Elizabeth Reiter's Bunny information with pictures

LA
Full-grown Netherland dwarf bunny. Inquisitive little snoop.

Introduction: Elizabeth Reiter, a member of the House Rabbit Society, sent this additional information about how she and other HRS members keep their bunnies and rabbits. I’ll let her tell you in her own words because she’s a pretty good writer. I’ll throw in some pictures to add a little color. LA

LA
Netherland dwarf nibbling on timothy.

First of all, bunnies do actually need more in their diets than just pellets. They require fresh vegetables and unlimited access to hay. The vegetables are an excellent source of nutrition for the bunns and hay helps keep their teeth at the right length and promotes excellent digestive health. Bunnies are very prone to gut statis and the long fibers help push hair and other blockages out of their system. Also, bunnies have terrible sweet tooths and will eat anything sugary, but too much carbohydrates in their diet promotes obesity (a growing problem in house rabbits) and gut statis.

LA
Most rabbit food pellets contain extra fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And you can add extras.

LA
Dutch bunny over wire.

Rachel Warren, May 27, 2011
not to critized but as a former rabbit show person, 4-H on your bunnies photo it said Dutch Bunny over wire photo, that a checkered giant, not dutch rabbit not sure I fyou notice, but it just a minor oop that all PS if children, rabbits are not good mix, does that mean 4-H should be banned, no kids can joined in 4-H the youngest you can join is 3rd grade

A: The photo caption was a mea culpa on my part. The non-kid comment was made by the guest author of that particular page. LA

Second, bunnies actually don’t do so well with wire bottom cages unless there is a significant padded space, such as a carpet sample. Their nails can get caught in the wire and the rough wire can cause sore hocks and promote infection in bunny’s sensitive skin. Also, cedar chips have aromatic oils that can irritate bunnies respiratory system, causing infection.

LA
Some people prefer the dry "shampoos."

On the topic of bunny skin, baths usually aren’t recommended unless bunny is elderly or disabled and tends to defecate on himself. Their skin is incredibly stretchy and sensitive and can easily dry out and have other issues when a bath is given. Many stores sell lanolin bunny wipes to wipe pee stains off of feet and bunnies do pretty well washing themselves. Heck that’s what they spend 25% of their time doing!

LA
Netherland dwarf using his whole cage floor as a litter box.

LA
Alternatives to wire bottom cages.

Also, I think it’s important to mention that bunnies don’t have to use their whole cage as a littler pan. They are easily litter trained. My bunn and all the HRS bunns use litter boxes in their cage.

LA
Dutch bunny being held at Aqualand.

LA
Dutch bunny being tempted with a veggie treat.

LA
Checkered giant being handled at Aqualand.

Bunnies don’t really like to be cuddled, no matter how domesticated they are. They are unlike cats and dogs in that they are a prey species rather than predator and as such they view the world very differently. Trust often has to be built and they relate well to humans on their level, that being the ground level. Hands might frighten bunnies at first so meeting them nose to nose and allowing them to explore without touching helps build trust. Eventually your bunny will love cuddling next to you, though he or she may never like being picked up. It’s scary up there for a little guy used to being on the ground and this is often when bunnies bite, and oh yes, domestic bunnies will bite. They also will bite to say “hey, move over” because this is how they communicate with each other in the wild.

LA
Baby bunnies always get along together.

LA
Sometimes it's love at first sight -- or first bite.

Lastly, bunnies do like to live with other bunnies. Bunnies won’t instantly like every bunny they are matched with. Like any animal, they have personalities and just like you and I don’t instantly want a relationship with everyone we meet. Bunnies want to get to know each other first. Male/female pairs tend to do best, while male/male relationships are the hardest to bond. At HRS, bunnies can go on “date” where they meet other bunns and decide if they like each other. My rabbit went on a “date” but he and the female didn’t get along, and since we were moving we decided to wait. But maybe in the future we will find him a pal.

