Why Does My Rabbit . . . ?

by Anne McBride

Rabbits are popular domesticated pets, but many develop problems because of living conditions that do not allow them to follow their behavioral instincts. This guide to troubleshooting rabbit behavior clues owners in to the history of the domesticated rabbit and describes how rabbits live and breed. Common problems among rabbit owners are discussed, as are probable causes for irregular behavior, including instincts that make rabbits behave in certain ways. Both hutch and house rabbits, as well as troubles specific to each, are covered.

Genres: Rabbits, Nonfiction, Animals

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I been reading this off and on as a lighter easier read. After nearly seven years together me and my lionhead AJ understand each other pretty well. I can tell by looking at him if he's happy, sad or just pissed off because me or someone else did something that offended him. He also knows when I'm in need or extra support and shows it by sleeping under my bed when I'm sick, and rarely leaving my side in tough times namely in the days leading up to and following my mom's death. But there are still times I look at him and wonder what is going through his mind, and I'm sure he probably looks at me and wonders why does she keep staring at me like that? So it brought me to this book. At last a book on rabbits and their many quirks. For too long this animal has been forgotten shuffled off to the side in favour of cats and dogs. While some of the information here I knew, it was interesting to read the history of domestic rabbits and why they do the things they do. Some of it I'm not sure how true it is. One example was if your rabbit digs up the carpet give them a piece of carpet on a board to dig. I've done this and AJ simply works away to remove the fake carpet to get to the real one, and in one case he threw a major tantrum, thumped his feet at me and for the first and only time deliberately chewed on a wire of a nearby lamp. I know it was deliberate because he made sure I saw him and frankly he had a smug look on his face too. The book also made me happy that I ended up with one of the sweetest gentlest rabbits as I have yet to see any real aggression from him, and based on this book some rabbits can be downright mean. The worst I've got is a loud snort when I try to remove from under a chair or bed before he's ready. This book was a long time coming and recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about rabbits and their wide variety of behaviours. It details everything from litter training to socializing rabbits with other animals to how to teach rabbits tricks. A large portion is people who wrote the author asking about various behaviours from biting to digging to circling and the authors response and advice to stop or limit bad behaviour and encourage the good habits. I knocked off one star mostly because there were some parts that were kind of dry, but overall very fun, quite true and informative for first time or life long rabbit owners or should I say those owned by rabbits (let's be honest you know it's true.)

[Jessie (thatchickwithabook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful and answers a lot of questions in regards to rabbit behaviour.

[Em's Adventures · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was mostly impressed with the knowledge and care advice in this book. I even learnt a few things. Sadly this book is still a bit out of date and those who read it should bear this in mind and note that you should never spray your rabbit with water to teach them a lesson. If you do this and the water gets into the ears it can lead to infection. I also don't agree with keeping rabbits with guinea pigs-while this can and does work it is risky because rabbits have a powerful kick and if they were to even accidentally kick the guinea pig while playing it could be fatal. Also guinea pigs have different dietary requirements then rabbits and require more vitamin c as they cannot make their own.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and well-written A-Z facts about wild and domestic rabbits. A good read for any new rabbit steward like myself.

[Mikaela Käll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Deepdiving, thourough book on domesticated and wild rabbit behaviour. Strongly recommend this to all rabbit owners. Have a nice read!

[hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a great book. i borrowed it from the local library around the time i started to cohabit with rabbits. it's full of interesting and actually-useful information about rabbits and their behaviours, and i found it especially valuable around communication. clear and easy in its layout. read as much or as little as you want/need.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

No terrible bunny reading to see here, move along! ( very detailed, but still quite light reading, great introduction to rabbits.)

[Book Bunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my review here:

http://www.bookbunnys.com/2013/08/08/...

[Tynan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful book for those who have rabbits or are interested in rabbits.