i have a female rabbit that my friend and i mated last moday (8 days ago) and i was just woundering when will i see a change in her behavior/body.What are the first signs of rabbit pregnancy?
she will start pulling her fur out , and she will make a nest
it will usally be a pile of whatever you use, like a big pile or straw and sawdust, and she will put her fur on it, or next to it.
you cant move the nest, clean around it.
if you move it, she will pull more fur out, and make it again.
she may also get aggresive when you go near it or even near her, it depends how strong a bond you have with her.What are the first signs of rabbit pregnancy?
Vomit.
Rabbits are unlike dogs and cats and you wont see a physical change in them.
11-14 days after breeding an experience breeder or vet can palpate (feel the rabbits stomach) and feel if there are babies, however this isn't always accurate and should not be done alone by someone without experience because you can injure the babies.
14 days - you can try to perform a test breeding. The theory is that if the doe is pregnant that she will not accept the bucks breeding, though some does will accept the breeding anyway or may not want to breed even if they aren't pregnant
About a week before being due, the doe may begin to carry hay around in her mouth to build a nest
24-48 hours before - this is when most does will begin to pull hair. Though rarely does will pull hair sooner.
Even if you see these behaviors there is still a chance she is having a false pregnancy. The only sure way to know with rabbits is to wait and see =] Remember to put in a nest box on day 28 and you should see babies by day 31.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Is there a place that sells rabbit fur that is ';Fair Trade'; certified?
I love working with rabbit fur for crafts, but don't anymore because of the animals living conditions. I was wondering if there was a place that sold the fur that was harvested humanely or another product that looks, feels, AND smells like rabbit fur? Thank for any help.Is there a place that sells rabbit fur that is ';Fair Trade'; certified?
There ar lots of Yahoo! Groups that are rabbit related. Showbunny, Meatrabbits, and lots of others. The only fur that is harvested from rabbits is Angora fur and it is pretty pricey. You may be able to find a breeder in your area with Angoras or perhaps a Woolie that you can get some fur from economically.
You might find a breeder in your area here:
http://www.arba.net/Breeds.htm
Click on the rabbit and you will go to the National Club for that breed.
Here are some rabbit ';fiber'; links
http://whisperingwillowrabbitry.com/ango鈥?/a>
http://www.maineangoraproducers.com/memb鈥?/a>
http://www.allfiberarts.com/library/aa97鈥?/a>
http://www.kendigcottage.com/AngoraRabbi鈥?/a>
http://www.localharvest.org/prime-clippe鈥?/a>
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?lis鈥?/a>
http://www.apparelsearch.com/fibers.htm
I hope this helps you find what you're looking for.
There ar lots of Yahoo! Groups that are rabbit related. Showbunny, Meatrabbits, and lots of others. The only fur that is harvested from rabbits is Angora fur and it is pretty pricey. You may be able to find a breeder in your area with Angoras or perhaps a Woolie that you can get some fur from economically.
You might find a breeder in your area here:
http://www.arba.net/Breeds.htm
Click on the rabbit and you will go to the National Club for that breed.
Here are some rabbit ';fiber'; links
http://whisperingwillowrabbitry.com/ango鈥?/a>
http://www.maineangoraproducers.com/memb鈥?/a>
http://www.allfiberarts.com/library/aa97鈥?/a>
http://www.kendigcottage.com/AngoraRabbi鈥?/a>
http://www.localharvest.org/prime-clippe鈥?/a>
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?lis鈥?/a>
http://www.apparelsearch.com/fibers.htm
I hope this helps you find what you're looking for.
Will eating part of a dead rabbit hurt my pet dog?
My dog recently found a dead wild rabbit in the yard and may have eaten some of it. He isn't a retriever and didn't carry the dead animal, but did have some rabbit fur around his mouth after we discovered him sniffing around the area. The rabbit appears to have been killed by some other animal. (Perhaps the neighbor';s cat that roams at night.) My dog is twelve years old and generally in good health. He is current on his rabies shot at this time.Will eating part of a dead rabbit hurt my pet dog?
Well as gross as it seems, and IS...we have a cat that will occasionally score a rabbit and eat part of it, sometimes she'll just eat it's face off... *barf*
Really, if it's still fresh and hadn't already been laying around rotting forever then it probably shouldn't hurt him. If it's been a while since he ate it and he's fine, then he's fine. Though just as a precaution I'd ask the vet if they feel it would be wise to give him meds for worms, and whatnot.Will eating part of a dead rabbit hurt my pet dog?
Your dog should be OK. Watch for any change in his stool and how he acts but unless the rabbit had been dead for a long time he should be OK. Just to be sure call your vet.
Rabbits are natural food for dogs. Some people buy whole, unprocessed rabbit carcasses to feed their dog as part of an all-natural diet called (don't laugh) BARF that aims to give pets complete nutrition.
Your dog is only going to get sick if it gets a bone stuck in its's throat or if the rabbit was poisoned or had a disease. It wouldn't have eaten it, most likely, if it were partially decomposed - and even then, dogs stomachs are very strong.
