Whether you are a first time rabbit pet parent, or you have had pet bunnies before, it can be difficult to choose a good name for your pet rabbit. Often times their outward appearance could suggest a name, or their personality, but even then, it can still be difficult to choose. Having a name list to work with can certainly help with this task, and simply look over the choices to see if any would be perfect for your loving Bunz! Rabbit Breeds .org offers the following suggestions: "Thumper, Oreo, Daisy, Bunny, Bella, Lily, Charlie, Lola, Molly, Oliver, Jack, Peanut, Coco, Nibbles, Hazel, Sophie, Ruby, Flopsy, Peter, Harley, Lulu, Shadow,Baby, Dusty, Midnight, Rocky, Benjamin, Smudge, Muffin, Patches, Hershey, Snickers, Lilly, Maggie, Mocha, Scooter, Bonnie, Cadbury, Cinnamon, Marley, Milo, Oscar, Panda, Alice, Angel Bandit, Bugs" To see the full list of 401 names, see: Most Popular Rabbit Names Free Shipping on Rabbit Feed and Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch
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Rabbits benefit from exercise both mentally and physically. You must make sure that your pet rabbit has some free time out of her cage so she can run and jump and be a rabbit! It is important to make sure that your bunny is safe from harm or injury during this time, whether it be inside or outside. There are a number of different rabbit runs that you can purchase or build, but it is important that they are designed well to provide happy and protected play time! The Rabbit House provides the following: “The minimum recommended rabbit run size is 8' x 4', this is a minimum though and your rabbit will certainly appreciate being provided a larger area. The rabbit run should be tall enough for your rabbit to stand upright on its back legs, see size guide. Ideally your rabbit should have permanent access to the run by joining it to/combining it with their living quarters but when this is not possible a minimum of 4–6 hours per day is recommended. Rabbit are expert diggers, so rabbit runs should be stood on something to prevent rabbits digging out, such as paving slabs or mesh buried into the grass under the run. Outdoor rabbit runs should always have a roof. A rabbit will jump and climb 3–4' — even higher if there is something to jump from like a box. A roof is not only to stop your rabbit escaping but also prevent predators getting in. A cat or fox (foxes are active even in urban areas) can easily clear 6'. Make sure the roof is firmly secured and cannot be blown off by strong winds. The wire on the run is your rabbit’s protection so it is important that you use strong mesh, like weld mesh, and it is attached firmly to the frame. The mesh should be small enough to prevent your rabbit putting its head through and predators putting their paws through. If the run is large or not attached to your rabbits sleeping accommodation then provide a box as shelter and a secure place to retreat to if your rabbit is frightened.” Read the full article: The Rabbit Run Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch There are many great commercially manufactured rabbit foods in the marketplace for your pet bunny. Oxbow and Kaytee both make high quality rabbit diets, and there are many others. In addition to feeding a quality rabbit diet and feeding the proper hay, you may also want to give your pet rabbit some healthy snacks as a treat, or to use when training your bunny. There are also some seeming good things to feed but in reality, they should be avoided. Some common foods really have very little nutrient value as well. Pet Care Tips provides the following about feeding healthy snacks for your pet rabbit: "As a responsible and caring rabbit owner you no doubt know that the bulk of your rabbit's diet should be fresh grass hay, such as timothy, meadow, prairie, brome or oat hay. There are also a few other items that you should add to your rabbit's diet for its good health. Alfalfa Hay Alfalfa hay is too high in calories, protein and calcium to be healthy as a major food source for adult rabbits, but you can give your adult rabbits small amounts of alfalfa hay occasionally as a treat. Young rabbits do need some alfalfa hay as a regular part of their diets because they need more calories and protein since they are growing and are probably also more active than their parents. Rabbit Pellets Rabbit pellets such as are sold at feed and pet stores are not suitable as the bulk of your rabbit's diet, but you should offer a handful or so of pellets every day. Fresh Vegetables Leafy greens are great for your rabbits, and you should offer them several types of leafy greens every day. Be sure to introduce new vegetables slowly and one at a time so that you can watch for any bad reactions such as soft stools." Read the full article: What Are Some Good and Bad Snacks for My Pet Rabbit? Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch Have you ever thought about how hard it would be for us to communicate if we could not use words? The amazing way that pets communicate with other animals as well as their pet parents is certainly worth understanding. Pet rabbits cannot use words but they do indeed communicate! This communication is largely associated with both proper training and developing a higher level of trust. Your pet bunny may communicate that she does not want to be picked up, but once a higher level of trust is achieved, she may no longer find that to be a problem to communicate. The House Rabbit Society says the following about pet rabbit communication: "Rabbits need to communicate with their companion (human)s, but of course, their communication is without words. One obvious example of such communication is struggling when they are picked up. This is simply (and obviously) saying “I don’t like being picked up! Put me down! PLEASE put me down! I don’t feel safe when you take control of my body this way!” There are few instances where it is appropriate for companion (human)s to force their will on a companion of another species in this way. Obviously, if a rabbit’s teeth must be examined or clipped because of malocclusion, it is necessary to hold her against her will. But it is inexcusable for companions of one species to force their wills on those of another just to satisfy their own desires. If you want a rabbit who enjoys jumping on your lap and being stroked, teach him to trust you, by never grabbing or holding him against his will when he comes to you. Use treats, nose-to-nose-touching, chin-rubbing (your chin on the rabbit’s face), rubbing around the ears, etc.–whatever he enjoys–to encourage his pleasure in being with you. And if he happens not to enjoy such activities, so be it. Respect and enjoy him for who he is. After all, you want the same for yourself. A rabbit who enjoys sitting on your lap and being stroked may nip you sharply if you get distracted enough to stop stroking her. She isn’t trying to hurt you, just to remind you that she expects you to get back to the job at hand. When a rabbit nips in an effort to communicate appropriately such as in this case (inappropriate nipping will be discussed later), he probably doesn’t realize how painful it is nor how severe the resulting bruise may be. SCREECH one high, loud, sudden, and short screech to let the rabbit know that he really hurt you. The squeal should be loud, sudden, and high enough to startle the rabbit slightly. The next time he nips (appropriately–i.e., for the purpose of communicating), you will be surprised at how much gentler it will be. Continue to squeal when nipped, however, until the nip is gentle enough to cause no pain or bruising. (Note: use ice on the bruise quickly.)" Read the entire article: Rabbit.org Training Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch Most people seem to understand just how a dog would like to play. They may want to play tug of war, or fetch, or even just to chew on a toy. Cats love to roll around around and grab toys with their paws, or pounce on a toy being waved or dragged near them. But when you think about it, do you know how to play with your pet rabbit? What types of play will involve their natural tendencies? What would your bunny like to do for fun if she could do anything that she wanted (that was safe and within reason, of course). Would your pet rabbit play with toys, or fetch, or tug? My House Rabbit takes a look at how to play with your bunny: "Rabbits enjoy games that cater to their natural tendencies. A game of bunny bowling will appeal to their mischievous side, as they delight in knocking things over. Set up toy bowling pins and watch as your rabbit nose-bonks them all down. On a similar note, rabbits love to steal important papers (or apples you’re eating) out of your hand and run away with them, most likely binkying along the way. Admittedly, this is not exactly a game… or at least not one in which you’re a willing participant. But your bunny will certainly be amused. You can also play a game of “fetch” with your bunny… except you’re the retriever and your rabbit is the one doing the throwing. Some bunnies like picking up toys with their teeth and tossing them with a flick of their head. Toys for birds are great for this activity because they can easily grip them. You can also go a less expensive route and provide cardboard tubes from paper towel or toilet paper rolls. Stuff those tubes with hay to spike their interest further." Read the entire article: Playing With Your Pet Bunny Free Shipping On Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch If you would like to create a larger, more flexible living area for your pet rabbit than the sizes typically found with a rabbit hutch or rabbit cage, then consider using portable exercise pens made for puppies and dogs. These pens are wire panels that link together in different configurations to form an exercise area for a small dog or puppy, but are perfect for your bunny. This layout offers plenty of living space to run, play, hop, eat, rest and to be a bunny! The Rabbit Haven provides the following: "Portable wire exercise pens are the most versatile, the easiest to clean, and the best way to give your rabbit what they need. Space, toys and a clean environment of their own while living inside with you! For those who want a quick housing solution without spending a lot of time and money, the wire pen arrangement (X-pens also called puppy corrals) gives you the best housing for your money and helps the rabbit feel at home in their own space. Exercise pens allow for the bunny to see what is going on around them. This gives a feeling of knowing what's happening and of being included in the household activities. Exercise pens are made up of eight heavy-gauge wire "panels", all connected together, so that they can be stretched out and shaped into a square, rectangle, octagon, or whatever shape you want. Each panel is 24" wide. The total space when panels are made into a square is 4' x 4', or 16 square feet (for a bonded pair, we recommend two pens and a space not less than 4' x 6'). When purchasing the pens, you can choose from these heights: 24", 30", 36", 42". We recommend a 30" height, 36" for jumpers. One of the eight panels acts as a swinging door when opened, and the pen is secured shut with large dog leash clips that come with the panels. Note: the wire slats of the pen must be close enough together so that a tiny rabbit cannot walk through! When not in use, the panels fold up like an accordion and can be easily stored in a closet. They can also be easily transported by car to another location. For a larger space, many people choose a corner of a room, using the two corner walls as walls of the pen. This makes an even bigger space for the rabbit, since you have all eight panels to complete just two sides of the pen." Read the full article: Sweet Home for Bunny: X-Pens and Other Housing Options Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch Although not absolutely necessary, for most, it is preferable to train your pet rabbit to use a litterbox. It will make clean ups much easier, which in turn may help keep down the odors. It is also less expensive to change the litter in the box more often and the remaining litter will probably last a bit longer. Your bunny's home will definitely be more agreeable to be close to, and your pet rabbit will likely "take care of business" in the area of the litter pan. Once litter trained, you will be happy that and your bunny took the time to train! In addition to the actual training, you will need to decide on a type of rabbit litter to use. The House Rabbit Society suggests the following about rabbit litters: "What types of litter should I use? It depends on what’s available in your area and what your rabbit’s habits are. Keep in mind the following as you choose your litter: most rabbits spend lots of time in their litter boxes rabbits will always nibble some of the litter rabbit urine has a very strong odor. House Rabbit Society recommends organic litters, made from alfalfa, oat, citrus or paper. (Some brands to look for: Care Fresh (Natural only), Cat Country, Critter Country, Yesterday’s News, and Papurr) For a complete listing of litter types, see the litter boxes and liver disease article. Stay away from litters made from softwoods, like pine or cedar shavings or chips, as these products are thought to cause liver damage in rabbits who use them. CatWorks litter has been linked to zinc poisoning. Swheat Scoop Litter should be avoided, because rabbits will often ingest it. Because it is comprised of wheat, it is very high in carbohydrates and can cause obesity, excessive cecal production, diarrhea, bacterial imbalance, and other health issues. Another approach is to place a handful of hay in each box, or to simply use hay as litter. It is helpful to put several layers of newspaper under the hay, to absorb urine so that your rabbit is not standing in the urine. Most newspapers today are using soy-based ink, which is safe for your rabbit, but check with your local newspaper to make sure first. Obviously, you need to change the hay fairly frequently (daily), since your rabbit will be eating it. This method often helps to encourage good litter habits as well as to encourage hay consumption, since rabbits often eat at or near the same time as they use the litter box." Read the entire article: Litter Training Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch Pet rabbits make wonderful additions to your family, as long as you understand that bunnies are different as pets than dogs or cats. There is a right way and a wrong way to interact with a pet rabbit, and keep in mind that they are very social animals that really want to spend time with their pet parents and family. Small children are not the best to mix with pet rabbits, and most pet rabbits do not like to be scooped up, cuddled or held. Instinctively, rabbits are prey animals so this behavior is just a natural reaction to escape. The best way to play and interact with your pet rabbit is explained by Indianahrs.org: "It’s important to remember that rabbits are prey animals. Prey animals interact with their environment very differently than predators like cats and dogs. In general, rabbits do not like to be picked up. The act of bending over them and grabbing them by their ribs to pick them up is very similar to being picked up by a hawk – scary!! The best way to interact with your rabbit is on the floor. Sit in the room while bunny is out to play and she will soon come investigate you. She will like to be petted sitting next to you, but not necessarily while being carried in your arms! If you choose a cage or