Okay, so I typed out this novel of a guide... And I'll show it to them later, after the BBQ. And I'll ask them if they think they can handle it. If they don't seem too thrilled, I'll just be staying home this summer. :/
I'm gunna post the guide here so you can all see what I have down. If anyone thinks of something that should be added, like something in "buns 101" or something, let me know.
Here's what the guide says:
Bunny 101:
Things you should know about rabbits in general...
1. Rabbits are grazing animals. They need their stomachs full almost all the time. Pellets are a supplement for the vitamins they won't get in other food. Hay is full of fiber. Fiber is required in a rabbit's diet. If a rabbit gets soft stool, it could lead to them getting very sick or dying. So the hay is required to keep their digestive tract happy.
2. Rabbits should have fresh vegetables every day.
3. Rabbits should be let out of their cage for at *least* an hour a day to stretch their legs.
4. Rabbits cannot handle sugar in large amounts. One apple chunk or piece of banana is all they can have for up to 3 days!
5. Rabbits are prey animals. Never hit them. Not even a tap. Use a squirt bottle, and thump your foot on the ground to show you're upset. This will usually stop the unwanted behavior.
6. Rabbit poop is also known as pills, due to the shape. When I mention 'pills', that's what I mean.
My Rabbits:
ALWAYS leave the air conditioner on, and the fan in the doorway! My rabbits and rats will overheat without the air conditioner on, and some of them can even die of heat exhaustion/heat stroke. When Luna's not out, leave my bedroom door open so the cool air can get to the rats.
My buns are awesome. They are fairly well behaved. You can leave all three unattended for up to two hours tops. Just make sure you keep checking on them to make sure they're not doing something they shouldn't be. You can leave them out longer, so long as you're watching them every hour or two. Just be diligent. Don't EVER leave the house while they're out. And never fall asleep with them out. If you're tired, put them away.
Caring for the buns:
Luna:
Out time:
Since she's in the hall, she usually gets to be out all day when I'm home. I block off the stairs with the cage grate. Make sure she won't be able to go around the grate to the other side. She's very slinky! Block off Happy Bob's room with the window pane, as I've been doing. All other doors must be closed! My room, store room, bun room, and bathroom, must all be closed off.
Feeding:
Luna's pellets will be measured out for you, and I will be arranging baggies of veggies that she gets every morning. So you just go downstairs, and pick one of each rabbit's baggies for veggies every day. Luna should never be in the cage when you feed her. She will attack. Aside from the fact that this is dangerous to you, I'm trying to work on her aggression issues. And you invading her personal space, and her only safe place, to take away her food bowl to fill it, or reaching your hand in, will not help the process. Try to wait until she's no longer in the cage before feeding her. You can sit in front of the door of the cage to prevent her from hopping back in. But she's skittish, so you'll have to have some patience. You might want to wait until she's over by the bathroom door before trying to feed her. Just an option. Obviously, if you're pressed for time, just shove the food in her cage. She *will* get over it. But I urge you to not do this unless you need to.
Other animals:
Luna does not get along with Lei (the black and white rat), or Jasper. So make sure the bun room door and my bedroom door stay closed. Even if the bun room buns are both caged. Luna will attempt to attack them through the cages. So if she gets into the bun room, she has to get out.
Punishment:
If Luna does somehow get in the bathroom or bun room, spray her with the squirt bottle consistantly until she's out of the room. She does *know* better. She's just stubborn. If she gets in my room, simply clap, say her name loudly, and try to chase her out the door. Poking her butt works well. She won't be hard-headed enough to stand for much more.
Caging Her:
To get her back in the cage, simply chase her about. You'll find she cages herself very easily. Because the cage is her safe place. Which is again why I urge you not to feed her while she's in the cage, unless you really must.
General Bun Room info:
There is a blanket on Jasper's cage. It stays there. Nymh gets on top of her cage and can injure himself through the bars since his legs are so small. Plus, his marking pills will go through into Jasper's cage. Rabbits are very territorial. This would be disasterous for a number of reasons. So just leave the blanket there unless you're filling her hay rack.
