The Life and Times of Pippin and Poppy

A Little Something For The Humans

2010-03-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

Whether it be to satisfy your addiction to cuteness by simply adding to your growing collection of paraphernalia or to pass on the love of bunnies to every being you can then here are a few sellers I found:

The fist is dragonhouseofyuen who's

bunny dedication cannot go amiss. A couple of my favourite items are her wide variety of baby hares and her hand made cards which feature her watercolour art work.

Each hare comes with his/her own heart warming tale giving each little plush a bit of character and is intended for mainly ornamental use. The site says not recommended for children but I am sure that is at the parents discretion depending on age and maturity. I know for sure I would love to nab one of these even as a child! :)

Despite not having many watercolour bunny cards available the

seller still provides a huge variety of

more simplistic cards with extra creative touches

that are worth checking out. I especially loved this piece yet I think the original art has been sold. Nevertheless, still a wonderfully detailed piece to send to any loved one on their birthday. If I am ever stuck for card ideas I always find bunnies to send ;)

The next seller Trafalgar's Square who sells fine little prints of various critters including baby bunnies, elephants, and little girls. Her artistic style is perfect for children or for those who are a child at heart. If your feeling that the artwork alone isn't for you then she creates a variety of buttons and mirrors based on her work and even a teddy or two.

Happy Shopping,

Hope you find some lovely gifts.

Danielle

Bonding Your Little Terrors

2010-02-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

Many people find the bonding process of bunnies both confusing and can tend to lose hope at the initial results. This top tips guide should definitely ease the process if not quicken while making your buns less stressed at the situation.

1. Allow your rabbit to choose

If the possibility is available to you take your rabbit to spend time with a set of bunnies and let them choose who they like. They may even bond at the centre/house after a few sessions and you can successfully take home two bunnies who are happy with one another. If this is not the case don't worry, I personally did not do this and have probably learnt the harder way.

2. Allow your new bunny to be separated from the other, enabling communication without physical contact.

The best way to do this is to put two rabbit enclosures back to back. If both are able to be separated but still allowed contact through bars for instance then they can get used to one another presence and smell. Leave them initially for a few days like this.

3. Find some neutral territory to begin their introductions in.

As many websites will recommend you should use for instance a bath tub or closed off hallway. I found the bathtub was easiest as I was able to easily observe and separate them when they fought. As time progresses introduce items for them to both play with, distracting them from their dislike for one another. Or add a clean litter box and place them inside for instance so the space together becomes smaller and they are less likely to ignore one another.

4. Spay or Neuter your furry friends

This is not always necessary for a successful bond but can make the process easier. During the time I had the rabbits in separate enclosures I found one of my females (Poppy) began to pee everywhere territorially and vigorously bite through the bars. She was spayed and separated from her bonded male (Pippin). I highly recommend this is done before any bonding occurs as Poppy after her surgery felt more vulnerable and became more aggressive. She began to fight Pippin and I had to begin the bonding process for all 3 all over again! However, despite her initial angry outburst Poppy became less territorial and once again did not spray or pee to establish her dominance.

5. Be prepared to discourage bad behaviour and stop fighting rabbits.

Rabbits can usually be deterred by a harsh "No" without any physical contact, yet occasionally your voice will not interrupt their endeavours. For a more safe option equip yourself with a spray bottle filled with water - a quick squirt on the head should shock them enough to stop. I however merely used my hands to separate one bunny from the other. This could result in you being bitten as in the buns fury he/she may not distinguish you from their rival. Fighting should never be left to continue as they can definitely injure one another seriously. Chasing on the other hand can be allowed as long as you observe to make sure they one being chased doesn't get hurt or fights back.

6. Slowly increase the time they spend together and do this at regular intervals.

An initial introduction should take 10-30 mins of course base this on your own discretion. If the bonding is going well then go the full 30 if the bunnies continually fight reduce the time to reduce stress. As time goes on the sessions can get larger. I ended up sitting on a shut toilet seat reading towards the end to both pass the time and let the rabbits become more relaxed at my unobserving presence.

7. Car journeys can help bonding.

I never tried this myself but taking bunnies together on a car ride can promote them to seek comfort from one another. Either yourself or a friend should sit with them on your lap in a box or carrier which you can easily access and have a few trips round the block. Bunnies are usually terrified of car journeys so will ignore any hard feelings and comfort one another. Although, this is not guaranteed so make sure you can easily separate them incase of fighting.

After a couple of weeks of bonding I found my 3 established their hierarchy and got on successfully. As a final note I bonded mine together in pairs at first and then began to put all three together. This made fights easier to control at the start. Hopefully you shall await some snuggled bunnies in the future.

Any further questions please ask.

Danielle

The New Arrival - Pandora

2010-02-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

This is a rather delayed post but finally I have uploaded pictures of my latest furry friend, Pandora. She is as far as I know a mixture of breeds but if anyone wishes to enlighten me on any particular breed she resembles do comment.

