Podcasts about house rabbit society

Send us a Text Message.Welcome back, young scientists. I'm Dr. Universe.  If you're anything like me, you've got lots of big questions about our world. Today I'm talking to WSU veterinarian Jessica Bunch.Learn what a veterinarian does and funny things that happenHear about how Dr. Bunch gives acupuncture to all kinds of animals Resources You Can UseCheck out ag careers with Future Farmers of America and 4-HBrowse the House Rabbit Society or the Humane SocietySome veterinarians use fear-free methods to keep animals unstressed As always, submit burning questions at askdruniverse.wsu.edu. Who knows where your questions will take us next.

Listen to our expert educator, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Vice President and Education Chair for The House Rabbit Connection, as we burrow deeper into rabbit care. Packed full of information, this episode addresses rabbit's specific medical concerns, elimination habits and marking territory, litter box training, the process of bonding bunnies, Easter holiday no-no's, how hormonal changes lead to behavioral changes, thumping as communication, rescuing rabbits up for adoption, and what to do if you find an wild bunny! In the spirit of ever-adored, Bugs Bunny, “ That's all folks!!!”Find Doreen at The House Rabbit Connection of Massachusetts & ConnecticutEmail info@hopline.orgCall 413-439-7472For those beyond MA-CT, go to House Rabbit Society for everything pertaining to rabbits!PetAbility is sponsored by ADogsBestLifeBox.com when you subscribe to receive their awesome enrichment kits by using the coupon code PETPOD22 to save 10% on your first order and get your free gift, Scout and About Compact Training Pouch (waterproof, clip-on treat pouch with a built in squeaker!)PetAbility is sponsored by HedzUpPets watercollars at SaveDogsFromDrowning.com when you purchase your own watercollar by using coupon code PETPOD22 to save 10%.DisclaimerThe contents of the PetAbilityTM  podcast are for informational purposes only.   The host(s) and their guests make no claims, warranties or representations about the content of these podcasts, or the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of their content. The opinions expressed are those of the host(s) and their guests. Discussion about any third party products or services are not intended to be endorsements or suggest any relationship or association between PetAbility and any other person or entity.  The host(s) and guests are not responsible or liable for any damage, injury, mistake, misinterpretation, or misuse of the contents of the podcasts or any related materials. Furthermore, this podcast and any associated materials are not a substitute for professional veterinary care.Support the show

Hop along with Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Vice President and Education Chair for The House Rabbit Connection, as she discuss the commitment it takes to have a pet rabbit. This includes bunny-proofing your home, appropriate housing, proper diet, handling & bonding, and toys & enrichment. These endearing fluff balls may be too cute to resist, but it may surprise you to learn that these seemingly docile, quiet, cherubic critters can be willful, messy, destructive, vocal, and generally don't like being held! Who knew?!? Find Doreen at The House Rabbit Connection of Massachusetts & Connecticut Email info@hopline.orgCall 413-439-4372For those beyond MA-CT, go to House Rabbit Society for everything pertaining to rabbits!PetAbility is sponsored by ADogsBestLifeBox.com when you subscribe to receive their awesome enrichment kits by using the coupon code PETPOD22 to save 10% on your first order and get your free gift, Scout and About Compact Training Pouch (waterproof, clip-on treat pouch with a built in squeaker!)PetAbility is sponsored by HedzUpPets watercollars at SaveDogsFromDrowning.com when you purchase your own watercollar by using coupon code PETPOD22 to save 10%.DisclaimerThe contents of the PetAbilityTM  podcast are for informational purposes only.   The host(s) and their guests make no claims, warranties or representations about the content of these podcasts, or the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of their content. The opinions expressed are those of the host(s) and their guests. Discussion about any third party products or services are not intended to be endorsements or suggest any relationship or association between PetAbility and any other person or entity.  The host(s) and guests are not responsible or liable for any damage, injury, mistake, misinterpretation, or misuse of the contents of the podcasts or any related materials. Furthermore, this podcast and any associated materials are not a substitute for professional veterinary care.Support the show

Our guest today is Mark Geary, comedy producer and IT professional who talks about why you shouldn't get rabbits of different genders.If you'd like a rabbit of your own contact the House Rabbit Society of Chicago: www.hrschicago.orgMark's links:www.thelincolnlodge.com@thelincolnlodge Twitter and Instagrampodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gr/podcast/you-think-thats-funny/id1552094604Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TwitterRate and review us in iTunes

It’s that time of year - are you tempted to adopt a rabbit for your kids before Easter? You really have to be prepared before you adopt a rabbit, so this week we’ll chat with Anne Martin, Executive Director of the House Rabbit Society, about what you need to know before you adopt a bunny. Spring means great weather is finally coming back, but it also means parasites. Dr. Rick Marrinson of the Companion Animal Parasite Council joins us to talk about all of the right ways to protect our pets from fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other critters that can make our pets (and our homes) uncomfortable. Steve helps listeners by phone and email.

