A House Rabbit Primer, 2nd Edition: Understanding and Caring for Your Companion Rabbit

by Lucile C. Moore

A House Rabbit Understanding and Caring for Your Companion Rabbit, 2nd Edition is a brand new, up-to-date edition of the critically acclaimed handbook covering all aspects of rabbit care for both new and experienced pet rabbit owners.


Author Lucile C. Moore, Ph.D., provides pet rabbit owners with valuable information about the total care of their pet. Part one tells owners just what to expect from their new member of the family and gives detailed information on how to house, feed, and train a rabbit. Part two contains a comprehensive medical section, updated for the second edition.


A House Rabbit Primer, 2nd Edition has been expanded to include more photos, new stories and care hints from experienced rabbit caretakers, and additional information on healthy rabbit diets. This new edition also features more detailed instructions on how to groom pet rabbits, as well as suggestions on how to care for special needs rabbits. In addition to up-to-date information on many rabbit diseases, there are tips on creating a first-aid kit for rabbits as well as providing emergency care.


With more and more pet owners choosing to keep their rabbits indoors full time, this second edition of the guide beloved by rabbit owners around the world lays out practical information for making rabbits a healthy part of any family.

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 16, 2022

Reviews

[Reader of Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first edition of this book was published in 2005, and although the preface says content has been updated for the second, 2022 edition, I don't believe it at all. So much information in this is exactly what you'd expect from a rabbit book published over 15 years ago: keeping a rabbit in a small cage (even a guinea pig cage!) and only letting them out a few hours a day, keeping a rabbit alone is fine, spraying them with a spray bottle can be an effective training method, for a health check it's recommended you turn the bunny upside down on your lap*, and so on. If they had actually updated the information to what we consider good standards of care now, this could've been a good book, but since they didn't, I really can't recommend it. For a better book about rabbits, see 'Rabbit Behaviour, Health and Care' by Marit Emilie Buseth.

*Rabbits should never be turned upside down as this triggers tonic immobility, which means, simply put, that it causes them to play dead because their brain thinks they've been caught by a predator and are about to die. It's incredibly stressful and scary for them.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: Before I was born one of my earlier siblings was a bunny by the name of Butterscotch Ripple. She and my kitty sister Sammi were best friends and loved to play and tease each other. But before Butterscotch adopted my humans, there was a deep learning curve. They had to learn about rabbits and had they not had books on house rabbits, they would have been in the dark.

Unlike dogs and cats in many ways, rabbits are smart and funny and full of personality. Butterscotch was a real love bunny who enjoyed nothing so much as cuddling with Momma and kissing her whilst her ears and nose was being rubbed. All bunnies are different but if you want to have a happy and healthy little bun, you need to understand how best to care for them. This book would provide a great education. It is perfect for the new rabbit person but it is also a good refresher for someone who had been owned by a bunny or two.

Five purrs and two paws up.

[Kerrific Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preface, we've been raising/breeding/showing rabbits for the last 10 years. This book, like most rabbit books, has some really great information and some not-so-good information. If you want to learn about rabbit breeds, skip this and buy the ARBA book as the breed information here is not all correct. If you're trying to decide if you should get a pet rabbit, this is likely a good choice to read. If you own a rabbit and are looking for help training, with medical, or other information, feel free to consult this book but also befriend your local 4-H or ARBA rabbit club as they will have much more reliable information.

[AnnieM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully comprehensive book for all rabbit lovers and owners of pet bunnies. This book covers the breeds, care, feeding, body language, illness and care for older and special need rabbits. This book is an important read for all rabbit owners as well as anyone considering on getting a pet rabbit -- it tells you what to expect and what bunnies need to live healthy and happy lives. An excellent guide that I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Santa Monica Press for an ARC and I gave my honest review voluntarily.

[Lisa Gisèle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own." A House Rabbit Primer was very useful for me. I volunteer at the local humane society as a Rabbit Wrangler and any new material to help educate me is wonderful. We mostly receive Lionheads, French Lops (my favorite) and flemish giants between 1 and 4. This book was very very helpful. And I'll recommend it to the other wranglers and new owners.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative book about rabbits and what they need to survive and thrive as a house pet. I learned a lot and I now know that even though they are absolutely adorable, I wouldn’t want to have one as a pet. I thank Netgalley and Santa Monica Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Kle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In getting ready to adopt rabbits, I ran across this book in knowing I am under experienced in rabbit care. I thought it’d be informative, but hard to get through. While the medical section is a TON of information, all of the other sections were incredibly interesting, helpful, and entertaining. I’d recommend!

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a thorough book! It covers everything you think you need to know about having a rabbit as a pet and a few thousand things you didn’t realize you needed to know. Absolutely fantastic.

I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

[Aeterna · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are cute white rabbits near my place and I love them a lot. Thank you the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for sending me this e-ARC,