It could give him worms.If it was rotten he could get sick and vomit and if the rabbit was poisoned then so could your dog.If the rabbit got bit by something that had rabies then your dog could get rabies too.
What do you think wolves eat? He will be fine! Check out this diet I feed my dogs:
http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/鈥?/a>urban decay
Well as gross as it seems, and IS...we have a cat that will occasionally score a rabbit and eat part of it, sometimes she'll just eat it's face off... *barf*
Really, if it's still fresh and hadn't already been laying around rotting forever then it probably shouldn't hurt him. If it's been a while since he ate it and he's fine, then he's fine. Though just as a precaution I'd ask the vet if they feel it would be wise to give him meds for worms, and whatnot.Will eating part of a dead rabbit hurt my pet dog?
Your dog should be OK. Watch for any change in his stool and how he acts but unless the rabbit had been dead for a long time he should be OK. Just to be sure call your vet.
Rabbits are natural food for dogs. Some people buy whole, unprocessed rabbit carcasses to feed their dog as part of an all-natural diet called (don't laugh) BARF that aims to give pets complete nutrition.
Your dog is only going to get sick if it gets a bone stuck in its's throat or if the rabbit was poisoned or had a disease. It wouldn't have eaten it, most likely, if it were partially decomposed - and even then, dogs stomachs are very strong.
It could give him worms.If it was rotten he could get sick and vomit and if the rabbit was poisoned then so could your dog.If the rabbit got bit by something that had rabies then your dog could get rabies too.
What do you think wolves eat? He will be fine! Check out this diet I feed my dogs:
http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/鈥?/a>
How do you know if your Rabbit is blind?
Please help??? What are the signs? What can cause blindness?
(Serious answers only please!)
My Rabbit:
She is 10 years old, Eyes are SLIGHTLY ';foggy';. She has a very varied diet, has time noth indoors and out. She is a domestic breed, white with brown spots and normal ears.
Just noticed it last night when she got frightened and ran into a tree and a wall. (It was at 10 o'clock night)How do you know if your Rabbit is blind?
Try waving your hand around in front of her and see if she responds. Other signs are her running into things, or just not responding to any movements. When you are testing her to see if she responds, remember that she can still hear and feel vibrations through the floor, so try to keep it just by sight.
She probably is forming cateracts in her eyes. They look like what you described, cloudy layers over the eyes.
Take her to the vet as soon as you can. He will probably be able to tell you if she is definatly blind.
Edit - To make it easier for her, try not to move anything around, like furniture. If you were to move them she could run into them and get seriously hurt. When aproching her talk softly and ease into pettiing her. Try not to make loud, sudden noises while she is near, like running a vacuum. Your vet will tell you more ways to help.How do you know if your Rabbit is blind?
';Just noticed it last night when she got frightened and ran into a tree and a wall.';
I think you just answered your own question. Rabbits with normal vision would NEVER do that !
If she ran into a tree directly in front of her while she was spooked, that is probably not too much of a worry. www.rabbit.org has some information on what rabbits see - they recognize general shapes (rather than exact details) and see almost 360 degrees, but not directly on top of their heads or directly in front of them (because of how their eyes are positioned). You can take her to the vet to see if she's blind - she may have cateracts (it's genetic and can be fixed if need be), but many rabbits live just fine blind. They rely on hearing and scent more than sight, so if she is going blind, just make sure you keep her indoors. Good luck and lots of bunny love!
shes starting to cataracts with the cloudy vision..you couls have an eye lens transplant like in humans
(Serious answers only please!)
My Rabbit:
She is 10 years old, Eyes are SLIGHTLY ';foggy';. She has a very varied diet, has time noth indoors and out. She is a domestic breed, white with brown spots and normal ears.
Just noticed it last night when she got frightened and ran into a tree and a wall. (It was at 10 o'clock night)How do you know if your Rabbit is blind?
Try waving your hand around in front of her and see if she responds. Other signs are her running into things, or just not responding to any movements. When you are testing her to see if she responds, remember that she can still hear and feel vibrations through the floor, so try to keep it just by sight.
She probably is forming cateracts in her eyes. They look like what you described, cloudy layers over the eyes.
Take her to the vet as soon as you can. He will probably be able to tell you if she is definatly blind.
Edit - To make it easier for her, try not to move anything around, like furniture. If you were to move them she could run into them and get seriously hurt. When aproching her talk softly and ease into pettiing her. Try not to make loud, sudden noises while she is near, like running a vacuum. Your vet will tell you more ways to help.How do you know if your Rabbit is blind?
';Just noticed it last night when she got frightened and ran into a tree and a wall.';
I think you just answered your own question. Rabbits with normal vision would NEVER do that !
