beslove@osu-eddie.UUCP (Adam Beslove) (05/14/85)
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My recently purchased baby rabbit is growing just fine, chewing up
all my album covers and becoming social, in a rabbit kind of way.
She's not eating any of her salt spool, which the pet shop had me buy
under the impression that it was necessary for her survival.
It's been about 2 months, and not even the littlest nibble!
Anybody know if my little Xerox is going to die?
Aren't people sad and silly why it comes to their pets?
>>>>Adam Beslove (c)1985 (aka Odious Verity)
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(UUCP: ...!cbosgd!osu-eddie!beslove)
(CSNet: beslove@ohio-state) The world is my sandbox,
(ARPA: beslove%ohio-state.csnet@CSNET-RELAY) humanity my playmates.jagardner@watmath.UUCP (Jim Gardner) (05/15/85)
[...] We, too, bought a salt spool for our rabbit. Eight or nine months later, it shows no sign of ever having been touched. The rabbit is hale and hearty, so there are no apparent ill effects. My reading indicates that salt is more important for outdoor rabbits getting a lot of sun. If you're still exploring Xerox's diet, we've found that hay (alfalfa), sunflower seeds and apple twigs are some of the most popular supplements. Every breeder, vet and book in the world reminds us that too much fresh greenery will lead to diarrhea, but we've never had any problems. We'd welcome advice from anyone who has ever leashed their (apartment) rabbit; we think he deserves fresh air, but we're not quite sure how to go about it. We would urgently like recommendations on how to make him more comfortable in a room adjoining dogs. We're house-sitting for friends soon, and Haberdashery has gone into snit-mode any time he's gotten a whiff of their dogs. We're not planning on bedding them down together, but we don't want to have to do rabbit-CPR when he gets down-wind! Linda Carson c/o Jim Gardner "It doesn't take much brains to sneak up on a blade of grass!"
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (05/15/85)
If you are feeding your rabbit one of the prepared foods like from Purina, the diet already contains the necessary salt requirements. Keep the salt around, however, as when the weather warms up, the rabbit may need a slight increase in salt intake. Don't worry too much, the rabbit will know when it needs more salt. Our rabbit, Barney, took a year to use one small salt lick, and even then I suspect most of it was disolved due to dew or somesuch. BTW, rabbits can be fun. Barney like to carry a small childs sand rake around in his mouth until you take it from him and scratch his back. His one failing is that he is a sex maniac. He will attempt anything that is moving. The funniest thing to watch is when he is out in the yard when a female wild rabbit hops by. (There are 5 or 6 wild rabbits in our area.) Barney immediatley begins a wild chase around and around the yard, the wild rabbit staying about 4 feet in front of him and just turning in a big circle. Barney, because he is slightly overweight, falls further and further behind, finally giving up and falling over to rest. After about 5 minutes, having gained his wind, he goes at it again. The wild bunny stops running whenever Barney stops as if to say, "I'll wait, but you have to catch me first." We finally have to pick him up and put him in his hutch to turn him off. The wild rabbits seem to think its fun as they never run away or hide from him. They are also very tolerant of the humans standing around laughing at the scene. T. C. Wheeler
jhs@druri.UUCP (ShoreJ) (05/16/85)
Thanx, Wheeler. The image of a slightly overweight, sex-crazed rabbit scrambling madly in lust-driven pursuit of nimble, wild delights playing catch-me-if-you-can started my morning off well. -- Shore @ AT&T-IS, Denver "Where worlds collide ..."
thomas@utah-gr.UUCP (Spencer W. Thomas) (05/17/85)
Well, our rabbit uses his salt spool extensively (that is, he's about
half way through his second one in 4 years). I would guess that if
Xerox isn't using his (hers?) that he is getting enough salt in the rest
of the diet.
--
=Spencer ({ihnp4,decvax}!utah-cs!thomas, thomas@utah-cs.ARPA)
"There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired."
- F. Scott Fitzgeraldhall@gold.DEC (05/19/85)
I have had my chocolate dutch rabbit for six years now and have never had to use a salt lick. My understanding was that if they are eating rabbit pellets, they are getting the proper levels of vitamins and minerals in that diet. I also supplement her diet with carrots, alfalfa, and graham crackers (which she loves). She also eats hay, but you have to be very careful when feeding this..damp or musty hay is deadly to rabbits. In regards to outdoor activity...I originally put my rabbit on a cat's figure-8 harness and that worked out well. I eventually took that off (after we had our yard fenced in) and she now spends the summer running around loose in the fenced-in yard. We put a hutch under the deck just for the summer. She's usually in indoor rabbit. Also, you asked about dogs...she has been brought up with three big dogs- 2 Weimaraners and a lab and they all run loose together in the yard. She has adjusted to them very well and they are very protective of her. Once in a while she will get out from under the fence, but if I call to her she does come back (believe it or not). I originally had house-broken her (like our cats) but after several electric cords and table legs, I kept her in a cage and only let her out while I was watching. Hope this info helps... Linda
cipher@mmm.UUCP (Andre Guirard) (11/06/85)
I have a sort of ceramic rabbit which I keep in my house. It hasn't ever eaten any salt.