The hay bowl is there simply for the buns to eat more hay. It's not really required, though it does seem to have Jasper eating more. She will tip the bowl. Just as a warning. Don't yell at her for doing it, or get upset at her. Just clean it up at your own pace. It's just hay. It can go back in the bowl.
Make sure all of the windows are closed when the buns are out. ALL of them! Jasper has tried to get out the small window by the lamp before. So she will try again. Please do NOT ever leave anybun alone with ANY window open.
Both rabbits will mark. Nymh and Jasper. They're fairly easy to clean up after. I'll leave the clorox wipes in the bun room, top shelf, for the urine. It won't stain. So don't feel bad to leave it there for a few hours of being lazy or needing to leave. After the urine's mopped up, just sweep the pills up. It takes less than 2 minutes to clean up after one bun. Nymh will mark in front of Jasper's cage. Jasper will mark in front of Nymh's. You must clean up after the bun before letting the next one out! If not, they'll just mark that much more and it'll be even more work for you.
Never punish them for marking on the floor. It won't stop even if you TOLD them in their language. This is all hormones and there's nothing we can do about it.
Jasper:
Out Time:
Jasper is usually the first of the two buns in the bun room to come out. When I'm home, she's usually out at least half the day. Bun-proof before every outing! She will get into almost anything! Do not leave purses, shoes, bags, clothes, or ANY food or drink on the floor, or bed. Put it on top of the dresser! Their stomachs are very sensitive! Simply having a nacho could make them very sick. Please make sure no wrappers, or candy is on the floor. Chocolate is instant death for rabbits. For those it doesn't kill, they can become perminant epileptics. And often need to be put to sleep. She's allowed on the box, on the shelves, on the purple tote, on the bed, on top of Nymh's cage, under the dresser, whatever. The only place she's not allowed is on the very top of the small bookcase. She can get up there, just doesn't really bother. Squirt bottle if she's up there. Just once. More than that may make her panic and misjudge the jump down and hurt herself.
Feeding:
Again, pellets and veggies will be measured out. She's my most prolific hay eater. Try to use the garbage bag with the least hay first, so we can discard that bag. She may got for days with no hay eating, then one day just consume almost the whole rack out of nowhere. So be on your toes. You can open the door on top of the cage to refill it easily. She can, and will, use that door to get out. So make sure both clips are clipped on, and the door is latched properly.
Other Animals:
Jasper only has contact with Nymh. One rabbit must be in the cage at all times. They cannot both be out together! Not even if you're holding them. They are both not fixed, and Nymh is still a male- which means he may be aggressive and hurt Jasper. Also, Jasper is PRESUMABLY female. We're almost positive, but it's possible she's a he. If Jasper turns out to be a male, unneutered, and Nymh unneutered, and they meet, you will be helpless. They will tear each other apart. They get along fine behind the bars of a cage. Until they are both fixed, they are not to be bonded or tested. Especially not without my supervision.
Punishment:
Because she's a bigger rabbit, she knows it. She knows that telling a 7 or 8lbs rabbit to get in the cage isn't the same as telling my 2lb Nymh. She's usually very well behaved until it's cage time. As I said, she's allowed almost everywhere. She won't try to leave the bun room, really. But still ALWAYS keep the door closed when Luna's out. If you find her doing something you really think shouldn't be allowed, spray her just once or twice. She usually gets the message pretty quick. I should mention, her 'bad chew' is wires. She doesn't tend to really 'go' for them, but if she gets in the rare mood, she will nom on them rather good. Only squirt her if you CATCH her chewing on the wires. If you do it even a split second after she's stopped, she won't understand.
Caging Her:
You know this one, already. She's not easy. And will fight you. Broom works best on her. Also, I encourage you to say "In the cage" while trying to prod her into it. This often works more than you'd think. She knew this command when she was a baby. But grew out of it. She will listen to it, eventually.
