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Bunny Blog
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Bunny Blog Archives February/March 2006
HRS Vet Recommendations, Pet Bunny Vet List
BBC Article on Japanese Amami Rabbit
In Laos there is a striped brown and
black rabbit
Miss Luca Crosses the Rainbow Bridge. My sister Bonnie's beautiful 15 year old female cat passed away over the weekend. Luca was not only a wonderful human companion, but she was an unexpected bunny loving cat. Before she became an indoor cat, Luca was a huntress. So I was worried about introducing my baby lop rabbit, Groucho, to her. Luca jumped up and licked the bunny's head. I thought either Luca was tasting him or had made him her kitten. It turns out Groucho Bunny as well as all of the rabbits we have rescued over the years became Luca's kittens. Luca and Groucho were the inspiration for "The Cabbit" kid's story on Hopperhome. She was an amazing cat and we have lost a gentle, sweet feline friend!
"A Hoppin Fine Rescue by Cop..." That's the way the Rocky Mountain news describes a Longmont police officer who saw something that didn't look right. It was a group of 11 rabbits near a torn up box off of a highway shoulder. The rabbits were badly hurt and it has been determined they were thrown from a car. Now just a couple of months after finding them, the rabbits are with the Colorado House Rabbit Society and Longmont Humane Society. The good news is that some of these rescued rabbits have already been adopted.
Letter from Loni Hancock:
Dear Friend:
San Diego House Rabbit Society Dental Page Dental Problems in Rabbits by Dana Krempels PhD Colorado State University Rabbit Dental Website
Pet Care Sheets This website provides customized pet care sheets for all types of pets including rabbits.
Marzipan Rabbit - Put this sweet thing on a cake or have the kids make them out of modeling clay for fun. Detailed instructions (including step by step photos on how to model this marzipan or clay bunny holding a carrot are available online. Just click on the link above.
Things are Hopping at Wisconsin HRS They have several events coming up in the next couple of months starting with "Living with your House Rabbit" on Sunday, March 19th from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Humane Animal Welfare Society, 701 Northview Rd., Waukesha. This Free session will cover dietary issues, handling methods, body language and dealing with common behavior problems. For a complete listing of their events go to: Wisconsin House Rabbit Society - Events
Hare Heroes - the next time you see a
f
Out for Blood - Important Medical Test for Rabbits - I got an email today about a rabbit with medical problems and suggested the writer take their bunny to the vet and get a blood test. I got an email back asking me "why" the blood test. If you have ever wondered what a vet can tell from a blood test drawn out of your rabbit and why it is so important, see this informative article Why your Vet is Out for Blood
Say "Hay" - My rabbits enjoy
grazing on timothy hay and they never seem to tire of it. In
fact, given the choice, Rosemary Rabbit will head right to her hay
box instead of eating pellets or
vegetables (a bit of apple is a different story). There are several
types of hay, but the mainstay of their diet should be timothy hay.
However, brome, grass and oat can be given in a handful for variety on
occasion. Here are 3 articles on hay and online resources to
purchase it. It is more readily available in pet stores now
than it was a couple of years ago and feed stores will sell you a
whole bale if you need
Online Sources for Hay:
In the UK a very different housing solution called the "eglu" for rabbits combines a house and a secure run. It seems fairly simple and straightforward to maintain and it could certainly be put inside your house. I'm not sure if they are shipping to the U.S. yet, but you can see them at their website link above. I used a currency converter and had a little "sticker shock" afterwards.
Carrot Crunch Game Help the bunny "Sunny" eat her way through the maze. Earn points for the carrots eaten and lose a chance for every onion the rabbit chomps. Very cute!
Bunny Along There is a blog that is dedicated to knit rabbits. There are some "ear"risitable creations pictured on the website in all shapes, sizes and colors. They are almost as adorable as the real thing.
The photo to the left is a very large paper mache rabbit by artist Steve Hansen.