If she ran into a tree directly in front of her while she was spooked, that is probably not too much of a worry. www.rabbit.org has some information on what rabbits see - they recognize general shapes (rather than exact details) and see almost 360 degrees, but not directly on top of their heads or directly in front of them (because of how their eyes are positioned). You can take her to the vet to see if she's blind - she may have cateracts (it's genetic and can be fixed if need be), but many rabbits live just fine blind. They rely on hearing and scent more than sight, so if she is going blind, just make sure you keep her indoors. Good luck and lots of bunny love!
shes starting to cataracts with the cloudy vision..you couls have an eye lens transplant like in humans
How do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
I have just recently had to have one of my rabbits ('Smudge') put to sleep, it has broken my heart as i still have another rabbit and i hate to see him unhappy. Smudge used to always look after him, as the rabbit i have left is very shy. I want to build a relationship with him so he isn't lonely, and that so he isn't scared of me now that the other rabbit isn't here to protect him (Smudge would always guard him).
Please help me!
Thanks from my rabbitHow do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
So sorry to hear about Smudge, it's always hard to have to put a loved pet to sleep. I have had the same problem a few times myself, with both rabbit and guinea pigs. Keep an eye on his food, as when I had this problem with a rabbit he stopped eating and had to be syringe-fed for a while. Not saying this will happen to you but it's better to keep an eye on his eating habits.
As your rabbit is very shy, treat him like you would a rabbit you've just met. Start with the basics, let him sniff your hand without picking him up. If you can, sit in his cage/run and let him get used to your scent. When he dosen't run away from you, stroke him, pick him up, hand feed him, basically give him lots of cuddles and attention. Spend as much time as you can with him, and talk to him. My bunny loves the sound of my voice, it's a familiar sound which is comforting to a rabbit.
For when you're not there, give him lots of toys. Tunnels (made of beer containers or bits of plastic pipe, ask people doing roadworks for cut-offs), sticks, and cardboard boxes are all free and very entertaining toys. My rabbit loves loo roll tubes stuffed with hay with treats in the middle, she has to chew through to get them out. Anything that rolls and makes a noise is a winner too.
You could also try adopting another rabbit, I know you might not want to at the moment but you may feel differently later. It can be a lot of work to pair rabbits, especially as he's already been bonded, he might not be too keen on another partner but then again it could work really well, it really does depend on every individual rabbit.
Best of luck and hope you and your bunny feel better.How do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
Hi there.
There are a number of things to make your rabbit respect you and become friends:
1. Hand-feed your rabbit. This will show your rabbit you're not there to hurt it and it will grow in confidence when you do this.
2. Play with it. Bring it indoors and sit it on your lap.
3. Talk to it. This may sound strange, but a familiar voice is comforting to an upset bunny!
4. Get a rattle/ball/small toy for your rabbit. Rabbits love toys and they are very stimulating.
I hope I helped you out - good luck :)
The first two answers given are both really excellent and should help greatly.
I am so sorry for your loss - all I can add is that I had much the same a few years ago and the survivor stopped eating! A combination of treats, toys and spending hours and hours with her helped her. After a good few days she bonded with me and lived well into old age.
Another idea might be to try adopting a companion - your nearest shelter will be able to advise you on this and some even offer you the chance to take your rabbit along.
Also when the rabbit is out of his cage and just in the same area as you, make sure you're quite low to the ground - lying down is best, or at least sitting. Just wait for him to come to you. It will take time, but if you're patient and gentle he will learn to trust you.
Start by just walking up to and past the cage. After a few times of doing this, open and close the cage. After the rabbit is comfortable with that move on to stroking it and picking it up. This way you can desensitize your rabbit to you. :) Good luck
Please help me!
Thanks from my rabbitHow do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
So sorry to hear about Smudge, it's always hard to have to put a loved pet to sleep. I have had the same problem a few times myself, with both rabbit and guinea pigs. Keep an eye on his food, as when I had this problem with a rabbit he stopped eating and had to be syringe-fed for a while. Not saying this will happen to you but it's better to keep an eye on his eating habits.
As your rabbit is very shy, treat him like you would a rabbit you've just met. Start with the basics, let him sniff your hand without picking him up. If you can, sit in his cage/run and let him get used to your scent. When he dosen't run away from you, stroke him, pick him up, hand feed him, basically give him lots of cuddles and attention. Spend as much time as you can with him, and talk to him. My bunny loves the sound of my voice, it's a familiar sound which is comforting to a rabbit.
For when you're not there, give him lots of toys. Tunnels (made of beer containers or bits of plastic pipe, ask people doing roadworks for cut-offs), sticks, and cardboard boxes are all free and very entertaining toys. My rabbit loves loo roll tubes stuffed with hay with treats in the middle, she has to chew through to get them out. Anything that rolls and makes a noise is a winner too.
You could also try adopting another rabbit, I know you might not want to at the moment but you may feel differently later. It can be a lot of work to pair rabbits, especially as he's already been bonded, he might not be too keen on another partner but then again it could work really well, it really does depend on every individual rabbit.
Best of luck and hope you and your bunny feel better.How do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
Hi there.