In this episode, we are joined by Margo DeMello (PhD, Cultural Anthropology, UC Davis), Assistant Professor at Carroll College in the Anthrozoology Program. Margo has also been an adjunct professor in the Canisius College Anthrozoology program, she directed the Human-Animal Studies program at the Animals & Society Institute for 15 years, and she is the immediate past president of House Rabbit Society. She has published over a dozen books, most within the field of human-animal studies and body studies, and dozens of articles and book chapters.To introduce us to her work and field, Margo explains the field of anthrozoology, the study of human-animal relationships, and what goes into pursuing a degree. She describes it as a lens through which we can look at other species in a way that challenges anthropocentrism and recognises that humans and animals have always been interlinked.After working with the Animals & Society Institute for 15 years, Margo shares the main focuses of the organisation: exploring the question of violence in human-animal relationships, helping students and faculty to find and build the field, and using the field's literature to shape policy about animals. Additionally, Margo tells us about another important organisation in her life, the House Rabbit Society, and how their work helped transform rabbits from a somewhat third class pet kept outside with limited medical care and companionship to being widely considered worthy of respect and compassion.Margo has written many books on animals, and shares insights with us from several of her works. Her textbook, Animals & Society, was written to ensure the field was sustainable and had the resources it needed to succeed and grow. Why Animals Matter, written together with Erin E. Wiliams, is an overview of the issues facing animals and the main areas where humans and animals coexist, covering animals in entertainment, hunting and relationships with wildlife, meat consumption, and pets. Speaking for Animals questions who has the right to advocate for who, and what the implications are for everyone else.Lastly, Margo tells us a bit about her book Mourning Animals that examines who gets to be mourned, how it is done with respect to cultural practices, and who doesn't get to be mourned. in the animal care field death is unfortunately encountered regularly as the years go by and there isn't always space for feelings of grief when we lose animals. Luckily, the field is shifting, and many beautiful rituals are emerging to help not only humans but the animals left behind to mourn their loved ones. Speaking to animal care professionals, Margo recommends reaching out to others when mourning an animal and having people to talk to who care about you and also care about animals so you can honestly express how you're feeling.For more info on Anthrozoology:Society & Animals AnthrozoösExeter's PhD

In this episode we talk to Laura Camby McCaskill an HRS Educator - in - Training.  House Rabbit Society Educators are individuals who, thanks to their experience gained through volunteering on a local level with a humane society or other organization, or through fostering rabbits at their home, have a level of knowledge about rabbits that surpasses the rest of the population, are in agreement with the House Rabbit Society philosophy, are House Rabbit Society members, and want to use their knowledge to educate others and to help rabbits.  Laura will spend time as an EIT prior to becoming an Educator.

Hello Listener! Thank you for listening.  If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link below: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. Or you can become a Fluffle Supporter by donating through Patreon.com at the link below: Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit What's this Patreon? Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. What do you need? Please support Hare of the Rabbit Podcast financially by becoming a Patron. Patrons agree to a regular contribution, starting at $1 per episode. Patreon.com takes a token amount as a small processing fee, but most of your money will go directly towards supporting the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast. You can change or stop your payments at any time. You can also support by donating through PayPal.com at the link below: Hare of the Rabbit PayPal Thank you for your support, Jeff Hittinger.   China is the home of this very recently developed breed, Chinese Angora's, or Chinese Coarse-wool Angoras as they are often called were created by crossing German ANgora, French Angora and White New Zealands during the late 1980's strictly for the commercial wool market. China is currently the number one supplier of raw angora fiber to the world. They developed the Chinese Angora, also known as the Coarse-Wool Angora in the late 1980’s by cross-breeding French and German Angoras with the White New Zealand rabbit. Chinese Angora is about 15% bristle fiber. Compare this to other Angora breeds that give at most 1.8% bristle fiber. The breed comes in Ruby-eyed White variety. The breed weighs about 9 to 9 3/4 lb (4.1 - 4.4 kg) https://www.raising-rabbits.com/angora-rabbit.html Now when we discuss Chinese Angora there is a video by PETA that is very difficult to watch. In the video we see the wool being yanked off, guard hairs included, in a manner that will ruin the coat for several cycles. It will damage the hair follicles and greatly reduce the quality and value of future harvests as new coats will grow in coarser and hairier. This scene suggests that the violent plucking at the beginning of the video and the shearing that followed took place on the same farm. Since commercial farmers generally don’t have mixed herds of molting and non-molting rabbits, we can also suppose that all the rabbits shown are non-molting German Angoras. The burning question is now unavoidable: Was the violent plucking of a non-molting rabbit in the opening sequence staged for the camera? It seems this would not be a normal practice on a commercial Angora farm. Basically, any farmer who treated his animals in such a way would not be in business long. In other words, rather than being “more lucrative”, it would only lose them money in the long run. However, I am not say the video was definitely staged. It is also conceivable that it showed a farm where everything was being done wrong. This could be a staged video of animal cruelty that is intended to fool the public into thinking these acts are standard practice in the fur industry, or a very poorly managed farm. https://www.truthaboutfur.com/blog/is-petas-angora-rabbit-video-staged/ Myxomatosis (sometimes shortened to "myxo" or "myxy") is a disease that affects rabbits, caused by the myxoma virus. It was