This was recently a topic requested by one of my followers and I feel it is a VERY important topic to discuss. What are the misconceptions of bunnies?.....
1. Bunnies are Cuddly
Well....they CAN be. It depends on the bun bun. Just like people's personalities can vary, so can bunnies. If you come in contact with a bunny be thoughtful and considerate of the individual creature. Really try to read their body language and understand what they are all about. If it doesn't seem like the bunny is enjoying your pets, then there is a 99% chance that you read it correctly and shouldn't force the petting onto them. Each bunny will love and respect you more if you give them the same dignity, love, and respect that you'd give anyone you meet.
2. Bunnies like to be held
NOPE. So once in a blue moon you'll meet a bunny who "likes to be held" and to be honest I don't even believe they really like it; they just tolerate it. I know...I probably just crushed your heart and hopes because you just want to hold and snuggle the little bun bun. However, holding a bunny who doesn't want to be held can be really really dangerous. Bunnies will try and kick their way out of your arms and when they do so it's very common for them to break their back. Just don't do it unless you know for sure your bunny or the bunny you are visiting is tolerant. I would also make sure if you feel you MUST hold a bunny that you do it sitting down.
Bunnies don't like to be picked up for obvious reasons: they live on the ground. How would you feel if a giant just picked you up all the time and would hold you for long periods? Most of us would probably be scared to death! And we are terrified of heights! Bunnies feel the EXACT same way. So be respectful.
It's hard to understand this concept. Up until recently, I always tried to pick my bunnies up. But I realized even if they tolerate it, they are unhappy about it. If my bunnies are unhappy then I'm unhappy. My bunnies love and interact with me 3X as much as they use to because I stopped picking them up. Bunnies are individuals and you have to respect that and let them do their Bunthing.
3. Carrots
Yes, you can give your bunny or the bunny you are visiting carrots. However, carrots are actually quite sugary for them and are really considered a treat. Your bunny is scarfing down that carrot because it's like what ice cream is to 4 year old. Please give your bunny carrots (because they will love them) but understand it has to be occasionally and in small portions. It's important to keep a bunnies diet healthy! They live happier and healthier lives. If you HAVE to give a bunny a BIG snack then give them dark leafy greens such as Spinach. My bunnies love spinach as much as carrots and it is WAY better for them.
4. Bunnies just need a small cage to live in.
WRONG WRONG WRONG. I hate those stupid cages you buy at the pet stores. They are just NOT big enough. And it's true, bunnies CAN live in less space than say: a dog can. But the more space the better. If you have to have your "bunny cage" from the pet store make sure you are letting your bunny out for exercise as much as you can and AT LEAST 30 minutes a day. The more space you give a bunny the happier your bun bun will be. Just be considerate of the fact they may need more space then you are giving them. I also strongly encourage you to consider buying a big puppy pen or XL Dog crate. Small cages just seem like animal cruelty to me.
5. Bunnies are clean animals.
So...yes and no to this statement. Bunnies clean themselves ALL the time so you don't have to (nor should you EVER) give a bunny a bath. But from my experience, in general, my bunnies are not"clean". I have to clean their cage constantly. I mean, bunnies poop so much in one day and their pee can stink. Make sure you are aware of this before purchasing a rabbit. You don't have to clean your own room, but you NEED to clean your bun bun's room or else it will get disgusting fast. And although the bunnies don't keep it that clean, they are way happier in a clean cage. They are also less likely to get sick and sickness is almost always a potentially deadly situation for bunnies.
6. Bunnies are mean.
I hate when people tell me they feel this way. You know why you met that mean bunny at your friends house? Because it lived in a TINY cage it's entire life and rarely interacted with human beings. Bunnies are actually really friendly, loving pets if you treat them in the right ways. Like I said above: bunnies are happiest in a big, clean environment with exercise time, and the proper diet. But they also need companionship. I always suggest getting another bunny for the first one because bunnies are naturally really really social animals. It is possible to fulfill the social aspect by yourself, but you need to be interacting with your bunny A LOT. And lord knows you can't always be there for the bun bun because of work or class or an emergency, etc. I must add that if you get a second bunny you NEED to do some research on how to bond rabbits before you introduce them. Please view my own posts here about bonding rabbits.
