These tips are taken from PsyTech Inc. book Rabbit Care Secrets

This is absolutely critical information you need whether you already own a rabbit or you are just thinking about getting one:

Avoid pine scented beddings (the kind you’re most likely to buy at the pet store) like the plague! (Many studies show that they cause liver damage in small animals – and there’s mounting evidence that they may irritate your bunny’s respiratory system too). Opt for brands made with unscented wood shavings or compressed newspaper instead.

Cell Sorb, Care Fresh, and Yesterday’s News are all great brands. (we’re trying to set up a special discount for our readers… we’ll let you know if we’re able to do it).

Of course bunny rabbits love carrots, but you have to watch the quantity closely because there’s actually a lot of sugar in them. (Same with banannas and grapes, etc).

It’s OK to give small pieces a few times a week… but it’s dangerous to do much more.

If a bunny gets too heavy, their internal organs don’t function very well.

Before you buy a bunny rabbit from a pet store, please consider the frequent problems encountered including (1) unknowingly purchasing a pregnant bunny and winding up with too many rabbits to care for; (2) the high incidence of illness; (3) the frequency with which pet stores misidentify your pet’s gender (especially important if you buy 2 or more rabbits because not every gender pair gets along well).

Consider looking for a rescue (search Google for rabbit rescue) instead. (Over a million bunnies in rescues around the world are put to sleep each year because they can’t find a home – wouldn’t it feel good to save a life?)

Avoid wire mesh cage bottoms. They’re easier to clean, sure but they cause sores on your pet’s tender little feet. Opt for plastic bottoms instead! (Or even better, give your bunnies an entire rabbit-proofed room or two)

If you do purchase from a pet store, read about the proper diet and care for rabbits first. Generally a sales associate at the pet store is going to steer you toward buying products, rather than what is necessary and proper for your bunny to live a happy, healthy life. (Of course, there ARE some very ethical pet stores – but they’re harder to find)

Rabbit Care Secrets You can get the book here: http://www.rabbitsecrets.com/R.htm is the book with literally hundreds of word of mouth tips and tricks – secrets which are next to impossible to find in books and pet stores. This is the gold which only comes from years and years of hands on experience… including all the hard to find Rabbit information people just can’t locate with internet searches or trips to the library!

Did you know that pets outnumber people in the United States? Recent statistics have shown that 62% of homes have a pet, and that 46% of homes have more than one pet. That adds up to 380 million pets in a nation with a human population of 290 million people.

The first three categories are cats (78 million), dogs (65 million), and birds (18 million). Also popular are fish and small animals but their number is far behind the numbers of cats and dogs.

More and more people are buying pets because they realise the great advantages of having a pet, a pet is a great companion, a loyal friend and a part of the family. Since a pet has such an important role to play in your life it is important thinking hard to pick the right pet for you.

Carefully considering what pet you will get before getting it will pay off in the long run, that way you wont pick a pet you are incompatible with, you will get on well with your pet and you wont have problems with it in future. A poorly chosen pet may eventually have to leave, and the blame for the imcompatibility will be with you.

If you are choosing a pet the real choice you are probably making is whether to get a dog or a cat, perhaps you are considering a pet that requires less effort such as a fish or bird also. If you decide to opt for a dog you must then choose what breed of dog toget, with over 150 breeds you are spoiled for choice!

A dog will probably prove to be a better companion than a cat – it will be more of a friend, however a dog will also need more care than a cat. Dogs like to be around people whereas cats are more autonomous, they will generally spend their day off by themselves. Cats are more attracted to their home then to their owners generally.

You will need to carefully consider how much space you have, cats and dogd reuire quite a bit of space, so if you live in a small apartment then even a small breed of dog or a cat will feel restricted. If you have very little space perhaps you should go for a bird or fish, or may be a hamster?

Bear in mind that a dog cannot be left alone for very long, they need feeding, walking and attention. This may be a problem if you are away often and there is no one else around to mind the dog. Perhaps a kennel or neighbour would be available to care for the dog while you are away. Cats, though independent, do not like being left alone either although they can cope better than a dog.

Dogs need a lot of attention, they must be walked at least once or twice a day, on top of that they are full of energy and need space in which to live and play. Obviously the larger the breed of dog the more space it needs, large dogs such as shepherd dogs and Saint Bernards need a lot of space. Also consider how much your dog will eat – big dogs eat big meals!

Big dogs have the advantage that if trained properly, they can protect their owner and home, while small dogs (like poodles) are more like a joyful toy at home. Small dogs are also suitable for children or for elderly people, who do not have the energy to walk a dog for miles and miles.

No matter what pet you decide on, ensure you have thought your desision through properly, a badly chosen pet will be unhappy if it doesn’t suit you, so pick carefully.

Alyssa Hallam is the webmaster and operator of AH Pet Her site has a great collection of information on all different kinds of pets, including a free newsletter, pet resources and articles. For great pet information, go to: http://www.ahpet.com

Let’s talk about how to make a bunny happy! (Because you have to admit, when they’re happy, we’re happy too!)