March 7th - 9:00 p.m. Spring Brings a Flying Health Threat - Warm weather is on its way and the problem of flies can threaten your rabbit's health. Even house flies can lay eggs on your rabbit's fur and hatch into maggots (Yuck!). I have first hand experience with flystrike and especially Cuterebra in rabbits abandoned outdoors. Those flies that find their way into our homes can harm your rabbits. A rabbit who is elderly or ill and has trouble cleaning himself is particularly in danger from flies. Here are some great links on these pests and how to handle this serious problem. Fort Myers' Bunny - The News Press in Ft. Meyers published a story this week about the kind people who found a tame brown rabbit hopping around in their yard. They have been providing food and shelter for "Trix" hoping to find the owners. I was glad to see they are open to finding the rabbit a good home with an animal lover. Most of these tame domestic rabbits hopping around outside are not "lost," but left behind. This one was very fortunate!
Second "Chance" for a Tampa Bay
Rabbit - A brown and white rabbit was found abandoned in yet
another Florida yard and is getting a second chance. The Tampa
News Online reported that the members of the
Tampa Bay House Rabbit Society are caring for the rabbit. It will have to have an operation
to amputate a "mangled back leg," but is expected to make a good
recovery. Rabbits with 3 legs can find their balance and get around
very well after this type of operation.
Two Big Thumps for Animal Cruelty - From Sidney Australia it was reported an Auckland-born financier accused of mutilating and killing 17 rabbits and a guinea pig has lost a second bid to have the charges dismissed on mental health grounds. He will now face charges. Also, WKBW TV in Buffalo, NY reported the case against 2 Buffalo men, accused of brutally killing a pet rabbit is now headed for a grand jury.
Veterinary Article on Rabbits & Exercise HRS Article - More than Just a Chew Stickl Encouraging Your Rabbit to Exercise CD
By the way, Wallace and Gromit: The
Curse of the Were-Rabbit won an Oscar Sunday Night for Best Animated
Feature film! Congratulations to the "furry things" on
their Oscar.
On the lighter side visit the following link for directions on how to create this Bunny Fold Napkin Anyone who has rabbits to care for may not have the time, but it is quite the rabbit origami for the table.
March 1st, 8:00 p.m.
Make Mine Chocolate
Campaign
Glamour Shots "offers Live Easter Bunny photos,' according to the House Rabbit Society. So I went to the Glamour Shots website and sure enough "The Bunnies are Here." "Some stores raffle the rabbits away after the promotion." The House Rabbit Society is asking those with concerns to contact Glamour Shots at 800-336-4550 ext. 802. My concerns include: 1) rabbits who are tired, scared and no longer docile after handling by strangers, 2) inexperienced "bunny wranglers," 3) rabbit teeth that can bite through twigs a lot tougher than a kid's finger 4) tired, cranky kids or curious children who want to poke the bunny 5) "Raffled away rabbits" to people who aren't given proper rabbit care instructions or may not even want a pet rabbit. The parents of a 20-month old boy lost part of his finger during a past Easter photo session in Durango, CO (not Glamour Shots). Glamour Shots won't think those photos are such a great promotion if a child gets bit. Plush toy bunnies, Easter eggs or spring flowers would be safer props! See House Rabbit Society Bunnies & Children Information
is having a pub crawl this Saturday for rabbit fans over 21. Go to the website link www.hairofthedog.org for more information. I'd call that "Hare of the Dog" like Will Bullas' work of art to the right.
Pet Rabbits Rescued from Fire Wow! again firemen come to the rescue for several pet rabbits in a Sunday house fire according to the Ann Arbor News. The paper said the "reports state that the fire started with heating equipment that was used for the rabbits" in a garage. Fortunately bunnies, kids and the babysitter are all safe.
