Chonsigirl - HELP!!!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:50 am

Chonsigirl, my bunny friend, I need your help! I've done something mad!

Last week my MIL, BIL and nephew visited us, so we took them to the New Forest show for a treat. Being the forest there were LOADS of animals on display, which my nephew loved as he lives in London and doesn't see too many critters (apart from rats! Eww!)

Anyway, we were wandering around the bunny cages admiring all the buns, and at the end of the show tent was a huge section with a "Bunnies for sale" sign! Uh-oh!!!

Before I knew it I had 2 pleading lil faces looking up at me saying "Mummy, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaasse can we have a bunny????"

Well what could I do?????????????????????????????

So . . . . . we bought 2! One each!

I now have 2 mad bunnies racing around the place! Being hutchless and unprepared, I couldn't just shove them in the garden, although Mr Fox is probably licking his lips in anticipation of them coming his way!

So can I ask, how do you keep yours in the house bunny girl?

I have penned an area of one room for them and have a large plastic box for them. However, one of them believes himself to be Harry Houdini re-bunnified and he keeps managing to escape, the little poop-pot! He climbed the walls of his pen yesterday and escaped . . . and once he'd escaped once he managed it several times, despite us moving things to block his tracks!

Now this morning he managed to move the lid of his cage and escaped again, the little pooper without the scooper! HELP! What do I do????

I have some spare lino that we used on the bathroom floor. Should I put that down? or would they prefer sisal matting as they keep clawing my carpet?

And how much space do you think I should give them?

I've read that they can be toilet trained! How???

Any info you can give will be VERY gratefully received!

They're 10 week old dutch buns, so quite small but bigger than dwarf bunnies.

But besides being poop&pee factories, they're actually totally adorable and hilarious to watch!

Thanks Chonsi, you're a gem!

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:57 am

:wah: oh my Rap, I'm getting the exact same big begging eyes from my two but they want hamsters. I'm holding out so far!

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:00 am

Rapunzel wrote: I now have 2 mad bunnies racing around the place! Being hutchless and unprepared, I couldn't just shove them in the garden, although Mr Fox is probably licking his lips in anticipation of them coming his way!

So can I ask, how do you keep yours in the house bunny girl?

I think they're better off outside, in a nice run with a secure lid, (chicken wire

on a frame will do for a run, of reasonable size, that is easy to move to fresh

grass) and a decent weather-proof hutch that you can drape with an old

blanket in cold weather... beware of cats, though, which will have them if

they can (distressing to children to find bits'n'pieces strewn about).

Have you kept rabbits before?

Does Chonsigirl (bunny girl?) really keep rabbits indoors?

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:05 am

Toilet training: get the little kitty boxes, line them with their hay. You don't need the cat sand like they say. Put the little bunny in it. If they are roaming around the room, get anotherl ittle kitty box for the other side of the room-they can't make it that far if they are little. Give them a treat when they use it. They should be potty trained within 2-3 days or less. I put fresh hay in the box every day-they eat the hay, which is all they need besides pellets. 1/3 cup of pellets morning and night for their age-got to 1/2 cup in a month. At 4 months you can introduce green foods-like 4-5 small pieces of lettuce a day-at the evening meal. My 5 month old eats a small bowl every evening. I buy the bags of salad mix, and cut up some carrots to add to it. They love it!

Biggest hazard: wires. Get electrical cords out of their way, they will chew them. That is their only negative thing in a house rabbit.

You can keep them in a smaller area until they learn to use the box. I use a small puppy pen to let them run around and play, and then they are in an enclosed area, with the family, and let them out when it is playtime.

10 week old dutches-lovely choice.

Food: only pellts for now, no green foods. You start that at about 3 months.

Sex: It is almost impossible to tell if they are boys and girls-yes, baby bunnies are almost generic. So take them to the vet around 3 months to see if they can tell you. Just in case you have a male and female, and are considering having them fixed-unless you want baby bunnies.

http://www.bunnymagic.org/supplies.htm

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/index.html

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rabbits/a/rabbitcare.htm

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/rabbi ... bbits.html

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html

Here are some links to helps you. I will check when I get back in an hour-my bunnies are trained pretty well, even the baby who is now a teenager bunny at 5 months. It just takes a little work, but is probably much easier then training a dog. Please always PM with questions about them. I will leave a list of good bunny books when I get back.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:07 am

Bill Sikes wrote: I think they're better off outside, in a nice run with a secure lid, (chicken wire

on a frame will do for a run, of reasonable size, that is easy to move to fresh

grass) and a decent weather-proof hutch that you can drape with an old

blanket in cold weather... beware of cats, though, which will have them if

they can (distressing to children to find bits'n'pieces strewn about).

