It’s Rabbit Awareness Week! People in the UK can find free rabbit vet clinics in their area to get their rabbits a full health check.
This week also coincides with a new study about rabbit food conducted at Edinburgh University. Researchers have confirmed that muesli-style rabbit food cause major dental and digestive health issues in rabbits. The study provides a compelling argument that pet stores should stop carrying muesli-style products. According to Professor Anna Meredith, who conducted the study, “Vets have suspected for a number of years that feeding muesli-style foods could lead to health issues in rabbits, and now we have the proof.”
Every year, International Rabbit Day is held on the fourth Saturday or Sunday of September. This year, that weekend falls on September 22-23.
International Rabbit Day is a day to consider the welfare of all rabbits — to promote the proper care of pet bunnies so they can live happy and healthy lives. We’d also like to call attention to the joy and enrichment that well-cared-for rabbits can bring to the lives of their human companions.
Below are a few articles from My House Rabbit that fit the spirit of the day:
What is the mainstay of a rabbit’s diet? Carrots? Nope! Rabbit pellets? Wrong! The right answer is hay. The RSPCA is spreading the word with a new campaign called Hay Fever!, which educates the public on the right foods to give to their pet rabbits.
According to the RSPCA:
In fact hay and grass are the key components [of a bunny's diet], and a new study commissioned by the RSPCA shows a lack of hay and grass in rabbits’ diets is one of the most important welfare issues affecting them today. Indeed, in a recent poll only 8% of rabbit owners knew hay and grass are the most important parts of a rabbit’s diet.
It is vital that rabbits are given a hay-based diet to provide fiber for good digestive health and roughage for good dental health. A hay-based diet helps prevent potentially deadly conditions such as GI stasis, in which the digestive system comes to a halt, or poopy butt, which can lead to fly strike.
For more information about the Hay Fever! campaign, see the RSPCA website.
You can also read about the importance of a hay-based diet in our articles:
Today’s theme for Rabbit Adoptathon week will be about litter training. We get a lot of emails from people who are frustrated by stubborn, “outside-the-box” bunnies. Here are our best tips:
Rabbits tend to poop while they eat hay. So it is always a good idea to place ample amounts of hay either in the litterbox or in a hayfeeder right next to the litterbox (so the bunny is forced to sit in the litterbox if he wants to munch on hay).
Mop up urine with a paper towel and pick up stray poop and place both in the litterbox. This helps get the message across that the litterbox is the place that they should do their business.
Be patient and persistent. Litter training takes time, especially if your rabbit has learned bad habits. It takes a while to retrain them. If you can see they’re about to go to the bathroom outside their litterbox (they may lift their tail or sometimes they sort of shimmy down in a seated position right before they go), try to pick them up and put them in the litterbox or corral them in. This is oftentimes easier said than done of course.
Limit their space. If your bunny is free reign, you may want to limit their space initially using a puppy pen until your rabbit is consistently practicing good litterbox habits. Then, very gradually increase the space, ensure those good habits remain intact. Eventually, you will be able to take away the puppy pen completely.
If your bunny is insistent on going in one corner of the room, sometimes it’s easier to give in to their stubbornness, and place a litterbox in that corner. Sometimes when rabbits consistently choose another place to go, they are trying to tell you that that’s where they want to go.
If your rabbit is pooping/spraying pee everywhere, this is probably due to your rabbit marking his territory. It’s a good idea to get your rabbit spayed/neutered in order to ease territorial feelings.
Sometimes rabbits deliberately pee on your couch or bed because they’re showing you who’s Top Bunny in the house. You should correct their misconception immediately. See our blog post, “Being Top Bunny” and the House Rabbit Society’s article, “FAQ: Training” for more information.
To promote rabbit care and adoption, AfFURmation and Bunny’s Blog are co-hosting a Rabbit Adoptathon Hop starting Sunday, May 13th at 6pm ET and ending at 6pm ET on Saturday May 19th.
Here’s what you do to get involved in spreading awareness:
If you have a blog, create a post anytime during this week about rabbit care or share information about adoptable bunnies. Add in the Rabbit Adoptathon badge (code below) so others can do the same on their blogs.
If you’re on Facebook, you can share an adoptable bunny’s information by using the Facebook Share button located on each animal’s profile page on Petfinder.com.
Learn more about the Adoptathon Hop at AfFURmation.
(Copy the code above and paste it into your blog if you want to get involved.)
September 24-25, 2011 (the fourth weekend of every September) is devoted to learning about proper rabbit care and appreciating the unique companionship pet rabbits offer. Below is a sampling of how you can celebrate rabbits this weekend!
(If your rabbit rescue is hosting an International Rabbit Day event, contact us, and we’ll add you to the list.)
Rabbit Care Information
Check out our articles in Rabbit Care, Rabbit Behavior, Rabbit Health, and New to Rabbits? sections for information on providing a safe, happy environment for your pet bunnies. There is also a wealth of information on the websites listed on our Resources page.
When Easter is around the corner, many people consider buying a pet rabbit, sometimes on a whim or as a gift for small children. While rabbits do make wonderful indoor companions (who can be litter-trained, just like cats), people should take the time to learn the reality of pet rabbit ownership.
The University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences is conducting a study of how rabbits are cared for in the UK.
According to Dr. Emily Blackwell, a member of the research team: “We are keen to hear from rabbit owners about all aspects of their rabbit’s life as very little is currently known about the way pet rabbits are kept in the UK. We want to know where rabbits live, how they behave, what they eat and how healthy they are, as well as how they interact with their owners.”
If you live in the UK and own a rabbit, go to www.survey.bris.ac.uk/awb/rabbitsurvey to complete the survey. Everyone who fills it out will have the opportunity to win 100 pounds.
As January comes to a close, we are entering a time when many people may be suddenly inspired to buy a pet rabbit. The Chinese Year of the Rabbit starts February 3rd, and Easter is around the corner on April 24th. Of course, at My House Rabbit, we love having rabbits as pets, and we love that many other people share that sentiment. However, before prospective bunny owners make any impulse buys, we wanted to encourage a few things:
Do your homework about pet rabbits first! Make sure a bunny is right for you and your family. Check out these articles:
Second, if you have done your research and are certain you can provide a loving home to a bunny, we strongly encourage you to adopt a bunny from a rescue or shelter. Shelters are overrun with homeless bunnies in need of forever homes. Check out the following article for many reasons why adopting a bunny is preferable to buying one from a pet store or breeder.
It’s Rabbit Awareness Week! People in the UK can find free rabbit vet clinics in their area to get their rabbits a full health check.
What is the mainstay of a rabbit’s diet? Carrots? Nope! Rabbit pellets? Wrong! The right answer is hay. The RSPCA is spreading the word with a new campaign called 
Today’s theme for 
When Easter is around the corner, many people consider buying a pet rabbit, sometimes on a whim or as a gift for small children. While rabbits do make wonderful indoor companions (who can be litter-trained, just like cats), people should take the time to learn the reality of pet rabbit ownership.
As January comes to a close, we are entering a time when many people may be suddenly inspired to buy a pet rabbit. The Chinese Year of the Rabbit starts February 3rd, and Easter is around the corner on April 24th. Of course, at My House Rabbit, we love having rabbits as pets, and we love that many other people share that sentiment. However, before prospective bunny owners make any impulse buys, we wanted to encourage a few things:
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