fredag den 9. maj 2014

Trixie Tube Tunnel With Hay Filling

Hi guys! Today I figured that I would do a review on a product from Trixie, which is one of the most popular and known brands, here in Denmark! Here's what Aiko, Raion and myself thought about it!


The Trixie Tube Tunnel With Hay Filling!
It's natural, rabbit safe wood, and it is filled with hay. On one side it has some dried carrot, and on the other side it has some dried pea. That encourages the rabbits to chew the wood, which is healthy for their teeth. It comes i different sizes and I bought the largest one, in about 30 CM.
Dried carrot and pea does have a lot of sugar, so I wouldn't just leave the log with my rabbits. Instead they were allowed to take a bite of it once or twice a week, until the point where they had eaten all of the dried goodies.
They ate the hay pretty quickly too, and they seemed overall, happy with it!
The wood is quite soft, which is good, since Aiko and Raion doesn't really chew on hard wood. Personally I like the fact that it is natural and that you can fill it up with hay, again and again!

Here's a picture of Raion, who is working very hard to get that hay out, after I refilled it!

Pros:
- Natural
- Safe
- Soft Wood
- Can be reused/refilled
- It keeps them activated
- Not too expencive, at our local Petshop.

Cons:
- Messy
- You have to be carefull with the dried veggies/amount of sugar

Our overall opinion?
(4/5)


mandag den 5. maj 2014

Jumping Adventures - Part 1

Hi guys!
Today I'll be starting something new on the blog, called Jumping Adventures!

Some of you might know, that I used to do Rabbit Jumping with Aiko, a long time ago, but since she lost interest in jumping, I just had to accept that and stop. I thought about trying it with Raion instead, but for some reason I never really gave it a try. Anyway, about a week ago, I decided that now was the time, so we gave it a try and it went really well! After that, I waited a week, and then we tried again with a few more jumps (4 jumps - we started with two), and she did really well, again!
I'm really happy about this, since I personally feel that it is a great way to bond with your rabbit! Especially because we don't compete in contests, so all that I have to worry about, is to make sure that we are both having fun!
Jumping Adventures is basically like a journal about our progress, but I can't say if it'll be on the blog, permanently, since she might loose interest in jumping as well. :)

Here's a picture from this Saturday! I'm sorry it's so blurry, but it's just a screencap from a short video, I'm working on!



I really hope that you'll enjoy following us on even more adventures!

/ Cammilla

torsdag den 30. januar 2014

Giving your Rabbit a Health Check

Every 1-2 weeks I do a full health check on both Aiko and Raion, and I truly recommend every rabbit owner to do the same. By doing so, you have a better opportunity to catch any disaeses before they become too serious, and that might end up saving your rabbit's life.

A great thing to remember while checking your rabbit, is that you need to keep an eye out for anything that's unusual. Also remember that I am NOT a vet, and if one small thing has changed since your last check, that doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong.
If you think something might be wrong with your rabbit, then get your vet to take a look!
Here's what I do:

Ears:
Are the ears nice and clean? Are they dry as they're supposed to be? Any sores og bumbs?


Eyes:Are the eyes clear, clean and completely free of any discharge? If the eyes are running, that could be a sign that something might be wrong, so make sure to check the fur around the eyes, to see if it's wet or anything like that. Also check if there's any colour changes in the eye.

Nose:
Anything unusual here? A rabbits nose should be clean and dry at all times (some rabbits get wet noses after drinking from a bowl, which obviously is not dangerous, but I still recommend to keep an eye out!), and also check for any injuries.

Mouth:
Is the mouth nice and clean? Some rabbits are messy eaters, but they should be able to clean themselves pretty quikly again after eating, so if your rabbit often seems dirty around the mouth, you should probably see a vet! Also remember to check the teeth. You can only check the front teeth on your own. Check if the teeth are too long and if anything has changed since you checked them the last time. Raion once broke a small piece off, of her upper teeth. I took her to the vet but luckily it wasn't serious and she wasn't in any pain. Rabbit teeth grow all the time and they were quikly back to normal.