Have you kept rabbits before?

Does Chonsigirl (bunny girl?) really keep rabbits indoors?
Indoors is best-

Life expectancy for outdoor rabbits is less then 4 years.

House rabbits live 8-10 years.

Yup, I have 2 bunnies that live indoors, and are a delight. They are out right now, and I have two big cages to put them in when I go out on errands or am at school for the day.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:24 am

chonsigirl wrote: Indoors is best-

Life expectancy for outdoor rabbits is less then 4 years.

House rabbits live 8-10 years.

You must have a very different climate, environment, or methods to those in

the UK. I do not agree that rabbits kept outdoors live on average less than

four years (unless in the wild).

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:44 am

Bill Sikes wrote: I think they're better off outside, in a nice run with a secure lid, (chicken wire

on a frame will do for a run, of reasonable size, that is easy to move to fresh

grass) and a decent weather-proof hutch that you can drape with an old

blanket in cold weather... beware of cats, though, which will have them if

they can (distressing to children to find bits'n'pieces strewn about).

Have you kept rabbits before?

Does Chonsigirl (bunny girl?) really keep rabbits indoors?

Yes, I kept dwarf bunnies many years ago Bill. They HAD to be kept outside and unfortunately they caught a cold and died. The vet at the time said that because they are so small, a cold is a major deal and they just couldn't fight it off!

At the moment these are indoors as I havent purchased a bunny hutch, but, to be honest, if it works out with them being indoors but having a run in the garden, then I'll probably keep them that way!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:57 am

chonsigirl wrote: Toilet training: get the little kitty boxes, line them with their hay. You don't need the cat sand like they say. Put the little bunny in it. If they are roaming around the room, get anotherl ittle kitty box for the other side of the room-they can't make it that far if they are little. Give them a treat when they use it. They should be potty trained within 2-3 days or less. I put fresh hay in the box every day-they eat the hay, which is all they need besides pellets. 1/3 cup of pellets morning and night for their age-got to 1/2 cup in a month. At 4 months you can introduce green foods-like 4-5 small pieces of lettuce a day-at the evening meal. My 5 month old eats a small bowl every evening. I buy the bags of salad mix, and cut up some carrots to add to it. They love it!

Biggest hazard: wires. Get electrical cords out of their way, they will chew them. That is their only negative thing in a house rabbit.

You can keep them in a smaller area until they learn to use the box. I use a small puppy pen to let them run around and play, and then they are in an enclosed area, with the family, and let them out when it is playtime.

10 week old dutches-lovely choice.

Food: only pellts for now, no green foods. You start that at about 3 months.

Sex: It is almost impossible to tell if they are boys and girls-yes, baby bunnies are almost generic. So take them to the vet around 3 months to see if they can tell you. Just in case you have a male and female, and are considering having them fixed-unless you want baby bunnies.

Chonsi, you're a star!

The Ladies who sold them to me said they were both boys! hmmmm.......

They're supposed to be brothers but they keep sniffing each others tails! hehehe

I bought a starter kit and the Ladies said feed them pellets, then mix it with the dried bunny food. I've done this but their poops are getting bigger and squidgier! Sorry! Should I put them back onto plain pellets?

They also said not to give them fresh food until 6 months old, and a leaflet they gave me says in big red letters "Do not feed me lettuce or I will die!" Is this right?

I will get a kitty litter tray and look for a puppy pen.

Do I need to get them vaccinated if they stay indoors?

Thankyou SO much for all your help.

Big hugs,

Mel.

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:01 am

Betty Boop wrote: :wah: oh my Rap, I'm getting the exact same big begging eyes from my two but they want hamsters. I'm holding out so far!

And isn't it hard to resist???

Mine have been begging for a kitty for years, but my daughter is asthmatic, so we couldn't have one.

But this year she hasn't needed her puffer anywhere near as much and I thought that if she does struggle then the buns can always go outside.

