Pleasing 4 Pets

Many people will often buy their first rabbit from a pet shop. The majority of pet shops obtain their rabbits from commercial breeders in order to ensure a constant supply, yet, these commercial breeders usually use mass breeding programmes aimed at quantity rather than quality, which are therefore bred on the basis of profit, although some pet shops will buy from private breeders.

If you choose to buy your pet rabbit from a pet shop it’s always a good idea to check that the shop staff is competent and confident when determining the sex of rabbits, and also that female and male rabbits are kept separate to avoid purchasing a pregnant rabbit.

You should look elsewhere for your rabbit if you are not satisfied with shops, lack of knowledge, condition of the pets or overall condition of the pet shop. The heartache and additional expenses that can be caused by dealing with problems that they may present if unhealthy or pregnant.

If you come across a situation when the condition of the shop or the rabbits were in a state of high concern it is possible that this pet store is not licensed however, the majority of shops will be. However should you come across such a case a report should be made to the Animal Welfare organisation or the local authority.

Rabbits enjoy human companionship and are very affectionate animals. They often prefer to sit by the owners than be handled. However, they have a trainable and very playful nature which means they love to play. Rabbits rarely ever bite, and most can become used to handling within a very short time provided that they are handled carefully and regularly. To help a rabbit get used to being handled it is always good to feed it a piece of vegetable or fruit by hand, it will soon become used to this and will feel comfortable letting you stroke it whilst it eats.

At some points you will have to pick up your rabbit, once your rabbit is happy you will have nothing to fear, it will accept it being picked up and stroked and will usually accept being picked up carefully. The best way to pick up your rabbit is, by placing one hand under the chest of the arm and the other one over the rabbit’s body and other under its bottom, so that you can support its hind legs and then lift it. You should never lift your rabbit too high in case of wriggling and falling, and a rabbit must never be lifted by it ears either. Once you have lifted your rabbit they should then be sat on your lap or held against your chest.

The intended location of your pet rabbit should be considered before preparing the cage. If you choose to keep your rabbit in a hutch outside you should consider where to put it. It should have a waterproof roof, and should be kept out of direct wind rain or sunlight. Indoors, the cage should again be kept out of direct sunlight in a room of constant temperature and away from draughts, consider where to put the rabbit in order to keep it away from heaters etc as well as any other unfriendly pets.

When preparing the cage you should place on the floor of the cage a good layer of wood shavings. Be sure to put plenty of hay in the cage, or in the chamber, enclosed part of the hutch. Place a filled water bottle fixed to the cage a comfortable, reachable height for the rabbit. Check that the water bottle is working efficiently. Pet shops also sell vitamins that can be added to the water that can be particularly beneficial if your rabbit is ill. Fill the food dish with rabbit food and place in the cage. Be sure to place any cage accessories in suitable positions within the cage.

Keeping a rabbit, as with any pet, requires a commitment to care for it throughout its lifetime, a rabbit may live from 5-10 years or perhaps even longer, this commitment includes a routine of feeding, cleaning and spending time with the rabbit, as well as veterinary treatment if your rabbit becomes ill, and this may be costly. Overall, owning a rabbit over time can become a costly experience. Appropriate care will go a long way towards ensuring a long life span and happy and healthy rabbit.

Uterine cancer can often be a common cause of death in female rabbits (does) it can often spread to other organs before it is diagnosed. If the rabbit is not intended for breeding this can be prevented by spaying and is best to be done between the ages of 6 months to 2 years.

Rabbits make good pets, they can be kept either outside or indoors as they make good house pets as they are easily litter trained. This decision will affect the type of housing your rabbit will need, if your rabbit is going to be living outside it will need a hutch, but if it is going to live inside it will need a cage that will prevent and sawdust etc from escaping the cage. Your local pet store will supply these as well as all your other pet needs.

Rabbits for the most part are very sociable creatures, though males when kept together will often fight yet if they have been neutered bucks will live happily together, as will female does is they are introduced to live together from a young age, or carefully introduced at an older age dependent on the animals individual temperaments.

Guinea pigs and rabbits are often kept together as companions, it is correct that they will both live happily together and accept each other, again depending on their temperaments individually, however, the rabbit has extremely powerful hind legs and its habit of bouncing around rapidly can often result in the accidently injury or death of the guinea pig unintentionally, this even applies to the smallest breed of rabbit. As there are also different dietary needs and means of communicating for the rabbit and guinea pigs. For these reasons it is more recommendable that rabbits should be housed with other rabbits as a companion and not a guineas pig.

Rabbits make very good pets as they enjoy human companionship and are generally calm and enjoy human companionship. Without the option to retreat or hideaway they may display a degree of aggression when upset or threatened although very rarely aggressive under other circumstances.

Rabbits are mammals, similarly to rodents they have incisor teeth which grow continually which means that they must eat tough foods in order to wear them back down and keep them in shape. They belong to the Lagomorph family, a family which also includes that of the Hare and the Pika, the word Lagomorph aptly means hare-shaped.

Rabbits form the Leporidae family, this family contains over 50 species, some more common than others, the species that you are most likely to know is the Oryctolagus cuniculus, quite a mouthful, this species is popularly kept as a pet and within this species various there are various breeds which through selective breeding have been developed by enhancing different characteristics.

Rabbits are herbivores which means that they only eat plants, and are particularly known for loving carrots and lettuce, however, lettuce can cause them great illness, they are also known for their high productive rate, ‘breeding like rabbits’. They have very long ears, which can either be upright or loped pepending on the breed, powerfully strong hind legs which they use for hoping about and defending themselves as well as a short little fluffy tail. They make for rather cute and animated looking pets and if trained and cared for correctly they make great pets for children.

UK Veterinary Charity, The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) issued a stark reminder to pet owners recently, warning them of the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite in pets during the winter months.

