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Foranzan posted:Most bunny guides that I've seen say that most rabbits shed every 2-5 months, depending on the rabbit (Most say about 3 months), however, one of my girls (I own two females) seems to shed constantly. The Furminator is your friend. Seriously. I bought it for my cats but use it a lot on Murphy as he sheds like it's going out of style. He really hates it, and being held in general, but it needs to be done to prevent blockage and to keep his fluffy stray furs from going up my nose. I usually hold him on my lap laying him on his back/side, left hand grasping his upper body right under the front armpits. Then I do stealth ninja-brushing with the Furminator until it looks like a rabbit exploded all over myself and the sofa. I do these swift brushings every few days during a bad shed and treat him to banana chips for the trauma. I remember asking a breeder once what her secret to brushing rabbits was and she replied "Secret? There is no secret method. Some bunnies tolerate it, others will want to kill you. Pray for the first."
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Nov 3, 2007 06:17
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You can try purchasing an area rug or one of those heavy plastic mats for under office chairs. Chances are that those will get chewed and ripped up as well, but it's less destructive than ruining carpet. Debbie goes through stages where the carpet suddenly becomes gumdrops and ice cream, and she'll pull up bits and pieces with little regard to reprimand. During those times she loses "outside" privileges unless I'm right there with her, watching her every move. Covering the floor with cardboard has been the best deterrent for her thus far, but I'd prefer a more permanent solution :/
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Nov 4, 2007 18:10
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I get mine from WalMart, Target or Bed Bath & Beyond. The price range is 12-15 dollars for a box of grids and you can make a decent 4x4x2 pen with a raised area. Or buy two boxes of grids and make a castle for your bunny 
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Nov 6, 2007 03:58
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Deceptor101 posted:I have heard issues about guinea pigs and rabbits fecal matter being poisonous to one another Really, what? I've never heard that...unless I missed some articles somewhere. Anyone care to chime in. I've been thinking of adopting a pig after Christmas for the bunnies to play with(on occasion)
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Nov 17, 2007 19:02
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alucinor posted:No no please no! It's true. Rabbits have bordetella and other gram negative bacteria as part of their natural intestinal flora (the same way we have e coli). Guinea pigs have gram positive bacteria. A pig exposed to a rabbit's poops can end up with URIs (from the bordetella) or lethal GI tract infections as the gram negative bacteria wipes out the gram positive. Yikes, that all just sounds evil :/ They weren't going to live together but they'd come in contact with one another. I was just looking to fill the space of my hamster, and all the crap I have for my rabbits is on par with what guinea pigs require(though I'm aware of the nutritional differences). I'm confused why even rabbit.org would have articles suggesting pairing rabbits with pigs(or other species - last resort mind you) if it's a bad idea.
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Nov 19, 2007 19:14
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TheDeadKnow posted:Does anyone else's rabbits know their name? I wonder with Mo, because sometimes I call him and he doesn't peek out; other times I walk into the room and just start to say his name and he's under my feet, wanting to be pet. Cowslip could care less about me calling, but I notice whenever Mo is getting something, Cowslip comes running over to investigate. Debbie knows her name, Murphy does, I think. If you call him, he'll look at you but not hop over or anything. Debbie will generally come when called unless she knows she is in trouble.
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Dec 8, 2007 08:02
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Murphy has an ear tattoo, but I never knew if it would lead to anything. I always wanted to track down the breeder and see if they had "family" photos I could compare him to. Mostly because I can't imagine how handsome the parents must have been to create my cute little monster.
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Dec 10, 2007 17:20
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shmee posted:Soo cute! Debbie and Murphy love running up and down the steps, and will sometimes chase the cats up and down as well(good exercise for the fat cats!). The whole apartment is carpeted, save for the kitchen, bathroom and foyer area Those are tile. They are also off limits to the rabbits, but Murphy did enjoy running into the kitchen and sliding across the tile floor. I hated taking that away from him, but I don't want him eating scraps or bits of whatever may fall under a cupboard. Despite the stairs being carpeted, Murphy has had a few hilarious, yet scary, falls on his way down. He seems to forget to turn at the bottom for the last three steps and will instead careen into the wall cartoon style. I need to put up a cushion or something before he really gets hurt. On a whole though both rabbits seem to have fun on steps, especiall chasing, or being chased on them.
