Care

                                                             
Hey! I know that some of you have seen a cute bunny at the fair or at a friends house and thought "how cuuuuuute!" and "I want a bunny rabbit!!" So this is some beginning advice on just getting ready to begin research and start to understand the rabbits and how they work as pets, because trust me there is a lot more to them than a tiny corner cage ,some woodchip bedding, and  pellets. I will be covering another post on the very basic rabbit supplies, in list form another time! But I am just going to let you know some of the very beginner rabbit learning tips and just the basics, So lets get you started!!
Check this video out. It is not the most informational and isn't extremely detailed, But I think It is a good start on research.



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Check this out too.
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I 1oo% trust these sources! These are great videos  on tips and getting started with your knowledge! Just introducing the beginner facts. ;)


So I am going to just skim across the surface of the subject of bunny basics. If you want to own a little responsibility and make a new friend, a rabbit is a great way to go! But if you just want a sit around in the corner low mate-Nance pet, try again! Rabbits take a lot of responsibility and are a big commitment for you and your family so make sure you are ready! I know this is something your eyes will probably just "miss" as you do research and read various articles. You want a rabbit and selling it to your family is going to be harder if the pet looks like such a big responsibility which is exactly why you need to know all of the things that are going to be required of you. Here Is a list of some of the things you need to be aware of before you get a pet like this.

                You Need to be Prepared for...
1. You and your family to be ready for a 10 + year commitment.
2. You  to know as much as your brain can carry about this amazing animal and his care.
3. You to know everything about how to operate a vacuume, broom, dustpan, cleaning solutions, paper towels, spray bottles, and scoopers.
4. Your space to be completely invaded and ready to share.
5. A money spender!!!$$$!!!
6. An often times loud room at night. (depends on the rabbit, breed, if it is fixed or not, if the rabbit is pregnant, and of coarse if the rabbit is housed outside or not. Which I will talk about in another post.)
7. Work! Work! Work!
8.  And most of all sacrifice. ( Don't worry I am not telling you you have to go slaughter the family goat. Sacrifice of space and anything your rabbit ends up needing to be happy and healthy!)

All of these tings are things to consider before considering this pet.
Please go and check for a post on everything you will need. There will be a list!
Again if you have any topics you want me to cover I would be happy to do something on the requested subject or tell you where to find more information! Thank you!
HAPPY RABBITING
                                                           




                                                    Neutering and Spaying

So everything is going great! Your rabbit is cuddly and cute and PERFECT in every way! But then... Maybe a slight nip and then the circling and then... well the true rabbit jerk is revealed. When un-fixed rabbits can turn into REAL jerks, they nip and act grumpy and scratchy and irritating and sometimes they circle around your legs. There are many signs that your rabbit needs to be fixed! My rabbit is a buck, named Turtle, so the signs he is showing are the signs from my observations of a male rabbit. I love him to bits. He has food and freedom (lots of freedom) and cuddle time. But lately he has been acting kind of sketchy... He acts like a prince! When I hold him he acts a little aggressive with his scratching and biting, do note that he has never actually bitten me he just gives me little nips, and acting generally irritated, he runs around my feet humming and sprays his cage CONSTANTLY, no matter how much I clean it! Does your rabbit act like this? Why you wonder? all of these signs come from the need to be neutered or spayed. When your rabbit reaches the age of 3-4 months they are able to have more baby bunny's, so that means your in for a moody tooty teenager. The hormones in a rabbits body begin to act up and they start to do things like this. Here is a list of signs that your rabbit needs to be fixed.

1. Circling: when your rabbit runs around your feet it is a sign of courtship or "rabbit marriage" you could say. Sometimes it is just your rabbit being exited to see you but if they are around the age of 3-4 months it could be a sign of starting to reach mating age, which can cause lots of aggression and not a happy pet so if your rabbit circles a lot look for other signs that he/she could be needing to get fixed. (listen for a light grunting or humming noise as they do this)

2. Spraying: Male rabbits tend to spray more than females because of their higher levels of dominance. Turtle has decided its a good idea to go on ahead and spray me as his territory and lots of other objects. If your rabbit does this it could be time for a fixing.

3. Nipping/biting and other aggressions: It is normal for rabbits to have so much pent up energy that they cant help doing little things like nipping or scratching but again like any teenager the hormones in a rabbit cause them to act suddenly angry, unpredictable, annoyed, and rude. If your rabbit starts to act like this it could be time to fix him/her.

The importance of Neutering and spaying rabbits cannot be stressed enough. Female rabbits if not spayed soon enough could get Uterus cancer that can not be fixed. Males can also get testicular cancer that can not be fixed, even though its less common. A fixed rabbit will live longer and live happier so lets get on our responsibility's and start calling local vets!!
(Make sure your vet is rabbit savvy so that your rabbit gets the care it deserves.)
HAPPY RABBITING!!!




                                                               Litter training!!!
Litter training is a super important step in keeping your rabbit room or area clean and less smelly. Anyone who wants to keep a rabbit indoors should litter train their rabbit because there is tons of perks in doing it! #1 smell #2 easier cleaning #3 a happier cleaner RABIIT.
LETS GET STARTED: What you will need to litter train.
1. A litter tray or plastic container big enough for your rabbit to lay down in (Because they do that sometimes and its gross!)

This could work.

                                 This could work as well as long as it fits your rabbit perfectly.
                                                 

These would be good as log as your rabbit can hop in and out and fits! ;)

Make sure your litter box is big enough to lay down in as they do that a lot.

2. Litter, I have heard Yesterdays News works great, Care Fresh is also a great litter, I use Stall Dry, Stall Dry is a litter you can use for horses lama's cats...a lot of different animals, it holds odor for a long time and is great for rabbits as long as you cover the top with hay so that it doesn't cause problems to your rabbits respiratory system. (Make sure your litter is rabbit safe, ad don't get one with any coloring!)      


                                        

3. Enough space for chosen litter box. A corner maybe.
4. Patience.

Once you have your 4 itams you can start the process.

Pick a corner: Your rabbit most likely has a place in its enclosure, room, or other space, that it likes to go to the bathroom in, usually a chosen corner. Rabbits are mess makers but if you will believe it  they like to stay cleansly anyway they can so finding one place to do their thing is a normal practical rabbit solution. It will be a lot easier to litter train if your rabbit has a spot because placing the litter box into that place will persuade the rabbit to keep going in that place but in a litter box instead. If your rabbit hasn't chosen 1 spot, choose for him. If your rabbit changes to another corner for duty after you place the box in his regular spot, move it to the new spot. He'll get it eventually.

Cleanup: Every Time your rabbit pees outside the litter box wipe it up with a cloth and place the cloth in the litter box so that it smells like his urine and wipe up the rest of the smell with vinegar and water so that only the litter box smells of tinkle. Do the same thing with poop pellets. This is time consuming but fully necessary!

Catch him in the act: When you catch your rabbit peeing outside the litter box put him in the litter box and reward him if you find him peeing in the litter box. Getting him to PEE in the litter box is the important part because its the part that smells and also wherever pee goes poop follows.

Keep it up: Keep working and doing all of this until your rabbit finally accepts the box. It will be tedious but worth it!

YOU HAVE A LITTER TRAINED RABBIT!!
HAPPY RABBITING!!