Rabbits 101: My Best Success Story and the Whole Point of Doing a Rabbit Primer

(Previously: The Basics I, The Basics II, and The Hazards)

A Primer to the Domestic House Rabbit: My Best Success Story and the Whole Point of Doing a Rabbit Primer

1. Cadbury, the Church Rabbit
2. What has been done: the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign and the house rabbit memes
3. What needs to be done: education, education, education

Cadbury, the Church Rabbit

Early 2001.  While I was living down in Jacksonville, Florida, I remember my sister and I playing outside of church when we saw a rabbit down the street.  We told our mom about it and she passed it off as just us mistaking a wild rabbit for a domestic one.

Sure enough though, next week, our pastor came up to my mom and said, "There's a rabbit at the front of the church.  If we catch him, will you take him?"

He knew that we already had rabbits and that we would take care of him.  My mom agreed and not five minutes later, over half the congregation was outside trying to herd this one rabbit towards the corner of the fence.

There's something to be said about watching a grown man try to reach for a rabbit and then quickly back off when that rabbit charges back.

You see, we weren't sure how long Cadbury was out running around that neighborhood (which was always filled with stray dogs and cats, so it's amazing he hadn't been killed).  What we were sure of was that he was out there long enough for him to get mean.

This rabbit would get spittin' mad just by you walking by his cage; we used to call him Caddy Baddy.  Even after his neuter, he was still aggressive.

I've always worked well with the hard case rabbits - and that all started here.  I found that if I just sat with him, he would calm down (I didn't know about gazing - a rabbit's way of bonding, where they just sit and look at each other (or at you) - at the time; frankly, I was sort of just winging it).

I didn't try to hold him and kiss him, I simply sat there.  Occasionally, I would reach over and scratch his head  - carefully (I let him see my hand, but I didn't put it near his mouth).  When rabbits try to bite something coming in from above, they have to tip their heads back, which can be awkward for them, so they also try to circle around.  So the goal was to start scratching his forehead before he started in on circling.

Caddy, for all his fury, couldn't fight against a good head scratch.

But I didn't push it.  This is important.  You can't push yourself on a rabbit.  This is true for all critters with a bad past - you have to take things at their pace, not yours.  Rushing through a healing process can be just as damaging.

Anyway, after five/six seconds head of scratches, then I'd lean back and go back to my book or drawing or whatever.  And he'd go back to glaring or turning away from me - giving me the butt - as he pointedly groomed himself and ignored my presence.

I repeated these sessions about two or three times a day, every day.

It wasn't long before he stopped trying to bite my hand, and not much longer after that he stopped growling at everyone who walked by.  His ears didn't go flat anymore when he saw me coming to feed him (I was the only one at this point who could reach into his cage to grab his food bowl).

He still had moments where he would revert back to his old self, but as weeks turned to months and our sessions continued - those moments became fewer and farther between.

And as the months turned to years, Caddy and I became inseparable.  We would take naps together and spent countless afternoons watching TV together as we shared an apple or banana or carrot.  It even got to the point where I could use him as a pillow!

Caddy passed away in my arms in 2006.  He was one of the best rabbits I've ever had the pleasure of living with.

Cadbury, 2005

What has been done: the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign and the house rabbit memes

The MMC campaign began in 2002 at a Columbus, Ohio rabbit shelter.  It partners with various organizations to spread awareness about the plight of Easter rabbits.

Their Facebook page offers many different types of promotional material that can be printed off and distributed within businesses (or anywhere, really).

One of the many types of posters available for download

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Sadie Lovington Nibblesworth's Home for Wayward Rabbits and Tea Parlor who are the creators of these fabulous memes:

What needs to be done: education, education, education

So, what is the point of all of this?  It's simple: education! Spreading the word!

A few years back, Subaru released a commercial that showed a woman and young child releasing a domestic rabbit into the woods where it was "adopted" by a wild rabbit.  The ad was almost immediately pulled after the backlash by bunny activists and you can't even find it online.

The commercial helped to perpetuate the myth that domestic rabbits are fully capable of taking care of themselves in "the wild."  I know several rabbits who would disagree with this...

Stella disagrees with certain people's life choices.

Sidebar:

It's not just the domestic house rabbit that is misunderstood - wild rabbits are, too.  If you see a nest of baby wild rabbits - leave them alone!  Mama rabbits only visit the nest twice a day to avoid attracting predators to the nest.

It is illegal in the state of Oklahoma to have a wild rabbit in your possession.  If you find one that is injured, you can take it to Wildcare.  I know there are a lot of well-intentioned people out there, but a lot of the times they do more harm than good.

Leave the babies alone.

