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With regards to
rabbit enquiries, I am afraid that I
do not have any rabbits for sale and will not have young kits available in the
foreseeable future.
With regards to requests for
advice/assistance about
your rabbit....Due to the volume of emails
received requesting help and advice on the
purchase/selection/health/bonding/companionship/litter training/sexing etc..
etc.. of your rabbits, I am afraid that I am not able to respond in detail
to each individually. The advice below may be of help, or please feel free to
check out my FAQ's page which may answer your question,
or check out my Rabbit Care, Rabbit Breed Info and Rabbit Colour Information
pages for further assistance.
If you are seeking advice on which breed/sex and how many would be suitable for
your particular circumstances, or what to do if you bun has a dirty bottom,
(these are the most common enquiries) my general advice would be as follows:-
1. A mini lop or Lionhead would be more
suitable for a family with children rather than larger breeds such as the Dwarf
lop.
2. I wouldn't recommend a netherland dwarf for young children as they can be a
little bit temperamental and are not quite so laid back as the lops and
lionheads.
3. Rabbits are not suitable pets for children
under the age of 6-8 years.
4. If you are not experienced with rabbits, I
would advise you to choose only 1 x rabbit as a pet. So long as he/she gets
plenty of interaction from the family each evening every day of their life,
he will then be happy to laze around on his own through the day.
5. In my personal opinion, males are more laid
back and less temperamental than females.
6. It is not always the best thing to do if
you are deciding to have 2 rabbits "to keep each other company" as 2 rabbits do
not always get along with each other (even if they are sisters). At 6
months of age they can start to become grumpy, territorial and can start
fighting with each other. If this happens they MUST be split up and neutered
straight away. They may never get along with each other after the op, but you
can start to re-introduce them once their operation wound is settled. But be
prepared in case you have to keep them separate long term. As a general rule, 2
males will not get along with each other if they are not neutered, and even if
they are neutered, they still may fight.. One of each sex kept together from
birth is a bad idea, and very irresponsible. They MUST be split up into their
very own hutches and kept completely apart at all times, from 10-12 weeks of age
otherwise they can potentially start to breed, which can be very dangerous for
the female at such a young age, and can stunt normal growth for both of them.
7. I ALWAYS advise pets to be neutered (male
AND females, and even if you only have 1 pet rabbit) at the
earliest convenience (males 14-16 weeks, females 6 months) as this helps to
prevent hormonal tendencies (i.e. spraying/digging/territorialness/friskiness/bad
moods etc etc etc..) and will help to prevent cancer of the reproductive organs
in later life. If you wait until the rabbit is older before spaying, old habits
die hard.....
8. Any breed of rabbit is suited to being
indoor house bunnies or to living outdoors.
9. Rabbits can withstand very cold winter
temperatures outdoors so long as they are not allowed to become damp, and so
long as they are provided with a deep dry bed of hay and straw. If at all
possible, bring the hutch into a garage/shed etc. to prevent prevailing winds
and rain.
10. If you are the sole occupant of your home,
and work through the day, a rabbit is a great companion for you so long as you
are able to commit to allowing your companion to share your life and interact
with you (as if a cat or dog) on an evening when you are at home. He will be
fine on his own through the day whilst you are away, but this is a big
commitment and not one that should be taken lightly.
11. Above all, rabbits do make loving,
friendly, sole mates for humans, they can be trained to use a litter tray very
easily, will come when called by their name, will snuggle up in front of the TV
with you after a hard days work, will make you laugh, play games, and are a
great shoulder to cry on ....so enjoy them, love them, care for their every
need, and they will love you back unconditionally.......
12. If your bunny has a dirty bottom, put them
on a strict 'Hay Only' diet for a minimum of 2 days. (this is NOT cruel!!!)
Then, start to re-introduce the normal dried food again on day 3. Firstly,
provide 2 meals a day, of no more than 1/4 oz p/meal. Increase this on day 4 (if
all is well with bunny), to no more than 1/2 oz p/meal. The next day
increase to 3/4 oz twice a day. If all is well you can then start to reduce one
of the meals and increase the other so that he is only getting one meal a day,
and this should be no more than 2 - 2 1/2 oz p/day MAX of dried food. All the
time he should always have unlimited amounts of fresh hay to eat. If his dirty
bottom returns, always go back to the 2 days of Hay only.. (cut out any veg/grass/treats
etc...) whilst on the hay only diet. A normal, healthy diet for one rabbit of
dwarf lop size, is 2oz p/day of dried food, unlimited hay daily, and a small
selection of fresh veg every other day, and no, or minimal treats (no more than
2 p/week). You shouldn't have any 'bottom' problems on this diet..
13. The best dried food I could recommend is
called Burgess Exel Supa Rabbit. This is a complete diet rather than a mix, and
comes in pellet form. It is nice and hard to help keep the teeth in trim, and
also prevents selective eating fads. It contains all the necessary goodness and
nutrients etc.. and should be fed alongside a nice, fresh, dry hay daily.
14. Never change your rabbits food overnight.
You must always introduce new foods over a period of 10 days, a little each day.
Please check out my links page for help in locating other breeders.
I am sorry that I am not able to assist in the purchase of your new pet.
Apologies for any inconvenience.
Regards
Jan
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