4 inches high and either hay or nonclumping rabbit litter to put in the litter box. DO NOT use regular cat litter. The dust can cause respiratory problems for your rabbit. Place the litter box in the room where you have been letting him exercise. Remove some "rabbit pebbles" from the bottom of your rabbits cage and place them in the litter box. Put your rabbit in the litter box and use a command like "rabbits name, go pebbles" or "rabbits name, go potty ". Don't worry if your rabbit hops out of the box, let him hop around for 10 minutes then place him back in the box and repeat the command. When you see your rabbit go potty in the box, praise him by scratching his nose or stroking his head and say "good rabbits name" or good boy/girl". DO NOT give your rabbit a treat for going potty. Do this everyday for a week. By the end of the week your rabbit should hop in the pan and go potty whenever you have him out of his cage.
(ArticlesBase SC #641424)
Here are three things you should do before you start to actually train your rabbit.
1) Make sure you have a proper cage for your rabbit:
His cage should be big enough for him to have a "living" area and a "potty" area.
2)Let your rabbit exercise everyday.
You should have your rabbit out to exercise 1-2 times a day for 30-60 minutes.
3) Feed your rabbit
You should feed your rabbit a combination of fruits, vegetables and dry food three times a day.You will find that your rabbit has one or two favorite treats which you will use when you begin to train him.
Ok now that you have spent a some time getting to know your rabbit and have become friends its time to start training.
Litter Training Your Rabbit
This should be the first thing you teach your rabbit to do. It is a fairly easy task to do plus it will eliminate having to clean up after him while you are training himother commands. You will need a litterpan about 4 inches high and either hay or nonclumping rabbit litter to put in the litter box. DO NOT use regular cat litter. The dust can cause respiratory problems for your rabbit. Place the litter box in the room where you have been letting him exercise. Remove some "rabbit pebbles" from the bottom of your rabbits cage and place them in the litter box. Put your rabbit in the litter box and use a command like "rabbits name, go pebbles" or "rabbits name, go potty ". Don't worry if your rabbit hops out of the box, let him hop around for 10 minutes then place him back in the box and repeat the command. When you see your rabbit go potty in the box, praise him by scratching his nose or stroking his head and say "good rabbits name" or good boy/girl". DO NOT give your rabbit a treat for going potty. Do this everyday for a week. By the end of the week your rabbit should hop in the pan and go potty whenever you have him out of his cage.
(ArticlesBase SC #641424)
Is your rabbit on a good diet?
The typical diet for a pet rabbit consists of water, hay, pellets, fresh vegetables, and its own caecal pellets. Fruit and other treats are given only in very limited quantities, as they can cause obesity in a rabbit. Rabbits require a constant water supply as they dehydrate quickly.
Most sources recommend 80% of the diet should be Timothy hay or another grass hay. Too many vegetables in a rabbit's diet typically leads to diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Pellets
Rabbits are generally fed a pelleted feed available from pet stores, supermarkets, and farm suppliers. Pellets were originally designed for rabbit breeders for the purpose of providing as much food energy and vitamins as inexpensively as possible. This is optimal when the rabbits are being bred for food or for experimentation.
Most sources recommend a minimum of 18% fiber, low protein (14?15%), and less than 1% calcium. Depending on the amount of vegetables available, an adult rabbit should be given between 20 ml to 40 ml per kilogram (? and ? cup of pellets per 6 pounds) body weight daily. Pre-adolescent and adolescent rabbits (7 months and younger) can be given as much pelleted diet as they can consume, although additional vegetables are preferable to additional pellets. An older rabbit (over six years) can be given more pellets if they are having difficulty maintaining a steady body weight. Timothy hay-based pellets are great for rabbits that have stopped growing and do not need to gain weight. Alfalfa-based pellets are best only for young, growing rabbits or older rabbits who are under-weight.
Hay
Hay is essential for the health of all rabbits. A steady supply of hay will help prevent gastrointestinal stasis and other digestive tract problems in rabbits. Additionally, it provides a number of necessary vitamins and minerals at a low food energy cost. Rabbits enjoy chewing on hay, and always having hay available for the rabbit may reduce its tendency to chew on other items. Timothy hay and other grass hays are considered the healthiest to provide the rabbit. As a persistently high blood calcium level can prove harmful to the rabbit, hays such as alfalfa and clover hay should be avoided. Alfalfa is also relatively high in food energy, and a constant diet of it can cause obesity in rabbits.
Treats
Treats are unhealthy in large quantities for rabbits, just as they are for humans. Most treats sold in pet stores are filled with sugar and high food energy carbohydrates. If an owner is determined to feed the rabbit treats, the best treat to provide it with is fruit.
Acceptable fruits (seeds and pits MUST be removed): Banana, Mango, Pineapple, Peach, Apple, Kiwi, Berries, Orange and other citrus fruits.
Pineapple, mango, and papaya all contain a natural enzyme which is thought to reduce hairballs.
Fruits or other treats must be given in moderation, as rabbits easily become overweight and suffer health problems. Their diet should consist of no more than half a tablespoon of fruits or treats per day.
However, fresh fruits should not be given to rabbits under the age of 4 months because their digestive systems are not always developed enough to handle the fruit. It can cause enteritis that causes death within 48 hours.
While a common myth that rabbits should be given lettuce, this is not a good idea because it contains little to no nutritional value for the rabbit and again can cause enteritis which leads to a quick death.
Caecal pellets
Do not be alarmed if you see your rabbit eat some of his feces. These are called cecal pellets, and are a vital part of his diet. Caecal pellets are soft, smelly, clumpy feces, and are a rabbit's only supply of Vitamin B12. Due to the design of the rabbit's digestive system, they cannot extract some vitamins and minerals directly from their food. At the end of their digestive system is an area called the caecum where cellulose and other plant fibers are broken down and ferment. After they have been broken down and passed, a rabbit's digestive system can finally extract the vitamins from them.
(ArticlesBase SC #24587)
Most sources recommend 80% of the diet should be Timothy hay or another grass hay. Too many vegetables in a rabbit's diet typically leads to diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Pellets
Rabbits are generally fed a pelleted feed available from pet stores, supermarkets, and farm suppliers. Pellets were originally designed for rabbit breeders for the purpose of providing as much food energy and vitamins as inexpensively as possible. This is optimal when the rabbits are being bred for food or for experimentation.
Most sources recommend a minimum of 18% fiber, low protein (14?15%), and less than 1% calcium. Depending on the amount of vegetables available, an adult rabbit should be given between 20 ml to 40 ml per kilogram (? and ? cup of pellets per 6 pounds) body weight daily. Pre-adolescent and adolescent rabbits (7 months and younger) can be given as much pelleted diet as they can consume, although additional vegetables are preferable to additional pellets. An older rabbit (over six years) can be given more pellets if they are having difficulty maintaining a steady body weight. Timothy hay-based pellets are great for rabbits that have stopped growing and do not need to gain weight. Alfalfa-based pellets are best only for young, growing rabbits or older rabbits who are under-weight.
Hay
Hay is essential for the health of all rabbits. A steady supply of hay will help prevent gastrointestinal stasis and other digestive tract problems in rabbits. Additionally, it provides a number of necessary vitamins and minerals at a low food energy cost. Rabbits enjoy chewing on hay, and always having hay available for the rabbit may reduce its tendency to chew on other items. Timothy hay and other grass hays are considered the healthiest to provide the rabbit. As a persistently high blood calcium level can prove harmful to the rabbit, hays such as alfalfa and clover hay should be avoided. Alfalfa is also relatively high in food energy, and a constant diet of it can cause obesity in rabbits.