first observed in Uruguay in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century. It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population. Affected rabbits develop skin tumors, and in some cases blindness, followed by fatigue and fever; they usually die within 14 days of contracting the disease. Myxomatosis refers to an often fatal disease that affects domestic and wild rabbit populations. This disease is caused by the myxoma virus, a species of the poxvirus family. Several strains of this virus exist today. The virus is most commonly spread through insect bites, as the insect transmits the virus through its mouthparts after feeding from an infected animal. Transmittal methods can include fly bites, fur mite bites, mosquito bites, thorns, animal bedding, and food. The disease is spread by direct contact with an affected animal or by being bitten by fleas or mosquitoes that have fed on an infected rabbit. The myxomatosis virus does not replicate in these insect hosts, but can be physically carried by an insect's mouthparts, i.e. from an infected rabbit to another susceptible animal. Due to the potential of insect vector transmission, pet rabbits may be susceptible in enzootic areas and vaccination is highly recommended. The History of Myxomatosis Now this history is written by Professor of Microbiology, John Curtin of the School of Medical Research Myxomatosis constituted the major part of my personal research between 1952 and 1967. To put it in perspective, I (Professor of Microbiology, John Curtin School of Medical Research) will begin with a very brief outline of its history, which is covered in detail in Fenner and Fantini (1999). Myxomatosis was first recognized as a virus disease when it killed European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Giuseppe Sanarelli's laboratory in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1896. In 1911, workers in the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro observed the disease in their laboratory rabbits and correctly classified the causative agent as a large virus. Henrique de Beaurepaire Aragão, working at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, showed that it could be transmitted mechanically by insect bite. In 1942, he showed that the reservoir host in Brazil was the local wild rabbit, Sylvilagus brasiliensis, in which the virus produced a localized nodule in the skin. Knowing that the European rabbit was a major pest animal in Australia, and impressed by the lethality of the disease in these rabbits , in 1919 Aragão wrote to the Australian government suggesting that it should be used here for rabbit control, but the quarantine authorities would not permit its importation. Effects of the disease In rabbits of the genus Sylvilagus (cottontail rabbits) living in the Americas, myxomatosis causes only localized skin tumors, but the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is more severely affected. At first, normally the disease is visible by lumps (myxomata) and puffiness around the head and genitals. It may progress to acute conjunctivitis and possibly blindness; however, this also may be the first visible symptom of the disease. The rabbits become listless, looses appetite, and develops a fever. Secondary bacterial infections occur in most cases, which cause pneumonia and purulent inflammation of the lungs. In cases where the rabbit has little or no resistance, death may take place rapidly, often in as little as 48 hours; most cases result in death within 14 days. Often the symptoms like blindness make the infected rabbit more vulnerable to predators. Effects on other organisms Rabbits helped keep vegetation in their environments short through grazing and short grasses are conducive to habitation by the butterfly, Plebejus argus. When the population of rabbits experienced a decline due to Myxomatosis, grass lengths increased, limiting the environments in which P. argus could live, thereby contributing to the decline of the butterfly population. Treatment In pet rabbits, myxomatosis can be misdiagnosed as pasteurellosis, a bacterial infection which can be treated with antibiotics. By contrast, there is no treatment for rabbits suffering from myxomatosis, other than palliative care to ease the suffering of individual animals, and the treatment of secondary and opportunistic infections, in the hopes the treated animal will survive. In practice, the owner is often urged to euthanize the animal to end its suffering. Use as a population control agent After its discovery in 1896 in imported rabbits in Uruguay, a relatively harmless strain of the disease spread quickly throughout the wild rabbit populations in South America. Australia In Australia, the virus was first field-tested for population control in 1938. A full-scale release was performed in 1950. Myxomatosis was introduced to Australia in 1950 to reduce pest rabbit numbers. The virus initially reduced the wild rabbit population by 95% but since then resistance to the virus has increased and less deadly strains of the virus have emerged. Pet rabbits do not possess any resistance to myxomatosis and mortality rates are between 96-100%. It was devastatingly effective, reducing the estimated rabbit population from 600 million to 100 million in two years. However, the rabbits remaining alive were those least affected by the disease. Genetic resistance to myxomatosis was observed soon after the first release, and descendants of the survivors acquired partial immunity in the first two decades. The idea was revived by Jean Macnamara, a Melbourne paediatrician who had worked with Macfarlane Burnet and thus had an interest in virus diseases. In 1934, she went on a world tour to investigate poliomyelitis, which was her main professional interest. In America, she visited the laboratory of Richard Shope, in the Princeton branch of the Rockefeller Institute. He was investigating a tumour in local cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus), which he showed was caused by a poxvirus related to myxoma virus. He called it fibroma virus. At the time there was an epizootic of myxomatosis in domestic European rabbits (O. cuniculus) in California, which was later found to have a different reservoir host (Sylvilagus bachmani). Shope found that fibroma virus would protect laboratory rabbits against myxomatosis. Learning of this fatal rabbit disease, Macnamara wrote to the Australian High Commissioner in London asking him to help her convince the Government to use the virus for rabbit control. Francis Noble Ratcliffe Born in Calcutta in 1904, Ratcliffe studied zoology at Oxford. In 1928, he came to the notice of the London representative of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and this led to