rabbit

[3Xgranny]

I have one rabbit and I have been having trouble finding foods he will eat. He loves bananas, lettece, and certain grass. He does not like celery. Do you have other suggestions. How can I keep him clean, can you bathe him? How can you tell male from female?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Rabbits should be fed a good pellet and hay mostly, though there's lots of opinions on a rabbits diet. They like tree branches, mine like willows.

I don't think you should bathe a rabbit. Keeping them on wire can help keep them clean. How are you housing it?

Sexing is easy if you know how and difficult if you don't. It helps to see it done first.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Go get him a bag of rabbit pellets and some Timothy hay.
How old is it? If it’s 6months plus you should fairly easy be able to tell

 

[Fishkeeper]

You need to be feeding it rabbit pellets and hay. Foods like you mentioned are treats, not a main diet.
Do NOT bathe a rabbit! They can get pneumonia extremely quickly if they inhale any water at all. If the rabbit isn't clean something is wrong with it or its housing.
Also, rabbits need lots of interaction from a human, like dogs, and a large play area. You can't just stick one in a cage alone and expect it to be happy.
To tell male from female, gently turn it on its back and see if it has testicles. If it does, it's a male. Put it down immediately after, though, rabbits don't like being held on their back and can't breathe right that way due to how their frame is set up.

 

[BullChick]

rabbits don't like being held on their back and can't breathe right that way due to how their frame is set up.

This seems to be inaccurate. I’ve been watching too many YouTube videos to be considered sane. I have also read articles, and part of a book. One woman made a reference to people not liking to see rabbits on their back. Meanwhile, the babies were flopping down beside her, exposing their stomachs for tummy rubs. This was common in the various articles and videos (too many young girls have rabbits and a YouTube account. It was maddening!)
Anyway!! I will be doing a web search on this specific issue. I certainly don’t know for sure. I’m hoping you can help me in this conflicting information. It’s scary how many things can be dangerous, yet proclaimed good (like smoking was years ago).

 

[Fishkeeper]

If you cradle them on their back for a long period of time their lungs sort of settle. There's a difference between that and the rabbit just lying on its side/back of its own free will. They don't tend to like being held that way in any case, so I don't advise holding rabbits on their backs like babies.
The best way to interact with a rabbit is to let the rabbit come and touch you. Remember that they're prey animals. Swooping down from above will definitely scare them, and they often don't like to be picked up. It works best if you sit and let the rabbit come jump into your lap for petting.

 

[Bunnylady]

This seems to be inaccurate

It is.

Most rabbits don't like to be picked up, period, but holding a rabbit on its back is one of the best ways to avoid injury to yourself and the rabbit. Most rabbits will relax when put on their backs; a lot of rabbit people call it "bunny hypnosis." Their respiration and heart rate comes down; when they turn right side up, they are usually markedly calmer than before. The easiest way I know to get a rabbit's claws trimmed is to sit down, and put the rabbit on its back in my lap. Most don't squirm much when held this way, and let me get the job done with the least amount of discomfort for both of us.

If I am handling a rabbit that I know will be calm about it, I usually hold them feet side downward, but if I expect (or get) a struggle, I flip them on their backs. Rabbits often get a bit excited when they get put back in their cages, and a lot of scratching happens as the rabbit scrambles to get back "home." If I think a rabbit is likely to do that, I will hold the animal on its back until I get it inside the door, then rotate it feet-side-down and get my hands out of the way before it can get claws into me.

 

[BullChick]

I did see the information about the trance. I also saw that if the rabbit struggles, it is easy to break its neck. I would hope that would be obvious when dealing with such a tiny critter.
I will not simply dismiss information from anyone though. So many people say things I so strongly disagree with on this site (and of course in life), I would hate for someone to dismiss my information because they like what someone else said.
So, I will clip nails on their backs as needed (in a towel burrito), but not watch a movie with a rabbit on its back.

 

[Bunnylady]

I also saw that if the rabbit struggles, it is easy to break its neck.

I cannot see how that could happen, and in over 30 years of breeding rabbits, I have never seen it happen, nor heard of it happening. If the rabbit's back, shoulders and hips are being supported in the hold, as they should be, there is no pressure on the neck and no risk of breaking it - even if it struggles. I have, however, seen some pretty gruesome scratches from neck to waist on a child who was holding a rabbit in another way that people who claim to have the rabbit's interest at heart approve of, when the rabbit suddenly decided to go rocketing over the child's shoulder . . . and I have seen a few rabbits' backs get broken when other, less secure holds let the rabbit get a claw into someone, and the rabbit got dropped.

I applaud you for keeping an open mind about information. However, I am also reminded of a crack someone made about not being so open minded that your brain falls out. An awful lot of misinformation travels at light speed around the internet, getting repeated and repeated until some will fight you to the death over what they believe to be true, even though it has no basis in anything other than someone's "feelings." Whenever possible, check your source; sometimes even things that "everybody knows" are no more valid that that nonsense about goats and tin cans.

 

[BullChick]

Okay. How about I keep it simple? I won’t insult Fishkeeper because I’m unable to find information to support them. No one should feel insulted on BYC.
Now I’m insulted, but old enough to deal with it. I appreciate your information, and agree with it.