Treats
Treats are unhealthy in large quantities for rabbits, just as they are for humans. Most treats sold in pet stores are filled with sugar and high food energy carbohydrates. If an owner is determined to feed the rabbit treats, the best treat to provide it with is fruit.
Acceptable fruits (seeds and pits MUST be removed): Banana, Mango, Pineapple, Peach, Apple, Kiwi, Berries, Orange and other citrus fruits.
Pineapple, mango, and papaya all contain a natural enzyme which is thought to reduce hairballs.
Fruits or other treats must be given in moderation, as rabbits easily become overweight and suffer health problems. Their diet should consist of no more than half a tablespoon of fruits or treats per day.
However, fresh fruits should not be given to rabbits under the age of 4 months because their digestive systems are not always developed enough to handle the fruit. It can cause enteritis that causes death within 48 hours.
While a common myth that rabbits should be given lettuce, this is not a good idea because it contains little to no nutritional value for the rabbit and again can cause enteritis which leads to a quick death.
Caecal pellets
Do not be alarmed if you see your rabbit eat some of his feces. These are called cecal pellets, and are a vital part of his diet. Caecal pellets are soft, smelly, clumpy feces, and are a rabbit's only supply of Vitamin B12. Due to the design of the rabbit's digestive system, they cannot extract some vitamins and minerals directly from their food. At the end of their digestive system is an area called the caecum where cellulose and other plant fibers are broken down and ferment. After they have been broken down and passed, a rabbit's digestive system can finally extract the vitamins from them.
(ArticlesBase SC #24587)
Is your rabbit healthy?
Springtime will be hopping along soon and many children will be receiving Easter bunnies. We want to share tips on how to spot health problems to keep your rabbits healthy. If your rabbits strain to urinate, experience a loss of appetite, or have a temperature these are warning signs of potential health problems.
Pine and cedar shavings are a definite no-no for your rabbit bed. Softwoods produce hydrocarbons that cause liver damage and respiratory health problems for small animals such as rabbits. Organic litter and newspaper is a safer alternative. Red urine is not always a reason for concern. A Rabbit's urine may be clear to yellow colored or brown to a bright red color. The veterinarian can test the urine for blood if the condition continues.
The antibiotic, Amoxicillin, should never be given to rabbits. Penicillin-based drugs are very dangerous for a rabbit. There are rabbit-safe antibiotics that can be prescribed by the vet. A rabbit's teeth can be uneven just like Bugs Bunny. This is because rabbits continually grow teeth. The teeth will need to be clipped if the alignment keeps the rabbit from eating. Usually this condition is only a problem with the front teeth not wearing down properly.
Rabbits get hairballs the same as cats and shedding is how to spot health problems in rabbits. Rabbits shed heavily every three months. A light shedding follows, then back to a heavy shedding, and so on. Shedding is often a cause in what kills rabbits. It is important to brush rabbits when they begin to shed. Rabbits groom themselves, but are unable to cough up hairballs like cats. A constant supply of fresh hay helps the rabbit digest the hair.
Many people do not realize that you can have your rabbits spayed or neutered just like other pets. The risk of fatal reproductive cancer in a female rabbit is nearly 85 percent making spaying necessary in keeping your rabbits healthy. Neutering male rabbits eliminates spraying and aggression. To neuter or spay rabbits is a safe and effective solution to hold down the rabbit population.
Bacterial infections caught early are much easier to cure. For symptoms of a bacterial infection in rabbits, how to spot health problems are runny eyes or nose, high fever, or a rattling sound in the chest. You need to take the rabbit in right away to see the veterinarian if any of these first signs of infection appear.
If your rabbit shows signs of digestive problems, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Diarrhea can kill rabbits. Runny diarrhea is the health problem that requires immediate care. A rabbit's droppings should not be clumpy or soft. Also, watch out for loud stomach growling or no droppings at all.
Rabbits make wonderful pets and it is very important to learn how to spot health problems to keep your family pet healthy for years to come. For centuries, a rabbit's foot has been a symbol of good luck. It is not the feet that are lucky it is the whole rabbit! It would have been too awkward to carry an entire rabbit in your pocket. A pen of furry friends means many blessings for you.
For all of the latest information and to see pictures of our mini lop rabbits please visit Mini Lop Rabbits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Isbitt
Pine and cedar shavings are a definite no-no for your rabbit bed. Softwoods produce hydrocarbons that cause liver damage and respiratory health problems for small animals such as rabbits. Organic litter and newspaper is a safer alternative. Red urine is not always a reason for concern. A Rabbit's urine may be clear to yellow colored or brown to a bright red color. The veterinarian can test the urine for blood if the condition continues.
The antibiotic, Amoxicillin, should never be given to rabbits. Penicillin-based drugs are very dangerous for a rabbit. There are rabbit-safe antibiotics that can be prescribed by the vet. A rabbit's teeth can be uneven just like Bugs Bunny. This is because rabbits continually grow teeth. The teeth will need to be clipped if the alignment keeps the rabbit from eating. Usually this condition is only a problem with the front teeth not wearing down properly.
Rabbits get hairballs the same as cats and shedding is how to spot health problems in rabbits. Rabbits shed heavily every three months. A light shedding follows, then back to a heavy shedding, and so on. Shedding is often a cause in what kills rabbits. It is important to brush rabbits when they begin to shed. Rabbits groom themselves, but are unable to cough up hairballs like cats. A constant supply of fresh hay helps the rabbit digest the hair.
Many people do not realize that you can have your rabbits spayed or neutered just like other pets. The risk of fatal reproductive cancer in a female rabbit is nearly 85 percent making spaying necessary in keeping your rabbits healthy. Neutering male rabbits eliminates spraying and aggression. To neuter or spay rabbits is a safe and effective solution to hold down the rabbit population.
Bacterial infections caught early are much easier to cure. For symptoms of a bacterial infection in rabbits, how to spot health problems are runny eyes or nose, high fever, or a rattling sound in the chest. You need to take the rabbit in right away to see the veterinarian if any of these first signs of infection appear.
If your rabbit shows signs of digestive problems, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Diarrhea can kill rabbits. Runny diarrhea is the health problem that requires immediate care. A rabbit's droppings should not be clumpy or soft. Also, watch out for loud stomach growling or no droppings at all.
Rabbits make wonderful pets and it is very important to learn how to spot health problems to keep your family pet healthy for years to come. For centuries, a rabbit's foot has been a symbol of good luck. It is not the feet that are lucky it is the whole rabbit! It would have been too awkward to carry an entire rabbit in your pocket. A pen of furry friends means many blessings for you.
For all of the latest information and to see pictures of our mini lop rabbits please visit Mini Lop Rabbits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amanda_Isbitt
Raising Rabbits: Reasons for adopting a rabbit
So, you've decided to get a rabbit. You've done all your research. You've rabbit-proofed your home. You've got a cage, food, and lots of toys. You've even decided on a name. But perhaps the most important decision is yet to come: where do you get your rabbit?