She's got a timid nature but once she has calmed down she will happily flop on my lap and watch Top Gear with me - the only one of my bunnies who will sit still long enough for snuggles.

Her super silky coat means that she appears much lighter under forced flash conditions.

Have a good day and happy blogging

Danielle

Bunny Supplies

2010-02-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

While browsing online for some more interesting and innovative toys and general supplies for my buns I came across a great website for both international buyers and those in the UK. The website has a great variety for rabbits (the entire range is not available for overseas shipping so check the website for details) and everything is reasonably priced!

TO THE SHOP!

Below I shall include some of my buns favourite items which are featured in the store:

Firstly is the Willow ball which my bunnies find irresistible. Not only is this

a good for keeping their teeth trimmed but also acts as a boredom breaker and alternative treat to some of the fatty pet shop options.

Next is the explorer tunnel where my bunnies find great enjoyment by chasing each other right the way through. I would make sure your buns are litter trained prior to the introduction as cleaning the pee can be troublesome.

My buns really enjoy this fiddlesticks hideout which gives them a safe place to hide away, something to chew, and something to climb all over. The twigs have wire connecting them together so it can be bent into other shaped to your liking, e.g a ramp or tunnel.

Lastly I recommend this knot nibbler which requires the bunnies to pull out the little orange sticks that hold the "ball" together. The incentive is a small nut contained inside although mine weren't really attracted by this and decided throwing it and chewing it was enough fun without the treat. The sticks act as normal gnawing twigs once pulled apart. If your daring you could even attempt to piece it back together and the fun will start all over again.

All images were acquired from the store and the links provided direct you to the page the product was on. The navigation system is quite poor and some products are repeated in different categories but it is worth giving it a thorough look.

Happy Shopping

Danielle

The Importance of the Jabs

2009-12-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

To many people a bunny isn't considered as highly as one might think of their dog or cat, but I cannot stress more that their jabs are vital. They may be small but they are not any less important nor any less susceptible to fatal diseases.

On average within the UK the two general vaccinations available are for:

Myxomatosis - around £20 per jab, required every 6 months

VHD - around £20 per jab, required yearly

A starter "pack" for this can be provided by your local vet and costs around £30. This is only for your rabbits first set of jabs as the intervals between each booster are not congruous with one another.

The survival rate if your bunny was to catch the disease is very minimal. My first bunny happened to contract Myxomatosis from the supplier yet the symptoms did not emerge until after she was in my home. Be careful the incubation period for the disease is around 5-12 days and therefore it is advised you keep contact with the store and note any important dates. If their is any significant diagnosed problem that you are certain is not your fault and was contracted prior to the purchase GO BACK. In my scenario we spent a month nursing and attempting supportive treatment in order to aid dear Luna in her recovery but sadly she passed away. The total vet bill rounded to about £200 and therefore compensation was provided by the store.

Its good to note that you must make sure that the store is willing to compensate an agreed amount. I spent an additional month trying to claim my compensation as the higher members of staff did not confer.

I shall post more about the diseases themselves and various symptoms at a later date.

Danielle

In loving memory of Luna

The Introduction

2009-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Now how can I continue without introducing the bunnies themselves. All my bunnies were pet store bought and not all directly bought by me (Which I can say now in almost ALL circumstances is not a good idea). Many people prefer breeders due to their reliability. You often know for a fact how they have been brought up, where they were from, and even what breed your bunny is. However, I see no immediate issue for the average joe just heading to a pet store. Personally I would rather see them with me than in a store any day. Getting back to the subject of the blog...

The white little lop you can see to the left above is Poppy. She is a 14 week old cross breed and can be seen sitting in her digging box. Since Poppy is a very timid bun its pretty easy to get shots of her although her confidence is slowly building. Pippin, more commonly known as Pip, is a different story. I only really have photos of his first days since he is very persistent in showing his nose right on the lens whenever the camera reaches his level. These are mobile phone images unfortunately, but without a doubt more shall soon follow.

I have no idea really how the blogging system particularly works but I would be interested in hearing if people would like certain information posted for their needs or if they simply think it would benefit the page. All past learning curves will be eventually posted as well as those upcoming.

Danielle

Hello

2009-12-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well I would like to start by giving a big warm welcome to all the fellow bloggers out there who may stumble along this page. My blog shall begin with the life and time events of my wonderful little bunnies Pippin and Poppy. Now you may be asking why would anyone really be interested? Well, as a relatively new pet owner I have managed to come across plenty of unanswered questions and heartache. This little blog will hopefully present itself (eventually) as a manual to those who need those answers from someone who has definitely got the T-shirt. As much as books and manuals galore may satisfy all the basic factual needs and probably be a very accurate source; this blog will not only be free as an extra benefit but may provide the answers to some of those niggling personal issues.

Of course this is not completely selfless. Just like a loving parent I feel the need to present how happy and proud these little guys make me feel. :)

Danielle