Rabbits!

[tracyjg]

http://www.justrabbits.com/rabbit-training.html#gs.zZXHIvA

 

[tracyjg]

http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/litter-training-your-pet-rabbit/

 

[noble]

What temperature is it outside where u live?
You mentioned a chicken coop. Is that covered?
Can you use a drill or hamer?

 

[SuperChickRuth]

Hi, I'm thinking about getting a rabbit for a pet. Considering a Mini Lop or Dutch. I don't really want a big one right now, because of expenses, and I'm looking for a breed that's relatively study. I don't want to be rushing him/her to the vet every week.

It seems like Mini Lops are pretty popular, are they also pretty "hardy?"

 

[User395221]

I don't think I'd call any rabbit "hardy" because they have sensitive digestive systems, but with the proper diet, mini-lops are no more prone to "bunny disorders" than any other sort, as far as I know. I have 2, I've never had them to the vet otherwise than for a spay operation and annual injections. (touch wood)

There are no guarantees with any pet, you can just have "bad luck" and get health issues, but there are things you can look for and do to keep them healthy. Feed them hay to help prevent spurs and don't pick a bunny with a malocclusion, for example. Don't suddenly change diet. Do your "homework" as to what you need to know and you won't be rushing to the vet with things you might have helped prevent by knowing what to do.

 

[SuperChickRuth]

I don't think I'd call any rabbit "hardy" because they have sensitive digestive systems, but with the proper diet, mini-lops are no more prone to "bunny disorders" than any other sort, as far as I know. I have 2, I've never had them to the vet otherwise than for a spay operation and annual injections. (touch wood)

There are no guarantees with any pet, you can just have "bad luck" and get health issues, but there are things you can look for and do to keep them healthy. Feed them hay to help prevent spurs and don't pick a bunny with a malocclusion, for example. Don't suddenly change diet. Do your "homework" as to what you need to know and you won't be rushing to the vet with things you might have helped prevent by knowing what to do.

Right! And I'll definitely do my "homework." Thanks!

 

[cassie]

I don't think I'd call any rabbit "hardy" because they have sensitive digestive systems, but with the proper diet, mini-lops are no more prone to "bunny disorders" than any other sort, as far as I know. I have 2, I've never had them to the vet otherwise than for a spay operation and annual injections. (touch wood)

There are no guarantees with any pet, you can just have "bad luck" and get health issues, but there are things you can look for and do to keep them healthy. Feed them hay to help prevent spurs and don't pick a bunny with a malocclusion, for example. Don't suddenly change diet. Do your "homework" as to what you need to know and you won't be rushing to the vet with things you might have helped prevent by knowing what to do.

Just curious. What do you vaccinate a rabbit for?

 

[User395221]

Just curious. What do you vaccinate a rabbit for?

As in, why bother, or against what disease?

(don't you just love the english language?) The answer to the latter is calicivirus.

 

[AxolotlLove]

What do rex/lionhead mixes look and act like? I may be getting 3 sometime next week so I was curious if anybody knew.

 

[Bunnylady]

Is this a case where one parent is a Rex, and the other a Lionhead? If so, the offspring won't have Rex coats, because Rex is recessive, and a rabbit has to inherit it from both parents to have the Rex coat. If the Lionhead parent is DM, the kits will be single-maned Lionheads, which means they will have thin-ish manes as youngsters that will mostly shed out as they mature. Typically, SM's have a few wisps of longer hair around their heads as adults, with pretty much normal hair everywhere else.

Personality-wise, I find that bloodlines are often more important that breed. If the parents were pretty friendly rabbits, chances are, the offspring will be, too. That's not a guarantee, of course, but you are more likely to get nice rabbits from rabbits that are nice, rather than the stand-offish sort.

@cassie In Europe and Australia, there are vaccines for Calicivirus and Myxomatosis, but there are no approved vaccines for either in the U.S. To date, there have only been very spotty outbreaks of Calicivirus in the States, and the "scorched earth" policy is still the official response.