Bunny health checks :-

This can be performed daily and helps identify problems early on

- Check eyes and nose for watery discharge
- Check ears for flaking patches
- Check mouth for signs of dribbling or overgrown front teeth
- Check that the rabbit has been eating
- Overgrown nails
- Loss of fur or dandruff
- Sores on the rabbit's feet
- Faeces of urine staining around the back end
- Change in the appearance of droppings

Flystrike

This is a common problem throughout the summer and must be treated as soon as it is detected as it is a life threatening condition. It commonly affects rabbits that have diarrhoea or are overweight or old such that they cannot clean themselves. Flies lay eggs on the soiled fur, these hatch into maggots and the maggots eat the debris on the fur and also the flesh of the rabbit. This initially leads to the rabbit becoming itchy but then later on the rabbit going into shock and they become very listless. Success of treatment depends on how far the infestation has progressed so the earlier the problem is identified the better the chances of recovery.

Prevention of fly strike
- keep your rabbit clean and dry
- cleaning the hutch out regularly to prevent your rabbit sitting in faeces and urine
- observe and treat if your rabbit develops diarrhoea
- use insecticides such as Rearguard to prevents maggots developing in the coat

* BONDING RABBITS.

There are a few different ways to bond rabbits, and people have different opinions on which way is best. But you must make sure all rabbits are spayed and neutered before attempting to bond them. A male - female bonding is usually the easiest pair to bond.
Rabbits must ALWAYS be bonded on neutral territory. They are very territorial, so do not take kindly to a strange rabbit suddenly appearing on their turf.
Many people use the bath tub to bond, or a run set up on neutral territory. ( make sure you thoroughly disinfect the run to get rid of any previous rabbit smells )
You may want to get a towel ( to throw over them ) or some thick gloves ready, just incase a fight does break out.
Put both rabbits in your chosen spot, only separate them if proper fighting breaks out. You should expect to see some humping and fur pulling. This is normal, as the rabbits are trying to decide who will be the dominant one. Keep a close eye on them, but don't get too close to them. Only put them in their permanent home when you are sure they are settled and happy with eachother. Again, always make sure you disinfect their permanent home thoroughly before you put them in it.
Another way to bond them, that many people i know have done successfully, is to take them for a drive in a pet carrier. The motion of the car and uncertainty of their situation will make them look to eachother for comfort. So they will instantly feel less threatened by eachother.

If this all sounds too scarey, many rescues offer a bonding service, so you could put it in the hands of experienced bunny bonders.

Once you have a happily bonded pair you will never want to go back to keeping a single rabbit. It is so wonderful to see their relationship blossom, and they are a joy to watch.
Also remember, all rabbits have different personalities, so even if your first attempt at bonding doesn't work, don't give up hope. They maybe just weren't right for eachother, but another pairing could work perfectly. It is definately worth the effort!

Interpreting Bunny Body Language and Behavior

Rabbits have a language all their own. here are some tips on interpreting your bunnies hops, kicks and grunts.

* Sniffing — May be annoyed or just talking to you
* Grunts — Usually angry, watch out or you could get bit!
* Shrill scream — Hurt or dying
* Circling your feet — Usually indicates sexual behavior. He/She's in love.
* Spraying — Males that are not neutered will mark female rabbits in this manner as well as their territory. Females will also spray.
* Chinning — Their chin contains scent glands, so they rub their chin on items to indicate that they belong to them. Same as a cat rubbing its forehead on people and objects.
* False pregnancy — Usually just unspayed females may build a nest & pull hair from their chest & stomach to line the nest. They may even stop eating as rabbits do the day before they give birth.
* Bunny hop/dance — A sign of pure joy & happiness!
* Begging — Rabbits are worse than dogs about begging, especially for sweets. Beware of giving the rabbit treats as overweight rabbits are not as healthy as trim rabbits.
* Territory droppings — Droppings that are not in a pile, but are scattered, are signs that this territory belongs to the rabbit. This will often occur upon entering a new environment. If another rabbit lives in the same house this may always be a nuisance.
* Playing — Rabbits like to push or toss objects around. They may also race madly around the house, jump on and off of the couch and act like a kid that's had too much sugar.
* Don't touch my stuff — Rabbits often are displeased when you rearrange their cage as you clean. They are creatures of habit and when they get things just right, they like them to remain that way.
* Stomping — He's frightened, mad or trying to tell you that there's danger (in his opinion).
* Teeth Grinding — Indicates contentment, like a cats purr. Loud grinding can indicate pain.

www.rabbit.org

Dogpages

( see other animals needing home section )

The Animal Welfare Act and Rabbits Owners

The new Animal Welfare Act is a new piece of animal legislation that places a 'duty of care' on owners and guardians of all pets. This means that it is still against the law to be cruel to an animal, but now owners must also ensure that all the welfare needs of their animals are met. The law came into effect on the 6th April in England, and the animal welfare law is being improved as of the 27th March in Wales.

The new law makes owners and guardians responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met, including ensuring:

A suitable environment for all animals
A suitable diet for all animals
Animals exhibit normal behavior patterns
Animals are housed with, or apart from, other animals if necessary
Animals are protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
The new Animal Welfare Act increases the minimum age at which a person can buy an animal to 16, and prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under this age.

Anyone failing to adhere to these stipulations may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison.

What rabbit owners should keep in mind...

Environment:
It's not acceptable to keep a rabbit alone in a small hutch, without the ability to exercise.
Hutches should be a minimum of 6 x 2 x 2 feet - ideally with an attached run to allow the rabbits to exercise.
Runs should be a minimum of 6 x 4 x 4.
Diet:
Fresh food and water should be available at all times.
Feed as natural a diet as possible, ie mainly hay or grass, with a small proportion of greens and rabbit pellets.
Changes to the diet should be made gradually to avoid gastrointestinal problems.
Behavior:
Allow normal behavior, including digging, running, playing, hiding, etc.
Allow daily exercise.
Provide toys that allow the display of natural behavior.
Companionship:
Rabbits are sociable animals and should not be kept alone, unless a houserabbit has adequate human company.
A male/female couple usually get on better together, but will both need to be neutered and introduced to each other carefully.
The companionship of another species, eg guinea pig, is not generally successful.
Healthcare:
Yearly myxomatosis and VHD vaccinations are necessary.
Regular heath checks are also advisable, this is when nails can be cut, teeth can be trimmed and general health can be monitored.
Regular checks at home are also advisable to check teeth and nails are not overly long, monitor weight and check for any parasite infestations, eg mites, flystrike. Flystrike is particularly common in the summer and rabbits should be checked at least once or twice a day.