In the United Kingdom "Vets Sound Rabbit Plague Alert" reported by Luton Today online. This is a horrendous disease that "threatens to kill 9 out of 10 rabbits in Bedfordshire and Hetfordshire this spring." Rabbits can be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the disease according to a vet in Luton. She also said "Those rabbits most at risk are rural rabbits near open countryside." The disease spreads through insects like mosquitoes. We have been very lucky here in the United States so far. For more on this terrible Disease see: Myxomatosis Information
February 27th, 7:30 p.m. Raging "Hare"mones -
It's definitely spring! I saw my
first
"HareChoo" Humans and allergies to rabbits When rabbits lick their fur to clean themselves they deposit saliva on their fur that dries, flakes off and circulates as an airborne allergen. At least that's what someone told me when I mentioned I had rabbits. They said they immediately start sneezing when they get in a room with bunnies. Below are two great articles from the House Rabbit Society: Living with Rabbit Allergies Minimizing allergies living with rabbits. A Fosterer's Allergy Experience How one rabbit fosterer was able to work around her allergies.
Wednesday, April 19 – 6:30 to 8:30
p.m.
February 19, 2006 2:00 p.m. Therapy Rabbits If you have a calm pet rabbit who doesn't mind being around people (including car rides), then you and your rabbit might be good therapy! The Delta Society is one of the best known organizations that promotes a mission of "Improving human health through service and therapy animals" with visits to hospitals and other care facilities. See this article on Sharianna and Angel Bunny or this article about halfway down the following web page on Karen and her rabbit Calypso Most organizations like the Delta Society require training for both yourself and your pet.
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Bunny House This amazing sanctuary is located in Angel Canyon, Utah near Kanab. You can sponsor one of their wonderful rabbits. Many people visit and volunteer at Best Friends as a vacation to this beautiful area of the country. Visit their Bunny House at the link above.
Stinky Rabbits - an email today reminded me to share a link from the Ontario Rabbit Education Organization about Scent Glands Sometimes a rabbit can start to have a strong odor and it's difficult to locate the scent glands. The link above has photos that show exactly where to locate and how to clean them. Sometimes that thorough cleaning rabbits give themselves five times a day isn't enough.
No Such Thing as a Mean Rabbit! Miss Sage, aka "The Raptor," taught my sister and me about aggressive rabbits about 5 years ago. Another email I received today described "a monster rabbit," "a mean, horrible bunny," and asked "should I have my Netherland Dwarf put down or get rid of her." I was aghast! The Netherland Dwarf was a show rabbit. Miss Sage pictured to the left with her long time bonded mate, Mr. Basil, are my sister's dwarf rabbits. Miss Sage was spayed shortly after Bonnie took Sage home from the Humane Society. Sage was a terror and even I was afraid to approach her without gloves. It took Bonnie a lot of patience, kindness and some bandaids to eliminate the biting behavior with Sage. Last year Sage was so non-aggressive that she posed sitting on a stranger's shoulder for Hopperhome's Easter campaign. See Sage and Basil's Story. Needless to say, I did answer the email about the "monster rabbit" and was adamant the problem was with the human and not the rabbit. Four great links on aggressive behavior in rabbits:
I have included links below on how to prepare your pet for an emergency plus sources for decals that let people know pet rabbits are inside your home or you have rabbiits that need to be cared for if you are injured. Going to Ground in Kansas City, ASPCA Emergency Pet Preparedness, Pets Need Disaster Plan Too - Hurricane Season is Here from HRS and Include Your Pets in Fire Safety Programs Sources for alert stickers and cards are: Please Save Our Bunnies Sticker - Chicago HRS and Animals Inside! Sticker and Carry a Pet Alert Card.
February 9, 2006
Rocking Rabbit - I found this "rocking ebony rabbit" at a website called Rockimals it is wood construction, designed by Bjorn Dahlstrom and made in Sweden. They have a "designer price" of around $200.
I have one (claustrophobic) rabbit, Mr. Hops, that won't go near them let alone go in the tubes.
February 7, 2006 9:30 p.m. - Hare Coursing in California - In a disturbing investigative report on February 5th, Greg Noyes, reporter with KGO uncovered this terrible "sport" in California taking place in fields right off of Interstate 80. Greyhound dogs were being used. Greyhound racing originated with coursing and this "sport" was recently banned in England. It is ironic to me that "live lure" training is banned by the greyhound racing industry and coursing can exist at all in this country. My parents raced greyhounds and as a girl I witnessed "live lure field training" which is similar to coursing and they both have the same results. It is very inhumane. According to the KGO report, California State Assembly member Loni Hancock "promised to sponsor a new law banning it" after she saw the pictures. Also, see my webpage on greyhound racing - it is a bad bet for both dogs and rabbits.