One of my main goals for this primer is that, even if you only glance at it, that you retain something that can influence you to speak up if you hear someone talk about getting a rabbit.

And as always, remember: adopt, don't shop.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Bye!

Rabbits 101: The Hazards

(Previously: The Basics I and The Basics, II)

A Primer to the Domestic House Rabbit: The Hazards

1. I killed that snake for you: rabbits vs. power cords
2. Everything must go: rabbits vs. your furniture
3. I don't like that: rabbits vs. you, biting/scratching (Trigger warning for a picture with a bit of blood)

Before I start this, I recently found two articles that show what it's like to live with a rabbit from two very different point of views.

The first article, "Rabbits: A Bad Pet Decision" is a long rant about why rabbits are terrible pets.  A lot of the unknown author's (their home blog seems to have since been deleted) complaints are valid, but I can also see a lot of ignorance on their part.  This is probably what led to the early deaths of the author's rabbits - the author didn't like them, so the author didn't bother to put the effort in.

The second article, "What Are Rabbits Really Like?" was written by Elizabeth TeSelle, and examines the relationships humans have with the animals we bring into our home by looking at the reasons we take in certain critters and what we expect in return.  She also explores the term "pet" and if it should even really be applied to house rabbits.  It's a great read, if you're interested.

Anyway, let me tell you all the ways rabbits are super destructive (which, coincidentally is one of the main reasons they make "bad pets" according to whoever wrote the first article).

I killed that snake for you: rabbits vs. power cords

Rabbits chew on everything.  It's an instinct.  They're teeth are constantly growing, so they need something to chew on. 

Now, that something can be a nice stick from outside (better than the color wooden blocks from Petsmart, I tell you - which my rabbits just tend to throw around for five minutes, then ignore), anything cardboard (boxes are great), anything paper (little paper cups are cheap, fun, and safe for rabbits).  It can also be something that looks vaguely like a snake i.e., your phone charger.

Khan is a bit more aggressive in going after cords than some of our other rabbits.

Rabbits will eat and chew on everything.  You have to learn from it - we learned to either keep extra power cords, to hide them better, or even how to splice cords like a pro (we have at least ten rolls of electrical tape in our house at all times).  In the rabbit room, we've covered the lamp cords with thick plastic tubing.

Everything must go: rabbits vs. your furniture

Again, nothing is safe from a rabbit.

Ziggy's been busy.

To be totally fair, most of the damage to this chair was caused by Gordie, a Flemish Giant we had before Ziggy.  Gordie was named after Gordie Howe, a legendary hockey player, and would often sit underneath the fake Christmas tree we had and strip it of all of its little plastic leaves.

Sidebar:

Something I forgot to mention in the last post - rabbits know when they're not supposed to be doing something.  So, because rabbits are basically teenagers, you need to be watching them at all times.   

They will literally wait until your back is turned/you're out of the room, before they go back to doing the thing they know they're not supposed to be doing.  They're brats like that.  So you need to be willing to be patient with them and be able to put up with a few chewed up things.

(No, you can't train them not do the thing because they honestly don't care if you spray them in the face with a water bottle or clap your hands at them and shout, "No!"  Rabbits essentially only aim to please themselves.) 

(Again, they're brats.) 

(I love them.)

I don't like that: rabbits vs. you, biting/scratching

Speaking of love, it's time to talk about biting and scratching and how rabbits are actually kinda dangerous (Monty Python and the Holy Grail levels of dangerous).

Rabbits have several different types of bites:

1. They have the playful nip - usually just to get your attention.  Ziggy nips at my ankles when I stand next to the dining room table without acknowledging him.
2. There's the "stop that crap" nip.  This is usually a quick pinch to let you know they don't enjoy whatever it is you're doing - like playing too rough or plucking too much fur (like if a grooming session lasts too long, especially during molting season).
3. There's the "enough!" bite.  This is when they bite hard enough to draw blood and force you rethink your life choices.
4. And then there's the "I'm gonna kill you!" bite when a rabbit sees red - they may be panicking or in pain or may just be absolute DONE with you and your bullshit.  This is the worst bite to be on the receiving end of.  This is when a rabbit clamps down and pulls - they may even try to twist so that they can scratch you with their hind claws (which no amount of trimming or filing will ever really dull).

I've been on the receiving end of #4 when I tried to give Sid some treats out of my hand - but I had just been playing with Jacky, both Sid and Jack were unaltered at the time and Sid's territorial instinct kicked in.  Yeah, that was one of the worst bites I've ever gotten.  My finger had been ripped open by his teeth, he then pulled my hand back and got his hind legs up and tore up my arm.