Feet:
When checking the feet, I always start with their toes. Are they nice and straight? Is the nails too long?
How about the rest of their feet? Are they covered with fur? A lot of rabbits lose the fur on their hocks if they have hard og rough bedding. It's ok if they loose the fur, but then you need to keep an extra eye on their hocks! If the hocks have a light pink colour then it's ok, but if it gets red and irritated, then you need to see a vet. Sore hocks is a very serious and painful condition that needs treatment. Many rabbit owners treat sore hocks themselves if it isn't too bad, but if you don't know what you're doing then ALWAYS contack your vet!

Fur/Skin:
How does the fur an skin look? Any small animals? Is it more dry than usual? Any unusual lumps? How about any bald spots? You should also check for sores and bruises. 

Genitals:
Are they clean and dry? Anything unusal at all? Are they bruised, swollen or anything like that? Also check the scentglands to see if they need to be cleaned. So far I haven't needed to clean the scentglads on Aiko and Raion, but I always check them out just to be on the safe side.

Breathing: 
Is (s)he breating normally? Struggling in any way? Listen for any sounds that isn't usually there.

Weight:Keep an eye on your rabbits weigth! If your rabbit is ill in any way, it will most likely show on their weight. If your rabbit suddenly starts loosing weight, then something is probably wrong. I personally keep a weight diary for the girls, just to make sure that I check any differences. It can also come in very handy for your vet if something is wrong.

Other than all of these things, I have a yearly vet check-up on both of them.


I also want to remind everyone that if you notice any changes in your rabbits behavior, you should probably be keeping an extra eye on her/him. The same goes for any changes in their pee or poops and their eating habits.
I hope you found this useful!

onsdag den 22. januar 2014

How to litter train your rabbit!

Rabbits are very intelligent creatures and they can be litter trained, just like cats! Rabbits are in general very hygenic animals, but that doesn't always mean that it'll be easy to litter train them! Having a litter trained rabbit makes everythig more easy as a rabbit slave, so here's a few advices on how to get started!

  • Placing the litterbox the right place can make a huge difference when it comes to litter training. Rabbits tend to choose one place to poop and pee, and it is most often in a corner. If your rabbit has already choosen a place, then start by placing the litterbox there! Some rabbits don't need more help then that.
    If your rabbit doesn't have a place yet, then place the litterbox in one of the corners and see how it goes!
  • If your bunny poops outside of the litterbox, then just pick it up and put it in the box. If (s)he pee's outside of the box, then wipe it up with some paper towel and either throw it out, or put it in the litterbox. This will show your rabbit that this is the place where it belongs and that it is ok to use it!
  • Place a hayrack by the litterbox, so that your rabbit has to sit in the box, when eating the hay. Rabbits often eat and poop at the same time, so this is often a big help when litter training.
  • Place more than one litterbox! If your rabbit has a large area, it can easily get confusing with only one litterbox. Let's face it, eventhough rabbits are very active animals, then they still prefer not to have to move too far away from where they are, just to poop! Also if you add a few extra then there's naturally a bigger chance that s(he)'ll use at least one of them! Once your rabbit is litter trained, then you can slowly remove the ones that s(he) doesn't use that much.
  •  If your rabbit still poops outside the litterbox, then try cleaning it's intire area with a vinegar/water mix, except for the litterbox, so that only the litterbox smell like a rabbit toilet.
  • If things still aren't working out, then try different types of bedding. Some rabbits refuse to use special types of bedding. Try different types, brands and maybe adding some hay on top of it.
  • Spay or neuter your rabbit. Spaying and neutering has a lot of benefits and I personally believe that it increases the quality of life for your rabbit! Not only does if prevent a lot of diseases, but it helps with their litter training and also their mood!
  • Give it time! Not all rabbits learn as fast as others, and you need to be patient!

onsdag den 15. januar 2014

The Sweet Life - Smoothie Hearts

I LOVE trying new things for the bunnies, so yesterday when I was making myself a smoothie, I got the perfect idea to a new type of homemade treats.







The idea was to turn my favorite smoothie, into a rabbit safe treat, so if you want to try it out, here's what you need to do:

1) Take some banana, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries (mine was all organic, but that's just my choice, and not a necessity :) ) and put it in a blender.
2) Blend it thoroughly.
3) Add some rolled oats (I find that there are very mixed oppinions on rolled oats. Personally I only use them in treats. It makes everything stick well together and since it is a treat afterall, they don't get that many).
4) When you have a consistency that is thick enough to form the "dough", put it all in a bowl (Just because it is easier).
5) Take a heart shaped cookie cutter, and put a little bit of "dough" in the cutter. When you remove the cutter, you will have a heart shaped smoothie treat, ready to bake!