Many pet stores offer rabbits for sale. Upon seeing a crate full of adorably helpless baby bunnies, many folks can't resist the urge to take one home right there and then. Pet stores count on the appeal of the immature rabbit to stimulate impulse buying. Frequently, the rabbit is bought as a child's pet by an adult who does not realize that rabbits make poor pets for small children. There are no reliable figures as to how many of these rabbits are abandoned, given up to shelters, or die from improper care, but it seems likely that many suffer such a fate. One animal rescue organization reports that in 2007, they received requests for sheltering for 380 rabbits- while in the same year, they placed only two rabbits in new homes. Most people think of rabbits as a kind of rodent, and on par with a rat or gerbil in terms of care and commitment required. This misconception has terrible consequences for the unlucky rabbit. With an average lifespan of around 10 years, the baby rabbit you bought for your child when he was 8 should still be alive when he's getting ready to graduate from high school.
This is only one of the many reasons that adopting a rabbit from an animal shelter is preferable to buying one from a pet store or breeder. Most rabbits sold in pet stores are less than a year old, and if the store is not particularly scrupulous, they may even be younger than 6 weeks- the minimum age at which a rabbit can be removed from its mother. Rabbits found in animal shelters run the gamut of ages, from a few months to old age. By choosing a rabbit whose age aligns with the length of commitment you are willing to make, you will save yourself and the rabbit a great deal of hardship. Also, mature rabbits are often better choices for first-time rabbit owners. Their behavioral patterns have become more predictable, and they have already passed through their "rebellious teen" period. Shelter volunteers are much more likely to be familiar with the unique personalities of the individual rabbits they offer than a pet store employee. This will go a long way toward avoiding disaster down the line, when that bunny that was so cute and appealing as a kit becomes an unholy terror in maturity.
Also, adoption is a far more economical option than purchasing a rabbit. You save the price of the rabbit itself- typically between $20-50. Much more significantly, however, you save the cost of spaying/neutering the animal. This is an essentially non-optional procedure for most people interested in owning a rabbit as a pet. Rabbits that have not been fixed will be more aggressive and temperamental, will frequently spray objects with its scent glands, and are more prone to various health problems, such as uterine cancer. Prices for the procedure vary greatly from one veterinarian to another, but it will cost at least $100. Rabbits adopted from shelters are almost always fixed beforehand, so the adoption fee (usually about $30) is a terrific bargain.
Finally, adopting a rabbit is a humane and ethical way to own a pet without contributing to cruelty and neglect. Although many rabbit breeders do maintain high standards of care, many others operate as "rabbit mills" where most rabbits lead short, brutal existences. Pet stores often keep rabbits in substandard conditions, with little knowledge of the needs of the animal, and sometimes euthanize the animal once they reach maturity. Given the substantial excess of rabbits held in shelters, there is no reason to support industries that contribute to the problems of rabbit overpopulation and neglect. By adopting a rabbit, you not only save that animal from euthanization, but also evade taking part in a morally dubious industry.
If you are considering purchasing a rabbit from a store or breeder simply because you've heard that a given breed is "the best breed for pet rabbits", you may want to reconsider. While breeders and owners do report some very general trends in the behavior of specific breeds, rabbits are far too individualistic in their personalities for these trends to be reliable. Any breed can produce a first-rate pet, or a total basket case. If you want to be sure that the rabbit you are getting will make a good pet, speaking to a knowledgeable shelter employee about a specific rabbit is a much better bet. When all these factors are considered, there is very little reason not to adopt a rabbit. Doing so will save you money, stress and uncertainty, and most importantly of all, the life of a rabbit.
When it comes to the health and happiness of your pet rabbit, choosing a quality living environment should be on the top of your list. Whether you choose quality Rabbit Cages or opt for larger Rabbit Hutches, the quality of the materials and the construction of the dwelling will determine how well it works for your particular furry friend.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Massaro
Many pet stores offer rabbits for sale. Upon seeing a crate full of adorably helpless baby bunnies, many folks can't resist the urge to take one home right there and then. Pet stores count on the appeal of the immature rabbit to stimulate impulse buying. Frequently, the rabbit is bought as a child's pet by an adult who does not realize that rabbits make poor pets for small children. There are no reliable figures as to how many of these rabbits are abandoned, given up to shelters, or die from improper care, but it seems likely that many suffer such a fate. One animal rescue organization reports that in 2007, they received requests for sheltering for 380 rabbits- while in the same year, they placed only two rabbits in new homes. Most people think of rabbits as a kind of rodent, and on par with a rat or gerbil in terms of care and commitment required. This misconception has terrible consequences for the unlucky rabbit. With an average lifespan of around 10 years, the baby rabbit you bought for your child when he was 8 should still be alive when he's getting ready to graduate from high school.
This is only one of the many reasons that adopting a rabbit from an animal shelter is preferable to buying one from a pet store or breeder. Most rabbits sold in pet stores are less than a year old, and if the store is not particularly scrupulous, they may even be younger than 6 weeks- the minimum age at which a rabbit can be removed from its mother. Rabbits found in animal shelters run the gamut of ages, from a few months to old age. By choosing a rabbit whose age aligns with the length of commitment you are willing to make, you will save yourself and the rabbit a great deal of hardship. Also, mature rabbits are often better choices for first-time rabbit owners. Their behavioral patterns have become more predictable, and they have already passed through their "rebellious teen" period. Shelter volunteers are much more likely to be familiar with the unique personalities of the individual rabbits they offer than a pet store employee. This will go a long way toward avoiding disaster down the line, when that bunny that was so cute and appealing as a kit becomes an unholy terror in maturity.
Also, adoption is a far more economical option than purchasing a rabbit. You save the price of the rabbit itself- typically between $20-50. Much more significantly, however, you save the cost of spaying/neutering the animal. This is an essentially non-optional procedure for most people interested in owning a rabbit as a pet. Rabbits that have not been fixed will be more aggressive and temperamental, will frequently spray objects with its scent glands, and are more prone to various health problems, such as uterine cancer. Prices for the procedure vary greatly from one veterinarian to another, but it will cost at least $100. Rabbits adopted from shelters are almost always fixed beforehand, so the adoption fee (usually about $30) is a terrific bargain.
Finally, adopting a rabbit is a humane and ethical way to own a pet without contributing to cruelty and neglect. Although many rabbit breeders do maintain high standards of care, many others operate as "rabbit mills" where most rabbits lead short, brutal existences. Pet stores often keep rabbits in substandard conditions, with little knowledge of the needs of the animal, and sometimes euthanize the animal once they reach maturity. Given the substantial excess of rabbits held in shelters, there is no reason to support industries that contribute to the problems of rabbit overpopulation and neglect. By adopting a rabbit, you not only save that animal from euthanization, but also evade taking part in a morally dubious industry.
If you are considering purchasing a rabbit from a store or breeder simply because you've heard that a given breed is "the best breed for pet rabbits", you may want to reconsider. While breeders and owners do report some very general trends in the behavior of specific breeds, rabbits are far too individualistic in their personalities for these trends to be reliable. Any breed can produce a first-rate pet, or a total basket case. If you want to be sure that the rabbit you are getting will make a good pet, speaking to a knowledgeable shelter employee about a specific rabbit is a much better bet. When all these factors are considered, there is very little reason not to adopt a rabbit. Doing so will save you money, stress and uncertainty, and most importantly of all, the life of a rabbit.
