Jersey Wooly Rabbit Care

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Best Type for Home for your Jersey Wooly

Jersey Wooly Housig

Once you’ve decided a bunny buddy is the companion for you, your first consideration will be creating a suitable home.

Whether you choose one of the many sizes and styles of enclosures at your local pet store, build your own, or create a unique hybrid of bought and built, your Wooly must be housed indoors. Despite their thick coats, Woolies are very intolerant of changing weather.

As the Jersey is a dwarf breed, a cage as small as four square feet will provide sufficient space, but bigger is better. You can create a larger enclosure without sacrificing floor space by buying or building in levels connected by ramps.

Make sure your enclosure has an opening large enough for you to lift your bunny out. If bunny is allowed to roam inside your home (rabbit-proofed areas only!), a side opening will let it enter and exit the cage on its own. The opening should either be smooth or framed in plastic to ensure a snag-free passage. If your cage has multiple levels, multiple access points will make for easier cleaning.

Food, hay and water containers should be cage mounted to avoid spilling and contamination. Wire flooring allows droppings to fall into a removable tray, but even narrowly spaced wire can cause sores on bunny’s feet. Fortunately, Woolies are easily litter-box trained, making a wire floor unnecessary. Never use clumping litter or cedar chips, as both can be harmful if ingested.

Your Wooly’s home needn’t be an unsightly box in a corner of your living room. It can be an attractive centerpiece and even decorated appropriate to the season. Never use electric decorations on your rabbit’s cage. Any other decorations which could be harmful if chewed should also be kept well out of bunny’s reach. A good general rule of thumb is: what is safe is the crib is safe on the cage. There are exceptions, however. When in doubt, ask your veterinary doctor or other animal care specialist.

Even the most luxurious cage is still a cage, however, and your bunny will need additional room to romp and roam. Care must be taken to ensure your rabbit’s safety; indoor spaces must be bunny-proofed; outdoor spaces must be properly enclosed.

For additional information, follow these quick links:

Building a better bunny house: www.therabbithouse.com
How to handle your bunny: www.3bunnies.org/handling.html
Basic bunny care: www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-care.html
Out/Indoor hazards to companion rabbits: www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/hazards.html
The National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club: www.njwrc.net
The American Rabbit Breeder’s Association: www.arba.net

How to Groom your Jersey Wooly

Jersey Wooly Grooming

Jersey Woolies came into being as a cross between the Netherland Dwarf and French Angora. A Wooly’s coat has a higher ratio of guard hairs, however, making it far easier to maintain than an Angora, and can still be used as a textile.

Regularly clean their enclosures to keep them free of droppings. This goes a long way towards making grooming easier. Urine stains, also called ‘hutch stains’ are sometimes unavoidable. Some home remedies include lemon juice and water, vinegar and water, or baking soda and water. These solutions should only be used directly on the stains. Never immerse your rabbit in water, as this can cause shock.

Start your grooming sessions with a high powered blow dryer set to ‘cool’, or a small, clean shop vac set to ‘blow.’ This will blow away dirt and dust and fluff the coat. Use the blower for only short periods to start, giving your bunny treats for its cooperation. Be careful not to blow directly into the ears, eyes, nose or mouth. Start at the rump and work your way forward along the back and sides.

Using a slicker brush next will remove mats, pull out loose fur, stimulate the skin and add a shine to your rabbit's coat. Slicker brushes come in many sizes and styles. Look for one specifically designed for bunnies. Again, begin at the tail. You can turn your bunny over in your lap to do its underside.

As you gently handle your rabbit, check its eyes, ears and bottom for signs of irritation. Also check the nails and teeth, both of which can become overgrown and require trimming. If left untreated, overgrown teeth, known as malocclusion, may cause your rabbit to stop eating.

As your Wooly matures, it will go through several stages of molting, beginning around the eyes, nose and base of the ears. Some rabbits go completely bald, resulting in what’s called a ‘Michigan hairless.’ Shed coats can be mixed with other fibers and made into felt or spun into yarn for use in crafts. With Jersey Woolies, you can, quite literally, have your bunny and wear it too. New coats usually come in fairly quickly.

For additional information, follow these quick links:

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Jersey Wooly Indoor Play Places

Even the most luxurious cage is still a cage, and your bunny will need additional room to romp and roam. The more space they are given, the more content they will be. For the safety of your bunny, and your belongings, however, indoor spaces must be carefully prepared before becoming rumpus rooms. Unless your rabbit has been properly trained, never allow it to roam unsupervised in your house.

Mornings and evenings are ideal times for out-of-cage exercise, as these are the times of day rabbits are most active. This is called ‘crepuscular’, as opposed to nocturnal (active at night) and diurnal (active during the day).

Bored bunnies misbehave. Even with loads of room to run they still need toys which will satisfy their need to chew. Magazines, sticks and cardboard boxes work well and are a good investment in the protection of your floorboards and furnishings. To prevent burrowing and nesting in the underside of couches and other low furniture, a frame of 2x4’s placed underneath will keep the space off limits.