7. Bunnies are good pets for children.
I can't stand this one. My own personal belief is that a child under 12 should NEVER have a pet bunny and even then I always suggest bunnies as pets for adults. Children are just too.....well...childish. They are loud and high pitched when they talk so it's terrifying for the bunny. They also ALWAYS want to pick bunnies up which as I stated before should basically be avoided unless it's necessary (like putting them in a carrier to go to the vet, etc). Children are generally uncoordinated and rough. Bunnies are very, very delicate creatures. They need to be handled very carefully and gently. I just hate seeing kids with bunnies. Sure, I let the kids I nanny visit my bunnies because they LOVE them, but I always supervise extremely carefully. Kids and bunnies are just not a good mix.
I hope you enjoyed my entry about bunny misconceptions. What are some misconceptions you think people have about bunnies? As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to contact me. I love hearing from my followers. I also love, love, love hearing feedback about what I should write next! Have a BUNTASTIC day everybunny!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
The BunNecessities
Before you read on, know that these are just my opinions. Obviously, food, water, and shelter are the very truest of necessities for you bun buns. So...
What does it take to make a happy bunny? What are the BunNecessities?
1. An Awesome Pad
And I mean it! You're bunny will know the difference between a well kept space and a cheap, nasty, small dirty one. I really suggest buying two things because they work so awesome! First, I have a XL dog kennel. This works well because it is portable. So when the bunnies have to stay at grandma's house while I go on vacation its easy for me to take to her and set up. They also love it because it's cave like. They like that their are sides AND a ceiling. I often drape a blanket over top to give them privacy and a dark den of sorts. I also have a puppy pen which you can purchase on amazon for around $40 dollars. I set this up connected to the dog crate so they have more space to run. Cages by themselves are just NOT ENOUGH unless you are constantly letting your bun bun run free.
2. A Tunnel
Mine is pink and is actually for cats. It's apparently a Martha Stewart collection, but that's not why my bunnies love it. Bunnies naturally want to burrow and tunnel and if you didn't know that previously you should probably do some more research so you can understand your bunnies. My bunnies run in and out of the tunnel constantly. And they climb all over it too! They love the crinkling sound so I would highly suggest buying a crinkle tunnel for your furbaby. If you don't have the money or want to have multiple tunnels, I make tunnels for my bunnies with old can boxes. just open up the sides, set it up, and viola! You have a totally awesome tunnel/chew toy for your bun bun!
3. Different textured flooring
I hope I don't offend anyone when I say this, but I HATE HUTCHES. They usually have barred flooring and its not good for the bunnies. They get sores on their feet and don't enjoy moving around as much. That being said, my bunnies are most happy when I provide different types of flooring. Currently I have part of their dog crates hard floor exposed so they can lay on it to keep cool. I also have a blanket in their set up, and some flat (not fringe) carpeting. Think of your bunny as a toddler. You know how they make those touch and feel books? Its to stimulate the baby! And in this case, the different floor options will stimulate the bunny! I certainly never suggest all hard floors either because the bunnies can't get good traction to freely hop and run like they are capable of.
4. A Bedroom
This is just a suggestion for the free roaming bunnies out there. Even if you are free roam (which I think is AMAZING and the best scenario for a bunny, they still need their own space. get a cage anyways and just keep the door open! This allows your bunny to have privacy and feel more safe and secure. They are social animals, this is true, but even so they need some alone time. Having their own space provides the best possible alone time because its completely "their's".
5. Herbs
It's really easy for owners to get in a pattern of giving their bunnies the same type of treats over and over again. An easy way to spice up your bunnies life (haha) is to provide them with different types of herbs. Seriously, these have the MOST flavor for your bunnies and mine lose their minds over herb treats. I'll list the bunny safe herbs below. If you feel buying fresh herbs at the store is too expensive, then plant your own herb garden or keep some herbs growing indoors in some pots. :)
Basil (LOVE)
Sage (LOVE)
Dandelions (LOVE)
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Peppermint
Tarragon
Lemon Balm
Nettle
Chamomile
Caraway
Clover
Mustard Greens
Lavender
Dill
6. A Mirror
My bunnies love love love their mirror. I set it down so its at face level for them. It just provides some extra stimulation during their play time. My bunny Rufus especially loves it because hes so vain and enjoys admiring himself. He is just too handsome for his own good!
