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Rabbits and Rodents: General Articles
SUMMARIES OF ARTICLES ABOUT RABBITS AND RODENTS
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 Rabbits
and Rodents: Health, disease and physiology
Reviews
of Rabbits and Rodents books, including books on health and behaviour
Advice on rabbit care
Advice on rat care
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Rats for freedom
Rats help each other to escape danger
source: New Scientist vol 212 no 2843, December 17 2011 p5
Rats are able to learn how to free one another from traps made of plastic. They are also not distracted by the temptation of a chocolate treat put nearby.
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Brain tweak makes wimps mighty
Brain connections affect social status in mice
source: New Scientist vol 212 no 2833, October 8 2011 p16
Connections in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) of the brains of mice affect their social status. Hailan Hu, from Shanghai's Chinese Institute of Neuroscience, tested mouse pairs for dominance. After infection with a virus carrying a gene that strengthens electrical signals in the MPFC, mice that were subordinate became dominant. Mice that were dominant became subordinate after implantation of a gene that reduced the electrical signals. Stronger connections may help mice to control aggression, anger and emotion.
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Rat reflections give pause for thought
Rats may have a sense of self
source: Jessica Hamzelou
New Scientist vol 212 no 2833, October 8 2011 p14
Rats and monkeys have a similar structural network in their brains as that used by humans for introspection. There are some ten networks active when humans are resting, and one is called the default mode network or DMN. It is only active when humans allow their minds to wander, and it is suppressed during the performance of external tasks. The network relates to consciousness, though may be be responsible for being conscious. It may help to consolidate memories through self-reflection. Connectivity between the DMN and memory areas can be boosted through tasks involving memory retrieval. Both monkeys and rats may possess a sense of self, though it is likely to differ from that of humans.
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Breeding for aggression
Russian team breeds rats for aggression and tameness
source: Roger Highfield
New Scientist vol 211 no 2825, August 13 2011 p25
A Russian team has bred rats for aggression. The work was begun by Dmitry Belyaev in 1972. He divided rats into two groups, one bred for aggression, and the second for tameness. After Belyaev's death in 1985, Lyndmila Trut continued his work at Novosibirsk's Institute of Cytology and Genetics. Svante Paabo from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, has studied the genetics of these rats, and believes that a minimum of half a dozen genes relate to tameness.
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For better sperm, try polygamy, it works for mice
Male fertility of mice may be improved by competition
source: Wendy Zukerman
New Scientist vol 209 no 2797, January 29 2011 p9
Male fertility of mice may be improved by competition. House mice are able to be both polygamous and monogamous. Leigh Simmons, a researcher from Western Australia University, Crawley, created polygamous and monogamous strains of mice. He then mated 16 females with both polygamous and monogamous males. The polygamous males were fathers of 76% of the resulting offspring when mated first, and 58% when mated after the monogamous males. Polygamous males produced greater quantities of sperm, which also had improved motility.
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Rats fall victim to peer pressure
Social learning and conformity in brown rats
New Scientist vol 198 no 2655,
May 10 2008 p18
Humans and chimps are known to have a strong urge to conform, and this is also true of brown rats. Bennet Galif and Elaine Whiskin, from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, have discovered that rats which initially did not like food tasting of cinnamon will eat it if they meet rats that have eaten cinnamon-flavoured food. The rats were fed food tasting of cinnamon, then injected with a chemical that produced nausea. After that, the rats chose food tasting of cocoa. However, after meeting rats that had eaten cinnamon-flavoured food, and so smelled of cinnamon, the rats went back to eating cinnamon-flavoured food. The researchers say that this raises the question of why animals conform, despite knowledge from their own experience.
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Beware, the rats are listening
Rats can distinguish between human languages
source: New Scientist vol 185 no 2482
January 15 2005 p18
A team led by Juan Toro from Barcelona University, Spain, has discovered
that rats can distinguish between Japanese and Dutch. One group of rats was
rewarded for pressing a lever when they heard Japanese from a speech synthesizer,
while another was rewarded for pressing the lever when they heard Dutch. The
rats rewarded for responding to Japanese did not press the lever when they
heard Dutch, and vice versa. They were unable to distinguish between the two
languages when sentences were said backwards. This research was reported in
the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied Behaviour Processes, vol 31
p95.
