Easter Treats

I received this link  to the video “Super Bunnies” in the email and it made my day. =)

Happy Easter to all!

* Must watch!

Add comment April 8th, 2007

Bunny Fever: Don’t Catch It!

Easter is fast approaching and I came across this article while surfing around for rabbit info . Do share it around with family and friends.

As sure as the sun rises every Easter morning, many moms and dads give in to “Easter bunny” temptation and buy a rabbit for their kids, vastly underestimating the amount of care that bunnies require. Weeks later, when “bunny fever” has subsided, many will consign now-unwanted bunnies to outdoor hutches, dump them at animal shelters, or simply set them free outdoors, where they will starve or be killed by predators. Most will end up dead or abandoned before their first birthday.

Kids Begging for an “Easter Bunny”?

Ask yourself this:

• Are you ready to possibly shell out more than $100 to get bunny neutered or spayed? Bunnies become sexually mature between 4 and 6 months of age. Left intact, they often chew, spray, bite, smell, and make more bunnies.
• Are you looking forward to more potty-training and bunnyproofing? Bunnies suffer horribly in cages and must be litterbox trained so that they can live happily in your home, but if your home isn’t rabbitproof, they will sharpen their teeth on electrical wires, house plants, or your new IKEA chaise or oak table.
• Is your child planning on taking bunny to college? Bunnies can live to be 10 years old, so you’re looking at a commitment that will last for many Easters to come.
• Rabbits must be brushed regularly because they shed like crazy and are susceptible to hairballs; if they get one, they can’t cough it up like cats do. They have to be taken to the vet and treated (possibly even operated on) or they’ll die.
• Do you like playing beauty shop? Clipping nails is no walk in the park, especially when Thumper tries to thump you in the stomach with his powerful back legs!

If you answered, “No way!” to any of these questions, please pass up those cute animals in store windows this Easter and choose stuffed animals instead. Remember, bunnies are not a child’s toy; they are at least a 10-year commitment.

Fascinating Rabbit Facts

Famous for their reproductive abilities, rabbits can have multiple litters of up to nine young, known as “kittens,” each year. Bunnies are born helpless in a shallow hole lined with grass and mamma’s fur, but they grow rapidly and are very social animals who live together as a family.

Although rabbits build nests, the parents do not stick around much during the day after their kids are born since they might attract predators. The youngsters hunker down at the bottom of the nest, hiding until mom shows up for mealtimes.

A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing! Like beavers, they are kept worn down by gnawing on food and wood. But they aren’t rodents! They are called lagomorphs.

Normally, adult rabbits occupy about 2 acres or even more if food is in short supply.

Why Bunnies Aren’t Suitable for Young Children

Rabbits are extremely sensitive, and the enthusiasm of even a gentle toddler is too stressful for bunnies. Rabbits are ground-dwelling animals who become frightened when held and restrained. The result? Children lose interest and the bunny is left alone in a cage or abandoned.

Be Prepared

Spay and Neuter: Rabbits will live healthier and longer lives when altered and won’t contribute to the overpopulation problem. As your companions, they will be calmer, easier to litter train, and able to enjoy the company of other animal friends because they won’t exhibit such aggressive behavior. Surgery can be safe for rabbits, but it is important to choose a knowledgeable and experienced rabbit veterinarian.

Rabbitproof: Since your bunny is happiest being a part of the family, you can provide a safe place for him or her by redirecting electrical wires and moving plants and other furnishings out of the way. Because of their instinct for digging, it is best to provide a large box or basket filled with shredded paper. Your bunny will enjoy lots of toys to play with, such as untreated wood, straw, wire cat balls, keys, paper towel rolls, and hard plastic baby toys.

Caregiving: Rabbits love attention! Groom them at least once a week to control shedding and for quality bonding time. Contrary to the belief that rabbits like to be left alone, bunnies need daily monitoring and space for running, jumping, and using those hind legs. Confining them to a wire hutch without interaction, exercise, or comfort is cruel. A diet of grass, hay, fresh vegetables, and a limited amount of pellets will keep your bunny in shape.