And this is a picture of what happens when you try to take a food bowl away from an aggressive female rabbit (remember to spay and neuter, friends).

Mom's thumb got ripped open.

When it comes to scratching, it's not really the front claws you have to worry about.  I have scars on my stomach and arms from just trying to put a rabbit down/back in their cage and their back feet kick out.

It's so important to remember just how powerful those hind legs are.  A rabbit's kick is so powerful that they can actually snap their own spines.  This is why you have to support their bums when you pick them/set them down and avoid "scruffing" (picking a rabbit up by their scruff).

Now, you may be wondering to yourself: Kirsten, why put up with all of this?  I'll tell you...

Coming Up

My Best Success Story and the Whole Point of Doing a Rabbit Primer

1. Cadbury, the Church Rabbit
2. What has been done: the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign and the house rabbit memes
3. What needs to be done:  education, education, education

Rabbits 101: The Basics II

(Previously: The Basics, I)

A Primer to the Domestic House Rabbit: The Basics, II

1. The importance of spaying and neutering
2. Personality: rabbits have a lot of it
3. Body Language: ears, flops and binkies, and "getting the butt"

The Importance of Spaying and Neutering

This is something that I cannot stress enough and probably should have been in the first post, that's why it's first here.  A house rabbit needs to be altered (spayed if they're female, neutered if they're male).

Finding a rabbit-experienced vet is difficult, but the trouble - and money - is worth it (I'll add a page of rabbit-savvy vets).  The first question we always ask a vet when/if we have to switch is: "Do females rabbits go into heat?"  If they say yes - we turn around and walk out.

Female rabbits, also called does (males are called bucks), are induced ovulators, meaning they only release eggs after mating.  A doe is typically able to become pregnant after she's 4-5 months old, depending on breed and size of the rabbit, though the chances of her litter surviving when she's that young aren't high.  After reaching sexual maturity, a doe can produce a litter every 31 days.  So it's incredibly important to alter all rabbits in the house to avoid any accidental litters.  (And if you're thinking about doing this intentionally - because "oh, baby bunnies are just so adorbs i want five" - don't.  I've been there, done that - it's a mistake, trust me.)

But getting rabbits altered isn't important just to keep down the number of domestic rabbits - it also significantly reduces their chances of cancer.  An unaltered rabbit has an 80% chance of developing cancer.

Also, rabbits are naturally territorial and males can get very, very aggressive.  Sure there's all the fun videos on YouTube of young boy bunnies humping balloons and the occasional chicken - but these rabbits can quickly turn from playful to mean.  But more about how that's expressed in part 3 of this primer and in this next section.

Personality: Rabbits have a lot of it.

Rabbits are super independent.  They don't constantly need validation the way dogs do, nor do they necessarily make demands the way cats do.  Rabbits are very self-confident and like to just go about their business.

There are exceptions, of course.  Like dogs and cats, each rabbit has its own unique personality and ways they like to be handled (or not handled).

There are rabbits like Amanda Panda, one of the rabbits out at Heartland Rabbit Rescue, who loves to be cuddled.  She will ignore treats placed in her bowl and stand on her hind legs, stretching up to whoever is visiting - much like how a toddler comes up to you with open arms, asking to be picked up.

Amanda Panda

There are rabbits like Ty-ty, my own rabbit, who like to be cuddled, but not to be picked up.  There are rabbits like Ziggy who will only accept head scratches and the occasional kiss on the nose.  And there are rabbits like Rocket - a Heartland rabbit - who will have nothing to do with anyone.

Now, a rabbit's history has a lot of impact on how touchy-feely they are and on who they are as individuals - much in the same way our own life events shape and mold us into who we are today.

Unlike cats or dogs, rabbit aren't all that vocal.  The only exception is when they are under extreme distress - then they squeak or scream and there's no sound worse than that.  So since they don't bark or meow, you have to be patient and learn the vast amounts of ways rabbits do talk.

Body Language: Ears, Flops and Binkies, and "Getting The Butt"

A rabbit's ears are key into deciphering what a rabbit wants those around them to know.  So, with lop eared rabbits, things can get kinda tricky.  For example, with Jack, pictured below, it took a while to learn what he was trying to communicate to me since my experience with lops had been limited at the time.  But, while ear placement is important, there are other ways rabbits communicate.

I'm sorry, Jacky, I have no idea what you're trying to tell me right now.

The way a rabbit is sitting/standing is a big indicator of how they are feeling.  A variety of postures can indicate if a rabbit is interested in something nearby (they may hear something outside the house), if they feel threatened, or if they're relaxed.