Fingers crossed, she seems okay so far!

Good luck holding out from the pleading eyes! It's so VERY hard to do!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:09 am

Bill Sikes wrote: You must have a very different climate, environment, or methods to those in

the UK. I do not agree that rabbits kept outdoors live on average less than

four years (unless in the wild).
That is the stats from all the bunny books I have, and what the vet tells me.

My friend has an indoor rabbit that is 16 years old. Still hops around and has lots of fun.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:11 am

SnoozeControl wrote: And they get along with your cat, don't they?
Yes, my siamese kitty plays with them-when kitty is so inclined! They get along fine, I just had to watch them at first when the baby bunny was little. But he has grown, sop size is on his size now.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:13 am

Rapunzel wrote: And isn't it hard to resist???

Mine have been begging for a kitty for years, but my daughter is asthmatic, so we couldn't have one.

But this year she hasn't needed her puffer anywhere near as much and I thought that if she does struggle then the buns can always go outside.

Fingers crossed, she seems okay so far!

Good luck holding out from the pleading eyes! It's so VERY hard to do!

You can always have an outdoor hutch like Bill suggested. They can live in both-house and hutch. But you still have to house train them for indoors.

Books:

Rabbits For Dummies-this is actually very good as was recommended by the shelter I got Hamilton from

House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman

House Rabbit by Linda Dykes and Helen Flack

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:41 am

So nice to have a resident bunny expert!!

:o

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:49 am

chonsigirl wrote:

Books:

Rabbits For Dummies-this is actually very good as was recommended by the shelter I got Hamilton from

House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman

House Rabbit by Linda Dykes and Helen Flack

Have you seen this one?

Rabbitlopedia, ISBN 1860541828

There's a Doglopedia, too, which is very good indeed.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:50 am

Rapunzel wrote: Chonsi, you're a star!

The Ladies who sold them to me said they were both boys! hmmmm.......

They're supposed to be brothers but they keep sniffing each others tails! hehehe

I bought a starter kit and the Ladies said feed them pellets, then mix it with the dried bunny food. I've done this but their poops are getting bigger and squidgier! Sorry! Should I put them back onto plain pellets?

They also said not to give them fresh food until 6 months old, and a leaflet they gave me says in big red letters "Do not feed me lettuce or I will die!" Is this right?

I will get a kitty litter tray and look for a puppy pen.

Do I need to get them vaccinated if they stay indoors?

Thankyou SO much for all your help.

Big hugs,

Mel.

One important thing-about the poop business. (in case no one wants to read this)

1/2 the stuff is poop-the other 1/2 is cecotropes, the bigger ones. Those are to be redigested at a later time, and bunnies will consume them. Kind of like cows with 4 stomachs, except they keep everything inside! But they can be potty trained to leave everything in the box, since the box will have the hay! Get timothy hay or other field hays, use alfalfa as a last resort-it is more fattening.

Consider the puppy pen to keep them in a specific area-it helps them, it helps you. When I was training mine, I put an old thick blanket down on the floor, pen over it. So, if it got dirty, you put it in the washer! Big deal! If they gnaw at it, and they will-better that then a cord!

I just lucked out to have a kitchen downstairs, linoleum floor, so I pen off the kitchen area until play time.

Cardboard boxes-got an old one? Put it in there! They will play all day with it. Old toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, they will chew them up! Just sweep it up!

Toys: they like baby toys, rattles, keys, etc. They will play with them all the time. My baby bunny has a carrot rattle he takes to bed with him, they sleep in the box of hay.

Good luck on sexing them-my vet guessed boy for the Baby and I am sure now it is correct. But the vet assistants all told me it was a girl!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:52 am

Bill Sikes wrote: Have you seen this one?

Rabbitlopedia, ISBN 1860541828

There's a Doglopedia, too, which is very good indeed.
I will mark that one Bill, for my next Amazon order. Thank you!

I have a few other books-like one on health care, small pet care, etc. My eight bunny books are the only off topic books on my bookshelves that contain all my Native American resources. Ha!

