Rabbit Cages and Hutches

Before we look at the different housing options, you should understand that the more room your bunny has when she's confined, the better. You might think because a particular bunny is a dwarf, she doesn't need as much room as a larger bunny. Not true. Dwarfs have a lot of energy, and therefore, need plenty of room to move, roam and run. The cages you see at pet stores claiming to be for guinea pigs and dwarf rabbitsll for any rabbit, no matter what size.

Your bunny's housing will need plenty of room for a full-size litter box (consider having two if you have two bunnies,) her hay box, her food bowl and either a water bowl or a water bottle. In addition, you'll want to make sure your bunny has plenty of entertainment, so she doesn't get bored when she's confined. (For an idea of the kind of toys bunnies love, read the section Exercise and Entertainment.nt her to have plenty of roomnot just enough room to turn around. Make sure her cage is at least four times her size.

There are many fun cage options your bunny will love: NIC condos and exercise pens are the most popular housing for bunnies who don't have free reign. Other options include large dog carriers, cages designed specifically for rabbits and hutches.

Since we don't have enough room to talk about them all in an email, let me confine myself to the best in my opinion - Neat Idea Cubes! (They're roomy, fun to put together, and reasonably inexpensive).

NIC Condos: NIC stands for Neat Idea Cubes. Neat Idea Cubes are wire flats you can put together to make cubes and bunny condos. It's a wonderful alternative to a cage, and it's much cheaper.

NIC condos are very easy to put together, but it is a very time consuming process. (If you make one, let your bunny watch you. She'll love to sniff and investigate what you're doing.) If you want to make a condo for your bunny, you first want to determine how big you want it to be. How many floors? Let's say you decide to make a four-floor condo for your bunny. Here's what you'll need to get started:

* You'll need packages of Neat Idea Cubes (assuming they come eight in a package) because you'll need at least 47 pieces to build the condo. You can get the Neat Idea Cubes from places like Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, and you can check with Home Improvement and Lowe's.

* One package (you may find you need more) of cable ties.

* A pair of scissors

Then, just do a search on the internet (we like Google) for "Neat Idea Cubes Articles" and you'll find about a half dozen sites with step by step instructions.

Rabbit Care Secrets You can get the book here: http://www.rabbitsecrets.com/R.htm is the book with literally hundreds of "word of mouth" tips and tricks - secrets which are next to impossible to find in books and pet stores. This is the gold which only comes from years and years of hands on experience... including all the hard to find Rabbit information people just can't locate with internet searches or trips to the library!

Taking Care of a Pet Rabbit

Most of us are probably familiar with the quintessential image of the rabbit-a fluffy, cuddly white bunny delivered into the arms of delighted children on Easter morning, surrounded by sweets and colored eggs. Unfortunately, this picture-perfect holiday symbol that has placed many a pet rabbit into a less-than-ideal situation. Taking care of a pet rabbit is not a holiday novelty; it's agreeing to assume full responsibility for the needs of a living creature. If it sounds like welcoming a rabbit into your home is serious business requiring lots of thought and planning, that's because it is! But it also offers an exciting, unique pet ownership experience-for those who are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the ins and outs of pet rabbit care.

Rabbits require a certain kind of home environment in order to thrive. Contrary to the popular image, they are not suitable pets for young children, even if the intention is to teach responsibility by allowing the child to care for a pet rabbit. Rabbits frighten easily and are extremely fragile when it comes to being handled. A sudden noise or movement can actually frighten them to death, while one instance of mishandling could break bones or damage internal organs. Therefore, a home full of running, yelling children is not a happy home for a rabbit. Rabbits need to feel secure at all times, so a large part of taking care of a pet rabbit is offering it a fairly constant atmosphere of peace and quiet, and a major component of offering that secure atmosphere is providing your rabbit with proper housing.

There are two basic options when it comes to rabbit-keeping: to cage or not to cage. Traditionally, rabbits have been kept in outdoor cages (called a "hutches") with a wire bottom and sides, a solid top, and a solid wooden nesting box. An outdoor hutch is still a viable option, provided serious effort is applied to making the hutch completely weatherproof. For those who truly wish to keep their rabbits inside, a large cage similar to a hutch can be integrated into the household, and for those who truly wish to live with their rabbits, a rabbit can be kept much as you'd keep a cat-running free in the house. Rabbits love to be near "their people," and if given the chance, will follow you around as you do your daily chores. They are easily litter box trained and are relatively tidy overall. For safety's sake, it's a very good idea to confine your rabbit to a single, rabbit-proofed room, unless he or she is under close supervision. Many people keep their rabbits in an empty bedroom or in the kitchen by blocking off the door with a baby gate. Rabbit-proofing involves ridding the area of chew-ables such as books, papers, toys, or anything else you don't want gnawed-especially electrical cords. You should also ensure that there are no small spaces for your rabbit to squeeze into.

Whether you decide to keep your rabbit in a cage, let him roam freely about your kitchen, or a combination of both, the other major consideration in taking care of a pet rabbit is ensuring that fresh water and proper food are available at all times. Water can either be made available in a heavy dish or in a cage-hanging water bottle. A rabbit's diet should consist mainly of formulated rabbit pellets, a little fresh hay, and treats such as carrots, apples, and leafy greens (not iceberg lettuce!). Rabbits will eat just about anything, but that doesn't mean you should feed them whatever they desire. They have delicate digestive systems that are easily thrown off balance by the sudden introduction of foreign foods, so try to keep your rabbit's diet as simple and junk-free as possible.