First things first. How do you know when your bunny is happy? Bunnies love to show it! If your bunny flops on her side and just lies there with her eyes closed, you’ll know all is right with her world. She might scare you the first time she does this, and it’s not uncommon for a new bunny owner to think something is wrong. Don’t worry. Your bunny is just telling you she’s happy. It’s the happy flop.

Then there’s the binky. If your bunny binkies, you know she’s on top of the world. Binkies are crazy happy dances. Your bunny will hop in the air, twirl her head and spin around then maybe start running at top speed. Any bunny owner will attest to the great joy it brings to see their bun or buns do the binky dance.

Now, how to keep your bunny content? First and foremost is attending to her chewing needs. Bunnies absolutely love to chew. Phone books are popular with bunnies who love to shred the pages, so make sure you keep all of your old phone books (you might even ask your friends and family for theirs.) A bunny can go through a phone book pretty quickly.

Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are also safe and popular chew toys for bunnies. To make it even more fun, you can take a roll and stuff hay inside for them to dig out.

Boxes and paper bags are also a great source of entertainment for bunnies. You can fill the paper bag with hay, or just put an open paper bag on the floor for the bunnies to crawl into and dig. You’ll be surprised at how long they can entertain themselves by playing with the bag.

Cardboard boxes are also an incredibly easy source of entertainment. Take a fairly large box and cut several doorways and windows into it. (Bunnies always prefer to have at least two entrances.) Your bunny will love to go in and dig, chew (making the doorways or windows bigger) and hide away. It’s also a great place to put your bunny’s haywhich she can eat as well as dig. You can also securely tape a bunch of cardboard boxes together, so the bunnies can run through them and play.

Use your imagination and creativity, and you’ll find there are endless ways to turn everyday cardboard boxes into a playground for your bunnies.

Rabbit Care Secrets You can get the book here: http://www.rabbitsecrets.com/R.htm is the book with literally hundreds of word of mouth tips and tricks – secrets which are next to impossible to find in books and pet stores. This is the gold which only comes from years and years of hands on experience… including all the hard to find Rabbit information people just can’t locate with internet searches or trips to the library!

Congratulations! You have brought home a new best friend- a bunny! You will find that your new rabbit companion will bring you much joy, though your vaccum cleaner may not necessarily agree!

Some of the first things you will want to do is set up an area for bunny only. I recommend an area that is easy to clean, such as a floor where you can easily sweep debris straight outside, or, designate an old vaccum for your rabbit area only as you will need to clean up every day, or, at the very least, every other day. Rabbits poop constantly, but luckily, it’s very easy to clean up.

Many people prefer to keep their rabbits outside, however, for this article, I will not focus on that.

When I unexpectedly received my first bunny friend, I hadn’t a clue what to do or how to take care of him. Unfortunately, he was confined in the kids’ bathroom for a few days while I scoured the internet in search of information. Thankfully, this time around, I was a quick study and he was soon permitted the run of our home!

If you choose to keep your rabbit indoors, you can do that relatively inexpensively, and still have a hoppy bunny! Here is what you will need; you can find these items for a few dollars or a bit more at a WalMart or a pet store:

BOWLS A water dish that won’t tip, preferably a clay one. Unless you are going to be keeping your bunny in a small cage, you do not need a drip spout water container. Rabbits can drink just like other animals. One or two food dishes which won’t tip over, again, heavy, of the clay or similiar type.

LITTER BOX: You can buy a regular cat box, but do not buy cat litter as it is dangerous if ingested or breathed by bunnies! Hay is an excellent choice. Other types of litter to use are derived from alfalfa, oat, citrus or just plain old paper, though paper will do nothing to take care of the strong urine smell of a bunny. As rabbits are very clean animals, it’s very important to clean their areas often. It’s also important that, once you have arranged their area, to leave it ‘as is’ as much as possible, as rabbits are creatures of habit and like their areas just so.

FOOD: HAY! Hay is very important to a bunnies’ diet! Rabbits are vegans, and therefore must have grass, hay, some fruits and veggies. If you are going to a farmer for hay, you want the square bale hay, not the round bale. The round bale is ‘junk’ hay- the type cows eat. Rabbits’ digestive systems cannot handle that type of hay. You also do not want to offer straw. A moderate amount of pellets are okay as well, unless you happen to have an underweight bunny. They adore carrots, apples, pears, timothy grass. Limit cabbage and lettuce as this can give a rabbit diarrhea.

What we did was have a bag of carrots, pellets, (dried, processed rabbit food), timothy grass and apples always on hand for our rabbit. We let him outside in a roomy cage during the day to eat plenty of fresh grass, clover and some pellets, and at night we gave him free access to pellets, timothy grass, a bit of apple, carrots and pears.

