Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: tpepaul on March 16, 2008, 07:16:59 AM
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...here is a picture of our two bunnies, Harry & Winston. They're not technically feline, but they are cute. :)
For rabbit afficionados, they're netherland dwarf/lionhead crosses and they're brothers, so they've lived as a bonded pair their entire lives. We rescued them from a rescue centre about 15 months ago after their previous owners split up. They'd lived outside in a hutch until then, but they're now firm house rabbits and have the run of the place as much as the cats do when we're around (they get locked into a special under-stair enclosure we made for them at night and when we're out for their own anti-cat safety!). In fact, even when we do put them in the garden they tend to come in of their own accord fairly quickly - big wusses... :evillaugh:
Winston (the dark one) is the more sociable and inquisitive of the two and is very protective of his more reserved brother. Especially where the cats are concerned! If Jake chases Harry (who runs away and thus encourages Jake) it has been known for Winston to step in, grunt at Jake and chase him off! I know where my money would be in a fight...
Harry's been really, really ill recently and very nearly didn't make it. He has a weak immune system and caught pneumonia, which in rabbits is more often than not fatal. But thanks to some special vet treatment, some 'alternative therapy' from Michelle and a lot of tlc, he pulled through somewhat miraculously. In fact, I'm writing an article about it for a magazine called 'Rabbiting On', which is the magazine for the Rabbit Welfare Associaton (an organisation of which we're members and support both personally and corporately).
So there you go. Something a bit different... :shocked:
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Beautiful bunnies. I love rabbits
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Gorgeous! :Luv:
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Oooh lovely! Gosh he did do well to recover from pneumonia, I look forward to reading about it in RO! One of mine is a chronic snuffler (now due to tooth roots pushing on the nasal cavity) and I'm constantly trying to find new ways of helping keep it under control - might there be anything from your experience of alternative therapy which might help?
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ooooh what lovely bunnies :Luv2: :Luv2: :Luv2: :Luv2: :Luv2:
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Oooh lovely! Gosh he did do well to recover from pneumonia, I look forward to reading about it in RO! One of mine is a chronic snuffler (now due to tooth roots pushing on the nasal cavity) and I'm constantly trying to find new ways of helping keep it under control - might there be anything from your experience of alternative therapy which might help?
One thing that really helped Harry's breathing when he was really ill was a steam bath. Sounds odd I know, but it seemed to really clear up his lungs and make it easier for the little guy. Michelle put a large bowl of boiled water with 2-3 drops of Olbas Oil (which is a decongestant) next to his cage and covered the cage and bowl over with a towel. We then just left him for half an hour. She was doing that 2-3 times a day at the worst of it, and like I say, really did seem to help. Even if you gave your bunny one a day or one every two days, that might help relieve the snuffling. As Harry's immune system is weak, it's only a matter of time before he gets another cold as he's prone to snuffles now as well, and i know the steam bath will be one of the first things we'll do.
Hope that helps...
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One of our neighbours has a house rabbit who is let out into the garden for a little run. Another neighbour was having some work done by the usual workmen sort of men, I was amused when I heard one of them saying ' Oh look at that bunny ! '.
One thing I've always been curious about but haven't asked my neighbour is - where do the rabbits poop ? Do rabbits have a sort of litter tray arrangement or do they have an area of an inside hutch to poop in ?
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Michelle put a large bowl of boiled water with 2-3 drops of Olbas Oil (which is a decongestant)
I have used this method for cats too when they have really had problems and it does help enormously, However, I must stress that it was only a complementary treatment and not to be tried without in cats visiting the vet first and having conventional preparations as well.
I have also sprinkled Olbas Oil in the pens, sometimes you can smell it for weeks after.
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Do rabbits have a sort of litter tray arrangement or do they have an area of an inside hutch to poop in ?
Many Rabbits poop in say a corner of their hutch & some seem to go anywhere and everywhere. My friends rabbits have a litter tray lined with straw in the huge run and 'go' in there.
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Yup, rabbits are litter-trained as well as, if not better, than cats.
People's initital reactions when you say 'house rabbit' is "isn't your house full of poo?" :evillaugh:
Actually, they're very, very clean. Harry & Winston are indoor bunnies and have their own special space under the stairs, which we've converted into their den. They have an indoor cage, although that's basically a litter tray for them. Most bunnies will use a litter tray in the corner of a hutch/cage in the same way cats do - they stick to one area as their latrine. Ours use the entire cage, but that's because they have free run elsewhere. These two are so clean that they've been known to come indoors from the garden (it's enclosed and we let them out a lot when its warm and dry) to use their toilet, and then go back outside again!! :rofl:
Harry & Winston also have an area of carpet tiles to sit and play on! Sounds odd, but we have wooden floors and bunnies like things soft! So Michelle came up with the idea of carpet tiles - easy to pick up and brush off, or to replace totally if needs be! But hey, I know it sounds odd - we buy our rabbits carpet to lay on... :-: