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Tips N Tricks
*These are things I've picked up through
experience and reading.*
Some Helpful Hints
House = Wire = Shock = Unhappy Bunny
If you are even the slightest bit like me, you have wires
running everywhere, from
lamps, computers, TV, stereo, fans, etc. Bunnies love
to chew, they especially love to
chew things they aren't supposed to. I'm sure at least of
few of you have
gotten a tiny taste of what it's like to get shocked by a wire,
and we don't want
bunny to do that, nooooo. So, what I suggest is this,
get some PVC tubing (or some
of that plastic aquarium tubing, just split down a side),
and cover your wires with it.
Some wires can just be moved up higher, and some can
be put behind things, but don't
underestimate bunny. Bunnies are wily and creative,
and will figure out a way to get to
some, if not most, wires, but only if you allow them to.
Again, get yourself on the floor
and crawl around, to plan around the wires you can see
, and to notice the ones
you can't. So get that tubing around the wires and make
sure that you don't jump
start bunny when he's exploring.
 
Holy Rabbit Droppings Batman : A word on Litterbox Training
Bunnies are indeedy intelligent enough to be trained for
the big bunny potty. Actually, older bunnies are more
easily to train than littler ones, as are ones
that have been 'fixed'. Okay, so here's some tips on
pottying. Get a litter box that bunny can fit into. I have this triangle
litterbox that, as a youngie, my bunny
could use just fine, but now that he's a big boy,
he needs something he can hop into,
and have enough room to move his legs,
and dig. I've even constructed litterboxes out
of old cardboard boxes with doors and
flippy things to make it fun, and it's helped.
Now, for the part that actually helps them figure
out what these boxes are for. Some
people suggest taking some of the droppings you already
have and place
them into the box, so he sees that they indeed go in there.
Sometimes
this helps, sometimes not, but it's good to try. Now
as time consuming as this is,
it works, sit for at least a few (uninterrupted) hours with
bunny, so you can be there
when he has to "go", and when he starts to back up into the
wall (or where-ever else) to
do his business, shout a firm "NO!" (sometimes
thumping helps) and redirect
him to the box, so he can finish his business.
It takes a few times to catch on, but trust me,
bunny will figure it out. Also,
litterbox training does not mean he won't ever again
have the impulse to go outside
the litterbox, some use dropping to mark
their territory, and, if they aren't fixed,
will spray. So just try and spend as much time
with them as you can, helping
them with the litterboxes, sometimes it's
good to put a few down, just to be safe.
Hot VS Cold
What do we do with our joybunnies when it really hot
or really cold? Well, bunnies
tolerate cold better than heat (hence the big furry coats),
so get one of those mats
that stay cool in summer and stay warm in winter.
When it's extremely cold keep
him away from drafts, and hay is an excellent
insulator, so get him a big box of
hay to lay on. But heat does not mix well with
bunnies, they are very prone to
strokes. So, if you have him outside in extreme
heat or if the house is really hot
, get your sweet bunny some shade. Try to
keep a fan near by to softly blow on
him (but nothing he can knock over or get
his face or any other body parts
near. Lots of water is necessary!!! I found
my bunny is actually very
fond of ice cubes, whether in a pan, or
frozen in one of those water bottles~ he
really likes to have a lie down near those.
Or you can get a Ziploc bag, fill it with water
and freeze it. Not only is it good for cutie's
comfort, but also well being. Remember,
if you can't tolerate it, chances are neither can he.
Treats are Good for Health and Bribery
Bunnies LOVE fresh fruits and veggies. Carrots of course
are a good choice,
but feed the greeny tops too, those are packed with all
sorts of healthy stuff,
plus they are yummy. Pears, apples, parsley, basil,
all kinds of fruit and veggie stuff.
But aside from the natural grown goodies, bunnies have
a tendency to like other
treatables. For instance, my sweet fuzzy Phili
has a penchant for lollipops. While
they aren't the best thing for him, they have no nutritional value and send him
on a sugar high, but every once in a while a little
taste is just what he needs
for a big bunny grin. I was having a strawberry
Dum-Dum one day, he came over,
observed it, then GRABBED out of my hand and
took off. He licked on it for a few
minutes, then set it aside. So, bunnies will take
what they want, you just have to
pay attention and be careful they don't
hurt themselves. Like now I'll unwrap a lolli,
give him a few licks, then toss it so he doesn't eat
the whole thing or hurt himself
on the stick. Crackers, Cheerios (natural cereals like that),
and we even
make home-made nut cookies for him. Be mindful though,
don't give bunny chocolate
or peanut butter, keep in mind that there's
a difference between harmless
treats and harmful ones.
A Word On Hair
Okay, now that may sound a bit weird, but bunnies
love to play with hair. For
instance, I have waistlong hair, and my Phili just loves
to use it as a toy. I could be
sitting down and he'll come over and start
chewing on it, or if I'm laying down
his little paws will just go nuts tossing it around.