There are a number of things to make your rabbit respect you and become friends:
1. Hand-feed your rabbit. This will show your rabbit you're not there to hurt it and it will grow in confidence when you do this.
2. Play with it. Bring it indoors and sit it on your lap.
3. Talk to it. This may sound strange, but a familiar voice is comforting to an upset bunny!
4. Get a rattle/ball/small toy for your rabbit. Rabbits love toys and they are very stimulating.
I hope I helped you out - good luck :)
The first two answers given are both really excellent and should help greatly.
I am so sorry for your loss - all I can add is that I had much the same a few years ago and the survivor stopped eating! A combination of treats, toys and spending hours and hours with her helped her. After a good few days she bonded with me and lived well into old age.
Another idea might be to try adopting a companion - your nearest shelter will be able to advise you on this and some even offer you the chance to take your rabbit along.
Also when the rabbit is out of his cage and just in the same area as you, make sure you're quite low to the ground - lying down is best, or at least sitting. Just wait for him to come to you. It will take time, but if you're patient and gentle he will learn to trust you.
Start by just walking up to and past the cage. After a few times of doing this, open and close the cage. After the rabbit is comfortable with that move on to stroking it and picking it up. This way you can desensitize your rabbit to you. :) Good luck
Estimate the total cost of a rabbit and their needs?
cage, food, etc.
and i'm talking DWARF rabbit.
they're 79.99 in arkansas.Estimate the total cost of a rabbit and their needs?
Cages go for around $100 and vet bills will be around $150-200 counting spaying/neutering. Bedding, food, and toys are around $50. Then there's the cost of your bunny. Bunnies should go to the vet once a year after their first year, so set some money aside for that (bunnies can live as long as 15 years). May I ask where you're getting him from? $80 is a lot for a dwarf bunny.Estimate the total cost of a rabbit and their needs?
Well accually instead of a rabbit, I would reccommend a Conure. A Conure is a very smart and very small parrot. It could accually live about 38 years longer than the average life span of a rabbit. and the cooler thing is that they can talk!
You can play games with them and they have alot less poop to clean up.
Let's see a bird cage can cost around from $40 to about $800. An average conure con range from $100 to $2000.( of course thats for the most costly and most endangered species of conure there is on the whole planet. Its called the Queen of Bavaria Conure.you need a permit for those ones. i would not reccomend a Queen of Bavaria as a first conure.) I would recommend a Green-cheeked conure. the easiest to take care of. supplies from your local bird store that he could live a happy healthy life about $230.00( that would include 2 different sized perches, to strect his feet, a T-stand, and Accesories to make your bird a happy bird.) And An owners manual which is about $9-$20. So you could spend A range from $379 to about $3050. But think about how much longer your pet will live and its intelligence level is extremely high compared to a rabbits intelligence. It could talk to you and you could make it do tricks. and it can cuddle up next to you and it could perch on your shoulder. Of course you will need the handbook. I repeat, IT IS MANDATORY TO HAVE A OWNERS GUIDE TO OWN A CONURE. The Guide that i would recommend is called:
The Conure
An owner's guide to happy healthy pet
By Julie Rach
Of course if your serious on Buying a Conure you will want to buy the owners guide FIRST. Well I hope this Comment has changed your mind on having a life time of a better pet.
You may wanna look around because i raise netherland
dwarf and i haven't paid more then 20 dollars for one.
anyway.
cage- 40.00-80.00
food for a year for one rabbit- 15.00
[[if you buy a 50lb bag]]
Hutch-5.00
[[if it lives outside]]
Water Bottle-4.00
Food dish-3.00
You should really look around for a different breeder
because that just isn't the right price i bought a high
quality holland for 25 and i mean HIGH quality.
Dwarf rabbits do not eat much less than a larger rabbit (up to about 5 pounds). i have two and they are both under five pounds...
the monthly cost is very high. moreso than for a dog or cat. this is what i spend for two bunnies for a month:
$25 40lb bag of litter (for 3 litterboxes, changed every other day)
$80 veggies (3 different kinds, 6 cups a day) this is an approx. price. sometimes more or less depending what veggies i buy, what's on sale, etc. vegetation is the basis for a good diet along with hay. it is what bunnies eat in the wild. pellets can supplement the diet, but they cannot replace veggies and hay.
$20 hay (2 large 40oz bags of Oxbow tim hay a month)
$5 pellets (i buy the Oxbow tim pellets, the 10 pound bag, but since i feed very limited amounts, it lasts me quite awhile.)
