Friday 27^th December 2002

   
Hi!

My name is Laura and I'm absolutely mad on rabbits so I decided to do a site on them. I hope you like it and also I hope you'll find it useful. 

I have 2 female rabbits called Dusty (she is 10.5 months) and Jet (she is 8.5 weeks). Both of them are mini lops. Dusty has harlequin colouring (half her face is black with a white ear and paw on that side and the other side is opposite (white with black ear and paw)) and Jet is completely black. 

We have had some unfortunate deaths in the past so I suggest if you are going to buy a rabbit an older one is better. This is because what I have found is that baby rabbits are not so good at cleaning themselves, so for the first week you have to check and wash their bum as often as needed to prevent an infection. After a while they learn to do it themselves.    

Buying 2 rabbits is a good choice because they keep each other company and they don’t need as much attention. Most rabbit experts suggest that having 2 female rabbits (Does) is better but I find that a bit untrue. In the past I’ve had 2 male rabbits (Bucks) together and I find that they are more calmer - apart from the fact they mount each other but this can be sorted out by castration. I’ve also had a doe and buck together which is fine but the doe can get a bit stressed if the buck keeps mounting her, and also you have to be careful because of unwanted pregnancy. From above you can see that now I have 2 does which is fine but does can be very territorial (also they are just as bad as boys when it comes to mounting). Because I had my doe, Dusty, with a buck, Velvet, before we got Jet she got fed up of him mounting her so started to do it back and now she tries to mount Jet (it's also quite common for your rabbit to try and mount another pet you have, like a cat or dog.)   

Larger breeds of rabbit, like French Lops, are good for younger children, because they are quite big and children can hug them without being able to pick them up and risk dropping them.

If you are looking to buy rabbits any time of the year make sure it’s summer because baby rabbits find it harder to survive the winter, and also, if it’s possible, try to get some of the food they have been brought up on because changing food too rapidly causes diarrhea which can be quite fatal. If your rabbit happens to get diarrhea then just keep cleaning the bum area and if your rabbit feels thin then fill up its hutch with extra hay/straw which also helps keep your rabbit warm. When you buy your rabbit ask whether they're been fed hay or straw or a mix because then you will have less risk of them getting diarrhea. So far I've found that girl rabbits are more likely to get diarrhea than boys!                                                                 

Ok, I think I had better end there before I get too carried away! Have fun and I hope my site is of some use to you.

Laura x