Anyone have Rabbits?

757 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Heather30ish, Jun 6, 2005

mosky22

Discussion Starter · Jun 1, 2005

We just adopted a baby rabbit from a local animal shelter. Now, I thought I had prepared myself for this new animal comming into our lives. But now I am freeking out because the rabbit nipped dd. It did not really break the skin, but dd is only partially vacinated. We have lots of other animals, 2 cats and 2 dogs, and they all have their shots and they don't bite. Now with this rabbit, I do not know if I have to worry about tetenus. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

Thanks,
Monica

Save

1 - 3 of 3 Posts

gardenmom

· #2 · Jun 2, 2005

We have a rabbit, and though he (maybe she--we still don't know what sex it is :LOL) has never bitten anyone, I am pretty sure that Tetanus lives in soil and dies with exposure to oxygen, so any wound that bleeds would not be a tetanus risk--deep puncture wounds that came with soil contact and can't bleed are the most risky with Tetanus. Please confirm this elsewhere, though, as I'm no expert on disease. I honestly don't know if there are any diseases associated with rabbits that can be passed to humans, we just never worried about it, honestly. A good pet store or a vet could tell you more.

Also if your rabbit gets used to being handled and cuddled gently, I think chances are that he'll calm down and not nip. He's probably just young and scared of his new surroundings.

Good luck, bunnies are cute and fun pets!

Save

Heather30ish

· #3 · Jun 6, 2005

Hi, sorry to be late responding, but here is goes!

I had rabbits for years and years, and nips do happen from time to time. Rabbits don't like rough handling or play, which can be difficult for really little ones. They startle easily, and some breeds can be kind of anxious, especially the dwarf breeds.
Make sure to give the new rabbit plenty of time to settle in and a safe and quiet spot they can go to if they feel threatened. My house rabbits liked to have a cage (left open with a litter box inside) that they could retreat to when the cats got too rambunctious. Also, be warned, they will chew any books left at their level, no matter how many other things they have to play with!
Also, don't get discouraged if you continue to find "pellets" around even after bun is litter box trained. Rabbits don't really regard this as waste, so they never completely lose the habit of dropping them here and there. Luckily, nothing could be easier to clean up. Rabbits are very neat pets!
Check out a book called "House Rabbit Handbook" for lots of great info.
HTH!

See less See more

Save

1 - 3 of 3 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month