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Tales of the riverbank: how a giant guinea pig roamed South
America
Fossil remains of giant guinea pig found in Venezuela
source: Tim Radford
Guardian September 19 2003 p3
The fossilised remains of a nine foot rodent, which looked like a giant guinea
pig, have been found in the Urumaco desert, Venezuela. The rodent lived some
eight million years ago along what was then a riverbank. The creature has
been named Phoberomys pattersoni, or Goya, because Goya is a diminutive of
Gregorio, and it was found at a spot called Tio Gregorio. Rodents are normally
small, since they hide in bolt-holes, and the giant guinea pig appeared to
have few enemies. South and North America were separated at the time when
this rodent lived. The region was populated by very large creatures, such
as crocodiles thirty feet long. Few fossils have been located from this area,
so this fossil is an especially significant find.
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In from the cold
Interesting facts about gerbils
source: Justine Hankins
Guardian Weekend June 21 2003 p107
Gerbils are burrowing rodents that are found in the wild in central Asia,
some parts of China, the Middle East and North Africa. There are some 90 species
of gerbil, though most pet gerbils are Mongolian gerbils. They were sent to
the UK and US during the 1950s and were used as laboratory animals, and were
then adopted as pets. The National Gerbil Society was set up in 1970. Gerbils
do not bite, and stay awake in the daytime. They do not smell much, since
they don't urinate a lot, being desert animals. These characteristics mean
that they make good pets. They can, however, breed fast.
There was an attempt by Israeli security agents at Tel Aviv airport to train
gerbils to detect suspicious characters, since they can easily smell sweaty
people. The gerbils used for this work, however, were unable to detect the
intent of sweaty people. Some of the sweaty people simply had heavy luggage,
and were not planning hijacks.
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Albino has animal lovers in a lather
London Wildcare Centre looks after albino squirrel
source: Guardian May 28 2003 p5
A young albino squirrel has been found in Peckham, London, and taken to the
London Wildcare Centre in Surrey, where he is being cared for. The squirrel
is five-weeks-old, and has been named Persil. He was knocked from his nest
by a soccer ball. Wild albino squirrels are rare, and unlikely to survive
long. Persil is being hand fed, and could live to be eight-years-old.
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Beyond the hutch
House rabbits gain popularity in the UK
source: Justine Hankins
Guardian Weekend September 28 2002 p69
Rabbits rank third of pets in Britain, after cats and dogs, and they have
become increasingly popular among adult keepers, whereas before it was mainly
children who kept rabbits. Special rabbit toys and hutches have been developed,
famous people have expressed affection for house rabbits, and there is also
medical insurance for pet rabbits from Petplan. Around a fifth of pet rabbits
live indoors, Petplan estimates. The Rabbit Charity promotes the merits of
rabbits as pets, and aims for more pet rabbits to have the run of the home.
Rabbits can sleep in baskets, and be confined using baby gates. Rabbit hutches
should be large, so that the pets can stand up. Many hutches sold by pet stores
are not big enough for rabbits. Rabbits can chew carpets, telephone wires
and cables, so their roaming area should be rabbit-proofed. It is possible
to litter-train rabbits, and they are affectionate. It is better to keep two
or more rabbits, since they are social animals, remembering that opposite
sex rabbits can breed.
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The rat pack
Rats as pets
source: Justine Hankins
Guardian Weekend July 27 2002 p55
Rats were probably first kept as pets because Victorian rat catchers kept
individuals of the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, that showed colour variations.
Jack Black was Queen Victoria's rat catcher, and he bred rats to produce pets
with interesting colours and patterns, then sold these rats to be pets. The
National Mouse Club was set up in 1985, and rats joined the Mouse Club's competitions
in 1901.