February 5, 2006 7:00 p.m., Abandoned Rabbit
Mystery in Palo Alto - The Palo Alto News Online reported
yesterday that there has been a "wave of rabbit dumpings in its
community gardens and baylands in
Mr. Hops Comes Home A big (now
much bigger) Californian rabbit that I adopted out last year came
home this weekend. I know the people who adopted him loved him very
much. However, sometimes circumstances such as illness, etc.
require a rescuer to take back an adopted rabbit. I will
happily do this. Now he has his forever home back with me. Lisa
(who founded Basically Bunnies in Reno) and her husband John picked
up Hops for me and kept him for a few days before expertly packing
up Hops to ship in Alaska's cargo hold. Many thanks to Lisa &
John!!! Other than
Nabaztag is an Odd Name for a Rabbit,
but this is a Wi-Fi enabled toy rabbit from France. It
changes color, moves
February
1, 2006 6:30 p.m. -
Exotic DVM,
a website for veterinarians has full color
brochures on rabbit care they sell to vet offices at $15 for 50
Bunny Clouds - After awhile some of us rabbit fanatics start to see rabbits in everything. One Bunny Blog reader found this photo of a rabbit in a fluffy cloudy sky and sent it to me. I can see it, too. I hope the rest of you can see the white rabbit in the clouds pictured to the right or I need a vacation in a sunny climate for the rest of the winter.
Camilla (the Duchess of Cornwall) has made a lot of people hopping mad according to the United International Press article yesterday in England. A rabbit fur scarf adorned the Duchess as she toured a school in Tetbury. The fur is flying!
by Sally Logue are just fantastic. Go to her link above to see her beautiful artwork. She is located in the UK and is painting pet portraits full-time. Sally also paints other pets and it is fun to just look around her website at her art! I really enjoy her style and how she captures the individual rabbit personalities in each painting. |
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Bunny Blog ARCHIVES
Disclaimer: Photos are published here from many sources, primarily Bunny Blog visitors who send them via email. Other photos are added only to illustrate a blog entry about a subject. Credit is given when identifying information is sent to: mail@hopperhome.com If there is a usage objection to any photo or logo pictured on this web page, it will be removed immediately. |
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Give
a "Wild" Plush Bunny as a Spring Gift - The Defenders of
Wildlife organization has a new program to "adopt" a wild
cottontail. New England cottontail rabbits seem to be disappearing
over the last 50 years and are on the brink of extinction. It's been
a decade since a New Cottontail has been seen in Vermont! You
can make an adoption donation to help protect this species.
You will receive a certificate of adoption and a plush cottontail.
This would be a great gift. Read all about it at their website
link at
Bunny
Hedge - A bunny blog reader sent me this photo of the hedge on
the left. I have seen some interesting rabbit topiary, but
this leafy sculpture is pretty "hare"raising in size. Some gardener
went nuts with a hedge trimmer. For the rest of us who
want something on a smaller scale, try this link for a
March
26th - 9:00 p.m. - Rabbit Wranglers Rescuing 1,000 Rabbits.
The work goes on in Reno, NV on the huge rabbit rescue in a
large backyard. A 7-person crew from the Utah based animal
rescue group
out.
They guess new rabbits appear at about "24 to 50" a day. Best
Friends hopes to find homes for all of the rabbits and this is going
to be a monumental task. If you can offer help, go to their
website. There is a wish list posted and updates about all of
their tremendous efforts on behalf of the rabbits.
What's
Up Doc? - Not much in some places...like it was pointed out in a
wonderful Honolulu Advertiser article this weekend about house
rabbit pets. Not all
communities have rabbit savvy vets available. The article
noted that are few vets in the islands who will sterilize rabbits
"because of unfamiliarity with the animal." (Wow, I would have
thought there would have been vets waiting in line to live the
"aloha.") For help finding rabbit vets in your area there are two
excellent and updated resources on the internet for rabbit
veterinarians: 
Bunnies
with Bling - For a long time I have cautioned people
who want to get a pet rabbit that they are not "cheap" pets.