Adopting: Clearly, rabbits aren’t for everyone. Are you a gentle adult living in a quiet household? If you think that you’re someone who would enjoy sharing life with a bunny, please visit your local shelter or rabbit rescue group. Please NEVER buy bunnies from a pet store. These animals often come from rabbit mills, where they are overbred. Dealers and “pet” stores usually request 4-week-old bunnies because they require less space and are “cuter,” but bunnies of this age are ill-prepared to be weaned from their parents. An animal who is purchased at a pet or discount store will be replaced by another one from these rabbit mills, leaving one less home for a bunny already in an animal shelter awaiting adoption.

Source: Helpinganimals.com website http://www.helpinganimals.com/animalsHome_rabbits_fever.asp?c=weekly_enews

Add comment March 28th, 2007

Big is Beautiful

Inspired by this piece of news:

A 27-pound rabbit from Holland is believed to be the world’s longest rabbit, according to a Local 6 News report.

Roberto the 2-year-old Continental Giant is almost 4 feet long and sleeps on a dog’s bed because he can’t fit into a normal-sized hutch. Roberto is larger most 3-year-old children, according to the report.Although Roberto is believed to be the world’s biggest bunny, Guinness World Records said it has stopped listing “biggest animal” titles out of fear that it may lead to people deliberately overfeeding their pets to win the coveted title.Continental Giant rabbits can live for up to 12 years, suggesting that with at least 10 years left, Roberto may still have a bit of growing to do.

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A misconception about rabbits occur when they get too big in size >_<

Actually, I'm a huge fan of large sized rabbits, though some people make them out to be scary, vicious and aggressive. On the contrary, Dazzle and her fellow big-sized bunnies would beg to differ. When we attended an event at East Coast Park for a Heavyweight Contest, we had the pleasure of meeting a real life Flemish Giant in person. If I recall correctly, the bunny set a record and he weighed in at a whopping 6 or 8kg!!!! Our Dazz is only about 3.5 kg in comparison.

Just look at the difference in sizes, when side by side with a local bunny (who is also pretty big!):

In fact, there’s a rabbit society set up in the UK just for the rescue of these plus size furries, aptly named “Giant Rabbit Rescue“. The photos on the website will send fuzzies to anyone’s heart, at the sight of teddy bear size rabbits waiting to find new loving homes.

The bunny above was on a harness and pretty much took his owner for a long walk around the event area *grin*. While we do not advocate the use of leashes, in this case, it was pretty impossible and definitely cruel to put (or rather squish) bunny into a carrier. And this bunny seem to be enjoying all the attention from the public as well as the space he had to roam about.
I can just imagine having a big bounding bunny dancing all around my house. How lovely it must be. =D I must start bunny proofing my home as to have free roaming rabbits would be a dream come true for them and for us!

Add comment December 2nd, 2006

More Carrot Bits

The humans’ relationship with the rabbit spans over 1,000 years, believe it or not. European rabbits are the only species of rabbits that are domesticated and our pet rabbits are their descendants.

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Humans’ relationship with the European or ‘true’ rabbit was first recorded by the Phoenicians over 1,000 years BC, when they termed the Iberian Peninsula i-shfaním (literally, “the land of the hyraxes“). This phrase is pronounced absolutely identically in modern Hebrew, i (אי) meaning “island” and shafan (שפן) meaning “hyrax”, shfaním (שפנים) being the plural form. Phoenicians called the local rabbits “hyraxes” because hyraxes resemble rabbits in some way, and probably were more common than rabbits at that time in their native Levant. Hyraxes, like rabbits, are not rodents. The Romans converted the phrase i-shfaním to its Latin form, Hispania, and hence the modern word “Spain”.