Pet rats are the same as wild rats, which are seen as vermin if they enter
the home, yet pet rats are intelligent, and interact with owners. They are
easy to care for, but their lifespan is only some two to three years. Rats
can participate in agility events, as well as shows where they are judged
by their looks and characters.
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Hip hop stars
British Rabbit Council show
source: Lynne Bryan
Independent on Sunday Review
starts p18, 7 pages long
The Bradford Championship Show is the equivalent of Crufts for rabbits. There
are best of breed competitions, then the Best Fur, Best Rex, Best Lop and
Best Fancy are chosen from the Best of Breeds, while the top prize is for
Best in Show. The governing body for the show is the British Rabbit Council.
The Bradford show is held in Doncaster in January each year, having moved
from the original site at Bradford. There are guinea pigs, hamsters, mice
and rats at the show, as well as rabbits.
Rabbit shows involve less corruption than dog shows, the exhibitors claim.
The sums that can be won are small, and rabbits are not seen with their owners,
who thus cannot sway judges' opinions.
Older exhibitors remember when rabbits were seen as marketable commodities,
sold for their meat and fur, whereas younger exhibitors are more likely to
see keeping rabbits as a hobby. Women are also less inclined to see rabbits
as offering meat, and are more likely to keep smaller, fluffier rabbits, called
minis. Rabbits can be easily stressed, so one solution is to let them listen
to a radio, so they become used to the noise at shows, according to a woman
exhibitor.
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Office hamster 'would help productivity'
Workers' poll finds that office pets such as hamsters
would make workers more productive
source: Independent June 18 2002 p6
Office Angels, a recruitment company, has carried out a survey, involving
1,500 employers and employees, and has found a direct link between efficiency
and the work environment. One way of changing the environment to improve efficiency
is for offices to have pets such as hamsters, the researchers conclude.
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Cunning squirrels find that crime pays
Grey squirrels steal seeds from red squirrels' winter
food stores
source: New Scientist February 2 2002 p25
Grey squirrels have taken over from red squirrels in many locations, and
this seems to be linked to their being better thieves than red squirrels.
Researcher, Luc Wauters, from Insubria University, Varese, Italy, studied
Italian squirrels, and found that both red and grey squirels will steal from
the other's food stores. However grey squirrels are the more successful thieves.
The thefts meant that the red squirrels were thinner by springtime, according
to a report in Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
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Mouse sperm jump aboard the love train
Wood mouse sperm join together to reach eggs faster
source: Nicola Jones
New Scientist July 13 2002 p17
Male wood mouse sperm join together to reach eggs faster, according to University
of Sheffield biologist, Harry Moore. Thousands of sperm use hooks to link
together, like a long express train. This may give the sperm a better chance
of getting to an egg than sperm from another mouse. The chains may have between
50 and 2,000 sperm, and their speed can be as much as 50% faster than one
sperm travelling alone. Marsupials also have sperm that cooperate, in their
case by swimming alongside each other. Guinea pigs' sperm joins in clumps,
though it's not clear how this helps the sperm. The clearest case of sperm
showing altruism, however, is shown in wood mice.
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Rodents to rat on criminals
Sniffer rats being trained at Baltimore University
source: Jon Copley
New Scientist June 15 2002 p13
Baltimore University reseearchers, led by James Otto, have trained rats to
track simulated coacine and explosive smells, eben when distractions are present
such as almond extract and engine oil smells. The rats stand up on their back
legs when they locate the substance they have been trained to find. The rat
wears a harness that records the find with its time and location.
Using rats has a number of advantages over sniffer dogs. They can be trained
en masse, Otto has found, with computers controlling rewards after measuring
performance. Rats can also enter emaller spaces than dogs, and are less dependent
on particular handlers.