I came upon an amazing tidbit on the internet about how much they
can cost from the LA Times. Apparently, in 2002 when Lisa
Bonder Kerkorian sued her ex-husband asking for $320,000 a month in
child support, she also asked for "$436 a month for the care of her
pet bunny." Cage, toys, neutering or spaying, food,
x-pens, & medical can add up, but that's $5,232 a year. 
March
22nd - 8:30 p.m. - Honey Bunny Safe in Kauai's Ark - A Hawaiian
humane society learned a few things from Hurricane Iniki several
years ago. The Kauai Humane Society built a building "designed
as a Noah's Ark" after Iniki. It is certified as the only
emergency pet shelter in Hawaii and can house animals plus up to 300
people in it's basement in the event of a disaster. During the
heavy rains last week that caused a reservoir dam to break on Kauai,
the humane society housed 4 cats, 20 dogs and the rabbit Honey Bunny
pictured above when their humans were evacuated. The humane
society workers went out to homes to help rescue animals and bring
them to the shelter. That's a lot of Aloha!
"Fluff
'n' Stuff" - the Lancaster, PA Intelligencer-Journal reported on
a very special therapy rabbit this past week. Fluffy pictured
to the left is a 3 year old English Angora rabbit who is a Red Cross
Certified therapy animal. His owner takes him to the local
nursing homes, hospitals, etc. for visits with the residents.
Apparently, Fluffy is a good listener especially for the older folks
he visits. They "remember things about their own lives" and
enjoy holding the relaxed rabbit. At 9 pounds he looks like a bundle
of bunny fun for anyone.
On
the Wild Side: In Japan there is a unique rabbit, the
Amami Rabbit. It has been isolated on a couple of islands near
Okinowa for a millennia. The rabbit pictured to the right is
densely furred in dark brown and sometimes black. Their ears
are small with short legs and they have long claw like nails on
their paws. The Japanese are trying to conserve this treasure of
lagomorphs! See a 
discovered
"hopping around in the forests of Southeast Asia." It lives in
the rugged mountains of Laos and its closest relatives are another
species of endangered rabbit found in Sumatra 2,000 miles away.
It is black and has an amazing striped pattern even on its face as
you can see to the left. See
March
Hare - I couldn't let March go by without this about hares.
Most of us know the March Hare from the tea party in Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. As Carroll wrote "The March
Hare will be much the most interesting, and perhaps as this is May
it won't be raving mad -- at least not so mad as it was in March."
The "mad as a March Hare" phrase comes from the behavior of hares in
the UK during the February through September breeding season.
March
20th - 8:00 p.m. Great Kick-off to Easter Season for Rabbit
Rescue Group - The mid-Atlantic rescue group
March
18th - 8:00 a.m. Stop Hare
Coursing in California I
wrote about Hare Coursing in California a couple of weeks ago.
Assembly-woman Loni Hancock is moving fast to get this "sport"
banned in California. If you live in California, please write
to the contact she has provided. 
Hay
is the Best Bunny Bite - Yesterday I received an email from
someone whose rabbit was fed only pellets and soft human cereals for
3 years. A malocclusion had developed. I explained to
her that rabbits are like horses and need to graze many hours a day
to on tough grasses like timothy hay for both dental and digestive
health. Some rabbits are born with an over or under bite or
break a tooth and develop problems. This rabbit did not and is going
to the vet to correct the problem. Plus, it will get hay from
now on! For more info on dental health in rabbits see:
March
15th - 8:30 p.m. "Love is in the Hare" as the House Rabbit
Network begins their adoption program to promote adoptions of bonded
pairs like Taco and Chalupa pictured on the left. They are
also encouraging adoption of single bunnies to be bonded with an
adopter's current pet rabbit. The House Rabbit Network is
located in Massachusetts and you can visit their website for more
information. Their rabbits are all spayed or neutered and
litter box trained. Click on this link for
Rabbit
Constellaton, Lepus, is visible in the northern hemisphere
in winter. The Greeks were aware of this constellation and it's
mythology is still a mystery. It is west of Canis Major and
Minor and below Orion. It contains a globular cluster located about
40,000 light years from Earth. Most of us rabbit fans already
know rabbits are stars!