7. Hanging toys
If you did your research you know that bunnies love and should have toys. These mostly include jingle balls and toilet paper rolls in most households. However I find my bunnies favorite toys are their dangly ones. They especially love these colorful baby keys that I hug at the from of their dog crate and when they are binkying or doing their Bunny 500 they love to run in and out of their dog crate and hit them so they swing and make noise. you can also buy some pretty cool hanging toys for your bunny at the pet store by looking in the bird section!
8. Cold Items
This is pretty simple. I freeze a water bottle and lay it in the cage for my bunnies. I keep my house cool at 69 degrees because bunnies can over heat if its over 75, but i find my bunnies still get toasty. So putting a frozen water bottle in the cage area just gives them something they can lick or lay by if they wish. My bunnies also love their fan, which I put by one side of the cage. They ALWAYS take a nap in front of it. Seriously, its a huge hit. So if you don't have one already, get a fan for your bunny!
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I love hearing from fellow bunny enthusiasts and bunny mamas and papas.
What does it take to make a happy bunny? What are the BunNecessities?
1. An Awesome Pad
And I mean it! You're bunny will know the difference between a well kept space and a cheap, nasty, small dirty one. I really suggest buying two things because they work so awesome! First, I have a XL dog kennel. This works well because it is portable. So when the bunnies have to stay at grandma's house while I go on vacation its easy for me to take to her and set up. They also love it because it's cave like. They like that their are sides AND a ceiling. I often drape a blanket over top to give them privacy and a dark den of sorts. I also have a puppy pen which you can purchase on amazon for around $40 dollars. I set this up connected to the dog crate so they have more space to run. Cages by themselves are just NOT ENOUGH unless you are constantly letting your bun bun run free.
2. A Tunnel
Mine is pink and is actually for cats. It's apparently a Martha Stewart collection, but that's not why my bunnies love it. Bunnies naturally want to burrow and tunnel and if you didn't know that previously you should probably do some more research so you can understand your bunnies. My bunnies run in and out of the tunnel constantly. And they climb all over it too! They love the crinkling sound so I would highly suggest buying a crinkle tunnel for your furbaby. If you don't have the money or want to have multiple tunnels, I make tunnels for my bunnies with old can boxes. just open up the sides, set it up, and viola! You have a totally awesome tunnel/chew toy for your bun bun!
3. Different textured flooring
I hope I don't offend anyone when I say this, but I HATE HUTCHES. They usually have barred flooring and its not good for the bunnies. They get sores on their feet and don't enjoy moving around as much. That being said, my bunnies are most happy when I provide different types of flooring. Currently I have part of their dog crates hard floor exposed so they can lay on it to keep cool. I also have a blanket in their set up, and some flat (not fringe) carpeting. Think of your bunny as a toddler. You know how they make those touch and feel books? Its to stimulate the baby! And in this case, the different floor options will stimulate the bunny! I certainly never suggest all hard floors either because the bunnies can't get good traction to freely hop and run like they are capable of.
4. A Bedroom
This is just a suggestion for the free roaming bunnies out there. Even if you are free roam (which I think is AMAZING and the best scenario for a bunny, they still need their own space. get a cage anyways and just keep the door open! This allows your bunny to have privacy and feel more safe and secure. They are social animals, this is true, but even so they need some alone time. Having their own space provides the best possible alone time because its completely "their's".
5. Herbs
It's really easy for owners to get in a pattern of giving their bunnies the same type of treats over and over again. An easy way to spice up your bunnies life (haha) is to provide them with different types of herbs. Seriously, these have the MOST flavor for your bunnies and mine lose their minds over herb treats. I'll list the bunny safe herbs below. If you feel buying fresh herbs at the store is too expensive, then plant your own herb garden or keep some herbs growing indoors in some pots. :)
Basil (LOVE)
Sage (LOVE)
Dandelions (LOVE)
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Peppermint
Tarragon
Lemon Balm
Nettle
Chamomile
Caraway
Clover
Mustard Greens
Lavender
Dill
6. A Mirror
My bunnies love love love their mirror. I set it down so its at face level for them. It just provides some extra stimulation during their play time. My bunny Rufus especially loves it because hes so vain and enjoys admiring himself. He is just too handsome for his own good!
