Bunnuylover Bob
New Kit
Hello everyone, greetings from Denmark.
I just found this website, and would like to thank the people who started it as i have only been a rabbit owner for a year, and i have often wondered whats best for my bunnies.
My question concerns rabbit droppings. But first heres a little background, information needed to be able to answer my question.
I have 2 rabbits, Molly, and Tot. ( Tot is the Danish word for the fluffy things you find under the sofa when you havent dusted for a while ) Molly is approx 2 years old, no idea of the race name, shes a dwarf rabbit, short-haired, grey, and with droopy ears. Tot is just under a year old, shes white, longhaired, also a dwarf rabbit, and resembles a small white lion. They absolutely adore each other, and are seldom more that a few meters apart.
I´m amazed at how 2 rabbits can have such different personalities ( bunnyalities ? ).... Molly takes everything calmly, and loves being stroked. Molly on the other hand is a nervous wreck, and barely tolerates being tickled behind the ears..... I should say at this point that i rarely pick them up and cuddle them, i prefer coming down to their level, and stroking them on their terms.
Anyway, back to the problem. The rabbits dont live in a cage, although there is an open cage containing food , water, and fresh hay / straw. Beside this is a kitty litter also filled with straw where most of their droppings end up. There is also a fresh pack of meadow hay available for them to munch should they choose. They have free range over my flat as my cables are hidden, and the door to my ( I have forgotten the English word, but its an outside area built onto the face of the building 3 floors up ) is open 24 hrs a day 12 months of the year. They can go out and watch the sunrise, look at the stars, feel the rain, or burrow in the snow whenever they wish. When i go to bed at night, they both sleep at the end of my bed on " their " towel, and seem content.
I admit, i spoil my rabbits rotten, but i have always been an animal lover.
Their diet consists of good quality premixed dry food, hay, lots of fresh vegetables daily ( carrots, cucumber, lettuce, cabbage stuff like that ) i buy nibble sticks for the teeth, and sometimes hand feed them peanuts as they are crazy about them. This is a question within a question, but i have always been puzzled by the fact that i have never seen them drink water. There is a bottle of fresh water in the cage, but they never use it. Is it ok that their entire water needs are covered by vegetables ? Is it normal ?....
Now we come to the problem. Molly´s droppings look as they should. Small, individual dry pellets, but despite having the same diet, Tots droppings are very different. large, wet, sticky blobs. As she is long haired this poses obvious problems. The poor little thing looks practically blocked sometimes, and i have to physically hold her down to try to clean as best i can. I live alone and its not easy to hold her.... she scratches, wriggles and kicks and its really difficult. I also hate doing it as i hate making them unhappy. She doesnt seem ill...or in discomfort, but it must be awfull for her to have these lumps of matted hair at the back.
What should o do ?...... Should i bite the bullet, wrap her in a towel, and force her back end into a basin of warm soapy water and try to clean her with a cloth ?.....
Should i carefully cut the hair around her anus ?....This will be very difficult for 1 person as she protests so much.....
Can her anus become seriously blocked and cause her to suffer ?
What happens to these rabbits when it occurs in the wild ?
Should i change their diet ? But why affect one rabbit and not the other ?
Is there some form of medicine to dry her droppings ?
You can imagine, i have many questions, and would be glad of any help and advice you can give.
Happy New Year...
Bob
I just found this website, and would like to thank the people who started it as i have only been a rabbit owner for a year, and i have often wondered whats best for my bunnies.
My question concerns rabbit droppings. But first heres a little background, information needed to be able to answer my question.
I have 2 rabbits, Molly, and Tot. ( Tot is the Danish word for the fluffy things you find under the sofa when you havent dusted for a while ) Molly is approx 2 years old, no idea of the race name, shes a dwarf rabbit, short-haired, grey, and with droopy ears. Tot is just under a year old, shes white, longhaired, also a dwarf rabbit, and resembles a small white lion. They absolutely adore each other, and are seldom more that a few meters apart.
I´m amazed at how 2 rabbits can have such different personalities ( bunnyalities ? ).... Molly takes everything calmly, and loves being stroked. Molly on the other hand is a nervous wreck, and barely tolerates being tickled behind the ears..... I should say at this point that i rarely pick them up and cuddle them, i prefer coming down to their level, and stroking them on their terms.
Anyway, back to the problem. The rabbits dont live in a cage, although there is an open cage containing food , water, and fresh hay / straw. Beside this is a kitty litter also filled with straw where most of their droppings end up. There is also a fresh pack of meadow hay available for them to munch should they choose. They have free range over my flat as my cables are hidden, and the door to my ( I have forgotten the English word, but its an outside area built onto the face of the building 3 floors up ) is open 24 hrs a day 12 months of the year. They can go out and watch the sunrise, look at the stars, feel the rain, or burrow in the snow whenever they wish. When i go to bed at night, they both sleep at the end of my bed on " their " towel, and seem content.
I admit, i spoil my rabbits rotten, but i have always been an animal lover.
Their diet consists of good quality premixed dry food, hay, lots of fresh vegetables daily ( carrots, cucumber, lettuce, cabbage stuff like that ) i buy nibble sticks for the teeth, and sometimes hand feed them peanuts as they are crazy about them. This is a question within a question, but i have always been puzzled by the fact that i have never seen them drink water. There is a bottle of fresh water in the cage, but they never use it. Is it ok that their entire water needs are covered by vegetables ? Is it normal ?....
Now we come to the problem. Molly´s droppings look as they should. Small, individual dry pellets, but despite having the same diet, Tots droppings are very different. large, wet, sticky blobs. As she is long haired this poses obvious problems. The poor little thing looks practically blocked sometimes, and i have to physically hold her down to try to clean as best i can. I live alone and its not easy to hold her.... she scratches, wriggles and kicks and its really difficult. I also hate doing it as i hate making them unhappy. She doesnt seem ill...or in discomfort, but it must be awfull for her to have these lumps of matted hair at the back.
What should o do ?...... Should i bite the bullet, wrap her in a towel, and force her back end into a basin of warm soapy water and try to clean her with a cloth ?.....
Should i carefully cut the hair around her anus ?....This will be very difficult for 1 person as she protests so much.....
Can her anus become seriously blocked and cause her to suffer ?
What happens to these rabbits when it occurs in the wild ?
Should i change their diet ? But why affect one rabbit and not the other ?
Is there some form of medicine to dry her droppings ?
You can imagine, i have many questions, and would be glad of any help and advice you can give.
Happy New Year...
Bob