irefighter
say "thanks." I receive a lot of news on pet rabbits saved
from house fires. Just a few days ago in San Antonio a blaze
ripped through two duplexes. Everyone got out okay including a
pet rabbit thanks to the firefighters' efforts. Unfortunately,
the homes were destroyed.
it.
March
11th - 3:30 p.m.
March
9th - 8:30 p.m. Rabbit Round-up Continues in Seattle's Woodland Park
- The Seattle PI Newspaper published a great article on the
plight of rescuers rounding up the feral rabbits. The rescuers
are working against time because the rabbits are breeding fast.
According to the organizers there are "200 to 300 rabbits out there, and every
female we are picking up is pregnant." Nonetheless, the
Washington House Rabbit Society Chapter is making sure every
rabbit is given a physical, neutered or spayed and cleaned up.
Most will go to a sanctuary in Redmond, WA. For more
information or if you want to help with this effort visit
Pink
Bunny Keeps going...going...going - The "Energizer" Bunny has
starred in 107 commercials and is beginning another $68 Million
campaign. The first bunny to sell batteries on TV was the
Duracell Bunny beginning in 1974. 
March
5th - 9:30 p.m. Leaping Lagomorphs - Rabbit Hopping is
becoming popular with 4H groups and other rabbit organizations.
My older rabbits wouldn't be interested in this kind of exercise
(even though Rosemary Rabbit can still jump up on a bed and couch
for more relaxing). I first read about it in an article a
couple of years ago:
If
you are interested in articles on rabbits and exercise go to these
links below:
March
2nd - 10:00 p.m. -
They
have posted adoption information, a wish list, etc. on their
website. Please do whatever you can. They expect this to be a
4 month campaign. Best Friends is organizing emergency care,
neuter and spaying, adoptions, care for baby bunnies and a way to
identify does with kits in the tunnels. Best Friends Bunny
House Manager, staff and volunteers are truly wonderful for taking
on this huge rescue effort. Visit their website for more
information:
See
Lapakis
(Rabbits) in Hawaii - Most people don't think about rabbits when
they think about beaches in
Hawaii, but occasionally I have read news stories about rabbits abandoned in Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island or on Haleakala on Maui.
They were rounded up quickly. Hawaii has lost many other
species of native plants and animals to "foreign" invaders.
There is an island known as Rabbit Island (or Manana in Hawaiian)
located just off of Oahu. The tourist brochures mistakenly say
it got it's
name
from it's rabbit shape. So where is the bunny in the picture to the
left. The island actually had
rabbits introduced in the late 1880s by John Cummins, the owner of
Waimanalo Plantation as a food source. A colony of those
rabbits survived for many years. The last survivors were
taken off of the island in the 70's. Rabbit Island’s Hawaiian
name, Manana, means “to stretch out.' Sounds like a few
rabbits I know. A rabbit from the Hawaiian Humane Society is
featured this week as the "Adoptable Rabbit of the Week."
February
25, 8:00 p.m.Rabbit
Postage Stamps Rabbit themed postage stamps were readily
available especially from China for The Year of the Rabbit a few
years ago. However, there are many more stamps from around the
world with rabbit designs. Here are two links to see them:
February
22, 2006 8:30 p.m. Bunnies at College - A couple of students in
Butler at Columbia want to have "Bunny City" as a distraction
according to the Columbia Daily Spectator. The young people
think it would make it a "more livable environment" to have pet
rabbits in residence. Apparently, administration isn't too keen
on the idea. However, a year or so ago there was an article in
the Christian Science Monitor about a college student who was mugged
at knife-point near her dormitory and how her two Netherland dwarf
rabbits gave her a lot of comfort. The CS article said that
"some college administrators are pondering a new role for companion
animals on campus." I like the idea, but a rabbit like Mr. Hops
(above) would eat his way through several textbooks in one semester.