The European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is the only species of rabbit to be domesticated. All pet breeds of rabbits - such as dwarf lops, angoras, etc. - are of this species. However, rabbits and people interact in many different ways beyond domestication. Rabbits are an example of an animal which is treated as food, pet and pest by the same culture.

Add comment December 2nd, 2006

The Yinyang Guide to Living with Rabbits

I firmly object to the notion that rabbits and cats cannot live together in harmony under one roof.

I was a feral cat with all possible expected instincts to prey on my long-eared family members but I didn’t. I suppose I could but I still didn’t.

Based on personal experience, the following are some tips on encouraging cats and rabbits to accept each other better as BitBit, MaoMao, Dash, Socks and I did.

Tip #1 Bell the cat

We, cats, cannot help but walk silently because we are born with soft pads and retractable claws. Unlike dogs, our nails don’t clack-clack on the floors as we move. Instead, we are stealthy and quiet. It’s really not like we can draw out our claws and walk like ducks with spreaded feet. It just doesn’t work like that. Similarly, my rabbit pals are easily frightened by sudden appearances. Now, we don’t want that, do we? Hence, please put a bell on your cat. The ting-a-ling sounds that the bell makes may be soft but my rabbit pals have acute sense of hearing. The sounds will soon be associated with the coming or going or simply the presence of the family cat. Both parties benefit.

Tip #2 Allow supervised interaction

If you want a cat and a rabbit at the same time, it really makes no sense to separate them both for the rest of their lives or living in fear that one fine day, Kitty’s gonna get Bunny. Instead, have a little faith in them. BUT always remember that instincts can be stronger than habit. So always monitor the two animals when you allow them to interact. Watch for erect and forward-facing ears on Bunny and the claws on Kitty. Another tip to bear in mind is to NOT grab both of them and dump them together. Open Bunny’s cage and let them meet halfway some way, some how. A few minutes of progressed prolonged interaction every day will help to strengthen the bond.

Tip #3 Big bunnies

You have to forgive a cat if it can’t to tell the difference between a really big rat with a cottontail and, say, a guinea pig. A small rabbit such as a youngster or a Netherland Dwarf can easily be mistaken as a small rodent and trigger instincts to jump it. Hence, if you do have a rabbit as small as the examples, it is best to keep the idea of a cat to a later date. My rabbit pals are humongamous rabbits, honestly. They were as big as me when I was 5 months old. So y’know it would be SUICIDE for me in case they turned out to be WERE-RABBITS. Size does matter.

A note from BitBit: The above tips are purely based on my analysis and observations. I could be wrong but I feel that I am theoretically correct. I am a person who thinks a lot and wonders a lot. Therefore, I usually come up with theories with enough evidence. BUT I could be wrong. You can leave your comments to discuss any loopholes. Like I said, I COULD be wrong.

:)

Add comment December 2nd, 2006

Cats & Rabbits

It started with watching them from the safety of the grilles.

 

 

 

 

Then he started reaching in to meddle with their food bowls and stuff.

 

 

 

 

They sniffed each other to check each other out. See how Dash’s ears are pointed forward in curiosity rather than flattened back in fear or aggression.

Another few bats on the head. Notice that Yang did not draw out his claws.

 

 

 

 

Yang invited himself into the playpen and all he did was sniff at the litterbox and watch them at closer proximity like this.

 

Even when he was right in front of them, BitBit and Dash could relax and stretch out in the cat’s presence.

 

 

In case you’re wondering, this is how Yang found his way into the playpens. He scaled MaoMao’s cage and, like a Cat Burglar, padded softly into the pen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playtime for the 2 types of pets were mostly like this. Yang continued to find higher platforms so he could watch the rabbits do their binkies, hops and jumps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resting time between playtime.

 

 

 

 

 

Every bunny (and cat) minded their own business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His girlfriend, Heu-i. whom he so enjoyed cuddling like a plushie. See the annoyance on HER face.

 

 

Soon after, he joined in their monthly activities like bathing and drying off.