When it comes to the health and happiness of your pet rabbit, choosing a quality living environment should be on the top of your list. Whether you choose quality Rabbit Cages or opt for larger Rabbit Hutches, the quality of the materials and the construction of the dwelling will determine how well it works for your particular furry friend.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Massaro
Where your rabbit should live
Rabbits make wonderful pets, they are gentle creatures who like to cuddle and explore and actually seem to like the company of people. If you are thinking of adopting a rabbit as a pet, there are a lot of things you will need to consider before bringing your new pet home.
One of the most important decisions you will make is deciding on where and what type of home your new pet will have. There are two basic options available: a hutch or a cage. Taking a closer look at these two options will help you make the right choice for your new pet rabbit.
Hutches
Rabbit hutches are designed for rabbits who will live out -doors. They usually, though not always consist of three wooden sides and a wire front and bottom. There is usually a door in the back of the cage to get your rabbit out and many rabbit hutches have a removal top to make cleaning the hutch easier.
A hutch is generally sturdily built and sits on long sturdy legs to keep the rabbit off the ground where rabbits would be subjected to chills and more accessible to predators. Hutches were originally designed for people who kept meat rabbits. They are extremely efficient for that purpose as a large hutch can house several rabbits in individual units. More recently some pet rabbit owners have taken to housing their rabbits in outside hutches.
Pros and Cons of Housing a Pet in a Hutch
There are a few pros about using a rabbit hutch over an inside cage. The most obvious one is that rabbit's waste smells. If you don't intend on cleaning your rabbit cage daily then perhaps considering housing your rabbit in a hutch might be a good idea.
Rabbit hutches make daily cage cleaning unnecessary. However, keep in mind that a rabbit hutch does need cleaned on a weekly or biweekly basis and that you also need to clean under the pen where droppings will pile up.
Another positive of a rabbit hutch is that for people wishing to own a rabbit but lack adequate space inside for a reasonably sized cage a hutch makes having a rabbit a possibility.
However, when considering whether or not to house your pet rabbit in an outside hutch you should consider the following negatives.
An outside rabbit is at the mercy of a variety of predators. While hutches are built to help discourage some predators they cannot protect your rabbit from all predators. An outside rabbit will be at the mercy of neighborhood cats, dogs, coyotes, and other predators. Even if these animals cannot gain access to the inside of the hutch they can and often do harass a rabbit to death.
For added protection of any rabbit living in a hutch you will need to have some type of completely enclosed housing that will allow the rabbit to escape and hide from these predators.
Weather is another consideration when deciding on whether or not to house your rabbit in a hutch rather than inside in a cage. While large rabbits can take extremely cold temperatures as long as they remain dry, smaller rabbits simply have a difficult time surviving the cold. There is also the danger of English lops having their long ears freeze fast to wires resulting in serve damage and even death to this type of rabbit.
Most experts agree that pet rabbits are best kept in the house or at least a rabbit cage in a garage or other warm buildings where they will be protected from the weather and from predators.
A comfortable rabbit cage is really the ideal housing for a pet rabbit. There are many types and models available. One type that is especially well suited to pet rabbits are condo rabbit cages with a ramp leading from the bottom level to the upper level.
A condo rabbit cage gives your pet more room in a limited amount of space and makes for a happier, more active pet.
Pros and Cons of an Indoor Cage
An indoor rabbit cage makes bonding with your pet easier and simpler than does a rabbit hutch. Having your rabbit inside means they are constantly hearing your voice and they are readily available to play with and hold at any time of the day or night.
An indoor rabbit cage also protects your pet rabbit from harsh weather and predators, keeping them safe and comfortable summer and winter no matter what the weather is like outside.
Rabbits are fairly easy to litter train and if you have rabbit proofed your room or home, your rabbit can enjoy the freedom of your house and interaction with all family members while still having their cage to return to when they are tired or simply need to have a little private time. This will make your pet truly a member of your family.
On the downside, cages or at least litter pans inside the cage do need cleaned daily. Luckily, with the newer cages this is really simple and easy to do hardly taking any time at all. If you choose the more roomy condo rabbit cage, daily cleaning is usually only necessary on the cage bottom, with a quick brushing of the rest of the cage once or twice a week.
For the person who really wants their pet to be a pet and a part of the family, an indoor rabbit cage is really the best choice. It allows more interaction between you and your beloved rabbit and it keeps your pet safe prolonging the years the two of you will spend together.
Choosing between a hutch and an indoor cage is a personal choice. Knowing the pros and cons of each will help you to make an informed choice that is right for both your pet to live the happiest, longest, and safest life possible making the bond between you fulfilling.
Stacy Adams loves to write about rabbits. This is her passion. To learn more about how to care for your furry friends, visit her company website at http://www.RabbitHutchOnline.com/ or visit her blog at http://www.RabbitHutchOnline.com/blog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacy_Adams
One of the most important decisions you will make is deciding on where and what type of home your new pet will have. There are two basic options available: a hutch or a cage. Taking a closer look at these two options will help you make the right choice for your new pet rabbit.
Hutches
Rabbit hutches are designed for rabbits who will live out -doors. They usually, though not always consist of three wooden sides and a wire front and bottom. There is usually a door in the back of the cage to get your rabbit out and many rabbit hutches have a removal top to make cleaning the hutch easier.
A hutch is generally sturdily built and sits on long sturdy legs to keep the rabbit off the ground where rabbits would be subjected to chills and more accessible to predators. Hutches were originally designed for people who kept meat rabbits. They are extremely efficient for that purpose as a large hutch can house several rabbits in individual units. More recently some pet rabbit owners have taken to housing their rabbits in outside hutches.
Pros and Cons of Housing a Pet in a Hutch
There are a few pros about using a rabbit hutch over an inside cage. The most obvious one is that rabbit's waste smells. If you don't intend on cleaning your rabbit cage daily then perhaps considering housing your rabbit in a hutch might be a good idea.
Rabbit hutches make daily cage cleaning unnecessary. However, keep in mind that a rabbit hutch does need cleaned on a weekly or biweekly basis and that you also need to clean under the pen where droppings will pile up.
Another positive of a rabbit hutch is that for people wishing to own a rabbit but lack adequate space inside for a reasonably sized cage a hutch makes having a rabbit a possibility.
However, when considering whether or not to house your pet rabbit in an outside hutch you should consider the following negatives.
An outside rabbit is at the mercy of a variety of predators. While hutches are built to help discourage some predators they cannot protect your rabbit from all predators. An outside rabbit will be at the mercy of neighborhood cats, dogs, coyotes, and other predators. Even if these animals cannot gain access to the inside of the hutch they can and often do harass a rabbit to death.
For added protection of any rabbit living in a hutch you will need to have some type of completely enclosed housing that will allow the rabbit to escape and hide from these predators.
Weather is another consideration when deciding on whether or not to house your rabbit in a hutch rather than inside in a cage. While large rabbits can take extremely cold temperatures as long as they remain dry, smaller rabbits simply have a difficult time surviving the cold. There is also the danger of English lops having their long ears freeze fast to wires resulting in serve damage and even death to this type of rabbit.
Most experts agree that pet rabbits are best kept in the house or at least a rabbit cage in a garage or other warm buildings where they will be protected from the weather and from predators.