his invitation to come to Australia as Sir David Rivett's ‘biological scout’, to study flying foxes and erosion in arid lands, as a result of which he produced a classic book, Flying Fox and Drifting Sand. He returned to Britain in 1932 as Lecturer in Zoology in Aberdeen, but was invited back to Australia as a scientific adviser to the CSIR Executive in 1935. In 1937, he was transferred to the Division of Economic Entomology to work on termites. In 1942, he joined the Australian Army and served with distinction as Assistant Director of Entomology. Since I was serving in New Guinea as a malariologist at that time, Professor of Microbiology, John Curtin saw quite a lot of him then. After demobilization he served briefly as assistant to the Chief of the Division of Entomology, but in 1948 he was appointed Officer-in-Charge of the newly created Wildlife Survey Section of CSIR. Initially he had to work on rabbit control, and after some disappointments succeeded in introducing myxomatosis. Study of this disease preoccupied the Section for several years, but later he was able to broaden studies of the biology of the rabbit and introduce biological studies of native animals as an important part of the work of the Section, which by then had been expanded to the Division of Wildlife and Ecology. He retired from CSIRO in 1969. He played a major role in setting up the Australian Conservation Foundation in 1964, and devoted a great deal of time to its expansion to become Australia's peak environmental non-government organization, until he had to retire for health reasons in 1970 (see Coman, 1998; Mackerras, 1971). The Chief Quarantine Officer was again very reluctant to allow its importation, but allowed scientists in CSIR (which was transformed into the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, CSIRO, in 1949), to test its species sensitivity against a wide range of domestic and native animals; they found that it infected only European rabbits. Several field trials were carried out, in dry inland areas, but the virus died out. Then came World War II, and in 1943 all investigations were stopped. With so many country boys in the army, rabbit control, such as it was, had been neglected throughout the period 1939 to 1945, and by 1946 rabbits had increased to unprecedented numbers. Jean Macnamara (now Dame Jean) wrote articles in the rural press highly critical of CSIR/CSIRO for not proceeding immediately to try myxomatosis for biological control of the pest. In 1948, a CSIR/CSIRO scientist, Francis Ratcliffe, was appointed Officer-in-Charge of the newly-established Wildlife Survey Section, but instead of studying the native fauna, Ian Clunies Ross, Chairman of the newly-formed CSIRO, insisted that he should first try out myxomatosis. Several field trials failed, but in the Christmas–New Year period of 1950–51 the disease escaped from one of the four trial sites in the Murray valley and spread all over the Murray-Darling basin, killing millions of rabbits. Resistance has been increasing slowly since the 1970s; the disease now kills about 50% of infected rabbits. In an attempt to increase that rate, a second virus (rabbit calicivirus) was introduced into the rabbit population in 1996. France Myxomatosis was introduced to France by the bacteriologist Dr. Paul Armand Delille, following his use of the virus to rid his private estate of rabbits in June 1952 (He inoculated two of the rabbits on his land). Within four months the virus had spread 50 km; Armand suspected this was due to poachers taking infected rabbits from his estate. By 1954, 90% of the wild rabbits in France were dead. The disease spread throughout Europe. Ireland Myxomatosis was deliberately introduced to Ireland by farmers in 1954. The skin of a diseased rabbit was sent by post from the United Kingdom and rubbed on healthy rabbits. Infected animals were transported around the country to hasten the spread of the disease. By 1955, myxomatosis had spread to every part of Ireland and, by the 1960s, the rabbit meat industry had collapsed. United Kingdom The disease reached the UK in 1953. The first outbreak in the UK to be officially confirmed was in Bough Beech, Kent in September 1953. It was encouraged in the UK as an effective rabbit bio-control measure; this was done by placing sick rabbits in burrows, though this is now illegal in the UK under a 1954 law. As a result, it is understood that more than 99% of rabbits in the UK were killed by the outbreak, although populations soon recovered. Myxomatosis in 1950s Britain. In 1953 myxomatosis, a viral disease of rabbits, broke out in Britain for the first time. It rapidly killed tens of millions of the animals from Kent to the Shetlands. Many farmers and foresters welcomed a disease that virtually eliminated a longstanding and serious agricultural pest. Others were horrified by the sight of thousands of dead and dying animals. With meat still rationed, consumers rued the loss of a cheap and nutritious foodstuff. Rough shooters deplored the loss of prey and hatters and furriers the unavailability of the fur on which their businesses depended. Rabbits also had champions within the 'establishment'; these included Winston Churchill who was personally influential in making deliberate transmission of the disease a criminal offence. The arrival in Britain of myxomatosis presented the authorities with difficult questions: should they try to contain it, spread it or do nothing; should they take advantage of rabbit depopulation and try to exterminate such a destructive animal? In the event the outbreak was allowed to run its course and rabbit extermination became government policy. New Zealand Myxomatosis was introduced in New Zealand in the early 1950s as a form of pathogenic control. Unlike in Australia, it failed to become established because of a lack of a suitable spreading organism. Myxomatosis in the US Myxomatosis cases in pet rabbits are periodically reported in the coastal areas of Oregon, California, and Baja California, Mexico, in the territory of the brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) who is a reservoir of this disease. Western Oregon 2016 Marion County, August 2016 Douglas County, July-August 2015 Polk County, June 2010 Western Oregon 2004 Linn & Benton counties, July 2003 Linn & Benton counties, July Northern California 2017 Monterey County/San Benito County, August (Aromas, reported by Dr. Hilary Stern at Animal Hospital of Soquel) 2017 Santa Clara County, June (Los Gatos, reported by guardian & Dr. Curt Nakamura Adobe Animal Hospital) 2017 Santa Barbara County, June, July, August, August 2016 San Luis Obispo, Sept 2016 Santa Cruz County, July & Sept 2016 Santa Barbara County, (reported by CDFA) June & July & August 2015 Monterey