HOW LONG DO RABBITS LIVE?

This is a question I'm often asked when I mention that I have a house rabbit. I usually say "Ten years on average." But I qualify that by saying that it depends on how healthy they are and how well they're cared for.

Like any other creature, genetics plays a part in rabbit longevity. For example, My departed Sierra only lived for about 4 years. She had some sort of seizure which left her paralyzed and her back legs quivered whenever I touched them. I realized that the kindest thing to do was to have her put down.

Neutrino was one rabbit who lived for ten years and a few months. His health was generally good, though he suffered from a chronic upper respiratory disease. He had some sort of seizure and died in his litter box.

I adopted a six-year-old bunny and named him Zachaeus, after the tax collector who  Jesus saw sitting and watching him up in a tree and who invited himself to dinner at the man's house. That rabbit developed a huge tumor in his belly and had to be put down. I only had the cute little guy for five months.

In all these cases, I fed my rabbits plenty of hay and alfalfa pellets. Though some of them had messy behinds after eating dandelions, I gave those weeds only to the bunnies who could digest them properly.

Additionally, I spent a lot of money on vet care for my long-eared friends. Veterinarians consider rabbits to be an exotic animal so owners need to find clinics specializing in the care of such creatures. Also beware of vets claiming to be able to treat rabbits. The local doctor did a poor job and treated my beloved bunnies roughly.

Amazing facts, like the ones I've described, are all in my debut paperback called When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living with Bunnies. I only have a few copies left so Contact me directly.

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BUNNIES DO EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE

Here's something which cat and dog owners most likely don't know. The rabbit litter box is more than a place for them to relieve themselves.

Being grazing animals, rabbits like to eat and deficate at the same time. Placing a handful of hay at one end of the litter box will encourage bunnies to use it as a toilet. The hay is the bribe that lures rabbits in. Soon they become accustomed to eating and doing their business there. In fact, many bunnies become defensive of their litter boxes as it represents their domaine's marked place.

I've heard of some rabbit pairs or groups who share litter boxes. Others want their own. Whichever is the case, litters are more to a rabbit than a toilet is to us humans.

Rabbits are territorial creatures. They often will fight if not introduced properly. Like people, some fall in love instantly while others develop an instant dislike for one another. Then there are those who need to have time to bond with each other.

Some rabbits like to nap in their litter boxes. They feel either safe in there or they want to protect their marked space. Either way, it's a good idea to have several boxes available if the rabbits figure they'd rather sleep in one while using the other for a toilet.

In my many years of living with rabbits, I've found it fairly easy to litter train them. One instinct of bunnies is that they don't soil their warrens. This translates to keeping their sleeping and safe places clean. Rarely have I had rabbits mess in their hiding place boxes. There's often something wrong with them when they do that.

Having lived with rabbits as house pets, many being free range companions, I wrote a book called When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With Bunnies It's a memoir of all the wonderful things I discovered about them as well as the mischief they got into. Find out more about this charming paperback at Bruce Atchison's books page.

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IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Easter Sunday is on April 5th this year but chocolate bunnies and Easter candy is already appearing in stores across the land. One store I went to before Christmas even had those Cadburry Mini Eggs on sale.

As much as I love those chocolates, as well as all the bunny-themed items on sale, one aspect of Easter gets me down. Far too many under-aged rabbits are sold to gullible parents who have no clue how to look after these creatures.

The scenario is almost exactly the same in households across North America. The parents buy a bunny from a breeder or pet store. Then the kids won't look after him or her. The rabbit soon is put in the back yard in a tiny hutch. The parents quickly tire of caring for the one-time kids pet. Either the defenseless animal is dumped in the park or surrendered to an over-crowded animal shelter. Often times, the family dog or some passing predator frightens the bunny to death. Next year, many of the brainless parents will buy another hapless animal for their whining brood.

In the past decade or two, animal welfare proponents have advocated for rabbits to be treated with the care that dogs and cats receive. They spend considerable time and effort reaching out to people through the media. Often times, they set up booths at pet shops to warn potential bunny owners of what they need to do to have a long and happy experience with their rabbit.

But to the warnings from many worthy causes, some folks are just stuck on stupid. They hear all the public service announcements on such important matters as drunk driving and distracted motoring, yet they figure that's for other people. The same sadly holds true for warnings about rabbits at Easter.

If you feel tempted by breeders or pet shops to buy that cute little bunny, STOP! Visit House Rabbit Society and study all the information you'll need to decide if a bunny is for you and your family. As with any animal, rabbits need to be spayed and neutered. They require a special diet that will prolong their lives and keep them healthy. They can also be litter trained. Furthermore, bunnies aren't treated by every veterinarian but by the ones specializing in exotic animals.

I also have written a memoir of my experience with rabbits in my home. The paperback is filled with humorous stories and surprising facts about these long-eared companions. Check out When a Man Loves a Rabbit at Bruce Atchison's books page.

WHEN A MAN LOVES A RABBIT

"Why on earth do you like rabbits?" That's what many of my acquaintences have asked me over the years. In the minds of most adults, bunnies are just a pet for kids. They assume that since their rabbit didn't live long and did nothing but sit in the tiny backyard cage that they bought for it that these creatures aren't worthy to be a house pet. When I explain about what charming and intelligent animals rabbits are, people give me incredulous looks.

If only people would give bunnies a chance. The first thing they need to do is to learn the proper way to litter train, feed, and rabbit-proof the room where the bunny is kept. The House Rabbit Society website has all the information a novice rabbit owner needs to know to care for a bunny. Though there are other sites claiming to have credible information, the data is often wrong and based on opinion rather than empiracle observation.