Even for those of you who don't have
long hair, bunny will delight in messing with it.
So be careful, if you are laying on the
floor playing with him, he will have a terrible
impulse to direct his paws to your
tresses, so just be mindful not to get clawed
or develop a bald spot because
bunny was trying to drag you around by your shiny locks.
To Bathe or Not To Bathe
Now there are some people who say bunnies don't need
baths or to be cleaned,
but keep in mind that bunny is not in the wild
anymore, he doesn't have Mother
Nature to shower him or little ponds to dip
in while he's getting a drink.
Contrary to what you might think, bunnies are
very neat, very clean creatures.
You might even notice he's got this obsessive
grooming thing where he goes
into massive paw licking or ear cleaning (which is just
the cutest thing to watch!). But
, along with bunnie's own hygiene rituals, I like to give
him a nice little bath
every once in a while. They do have dry bunny
shampoo where you just powder
it on and brush it off, but my bunny doesn't like to sit
still for that long and I don't like the
idea of getting powder in his eyes, so, I fill a tub
with an inch of LUKE warm water
(NEVER hot and NEVER cold, don't want to
send bunny into shock), and take a
cup and pour water over him, and they do make
shampoo for bunny (it won't hurt
his eyes and is non-toxic to the sweetie). If you do
decide to give him a dip in the
tub, don't veer over him, instead lean over
about face level so he can see you
are there with him to protect him, so he doesn't
get scared. As housebunnies,
most don't ever get the oppurtunity to frolick in water
(unless you get one of
those hard plastic kiddie pools for special occasions),
so, the first time or two
it's going to be extremely different for bunny,
so assure him you will keep
him safe from that mean ol drain.
Grooming
Bunny's nails will need to be trimmed every few months,
now whether or not you
decide to do it yourself is an entirely personal choice.
If you decide to take him
to the vet, it only takes about five minutes, and
costs (most of the time) only a
dollar or two. If you decide to wing it and do it yourself,
there are a few things to
keep in mind. First a get a GOOD pair of nail trimmers.
Secondly, bunny's nails have
something in them called a quick, it's a vein
that you can see if you hold a
flashlight up to his nails. Be EXTREMELY careful
not to get near it, if you do the bunny
will bleed. While it's not very painful for him, it can
be scary to see your pet bleed,
but all you do when that happens is rinse it off, and
pack it in (I've used cornstarch,
but vet's use something different, I have forgotten what
it's called but I'll go
and find out for you soon). I've tried once
or twice to trim Phili's nails,
I've decided I very much prefer to take him to a vet,
but again, it's up to you.
Okay, as for brushing their fluffy fur, you can purchase
soft plastic brushes, and
bunnies LOVE them! If you have a serious
molting problem, you might want
to consider in investing a hand-held vacuum
for the carpet. Actually, and
I have not actually tried one, they have vacuums that
actually vacuum the BUNNY itself!!
The Chew Toy : Not Just A Bunny's Friend
Bunnies love, LOVE, to chew and dig. My suggestion,
get a LOT of chew toys.
They even come in fun shapes and flavors. So don't get
mad at bunny for what is
essentially instinctual; encourage it, just give him an
outlet. That way your friends
won't stare funny at that couch with all the
trim chewed off. Cardboard is okay too,
and little boxes of shredded newspaper
and/or hay is really good for the bunny
to relieve that digging urge.
FACEMUNCHES YYEEAAHHHHH
Okay, before I go on with this section I suppose I should
explain what a face munch is.
Bunnies like to be pet, especially along the nose
and forehead, anywhere
on the face really. So me and bunny have
developed what we call the facemunch
. I take my hand, put my fingers on one cheek
and my thumb on the other, with the
palm of my hand on the top of his head, and
just "munch" his face with my hand.
He absolutely loves it. Also when I sit in front of
him I give him a full-bodied pet,
putting a hand on each side of him, and
petting from front to back.
I suggest not rubbing your bunny's fur towards the
front until he's at least 6 months
old to let the fur shafts grow in the right direction.
Bunnies crave affection, and petting
* and softly talking to while petting*
is one of the great honors of being a bunny owner.
So pet away, and often, and who
knows, maybe you two will find a facemunch of your own.
Territory Tip For New Bunnies
Okay, enough hinting, bunnies can be very territorial,
so it's gonna take a bit to get
accustomed to and figuring out just how territorial
bunny is. Some aren't
very at all, just sticking to chinning and (hopefully not)
spraying, and the occasional
"pill" (bunny poo). Some however definitely
have their spots that they
don't want anyone near; it could be a cage,
a corner, his litterbox. Some
get so riled up over their "possession" that
they may lunge or nip or a nasty
combination of both. So, until you get used to what
bunny will allow you near and what
they won't, take precaution and be slow, especially
when sticking hands into the
cage while they are in it. You don't have to be
all tactical and mechanical
about it, just use your instincts....... and lotsa bribes.
                     
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