$30 nail trims for two rabbits at the vet, every month. some people do this themselves, but i'm not very good at it, so i take them and the vet does it.
grand total: 160 dollars a month for two. almost 2 grand a year. i am also considering pet insurance for both, that would be an additional 250 dollars a year.
if people say they are spending much less, i really wonder how that is possible. caring for a rabbit properly is pricey. if you only feed pellets, you're not going to spend as much, but your rabbit will not have a very good quality of life. imagine only eating one type of food your whole life... yuck!
i think this is wonderful that you are seeking advice. do all of your research and make an informed decision. i love my bunnies and i would do anything for them. they really are the light of my life.
one time purchases:
2 xpens (my rabbits ';home'; is 8 x 4 feet) they cost 150 dollars.
dishes, bottles, litter pans, maybe 40-50 dollars.
bunny-proofing items... i have no clue, i've spent a lot tho, more than 200 on making my home safe for the bunnies to have free roam.
my boy was already neutered, but i spayed my girl myself, that was just under 200 dollars. since the rabbit is 80, i assume he is already neutered? if not, that will cost you betw/ 100-300 dollars.
Beka 27 had some really good points. Rabbits are not easy and they are not cheap. Daily care is expensive, and vet bills can very quickly add up.
The price of the rabbit obviously varies, but please try to find a rabbit rescue to adopt from. Not only will you be saving a life, but most rescues also spay/neuter. If the rabbit is not altered then the surgery will cost around $200 but that varies depending on where you live.
For a cage I built one and it cost around $100 and is very large. Store bought cages are tiny, and would basically make a handy sized litter box. My cage is like this:
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/NI鈥?/a>
Hay costs around $20 a month for my two rabbits, so $10 each. I get mine from a local rescue but other good sources are Oxbow or KMs Hayloft:
http://www.oxbowhay.com
http://www.kmshayloft.com
A high quality pellet can also be found at those two sites. The ones available in most pet stores are poor quality. A pellet should be plain with no extra coloured bits or seeds. I pay approximately $5 a month on pellets, probably slightly less.
Veggies and other produce make up a huge part of their diet. I've been really lucky lately and have been finding some fantastic sales on different types of lettuce. I pay around $15 a month for each rabbit right now. It'll be more like $20-30 in the winter.
Bedding costs around $30 a month for Carefresh for the litter boxes. I change them every day to second day.
wow, a dwarf rabbit is 80 dollars there? wow.
Cage: 20-50 dollars
Food: 2 dollars per pound
saw dust: 7-20 dollars per bag depends on how big.
toyz: ? 5 dollars per toy (about)
Go to pet-co pet-smart, or what ever store you plan on going to. Then you can know how much it will cost in your area.
and i'm talking DWARF rabbit.
they're 79.99 in arkansas.Estimate the total cost of a rabbit and their needs?
Cages go for around $100 and vet bills will be around $150-200 counting spaying/neutering. Bedding, food, and toys are around $50. Then there's the cost of your bunny. Bunnies should go to the vet once a year after their first year, so set some money aside for that (bunnies can live as long as 15 years). May I ask where you're getting him from? $80 is a lot for a dwarf bunny.Estimate the total cost of a rabbit and their needs?
Well accually instead of a rabbit, I would reccommend a Conure. A Conure is a very smart and very small parrot. It could accually live about 38 years longer than the average life span of a rabbit. and the cooler thing is that they can talk!
You can play games with them and they have alot less poop to clean up.
Let's see a bird cage can cost around from $40 to about $800. An average conure con range from $100 to $2000.( of course thats for the most costly and most endangered species of conure there is on the whole planet. Its called the Queen of Bavaria Conure.you need a permit for those ones. i would not reccomend a Queen of Bavaria as a first conure.) I would recommend a Green-cheeked conure. the easiest to take care of. supplies from your local bird store that he could live a happy healthy life about $230.00( that would include 2 different sized perches, to strect his feet, a T-stand, and Accesories to make your bird a happy bird.) And An owners manual which is about $9-$20. So you could spend A range from $379 to about $3050. But think about how much longer your pet will live and its intelligence level is extremely high compared to a rabbits intelligence. It could talk to you and you could make it do tricks. and it can cuddle up next to you and it could perch on your shoulder. Of course you will need the handbook. I repeat, IT IS MANDATORY TO HAVE A OWNERS GUIDE TO OWN A CONURE. The Guide that i would recommend is called:
The Conure
An owner's guide to happy healthy pet
By Julie Rach
Of course if your serious on Buying a Conure you will want to buy the owners guide FIRST. Well I hope this Comment has changed your mind on having a life time of a better pet.
You may wanna look around because i raise netherland
dwarf and i haven't paid more then 20 dollars for one.
anyway.
cage- 40.00-80.00
food for a year for one rabbit- 15.00
[[if you buy a 50lb bag]]
Hutch-5.00
[[if it lives outside]]
Water Bottle-4.00
Food dish-3.00
You should really look around for a different breeder
because that just isn't the right price i bought a high
quality holland for 25 and i mean HIGH quality.
Dwarf rabbits do not eat much less than a larger rabbit (up to about 5 pounds). i have two and they are both under five pounds...
the monthly cost is very high. moreso than for a dog or cat. this is what i spend for two bunnies for a month:
$25 40lb bag of litter (for 3 litterboxes, changed every other day)
$80 veggies (3 different kinds, 6 cups a day) this is an approx. price. sometimes more or less depending what veggies i buy, what's on sale, etc. vegetation is the basis for a good diet along with hay. it is what bunnies eat in the wild. pellets can supplement the diet, but they cannot replace veggies and hay.