What I love about bunnies is their inquisitive natures. Once a person wins a rabbit's trust, a precious gift in itself, they  become outgoing and affectionate. All the rabbits I've had in my house quickly warmed up to me once I got down to their level and showed them I wasn't dangerous. I let them make the first moves rather than grabbing them up like a stuffed toy. Being prey animals, rabbits instinctively fear being picked up.

Like dogs and cats, rabbits need proper veterinary care. This is often expensive because they're only seen by exotic specialists. But if somebody truly loves their long-eared companion, the expense of a proper vet is worth it.

Bunnies can live up to ten years with proper care and correct nutrition. I've heard of some who have lived to thirteen but they were quite frail by the time they died. Since this is so, potential rabbit owners need to be committed to their pet for the long haul. Vidulence is also required as bunnies tend to hide their illnesses from the prying eyes of predators. I've taken my rabbits to the vet when they exhibited some odd behaviour and usually discovered that they had a serious illness. I've also made the mistake of ignoring subtle signs of discomfort and ended up losing my beloved fur friends.

Back in 2006, I published my debut memoir called When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With Bunnies. It shows how I came to live with these amazing and amusing members of God's awesome creation. I also pass along the lessons I learned during the eight years covered by the book. For more information about it, check the Bruce Atchison's books link.

HOUSE RABBITS LIVE TEN YEARS OR LONGER

"How long do rabbits live?" This question is often asked of me when I tell acquaintances and friends about my house bunnies. People seem to assume that rabbits only live for a few years. This erroneous belief is based on anecdotes of neglected bunnies confined to lonely backyard hutches and who die of preventable diseases.

So who made me an expert on rabbit longevity? Being a member of several e-mail lists regarding house rabbits, I've known many of these well-cared-for animals living to ten years or longer. In fact, I heard of several rabbits who lived to fourteen years of age.

I also had a bunny named Neutrino who lived to the venerable age of ten. By the time he passed away on July 25, 2008, he had arthritis and suffered from seizures. Even so, he still enjoyed being petted and lying in the patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor each evening.

How can rabbits be made to live so long? Proper veterinary care is the key to long bunny lives. Spaying and neutering them not only lowers the risk of cancer but it makes them easier to get along with. Hormonal animals feel the urgent need to mark territory with urine and feces. When rabbits are spayed or neutered, almost all of this behaviour disappears.

Living creatures also need a stimulating environment. Rabbits flourish mentally and physically when they have room to run and toys to play with. A simple cardboard box with holes cut at each end makes a marvelous chew toy. Bunnies also enjoy shredding phone books and newspapers. Placing such material in their cardboard houses gives them many hours of enjoyment. Bunnies even nap in their cardboard boxes since they feel safe inside them.

Having eight years of experience  with house rabbits, I wrote my adventures in a book called When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With Bunnies. Click on my books link at the top left of this blog to read more about it.

I also have some videos which feature my rabbits. View them at the this link. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

A LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR CHEWING TEETH.

One of my rabbit-loving friends called her bunny a life support for chewing teeth. I wish I could remember who it was so I could give proper attribution in this post. Be that is it may, rabbits have an insatiable need to chew things. Their teeth keep growing, though they aren't rodents, so they must chew grass hay to wear them down properly. Otherwise they end up with overgrown teeth that lacerate their mouths and make eating a chore.

Factors like these are what most people never think of when they buy a bunny for Easter. For most folks, their ideas are shaped by the anecdotes of friends and Bugs Bunny cartoons. I've heard so many sad stories of pet rabbits chewing on toys, base boards, and snipping wires. I even had problems with my bunnies sabotaging my computer's phone line.

Back in the days of dial-up connections, I strung an extension phone cord to the PC in my office. To prevent Gideon from snipping the line, I tucked it under the base boards. The little sneak managed to dig it out and chew through it. I went to get my e-mail as usual the next morning and found that the computer couldn't connect to the FreeNet server. Tracing the wire showed me where my fur-clad Dennis the Menace snipped it.

I've found that the best way to prevent chewable things from being damaged is either to hide them or cover them. For example, I arranged my stereo system so all the cables were hidden behind the massive speaker box. For cables that couldn't be blocked off, I wrapped them in cable protectors and then put brown packing tape on top. Distraction is another tactic that bunny owners can use to satisfy a rabbit's need to chew. I've found that cardboard boxes with holes cut at opposite ends work well to keep chomping teeth satisfied. My rabbits have happily widened the holds. When I put an old phone book, minus its covers, inside the box, my long-eared vandals spent many happy hours shredding and tearing them. Bunnies also like to nap in these makeshift houses.

Vinegar bottles filled with water came in handy for keeping door barriers standing. With an equivalent of Neat Idea Cubes, metal grids painted with enamel, these home-made gates worked well as barriers when lashed together with wire ties. This remedy managed to keep bunnies out of rooms that weren't bunny-proofed. They made nice pens too.

Rabbits have a nasty habit of chewing on clothing and carpets. Though I haven't been completely successful in preventing damage to my rugs, other bunny folks have used compounds such as Bitter Apple and Ivory Soap on the areas which tend to be chewing temptations. I've managed to stop some buck-toothed vandals from destroying my carpets by placing vinegar jugs filled with water along the walls.

I'm writing all this to say that house rabbits aren't for house-proud people. If you don't mind grid barriers, cord wrap, and water bottles all over the place, then bunnies might be the companion animal for you. If you don't mind sweeping or vacuuming up shreds of paper and cardboard, you're a good candidate for a bunny. Most people won't put up with keeping chewable things out of the reach of rabbits. That's why I advocate each spring for responsible pet ownership. Do your homework rather than be unpleasantly surprised.

I cover all this and more in my When a Man Loves a Rabbit book. Check out this book at the left hand side of this page.

I have a new book out called, How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm Publishers distribute this amazing account of how God led me out of a cult and into the wonderful freedom of knowing the truth.