Nymh:
Out Time:
Pretty much all the same stuff as Jasper. Windows closed ALWAYS. He's sneaky! He's allowed pretty much everywhere but on the top shelf of the bookshelf. Again, on squirt, as more than that may cause them to panic and hurt themselves. Nymh will mark a lot more than Jasper. And will urinate almost every time out. Again, though, he's easy to clean up after. I urge you to not use the harness on him while I'm not home. Even if it looks cute. He hates that thing with a royal passion and I'm trying to make the process of getting it on less traumatizing for him.
Feeding:
Same as the last two. Everything will be sectioned out and pre-prepared. Nymh's hay rack can be a pain. Because he likes to pull everything out of it and nest in it instead. If he does, put what you can back in the rack, and just refill it best you can. You can leave some of his nest. I'm just trying to encourage him to eat it more.
Other Animals:
As said before, Jasper and Nymh only see each other. They get along when one's IN the cage. Never have them out together. Not even to hold one while the other runs about. You can open Nymh's cage with Jasper out. But don't let him come out fully.
Punishment:
Nymh's a stubborn one since his goolies dropped. The only things you should punish him for are biting too hard (I mean a real BITE- not a little love nibble. If it actually hurts, it's a bite.), and being on the top shelf of the bookcase. If he bites you, you may not have the squirt bottle ready. If you do, you have to get him ONCE almost immediately. If you won't be quick enough, try a high-pitched squeal. That usually does it. That's how buns show pain for real. He'll usually stop dead in his tracks, even if you sound like a tart for doing it, he might not bite you again.
Caging Him:
Yeah, you guessed it. Pick him up, and put him in. He's 2lbs. He won't fight that much even so. He doesn't so much mind being caged. If he gets really stubborn about it, don't *push* him in. You could hurt him. Humans are smarter than brute force, right? I've learned that if he's really arguementitive, you just pick up the cage part off the base, put him in the base, and put the cage back on top of it. Just make sure you get the cage on right. The cage part should rest INSIDE the base, behind or under the tabs. Also, clamp down the clips on either side for extra stability. Because Jasper does jump on top.
The rats:
Well these are easy. I encourage you try to use their names around them. Xing is the tan one. It's pronounced more like "Jjing". Lei is the black and white one.
Rat nevers:
Never feed them through the bars of the cage.
Never stick your fingers INTO the cage through the bars.
Never give them cardboard or toys through the bars.
Never hit them, tap them, poke them, or anything that a small rat could percieve as an attack.
Never punish them. They don't do anything 'wrong'. If Lei bites, you make a high pitched squeal like a rat in pain. It usually makes her high-tail it to the igloo.
Never give them oranges. (Personal opinion)
Never grab and hold their tails. You can poke and pet the tails, but don't hold their tail so they can't move. If they try to move away, instantly let go.
Okay onto the care of...
They're easy. Water bottle, food as needed, and you can play with Xing when you want. If you want, or can get a hold of Lei, you try to pet or hold her. But understand she may or may not bite. At the moment, due to Luna upsetting her, she's very unpredictable. Which is why Luna's not allowed in my room unless I'm home personally.
If you find they've demolished their current box, there's a small pile of small boxes in the hall for them. Just put in a new one. You can give them cooked meat, pasta, veggies, fruits, peanut butter, popcorn... The only things I personally advise against is candy, oranges, and ice cream. If you think they're hot, you can give them ice cubes to play with, or frozen apples. I have a bowl of frozen apples in the freezer.
You can give them the baby food, only HALF a spoonful a day per rat. Unused baby food gets labeled "rats" and put in the fridge. They have two wet food dishes in their cage- a pink one, and a tealish blue one. Make sure they both get one dish. I put one dish on the top level, and one in the base level, and let Lei pick one. Then grab Xing and put her at the other one, wherever it is. Otherwise they'll fight over it.
Oh, as for fights. You may hear scuffles at night. Squealing, banging, thrashing, them falling. Don't panic. It's unnerving at first, but there's a simple rat rule- No blood, no foul. No matter how rough it seems to us, it may just be playing to them. If you see one of them's gotten the other good, and is bleeding, then call me or text me to let me know. Sometimes, play just goes too far. So it could have really been an accident.
Well, I think that's it. Good luck with them.
And always call me if you're not sure about something.