WATER: Rabbits drink A LOT! Always provide fresh water. We have two dogs and two cats, so we change our water several tmes a day. Change your rabbits’ water at least two or three times daily. They all drank from the same bowls, so I wash the bowls every day as well.

SLEEP: Rabbits are nocturnal, meaning, they are active in the early morning and evening hours. They will find somewhere to sleep during the day. My rabbit usually slept under my bed. However, this is not encouraged because rabbits tend to dribble quite often and it’s hard to get under a bed every day to clean up rabbit poop! This is a good time to put the rabbit in its’ own private spot.

Rabbits love to hide, so a small doghouse, a box with windows cut out, or even a chair with a big sheet or a blanket covering it are all good places for a rabbit to hide out and feel secure.

TOYS AND CHEW-THINGS: Rabbits not only love to chew, but they must as well. Their teeth continue to grow, so they must always have something to chew. Good choices, of course, are carrots, fruits, untreated wicker, pine cones, cardboard, and twigs. If you do allow your bunny to have free run of your home, you must bunny proof, which is akin to baby-proofing, as your bunny will chew everything- wires, furniture, and a lot more.

Choose cardboard, baby toys (laugh as they throw these and kitty toys!), phone books, balls of any size. Give too many toys, not too few. If you give too few toys or activities, you will soon find your baseboards, sweaters, wires, furniture, shoes and other things chewed!

Now that you have the basics, settle in for a few days with your new bunny! Keep your bunny in a designated spot for those few days as he or she learns to use the litter box, learns where his or her food is and just learns that you are a friend.

One last thing: Be careful when picking up your bunny- he or she is not a kitten or a puppy! Rabbits are very shy and easily scared creatures, and they are animals of prey, so when you pick them up, let them know you are there, and pick them up from their sides, and carefully- NEVER by their ears, and never from behind as you will startle them and find yourself with some nasty scratches. Earn their trust. If at first, your bunny will not allow you to hold him or her, don’t fret. I will address that issue in another article, as well as a favorite rabbit issue of mine, called grooming.

If your rabbit does approach you in the meantime, talk to him or her softly, scratch him or her behind the ears, under the chin, on the back jaw and on the top of the head.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

One of the most important aspects of properly caring for your pet rabbit is providing him with a healthy, satisfying, and well-balanced diet. Fortunately, doing so is relatively easy, since there is general consensus about what is good for rabbits and a wide range of great food pellet options. Rabbits can also eat many of the fruits and veggies that you probably have on your dinner table every night (see below for recommendations and portions).

Hay

Hay is an essential component of a rabbit’s healthy diet. One reason why is that feeding a rabbit hay on a daily basis seems to reduce rabbits tendencies to pull out and consume or chew on their own hair, which leads to (sometimes very dangerous) hairballs.

Buy high-quality leafy grass hay, timothy hay or clover hay. Avoid alfalfa hay, as it can sometimes be problematic and has been shown to increase the risk of bladder stones.

FRESH Water

Like all creatures, rabbits need fresh water in order to survive. Change water daily or at least every two days. When you change the water, also wash the water bottle or dish thoroughly to get rid of bacteria.

You may want to use a water bottle that can hang on a cage, as this can reduce the messiness factor. If you prefer to use a bowl, make sure it is sturdy and heavy enough so that your rabbit won’t overturn it.

Yogurt?

Although it may sound funny, rabbits can actually benefit from yogurt just the same way that humans do. Yogurt is proven to reduce the bad bacteria in the body, balancing out the good bacteria in the process. Many pet rabbits seem to like yogurt and accept it as a part of a balanced daily diet.

Chew Toys

As you will quickly learn as a new rabbit owner, bunnies love to bite and chew on things. This is actually essential for good dental health, but the trick is to give them good substances to chew on so they won’t be tempted to eat up your furniture or other, more dangerous substances, like wires or electrical cords.

A dog’s chew toy (on the smaller side) can be a great alternative, one which most rabbits seem to enjoy a great deal. Two more natural options are a large bone from a piece of boiled meat, with the bone marrow taken out, or some apple tree branches (the twigs are great roughage and help keep the bunny’s intestines clean).

Rabbits tend to be quite sensitive when it comes to changes in their diet or feeding schedule. In fact, if there is a sudden change or interruption, a rabbit may lose his appetite or become ill.

Therefore, it’s important to be consistant. Establish a feeding routine that is easy for you to stick to each and every day. Set your timer and fix the feeding schedule into your own everyday routine. Make sure you have enough rabbit food (whether hay, pellets, veggies, etc.) on hand so that you don’t run out unexpectedly.

Feeding your rabbit a consistent, balanced and healthy diet is one of the best ways to ensure that your pet has a long and happy life as your prized companion.

by Andrea Austin, http://www.rabbits-n-bunnies.com

We hope you enjoyed this article. If you would like more information on pet rabbit care, click on this link to get your FREE Rabbit Care Guide: Bunny Rabbits