Rabbits also thump to indicate that something isn't quite right.  (Forget what you see in Bambi and The Hobbit - rabbits actually use both hind legs, not just one, to stomp the ground.  Rabbits back legs are powerful and the sound will reverberate through the ground - useful when you and your buddies are burrowing animals.)

A super relaxed rabbit will flop onto their side just before they go to sleep - often kicking all four legs up towards the ceiling before slowly rolling back onto their sides.  Generally, the harder it is to get back up - the more relaxed a rabbit is.  Domestic rabbits still retain much of the prey instincts of their wild cousins and so a flop is a great compliment to you - it means your bun feels safe around you.

Tywin, the most relaxed bun to ever bun.  Fun fact: frozen water bottles are
the best way to keep rabbits extra cool during the summer.

A super excited rabbit will often binky - jumping into the air, kicking their back legs out, and twisting their bodies.  The higher the rabbit jumps, the happier they are!  For the most part.  Ty can't really get very far off the ground.

Towards the other end of the spectrum: if you're on a rabbit's bad side, you'll know it.  A rabbit will pointedly turn away from you, "giving you the butt," to let you know when you're being irritating.  Sometimes, they'll even look over your shoulder - just to make sure you know that you're in trouble.

Rabbits even lay down, facing away from you (or another rabbit) just to show how uninteresting you are to them.  Here's an example:

Ziggy is underneath the table, Khan is in the cage, Ty is in the middle.

Rabbits are often just presented as just props for a child's Easter-themed photos or as a metaphor for sex.  The truth is that they are every bit as complicated as people; they have their own unique personalities and needs.  Their vet care is expensive, as is the amount of damage they can do around your house...

Coming Up

1. The Hazards
1. I killed that snake for you: rabbits vs. power cords
2. Everything must go: rabbits vs. your furniture
3. I don't like that: rabbits vs. you, biting/scratching
2. My Best Success Story and the Whole Point of Doing a Rabbit Primer
1. Cadbury, the Church Rabbit
2. What has been done: the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign and the house rabbit memes
3. What needs to be done:  education, education, education

Rabbits 101: The Basics I

Content Note: This primer was originally posted on another blog for school over the course of four weeks - hence the four parts.  It is in no way comprehensive, and is based entirely on my own experiences, and I will be adding to it as I go along.  All pictures are ones that I have taken myself unless otherwise noted.

Again, this is all based on my own experience and what I've learned from the rabbits I've had personal relationships with.  It's important to remember that each rabbit is an individual and they each have their own personality - so what may have been applicable to my rabbits, may not be applicable to others.

A Primer to the Domestic House Rabbit: The Basics, I

1. Introduction
2. Lagomorphs, not rodents
3. Cages
4. Food & Treats
5. Toys

Introduction

A person once asked me whether or not rabbits were easier to take care of than cats or dogs, the answer is both yes and no - it all boils down to the rabbit and what they've been through, and how patient you can be.  Rabbits, especially the young ones, behave much like toddlers - they can, and definitely will get into everything within reach (they'll books off the shelves, test boundaries, etc.); their energy levels are also off the charts (which is why spaying/neutering and ample amount of time outside of their cage is an absolute must - but more on that later).

Because one of my goals in life is to educate people about the plight of house rabbits - the third most surrendered animal, which doesn't count the hundreds of rabbits who are released in neighborhoods and parks to be "free" - I'm going to post some educational tidbits here.

If you, or someone you know, is about to get a rabbit, I strongly urge you to reconsider.  They are NOT good pets for children or for first time pet owners - they are, at the very least, a ten year commitment; they are not toys, they are not disposable.

Sidney Crosbun is the best video game partner, so whoever dumped
him is really missing out.

Lagomorphs, not rodents

It's a popular misconception that rabbits are rodents.  They are not.  Rabbits actually belong to the taxonomic order lagomorpha - which includes hares, rabbits, and pikas (also called conies).  The main differences between lagomorphs and rodents are their teeth.  Rodents only have two incisors in their upper jaw - lagomorphs have four.

There's also a difference between rabbits and hares.  The main one being that hares give birth to young that are already furred and active, while rabbit's give birth to furless young.  Rabbits are also more social than hares and like to live in small colonies - also called 'warrens.'

The sociality of the wild rabbit is something that has been retained in domesticated rabbits.  I can't quite help but roll my eyes whenever I see a rabbit care website saying that you should put a blanket or a towel over a rabbit's cage for the following reasons:

1. That rabbit will just chew up and destroy the towel.  
2. Rabbits rely on eyesight almost as much as they rely on their hearing to know what is going on around them - so if you rob them of seeing what's going on, you'll have a very anxious rabbit. This can lead to behaviors such as thumping, clinking water and food bowls together, and a running around in circles in their cage - all of which produces large amounts of noise.  These are all a rabbit's way of saying, "Hey!  Hey, you! You!  Hey!"