Oh, and one more thing. Bunnies and children, not always a good mix. Children tend to maul and frighten bunnies, which can turn them into frightened biters. So the parents decide the bunny has to go, and the bunny ends up in a shelter, or worse left to fend for itself outside, simply because the parents didn’t do the research on all the work that truly goes into taking care of bunnies! Whoever said bunnies are easy to take care of probably never owned one!

LA
"Listen up, pardner ..."

I truly hope you found this informative rather than offensive because from what I’ve seen on your site you have an excellent store and a wealth of pet knowledge. I am very eager to visit your store and see what you have to offer! I’ll provide some links below if you’d like to learn more about the House Rabbit Society and other bunny sites. I am hoping to become a volunteer for the bunny department at the Animal Rescue League and to be more involved in the pet community here. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Reiter

Links:

www.rabbit.org National HRS Website

www.wisconsinhrs.org Wisconsin HRS Website

www.busybunny.com An excellent website for bunny toys and information

www.bunniwerks.org/behave.htm A cute and fun website about what bunny body language says about your bunn!

3600 Sixth Avenue

Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues

Des Moines, IA 50313

515 283-0300

Home
Fish

Other Stuff

	Elizabeth Reiter's Bunny Info Additional bunny info from Aqualand

Amphibians Axolotls Caecilian Worm Chaco Toad Mud Puppies Newts General Newts Eastern Newts Golden Newts Mandarin Salamanders Suriname Toad Tadpoles Terrarium I Terrarium II USA Toads Water Dogs Misc. Toads Frogs Bull Clawed Dumpy Dwarf Fire-Belly Floating Green Tree Leopard Pac Man Pipa pipa Pyxie Red-Eyed Tree Tomato Misc Frogs Misc Frogs II Misc Frogs III Misc Frogs IV Misc Frogs V Animals Bunnies Bunnies II Cat-N-Around Cat Club Cat-N-Around Cat Club 2007 Annual Show Hawkeye Cat Club 2004 Hawkeye Cat Club 2005 Chinchillas Degus Ferrets Ferrets by BOB Gerbils Ground Squirrels Guinea Pig Hamsters I Hamsters II Hamsters III Hamsters IV Hamsters V Hedgehogs Kittens Kids & Kittens Mice Mice Pets II Parasites Rats I Rats II Rats III Rats, Hairless S-T Opossums Siberian Chipmunks Sugar Gliders Sugar Gliders II Water Bottles Bugs Crabby 500 Crab 04 Results Centipedes Cray/Lobsters Crayfish II Crayfish III Cray, Yucatan Fiddler Crabs Shrimp, Algae Shrimp, Aqua Shrimp, Orange Bee Shrimp, Red Shrimp, Flower Shrimp, Ghost Shrimp, Rudolph Hermit Crabs Hermit Crabs II Madagas Roach Mantids Mini-Clams Mini-Crabs Patriot Crabs Giant Millipedes Red Claw Crabs Reiman Butterfly Spider, Black Widow Snail, Apple Snail, Colombian Snail, Land Snail, Malaysian Snail, Mystery Snail, Trapdoor Scorpions Tarantulas Tarantulas II Tarantula Night 2006 TarantulaWeen VII TarantulaWeen 9 Walking Stick Misc. Bugs Misc Bugs II Birds Breeding Tips Button Quail Canaries Cockatiels Dove, Diamond Dove, Ringneck Finches Love Birds Parakeets Pelleted Foods Quaker Parrots Parrot Pictures Parrot Pix II Parrot Pix III Dave's Parrots Lizards Alligators Anoles Bearded Dragon Beardies II Calotes Chamel, Jackson Chamel, Panther Chamel, Veiled Crested Geckos Gecko, Golden Gecko, House Gecko, Leopard Gecko, Tokay Horned "Toads" Iguana New Iguana Dragons Iguana Q&A I Iguana Q&A II Iguana Training Iguana Update Cool Iguana Pics Knight Anoles Monitors, Nile Monitors, Savana Monitors, Water Salmonella Skinks Skinks Blue-Tongue Tegus Uromastyx maliensis Water Dragon Misc Lizards Misc Lizards 2 Misc Lizards 3 Misc Lizards 4 Misc Lizards 5 Misc Lizards 6 Misc Lizards 7 Misc Lizards 8 Misc Lizards 9 Misc Lizards 