County, Sept 2015 Santa Cruz County 2014 Santa Cruz County, August 2013 Sonoma County, October (Sebastopol – reported by guardian & Dr. Pfann, Brandner Vet) 2012 Monterey County (reported by AFRP’s Rescue Rabbits Rock) Southern California 2010 San Gabriel Valley (near Los Angeles), July Baja California (Mexico) 1993 Ensenada, Sept-Oct Use of vaccine A vaccine is available for pet rabbits (ATCvet code: QI08AD02 (WHO)). The vaccine is not allowed to be used in Australia because the live virus in the vaccine has the potential to spread into the wild rabbit population which could result in wild rabbit immunity to myxomatosis. If this happened, there would be a dramatic increase in the number of wild rabbits in Australia, which would cause major damage to the environment and economic losses. Many pet rabbits in Australia continue to die from the disease due to their lack of immunity. There is at least one campaign to allow the vaccine for domestic pets. In the UK a live combination vaccine, Nobivac Myxo-RHD, made by MSD Animal Health, has become available since 2011. Its active ingredient is a live myxoma-vectored RHD virus strain 009 and it offers a duration of immunity of 1 year against both RHD and myxomatosis. There are two vaccinations against myxomatosis, however these are not available in Australia. Thus the only way to prevent infection is to protect your pet rabbits from biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. Put mosquito netting around your rabbit’s hutch even if indoors (this will help to prevent flystrike as well). If your rabbits are allowed to exercise outside avoid letting them out in the early morning or late afternoon when mosquitoes are more numerous. Please talk to your vet about flea prevention for rabbits. You can use Revolution (Selamectin) or Advantage (Imidocloprid) for flea prevention, but you must check first with your vet for dosages. Do not use Frontline (Fipronil) as this has been associated with severe adverse reactions in rabbits. Natural resistance The development of resistance to the disease has taken different courses. In Australia, the virus initially killed rabbits very quickly – about 4 days after infection. This gave little time for the infection to spread. However, a less virulent form of the virus then became prevalent there, which spread more effectively by being less lethal. In Europe, many rabbits are genetically resistant to the original virus that was spread. The survival rate of diseased rabbits has now increased to 35%, while in the 1950s it was near zero. Hares are not affected by myxomatosis, but can act as vectors. Symptoms and Types Incubation period is usually 1-3 days In the acute form, eyelid edema (swelling) usually develops first Perioral swelling and edema (the tissue of the mouth) Perineal swelling and edema (the outer area between the anus and vulva or scrotum) Cutaneous (skin) hemorrhage Lethargy Anorexia Dyspnea (difficult breathing) Seizures or other central nervous system (CNS) signs - excitement, opisthotonos (spasm of the back muscles) Death typically occurs within 1-2 weeks Wild/outdoor rabbits Cutaneous nodules at the site of transmission (insect bite, scratch) may be noticeable Young wild or feral rabbits may develop disease symptoms similar to pet rabbits Causes This disease is caused by the myxoma virus, a strain of leporipoxvirus. Outbreaks of it are more more likely when mosquitoes are numerous, in the summer and fall. Diagnosis Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your rabbit, taking into account the background history of symptoms and possible incidents that might have led to this condition. A blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. One of the obvious symptoms that will help your doctor to make a diagnosis will be the presence of nodules on the skin surface. However, in cases that are very sudden (peracute), there may be no lesions. Subcutaneous ecchymoses, or purple, bruise-like spots on the skin due to the rupturing of blood vessels, are sometimes associated with myxoma virus. An internal exploration may find ecchymoses in serosal surfaces (lining) of the gastrointestinal tract as well. In many cases, there is hepatic necrosis (death of the liver tissue), splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen), infarcts (death of tissue due to deprivation of blood supply), or hemorrhage in the lungs, trachea (windpipe), and thymus (gland near the base of the neck). Other findings include undifferentiated mesenchymal cells (the undetermined cells that are capable of transforming into many of the materials needed by the body (e.g., connective tissue, cartilage, blood), inflammatory cells, mucin (glycoproteins found in the mucous), and edema (swelling). If the rabbit is pregnant when it becomes infected, necrotizing lesions may be seen in fetal placentas. Treatment Due to the serious nature of this virus, most rabbits do not survive. Treatment is instead focused on making your rabbit as comfortable as possible. Take your rabbit to the vet immediately if you are concerned your rabbit might have Myxomatosis, and separate them from any other rabbits in your home. Your vet can determine whether your rabbit might instead have rabbit Syphilis, or an upper respiratory infection, or an eye infection, all of which are treatable conditions. If your pet rabbit does develop myxomatosis, your vet will advise the best course of action, which may be euthanasia. Treatment is rarely successful, even if commenced early in the infection and the course of disease is very painful and stressful. Thoroughly disinfect your rabbit hutch, water bottles and food bowls with household bleach, rinsing it off so that it cannot be ingested by any other rabbits. Bringing a new rabbit home is not recommended for at least four months after a case of myxomatosis as the virus is able to survive in the environment for some time. Why isn’t the vaccine in Europe/the UK available in the US? The Myxomatosis vaccine available in Europe and in the UK has not been approved by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Center for Veterinary Biologics, so there is no vaccine available in the United States, and it is not legal to import the vaccine from other countries. How can I protect my rabbit from Myxomatosis? House your rabbits indoors with window screens. If you live in an area with reported Myxomatosis cases, treat your rabbits monthly with Revolution, to prevent fleas and fur mites. Revolution is a prescription medication, available through your veterinarian. Or, treat with over-the-counter Advantage, which provides protection from fleas (but not from mosquitoes or fur mites). Be sure to give your cats and dogs flea treatment, too. Don’t let your rabbit play outside if you live