 

 

 

He helped to dry them off sometimes though they may not always appreciate the texture of his tongue. By God, his tongue is scratchy!

 

And bonding sessions. He was most freaked out if the girls started “catfights”.

 

 

All was well with the rabbits so every one can relax. For the moment …

 

 

 

 

Next up are some tips on how to encourage both pets to accept each other better.

5 comments December 2nd, 2006

Cat in the House

A discussion about cats may seem inappropriate here but I promise that this is probably the most useful post of all my entries. Because after my experience, I strongly believe that cats and rabbits CAN live in good harmony under one roof.

Let’s start with how the cat came into the picture. In August 2005, I came home to a sister bent over a black-and-white cat. That was just SO like my sister. She always just TAKES something home and leaves mess for me to clean up. She SO knew my mom would NOT approve of the cat but she did it anyway. However, she did so with good reason. The feral cat she wheeled home was badly injured in his rear left leg. He hobbled and hopped on 3 legs, and needed medical attention.

Before my mom came home from work, we rushed him to the nearest vet and later found out that he must have been in a catfight and was mauled at the leg before he broke free. His was a deep puncture with the muscles beneath the skin clearly seen. The vet prescribed antibiotics to be fed in his food as well as daily salt treatment on his wound. I told the vet we would not be keeping him.

We named him Yinyang and nursed him back to health in about a month. Still strongly believing that we would not keep him, I made a tag for him that had a general address so that he may be returned if he ever wandered too far.

All that while, one of the reasons I contemplated keeping him was - besides the fact that my mom would disagree - because of my rabbits. I could not put them in danger. I could not compromise their safety just because of a cat. After all, the cat did come second in line. My desire to keep a cat would have to wait.

But Yinyang taught me a thing or 2 about cats and rabbits. He was a sneaky little fellow and would always manage to creep into the house to watch the rabbits. At first, I would freak out every time as the rabbits would thump their feets noisily upon the feeling of being watched. Y’know how cats’ eyes are. They can be so eerie when they concentrate on something.

And every time I chased him out, he gave me a look. A look that somehow said, “What is wrong with you? I was just looking. It’s not like I want to do something to them.”

And then when I think about it. Yeah, he is fed twice a day so I could assume he is not starving. And he was really always just looking. He had yet to attempt anything. Why was I being such a tightass?

And from the day that I decided not to be so assuming of his motives, I used only my eyes to watch him as he watched the rabbits from his usual position under the sofa. That one fine evening, he saw me eyeing him. But he moved in anyway. By then, the rabbits had stopped thumping in panic. Instead, both animals were simply curious about each other.

They sniffed and attempted some physical contact. The first couple of meetings were weird. I believe Yang felt that the rabbits were oddly big and ugly looking cats. He batted their heads several times. Despite the uninvited contact, the rabbits continued to display curiosity for this peculiar looking rabbit with a snake for a cottontail.

Their relationship progressed from through the safety of the playpen/cage grilles to the absence of the grilles. All was well.

Check out some photographs of Yang and the rabbits’ interactions.

Add comment December 2nd, 2006

Bunnies = Boring

On the topic of yet another misconception about rabbits….. that they make boring pets and their popularity is nowhere near that of dogs and cats.

As a dog, guinea pig, hamster and bird owner, I would like to loudly proclaim that rabbits ARE NOT boring at all! Ever heard this quote?

It is just like man’s vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.