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Dec 26, 2007 02:29
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Superconductor posted:So, this is what I'm thinking: I'll build him a huge pen. We're talking like at least 20' x 20'. It will be covered to keep predators out (though my LGD does a good job of that anyway) and I'll bury wire underneath it to keep him from tunneling out. I'll put a nice insulated dog house filled with hay inside for shelter, and make sure it's well stocked with hiding places and fun things to play with. He'll be able to graze, dig, and have fun outside but he'll be protected from the elements and from predators. I can't afford it right this second, but I'll save up to have him neutered and then maybe see about getting him an (also neutered) friend so he won't be alone. I know it's not as good as being a house rabbit, but it's the best alternative I can think of. I think that would be pretty awesome for an outdoor bunny. Certainly better than just a small hutch in the back yard. You might want to consider blocking one or two sides as well to make it seem more of a safe haven when time and money permit. Nothing fancy, but similar to the green or black tape people weave in chain link fencing.
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Jan 1, 2008 01:14
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I am Dan I am posted:I will raise you Did he get his hair cut with a scissors?
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Jan 1, 2008 17:28
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What an adorable baby. It looks like a wee version of the very first bunny I ever had. Be sure to look up info on rabbit.org if you haven't already. Little buns require a very different diet than older rabbits. You;ll be needing alfalfa hay and alfalfa based pellets for one. http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html quote:What quantities of food should I feed babies and "teenagers"? Now, it can vary by vet what he or she thinks is best as far as nutrition, but my vets are on par with what's listed on the diet page I pasted above.
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Jan 5, 2008 01:15
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Master_Jay posted:Oh gently caress, I gave him a baby carrot. Thanks for the link, I'll run to the store in a little bit and buy him the recommended food. I have never raised a baby bun before, but I hope that link helps you. Don't forget that vets are a valuable resource as well. You may be able to schedule an appointment for proper feeding techniques for the formula and other general baby care needs that you may not know to watch for.
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Jan 5, 2008 05:13
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Aww, what a lucky bunny. I made a grid cage for Debbie a while back that only has a second level but she jumps up to it just fine. I made a step by bending a grid but she rarely uses it to get to the second level, and mostly chills in it like it's a secret cave or something. Your bun may just be hesitant of the new diggs so give her time. The only thing I'd be wary of is that there seems to be very little space on the floor to move around outside of the larger box. Not that it's a problem, but for her to jump in or out of it, it may be confining or uncomfortable. Same with jumping on or off the second platform. I just thought of something else. Is that floor slippery? Debbie never has issues with linoleum or plastic flooring, but Murphy does because of his floofy feet and will slip all over. It makes him nervous and he'll just cower in a corner until I throw a rug or towel down. Windy fucked around with this message at 08:35 on Jan 6, 2008 |
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Jan 6, 2008 08:26
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What you may want to do is just take out the plastic cage bottom, and after a week or so giver her a larger litterpan to chill out in. When I moved Debbie from her old cage to the new one I built she didn't care much about how different it seemed, only that there was more room to play. It wasn't as rough of a transition as coming from the pet shop to a new home. If you have old towels or can find cheap grass mats(Amazon frequently has some on sale) that should be fine for the bottom floor of the cage.
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Jan 6, 2008 21:27
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Anytime  Not only are they going to offer something different to sit on, if she gets bored, the grassy mats will bear the brunt of her restlessness instead of the floor coverings on your different platforms.
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Jan 7, 2008 00:34
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NMR posted:It was probably a dumb idea anyway. Does anybody have any good experiences with taking their rabbit on walks? Yes and no. I've had both Debbie and Murphy in harnesses and while the process of putting it on is tricky, they get used to it after a half hour of pouting. Debbie is actually much better about it than Murphy though. I used to put the harness on her every time I let her run around because I affixed a bell to it and enjoy knowing when she is getting into trouble I used to take them out on the tiny green patch I call a lawn, but since the apartment managers hire incompetent gardeners I can't take them out anymore. They will fertilize and spray pesticides without notice or putting signs up, and I don't want my bunnies to die because I missed a sign somewhere. That being said, it just takes patience and practice. Every other day put the harness on your rabbit and leave it on for about 5-10 minutes before removing it, and reward with a treat. Increase the duration as you see fit until your bunny is comfortable wearing the harness. Then you can work out leash issues! Just to prove it can be rewarding for you and your bun, here is an old photo of Debbie and in her skinnier days 
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Jan 14, 2008 07:33
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NMR posted:I figured patience is what works with most rabbits, but seeing him run around all terrified just makes me feel really bad. How does the harness close? That might make a difference. The one I have was purchased at PetCo or PetsMart. I forget, but should be available at either. It fastens under the neck and under the stomach with velcro. There are actual safety clasps on nylon collar type material as well that fit over the velcro'd straps. You can kind of see it under her neck in that photo. When I put it on Murphy I can't secure the safety clasps because he'll throw a fit. He's sometimes worse than trying to saddle a horse.
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Jan 16, 2008 09:24
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I know I've mentioned it before, but both of my rabbits are about 1/3 the size of my cats and about 20lbs lighter. Cleo always runs from the rabbits but Link will just lay around and ignore them. If they get up in his face though he bats at them to show he's not interested in playing. I think both cats would tolerate the rabbits more had they not lived with ferrets. My ferrets would terrorize the cats and the hoppy, zippy motions of ferets freaked them out. The rabbits don't hop so much as they seem to glide around compared to how the ferrets moved. Personally I'd love if my cats would actually get up and play with the rabbits. That's all the bouncy furballs want anyway. For whatever reason they view my cats as interactive beings 
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Feb 29, 2008 05:44
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SpaceMonkey posted:Do rabbits need to eat pellets? I just feed mine hay and veggies. In the winter I can't always afford the higher cost of most veggies, so I end up being a bad momma and offering pellets - mo more than 1/4c - and offering whatever happens to be on sale as a special second course until the next shopping trip. I was thinking about getting one of those AeroGrow garden things if they weren't so dang expensive. It would be perfect for winter gardening since I get almost no light through the windows.
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Mar 13, 2008 05:03
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Deceptor101 posted:yeah my buns apparently started going higher up too, and well, now you have to really work at the remote buttons to work... Last month we got a brand new DVD player to replace our 11 year old monster of a payer. We didn't have it for two full days and Murphy had decided in that time to play up on the sofa. While I thought it was cute that he wanted to join me, I had no idea of he alterior motives. The little bugger chewed all the buttons on the left side of the remote, right down to the plastic. I don't even know what those buttons did! Now I have to get out the manual to even use the remote  bunnies!
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Mar 24, 2008 16:49
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quote:sneezing It could be an allergic reaction or just dust. Or maybe the litter or bedding(if you use it). Since it has stopped it may be nothing to worry about, but it never hurts to at least call and ask your vet what he or she thinks.
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Mar 25, 2008 04:22
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AlbinoHagfish posted:http://www.sweetdreamsbunnylodge.com/home.html That place looks expensive if you'll be away for a while, but awesome as hell. The single pen is large and roomy enough to play, and only $5 more per night for the huge double pen. I do see that she offers trips to the vet, grooming, etc. I would ask about emergency situations as far as vet trips and bills are concerned. Does she pay and bill you later, or will the vet just bill you? Do you leave your cc number and info? I never know how that stuff works since mine are always already at the vet in boarding. I wish I had her job. Who doesn't love hoards of fluffy bunnies?
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Mar 26, 2008 15:05
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Mine will play with: plastic baby keys (awesome and cheap as mentioned), Duplo blocks(large fake Lego), grass mats for shredding, cardboard "bird bagels"(insanely cheap cardboard rings in various sizes), hard plastic bird toys, sheets of paper towel, scraps of wrapping paper that has curled, woven wicker balls. I like to browse Amazon from time to time because there are great deals on rabbit toys sometimes. I've scored big on 60% off sales. They happen randomly though, but it beats driving around to stores looking for new toys. Also check out the busy bunny online if you want to splurge on a toy or five. I think that right now they're donating 10% of every sale to the Make Mine Chocolate campaign for Easter.
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Mar 27, 2008 16:17
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girlscoutdropout posted:Oh God it does. So bad. I think cat pee smells far worse! I smell my cats more than my rabbits. I clean cat boxes more than once a day, and rabbit boxes every 4 days. The only time I smell bunny odors is when I dump out the liter during changes, and it's still not that bad(to me). I'm considering using the pine pellets with my cats, except I only bought enough to last me all year for the rabbits :p
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Apr 5, 2008 17:38
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Baitu posted:Mouse pee is far worst than cat or rabbit. No matter how recently I've cleaned the cage it always smells, which is funny because she is such a tiny animal. I cleaned mouse cages for a research facility for awhile, and of course they didn't get cleaned more than absolutely necessary (the mice had ventilation systems hooked up, so they weren't living in an ammonia vapor cloud) and it was pretty stinky. You know, I've noticed that my little robo's have a nasty smell sometimes. loving little cotton balls with legs, and the smell can knock me out if I don't clean their cage often enough. I've had enough hamsters to honestly say that a robo hamster, while almost five times as cute, is nearly 10 times as smelly. But oh god, so cute. My rabbits are confined to their own room, and I can't smell a darn thing when I walk in. But downstairs I have three cat litterboxes for my two demons, and it's all I can smell the instant I walk in my apartment :/ If they ever invent a cat who never has to pee, I'll buy one in an instant.
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Apr 6, 2008 03:25
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girlscoutdropout posted:I was just taught a new way to cut nails from my bunny's vet...I'll do my best to explain. This is how I've always been doing it and neither rabbit has ever had issues. Good bunnies I suppose I have a table just below chest height that I sometimes use as well. I can stand up and use the tabletop to balance instead of my chest and thigh, and it deters the rabbits from scrambling loose since neither wants to fall a good four feet to the floor. Honestly, after the first few times you shouldn't have any issues with your rabbits relaxing for a trim.That sandpaper idea is great too. I always wondered if it was safe for rabbits, as I know I can use inserts on my Wodent Wheel for the hamsters.
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Apr 10, 2008 07:45
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Bagleworm posted:Awww! Resting bunnies are almost more adorable than baby bunnies. 
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Apr 11, 2008 16:48
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GoodApollo posted:Milly will sometimes get really excited and run around so fast she can't stop before she slams into things. Usually she'll just jump right back up and do it again a few minutes later. My Debbie doesn't do this so much but Murphy will haul rear end down the staircase and occasionally slam into the wall on the bottom. He seems to always forget that the last three stairs turn before descending into the livingroom. It's funny as hell, but I feel so bad after hearing the loud "thuwump" after the patter down the stairs.
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Apr 20, 2008 06:51
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asteroceras posted:If the risk of predation is low, or you can make it low, bunnies may well have a better life outside than inside (and if the predation risk is low, that skews the average lifespan for your bunnies upwards anyway). When I had bunnies living outside(about 20 years ago now) they didn't live very long at all, and they were safe as safe can be. In a sheltered garage and in hutches. I'm sure different situations will result in different outcomes, but I'd still argue that a rabbit has a better chance at a longer, healthier, happier life if kept indoors 99% of the time. I'm just too worried about insects, pesticides and other poo poo to even think about bringing either of my rabbits outdoors anymore(until I get my own house)
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Apr 21, 2008 07:46
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Honk posted:The 3-level cage with coloured "carpet", nice view and separate toilet room: I was wondering what you used for the floor covering on the upper levels? Awesome abode by the way. I'm jealous on behalf of my bunnies.
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Apr 24, 2008 03:35
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ShadowCatboy posted:1. A 5' by 5' pen is pretty big, but doable in a living room. It's more the hutch itself that'll have to be smaller, and I think it'll be focused around being more of a nesting/shelter area. You focus a lot on a hutch. As long as bunnies have some old boxes to make a hide in, they're cool. I offer so many choices for shelters and my rabbits don't use any of them. I think they're too relaxed, or just overly comfortable with their room and various intruders(people and cats). I just want to say about the 2am thing...if you will be in an apartment, your neighbors will probably mind the noise, even if you don't. My walls are thick enough that I can't hear anyone around me unless there is a great effort made to be loud such as stomping on stairs or yelling at top volume. But a rabbit thump is a god drat thunderous boom at 3am. Murphy weighs in at about 4lbs soaking wet, but he will stomp the gently caress out of the floor when he gets irritated with any random thing. Luckily no one has ever complained about it(as I've been fair to not complain about the stupid noisy children) but it is really intrusive and unpleasant when trying to sleep or watch a movie or something.
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Apr 26, 2008 01:37
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I would at least monitor them for a day to see if anything appears out of sorts. Everything they munched up should pass through with relative ease, but you never know. X-rays can be very expensive in a "just in case" scenario. After my dummies ate a Jar-Jar toy it cost me $350 to find out that the were just fine. Stupid, but fine. However they ingested an unholy amount of plastic so I had no other way to ease my mind than to bring them in the next day.