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Say hello to the roborat
Ethical debate on usage of brain implants to influence
rats’ behaviour
source; Duncan Graham-Rowe
New Scientist May 4 2002
starts p6, 2 pages long
Sanjiv Talwar and his research team from the State University of New York
have developed ‘roborats’ with brain implants that can make the
rats jump and turn in different directions. This research has triggered a
debate on the ethical issues involved. Talwar argues that the rats are not
forced to perform specific actions. The technique relies on stimulating the
rats’ reward centres in the medial forebrain bundle. Other implants were
placed in the somatosensory cortical area, where stimulation comes from right
and left whiskers. The rats also had radio receivers plugged into their skulls.
They were rewarded when they performed actions in response to stimulation
of a whisker. Talwar argues that the rats had control of their movements,
despite the pressure from their wanting to be rewarded. He sees the rats as
having potential for search and rescue operations, seeking survivors in rubble.
Critics, such as Gary Francione, disagree. Francione, from Rutgers University
School of Law, argues that the rats suffer discomfort, and operate under the
control of another. Another critic, Gill Langley, notes that the Federal Animal
Welfare Act provides no protection for birds or rodents used in experiments
in the US.
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Rabbits blamed as E coli infects 10 children
Wild rabbits thought to have infected children with e
coli in Norfolk, England
Wild rabbits are thought to have infected two adults and 10 children under
ten-years-old with a type of E coli infection, an outbreak which could lead
to changes in regulations. The outbreak occurred at Thrigby Hall wildlife
park in Norfolk, England, from July to September 2001. Hospital treatment
was needed by four of the victims, one of whom suffered renal failure. New
fencing has been put up at the park, and rabbits have been killed. Vets believe
that the rabbits transported the infection from cattle dung at a farm near
the park.
Large-scale killing of wild rabbits is not seen as practical due to their
large numbers, and there could also be protests. It is also difficult to erect
rabbit-proof fencing using wood or wire, and brick walls with foundations
are more effective. There is safety guidance for wildlife parks, children’s
farms, and those setting up outdoor events, for example on handwashing facilities
and dung removal.
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MI5 hatched plot to train gerbils as mole catchers
Usage of gerbils to catch terrorists at airports considered
in 1970s
source: Michael Smith
Daily Telegraph June 30 2001 p3
Britain’s MI5 agency studied a plan in the 1970s to use gerbils at airports,
to detect incoming terrorists and spies, according to MI5 director general,
Sir Stephen Lander. Gerbils can sense adrenalin changes, which affect the
smell of sweat, and they were used for this purpose at Tel Aviv airport in
Israel. The gerbils were put alongside security checks, and trained using
Pavlovian methods, to press a lever to obtain food, if they sense raised adrenalin.
The gerbils were unable to tell whether adrenalin rates were high because
passengers were fearful of air travel, or whether they were terrorists, however,
and the Israelis abandoned the idea, as did MI5. Research was carried out
during the 1970s for the Mounted Police in Canada on the feasibility of using
gerbils to detect terrorists.
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Rodents win right to have pet passports
Rodents to be allowed to have European passports
source: Marie Woolf
Independent February 28 2002 p13
Rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and other rodents are to be
allowed to have European passports to travel abroad, using a similar scheme
to that used by dogs and cats. European governments have decided to allow
this change, and the agriculture ministers of Europe are expected to finalise
it in March 2002, with chances in the law expected by the end of 2002. The
UK has backed this decision. Ferrets have been excluded from the scheme, due
to concerns about rabies.
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Well ratted
Arrest of woman for inebriation with a guinea pig
source: Guardian, Society March 27 2002 p12
A woman from Devon, England, has been arrested on a charge of being intoxicated
while she had control of a guinea pig. She spent the night in police cells.
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Squeals of delight
Guinea pigs and other Latin American rodents
source: David Alderton
Guardian, Weekend March 16 2002 p69
There are 1,500 species of rodent world wide, and only some dozen rodents
have become popular as pets. Many of these pets originate from the Andean
region of Latin America. They include guinea pigs.