$20 hay (2 large 40oz bags of Oxbow tim hay a month)
$5 pellets (i buy the Oxbow tim pellets, the 10 pound bag, but since i feed very limited amounts, it lasts me quite awhile.)
$30 nail trims for two rabbits at the vet, every month. some people do this themselves, but i'm not very good at it, so i take them and the vet does it.
grand total: 160 dollars a month for two. almost 2 grand a year. i am also considering pet insurance for both, that would be an additional 250 dollars a year.
if people say they are spending much less, i really wonder how that is possible. caring for a rabbit properly is pricey. if you only feed pellets, you're not going to spend as much, but your rabbit will not have a very good quality of life. imagine only eating one type of food your whole life... yuck!
i think this is wonderful that you are seeking advice. do all of your research and make an informed decision. i love my bunnies and i would do anything for them. they really are the light of my life.
one time purchases:
2 xpens (my rabbits ';home'; is 8 x 4 feet) they cost 150 dollars.
dishes, bottles, litter pans, maybe 40-50 dollars.
bunny-proofing items... i have no clue, i've spent a lot tho, more than 200 on making my home safe for the bunnies to have free roam.
my boy was already neutered, but i spayed my girl myself, that was just under 200 dollars. since the rabbit is 80, i assume he is already neutered? if not, that will cost you betw/ 100-300 dollars.
Beka 27 had some really good points. Rabbits are not easy and they are not cheap. Daily care is expensive, and vet bills can very quickly add up.
The price of the rabbit obviously varies, but please try to find a rabbit rescue to adopt from. Not only will you be saving a life, but most rescues also spay/neuter. If the rabbit is not altered then the surgery will cost around $200 but that varies depending on where you live.
For a cage I built one and it cost around $100 and is very large. Store bought cages are tiny, and would basically make a handy sized litter box. My cage is like this:
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/NI鈥?/a>
Hay costs around $20 a month for my two rabbits, so $10 each. I get mine from a local rescue but other good sources are Oxbow or KMs Hayloft:
http://www.oxbowhay.com
http://www.kmshayloft.com
A high quality pellet can also be found at those two sites. The ones available in most pet stores are poor quality. A pellet should be plain with no extra coloured bits or seeds. I pay approximately $5 a month on pellets, probably slightly less.
Veggies and other produce make up a huge part of their diet. I've been really lucky lately and have been finding some fantastic sales on different types of lettuce. I pay around $15 a month for each rabbit right now. It'll be more like $20-30 in the winter.
Bedding costs around $30 a month for Carefresh for the litter boxes. I change them every day to second day.
wow, a dwarf rabbit is 80 dollars there? wow.
Cage: 20-50 dollars
Food: 2 dollars per pound
saw dust: 7-20 dollars per bag depends on how big.
toyz: ? 5 dollars per toy (about)
Go to pet-co pet-smart, or what ever store you plan on going to. Then you can know how much it will cost in your area.
How can you tell if a rabbit is pregnant? How long would the pregnancy last? & would a vet need to be involved?
Not knowing the sex of my 2 rabbits they've been kept in the same hutch and today i caught them 'at it'.
Not experienced with rabbits so just after some advice really on how to tell if its pregnant, how long it lasts, do i need to contact a vet, if it was to have baby's does they need to be examined by a vet etc etc.
ThanksHow can you tell if a rabbit is pregnant? How long would the pregnancy last? %26amp; would a vet need to be involved?
My rabbits had babies around March. I was just like you i had no clue about them either,but now i do. It takes rabbits about 27 to 32 days to have their babies. They can also be pregnant with two littters at one time. In one side of her stomach she can have one litter and on the other side she can have another litter forming. After she has them take her and her babies away from their dad immediately if you don't he will bite and kill them. Keep the mom and babies separated from the dad for about 3 to 4 weeks. When they are 5 and a half to 6 weeks old you can give them away. If you reunite the mom and dad to have more babies get ready. Mine had more babies after 5 weeks. If she is pregnante she will be like 5x the size of the other rabbit. No you don't have to have them examined by a vet either. For instance my rabbit she had 9 babies but 4 died. 2 died because she didn't have enough milk for all of them. The other 2 died because they weren't healthy and she ate them. If they are not healthy the mom will eat them beacuse if she doesn't when it gets older it's brother and sisters will be mean to it. Put some straw or something in their cage and if she's pregnante she will start building a nest to have them in and she will start buildung this about 3 weeks early and the night before she has them she will pull out her own fur and put a lot of it in the nest to keep them warm, because when they are born they have no fur. Hope this helped :)How can you tell if a rabbit is pregnant? How long would the pregnancy last? %26amp; would a vet need to be involved?