If your rabbit persists in unwanted chewing, firmly saying “NO” while spraying with a water bottle acts as a good deterrent. Do not rely solely on training to keep bunnies from chewing wires, however, as they can be severely burned or even killed. Remove or secure any wires in your rabbit’s play space. Products to hide or wrap wires are available at most electronic and hardware stores. Never run wires under carpeting. This poses a serious fire hazard.

Among the other dangers your room may hold, many popular types of house plant are toxic to rabbits, such as violets, philodendron and dieffenbachia. Toxic plants should be hung from the ceiling (don’t expect them to be safe on counter tops) or removed from the area entirely. Again, when in doubt, ask a specialist.

If your rabbit cannot hop back into its cage on its own, have a litter-box and weighted water bowl available.

For additional information, follow these quick links:

Jersey Wooly Outdoor Play Places

Even the most luxurious cage is still a cage, and your bunny will need additional room to romp and roam. The more space they are given, the more content they will be. Outdoor play areas must provide protection from the elements, predators and other, less obvious dangers.

Safety will be your primary concern. Even if a rabbit is out of the reach of predators, it can still be frightened to death, so never leave your rabbit unsupervised. It only takes a moment for a dog to jump a fence or a bird of prey to swoop down. Other threats include possums, raccoons, dogs and even skunks. Your rabbit should also never be left in its run over night.

Functionality is second. A run should be large enough for your rabbit to run and play. A sufficient construction can be made from a heavy, wooden frame and wire sides, top and bottom. The wire bottom will be necessary to keep your bunny from burrowing out. Even if flush with the ground, however, wire flooring can cause sores on bunny feet. For additional comfort, cover the wire with a layer of straw, which rabbits love to nest in and chew. Don’t forget the water bottle.

An enclosed area within the run, such as a sturdy cardboard box, will give your rabbit a place to hide and rest. Some bunny-proof toys would be appreciated as well. Generally, what is crib safe is cage safe, although there are some exceptions. When in doubt, ask your veterinary doctor or other animal care specialist. Don’t forget the water bottle.

Be sure to design enough access points to allow for easy cleaning. A garden hose will only go so far. At some point you’ll have to be able to reach into corners. Include a litter-box and change it regularly. Straw should be changed weekly. We already mentioned the water bottle.

Woolies enjoy moderate temperatures. Your run should be at least partially protected from direct sunlight and chilly drafts, and well away from potentially poisonous plants, such as oleander, lilies and tulips. Never use the run when it’s cold, hot or raining.

For additional information, follow these quick links:

Building a better bunny house: www.therabbithouse.com
How to handle your bunny: www.3bunnies.org/handling.html
Basic bunny care: www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-care.html
An extensive list of hazardous plants: www.3bunnies.org/poisonous_plants.htm
The American Netherland Dwarf Rabbit Club: www.andrc.net
The American Rabbit Breeder’s Association: www.arba.net

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Jersey Wooly Rabbit Further information on Feeding

The digestive system of most rabbits is a lesson in delicacy, but with a few considerations, you can hedge your bets against common, and often dangerous, digestive disorders.

Rabbits rely on good bacteria in their stomachs to aid in the digestion of their food. Frequently changing their diet, or adding new foods too fast, can upset this delicate balance and cause serious problems. Add new foods over the course of a week or more. If you want or need to change your brand of chow, combine the new with the old in increasing proportions over the same period of time.

As a dwarf breed, mature Woolies need only about 1-ounce of chow for every 1-pound of weight, daily. If you have a pregnant or nursing doe, however, or a baby less than four months in age, allow them as much as they’ll eat. This will provide the additional calories and nutrients they need.

Pet rabbits do very well on chow that is 16 - 18% protein, at least 16% fiber, and 2 - 3% fat. Take time to check labels and find a suitable brand, and only buy what will be consumed in four to five weeks. The high moisture content in rabbit chow means it can mold and spoil, which will make your bunny sick.

In addition to a quality chow, your bunny’s main diet will consist of a constant supply of fresh water, which rabbits cannot absorb from their food, and a constant supply of timothy hay. Woolies are more prone to a life threatening condition known as wool block; a clog of hair in the digestive tract. The constant supply of fresh hay helps reduce this possibility and allows for all day nibbling.

Special treats can be used to reinforce cooperative training, supplement a daily diet, or just say, “I love you.” Kitchen scraps work great here, but foods close to spoiling are better for the compost pile than your bunny’s belly. Be sure to remove any pits or seeds.

Don’t feed your bunny lettuce. Lettuce contains lactucarium, which can cause dangerously severe diarrhea. Diarrhea can kill a rabbit. You should also avoid cabbage, rutabaga, parsnips, potato tops and tomato leaves.

For additional information, follow these quick links: