A Little Caution...
This portion of this site that offers informative pages is by no means to be used as an only source to your knowledge gathering. These pages are to help create a base and insight for the love and care of rabbits. Please use care and common sense whenever possible. And remember, please adopt a bunn, they'll love you for life!
Are you ready to be that furry little creatures' pet?(Belive me, the bunns own us!)
SOME USEFUL GUIDELINES:
- Can you provide appropriate INDOOR housing for a bunn?
- Do you have time to offer the bun appropriate amounts of running, grooming, interaction, and cuddling?
- Do you have an area in your home that can be adequately "bunny-proofed"?
- Does your town/city have a nearby "bunny-friendly" vet?
- Can you afford the often expensive, but essential, spay and/or neuter?
- Do you know the laws in your city/town which cover the ownership of bunnies?
- Do you know which common houseplants can be fatal to bunns?
- Are you willing to supervise buns playing together or interacting with children or other pets?
- Do you have the time to familiarize the Buns with each other?
- Are you willing to completely surrender your heart to these creatures?
- Do you have cable, satellite, TV or iPod remotes? Bunns really like a wide variety of programming...
(Any remote controls are essential... those soft plastic buttons are just soooo yummy) And yes, I have lost a couple of buttons. At first I believed I just wore it out, then remembered, hey, this is the new remote!
If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you are one of the few truly brave enough to be owned by one (or more) of these wonderful creatures. - A cage large enough to stretch out, hop, separate area for the bunn's food and water and a reserved potty area (or do a separate bunny-box as I do).
- I spend minimum 10 minutes each morning and evening with my bunn, petting him, talking with him and giving him a very thorough combing with a flea comb.
Mind you, he resisted this at first, but this is a great step in eliminating fleas (myself - I am allergic to them). On Friday's we try to have 'Family" night and all watch TV together. Also take a few moments out during the day and evening to say "Hi". Some bunns enjoy being a lap bunny, others rather just lay in your general area. The more time you spend with your bunn, the more he will want to be with you. The bunns are very social creatures, they thrive on being in the groove and in the mist of all that happens around your home, so be sure to include them. And always, supervise, if the bunn has free roam of the house and yard.
Some chewables are: Phone cords, computer and television cables, remote controls, table and chair legs, plants, books, magazines (anything semi-soft and chewable). Remember a bunn must keep chewing to keep his teeth 'filed'down. An old phone book makes an excellent toy, both for digging and gnawing on.
Some Common House Plants to Avoid Are:
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Amaryllis (bulbs) Apple (seeds) Christmas Trees treated with fire-retardant, flocking,etc. Daffodils Lily of the Valley Tulips |
Already Have a Bunn and Are Thinking of Adopting Another?
Some Bunns will need special bonding time to get acquainted with each other. Same is true of other species - some critters will immediately bond with one another, others need more time AND SUPERVISION! Five minutes each morning and night in a NEUTRAL AREA, say a small bathroom, as long as it has never been visited by either pet, petting both critters, talking to them both, telling them you love both of them. After 5-7 days, up it to 10 minutes, and when they can start socializing on their own, cleaning one another, sniffing each other and playing, then it's time they are ready to be on their own. Some breeds of dogs are "hunters"... please be very cautious if you have a dog and read up on some of it's characteristic traits... would they harm your bunn??
We Want To Buy Another Bunny
WAIT. Before you buy a Bunn, some things you should consider before you get a bunny for you and your family.
Before buying a rabbit from a pet store, consider the advantages of adopting from a rescue group or city/county shelter.
- For every rabbit bought from a pet store a animal shelter rabbit dies. The Bunns at the animal shelters usually only have a few days before they are euthanized.
Remember, for every rabbit adopted from a rescue group, another can be saved. - Reputable rescue groups spay and neuter their buns, saving you the expense, worry, and pre-surgical behavior problems of an unaltered Bunn.
- A rescuer or foster Bunn parent know their bunns and usually can give you an idea of the Bunn's habits, personality, likes and dislikes and can helping you find the Bunn who is right for you.
- Most have already been box-trained!
Please we'd love to give you a referral in your area.
Litter Training
With hardly any effort bunnies can be litter trained much like a cat. I have with most of my rabbits just put a few of their "rollie pollies" (droppings) in the potty box, and that was all I needed to do. Of course, Merlyn, when I first got him was an outdoor bunny. My renter at the time wasn't paying attention and Merlyn sneaked by him. Needless to say, Merlyn could not find a litter box, but being the good bunn that he is... found the bathtub, jumped in and used it!
The selection of the proper type of litter is important - clay, clumping or wood based litter boxes can be harmful (there are plenty of good, safe alternatives now available). The task is easier in a spayed or neutered animal who isn't hormonally driven to mark territory. Rabbits are very territorial so may occasionally feel the need to mark the area around their cage, however.
**These are by no-means complete lists, just some beginning guidelines to help you get to know your funny bunny.