I never write down how much fruit or rolled oats i use in treats, I just try different things and see what's working and what's not working.
All of the fruits can be changed into other types of fruit or veggies if you feel like it! This is just an example of what I tried!
Remeber that these fruits has a lot of sugar in them, and these treats are not supposed to be a part of a rabbits daily diet!

I hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions!

fredag den 10. januar 2014

Keeping your bunny busy!

If you ask me, then it's very important to keep your rabbits active, and not only physically! Rabbits need tons of exersize and so does their minds! Here's a few things you do to keep them active!

Give them space!
Personally I find that rabbits are very good at keeping themselves activated as long as they have enough space. The more space they've got, the more time they'll spend on examinating everything.
Also, if they have a good amount of space to play in, then they can run, binky and flop as much as they feel like! It's always more fun to exersize when you have tons of space!



Toys
If you make sure that your bunny has some great toys, then they have something to enjoy while talking a break from all that running around! Great toys don't have to be something expensive! A lot of great toys can be made at home for free, or purchased at a cheap prize! Aiko especially enjoys bells and other things that makes noise, and large items to through around. Raion on the other hand really enjoys things to chew like wood and cardbord! Take a look at our DIY section if you need some inspiration!


Having a Friend!
Having a friend to play and cuddle with, makes it a lot more fun to run around, don't you think so? Rabbits feel the same way! Not everyone has the oppotunity to have a bonded couple so if you are one of them, then make sure that YOU are his/her best friend! Rabbits are very social animals and they need you to spend time with them!
- Always remember! Rabbits need to get fixed, and especially if they are going to live with another rabbit!


Mind games!
There are several mind games out on the market for pets, that are suitable for rabbits, and a few who's even made especially for rabbits and other small animals! Here's a few examples:

- Living World Green Interactive Smart Toy
- Living World Teach'n'treat
- Karlie Doggy Brain Train Shell

I have all of these three, and my girls absolutely loves them!




New places
New places are always exciting! Maybe you have an extra room they can run around in once in a while, or a bunny proof garden. Aiko and Raion are both harness trained so that we can go on walks together in the other part of our garden! It's a great way to bond with them and they're always extra tired when we're done! All the new scents and all the things that needs to be chinned everywhere!
- Always remenber! You should never put your rabbit in a harness and go for a walk if your rabbit feel unsecure! There are several steps in harness training your rabbit and also remember that other animals might show up and scare your rabbit, especially if you go public places! Rabbit safety first!


Clicker Training!
Clicker training is something that I personally enjoy a lot! It's a great way to bond with your rabbit and most bunnies love to use their brains! Also, it is tons of fun! I love teaching both Aiko and Raion tricks, and a while ago I taught Raion the Targetstick aswell! We are currently practicing agility! It's all just for fun, and I'm very sure that they love it too! Find more about clicker training here!



Playing with the bunbun!
I find that a lot of people forget that you can actually play with bunnies, so I decided to remind everyone. There's different ways to play with them and obviously every rabbit has their own favorite games, just like any other animal.
One of Aiko's favorite games is to follow this cat toy around! Most people get really surprised by this, but truthfully I believe it's a very common thing! My very firt rabbit when I was a child, LOVED to chase my hair around just like Aiko does with this toy, so I would often be crawling around on the floor with her! Raion on the other hand loves to push a small ball to me, and then I push it back to her. We can go on like that forever!!
Playing with you rabbit is another great way to bond with them as well!


Treat time!
I personally love giving my bunnies different types of treats, and I often use the treats to keep them active as well! There's tons of ways to do that, but in my contest entry video for RabbitPages, I show a few of our favorites!


I hope this was usefull to everyone!

onsdag den 8. januar 2014

Moving the bunnies into their new shed!

Hi guys!
Yesterday was a really exciting day for us! The last few weeks I've been bunny-proofing our shed, and last sunday I was finally done!
The bunnies are now 100% bonded and now live together in a shed that measures 220x380cm, with additional levels!

Here's a video of the shed and the bunnies first time in there!