The expectation dates for rabbits are 28-35 days, they can be a little later depending. You normaly cant tell a rabbit is pregnant until 3 weeks or so then you can see the size change in them, also around 5 days or so before the litter is due they will always be laying down panting and stuff acting like its realy hot out even if it isnt. Some rabbits will make their nest early up to weeks sometimes even. But the real way to tell is anywhere from the same night to 20 mins. or even less before they have their litter they will act very busy going in and out of the hutch and start pulling hair for the nest that she will have the babies on. Rabbits can do everything on their own no vet needed, most of the time you cant even tell when the have them because it takes so little time, and it will normaly happen at night
hope i helped good luck :)
they need to be seprated soon because if the female is pregnant the male may kill her or the bunnies once they are born. How old are they? under a year old I take it? Also if they are both males one will kill the other. rabbits are very territorial. gestation is 28 to 35 days but normaly 30 or 31. I would seprate both of your rabbits and put a nest box in with both of them as you don't know which or if one is female for a few weeks just to be on the safe side. most rabbits you can't really tell if they are pregnant just by looking at them and they tend to eat about the same amount too. they will sometimes eat less a day or 2 before delivery. some will build a nest a week ahead of time while others wait till the last min. A vet shouldn't be needed. It is very rare for rabbits to have trouble and they are normaly ok on their own but the bunnies won't always make it and may be still born if born late but thats only happened to me once.
Just because they were ';at it'; doesn't make one a female.
You should first figure out the sex of the rabbits:
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/se鈥?/a>
If you determine one is female and the other is male, you should get separate cages for them.
This is a site to help you care for a pregnant female and her babies, it will also answer al of your questions:
http://www.kindplanet.org/rabbitbabies.h鈥?/a>
You can get a vet to find out if your rabbit is pregnant. It is 29-31 days. Go to http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html to read. ON the 28 day or 27 day put in a nest box and put in some straw in the nest box. But first put the boy in a different cage. As long as the babies are healthy than no vet after
A vet should not have to be involved, should everything go smoothly. In certain cases, you might catch her giving birth and you MIGHT have to assist her- usually, you should just leave her alone for an hour or two and everything should go fine.
Get them in separate cages ASAP. if she has them she can be rebred immediately by the buck, causing complications for the first litter.
You will want to have a nest box in there as soon as you get her in her own cage- just because you caught them today doesn't mean today was the breeding date.
The only way to tell if she is pregnant is too palpate her. you will have to get her on a flat surface, hold her face with one hand, and reach down into her midsection and feel for little grape sized forms- you will only be able to feel these at 11-15 days, though, then they will usually be carried further up inside her. A few days before and leading up to birth if you watch her belly sometimes you can see, or feels kits moving- sometimes you can't. It all depends on the person- I personally can't palpate and just wait out the due date after a breeding.
Birth will normally be in 28-35 days, but, like I said, just because you saw them today doesn't mean he hasn't got her before.
If you want someone to look over your kits to make sure they are healthy, I would contact a breeder in your area instead of going to a vet. Breeders are often more knowledgable about rabbits, and won't cost you $300.
I'm not sure but i don't assume a vet needs to involved during birth or before.
We brought a pregnant guinea pig and the first time we found out was when it gave birth, and it did it all by it's self. It was getting fat, but we never thought anything of it. I assume rabbits are the same. Just when the babies are born take them all for a check up.
Most animals give birth all by themselves in the wild so they should be able to do it as pets too.
EDIT: When you got them you should have been told their sex, but their are plenty of websites to check like http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/sexing.ht鈥?/a> and you should ready find out cause if they are young they shouldn't be breeding. If you take them both to a vet, He/she would be able to tell you if ones pregnant or not and what sex they are. you should start breeding rabbits when they are about 7 months old. The gestation period is about a month. And if they are brother and sister, they need to be kept separate cause they shouldn't be breading as it may lead to complications.
Most of the information is on the net so just have a search
Try these for more information on rabbit breeding and sexing
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/se鈥?/a>
http://www.rudolphsrabbitranch.com/sexin鈥?/a>
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/bree鈥?/a>
http://www.petmag.co.uk/rabbits/rabbitbr鈥?/a>
Just to warn you too, Does often eat the babies
Not experienced with rabbits so just after some advice really on how to tell if its pregnant, how long it lasts, do i need to contact a vet, if it was to have baby's does they need to be examined by a vet etc etc.
ThanksHow can you tell if a rabbit is pregnant? How long would the pregnancy last? %26amp; would a vet need to be involved?