Now that you've learned how to care for a pet rabbit, it's time to find your new best friend. While pet stores and breeders are always an option, consider checking to see if there's a rabbit rescue near your home, or call your local animal shelters to ask if they have any abandoned rabbits available for adoption. Whatever your decision, make sure it's one that promises your new friend he'll have a forever home with you, and he'll pay you back tenfold with unending affection and companionship.

About The Author: Barry S. Mcgee is a pet enthusiast. His site at:http://www.squidoo.com/petcareonline provides advice and information on all aspects of pet care for all types of pets including dogs, cats, ferrets and others and makes it easier for pet owners to choose the best solution for their companion's care. For answers to all your pet care questions, please visit: http://www.squidoo.com/petcareonline

Why Mini Lop Baby Rabbits Make Good House Rabbits

Whether you've never owned any type of animal before or have never even considered having a bunny as a house pet, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that mini lop baby rabbits make excellent house pets for a number of different reasons.

Why Are Mini Lop Rabbits Such Great House Pets?

Rabbits are notorious for being highly intelligent animals that are easy to train using positive reinforcement and plenty of praise, which are the two essentials for training any type of animal. They are also very social creatures by nature who need plenty of attention and affection, making them the perfect addition to anyone's family.

One of the very best parts of having a mini lop baby as a pet is that rabbits can learn rather quickly, and if given the chance to live and interact with their human family as early as possible, they can also become rather attached to their owners and become loyal, affectionate pets.

Rabbits also have great temperaments and can live together in harmony along with children and other pets like dogs and cats, as long as they are also trained and well mannered and able to be around other animals. Mini lops, much like people, have their own distinct, unique personalities.

What You'll Need for a Happy, Healthy Mini Lop House Rabbit

To keep your baby mini lop happy, healthy, and thriving in their new environment you'll need to have a few basic supplies on hand in addition to all of the love and care you already have to give them.

First, you'll definitely want to consider having your pet spayed or neutered, especially if you have more than one and want to avoid having litter after litter of bunnies. Besides this, spaying and neutering are rather beneficial for your rabbit's overall health and behavior as well. Having your bunny examined and then altered by a veterinarian experienced with rabbits will help to decrease unwanted behaviors such as aggression, chewing, and marking their territory similar to the way felines do.

Because rabbits are social animals, it's always recommended to keep your mini lop inside the home instead of outdoors. The more your pet is allowed to interact and become more comfortable living with humans, the more receptive they'll be to your training efforts and the less likely they'll be to get into mischief. Although your rabbit should have free rein of the home, provided you've went through the house and bunny-proofed each room first, most rabbits will fare best with their very own cage.

In addition to a cage, your mini lop will also need a litter box, litter, toys for chewing on and playing with, places to run and play, a food and water bowl or feeder, and rabbit food including treats like vegetables and fresh hay or straw. You may also want to have a pet carrier for trips back and forth to the veterinarian as well as a brush and clippers for their nails.

Mini lop rabbits can be the absolute perfect house pet and can provide their owners with many years of love, fun, and companionship.

For all of the latest information on caring for Mini Lop Rabbits and to see pictures of our mini lop rabbits please visit Mini Lop Rabbits [http://www.minilop-rabbits.co.uk/page_1217456358257.html]

FLY STRIKE IN RABBITS

How to Care For Pregnant Rabbits

Many owners are not ready to handle their pet rabbit's pregnancy. Considering the high mortality rate of newborn bunnies, it is no surprise that many are confused as to what they should do. There are plenty of useful tips that owners can adopt and this starts by gathering the right information from reliable sources.

It is not encouraged to allow your bunny to get pregnant. There is already an overgrown of rabbit population in the world, and if you wanted another one, then you should consider getting them from an animal shelter. Bunnies may be cute but they grow up very fast and in many cases, they are abandoned when they are no longer cute.

However, if your rabbit is pregnant, there are good tips you can follow to care for them and raise the survival chances of its babies. A doe hide her pregnancy quite well. Even experienced vet sometimes made mistakes in their assessment when checking if there is pregnancy.

As a matter of fact, you can hardly notice any change of behaviour in the doe. The easiest way to tell if your female pet rabbit is pregnant is to see if she rejects the advancement of the buck. About two weeks after conceiving, you may be able to feel the foetus inside her womb. It feels marble-like.

The gestation period is between 28 to 31 days. During this time, just provide her with adequate food and water. She may begin her nesting process about one week before delivery. Some pet rabbits only started building her nest as little as three days or one day before delivery.

The doe build its nest by gathering hay and shredding newspaper. She will also pull fur from her own chest. Each rabbit's pregnancy may result in 7 to 13 kits (baby rabbits are called kits). It is not surprising to see the doe immediately leaving its kits after birthing. This may be inherited from their wild cousins to prevent attracting the attention of predator animals.

This may be the right time to check on the bunnies. Unlike other smaller animals, rabbits do not mind human touching their offspring. Check if the babies are warm. If they are not, then you can wrap warm water bottle with towel and place in the nest to help them stay warm.

As the mother rabbit nurse their young ones only twice a day and each nursing takes less than 5 minutes, you may need to play the role of surrogate parents. Suitable formulated milk powder and feeding bottle may be bought from pet store or from a vet.

It is important to gather as much information as possible on pregnant rabbits care . Taking care of pregnant rabbit and raising baby rabbits may be a big responsibility but it is a very rewarding experience.