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:53 am

even though I don't have bunnies

this is quite a fun read

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:39 am

Anyone who hasn't had an indoor rabbit doesn't know what they are missing. They are easier to litter train than kittens, just as fun to watch, and are very quiet pets. You know if they are mad because you'll hear their hind legs thumping. It's been so many years though since we had an indoor rabbit, I can't remember what hubby put over all the cords. Like chonsi said, they will chew cords, and they need to be put as high as possible and as well covered as possible to protect both you and your bunny. (Although I was amused when hubby learned this by stepping on a bare spot of an extension cord.)

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:11 am

Peg wrote: You know if (rabbits) are mad because you'll hear their hind legs thumping.

That's normally a sign that they're frightened, and communicating a warning

to others, isn't it?

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:18 am

We had a rabbit that used to growl if he was mad ::rolleyes:

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:19 am

Rapunzel wrote: And isn't it hard to resist???

Mine have been begging for a kitty for years, but my daughter is asthmatic, so we couldn't have one.

But this year she hasn't needed her puffer anywhere near as much and I thought that if she does struggle then the buns can always go outside.

Fingers crossed, she seems okay so far!

Good luck holding out from the pleading eyes! It's so VERY hard to do!

I actually have a cat allergy so I'm very reluctant to get any kind of pet, but I do feel mean!

I suggested we have some tropical fish but the kids were just not impressed at all!!:wah:

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:35 am

Bill Sikes wrote: That's normally a sign that they're frightened, and communicating a warning

to others, isn't it?
Yes Bill, that's right! They will thump the floor if startled or frightened.

Like Peg said, they are very nice pets. And quiet. They don't make alot of noise-except when chewing something. They were a good choice for me, because I love them, but also because they are downstairs with my husband and are quiet critters. Their antics are so much fun to watch, especially when they are jumping in air and doing a blinkey.

For cords-you can always get those covers like you do for computer cords-they are thick and will protect them from it. But I would check them every once in awhile for gnawing. Hamilton did gnaw one thing-my treadmill. There is a big gap out of it, when I walk on it. I learned then to just block those enticing places to go to, and make it safer for everyone.

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:03 pm

valerie wrote: So nice to have a resident bunny expert!!

It is Val, it's WONDERFUL!!!

chonsigirl wrote: One important thing-about the poop business. (in case no one wants to read this)

1/2 the stuff is poop-the other 1/2 is cecotropes, the bigger ones. Those are to be redigested at a later time, and bunnies will consume them. Kind of like cows with 4 stomachs, except they keep everything inside! But they can be potty trained to leave everything in the box, since the box will have the hay! Get timothy hay or other field hays, use alfalfa as a last resort-it is more fattening.

Consider the puppy pen to keep them in a specific area-it helps them, it helps you. When I was training mine, I put an old thick blanket down on the floor, pen over it. So, if it got dirty, you put it in the washer! Big deal! If they gnaw at it, and they will-better that then a cord!

I just lucked out to have a kitchen downstairs, linoleum floor, so I pen off the kitchen area until play time.

Cardboard boxes-got an old one? Put it in there! They will play all day with it. Old toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, they will chew them up! Just sweep it up!

Toys: they like baby toys, rattles, keys, etc. They will play with them all the time. My baby bunny has a carrot rattle he takes to bed with him, they sleep in the box of hay.

Good luck on sexing them-my vet guessed boy for the Baby and I am sure now it is correct. But the vet assistants all told me it was a girl!

Yes I read that they will eat their poop and it has a lot of goodness in for them, especially baby bunnies. But watching them makes me want to regurgitate my dinner! Eww! Sorry!

They are penned into a corner of the room which today they turned into Poop City! I will buy a washable pet rug for them as they seem to adore nibbling the carpet. I've also put in a cardboard box for them to run through and nibble and we've set up a mini assault course which they adore! My sons rabbit (which he calls Link and I call Casserole (I have an evil sense of humour! hehe) is quite the adventurer and adores trying to escape and explore! He came and rubbed his head against my ankle today and I told him how sweet he was, then the little varmint bit me! Right on my ankle which was just sitting there quietly and not bothering anyone! I called him rather a rude name after that! hehe! He's a feisty little bun who will just dive through any available little gap then scarper! And he's not stupid! He hid behind the sofa to stop me catching him and putting him back in his box, then when he crept out he saw my feet waiting for him, knew I was going to catch him and so quick-as-a-flash he whizzed round 180degrees and zoomed back behind the sofa again, the little pickle!