Guinea pigs’ ancestors were domesticated in Peru several centuries prior
to Europeans arriving there. They were initially kept to be eaten, not as
pets. The earliest mention of guinea pigs by Europeans was in 1554. Sailors
then started to bring guinea pigs to Europe during the 16th century. It’s
not known how they got their name, though it may have come from Dutch Guiana,
now called Surinam, where they were first found by the Europeans who brought
them back. The ‘guinea’ in their names may derive from their having
cost one guinea, or there could be a link with Guinea in Africa. They do look
and squeal like pigs. They are also called cavies, and their scientific name
is ‘Cavia’.
Guinea pigs can be found in all sorts of colours, with both smooth and rosetted
coats. There are also long-haired guinea pigs that need a lot of grooming,
called Peruvians.
Other Latin American rodents include chinchillas, which have very dense coast
to help them survive cold weather in the Andes. These dense coats mean that
they don’t get fleas easily. Wild chinchillas almost became extinct at
the start of the 20th century, and are still endangered.
Degus are also rodents from the Andes. They were used for medical research
during the 1950s. They look like large gerbils, and have faces like squirrels,
They are also active and gnaw a lot, like chinchillas, so need metal-framed
enclosures.
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The effect of environmental enrichment on the behaviour
of caged rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Rabbits show less stress in an enriched environment
source: L.T. Hansen and H. Berthelsen
Applied Animal Behaviour Science (68) 2000
starts p 163, 16 pages long
A study of caged rabbits has found that they can benefit from an enriched
environment. Traditional cages tend to restrict social behaviour and foraging,
and rabbits may not have enough room to move, which could affect their skeletons.
Traditional cages are often not high enough for rabbits, which need to be
able to sit upright and not have their ears touching the cage top.
There were 47 male and 49 female rabbits used in this study, all French Lop
crosses with New Zealand Whites. They had previously lived alone in conventional
cages. Half the rabbits were put in enriched cages, which were 80 cm high
at the back, compared to 40 cm for conventional cages, and which also had
a wooden box at the back. Daylight from windows supplemented artificial light,
turned on from 7am to 4 pm. Videos were recorded of some of the rabbits, and
the rabbits were also observed during the daytime by a researcher. The rabbits
were also observed in a large area (‘open field test’) as well as
in their cages.
There were some sex differences, for example, females spent longer gnawing,
and males spent longer grooming. Females in the enriched system were also
more likely to use the nest box.
Rabbits in the enriched system were less restless than rabbits in conventional
cages. Restlessness, or not finishing activities, is seen as a symptom of
stress. Rabbits from enriched cages were also less timid when being caught
following the open-field test, and this was especially true for female rabbits.
Females were also more likely to gnaw bars in the conventional cages. Females
do appear less able to cope with a barren environment compared with an enriched
environment. A disturbance often caused rabbits in enriched cages to jump
onto the nest box, where they seem to have a better lookout position. Few
rabbits went inside the nest box to shelter or for rest, and those that did
were mainly females. Female rabbits in the wild tend to spend more time in
burrows than do male wild rabbits. There was little difference between rabbits
from enriched and conventional cages in terms of space covered in the open
field test, though the rabbits from enriched cages may have moved out of boldness,
and those from conventional cages may have moved due to fear.
Rabbits in both systems spent longer grooming than do wild rabbits. This
may be a displacement activity arising from disturbance, or linked to understimulation,
or to social deprivation. Both wild and caged rabbits tend to spend much of
the time inactive.
Rabbits do appear to benefit from an enriched environment, and this is especially
true for female rabbits.
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Jurassic pipsqueak
Ancestor of modern mammals discovered
Source: Jeff Hecht
New Scientist June 2 2001 p18
A skull 13mm long from a shrew-like mammal, discovered in Yunnan province,
China, is estimated to be 195 million years old, when dinosaurs were still
alive. Zhexi Luo, from Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, calculates
that this mammal, called the Hadrocodium, weighed two grams. The skull is
smaller than any discovered so far from this period, and differs from the
skulls of contemporary mammal relatives in having a relatively large brain
case, as is found in modern mammals. Modern mammals also have a middle ear
made from bones that are part of the jaw in reptiles, and this new skull appears
to have had a middle ear similar to that of modern mammals, unlike other mammal
relatives living at that time. Harvard University’s Alfred Crompton,
a palaeontologist, believes that the change in bone structure occurred as
mammal ancestors’ skulls became smaller. This may have helped mammals
develop sharp hearing. Mammals living during the age of dinosaurs probably
had to be nocturnal to survive.