A comfortable rabbit cage is really the ideal housing for a pet rabbit. There are many types and models available. One type that is especially well suited to pet rabbits are condo rabbit cages with a ramp leading from the bottom level to the upper level.
A condo rabbit cage gives your pet more room in a limited amount of space and makes for a happier, more active pet.
Pros and Cons of an Indoor Cage
An indoor rabbit cage makes bonding with your pet easier and simpler than does a rabbit hutch. Having your rabbit inside means they are constantly hearing your voice and they are readily available to play with and hold at any time of the day or night.
An indoor rabbit cage also protects your pet rabbit from harsh weather and predators, keeping them safe and comfortable summer and winter no matter what the weather is like outside.
Rabbits are fairly easy to litter train and if you have rabbit proofed your room or home, your rabbit can enjoy the freedom of your house and interaction with all family members while still having their cage to return to when they are tired or simply need to have a little private time. This will make your pet truly a member of your family.
On the downside, cages or at least litter pans inside the cage do need cleaned daily. Luckily, with the newer cages this is really simple and easy to do hardly taking any time at all. If you choose the more roomy condo rabbit cage, daily cleaning is usually only necessary on the cage bottom, with a quick brushing of the rest of the cage once or twice a week.
For the person who really wants their pet to be a pet and a part of the family, an indoor rabbit cage is really the best choice. It allows more interaction between you and your beloved rabbit and it keeps your pet safe prolonging the years the two of you will spend together.
Choosing between a hutch and an indoor cage is a personal choice. Knowing the pros and cons of each will help you to make an informed choice that is right for both your pet to live the happiest, longest, and safest life possible making the bond between you fulfilling.
Stacy Adams loves to write about rabbits. This is her passion. To learn more about how to care for your furry friends, visit her company website at http://www.RabbitHutchOnline.com/ or visit her blog at http://www.RabbitHutchOnline.com/blog
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacy_Adams
Are you prepared to start raising rabbits?
Many people do not realize the time and other resources which are needed to look after their rabbit. This causes distress to families and many hundreds of rabbits are abandoned every year.
That is my main reason for putting this chapter here. It is a growing problem around the world, especially just after Easter every year when societies that care for and foster abandoned pet rabbits get the highest number of discarded rabbits. Of course, the second busiest period is late January when the excitement of the "Christmas bunny" fades under the realization of the depth of the necessary commitment.
This could involve up to a couple of hours a day. Your rabbit needs regular playtime, but it is also essential to give their hutch and feeding gear at least a light daily clean plus two thorough cleaning sessions each week! Yes, this may be more than you would need to ensure the comfort and health of a pet dog, cat or parakeet, but they have become more comfortable with human company and habits than rabbits.
Don't be put off from getting a rabbit if you have the time and are comfortable with the other requirements in this chapter.
I have had three rabbits of different types and enjoyed their company as much as any other pet. Having a rabbit as part of your family can be a great experience.
But, it is not likely that you could cover your expenses or make money from breeding them unless you do it on a serious commercial basis. There is an over-supply of rabbits for the pet trade in almost all areas.
Local Regulations
Most local authorities have regulations about the type and number of animals which can be kept by people in their area. Some areas may have specific bans or rules about rabbits.
You may need a permit or a license to have a pet rabbit.
Your Rabbit's Hutch
Your new pet will need a cage with sufficient space for its litter box, exercise area, sleeping box and feeding vessels. The hutch or cage needs to be a minimum of three feet square and probably double that for a larger breed of rabbit. It needs to be made of quality materials and well-maintained.
I recommend that you keep your rabbit inside your home or in a shed, not in a garage because of fumes and other dangers, nor in an outside cage.
Hands-on Care
You should inspect your rabbit daily and groom it regularly.
You need to have time to play with it every day, preferably as part of your daily routine. This is essential or the rabbit will be more difficult to handle and you will miss out on a lot of the pleasure that comes when you and your pet bond properly.
But, please also realize that rabbits, unlike dogs and cats, need their own quiet time during each day where they can rest undisturbed.
Expenses
Your rabbit will cost you money for its cage, supplies such as quality fresh food, and regular (and possibly unexpected) veterinary services which usually have to be paid for immediately.
Impact on Your Family
Keeping a rabbit healthy and happy will require the cooperation of all members of your family. Everyone will need to know how to handle the rabbit and, as a minimum, be careful not to do things which could upset, or even injure it.
Normal family activities like jumping, shouting and playing loud music or computer games may have to be restricted to areas where it won't cause your rabbit to be frightened or injured by family members or its own reaction to their handling.
Very young children should never pick up a rabbit. They could injure it or the rabbit might react to their awkward handling by biting or scratching them.
Older children can learn about responsibility and other important values if you give them a share of the tasks associated with their new pet. But, it must be an adult's responsibility to ensure that the rabbit's health and comfort are not compromised by a child's failure to do the tasks on time.
Daily Care
Your rabbit needs attention from a human every day, so you will have to arrange for a reliable person to feed, clean and check on your rabbit if you will be away from home for more than one day.
That might be another family member, friend or professional carer. If your whole family will be absent, then you will probably need to pay a carer who will visit and check on your rabbit, unless you have a helpful friend who can, without much interruption to their own day, come to your home to feed and check on your pet.
Impact on Your Home
Bringing any animal in to be part of your household will require some adjustments. Dogs and cats have become more domesticated than rabbits, which need more time and care to adjust.
These are some of the areas where you might need to take action for the safety of your pet and your property:
Electrical and phone cords: The level of damage to appliances and phones where the cords have been chewed by pet rabbits is high enough to cause concern to insurance companies and is obviously dangerous for the rabbits.
Carpets and drapes: Rabbits will chew almost anything, so you need to supervise it closely and remove any valuable or dangerous temptations from their reach or protect them from your rabbit.
Danger spots: Rabbits are curious and quick.
They will check any liquid or powder they find by tasting it.
They can also get into trouble exploring any gaps, open doors and windows, going behind or under furniture and appliances.
Insurance: As well as the danger to your new pet, there is also a risk they will damage your property.
Check whether your insurance policy covers damage by your pets to your own property as well as possible injury to visitors, including friends and trades people and their possessions.
Waste Products
Your rabbit will usually be fairly easy to train to use a litter box. There are exceptions!
But, it's probable that it will deposit some droppings or (more likely) some urine outside of that area.
This should only occur occasionally unless you keep a male that has not been desexed. But, you should consider the possibility when you are thinking about bringing a rabbit into the home, instead of deciding you must get rid of your pet after one or two accidents.
Other Pets
If you already have other pets, think carefully about whether it will be safe to have a rabbit in your home.
Dogs have a natural tendency to prey on rabbits and cats may cause them injury, or worse.
These actions are instinctive. Even the most placid animals need to be closely supervised at all times. They may seem to be playful with the rabbit, but that play, or even just being close to the rabbit, could arouse their natural instincts at any time.
The presence of these predators may also cause great stress to the rabbit.
I am not saying that they cannot co-exist. We had a rabbit and a small dog which was about two years older, and they got along fine.
Just be aware that the risk is always there and factors like the size, activity level and breed of your dog or cat should be considered.
Even birds, such as parrots, can frighten a rabbit which has to be wary of large birds in the wild.
If you have any doubt, do not get a rabbit.
For More Information visit:
http://www.lobbythornton.com
Steve Thornton offers a insight into the information product market, researching a number of niche topics and resourcing products in those areas.
