Rabbits Rule!

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Grooming

Rabbits groom each other if they're friends, as Charlie and Eleanor are. They've been living together since June of 2002. They're licking each other in this picture. Possibly they're more than usually affectionate since Charlie has been sick with an upper respiratory infection and has been separated more than usual from Eleanor.

The chain is holding the bookcase up—has nothing to do with rabbit restraint! Posted by Picasa

Hiding in confined spaces

Rabbits like to feel safe. When they're in the open, even inside with no other pets, they seek out places they perceive as "safe", like under a chair. Here Charlie and Eleanor are under a table—Eleanor is under the bottom shelf of a bookcase. Also up against a big basket. The basket holds paper for the shredder—we use shredded paper for rabbit litter. They know they can jump inside the basket, which is always full to the top, and throw out paper or nibble on it. Posted by Picasa

Grazing

Eleanor's eating from one of the hay racks on the side of the rabbit house. (I got them a Lowe's for a couple of dollars each—they're intended for spice racks or something—in the kitchen gadget areas anyway.)

I found this arrangement easier than baskets of hay which they always dump. As you can see, though, they still pull down quite a bit. They're pretty messy. I will say for them, though, that they keep the mess in their own house. Charlie and Eleanor live in this house and have the run of a couple of rooms except at night. Posted by Picasa

Veggies! I got veggies!

Rabbits need lots of fiber. Make sure their food has high fiber—20% or more—and have grass hay available for them all the time. Alfalfa hay is too rich for a "free choice" food—mine get that only as a treat. [I get food and hay from Oxbow. The maintenance food for adult rabbits has between 25% and 29% fiber. ]

Topsy loves her veggies too. On that plate are parsley, broccoli, snow peas, kale. There was probably a slice or two of carrot—she eats those first of course. Bugs Bunny is not an aberration in his passion for carrots!

I try to make sure there are at least 3 different veggies on her plate every day. My vet says to feed them grass too occasionally, especially if they have any digestive troubles. Lots of fiber and not much nutrition, but much closer to the diet rabbits eat in the wild. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Mr. Tops and Misty

This picture should perhaps be on the header of Rabbits Rule! because it shows a rabbit intimidating a cat. Misty was a pretty bad cat, with the bad temper that's rumored to affect calicos. She was also part Siamese, in body type and certainly in her aloofness.

She'd been mistreated when I rescued her and never really warmed up to people, let alone to rabbits. She stalked Mr. Tops relentlessly, always pouncing to find that the rabbit had disappeared as if by magic. You could see "Where'd he go?" working its way through her head. But here Mr. Tops had had enough and is cowing her! Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Eleanor Outside

I've just started taking the bunnies out for awhile in the mornings. It's good for them to get sun and fresh air. I have a small play yard, but would like a bigger pen where they could stay unsupervised. Eleanor and Topsy I know won't jump out. Topsy is likely to. Posted by Picasa