Despite often having thick coats of fur, the PDSA confirmed that any animal has the potential to develop frostbite after ongoing contact with any cold surface, although Hypothermia is more likely to be seen in small, aged or sick animals, particularly in breeds with thinner coats or naturally low body fat.

The PDSA advises owners of small furries, such as Guinea pigs and Rabbits to house them indoors during sever winter weather. Puppies and kittens experience particular difficulties controlling the temperature of their bodies and the PDSA recommends that they are kept indoors during spells of cold weather.

The charity also advises pet owners to dress smaller dogs particularly those with thinner fur, appropriately, and to remember to clean and dry body and paws thoroughly when they have been outside in cold or wet weather.

One senior veterinary surgeon, Sean Wensley revealed that shivering in an animal is the primary sign that an animal is cold, but that shivering stops when an animals body temperature becomes critically lowered after which animals appear subdued with cold paws and ears. He said:-

“Frostbite, which develops through prolonged contact with cold surfaces, can affect a pet’s ears, paws, tail, scrotum and mammary glands. Affected skin will at first appear white and will be itchy and painful.

In severe cases, the skin will turn black. Owners should check their pet over regularly as a pet’s fur can hide frostbite damage. The first thing you should do if you suspect your pet is suffering from hypothermia or frostbite is to make sure they are dry.

Then, gradually raise their body temperature by placing them next to a well-covered hot water bottle or use a hair dryer, on a low heat. It is very important to call or visit your vet for advice.

Don’t ignore the signs of possible hypothermia and don’t take any chances.

It’s easy for us to wrap up warm and add on layers to keep us snug, but it’s not that simple for our pets, That’s why, at PDSA, we are keen to give owners some important seasonal advice to help keep their pets safe and healthy as the cold winter weather sets in.”

Local police officers in the market town of Arundel in the South Downs of West Sussex have been left bewildered after a finding a series of abandoned pets left in a country lane on the fringes of the town.

So, far a total of five pedigree rabbits and two dogs have been found abandoned in the country lane which leads to the neighbouring town of Burpham, just before the junction at the A27, close to the railway station at Arundel.

The latest animal to be found was a Staffordshire bull terrier puppy which was thought to be around 3 months old. The puppy, wearing a blue coloured collar was discovered roaming the lane alone and in the darkness. Local police confirmed that the puppy was very fortunate not to have been hit by a car in the lane.

In October, five rabbits were found abandoned at the same spot, but unfortunately had to be put down by a local vet after it was discovered that the bunnies had contracted myxomatosis from wild rabbits.

Shortly before that an elderly dog was discovered roaming the same stretch of road, but has since be re-homed with a local family.

Community police officer Lorraine Dixon confirmed that the Staffordshire bull terrier puppy found in the lane was being cared for at the Carleton Kennels in Ford, and that attempts to re-home the animal would begin shortly. She said:-

“He is lucky to have survived. A couple from Warningcamp saw him in the road after the vehicle in front of them swerved to avoid him. He was handed over to the Arun dog wardens, who checked the area, but no one living round there owns the puppy.

Now there have been three cases like this, we are asking people to keep a look-out in that lane and to contact the police if they see anything suspicious”.

A disabled bunny Ethel has been provided with the chance to enjoy an active and mobile life thanks to a specially made wheelchair.

When her veterinary surgeon advised owner Zoë Holbourne to send her beloved pet rabbit Ethel to the rabbit hutch in the sky, she refused point blank. Poor Ethel was rendered immobile after she suffered from an unidentified virus a few months ago which left her unable to move her back legs.

On discovering that she was paralysed, vet recommended that she be put down, but instead owner Zoë, scoured the internet tirelessly for a way to help Ethel back to mobility.

Zoë, aged 46, discovered a small US business which builds bespoke mini-carts for small animals such as Ethel for around £80, so she placed an order to be shipped directly to her in the UK.

Now Ethel is enthusiastically wheeling around in the contraption, which was constructed from feather light plastic tubing and toy wheels.

Zoë said:-

“It looks bizarre but it is just amazing. It has given Ethel a new lease of life.

At first she struggled to keep her balance and kept tipping over, but she soon got to grips with it, especially on flat surfaces.

Now she loves it. The wheelchair is very effective and it stops moving as soon as she wants it to. It doesn’t roll along when she is standing still.

As soon as we put her in it, she starts hopping around and really enjoys it.”

Sadly, as a result of the illness Ethel lost the ability to control her bladder and bowels as well as her hind legs and now has to sleep in specially made nappies.

At least 10% of individuals will experience an intense phobia during their lifetime, and one of the most common known phobias is a fear of animals - or Zoophobias.

By definition, a phobia is an illogical and irrepressible fear of a certain entity or circumstance. Some people suffer from such extreme phobias that will go to incredible lengths in their daily lives to avoid the subject of their phobia.

An illustration of this is an individual suffering from a phobia of birds - or ornithophobia may be too afraid to go outdoors in case they encounter one.

When confronted with the subject of their phobia, some suffers may even experience panic attacks.

Others become so stressed when they encounter the source of their phobia that they suffer from panic attacks.

Rather than a general fear of animals some phobics are affected by a fear of certain animals, for example common animal phobias include dogs, cats, mice and spiders.

Regrettably, most phobics never attempt to seek help, although the vast majority of sufferers who do undergo therapy for a phobia are cured.

Some common Zoophobias are:-

Alektorophobia Fear of Chickens
Cynophobia Fear of Dogs
Gatophobia Fear of Cats
Ichthyophobia Fear of Fish
Hippophobia Fear of Horses
Entomophobia Fear of Insects
Musophobia Fear of Mice
Batrachophobia Fear of Reptiles
Ophidiophobia Fear of Snakes