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The mouse that sniffed and roared
Male mice become bolder after smelling receptive females
Source: New Scientist December 8 2001 p27
University of Western Ontario researchers have discovered that male mice
become bolder after smelling receptive female mice. The males exhibited less
aversion to the scent of cats when the mice had smelt female mice for a minute.
These mice also had higher testosterone levels and lower stress hormone levels.
These effects disappeared after the males had been exposed to female scents
for an hour or more. This research is described in ‘Hormones and Behavior’,
vol 40, p497.
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Rodents keep falling on my head
Abandoned rats and mice fall from balconies in Palermo, Sicily
source: Guardian September 1 2000 p13
Large numbers of rats and mice were fed by an elderly woman in Palermo, Sicily, but she went into a nursing home, and they were left abandoned. They had got too fat to climb buildings, and caused problems by falling on pedestrians on the street below. The council has brought in exterminators.
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It's a sex thing
Nitric oxide affects aggression in male and female mice in different ways
source: Alison Motluk
New Scientist September 25 1999 p16
Aggression in female mice is affected by nitric oxide in a different way from aggression in male mice. Male mice lacking a gene producing nitric oxide become aggressive, according to Stephen Gammie and team from John Hopkins University, Baltimore, US. The team found that female mice, which are usually only aggressive in defense of their pups, were less aggressive when they lacked nitric oxide. Normal female mice with young pups attack strange males approaching them, whereas females lacking nitric oxide do little to intervene. Female mice appear to need nitric oxide in order to be aggressive, and neurotransmitters appear to have different impacts on males and females. This finding may apply to other mammals, including humans.
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Mice and men
Mice lacking oestrogen do not show aggression
source: New Scientist December 2 2000 p23
Male mice lacking an enzyme which turns male hormones into oestrogen do not exhibit aggression when their territory is encroached on by other mice, Japanese researchers report. This changed if the mice had oestrogen supplements just after they were born, though they were not aggressive if there was a delay until seven days after birth before they had oestrogen supplements. The research was carried out at Japan's Kochi Medical School, and is to be reported in 'Journal of Endocrinology'.
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You scratch my back, honey, then maybe...
Female woodmice may seek grooming in exchange for sex
source: New Scientist December 4 1999 p23
Researchers from University of Oxford, England, have found that male woodmice tend to occupy themselves grooming females for longer than females groom males (Ethology, vol 105, p982). The researchers, David Macdonald and Pavel Stopka, believe that females seek grooming in exchange for sex. Males may only be able to offer grooming as a resource, due to the promiscuity of wood mice.
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Family way
Nurturing instincts of mice linked to genes from fathers
source: Philip Cohen
New Scientist April 17 1999 p17
Mice with defective Peg3 genes have been found to gather straying pups more slowly than average, and build nests more slowly. The gene also affects neuronal development, which in turn affects reactions to oxytocin, a hormone that induces maternal behaviour and lactation. The Peg3 gene is an imprinted gene, only one copy of which is found to be active in mice, which usually have two copies of genes, one from each parent. The research was carried out by University of Cambridge researchers, Eric Keverne and Azim Surani, who have previously discovered that a different, and unrelated gene, Mest, which mice inherit from their fathers, affects maternal behaviour.
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The Mozart effect
Rats perform tasks better when listening to Mozart
source: Gary Kliewer
New Scientist November 6 1999
starts p34, 4 pages long
Listening to Mozart appears to help both humans and rats peform tasks better. Rats can solve maze problems faster when they are raised with Mozart's music. 30 rats heard Sonata in D for 12 hours a day for more than eight weeks. Frances Rauscher, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, psychologist, found that these rats made 37% fewer mistakes in maze tests, and performed 27% faster than other rats raised with silence or white noise. She is carrying out a new study using a control group of rats with toys to play with, as well as rich social interaction, in case the original controls performed badly due to their deprived environment. There is evidence that Mozart may also help humans with conditions such as Alzheimer's and epilepsy.