Please take time to visit the estore at:
http://www.lobbythornton.com/estore/rabb
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Thornton
That is my main reason for putting this chapter here. It is a growing problem around the world, especially just after Easter every year when societies that care for and foster abandoned pet rabbits get the highest number of discarded rabbits. Of course, the second busiest period is late January when the excitement of the "Christmas bunny" fades under the realization of the depth of the necessary commitment.
This could involve up to a couple of hours a day. Your rabbit needs regular playtime, but it is also essential to give their hutch and feeding gear at least a light daily clean plus two thorough cleaning sessions each week! Yes, this may be more than you would need to ensure the comfort and health of a pet dog, cat or parakeet, but they have become more comfortable with human company and habits than rabbits.
Don't be put off from getting a rabbit if you have the time and are comfortable with the other requirements in this chapter.
I have had three rabbits of different types and enjoyed their company as much as any other pet. Having a rabbit as part of your family can be a great experience.
But, it is not likely that you could cover your expenses or make money from breeding them unless you do it on a serious commercial basis. There is an over-supply of rabbits for the pet trade in almost all areas.
Local Regulations
Most local authorities have regulations about the type and number of animals which can be kept by people in their area. Some areas may have specific bans or rules about rabbits.
You may need a permit or a license to have a pet rabbit.
Your Rabbit's Hutch
Your new pet will need a cage with sufficient space for its litter box, exercise area, sleeping box and feeding vessels. The hutch or cage needs to be a minimum of three feet square and probably double that for a larger breed of rabbit. It needs to be made of quality materials and well-maintained.
I recommend that you keep your rabbit inside your home or in a shed, not in a garage because of fumes and other dangers, nor in an outside cage.
Hands-on Care
You should inspect your rabbit daily and groom it regularly.
You need to have time to play with it every day, preferably as part of your daily routine. This is essential or the rabbit will be more difficult to handle and you will miss out on a lot of the pleasure that comes when you and your pet bond properly.
But, please also realize that rabbits, unlike dogs and cats, need their own quiet time during each day where they can rest undisturbed.
Expenses
Your rabbit will cost you money for its cage, supplies such as quality fresh food, and regular (and possibly unexpected) veterinary services which usually have to be paid for immediately.
Impact on Your Family
Keeping a rabbit healthy and happy will require the cooperation of all members of your family. Everyone will need to know how to handle the rabbit and, as a minimum, be careful not to do things which could upset, or even injure it.
Normal family activities like jumping, shouting and playing loud music or computer games may have to be restricted to areas where it won't cause your rabbit to be frightened or injured by family members or its own reaction to their handling.
Very young children should never pick up a rabbit. They could injure it or the rabbit might react to their awkward handling by biting or scratching them.
Older children can learn about responsibility and other important values if you give them a share of the tasks associated with their new pet. But, it must be an adult's responsibility to ensure that the rabbit's health and comfort are not compromised by a child's failure to do the tasks on time.
Daily Care
Your rabbit needs attention from a human every day, so you will have to arrange for a reliable person to feed, clean and check on your rabbit if you will be away from home for more than one day.
That might be another family member, friend or professional carer. If your whole family will be absent, then you will probably need to pay a carer who will visit and check on your rabbit, unless you have a helpful friend who can, without much interruption to their own day, come to your home to feed and check on your pet.
Impact on Your Home
Bringing any animal in to be part of your household will require some adjustments. Dogs and cats have become more domesticated than rabbits, which need more time and care to adjust.
These are some of the areas where you might need to take action for the safety of your pet and your property:
Electrical and phone cords: The level of damage to appliances and phones where the cords have been chewed by pet rabbits is high enough to cause concern to insurance companies and is obviously dangerous for the rabbits.
Carpets and drapes: Rabbits will chew almost anything, so you need to supervise it closely and remove any valuable or dangerous temptations from their reach or protect them from your rabbit.
Danger spots: Rabbits are curious and quick.
They will check any liquid or powder they find by tasting it.
They can also get into trouble exploring any gaps, open doors and windows, going behind or under furniture and appliances.
Insurance: As well as the danger to your new pet, there is also a risk they will damage your property.
Check whether your insurance policy covers damage by your pets to your own property as well as possible injury to visitors, including friends and trades people and their possessions.
Waste Products
Your rabbit will usually be fairly easy to train to use a litter box. There are exceptions!
But, it's probable that it will deposit some droppings or (more likely) some urine outside of that area.
This should only occur occasionally unless you keep a male that has not been desexed. But, you should consider the possibility when you are thinking about bringing a rabbit into the home, instead of deciding you must get rid of your pet after one or two accidents.
Other Pets
If you already have other pets, think carefully about whether it will be safe to have a rabbit in your home.
Dogs have a natural tendency to prey on rabbits and cats may cause them injury, or worse.
These actions are instinctive. Even the most placid animals need to be closely supervised at all times. They may seem to be playful with the rabbit, but that play, or even just being close to the rabbit, could arouse their natural instincts at any time.
The presence of these predators may also cause great stress to the rabbit.
I am not saying that they cannot co-exist. We had a rabbit and a small dog which was about two years older, and they got along fine.
Just be aware that the risk is always there and factors like the size, activity level and breed of your dog or cat should be considered.
Even birds, such as parrots, can frighten a rabbit which has to be wary of large birds in the wild.
If you have any doubt, do not get a rabbit.
For More Information visit:
http://www.lobbythornton.com
Steve Thornton offers a insight into the information product market, researching a number of niche topics and resourcing products in those areas.
Please take time to visit the estore at:
http://www.lobbythornton.com/estore/rabb
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Thornton
Should you choose to raise a rabbit?
If you are considering purchasing or adopting a pet rabbit, you should first give careful consideration to the demands and rewards of these very special pets. Countless homes have been brightened by the presence of a long-eared lodger, and conscientious rabbit keepers have many years of fulfilling interaction and bonding to look forward to. At the same time, every year thousands of rabbits are given up to animal shelters- or worse, simply dumped in a field- by owners who did not take the time to properly educate themselves on the responsibilities of rabbit ownership. Here you can find the basic information needed to answer the question: Is a rabbit right for me?
Rabbits require daily and weekly care and maintenance, as well as a significant monetary investment. When well-cared for, rabbits typically live 9-12 years, so this is a long-term commitment. Just think- if you buy a pet rabbit for your 12 year-old, the rabbit will likely still be alive when that child moves out of the home. If you simply want a pet that will amuse a young child for a little while, consider a rat or other shorter-lived creature.
Beginning with financial costs, here is a brief summary of the requirements of rabbit ownership.
Initial outlay:
The rabbit itself. Your best bet is to adopt from an animal shelter. In addition to saving the animal's life, you'll be bypassing the morally dubious world of rabbit breeders and pet stores, which often show little to no competence or regard for the animals' well-being. And if that isn't enough of a reason to adopt, it is the cheaper option by far- apart from negating the price of the rabbit itself, the animal shelter should always spay or neuter the rabbit for you. This procedure usually costs $200 or more to have done by a private veterinarian, whereas the typical cost to adopt a rabbit (already spayed/neutered) is around $30.
A rabbit cage. These come in a wide range of prices depending on size and many other factors, but you should not skimp on this purchase, as it will likely need to last a long time. Even if you can comfortably house an immature rabbit in a smaller cage, remember that it will continue to grow up to the age of 6-8 months. A typical cage costs between $50 - $100.
