Caring for your Pet Rabbit

Rabbits are just like any other pet. They like to be brushed and bathed, they need their nails trimmed, their ears cleaned and they can also get fleas. It is very important to know how to properly care for a pet rabbit and to use products specifically designed for rabbits to avoid injury or harm.

1) Brushing Your Rabbit

Rabbits loved to be brushed! You should try to brush your rabbit a minimum of 1-2 times a week. Just like a dog or a cat, rabbits shed their fur and it needs to be brushed out. As a rabbit cleans itself, it ingests the loose fur and unlike a cat, a rabbit cannot regurgitate the hair. Many people give their bunnies Petromalt or Laxatone, an ointment that is designed to help prevent hairballs. During shedding season, you can give the ointment once a day then once a week when your bunny is not shedding
First,be sure to have a rabbit brush. Then decide whether it will be easier to brush your rabbit in or out of his cage. If this is the first time you will be brushing your rabbit and your rabbit is not trained, I recomend starting with him in his cage. Slowly reach in and try brushing his back and sides. If your rabbit sits still and allows you to brush him,thats great! If your rabbbit is hopping around his cage and seems scared stop right away. Let your rabbit relax, wait until it is time to feed him and then slowly attempt to brush his back while he is eating. Most rabbits will allow you to do this. As he gets use to being brushed he will eventually allow you to do it anytime. If your rabbit is trained, it is much easier to sit him on your lap and brush him. Brush his back, tummy, tail and head and don't forget to give him his favorite treat when you're done!

2) Bathing Your Rabbit

Am I crazy?? Nope. You can give your rabbit a "bath" Just remember as I stated earlier, all these tasks are much easier if your rabbit is trained. I suggest cleaning your rabbit every 3-6 weeks using one of the two methods. The first way is to sit your rabbit on your lap and use cleaning wipes. This is a quick and easy way to clean your rabbit and you can do this whenever you think it is necessary. The second way is to sit your rabbit in a plastic basin, fill a bowl with warm water and rabbit shampoo and use a semi wet wash cloth to bathe him. This is a more thorough cleaning and your rabbit will be damp when you're done. Be sure to wrap him in a towel to dry him off when your done and don't forget his treat ! :)

3) Ear Cleaning

Rabbits tend to get a waxy build up in their ears and are suceptable to ear mites. You should check your rabbits ears every 2-3 days and clean them every 2 weeks. Use a cotton swab dipped in cleaning solution and carefully swab your rabbits ears. Only clean what is visable to you to avoid injuring your rabbit.

4) Nail Trimming

You should trim your rabbits nails about every 2 weeks. Depending how often you allow your rabbit out of his cage to excercise determines how often you need to trim their nails. If you have a hard surface in your house, like tile or hardwood floors, allowing your rabbit to hop around on it wears their nails down. When you trim your rabbits nails, have one person hold him while the other trims. Using rabbit trimmers, clip off the very tip of the nail. If your rabbit gets scared, clip the nails on one paw and stop. Trim another paw the following day and so on. Just like anything else, your rabbit will eventually get use to this process and allow you to do it with no problem.

5) Checking Their Teeth

Rabbits teeth constantly grow and chewing is how your rabbits wears them down. Be sure to have plenty of hard chew toysfor them to gnaw on.

6) Fleas

Bushing and bathing your rabbit should keep this problem to a minimum. However, if you have other pets or allow your rabbit to go outside, he could get fleas. Should this happen, use a flea spray for rabbits. Spray your rabbit and their cage and bedding to eliminate the fleas. DO NOT use flea sprays or medications that are not specifically for rabbits.

Rabbits need plenty of excercise to stay healthy. You should allow them to hop around freely, out of their cage, for a minimum of 30 minmutes every day. Before your rabbit is trained I suggest having a small confined space to allow him to hop around. It was May when we got Bugs so I would take him out on the front porch and let him hop around. The kitchen is the best indoor area. Usually there is nothing down low ( like electrical cords) for them to get hurt with and you have an easy to clean floor when they go to the bathroom. Use a baby gate to block the doorway . An exercise pen is another excellent way to keep you rabbit safe indoors and out. Also, believe it or not, you can actually get a harness and a leash and "walk" your rabbit. You'd be the talk of the neighborhood!

