The wonderful life of a rabbit owner......

"What are you doing?" asks my house bunny with her brown eyes.

Why must rabbits ask these questions? She moves her ears in an irresistible way and the next minute she is stretched out on the couch. 

"Now you better not - " She tosses the remote on the floor. 

Clunk.

She jumps off the couch and starts chewing the remote buttons. Suddenly, the channel changes to some weird informercial about Tupperware containers. 

Her nose twitches in her little laughing-like way.

This is what it is like to have a rabbit as a pet. They are affectionate and loving but also stubborn and annoying. 

Daisy will grump, mutter, grump and gripe, and has something to say about everything. 

Feeding her dinner? "You're not doing it fast enough!"

 Adding hay? "You woke me up for THIS???"

 Cleaning the litterbox? "I wasn't done with that yet!" 

What mischief is "The Bun" getting into?

And yet she still is super affectionate and will groom my hair and clothes often. She leans into her head scratches and clicks her teeth in pleasure when she gets a massage. She nuzzles your nose and follows by your legs when you walk around and is as-sweet-as-you-please to house visitors. 

Then again, she is as stubborn as a mule.

She will not listen to what you say, but rabbits cannot be really trained to do tricks. 

On her harness, she pulls and wants to explore every area of the yard, making the person on the other end trip and fall.

When you want her to do something she doesn't care. She can't be punished, either. As prey animals, if I hit or yelled at a bunny, they might be scared to death. Rabbits can only be barricaded and closed off.

She has a mind of her own and is filled with personality. Rabbits are not starter pets and need LOTS of room to show of their unique personalities. Most people consider them farm pets and don't think of them as cats and dogs in smaller packages. BUT... they are! Bunnies are animals that act just like cats and dogs mixed into one - therefore they shouldn't be stuck in a cage all day! If somebody read this and said "Ha! Rabbits are boring and they don't have personalities.", they'd be wrong. A bored rabbit is boring and if they are treated like the stereotype animals(cute, cuddly, easy pets,)they AREN'T, then they will act boring and will not show off those unique personalities... Or rather rabbit-alities!

My bun is watching me type away. 

Uh oh.

She's hopping over. She's sniffing the keyboard. She puts her two front paws on it.bhububuhbbhububjhjinkjjjkjhijhjihihihihjihihihihihihihihihhjijh Hhhhhhhh hhhhhjj jdkklkjljkokjonbjnnbjnbfun  funjhhhhdhsshshshs.   Hjjjj$$$$$)))(€€€#%%%^

Sorry. Bunny keyboard attack. 

"When will you feed me?" My bunny asks.

I sigh.

My Favorite Article in SmallAnimalChannel.com's magazine Critters USA

My favorite article in the 2013 Critters USA magazine is definitely Handle with Care. I feel that it is very important to learn how to handle your small pet to avoid any injury. As an owner of two pet rabbits and a hamster I agree they are both delicate species that should be handled with extreme caution. Caroline Charland certainly explained this well along with her wonderful photos. A lot of critters die from falls because they were being held improperly, therefore, the boxes below that list ways NOT to hold your pet are vital to any inexperienced pet owner. I use this article frequently when someone asks me about handling their critter and it has been a reference during those times.

 As for my pets, Mickey, a fancy Russian dwarf hamster, probably enjoys the article called Clean Hamster, Happy Hamster. Not only has it provided his owner(me) with lots of helpful info about cage cleaning, I'm sure MIckey appreciates it as well. 

Mickey looks a lot like one of the hamsters in the article which is obviously the same type!

One of our buns, Daisy, certainly loves this magazine as well. Her favorite article is Don't You Want Some Bunny To Love?, mainly because it has helped us bond over the years.

My loveable bun-girl grooming me while I stroke her.

Nibbling on some hay

Our other rabbit, Lily, is being bonded with Daisy, and this article has been giving us some pointers on bonding them safely and effectively.

The other magazine, Rabbits USA, has also helped me in creating a better environment for our house rabbits and led me to choose pens over cages. 