My daughters bunny is called Starlight (although I call him Stew! hehe) and he is a very jittery bun. He's such a chicken! Lol! I was stroking Link/Casserole and he (Star/Stew) kept coming up and sniffing my fingers and licking me, but every time I tried to stroke him he did this huge bunny leap and zoomed away. Stew adores the assault course. He zooms round and round at 100 miles an hour then lies against the skirting board to cool off. He also drinks a lot and pees Lake Erie! :wah:

Casserole is the greedy one who dives nose first into the food bowl and can chomp for England! We got a little metal food bowl and he picks it up by the rim and bashes the side of his box with the bowl when he's hungry! He's better than an alarm clock and also more insistent!

And one of them snores! Which is both adorable and hilarious to listen to!

Thankyou SO MUCH for all the help and info Chonsi! They have toilet paper rolls which they chew up and eat and they've had a Bonio dog biscuit which the lady said they liked as a special treat and she gave me a small bag of them. The baby toys sound like a good idea and I will get some tomorrow. I also need to get a heavier bowl as Casserole keeps tipping his metal food bowl over and dumping his food on the floor. Unfortunately he seems to tip it in Stews face so Casserole has all the food and the bowl blocks Stew from getting to the grub! I havent yet figured out if this is just unlucky for Stew or if Casserole is a naughty bun and does it deliberately! hehe

I have to say they're turning into expensive little buns but we're getting a HUGE amount of fun and pleasure from them. Cute little poop machines!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:30 pm

Betty Boop wrote: I actually have a cat allergy so I'm very reluctant to get any kind of pet, but I do feel mean!

I suggested we have some tropical fish but the kids were just not impressed at all!!:wah:

I've felt mean for a long time Betty! My daughter has been begging for a cat for YEARS as each of her best friends has one! But I knew they would set her asthma off and we would have to give them away, and I knew she would be devastated and I'd be the horrible, mean mummy who got rid of paw puddy tat!

We also got fish. First hubby bought tropical fish so we had a HUGE fishtank and 4 tiny tropical fish! He said thats all we could have in that size tank! So we kept looking at an interesting rockpile as the fish kept hiding themselves behind the rocks! Then he swapped them at the fish shop for Marine fish. But we kept finding them floating in the tank! Then we got some weed for the tank which had a couple of tiny snail shells in. Unfortunately they are androgynous and reproduce constantly. Within a week our tank was totally covered in snail shells! Yuck! So we gave all the fish back to the fish shop and gave it up as a bad idea!

However, daughters asthma has been better this year and I was toying with the idea of having buns as I used to enjoy keeping buns and I thought they could be put outside if she became poorly, but at least we wouldn't have to get rid of them and break her heart! Then they did the big bug-eyed look on me and before I knew it the money had jumped out of my purse and we were the new proud owners! hehe!

Would you be able to keep outdoor bunnies? Would they affect you too or not as badly? I know its horrible when you feel so mean but you HAVE to say No! I totally understand how awful it is! Why do our kids wind us around their little fingers so easily when, in reality, they should be doing what WE tell them to do! How does that work?

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:50 pm

Bill Sikes wrote: I think they're better off outside, in a nice run with a secure lid, (chicken wire

on a frame will do for a run, of reasonable size, that is easy to move to fresh

grass) and a decent weather-proof hutch that you can drape with an old

blanket in cold weather... beware of cats, though, which will have them if

they can (distressing to children to find bits'n'pieces strewn about).

Have you kept rabbits before?

Does Chonsigirl (bunny girl?) really keep rabbits indoors?
I got to this post in the thread and had to reply right away, so if this has been said already, forgive me.

I'm sure Mr. Sikes has the very best of intentions, but this is a really BAD idea. Bunnies, like all HOUSE pets shuld not be kept outside for their entire lives, and DEFINITELY not in winter!! Rabbits who live in the wild are able to survive by digging themselves dens, and finding other means of keeping warm, and even still, many die from the cold. If you buy an animal as a pet, you have taken on the responsibility to provide everything for that pet, including keeping it safe and warm. Not to mention the fact that if youlive in an even slightly rural area, some sort of critter will find a way into an outdoor cage and have bunnies for a snack. I recall a story on Animal Cops where a man kept bunnies outside and two neighborhood dogs were able to rip the cages apart and kill somethinglike 25 rabbits before the owner even knew the dogs were there.