Missing
Rabbit Comes Home Six Months Later! If a rabbit in West
Springfield, MA could talk, he would have a real tale to tell.
A family was reunited with their rabbit, Thumper, last week after
he was found "wandering in the streets of Westfield" according to the
Republican Newspaper. He was two miles from home. A
family member spotted a photo of their rabbit in the newspaper and
went to retrieve Thumper from Animal Control. The rabbit just
turned six years old and no one knows what happened to Thumper
during those six months. The rabbit originally got out of the
house through a pet door. (Take note if you have pet doors in
your house and a loose rabbit.) At least this story has a very hoppy ending!
Things
are Hopping at the
On
the Wild Side: I used to see jack rabbits in Nevada when I hiked
though the sage brush covered hills. I found them fascinating
and still do. I was reminded of them the other day when a blog
reader sent me a link to a book called simply:
I love the cover photo pictured right. The hare looks like a streamed lined,
elongated version of my domestic rabbits. Unlike cottontail
rabbits, jack rabbits are true hares in that they do not build nests
and their young are born fully furred with open eyes. Jack
rabbits can move along at about 35 miles per hour. When they
need to they jump, they can go as high as 5 feet. I remember
them jumping well above the 3 ft. high sage brush when I would
startle one. Go to Amazon to see the book: 
February
16, 2006, 9:30 p.m.
Participate in Web-Based Survey about Pet Rabbit Behavior!
It covers the effects of Neutering and Spaying on Rabbit Behavior.
This survey is being conducted by the UC Davis School of Veterinary
Medicine. Results will be published and it will be the first
published scientific study of pet rabbit behavior. There
are 3 separate surveys, depending on the your rabbit's spay/neuter
status
February
13, 2006, 11:30 p.m. "Proud Owner Saves Giant Rabbit From the
Pot" [Good thing... Yuck!] - That headline and others like "Biggest Rabbit in the
World" were all over the UK papers this past week including a few
newspapers here in the U.S. A big German Giant Rabbit ("Rudi")
started it all and pretty soon there was another big rabbit
(Roberto) weighing in on the competition from a pet shop in
Worcester. So Rudi, the original German Giant in the news may
not be the biggest. A blog reader sent in the photo above and I'm
not sure which big bunny he might be, but he is adorable.
Maybe I should weigh Mr. Hops, but fortunately his diet is working
wonders. The last record holder was Dancer from Kent who measured 3
ft. and weighted almost 30 lbs. I have personally known a big
grey chinchilla Flemish Giant. He was very calm and sweet.
I'm not so sure about this "battle of the bunnies" because their
diets might be geared toward helping them gain weight. Go to
Emergency
Preparedness for Pet Rabbits - With the snow storms back
East this week and all the hurricanes the southern states have
suffered, pet preparedness is something to consider. During
Katrina there were innumerable pets tragically separated from their
owners. Many of these pets including rabbits are still waiting
for homes especially with rabbit rescue groups in southern states
like the
few
of the rabbits available for adoption from the Katrina disaster.
Two of these rabbits are pictured with this entry, Claire (right
above) and Slidelle (left). 
February
11, 2006 10:00 p.m. Rabbit Gardening. You may not have a
giant rabbit with a tractor to help you out, but gardening for your
rabbits is easy. The vegetables rabbits love to eat are easy
to grow like carrot tops, radish tops, romaine lettuce, cilantro,
dandelion greens, turnip greens, etc. Don't forget edible
flowers and herbs like nasturtiums, mints, borage leaves, basil,
rosemary, etc. Apartment dwelling rabbits can have a container
garden out on the patio or lanai. Here are two articles that
have information on gardening this spring to give your rabbit fresh
food:
Thinking
Outside the Cage If your rabbit lives in a cage, you should know
there are some great alternatives with exercise pens normally
purchased for dogs (x-pens. Holly O'Meara with the HRS has
written an excellent article about this at
9:30 p.m. Firemen Resuscitate Rabbit - It was all over the news
a couple of days ago about how a women performed mouth to mouth
resuscitation on a chicken and saved its life. Maybe it wasn't
mouth to mouth, but Firemen with Snohomish County Fire District 1
from Washington State saved a pet rabbit over this past weekend.