10 Snakes Anacondas Boa, Rosy Boa, Red-Tail Corn Snake Garter Snake Green Snake Kids/Corn Snakes Kids/Red-Tail Boas Kids at Pet Expo 1 Kids at Pet Expo 2 Kids at Pet Expo 3 Kids at Pet Expo 4 Kids at Pet Expo 5 King & Milk Python, Ball Python, Burmese Snakes Alive Snakesgiving Snakesgiving II Misc Snake Pix Misc Snakes II Misc Snakes III Turtles/Tortoises Box, Asian Box, USA Races Snapping Spiny Sulcata Water Western Painted Live Foods Blackworms Blood Worms Br Shrimp I Br Shrimp II Crayfish 1 Crayfish 2 Crayfish 3 Crickets Dandelions Daphnia Earthworms Feeder Goldfish Fruit Flies Ghost Shrimp Glass Worms Grindal Worms Infusoria Mealworms Microworms Rosy Reds Super Worms Wax Worms White Clouds Decorating Bubbles Driftwood Gravel Plastic Plants Rocks Slow Growing Plants Miscellaneous Bob's Acclimation How to Start How to Add New Fish How to Keep Healthy Which Fish Get Along? 10 Questions to Ask What is Ich? Under Gravel Filters Sponge Filters Cloudy Water Cool Water Tanks Gravel Vacuums Preventing Disease Feeding to the Max Frozen Foods Green Water Nasty Chemicals Overfeeding Power Filters Rift Lake Salts Quarantine Tank Mini-Tank 2nd Av Bait Pet World Visit Dandelions Aquatic Plants Amazon Swords More Swords Sword Plants III Anubias Anacharis Aponogetons A. boivinianus A. fenestralis A. ulvaceous Aquarium/Bog Banana Plant Bolbitis Bunch Bunch Plants II Cryptocorynes Crystalwort Dwarf Lily Grassy Grassy II Hornwort Hygrophila Lace Java Fern I Java Fern II Java Fern III Java Fern IV Java Moss Moss Balls Onion Vermiculite Watersprite Different Watersprite	LA Full-grown Netherland dwarf bunny. Inquisitive little snoop. Introduction: Elizabeth Reiter, a member of the House Rabbit Society, sent this additional information about how she and other HRS members keep their bunnies and rabbits. I’ll let her tell you in her own words because she’s a pretty good writer. I’ll throw in some pictures to add a little color. LA LA Netherland dwarf nibbling on timothy. First of all, bunnies do actually need more in their diets than just pellets. They require fresh vegetables and unlimited access to hay. The vegetables are an excellent source of nutrition for the bunns and hay helps keep their teeth at the right length and promotes excellent digestive health. Bunnies are very prone to gut statis and the long fibers help push hair and other blockages out of their system. Also, bunnies have terrible sweet tooths and will eat anything sugary, but too much carbohydrates in their diet promotes obesity (a growing problem in house rabbits) and gut statis. LA Most rabbit food pellets contain extra fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And you can add extras. LA Dutch bunny over wire. Rachel Warren, May 27, 2011 not to critized but as a former rabbit show person, 4-H on your bunnies photo it said Dutch Bunny over wire photo, that a checkered giant, not dutch rabbit not sure I fyou notice, but it just a minor oop that all PS if children, rabbits are not good mix, does that mean 4-H should be banned, no kids can joined in 4-H the youngest you can join is 3rd grade A: The photo caption was a mea culpa on my part. The non-kid comment was made by the guest author of that particular page. LA Second, bunnies actually don’t do so well with wire bottom cages unless there is a significant padded space, such as a carpet sample. Their nails can get caught in the wire and the rough wire can cause sore hocks and promote infection in bunny’s sensitive skin. Also, cedar chips have aromatic oils that can irritate bunnies respiratory system, causing infection. LA Some people prefer the dry "shampoos." On the topic of bunny skin, baths usually aren’t recommended