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Apr 26, 2008 16:08
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Has anyone ever has issues with rabbits freaking out when moved from a small pen to a larger one? I recently set up the rest of my grids to give both Debbie and Murphy a 4x4 grid space for daily living. Debbie was previously in a 2x2, and Murphy was in a cage slightly smaller(Mind you, this was only when I was not home or when sleeping. Now Debbie has twice the room and loves it, hopping all over and playing. Murphy has almost 3 times the amount of living space now and is constantly freaked out. He spent the first night thumping, leaving me with only two and a half hours of sleep. He's getting better, but still seems like he's not enjoying more room to move around(always hides or just sits in a litterbox). I'm pleased with the setup overall. The cages occupy a 5' x 7.5' area rug which is roughly half of the entire bedroom.
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May 1, 2008 05:27
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Could you just hop on a bathroom scale with your rabbit and subtract your weight without the rabbit? Sounds stupid I know, but that is how I weigh my cats to monitor weight gain/loss.
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May 1, 2008 06:39
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Murphy won't use a bottle, so I got a dish that attaches to the side of the pen. Since it's elevated he can't toss it around and doesn't get too much crap in there, but I do clean it out every other day or so since he's shedding really bad right now.
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May 10, 2008 02:38
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ShadowCatboy posted:Also, a question about litterboxes: What sorts of nice, absorbent litter matter are safe for bunnies? I know shredded paper is quite normal, but I was thinking of something along the lines of wood chips. I use untreated wood stove pellets. Same thing as Feline Pine, only less piney smelling and 1/4 the price. It might be hard to find now that it's summer, but I stock up in spring when a 40lb bag is only $3, and five bags will last(for four litter boxes) until winter when the pellets are readily available again. I liked it better than Yesterdays News, but any of the three mentioned will work great and not be enticing to the bunny for late night snacking.
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May 27, 2008 06:06
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I'm thinking about taking my buns on excursions to my parents house on the nicer weekends. They have a huge yard that is pesticide free and full of dandelions and sites of exploratory interest. There are mosquitos, and in the woods out back ticks have been sighted. I will mostly be in the front playing in the garden and walking them around for fun and exercise. How necessary will it be to administer Frontline (or the safest anti flea/tick ointment)? I know I could completely skip the whole idea, but I think it will be good for trying to bond the little brats with the car rides and new unfamiliar places etc.
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Jun 4, 2008 16:25
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alucinor posted:No no NO! Frontline is definitely toxic to rabbits. Revolution (selamectin) or Advantage (imidacloprid) are the only safe flea products to use on rabbits. Good thing I don't even own any Frontline then! As far as raccoons go, I've not seen any so far this year but it doesn't mean they don't exist. Any wildlife rarely crosses the junkyard to get to the front of the property where the house is, and up until last week they had a dog. The only wildlife I observe daily are birds, mosquitoes and the occasional chipmunk. Since there are two indoor/outdoor cats as well, a lot of the naturally frolicing animals tend to stay away. The ticks are not a major concern since this is the first year I've ever seen any in the area. Honestly, I've lived in rural areas of Milwaukee my whole life and never saw ticks until now, and luckily it's just a small handful so far. I plan to say around the front of the house where nothing but a few birds have been observed(thanks to the cats) and where I'll be working in the garden. The buns will never be more than 10 feet from me and always on a lead, so I'm not worried about either one getting into something they shouldn't. I'll call up my vet this week and see what they have and figure out the proper dosage for each one.
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Jun 5, 2008 01:40
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One of mine is a chocolate fiend. Debbie once found a peanut m&m that was sitting atop my headboard(I don't even know why) and before I knew it she had eaten a quarter of it. Every day for a week, she'd run into my room and hop onto the bed looking for more. She has also tried to abscond with chocolate treats on other occasions. I can never really be too sure what is out of reach for her because she is more like a cat than a rabbit sometimes.
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Jun 25, 2008 02:29
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For the first time ever, I've nipped the quick when trimming nails. I got the outer toe nail on Debbie's front paw and it was bleeding pretty bad for a small cut. All I had on hand was sweet rice flour. It works kind of like corn starch, but I can't find anything on google that states if it was actually safe or not to use. Does anyone know for sure? I'll run Debbie in as soon as I can if I've just done a bad thing.
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Sep 16, 2008 04:07
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