Jordan's Story--Todd finally gets a pet....

Why a rabbit?

I'd been dying for a pet for years. The yard in Austin wasn't big enough for the black Lab I've wanted since I was a kid. The yard I had at the time was huge, but the legacy of the Landlady's deceased father has thwarted me from getting a dog (don't ask me to explain further...it defies all logic), and a cat wasn't in the cards either.

So how is she as a pet?

Maybe I've just been without a pet way too long, but I have to admit, they're 100% right--Jordan is hilarious, and has proven to be a great house pet. She will flop onto the floor and stretch out her legs to the side, just like a lazy dog might do. She'll hop up into your lap and let you pet her indefinitely. She'll eat any sort of vegetable out of your hand. If you lie on the floor near her and fall asleep, she'll even bump her head into your face to make sure you haven't died. George Carlin once highlighted dogs' appeal based on the fact "They have eyebrows...things they can manipulate. Cat's don't have eyebrows--they've just got a bunch of sh*t sticking out of their head." Rabbit fall into the former category...and Jordan's eyebrows are quite expressive. If you catch her doing something mischievous, she'll look guilty as sin. If she's relaxed, she'll appear relaxed. If she's curious, she'll look wide-eyed and alert.

Her appeal as a pet is summed up with this:
She's everything that's pure and good in the world.

I'm such a sap. Pathetic, ain't it?

Where does she live?

And she uses a litterbox?!

I used to use a mix of YN and CareFRESH litter, but switched exclusively to YN for cost reasons. See the HRS litter training FAQ for more info. She's been very good about peeing in her litter box, and periodically less tidy about dropping pellets. Early on, she'd drop a good deal of pellets about to mark her territory (or because they'd stick to her butt and she'd carry them out of the litterbox), but 5/20/1999 was her first day of perfect litter habbits, and she's been excellent ever since.

The Carefresh brand litter/bedding can be found at PetsMart and PetCo. I found Yesterdays News brand of litter at Pet Supplies Plus and now also at PetsMart since Purina bought em out. Note: the dust from clay-based cat litters has been linked to respiratory problems in rabbits, and the vapors from wood-based litters from pine or cedar are suspected of causing elevated liver enzymes. See the HRS litter training FAQ for more info on rabbit-safe litters.

What does she eat?

I feed her a lot of fresh vegetables. She gets whatever's on sale at the grocery store. Her favorite vegi is cilantro. She also loves Romaine lettuce (I avoid iceberg lettuce--I've read that it tends to give rabbits diarrhea) and kale. She likes carrots well enough (and prefers them peeled if you can believe it), and will eat spinach if there's nothing better lying around. Of fruits, she adores pieces of bananas...and it's hilarious to watch her eat these. She also seems to like halved apples. Be wary of this list of plants that are poisonous to rabbits!

I keep her stocked with an unlimited supply of Timothy hay (usually in the litterbox to make the box more attractive to her). I've read that hay and daily exercise are both essential to keep things moving through a rabbit's digestive tract. Since they groom a lot, they ingest a good deal of fur. Couple this behavior with their physiological inability to vomit, and you'll quickly understand why it's important to keep their digestive tract moving!

Finally, I feed her a limited amount (less than half a cup/day) of seed-free rabbit feed each day. Rabbit feed pellets are relatively high in calories, and are only one part of a balanced diet. Feeding too many pellets may leave you with a rather corpulent bunny. The right diet depends on the age of your bun, so be sure to see the other resources for more authoritative information.