unless bunny is elderly or disabled and tends to defecate on himself. Their skin is incredibly stretchy and sensitive and can easily dry out and have other issues when a bath is given. Many stores sell lanolin bunny wipes to wipe pee stains off of feet and bunnies do pretty well washing themselves. Heck that’s what they spend 25% of their time doing! LA Netherland dwarf using his whole cage floor as a litter box. LA Alternatives to wire bottom cages. Also, I think it’s important to mention that bunnies don’t have to use their whole cage as a littler pan. They are easily litter trained. My bunn and all the HRS bunns use litter boxes in their cage. LA Dutch bunny being held at Aqualand. LA Dutch bunny being tempted with a veggie treat. LA Checkered giant being handled at Aqualand. Bunnies don’t really like to be cuddled, no matter how domesticated they are. They are unlike cats and dogs in that they are a prey species rather than predator and as such they view the world very differently. Trust often has to be built and they relate well to humans on their level, that being the ground level. Hands might frighten bunnies at first so meeting them nose to nose and allowing them to explore without touching helps build trust. Eventually your bunny will love cuddling next to you, though he or she may never like being picked up. It’s scary up there for a little guy used to being on the ground and this is often when bunnies bite, and oh yes, domestic bunnies will bite. They also will bite to say “hey, move over” because this is how they communicate with each other in the wild. LA Baby bunnies always get along together. LA Sometimes it's love at first sight -- or first bite. Lastly, bunnies do like to live with other bunnies. Bunnies won’t instantly like every bunny they are matched with. Like any animal, they have personalities and just like you and I don’t instantly want a relationship with everyone we meet. Bunnies want to get to know each other first. Male/female pairs tend to do best, while male/male relationships are the hardest to bond. At HRS, bunnies can go on “date” where they meet other bunns and decide if they like each other. My rabbit went on a “date” but he and the female didn’t get along, and since we were moving we decided to wait. But maybe in the future we will find him a pal. LA Oh, and one more thing. Bunnies and children, not always a good mix. Children tend to maul and frighten bunnies, which can turn them into frightened biters. So the parents decide the bunny has to go, and the bunny ends up in a shelter, or worse left to fend for itself outside, simply because the parents didn’t do the research on all the work that truly goes into taking care of bunnies! Whoever said bunnies are easy to take care of probably never owned one! LA "Listen up, pardner ..." I truly hope you found this informative rather than offensive because from what I’ve seen on your site you have an excellent store and a wealth of pet knowledge. I am very eager to visit your store and see what you have to offer! I’ll provide some links below if you’d like to learn more about the House Rabbit Society and other bunny sites. I am hoping to become a volunteer for the bunny department at the Animal Rescue League and to be more involved in the pet community here. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Elizabeth Reiter Links: www.rabbit.org National HRS Website www.wisconsinhrs.org Wisconsin HRS Website www.busybunny.com An excellent website for bunny toys and information www.bunniwerks.org/behave.htm A cute and fun website about what bunny body language says about your bunn! © 2005 LA Productions 3600 Sixth Avenue Corner of Sixth & Euclid Avenues Des Moines, IA 50313 515 283-0300 Home Fish Other Stuff	Anabantids Betta Leaf Betta Breed 1 Betta Breed II Betta Info Betta Housing Betta Pla Kat Choc Gourami Climbing Perch Gourami Pix Kiss. Gourami Osphronemus Pearl Gourami More Pearls Paradise Fish Snakehead Spawn Gourami T. trichopterus Catfish Banjo Bullheads Bull Sharks Channel Corydoras Cory Pics Electric Glass Hoplos Otocinclus Pangassius Pictus Plecostomus Pleco Bristle Pleco Costly I Pleco Costly II Pleco Costly III Pleco Costly IV Pleco Costly V Pleco Costly VI Raphael Red-Tail Shovelnose Sun Synodontis Synodontis petricola Turushuki Catfish Upside-down Misc Catfish Misc Catfish II Misc Catfish III Misc Catfish IV Misc Catfish V Cichlids African I African II African III African IV Amer. Small Amer. Med Amer. Large Angelfish I Angelfish II Angelfish III Angelfish IV More Angels Buttikoferi Chocolate Chocolate Spawning Cichlid Decor Cichlid Food Convicts Convicts 2 Convicts 3 Convicts 4 Dempseys More Dempseys Jack Dempsey Spawn Discus Dither Fish Flower Horn Green Terror Jaguar More Jaguars Jaguar Spawning Jaguar Spawning II Jewel Fish Keo's Flowerhorns Keo's Flowerhorns II Kribensis Oscars 1 Oscars 2 Oscars 3 Oscars 4 Oscars 5 More Oscar More Oscar II More Oscars III More Oscars 2007 Peacock Bass Red Devils More Red Devil Red Parrots Red Parrots Spawn Pikes Pink Tilapia Rams Red Bay Snooks Roger Stephen's Cichlids Severums More Severums Severums III Tanganyikans Texas Cichlid Texas Spawning Texas Spawn II Uarus Misc Cichlids I Misc Cichlids II Misc Cichlids III Misc Cichlids IV Misc Cichlids V Misc Cichlids VI Misc Cichlids VII Misc Cichlids VIII Livebearer Guppies Half-Beak Mollies Moons/Platys Swordtails Minnows/Tetra Barbs Barbs, Black Barbs, Gold Barbs, Rosy Barbs, Tiger Barbs, Tinfoil Danios Distochodus Fathead Minnows Headstanders Killies, Econ. Killies, Golden Killies, Peat Killies, Plant Misc Mini-Fish Pacús Piranha, Black Piranha, Red Rainbowfish Rainbowfish, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Irian Silver Dollar Tetras, Larger Tetras, Smaller Tetras, Spawn Tetra, Vampire White Clouds Pond Fish Carp Channel Cat Gold. Comets Gold. Fantails More Fantails Gold. Oriental Gold Oriental II Gold. Spawn Kloubec Koi Farm Koi Koi II Koi III Plecostomus Shubunkins Oddballs Af. Butterfly Af. Lungfish Af. Mudskippr American Eel Archer Fish Arowana Bichirs Borneo Suckers Brackish I Brackish II Brackish III Brackish IV Brackish V Michael Troung's Pix Butterfly/Wasp Chameleon Fish Chromides Chin Alg Eater Crazy Fish Crocodile Fish Datnioides Dojo Electric Cat Electric Eels Elephant Nose Exodon paradoxus Flounder Gars Glassfish Goby Bumble Goby Butterfly Goby Dragon Goby Misc. Half-Beak Knife African Knife Clown Knife Ghost Loach Botias Loach Clown Loach Kuhli Loach Weather Moray Eel Peacock Gudgeons Polypterids Puffers Ropefish Scats Siam Algae Eater Spiny Eels Snakehead Stingray Stonefish Wasp Fish Wolffish Wrest Half-Beak Misc Mini-Fishes Misc Odd Misc Odd II Misc Odd III Misc Odd IV Misc Odd V Sharks Bala Black Bull Chinese Hi-Fin Banded Iridescent Red-Tail Siam Algae Eater Pond Info Blank Park Zoo Bob Humphrey's Ponds Cattails Maffett Reservoir DMACC's Pond D.M. Botanical Center D.M. Water Works Dr. Ervanian's Garden Duckweed Dwarf Lily Ewing Park "Pond" Jan & Chris's Water Garden John McDonald's Pond Hall's Four Acres Klines' Water Garden Landscaper Effects Mini-Pond Pics Pioneer Corn's Pond Pond Fish Predators Pond on 38th Street Pond Pics Pond Plants More Pond Plants Pond Plants III Reiman Ponds River Scenes Riverview Island Selin's Water Gardens Selin's Japanese Garden Tom's Used Cars Pond Urbandale Duck Pond Water Hyacinth Water Lettuce Wild Ponds