Basically, rabbits want to be seen, and they want to be a part of the family.  Love your bun, don't put a towel over their cage.

When a rabbit is outside of their cage - which should be for several hours a day, one way to bond them is to stay in their line of sight - this is called "gazing."  You don't necessarily have to be petting them, just being in their vicinity and sitting with them goes a long way to helping a rabbit trust you.  (It gets them used to your presence and equates it with the thought "oh, look, they're here and nothing horrible is happening.")

Unlike cats or dogs, rabbits rarely demand your attention.  They are very independent and are just as happy lounging around as you are!

Sidney Crosbun and myself - he interrupted a game of Assassin's Creed to sit on
my shoulder and demand my attention.

Ziggy takes his afternoon nap!

Cages

Only four of my rabbits are in a cage - but they're not in cages like what you see in Atwoods or Walmart, they're in large dog crates.  The cages at Atwoods and Walmart are horrendous and cramped and rabbits should only be put in them if it's for a few hours - like say, at night, if they have regular run of the house or a room during the day.

The four rabbits who are caged each get ample amounts of time outside of their crates.  Especially in the mornings and evenings - rabbits are naturally crepuscular, meaning they're most active at dawn and dusk.

Ty-ty clonked out. 

Dog crates are excellent for rabbits because they're tall enough that if a rabbit wants to stand on their hind legs (an activity called periscoping), they can.  And also because the bottom pan can simply be pulled out and cleaned.

Each of our rabbits also has a plastic box filled with pine shavings* (not cedar - cedar can cause respiratory problems in rabbits; and never use cat litter) where the rabbits do their business. We clean these boxes out every other day.  Ziggy is the only rabbit who doesn't have a plastic box - instead, he has a large cardboard box lined with puppy pads (that's just what he prefers).

Rabbits should not kept outside.  They will get lonely and quickly become depressed.  More importantly, the weather extremes here in Oklahoma make rabbits exceedingly vulnerable to heat strokes and seizures - which will lead to death.  (Just think about how miserable you would be in a fur coat outside in 100 degree heat.)

*There are some sites that state that pine, in addition to cedar, cause respiratory issues - but we have never had a problem with it.  In the case that you don't want to risk it, wood pellets are an excellent alternative and is used by the wonderful people out at Heartland Rabbit Rescue.

Sidney Crosbun, standing on his hay rack
(because why not?)

Food & Treats

Our rabbits get a cup of pellets (plain pellets, namely the 50 lbs. bag from Ellisons out on Main Street, not the bags with the extra "goodies" inside - that's just basically junk food)  and unlimited Timothy hay (the third cutting from Sierra Valley is the best; orchard grass can also be used to supplement the hay).

In the mornings, each rabbit gets a slice of banana or apple, and, once a week, raw pumpkin seeds.  Each night, they get greens like red leafed lettuce, regular lettuce, Italian and/or curly parsley, and spinach leaves.  Also, whenever they're in season, the rabbits get strawberries. Other fun treats include mint & raisins.

While my rabbits like carrots, they don't really go crazy for them - not like bananas or apples.  Especially yellow apples.  It's kinda ridiculous, actually.

If they don't get their treats in the morning or their veggies at night, they'll often clink their bowls together or start thumping - it's they're way of saying: "Hey!  You forgettin' something?!"

Toys

There is absolutely no point in buying any of the fancy wooden blocks from pet stores.  The rabbits just throw them around a couple of times and then get bored with them.

What they do love is empty toilet paper/paper towel rolls (I hide bits of banana inside, then stuff it with hay).  Also, little paper dixie cups - they're safe for rabbits to eat, plus they can be thrown around; cardboard bowls and boxes are fun, too.  Anything vaguely papery will also be eaten and enjoyed.  This includes everything from junk mail to homework (I wish I was joking about that last one, but...).

Ziggy catching up on his couponing.

Coming Up

1. The Basics, II
1. The importance of spaying and neutering
2. Personality: rabbits have a lot of it
3. Body Language: ears, flops and binkies, and "getting the butt"
2. The Hazards
1. I killed that snake for you: rabbits vs. power cords
2. Everything must go: rabbits vs. your furniture
3. I don't like that: rabbits vs. you, biting/scratching
3. My Best Success Story and the Whole Point of Doing a Rabbit Primer
1. Cadbury, the Church Rabbit
2. What has been done: the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign and the house rabbit memes
3. What needs to be done:  education, education, education