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Bomb-sniffing rats
Rats could be used to detect land mines
source: The Animals' Agenda March-April 2000 p20
Apopo is a Belgian group of researchers which has been using giant pouched rats from Africa to detect dynamite.They could prove to be better than dogs at detecting land mines. Rats' sense of smell is keener than that of dogs, and they cost less to feed. They can be trained to detect dynamite and keep still, waiting for a food reward. This links to their natural behaviour of burying food and finding it later by smell.
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Housing
Housing for rabbits
source: Nick and Marianne Mays
Country Smallholding March 2000
starts p 50, 2 pages long
Rabbits should have their cages prepared prior to their arrival in a new home, so that they suffer less stress and can settle. Outdoor hutches must be waterproof. Wood is preferable to metal or plastic, because it insulates better. Heavy wood lasts longer than plywood. Non-toxic wood preserver should be used. Chicken wire is not strong enough for the front of an outdoor cage. A sloping roof is needed for the rain to fall off, or an apex design can be used. Legs or bricks are needed to keep the base dry. Cages can be placed against a wall to provide some protection against wind.
Indoor hutches do not need such strong wood, and can have flat roofs and wire fronts. They can be bought with plastic trays and water bottles. Angoras need a wire floor so that their urine and droppings fall through. Wood shavings can be used on the floor, with hay for bedding, and cages should be cleaned weekly. Rabbits also like outside runs, especially in summer, and need a shelter within the run. Features of good cages include litter boards, and enough height for rabbits to stand up.
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Bringing your rabbit home
Buying a rabbit and caring for the new arrival
source: Nick and Marianne Mays
Country Smallholding June 2000
starts p42, 2 pages long
Pet stores are good places to find crossbreed rabbits, though good quality pedigree rabbits are easier to find from breeders, who advertise in specialist journals and local newspapers. Rabbits should be at least six weeks old, and French Lops and other larger breed should be sold at over eight weeks, since they are weaned later. They should be alert, curious, with no discharges from ears or noses, and no sign of diarrhoea round the tail. They should have soft, dense fur, with no parasites, clean feet, and firm, well-nourished bodies. Long claws mean that rabbits are probably older. Rabbits are not easy to sex when young. Juvenile males have small, circular openings, and juvenile females have slit-like openings. Adult males have testicles, and adult females have V-shaped vaginal openings.
Rabbits need peace once they arrive home. When they become curious, they can be offered titbits and talked to gently, until they start to nuzzle. Then they can be allowed to sniff their new owner. Regular feeding times help rabbits recognise routines and they may tell owners if they are late with food by banging their feeding bowls.
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House rabbits
Looking after house rabbits
source: Nick and Marianne Mays
Country Smallholding January 2001
starts p38, 3 pages long
There were around 1.5 million pet rabbits in Britain in 1999, and they have become increasingly popular as houserabbits for people who are too busy to take their pets for a walk. The British Houserabbit Assocation had more than 2,000 members in 1999. Indoor rabbit cages should have a strong bottom tray made from plastic, which is easy to clean. Cages can be put in corners for rabbits allowed to enter and leave at will. Plastic or other sheeting can be put under the cage, for debris. Rabbits need access to hay and fresh water , and wood shavings can be used for their cage floor. Litter trays should be near the cage, and rabbits can be trained to used them by putting their droppings in the tray, and putting to rabbit on the tray when it begins to perform. Wood-based cat litter can be used. Rabbits need two days in their cages in the home prior to being let out. They should be supervised in case they eat electrical cable. Special thick plastic cable covers can be bought to protect wires from rabbits. Rabbits should be vaccinated, their claws and teeth attended to, and they may need to be neutered in case they want to defend your home as theirs.
RB,FH
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