Protecting Bunnies Everywhere.

I'm not sure why but for some reason pet bunnies seem to be a target of abuse and neglect.  If you or your child adopts a bunny, then you are response for the well being, treatment and care of that rabbit, a living animal.  This responsibility should NOT be taken lightly.

Danger and abuse can come in all forms to a pet rabbit.  Here are just a few:

House Dangers:

Houseplants - move them all out of reach/hop of your buns

Carpets or throw rugs that can be chewed and plastic or rubber padding digested

Electric cords for appliances, lamps, radios, tvs, video games & controllers, computers, printers and phone cords & lines. Anything thing has a cord is a target for a bunny and needs to be protected by plastic tubing.

Stairs - they can fall down them. Rabbits would need to be taught how to hop up and down stairs

Plastic grocery bags - choking hazard and poisonous if eaten.  My niece's cat had himself so twisted up in a plastic grocery bag that he could have died if not found soon enough. This goes for bunnies too. Don't leave them where children or animals can get to them.

Crumbs of certain foods on the floor - alot of foods are poisonous to rabbits and every attempt needs to be taken to keep food and debris from the areas where they roam.

Natural, straw, grass or wicker baskets can be very dangerous and toxic to buns since most are fumigated when transported into this country. Others can have a varnish, paint or stain that can kill or make your bunny sick. Never let a bunny chew on a basket unless the basket came from a reliable pet shop. Take a look for fancy, pretty designer straw baskets on low shelves -- this is dangerous too.   I normally only buy my bunnies baskets from BinkyBunny.com where the baskets are made from fresh untreated materials that are bunny safe.

Take a look around to see what you can find.....sometimes the simplest thing can pose a danger to your bunny or other pet. Know someone that leaves a bra dangling from a doorknob - Hazard - a bunny or other animal could hang themself.  Stairs can pose a threat - block them off until your bunny knows not to go near them.  Rubber backed throw rugs - can be toxic if ingested.

In The Air:

When left outside your rabbit could become dinner to a hawk, eagle, owl or other bird of prey. I don't care how close you might be or how secure you think the pen is - they can still be attacked and carried away in an instant! Don't take your bun outside please. Just don't!

On The Ground:

Cats and dogs pose a huge risk to rabbits. No matter how sweet the animal normally is, don't trust them around your rabbit. Take every precaution to NOT let them anywhere near each other. Some cats and dogs do tolerate rabbits in the same house but this is not common and takes time to nuture the relationship.

Wild Ferrel cats are the biggest risk in my area. Unfortunately we have quite a pack of and they would your pet bun in an instant. Please don't take your bunny outdoors - it's not worth the risk.

When outside -foxes, wild ferrel cats, dogs or coyotes can kill your bun in a heartbeat. Don't take a chance - keep your bun indoors.

Even when housed in a barn - diaster can strike with wild animals lurking in the night just trying to figure out a way to get in and get your pets and other animals. I won't repeat a story I just heard from the still grieving bunny mom - one smart fox was all it took.

Food, oh no that is not good rabbit food...

Please check out my rabbit food page and toys and treats page for some good advice on what to feed your pet rabbit.  Please note that rabbits will chew on almost anything.  Do NOT let your rabbit chew on things like wicker baskets, hampers or clothes baskets - as they will have been coated with varnish or paint and most likely have been fumigated These can all be toxic to your rabbit.  If you want to give them something safe then go to a reputable place to get them something like binkybunny.com for untreated, natural baskets.  They are the best!

Fleas, yuck, fleas are you kidding me?

This is something I'd never thought about. My bunnies are house kept and never let out. Fleas normally come from some other fur animal that are brought into your house. So I googled picture of fleas. They are tiny, very tiny. Blackish brown and oval. They are smaller then the tip of tweezers - tiny little creepy things. Having an issue uploading a pic right now. So I looked online and found these a good webpage with information with treating fleas for bunnies. As I know that  you can't just use any old over the counter flea product. SINCE RABBITS ARE CONSTANTLY CLEANING THEMSELVES YOU SHOULD NOT JUST SPRAY THEM WITH A TREATMENT.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/groom.html

House Rabbit suggests Revolution. I recently visited my vet and posed the question to her. She said "Revloution is the best because it's absorbed into the skin and does not pose a risk of sickening or poisoning the rabbit. Vets use it for any bug that you might find on your rabbit, not just for fleas."  A vet must prescribe Revolution - it cannot be bought in a pet store. Since rabbits lick themselves and other rabbits you must be very careful about the treatment you use.

If you or your child has a bunny, then you must take every precaution to ensure the rabbit's safety and well being at all times.  For example if a friend of your child is aggressive, mean or a bully -  you must take extra steps to enforce rules to protect the bunny. I've heard just too many stories where a rabbit dies or gets injured because of a child mishandling or abusing the bunny. Make sure your child knows bunny rights and wrongs and is not afraid to stand up to the friend, or to notify you of any misconduct or treatment. Bunnies are fragile, sweet creatures that can not tell you when something is wrong or hurting them.  Do not allow a group of children to play with the bunny unless the bunny is use to this kind of activity. Bunnies can be scared to death - it's true.

If you are having a party or a large gathering then put the bunny far away for the activity for the bunny's sake. If you want to show the bunny off, then a responsible adult can hold and show the bunny to others for a quick pat on the head but don't pass the bun around for others to hold as this will stress the bunny.  Then put the bunny back in it's safe place.

If you have a family member or friend, that is not an animal lover then just make sure you respect them by not bringing the bunny out to show them. This will keep them and bun happy.

If you are attending a party, or witness a rabbit or any other animal being abused or neglected - IT'S UP TO YOU TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP THAT ANIMAL.  Suggest taking the animal home until the next day or next week to give the owner a break so that you or others can evaluate the situation, or contact the appropriate authorities as any animal must be saved from being abused or neglected. IT'S YOUR DUTY AS A HUMAN BEING ON THIS EARTH TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND ANIMALS.  There are too many sad endings out there for animals, please do your part to bring some happy endings for these buns and other critters now.

THANKS FOR CARING ABOUT THE WELL BEING OF BUNNIES EVERYWHERE......

Got a question? I'll try and help. Email info@bunnymama.com.