Rabbits for Dummies (ISBN - 0470430648)

315 Pages·2021·4.39 MB·English

Connie Isbell
Author, Rabbit Adoption For Dummies
Audrey Pavia
Author, Rabbits For Dummies

Learn:
• How to choose the right rabbit for you

• The latest on housing, cleaning, and
feeding

• Methods for training a bunny and
dealing with behavior problems

• Ways to prevent and treat illnesses

Rabbits

2nd Edition

Making Everything Easier!™

Open the book and find:

• Informative photos and
illustrations

• Detailed breed descriptions

• How to think like a rabbit

• Tips for handling bad bunny
behavior

• The latest on organic cuisine and
homegrown feeding options

• Games to play with your rabbit

• How to live with an indoor bunny
(which is recommended!)

• Ten signs that require emergency
action

• A bunch of bunny resources —
from rescue groups to registries to
Web sites

Connie Isbell is a former editor and writer at Audubon magazine, as well
as the editor of numerous pet books. Audrey Pavia is the author of many
books on pets and animals, including the bestselling Horses For Dummies
and The Rabbit: An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet. She has been a
frequent contributor to numerous pet publications, editor-in-chief of Horse
Illustrated, and senior editor of The AKC Gazette.

$16.99 US / $19.99 CN / £12.99 UK

ISBN: 978-0-470-43064-4

Pets/Rabbits

Go to dummies.com®

for more!

Your hands-on guide
to being a responsible
rabbit owner

Want to raise a happy, healthy bunny? This practical guide
gives you everything you need to know to successfully
adopt, nurture, live with, and love a rabbit. From choosing
a rabbit and preparing its home to training, healthcare, and
having fun with your bunny, you get a wealth of expert tips
that will have your rabbit (and you) hopping with joy!

• Jump into bunny basics — decide whether a rabbit is the right
pet for you, discover the different breeds, and find out the best
places to adopt your bunny

• Take care of creature comforts — from housing and grooming to
feeding and healthcare, provide the best care for your friend

• Practice bunny “psychology” — understand bunny body
language and sounds, handle behavior issues, and train your
bunny to do tricks and use the litter box

• Enjoy the wonderful world of rabbits — play games with your
bunny, join clubs and organizations, show your rabbit, and make
traveling with bunny easy

Rabbits

Isbell
Pavia

2nd Edition

spine=.62”

01_430644-ffirs.indd ii
01_430644-ffirs.indd ii
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

Rabbits

FOR
DUMmIES

‰

2ND EDITION

01_430644-ffirs.indd i
01_430644-ffirs.indd i
2/18/09 5:54:29 PM
2/18/09 5:54:29 PM

01_430644-ffirs.indd ii
01_430644-ffirs.indd ii
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

by Connie Isbell and Audrey Pavia

Rabbits

FOR
DUMmIES

‰

2ND EDITION

01_430644-ffirs.indd iii
01_430644-ffirs.indd iii
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

Rabbits For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit-
ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written
permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the
Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone].
Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://
www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the
Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything
Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/
or its affi liates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated
with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF
THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITH-
OUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE
CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES
CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR
OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF
A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE
AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZA-
TION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE
OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES
THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT
MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS
WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND
WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care
Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may
not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Control Number is available from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-470-43064-4

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

01_430644-ffirs.indd iv
01_430644-ffirs.indd iv
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

About the Author(s)

Connie Isbell, the author of Rabbit Adoption For Dummies, grew up in rural
New York State, where she spent time with creatures of all kinds — companion,
farm, and wild alike. Connie carried this interest in animals and nature into
her work as an editor and writer for Audubon magazine. She has also edited
countless pet books, on everything from adopting an ex-racing greyhound
to caring for rabbits and parrots. Connie now works from her home on the
coast of New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and
an assortment of pets.

Audrey Pavia is a former pet magazine editor and an award-winning freelance
writer specializing in animal subjects. She has written articles on various
rabbit topics in Rabbits, Critters, and Pet Product News magazines. She has
authored 21 other animal books besides Rabbits For Dummies, including the
Owners Guide to the Rabbit.

Audrey has been involved with rabbits since the age of 10, when she fi rst
joined her local 4-H rabbit project. She currently resides in Norco, California,
with her husband, two Rex rabbits, and a house full of other pets.

01_430644-ffirs.indd v
01_430644-ffirs.indd v
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

01_430644-ffirs.indd vi
01_430644-ffirs.indd vi
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

Dedication

From Connie: To my parents, who have inspired me in so many ways.

From Audrey: To Doey and Rusty, who introduced me to the world of rabbits
and loved me despite my inexperience.

Acknowledgments

From Connie: Many thanks go out to the knowledgeable and dedicated
volunteers of the House Rabbit Society, editors Kelly Ewing and Erin Calligan
Mooney, technical editor Angela M. Lennox, DVM Dipl. ABVP-Avian, Stacy
Kennedy, and Ingrid Pearsall; Cream Puff, Cupid, and Coconut deserve extra
treats for their expert bunny antics and input.

I am grateful to my husband and daughters — Eric, Alice, and Lila Nathanson —
for their endless love, patience, and encouragement throughout this and
every one of my projects.

From Audrey: I would like to thank the following people for their assistance
with writing this book: Wayne Kopit, DVM, of Brook-Ellis Animal Hospital in
Fountain Valley, Calif.; attorney Roberta Kraus; my editors Tonya Maddox
Cupp and Tracy Boggier; my sister Heidi Pavia-Watkins, DVM; Margo DeMello
of the House Rabbit Society; Caroline Charland of the Bunny Bunch; my
always supportive husband Randy Mastronicola; and my very helpful par-
ents, Haydee and John Pavia.

01_430644-ffirs.indd vii
01_430644-ffirs.indd vii
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration
form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our
Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax
317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and
Media Development

Project Editor: Kelly Ewing

(Previous Edition: Tonya Maddox Cupp)

Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier

Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney

Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen

General Reviewer: Angela M. Lennox, DVM
Dipl. ABVP-Avian

Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor:
Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistant: Jennette ElNaggar

Cover Photos: © Radius Images/Alamy

Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Katherine Key

Layout and Graphics: Christin Swinford,
Christine Williams

Proofreaders: Melissa Cossell,
Evelyn W. Gibson

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

01_430644-ffirs.indd viii
01_430644-ffirs.indd viii
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM
2/18/09 5:54:30 PM