Thanks to Small Animal Channel's Critters USA (and Rabbits USA), our pets are living a healthy and happy life and I, as their pet owner, am satisfied with the magazine's articles and fun games, tips, and more! I will miss Critters USA issue publications, but I certainly give credit to them for guiding me in pet ownership with reliable and detailed information I really needed over these years. My pets and I thank Critters USA and the website for making their safe and happy lives possible! (:

Fall Fun

Daisy had some outdoor fun on her harness, and she loved to pose. No, seriously. She actually poses whenever I pull out a phone and snap a picture. She just freezes, It's not that she is scared, it's just she must know! Daisy loved romping in the leaves and let me bury her so only her head was sticking out. (:

DailyBunny.com

Please check out DailyBunny.com, folks. This blog spotlights plenty of adoptable house buns with an opportunity to be great pets! Please also check out all our rabbit care posts before you bring a new rabbit into to your home.

Pen or Cage Options for Your Pet House Rabbit -It's Rabbit Week!

Recently I discussed the location of your rabbit's cage, but I have gotten so MANY requests for some ideas and guidelines for creating the perfect "rabbitat." 

Cages = a bad choice?

If you go the cage route, you need something that goes with the rabbit's breed and age. A cage with multiple ramps makes for a faulty cage if you are using it for a large or old rabbit, whereas a smaller spry, young rabbit may fit better with that option. I do not recommend cages very much, only because they are so expensive and so small. All cages have wires on the bottom, and ones that don't have any are "starter kits." Not only that, the cages are harder to clean.

Some Prefer Pens

 I love puppy pens because there is easier clean-up(sweep out and DONE) and the rabbit gets more access to your daily life. Another reason I love pens because you can generally conform them to particular shapes creatively, and the one I use was cheaper. The pen can be left open for free-range rabbits; a smaller pen can be used solely for a safe hideaway for a rabbit, or it can be put out for the rabbit to stay in at night. I am a rabbit-pen-user at heart. They are comfortable, spacious, the rabbit has more access to your life, inexpensive, perfect for bunn-proofing, and easy to clean. Pens tend to give better ventilation and even if your rabbit is shy, you can find some creative ways to have a proper in-pen hut or shelter for the rabbit to retreat to. 

Before starting....

Remember that although I do not prefer cages, some environments and households can find a way to use cages while still keeping the rabbit happy. Check both options first before deciding cages are a bad idea. Overall, cage, pen, WHATEVER, you always should purchase the best option for your rabbit, not for you. I know people don't like pens because they are big and don't look pretty, but (along with showing off your love for rabbits) it doesn't matter if the housing choice doesn't look good, it's the safety and comfort for the rabbit(and other household members) that counts!

Not a Rodent!

Even people who gravitate towards rabbits positively, still think rabbits are rodents. They are lagamorphs, meaning "hopping creature". Cage-whise, rabbits should only have cages just for them. Not ferrets, not rats, NOT chinchillas.... RABBITS! Even the most energetic rabbit cannot climb in the way a rodent could, so why would you give them a cage with ramps and ledges that only rodents can climb?

Pawse to consider- Rabbit's feet are JUST fur!

Another reason I don't like cages is because of the wire bottoms. Both rabbits are recovering from minor sore hocks(due to past cage-living history) and even in the pens, they have 24/7 resting pads and towels for comfort. They have no pads on the feet. Just thick hair! It's very important to consider a rabbit's feet when choosing a cage.

Hutches - No point!

No house rabbit owner I have met keeps their rabbits in a hutch. Hutches are MEANT to keep rabbits protected from harsh weather and predators, which they have no exposure to inside. Most hutches are off the ground, which I would find a problem when I open the pens to let them play and explore to their extent. Plus, all hutches are covered except for the mesh doors. This may provide protection for their outdoor counterparts, but all rabbits should be exposed and open to people walking and talking o rdin the home, which these types of habitats lack incredibly. PLUS, these expensive hutches are generally small and cause urine burn. All hutch residing rabbits are shy, and whenever the door is opened they will run to the back of the hutch, unexcited and frightened. 

A final word

Whenever choosing a rabbitat, remember to consider the rabbit's needs and desires before choosing one on impulse because it looks "fancy" or "cool." The rabbits house is the most important part of your rabbit purchases. Remember to do research and think like a rabbit for housing options.

Continue the entire week with Rabbit Week: a fun critter post extravaganza!