A litter pan. Rabbits are some of the easiest pets to litter-train, and the alternative to a litter pan is constant cleaning of their cage. Average price is around $10.
A water bottle or dish. As much as you might like to save some money, don't bother putting a plastic cereal bowl or similar substitute into the rabbit cage. The rabbit is almost guaranteed to flip the bowl over, not only depriving the rabbit of water, but also soaking the bedding, which will become unsanitary. Use either a small pet water bottle, or a heavy crock. Typical cost is around $5.
Rabbit feeder. Again, you need either a heavy crock, or (preferably) a bin feeder that will attach to the side of the cage. Price is around $10.
Rabbit brush. Regular brushing of your rabbits fur is important to prevent potentially lethal hairballs from forming in its gut. Price is $8 - $10.
Rabbit nail trimmers. Unless your rabbit is going to have lots of time to dig and run over hard, rough surfaces, which is unlikely, you'll need to periodically trim its nails. Prices range from $5 to over $15.
Toys. Rabbits are lively, intelligent animals that need stimulation and exercise. There are a wide variety of household items that can be converted into rabbit toys with little effort, but there are also many commercial toys available. These usually run a couple bucks each.
Total initial outlay: $350 dollars or more, or $180 if adopted.
In addition to these start-up costs, there are various supplies and consumables that you will need to purchase on an ongoing basis.
Pellets. Mature rabbits should eat between 1/4 cup to 1 cup of dry pellets per day, depending on size. A 2.5 pound bag of food should last about a month, give or take. Prices vary, with the upper end around $5 per pound, so you shouldn't have to spend more than $15 a month on pellets.
Hay. Hay is the single most important element of your rabbit's nutrition, and should be freely available at all times. The amount your rabbit will eat will depend to a large degree on the size, breed, individual temperament, and other factors. Hay is fairly cheap, so even if you have a rabbit with a large appetite, you shouldn't need to spend more than $15 a month or so.
Fresh fruits and vegetables. A small amount of fresh plant matter should be part of each rabbit's daily diet. For mature rabbits, plan on feeding at least two cups daily of vegetables, such as beet tops, dandelion greens, collard greens, carrot tops, and similar leafy greens. No more than 2 ounces of fruit can also be included, avoiding especially sugary fruits such as grapes. Another $15 per month, or so.
Bedding/litter. Your rabbit should have some kind of soft material to bed down in, as well as something absorbent for its litterbox. There are free alternatives available, such as shredded newspaper, but for a variety of reasons commercial bedding and litter is preferable. About $5 per month.
Annual check-up. Your rabbit should be taken to a vet who specializes in exotic pets every year to safeguard against health problems that might not be immediately apparent. The price will vary greatly depending on the vet, but about $45 is a good ballpark figure.
Total cost per year: Approximately $480.
Starting to rethink rabbit ownership yet? It is important that you be prepared for these non-optional costs. Everything listed above is an absolute necessity for a healthy pet rabbit, and unless you are able to harvest your own hay or construct your own cage, you won't be able to cut any of these costs. If you don't feel that you can comfortably afford to shell out four or five hundred dollars a year on care and maintenance, a rabbit may not be the pet for you.
In addition to the financial outlay, rabbit care will require an investment of time. Here is a breakdown of the tasks regularly associated with rabbit ownership.
Daily tasks:
Change food and water and clean bowls. Any food pellets that remain uneaten from the previous day should be disposed of and replaced, and the same applies to water. Water or food that is allowed to sit and spoil or stagnate will become a vector for disease. Food bowl and water bowl/bottle should also be cleaned daily. Clean with white vinegar or mild soap, and rinse thoroughly with hot water. 10 minutes or less.
Check the litterbox. Depending on how much litter you place in the litterbox at a time, you will need to change it more or less frequently. Once a week is typical, but you'll want to check it daily to make sure it isn't heavily soiled, is not drawing flies, and that there are no telltale signs of health problems evident in the rabbit's waste, such as misformed cecotrophes. 1 minute.
Remove any bedding or hay that has become wet or soiled. If wet materials are allowed to degrade in the cage, they will quickly become sources of disease and discomfort for your rabbit. 1-2 minutes.
Most importantly: Spend time with your rabbit! Just as much as any dog, and more so than most cats, rabbits are social, communicative animals that require daily interaction for their mental and physical health.
While your rabbit should have at least a few hours per day to roam freely, you'll want to spend an hour or so of that time interacting with it. Try rolling a ball or cardboard tube with it, or tossing a sisal rope toy to it- some rabbits are devoted "catch" players! Apart from the entertainment and satisfaction you and your rabbits will derive from playtime, this is a good opportunity to observe your rabbit for any signs of health problems. 1 hour or more.
Total time per day: About 1 ¼ hours.
Weekly tasks:
Change litterbox. Remove used litter and replace. 1 minute.
Thorough cage cleaning. This should be done during the rabbits normal "playtime", when it is out of the cage. Remove all bedding, hay, litterbox, etc. You can use either white vinegar or diluted bleach to thoroughly wipe down all surfaces, especially areas where the rabbit has urinated. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and allow to dry before replacing. 1 hour or less.
Groom rabbit. Rabbits require two kinds of regular grooming: brushing and nail trimming. The importance of regularly brushing your rabbit cannot be overstated, as it will prevent the rabbit from forming hairballs in its gut that may cause a fatal blockage. Use a rabbit petting brush or gentle slicker brush- rabbits have extremely sensitive skin. This is a good way to promote bonding between you and your rabbit, as mutual grooming is an important social activity for rabbits in the wild.
Nail trimming should be done every week or two, but will be easier if done more frequently. Use nail clippers made for small pets. Remember never to restrain a struggling rabbit, as their fragile spines and legs may break. For more detailed instructions, look for one of the many articles available on trimming your rabbit's nails. 1 hour total.
Total time per week: 1-2 hours.
These guidelines should give you a good idea of how much time you'll need to devote to caring for your rabbit. Although you might be able to get away with cutting a few corners, this is highly inadvisable. Your rabbit's health and happiness will suffer, not to mention that doing so will defeat the point of owning a rabbit. If any of these requirements strike you as overly burdensome, you may want to reconsider purchasing a rabbit. Otherwise, you can look forward to years of wonder and joy as you watch your furry companion grow, learn, and develop a bond with you that few other pets can match. We wish you the best in your adventures in rabbitry!
When it comes to the health and happiness of your pet rabbit, choosing a quality living environment should be on the top of your list. Whether you choose quality Rabbit Cages or opt for larger Rabbit Hutches, the quality of the materials and the construction of the dwelling will determine how well it works for your particular furry friend.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Massaro
Rabbits require daily and weekly care and maintenance, as well as a significant monetary investment. When well-cared for, rabbits typically live 9-12 years, so this is a long-term commitment. Just think- if you buy a pet rabbit for your 12 year-old, the rabbit will likely still be alive when that child moves out of the home. If you simply want a pet that will amuse a young child for a little while, consider a rat or other shorter-lived creature.
Beginning with financial costs, here is a brief summary of the requirements of rabbit ownership.