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:55 pm

Betty Boop wrote: I actually have a cat allergy so I'm very reluctant to get any kind of pet, but I do feel mean!

I suggested we have some tropical fish but the kids were just not impressed at all!!:wah:
Hey, Betty...go to any vet's office and ask to speak to the vet about a shampoo called Allerpet. It's a really wonderful product for people with allergies. I had a boyfriend some years ago when I worked at the clinic who was violently allergic to cats and I had 4! I brought home some Allerpet and bathed all my kitties in it, and it worked like a charm!

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:59 pm

chonsigirl wrote: Just in case you have a male and female, and are considering having them fixed-unless you want baby bunnies.

I'm sorry for the multiple posts, and I'm sorry if I sound like a preachy, know-it-all bitch, but this surprised me. Do you guys know how quickly bunnies can reproduce? And how overwhelmed you will be once they start having babies? Please, folks, unless you are a professional breeder of ANY type of animal, please get your pets spayed/neutered!!!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:21 pm

BabyRider wrote: I'm sorry for the multiple posts, and I'm sorry if I sound like a preachy, know-it-all bitch, but this surprised me. Do you guys know how quickly bunnies can reproduce? And how overwhelmed you will be once they start having babies? Please, folks, unless you are a professional breeder of ANY type of animal, please get your pets spayed/neutered!!!

Lol! yes I do! My dwarf bunnies mated like...well, like bunnies! hehe

NONSTOP!!!

However, you have to separate them as the father will eat the babies if kept together! Not good! That's on the list to be done! Thanks BR!

:-6

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:36 pm

Rapunzel wrote: Lol! yes I do! My dwarf bunnies mated like...well, like bunnies! hehe

NONSTOP!!!

However, you have to separate them as the father will eat the babies if kept together! Not good! That's on the list to be done! Thanks BR!

:-6
Thanks, Rap. Sometimes I feel like a broken record. Then again, other times I see people making the same mistakes, over and over and when it comes to the well-being of animals, I just can't keep quiet!

And I'd forgotten about daddy bunnies eating the babies, thanks for adding that.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:52 am

BabyRider wrote: Hey, Betty...go to any vet's office and ask to speak to the vet about a shampoo called Allerpet. It's a really wonderful product for people with allergies. I had a boyfriend some years ago when I worked at the clinic who was violently allergic to cats and I had 4! I brought home some Allerpet and bathed all my kitties in it, and it worked like a charm!

How often do you have to shampoo them then??

Not sure I like the idea of bathing a cat though!:wah:

I left a cat behind when I left my ex, he does nothing but moan about how much money she costs him, so maybe when I get re-housed having her back could be a possibility, that would be

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:54 am

BabyRider wrote: 'm sure Mr. Sikes has the very best of intentions, but this is a really BAD idea. Bunnies, like all HOUSE pets shuld not be kept outside for their entire lives, and DEFINITELY not in winter!! Rabbits who live in the wild are able to survive by digging themselves dens, and finding other means of keeping warm, and even still, many die from the cold..

Rabbits, in Great Britian at least, are not normally indoor pets. That is why they

are provided, by their loving owners, with secure hutches, rather than "cages",

and given adequate protection against the weather. To say otherwise, here at

least, would be completely wrong. Ranunzel appears to live in the milder south

of the country, too. Maybe it is different where you live.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 5:02 am

BabyRider wrote: Thanks, Rap. Sometimes I feel like a broken record. Then again, other times I see people making the same mistakes, over and over and when it comes to the well-being of animals, I just can't keep quiet!

And I'd forgotten about daddy bunnies eating the babies, thanks for adding that.

It is in fact the does rather than the buck are likely to kill the kits. Also, in times

of shortage, or overcrowding, they can re-absorb any embryos.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 5:07 am

House rabbits are slowly becoming more popular as pets, instead of the outdoor variety. I do have a friend who has a bunny that is kept outside, with a very nice hutch that is warmed during the winter months. But it depends on the type of pet you want-a close family member, or one who is isolated most of the time. If they are in pairs, that is good because bunnies are very sociable. But there is the factor of life expectancy, and outdoor rabbits do not live as long as indoor rabbits.

And I am sure in some countries they would be very amazed we have rabbits inside, but it is a very good indoor pet. A nice alternative to a cat or dog if that is your choice.