According to the Everett Herald Online, the bunny was "having
trouble breathing. A medic put an oxygen mask over the
rabbit's face, and a firefighter took it to a veterinarian for
treatment." They saved the rabbit's life. The photo
above was sent to me by a blog reader showing firemen holding a cute
pair of (fire) rescued rabbits from North Dakota a while back.
Lucky lagomorphs! 
Tube
Tunnel Toys for Rabbits - Speaking of toys ... this one is for
your rabbit. My rabbits, especially my Harlequin rabbit,
Rosemary, enjoy 3 to 6 foot lengths of circular cement forms found
at building supply stores like Home Depot or Lowes. They come
in different diameters. (My sister bought smaller ones for her
dwarf rabbits.) They can be easily cut to different
lengths. I put them on the floor, prop them with wood chew
blocks so they don't roll and then watch the rabbits run in and out
of them. Some brands have coatings on them so find the forms
that are untreated. Inexpensive fun for your rabbits.
A
giant pink bunny has been installed on a hillside in Italy's
Piedmont region as "modern art." It is going to stay there
until 2025. The pink rabbit is over 200 ft. long. The
artist's group who installed it want people to climb up the bunny's sides and
fall asleep on it according to one report. 
the
last six months." "Since August 1st, 65 abandoned rabbits have
been picked up by animal services officers...the most recent January
28." The animal services officers think it is all the same person(s) and they are appealing to the public to find out who is
doing this. You can call the Palo Alto Animal Services
Superintendent Sandi Stadler at 650-496-5955. This is one
mystery that needs to be solved very soon for the sake of these
rabbits. Pictured above is just one of the wonderful rabbits
they have available for adoption. The French Lop above is a
male named Andy who looks like he would be a sweet pet for a kind
human being in Palo Alto area.
going
on a diet now, Hops, managed to fly okay and is doing very well!
Much thanks to Alaska Airlines who got him right off the plane
& directly to me within 15 minutes of landing. Wow! Below are
links to airlines that I know currently fly pets. There are
always rules and regulations plus times of the year when some
airlines won't accept pets at all. See
it's
ears, is an alarm clock, gives its owner real-time info on stocks,
traffic, weather, incoming e-mail, will play a favorite song, etc.
An Armenian in Paris developed this little guy and he can hardly
keep up with the demand. They call him the "First Smart Rabbit" and
Ms. Rosemary Rabbit (one of mine) takes issue with that since she is
a first rate alarm clock and very smart. See them at
February
is
Adopt A Rabbit Month and the New York Post (online
edition) writer Julia Sazbo wrote a very nice piece on rabbits.
Writers who publish articles on rabbits keep them in the news to
let the public know how great rabbits are as pets and where to adopt.
Pictured to the right is another New York City rabbit from the
Animal Care & Control shelter. That is Darcy, a one year old
neutered male and he has a very cute moustache. Speaking of
NYC rabbits, am I the only one who didn't know comedienne Amy
Sedaris has a bunny "Dusty." I also read Dusty is a mini-rex
and was an adopted rescue rabbit. Amy had a Netherland Dwarf
prior to this called Tattletail. 
brochures. You can order them, too, even if you aren't a vet
and leave them for your vet to give out in their office. This
organization also sponsors education on rabbit veterinary medicine.
In May 2006 at their annual conference they will present lectures on subjects such
as: Clinical Application of Analgesics in Rabbits, Diagnostic Bronchoscopy in Rabbits, Mandibulectomy for Treatment of Oral Tumors
in Two Rabbits and Rabbit Serology and Microbiology in Exotic
Practice. Okay, I probably won't attend, but I can recommend
their website and conference to my rabbit veterinarian and so can
you. The more our vets know the better they can successfully
treat our rabbits!