in an area with currently reported Myxomatosis cases. Rabbits live longer, healthier lives when indoors. Because myxomatosis is just one of many concerns facing rabbits who live outdoors, House Rabbit Society recommends indoor homes for rabbits as the primary preventative, along with adequate screening on doors and windows. For rabbits who must live or spend some of their time out of doors, protection against mosquitoes is next best bet, via protecting the rabbits’ play area with mosquito netting or some other barrier. Prevention Screening to keep out insects, flea control, and keeping your rabbits indoors are some of the most effective preventitve methods against the myxoma virus. If you are bringing new rabbits into the home or property, quarantine the new rabbits, and do not house wild rabbits with domestic pet rabbits. Vaccination with an attenuated myxoma virus vaccine may provide temporary protection, but it may not be available in your area. If you are able to gain access to the vaccine, be aware that it may cause atypical myomatosis (due to it having a small amount of the virus in the vaccine itself). http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p34751/html/ch06s03.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/viral/c_rb_myxomatosis http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Viral_diseases/Myxo/Myxo.htm https://rabbit.org/myxo/ www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/animal/statement-chief-veterinary-officer-myxomatosis-vaccine http://kb.rspca.org.au/what-is-myxomatosis-and-how-do-i-protect-my-rabbit-from-it_73.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19069081 http://www.furandfeather.co.uk/untitled.pdf https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.42.12.1522 Why Lizards Can’t Sit http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2011/07/why_lizards_cant_sit.html An African-American Folktale Retold by S.E. Schlosser Back in the old days, Brer Lizard was an awful lot like Brer Frog, meaning he could sit upright like a dog. Things were like this for quite a spell. Then one day when they were walking down the road by their swamp, Brer Lizard, Brer Rabbit, and Brer Frog spotted some real nice pasture land with a great big pond that was on the far side of a great big fence. Ooo did that land look good. Looked like a great place for Brer Lizard to catch insects and other good food. And Brer Frog wanted a swim in that big ol’ pool.  Brer Rabbit wanted to lay in the pasture.  Brer Lizard, Brer Rabbit, and Brer Frog went right up to the fence, which got bigger and bigger as they approached. It kinda loomed over them, as big and tall as they were little and small. And the boards of that fence were mashed together real tight, and deep into the ground. It was too tall to hop over, and neither of them was much good at digging, so they couldn’t go under. That fence said Keep Out pretty clear, even though no one had put a sign on it. Well, Brer Lizard, Brer Rabbit, and Brer Frog sat beside that tall fence with their bottoms on the ground and their front ends propped up, ‘cause Brer Lizard could still sit upright then jest like a dog, and they tried to figure out how to get through the fence. Suddenly, Brer Frog saw a narrow crack, low to the ground. “I’m going ta squeeze through that crack over there,” he croaked. “Lawd, help me through!” And Brer Frog hopped over and pushed and squeezed and struggled and prayed his way through that tiny crack until he popped out on t’other side. “Come on Lizard,” Brer Frog called through the crack. “I’m a-comin’!” Brer Lizard called back. “I’m a-goin’ to squeeze through this here crack, Lawd willin’ or not!”   Brer Rabbit hopped off to the pasture, and rested in the sun. Brer Lizard scurried over to the crack in the fence and he pushed and squeezed and struggled and cursed. Suddenly, a rail fell down and mashed him flat! After that, Brer Lizard couldn’t sit upright no more. And he never did get through that fence to eat them insects, neither! http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2011/07/why_lizards_cant_sit.html Word of the week: Laxative © Copyrighted

Hello Listener! Thank you for listening. If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link below: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. Or you can become a Fluffle Supporter by donating through Patreon.com at the link below: Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit What's this Patreon? Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. What do you need? Please support Hare of the Rabbit Podcast financially by becoming a Patron. Patrons agree to a regular contribution, starting at $1 per episode. Patreon.com takes a token amount as a small processing fee, but most of your money will go directly towards supporting the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast. You can change or stop your payments at any time. You can also support by donating through PayPal.com at the link below: Hare of the Rabbit PayPal The links below are to a shops with items with the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast Logo. There are items such as mugs, stickers, and t-shirts. Your purchases support the podcast! Thank you for the support! Click here to go directly to the store. new RBExternalPortfolio('www.redbubble.com', 'hareoftherabbit', 4, 4).renderIframe(); http://tee.pub/lic/PS7QqY1xC7Q Thank you for your support, Jeff Hittinger.     I took a month long hiatus to be able to search for a new job, and enjoy the summer. I was laid off at the end of June from the company I worked for, for over 9 years. I have licked my wounds and I am ready to get back to the podcast, and I am still searching for a new position. Over the break I traveled to the Outer Banks were the water was crystal clear during our stay, as well as a visit to Washington DC to check out the museums. Today we are going to look at rabbits in Greek culture. We have an exchange student from Greece staying with us, and we will have a brief interview about her perspectives on rabbits and hares. Now with Greece culture being as old as it is, I was surprised to find that they did not have there own rabbit breed. (Modern) Greek: κουνἐλι (kouneli). (Ancient) Greek: λαγος (lagos, with a hard "a" and a hard "o") means "hare", I don't know if they had a specific word for rabbit. The modern scientific name for the European rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus- the genus name (first part) is Greek for "digging hare", and the second part is Latin for "rabbit". In Greece pet rabbits are something quite new. People started getting rabbits as pets the last 5 or 10 years. The only information they have been able to get was from British or American forums and sites, and it's very difficult to find a savvy vet, even in Athens. Most vets have no idea about rabbits. During the last 3 years, one or two Greek rabbit forums have been created so that Greeks at last can get informed about their furry friends in their own language. From these forums, and the experience of their members, in the show notes is a list of Vet's who handle rabbits. https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/greece-rabbit-savvy-pets.62323/ The European rabbit (scient. Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a closely related species to hare, which has been introduced on the island of Crete by humans (many confuse that with hare). Despite the many predators on Crete, the rabbit reproduced rapidly and is now spread across the island of Crete and several smaller islets around it. For this reason, the authorities have several times tried to lower its population. The rabbit is a favorite game animal in the Greek islands. It is nocturnal and gregarious, with smaller size than the hare, and usually does not weigh more than 2kg. Moreover, its skeletal structure is quite different from the hare, while it has smaller and rounder ears. The rear legs are also shorter. Its coat color hues vary according to habitats, with gray-brown coat color, white belly and tail. Like the hare, it digs burrows in the ground where its hides all day long. It has the same eating habits with the hare, feeding on roots, bulbs, weeds and grass. Moreover, sometimes it eats bird droppings to receive their vitamins. The rabbits hunt at night, not too far from its nest. Being very coward, it is always ready to run into its burrow. There are always rabbits observing the surrounding area, while other animals eat. When they feel danger, they immediately stand up on their rear legs. If the danger is real, they start hitting their feet on the ground and all rabbits disappear at time. As mentioned, rabbits reproduce very quickly. Indeed, females (does) can give birth 8 times a year, 4-12 bunnies per time! Does can give birth at the age of 4-5 months, while it is impressive that they have a double uterus. This means that while being parturient, they may become pregnant again with their other womb! Their pregnancy lasts only 30-31 days. Similar to Japan, there is a Rabbit Island, but it is know as rabbit island for a differnet reason. Souda (island) Souda (Greek: Σούδα) is an islet in Souda Bay on the northwest coast of Crete. In ancient times this islet was one of two islets that were referred to as Leukai. The second islet is known today as Leon. On the northwest side of the islet, a small distance away, there is another islet which is almost round in shape, which used to be referred to on medieval Venetian maps as Rabbit Island (known as Nisi and Leon today) There is another place that the Greek's have give a rabbit name to, and that is in the stars. The Lepus Constellation Lepus constellation lies in the northern sky, just under the feet of Orion. The constellation’s name means “the hare” in Latin. Lepus is not associated with any particular myth, but is sometimes depicted as a hare being chased by the mythical hunter Orion or by his hunting dogs, represented by the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor. Lepus was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation is home to the famous variable star R Leporis, better known as Hind’s Crimson Star, and it contains several notable deep sky objects: Messier 79 (NGC 1904), the irregular galaxy NGC 1821, and the Spirograph Nebula (IC 418). This constellation was known to the Greeks as Λαγωός (Lagoös), the Greek word for hare; Lepus is the more recent Latin name. Eratosthenes tells us that Hermes placed the hare in the sky because of its swiftness. Both Eratosthenes and Hyginus referred to the remarkable fertility of hares, as attested to by Aristotle in his Historia Animalium (History of Animals): ‘Hares breed and bear at all seasons, superfoetate (i.e. conceive again) during pregnancy and bear young every month.’ The celestial hare makes an interesting tableau with Orion and his dogs. Aratus wrote that the Dog (Canis Major) pursues the hare in an unending race: ‘Close behind he rises and as he sets he eyes the setting hare.’ But judging by its position in the sky, the hare seems more to be crouched in hiding beneath the hunter’s feet. Hyginus tells us the following moral tale about the hare. At one time there were no hares on the island of Leros, until one man brought in a pregnant female. Soon, everyone began to raise hares and before long the island was swarming with them. They overran the fields and destroyed the crops, reducing the population to starvation. By a concerted effort, the inhabitants drove the hares out of their island. They put the image of the hare among the stars as a reminder that one can easily end up with too much of a good thing. The constellation’s brightest star, third-magnitude Alpha Leporis, is called Arneb, from the Arabic al-arnab meaning ‘the hare’. It lies in the middle of the animal’s body. The stars Kappa, Iota, Lambda, and Nu Leporis delineate the hare’s prominent ears. In Greece, the gift of a rabbit was a common love token from a man to his male or female lover. In Rome, the gift of a rabbit was intended to help a barren wife conceive. Carvings of rabbits eating grapes and figs appear on both Greek and Roman tombs, where they symbolize the transformative cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Now with the Greek's being know for their Mythology, I was surprised that there was not a lot about rabbit's or hare's in the myth's Hermes (Greek) – God of the spoken word; the rabbit was sacred to Hermes as a fleet-footed messenger Now we are going to discuss the hare in coinage and as a city badge. The Hare in Magna Graecia Many ancient Greek cities adopted symbolic or mythical animals as badges or totems. Athens chose the owl due to its association with Athena. Corinth chose the Pegasus. For Cyzicus in Anatolia, it was the tuna fish. And so on. Americans have a similar custom: the dolphin for Miami, the colt for Indianapolis, the bear for Chicago. Several cities in “Magna Graecia” (the region of southern Italy and Sicily settled by Greek colonists beginning in the eighth century BCE) adopted the leaping hare as a distinctive symbol on their classical-era coinage. bunny1 Anaxilas, Tyrant of Rhegium The story begins with Anaxilas, son of Cretines. In 494 BCE he seized power at Rhegium (or Rhegion, known today as Reggio Calabria at the tip of the boot of Italy) and soon extended his rule to Sicily. Anaxilas is credited with importing Greek hares to Sicily for the aristocratic sport of hunting. A leaping hare appears on his small silver litra at Rhegium as early as 480 