Rabbits are generally quiet animals, but they are mot completely silent. They make plenty of noises use plenty of actions to comunicate how they feel. Here's what they are trying to tell you.
1) Growling

If your rabbit growls or grunts at you, she's not happy about something. Maybe she's angry that you're poking your hand into her cage, and she doesn't want you in her territory. Growling can be a sign of anger, fear, uncertainty and stress. The better you get to know your bunny, the
more you'll discover what her different growls mean.

2) Crying

Your bunny may cry. Sometimes a bunny will let out a little cry or whimper and thump their back feet. This is interpreted much as you would understand the same noise in puppies or people.

3) Licking

If your bunny licks your face or your hands, be happy. She's telling you "I love you!"

4) Screaming

You never want to hear your bunny scream. A bunny scream is usually shrill. It's a heart-breaking sound, and it generally signifies your bunny is either hurt or dying. You'll want to get her help immediately.

5) Flopping

Your bunny is on top of the world. She is so happy, she can think of no better way to show her happiness than flopping over, eyes closed, taking some time to relax.

6) Binkying

You've got one happy bunny on your hands. She's gyrating, dancing, hopping high in the air and shooting across the room at lightening speed. She's so happy she's a bunny and living with you.

7) Thumping

Your bunny will thump her back legs for a number of reasons including fear, anger and warning you to danger lurking.

8) The Bunny 500

It's 6 a.m., and the Bunny 500 has taken off again. Your bunny or bunnies are in their room, when all of a sudden, zoom! They race around the room over and over again at top bunny speed, until they're ready to just chill out, munch on some hay, chew the phone book or flop down for a much-needed nap.

9) Chinning

Your bunny is rubbing her chin all over the furniture, the book your reading and you. This is just her way of marking her territory. She's saying, "hey, this is mine."

1) Rabbits NEED to Chew

Because of Their Constantly Growing Teeth, Rabbits Will Seek Out Items toChew on. If you do not give your rabbitsomething to chew, he will FIND something to chew on, and you may not always agree with his choice! Chewing satisfies both physical and psychologicalurges by exercising a rabbits jaws andby occupying his mind.

2) Toys Provide Exercise for Pudgy Bunnies

Domestic rabbits do not have to run from predators, search for food, or dig burrows like their wild cousins.So they do not get the amount ofexercise they require unless encouragedto do so with toys. Sedentary rabbits canquickly become obese rabbits!Remember too, exercise includes plenty of out of cage time.

3) Toys Can Relieve Any Boredom Your Rabbit may Experience

Again, rabbits in the wild are always busy,many rabbits in captivity can become bored when their environment is not enriched with toys.A rabbit left in his cage with nothing to do may even become depressed

5) Toys Give Your Rabbit the Opportunity to Interact with YOU!

You are a very important figure in your rabbits life.He views you as one of his own and wants to playwith you like one of his own.

A game of keep away is always fun as well as hiding the toys in various places in the house
for the bunny to find. You may even get your bunny engaged in a Game of Fetch!

Bugs, Thumper, Puddles, Midnight, Riley, Stormie, Pippin, Noel, Piper, Holbrook,
Willow, Cocoa, Maybelline, Oreo, Dezzi, Pepper, Cherub, Romeo, Hershey, Hayley,
Velvet, Tinkerbell, Juniper, Dutch, Tuxedo, Patches, Sadie, Tyler, Duchess,
Harvey, Pumpkin, Angel, Binky, Hopkins, Snowball, Peanut, Dakota, Dash, Hopper,
Nutmeg, Smokey, Chance, Satine, Shadow, Snuggles, Thumbelina, Flopsy,
Marshmallow, Gatsby, Jade, Frodo, Arial, Rex, Mittens, Zuzu, Halo, Onyx,
Sabrina, Belle, Noir, Bailey, Q-Tip, Nibbles, Daisy, Merry, Tricycle, Oscar,
Zoey, Pepper, Sundance, Hopson, Ripley, Trance, Sweetpea, Charmin, Noah,
Bunster, Silver, Bumper, and Rascal.

Free Jewelry!!! No Gimmicks, No Catch, Real Deal

This has nothing to do with rabbits-just my way of saying thanks for visiting :)