~Mark Twain

Well precisely! If we actually take the time to discover the personalities of these lovable creatures (like all other animals), we would find that there’s plenty behind their seemingly quiet and timid persona. Not only that, that every rabbit has a unique personality, just like you and me. As a fortunate (and busy!) owner of 7 rabbits, this is what I have observed from the furkids (a few traits out of plenty more which would take more than 24 hours to discuss!):

Candy: Candy’s a little dwarf-cross we adopted from SPCA (she’s the same one on one of their tees and has become a mascot for the Society *yay*). True to her dwarf nature, she doesn’t enjoy being petted or held and prefer the company of her bunny friends than us humans. She’s very shy and reclusive and after nearly 2 years of having her, I have only JUST recently seen a binky from her. Perhaps her character stems from her living environment in her previous home but as they say, the cleverest rabbits are actually the most cautious of rabbits. It’s the survival of the fittest out there in the wild and being prey, rabbits have to be on high alert all the time and be wary of potential predators. So this is a trait we admire of Candy and we respect her need for space.

Dazzle: Though we like to joke that she’s quite the bimbo and would definitely NOT survive in the wild coz she loves human attention so much, she’s very much the opposite. Dazzle absolutely adores being petted and hugged. If we are to pet anyone else before her, she’ll come right up to us, place her nose under our arms and nudge us so that the hand will fall on her head. Very dog-like, you say? YES!

Dazzle the bandit - she has recently figured out that Heffy gets special veggies because he’s so picky. So now everytime I reach over to pass a piece of fruit or veggie over to Heff because he refuse to touch his salad, Dazzle will definitely be there in a flash and nab it right out of Heffalump’s mouth in a flash *faints*, ignoring the salad bowl altogether until I stop leaning over.

Heffalump: Heffy knows how to communicate with us best and always find some new way of telling us what he wants. For example? Being a very picky rabbit with vegetables, what he does when served with salad during mealtimes is this: first he would look through the selection and nose around. When dissatisfied, he would then try to catch my eye by giving me a hard long stare. If I were to not notice or pretend to go about my business sweeping and cleaning their area, he’d stand on his hinds. If that doesn’t work, he’d start to follow me about, stand on his hinds and then proceed to wave both paws at me for attention.

And when hay runs out, smart Heffy will hop right up to the hay basket, put his paws on the basket and prop himself up to signal for me to top the basket up.

Mr Blacks: Mr Blacks has always been a little monkey dressed in a rabbit suit. As a baby, while the rest huddled up together for comfort on a car ride to the vet, this little guy was begging us to take him out of the carrier and climbed up our shoulders before winding up at the rear windscreen looking out curiously at the world outside *faints*.

He’s gotten abit more lazy as of late, but he was once known for his superman-like ability - to scale the playpen fence and fly over to “freedom”. Not only that, he once unhooked one of the playpen latches and led the entire family on a trip around my house. Opened the door when I got home from work and there were 2 black shadows with long ears in my living room. One shadow darted away quickly into the bunny room, while the other stood obviously stunned at being caught in the act. And that was poor Heffalump. Mr Blacks was safely back in the playpen, looking as innocent as can be. I found my favourite pair of shoes with bite marks on them and a broken candle holder one little tike knocked over. >_<

Whenever there's commotion in the rabbit room, I know Mr Blacks has flown over the pen again as the rest are voicing their displeasure at him being able to roam around freely and he also taunts them from the outside. Well I wonder when he's going to do that next.

Thumpy: He’s laid back, friendly and so very sweet - typical traits of a Himalayan bunny (he’s a mixed). Dazzle got her personality from her father. Thumpy is usually seen lazing around, unbothered by the activities around him and unfazed by his kids running amok and up to mischief. Even when they nose him to make way for them, he obligingly gets up and move to another spot to rest. He’s very tolerant of them and also of my incessant need to hug him *lol*. However, once he’s out of the playpen, he transforms into super bunny, tearing down the lanes ending each run with a high binky and poking his nose into every nook and cranny. We’ve an explorer on our hands.

5 different rabbits, 5 unique personalities. And I can’t really classify rabbits as being dog-like, cat-like or bird-like as that would be very unfair to the lagomorph species because they are really in a class of their own.

So the next time someone tells you rabbits make boring pets, share with them your own rabbit tales and I’m sure you’ll get an amazed reaction out of them!

2 comments December 2nd, 2006