The Bunny Warning

It's that time of year again.  Tansy's gotcha month. 

I love my bunny boyz, but they are NOT a good pet for everyone.  They take a lot of work and are extremely messy.

They went outside into the 'bunny yard' for the first time this week.  Yummy green grass!  Taking your bunny outside is NOT recommended, because there are a million nasty things they can get from the grass and from mosquitoes or flies.  They love it though and I'm probably a bad owner, because I also let Catty go outside.  Inside = safe, but sad.  Outside = danger, but happy.  They only get one life, so I would like them to be happy.

Tansy is the bunny that started it all.  I bought him at the feed store when he was a little itty bitty baby.  I thought he was a girl for the longest time.  Of course, when he started 'courting' me I realized he was a boy.  I already had an appointment to have him spayed, so the vet just changed it to a neuter!

Both of the boyz are neutered.  If they weren't they wouldn't be able to live together OR in my house.  Rabbits are very territorial.

They spray.  They bite.  They rip up carpet, walls and dig, dig, dig.

But when they are neutered or spayed all that territorial behavior disappears and you have the sweet bunny that everyone imagines they will have.

Well, almost.

They are still animals with attitude.

I honestly sometimes think they would make better agility candidates than Tibby!  I thought about getting into Rabbit Hopping before I got Tibby.  They have a better recall that Tibby.  They are extremely food motivated.

Tansy and Kiwi have their own room in my house.  People are always surprised at this, but in my opinion it's so much easier to keep their mess contained in one room.  When I say mess I mean - DUST from their hay and FUR from Kiwi who sheds like a maniac.

Tansy's my little golden boy and he doesn't shed - much.

They are 100% litter boxed trained.  In fact, I had them outside for 3 hours and the first thing they did, when they got back to their room,  was hop in their litter box and pee.  And pee.  And pee.  They had been holding it for a LONG time!  LOL!!  I think that is amazing.  They will NOT go potty any where other than their litter box.  Even if they are outside.

Pet rabbits are European rabbits.  They are not like the rabbits you see running around outside in the forest.  Unless you live in Europe I guess! 

Kiwi is my rescue rabbit.  I got him from the humane society.  In August.  So he was most likely a discarded Easter bunny.  Sad.  But not surprising.  People are just not prepared for the raging (scary) hormones of a mature rabbit.  Trust me they are not cuddly or sweet when they have their bits. 

I adopted Kiwi as a friend for Tansy.  They LOVE each other.  Rabbits are social creatures and they need another bunny to love.  Tansy and Kiwi cuddle together and groom each other.  They are very cute. 

90% of my boyz diet is dried hay/grass.  9% is fresh vegetables.  1% or less is alfalfa pellets.  Some people might say there should be more vegetables and less hay, but my boyz haven't had any problems with their teeth or intestinal blockages.  Which are problems that can happen if your bunny is eating the wrong food (pellets) or too much soft food (vegetables).  Their teeth grow constantly for their entire life and they need the grass/hay to grind their teeth down.  OR their teeth will grow into their jaws and cause abscesses.

So to re-cap.

Bunnies:  Cute and sweet, but a whole ton of work. 

Look another bunny!  They're multiplying!