7. Hanging toys
If you did your research you know that bunnies love and should have toys. These mostly include jingle balls and toilet paper rolls in most households. However I find my bunnies favorite toys are their dangly ones. They especially love these colorful baby keys that I hug at the from of their dog crate and when they are binkying or doing their Bunny 500 they love to run in and out of their dog crate and hit them so they swing and make noise. you can also buy some pretty cool hanging toys for your bunny at the pet store by looking in the bird section!
8. Cold Items
This is pretty simple. I freeze a water bottle and lay it in the cage for my bunnies. I keep my house cool at 69 degrees because bunnies can over heat if its over 75, but i find my bunnies still get toasty. So putting a frozen water bottle in the cage area just gives them something they can lick or lay by if they wish. My bunnies also love their fan, which I put by one side of the cage. They ALWAYS take a nap in front of it. Seriously, its a huge hit. So if you don't have one already, get a fan for your bunny!
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I love hearing from fellow bunny enthusiasts and bunny mamas and papas.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Bunny Personality
We have all had the same dream. You know, the one where you own a pet and the relationship is perfect. You come home and your fur baby is just itching to see you. You get down on the floor and your pet runs over to be cuddled and loved.
I mean, yes it does exsist and it's a wonderful thing. But, here is the problem, we don't consider that our pets (especially bunnies) have distinct personalities. Trust me, I've been there. I've had the aching feeling in my heart as my bunny Pippa rejects my attention and love. "What am I doing wrong?" I ask myself.
Consider this: how would you feel if your in the mood to relax. You just want to kick up your feet, maybe have a snack, and watch some Netflix. You just really need your alone time right now. But your roommate walks in and is polking you and trying to have a conversation with you...you'd be kind of peeved right? RIGHT! This is how your bunny may feel!
Just like the extrovert and introvert variation in humans, bunnies too can have either personality. Before your dreams are crushed because your bunny won't love you in the way you want, just stop yourself. It's about respect. And you know what? Your bunny is teaching you an important life lesson! We need to accept that all people and animals are different. Especially animals. We are incapable of having a conversation with them like we can have with your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can't lean over to thumper and tell him you need more attention and hugs or your going to break it off. So......
Make a list in your head of the good parts about your (not so perfect personality) bunny.
EXAMPLE: Pippa runs away from me a lot....but she always greets me at the front of the cage when I say hi. She doesn't come up to me for head scratches often....but she loves to put her paws on me when she eats her kale snack.
I love these things! This is what makes my bunny Pippa, Pippa! So before you judge your rabbit because of their actions. Try to remind yourself that different is good. It makes life exciting and beautiful. And I promise you.....just because bun bun hates you picking him/her up doesn't mean bun bun doesn't love you. 😊
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me! I also encourage you to suggest topics that I can talk about. Love you EVERYBUNNY 😍 Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @Onceupona_Whisker !!
I mean, yes it does exsist and it's a wonderful thing. But, here is the problem, we don't consider that our pets (especially bunnies) have distinct personalities. Trust me, I've been there. I've had the aching feeling in my heart as my bunny Pippa rejects my attention and love. "What am I doing wrong?" I ask myself.
Consider this: how would you feel if your in the mood to relax. You just want to kick up your feet, maybe have a snack, and watch some Netflix. You just really need your alone time right now. But your roommate walks in and is polking you and trying to have a conversation with you...you'd be kind of peeved right? RIGHT! This is how your bunny may feel!
Just like the extrovert and introvert variation in humans, bunnies too can have either personality. Before your dreams are crushed because your bunny won't love you in the way you want, just stop yourself. It's about respect. And you know what? Your bunny is teaching you an important life lesson! We need to accept that all people and animals are different. Especially animals. We are incapable of having a conversation with them like we can have with your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can't lean over to thumper and tell him you need more attention and hugs or your going to break it off. So......
Make a list in your head of the good parts about your (not so perfect personality) bunny.
EXAMPLE: Pippa runs away from me a lot....but she always greets me at the front of the cage when I say hi. She doesn't come up to me for head scratches often....but she loves to put her paws on me when she eats her kale snack.
I love these things! This is what makes my bunny Pippa, Pippa! So before you judge your rabbit because of their actions. Try to remind yourself that different is good. It makes life exciting and beautiful. And I promise you.....just because bun bun hates you picking him/her up doesn't mean bun bun doesn't love you. 😊
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me! I also encourage you to suggest topics that I can talk about. Love you EVERYBUNNY 😍 Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @Onceupona_Whisker !!
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