My rabbits had babies around March. I was just like you i had no clue about them either,but now i do. It takes rabbits about 27 to 32 days to have their babies. They can also be pregnant with two littters at one time. In one side of her stomach she can have one litter and on the other side she can have another litter forming. After she has them take her and her babies away from their dad immediately if you don't he will bite and kill them. Keep the mom and babies separated from the dad for about 3 to 4 weeks. When they are 5 and a half to 6 weeks old you can give them away. If you reunite the mom and dad to have more babies get ready. Mine had more babies after 5 weeks. If she is pregnante she will be like 5x the size of the other rabbit. No you don't have to have them examined by a vet either. For instance my rabbit she had 9 babies but 4 died. 2 died because she didn't have enough milk for all of them. The other 2 died because they weren't healthy and she ate them. If they are not healthy the mom will eat them beacuse if she doesn't when it gets older it's brother and sisters will be mean to it. Put some straw or something in their cage and if she's pregnante she will start building a nest to have them in and she will start buildung this about 3 weeks early and the night before she has them she will pull out her own fur and put a lot of it in the nest to keep them warm, because when they are born they have no fur. Hope this helped :)How can you tell if a rabbit is pregnant? How long would the pregnancy last? %26amp; would a vet need to be involved?
The expectation dates for rabbits are 28-35 days, they can be a little later depending. You normaly cant tell a rabbit is pregnant until 3 weeks or so then you can see the size change in them, also around 5 days or so before the litter is due they will always be laying down panting and stuff acting like its realy hot out even if it isnt. Some rabbits will make their nest early up to weeks sometimes even. But the real way to tell is anywhere from the same night to 20 mins. or even less before they have their litter they will act very busy going in and out of the hutch and start pulling hair for the nest that she will have the babies on. Rabbits can do everything on their own no vet needed, most of the time you cant even tell when the have them because it takes so little time, and it will normaly happen at night
hope i helped good luck :)
they need to be seprated soon because if the female is pregnant the male may kill her or the bunnies once they are born. How old are they? under a year old I take it? Also if they are both males one will kill the other. rabbits are very territorial. gestation is 28 to 35 days but normaly 30 or 31. I would seprate both of your rabbits and put a nest box in with both of them as you don't know which or if one is female for a few weeks just to be on the safe side. most rabbits you can't really tell if they are pregnant just by looking at them and they tend to eat about the same amount too. they will sometimes eat less a day or 2 before delivery. some will build a nest a week ahead of time while others wait till the last min. A vet shouldn't be needed. It is very rare for rabbits to have trouble and they are normaly ok on their own but the bunnies won't always make it and may be still born if born late but thats only happened to me once.
Just because they were ';at it'; doesn't make one a female.
You should first figure out the sex of the rabbits:
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/se鈥?/a>
If you determine one is female and the other is male, you should get separate cages for them.
This is a site to help you care for a pregnant female and her babies, it will also answer al of your questions:
http://www.kindplanet.org/rabbitbabies.h鈥?/a>
You can get a vet to find out if your rabbit is pregnant. It is 29-31 days. Go to http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html to read. ON the 28 day or 27 day put in a nest box and put in some straw in the nest box. But first put the boy in a different cage. As long as the babies are healthy than no vet after
A vet should not have to be involved, should everything go smoothly. In certain cases, you might catch her giving birth and you MIGHT have to assist her- usually, you should just leave her alone for an hour or two and everything should go fine.
Get them in separate cages ASAP. if she has them she can be rebred immediately by the buck, causing complications for the first litter.
You will want to have a nest box in there as soon as you get her in her own cage- just because you caught them today doesn't mean today was the breeding date.
The only way to tell if she is pregnant is too palpate her. you will have to get her on a flat surface, hold her face with one hand, and reach down into her midsection and feel for little grape sized forms- you will only be able to feel these at 11-15 days, though, then they will usually be carried further up inside her. A few days before and leading up to birth if you watch her belly sometimes you can see, or feels kits moving- sometimes you can't. It all depends on the person- I personally can't palpate and just wait out the due date after a breeding.
Birth will normally be in 28-35 days, but, like I said, just because you saw them today doesn't mean he hasn't got her before.
If you want someone to look over your kits to make sure they are healthy, I would contact a breeder in your area instead of going to a vet. Breeders are often more knowledgable about rabbits, and won't cost you $300.
I'm not sure but i don't assume a vet needs to involved during birth or before.
We brought a pregnant guinea pig and the first time we found out was when it gave birth, and it did it all by it's self. It was getting fat, but we never thought anything of it. I assume rabbits are the same. Just when the babies are born take them all for a check up.
Most animals give birth all by themselves in the wild so they should be able to do it as pets too.
EDIT: When you got them you should have been told their sex, but their are plenty of websites to check like http://www.debmark.com/rabbits/sexing.ht鈥?/a> and you should ready find out cause if they are young they shouldn't be breeding. If you take them both to a vet, He/she would be able to tell you if ones pregnant or not and what sex they are. you should start breeding rabbits when they are about 7 months old. The gestation period is about a month. And if they are brother and sister, they need to be kept separate cause they shouldn't be breading as it may lead to complications.
Most of the information is on the net so just have a search
Try these for more information on rabbit breeding and sexing
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/se鈥?/a>
http://www.rudolphsrabbitranch.com/sexin鈥?/a>
http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/bree鈥?/a>
http://www.petmag.co.uk/rabbits/rabbitbr鈥?/a>
Just to warn you too, Does often eat the babies
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