Initial outlay:
The rabbit itself. Your best bet is to adopt from an animal shelter. In addition to saving the animal's life, you'll be bypassing the morally dubious world of rabbit breeders and pet stores, which often show little to no competence or regard for the animals' well-being. And if that isn't enough of a reason to adopt, it is the cheaper option by far- apart from negating the price of the rabbit itself, the animal shelter should always spay or neuter the rabbit for you. This procedure usually costs $200 or more to have done by a private veterinarian, whereas the typical cost to adopt a rabbit (already spayed/neutered) is around $30.
A rabbit cage. These come in a wide range of prices depending on size and many other factors, but you should not skimp on this purchase, as it will likely need to last a long time. Even if you can comfortably house an immature rabbit in a smaller cage, remember that it will continue to grow up to the age of 6-8 months. A typical cage costs between $50 - $100.
A litter pan. Rabbits are some of the easiest pets to litter-train, and the alternative to a litter pan is constant cleaning of their cage. Average price is around $10.
A water bottle or dish. As much as you might like to save some money, don't bother putting a plastic cereal bowl or similar substitute into the rabbit cage. The rabbit is almost guaranteed to flip the bowl over, not only depriving the rabbit of water, but also soaking the bedding, which will become unsanitary. Use either a small pet water bottle, or a heavy crock. Typical cost is around $5.
Rabbit feeder. Again, you need either a heavy crock, or (preferably) a bin feeder that will attach to the side of the cage. Price is around $10.
Rabbit brush. Regular brushing of your rabbits fur is important to prevent potentially lethal hairballs from forming in its gut. Price is $8 - $10.
Rabbit nail trimmers. Unless your rabbit is going to have lots of time to dig and run over hard, rough surfaces, which is unlikely, you'll need to periodically trim its nails. Prices range from $5 to over $15.
Toys. Rabbits are lively, intelligent animals that need stimulation and exercise. There are a wide variety of household items that can be converted into rabbit toys with little effort, but there are also many commercial toys available. These usually run a couple bucks each.
Total initial outlay: $350 dollars or more, or $180 if adopted.
In addition to these start-up costs, there are various supplies and consumables that you will need to purchase on an ongoing basis.
Pellets. Mature rabbits should eat between 1/4 cup to 1 cup of dry pellets per day, depending on size. A 2.5 pound bag of food should last about a month, give or take. Prices vary, with the upper end around $5 per pound, so you shouldn't have to spend more than $15 a month on pellets.
Hay. Hay is the single most important element of your rabbit's nutrition, and should be freely available at all times. The amount your rabbit will eat will depend to a large degree on the size, breed, individual temperament, and other factors. Hay is fairly cheap, so even if you have a rabbit with a large appetite, you shouldn't need to spend more than $15 a month or so.
Fresh fruits and vegetables. A small amount of fresh plant matter should be part of each rabbit's daily diet. For mature rabbits, plan on feeding at least two cups daily of vegetables, such as beet tops, dandelion greens, collard greens, carrot tops, and similar leafy greens. No more than 2 ounces of fruit can also be included, avoiding especially sugary fruits such as grapes. Another $15 per month, or so.
Bedding/litter. Your rabbit should have some kind of soft material to bed down in, as well as something absorbent for its litterbox. There are free alternatives available, such as shredded newspaper, but for a variety of reasons commercial bedding and litter is preferable. About $5 per month.
Annual check-up. Your rabbit should be taken to a vet who specializes in exotic pets every year to safeguard against health problems that might not be immediately apparent. The price will vary greatly depending on the vet, but about $45 is a good ballpark figure.
Total cost per year: Approximately $480.
Starting to rethink rabbit ownership yet? It is important that you be prepared for these non-optional costs. Everything listed above is an absolute necessity for a healthy pet rabbit, and unless you are able to harvest your own hay or construct your own cage, you won't be able to cut any of these costs. If you don't feel that you can comfortably afford to shell out four or five hundred dollars a year on care and maintenance, a rabbit may not be the pet for you.
In addition to the financial outlay, rabbit care will require an investment of time. Here is a breakdown of the tasks regularly associated with rabbit ownership.
Daily tasks:
Change food and water and clean bowls. Any food pellets that remain uneaten from the previous day should be disposed of and replaced, and the same applies to water. Water or food that is allowed to sit and spoil or stagnate will become a vector for disease. Food bowl and water bowl/bottle should also be cleaned daily. Clean with white vinegar or mild soap, and rinse thoroughly with hot water. 10 minutes or less.
Check the litterbox. Depending on how much litter you place in the litterbox at a time, you will need to change it more or less frequently. Once a week is typical, but you'll want to check it daily to make sure it isn't heavily soiled, is not drawing flies, and that there are no telltale signs of health problems evident in the rabbit's waste, such as misformed cecotrophes. 1 minute.
Remove any bedding or hay that has become wet or soiled. If wet materials are allowed to degrade in the cage, they will quickly become sources of disease and discomfort for your rabbit. 1-2 minutes.
Most importantly: Spend time with your rabbit! Just as much as any dog, and more so than most cats, rabbits are social, communicative animals that require daily interaction for their mental and physical health.
While your rabbit should have at least a few hours per day to roam freely, you'll want to spend an hour or so of that time interacting with it. Try rolling a ball or cardboard tube with it, or tossing a sisal rope toy to it- some rabbits are devoted "catch" players! Apart from the entertainment and satisfaction you and your rabbits will derive from playtime, this is a good opportunity to observe your rabbit for any signs of health problems. 1 hour or more.
Total time per day: About 1 ¼ hours.
Weekly tasks:
Change litterbox. Remove used litter and replace. 1 minute.
Thorough cage cleaning. This should be done during the rabbits normal "playtime", when it is out of the cage. Remove all bedding, hay, litterbox, etc. You can use either white vinegar or diluted bleach to thoroughly wipe down all surfaces, especially areas where the rabbit has urinated. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and allow to dry before replacing. 1 hour or less.
Groom rabbit. Rabbits require two kinds of regular grooming: brushing and nail trimming. The importance of regularly brushing your rabbit cannot be overstated, as it will prevent the rabbit from forming hairballs in its gut that may cause a fatal blockage. Use a rabbit petting brush or gentle slicker brush- rabbits have extremely sensitive skin. This is a good way to promote bonding between you and your rabbit, as mutual grooming is an important social activity for rabbits in the wild.
Nail trimming should be done every week or two, but will be easier if done more frequently. Use nail clippers made for small pets. Remember never to restrain a struggling rabbit, as their fragile spines and legs may break. For more detailed instructions, look for one of the many articles available on trimming your rabbit's nails. 1 hour total.
Total time per week: 1-2 hours.
These guidelines should give you a good idea of how much time you'll need to devote to caring for your rabbit. Although you might be able to get away with cutting a few corners, this is highly inadvisable. Your rabbit's health and happiness will suffer, not to mention that doing so will defeat the point of owning a rabbit. If any of these requirements strike you as overly burdensome, you may want to reconsider purchasing a rabbit. Otherwise, you can look forward to years of wonder and joy as you watch your furry companion grow, learn, and develop a bond with you that few other pets can match. We wish you the best in your adventures in rabbitry!
When it comes to the health and happiness of your pet rabbit, choosing a quality living environment should be on the top of your list. Whether you choose quality Rabbit Cages or opt for larger Rabbit Hutches, the quality of the materials and the construction of the dwelling will determine how well it works for your particular furry friend.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Massaro
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