pen with a sideopening door and put it on the floor or provide a ramp to a taller cage, you can let bunny in and out for playtime without ever picking her up! If you are going to pick up your rabbit, make sure you do it correctly. The best way is to place one hand under her rib cage and the other under her bottom, scooping her back legs so she can’t kick. This method will protect her fragile backbone while protecting you from those strong kicking back legs and sharp nails. It is also important to wear an appropriate shirt when handling a rabbit to avoid being scratched by nails as bunny tries to get away! Or just encourage or herd bunny into a pet carrier or box and move him that way. Keep in mind your rabbit will likely be easier to interact with and handle once spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering reduces hormone-driven behaviors like lunging, mounting, spraying, and boxing. Spaying also protects female bunnies from uterine cancer, which can be quite common in older unspayed rabbits." Read the entire article: What Is It Like to Have a Pet Rabbit? Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com Traditionally, many people think of a dog or cat as the family pet, but rabbits make great family pets too. Like any other pet, it is important to understand the commitment of time and money necessary to care properly for a new pet bunny. There are many great groups where you can adopt a pet rabbit, and we have a link to an adoption finder on our website. Once yu decide that adopting a pet rabbit is a good choice for your family, you need to learn more about rabbits as family pets. Love That Pet offers the following on rabbit care" "In addition to the many coat patterns, there are also several sizes to choose from. For example, dwarf lops and mini lops are very popular, and they are small: The mini doesn’t get bigger than 1.6kg (3.5lb), and the dwarf only gets to 2.5kg (5lb). These are the rabbits whose ears are very long and droop down to the ground. Many people, when they think of pet rabbits, are thinking of lops. By contrast, the Flemish giant is well-named. Often topping 6kg (14lbs), this rabbit is larger than most pet cats and many kinds of dog (up to and including some spaniels). Unlike the lops, Flemish giants have ears that stand upright. A little bigger than a dwarf lop and much smaller than a Flemish giant, the “rex” weighs in at approximately 3kg (6.5lb) and is noted for its curly fur. All breeds are suitable as pets, but young children must always be supervised when they are visiting with Bunny Buddy. It is very easy to injure a rabbit by handling her awkwardly, and it is even easier to scare her. It’s rough being at the bottom of the food chain! If she is scared or hurt, she will bite or scratch to defend herself." Read the entire article: Rabbit Care Guide Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies at BuyRabbitHutch.com bit./ly/BuyRabbitHutch Once you have decided to provide a loving home to a pet rabbit (or any animal in need for that matter), you have not only made a great choice, but you will also gain a great satisfaction that comes with adopting a pet. Without sounding too "political", there are so many reasons to adopt, rather than buy a pet, and if most people adopted, there would be less reason to breed for financial gain. With that said, congratulations on deciding to adopt a pet bunny! Now what? We found a great resource that is actually sponsored by Purina, Bayer and the Petco Foundation, that can actually help you find a rabbit in your area to adopt. Adopt A Pet says the folowing about rabbit adoption: "First most, understand that no matter what, even if you buy a Rabbit for sale, or adopt, as a new pet owner it is your responsibility to care for the Rabbit it’s entire lifespan. Part of that responsibility is taking time to understand the basic needs of a Rabbit. At the top of that list should be getting know the diet of a Rabbit. Find out how often and what a Rabbit needs to eat. Next, what shelter do you need to provide? Get to know what habitat a Rabbit is accustom to, what temperature will the Rabbit need to maintain, and what range of temperatures are acceptable for a Rabbit to survive. It’s usually a good idea to get to know a little more about Rabbit habits, temperament and relationship with humans before adopting a Rabbit. For example, can you handle a Rabbit. What is an indicator if a Rabbit is being aggressive and senses fear? Some pets will maintain much more happiness as long as they live socially, does a Rabbit need a companion pet in order to live happily? What exercise does a Rabbit need regularly? Rabbit adoption can be an enriching experience, and is a big decision. Whatever pet you adopt will demand certain lifestyle changes, and a financial commitment. Estimating the monthly costs of owning a pet is just as important as making sure you have the time and motivation to feed the Rabbit when necessary, and provide a safe environment to live." Read the full article and start your search at: What To Consider Before Adopting a Rabbit Free Shipping on Rabbit Food & Supplies BuyRabbitHutch.com bit.ly/BuyRabbitHutch |
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