BCE. When his mule-chariot (biga) team won in the Olympic games, he placed that image on his coins. Coinage is conservative, and this basic design – mule chariot obverse, leaping hare reverse – was continued for generations. Neighboring cities that allied with Rhegium or came under its control soon adopted the leaping hare as a symbol, notably Messana. Early coinage of Messana closely copied Rhegium’s design, changing only the “ethnic” (the inscription giving the name of the city). About 420 BCE, Messana issued a magnificent silver tetradrachm depicting the nature god Pan, seated on a rock playing with a leaping hare[1]. Another tetradrachm from this period shows the hare leaping over a head of Pan. Messana Tetradrachms On a coin dated after 460 BCE, the nearby city of Lokroi[2] shows a hare leaping over an overturned amphora. A century later (ca. 360) the city of Croton placed the hare on the reverse of its small silver diobols, with its own traditional symbol of the tripod on the obverse. A very different representation of the hare makes its appearance on Greek coinage about the year 400 BCE. The hare appears as a victim, being torn by the beak of an eagle as it grips the hare in its talons. The magnificent silver decadrachm of Akragas is perhaps the most famous example. On the reverse of this large coin, a pair of eagles perch on a rocky crag, about to dine on a dead hare. One bends down toward the prey, the other stretches its neck upward to screech in triumph. A cataloguer of the Hunt collection relates the image to a chorus in the play Agamemnon: “The eagles are an omen sent from Zeus to Agamemnon and Menelaus commanding the sacrifice of Iphigenia before the Greek fleet might set sail for the Trojan War.” (Lorber, 182) Attributed to engravers named Myron and Polykrates, less than 10 examples of this coin are known. A similar design appears on the less rare Akragas tetradrachms of the same period, and was eventually copied at Lokroi, Croton and other cities. Akragas Silver Decadrachm The Greek town of Elis controlled the sacred site of Olympia and was responsible for managing the Games held there every four years. This responsibility included issuing special coinage for the use of visitors attending the event. In the fifth century BCE, this coinage reached a high standard of artistic excellence. The obverse of a silver stater struck for the 87th Olympiad (432 BCE) depicts an eagle tearing with its beak a hare held in its talons. Two centuries later, we see the same design (executed with less grace, perhaps) on a silver drachm of Elis. About 400 BCE, the very obscure town of Atarneus (or Atarnios, now Dikili, on the Aegean coast of Turkey opposite the island of Lesbos) issued charming tiny silver half obols with a hare on the reverse. Only a few examples are known; one sold for US$700 in a February 2014 auction[3]. Greek island declares war on wild rabbits Athens - Farmers on the Greek island of Lemnos have declared war on a plague of wild rabbits which they say is destroying thousands of hectares of wheat and vines, local officials said on Thursday. Under pressure from landholders, who claim to have lost over 2 000 hectares of planted crops to the rabbit scourge, local officials want the government to lift restrictions on hunting to enable an island-wide cull. "There's thousands of them," Lemnos deputy prefect Thodoris Baveas said on Thursday. "Just by driving at night you can hit a couple each time, there's that many." The Lemnos authorities want to permit night-time hunts, which are banned in Greece, as the rabbits stay hidden during daytime. Speaking after a meeting with farmers on Thursday, Baveas said the prefecture was also considering importing weasels from Germany to deal with the problem. "They are expensive, I've heard that each costs about €4 400," Baveas said, noting. "We would need at least 10 weasels," he added, noting that the prefecture would like European Union funds to assist crop rehabilitation. The Greek branch of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) reacted cautiously to a hunting initiative, arguing that it could encourage attacks on other types of game on the island. Rabbits are more than companion animals to many in the House Rabbit Society. They are also living symbols of a life style, a philosophy and a value system. For example, many people who live with a house bunny have chosen a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. In America we usually define animals as "pets" or "food" more succinctly than people from other countries. A Frenchmen may be as comfortable riding a horse from their stable, as eating horse at a restaurant and likewise, dogs and cats are seen as food in some Asian societies. Similarly, in Iceland the horse is used for traditional sheepherding work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing and some horses are still bred for slaughter, and much of the meat is exported to Japan, or eaten as a delicacy in Iceland. People who live with rabbits may be more acutely aware of this dichotomy than are people with other companion animals, because rabbits are seen as either food or companions here while dogs, cats and horses are strictly companions. So on that note there is a popular rabbit dish in Greece called Lagos Stifado (Λαγός στιφάδο) — hare stew with pearl onions, vinegar, red wine and cinnamon — it is a much-prized dish enjoyed in Greece and Cyprus and communities in the diaspora, particularly in Australia where the hare is hunted as a feral pest. In the case of stifado (stee-FAH-do), debate centers on the tomatoes and wine. Simple chopped tomatoes? Or tomato paste and crushed tomatoes? Red wine or white? Sweet or dry? Now fi you can get ahold of the incomparable Greek sweet wine Mavrodaphne, that is what is recomended. Without Mavrodaphne the stifado is a shadow of itself, although you can use a Port in a pinch. What does stifado taste like? The Orient, in its classical sense. It must have been quite the treat when it was invented, most likely in the Middle Ages when Greece was under Venetian rule. Any combination of sweetness with exotic spices such as cinnamon and allspice in an otherwise savory dish screams the 1300's or 1400's. Stifado uses a lot of olive oil, so it is smooth going down. This keeps the rabbit moist as well, which is braised slowly until it is about to fall off the bone. You can pull the meat off the bone before serving, or just leave the pieces in the stew. The Greeks typically leave the pieces as is. The spices give the stew zing without heat, and the tomatoes, which are obviously a post-1500's addition, add a bit more sweetness as well as needed acidity. There’s a reason stifado is such a strong part of Greek cooking. You’ll want either a nice Greek red wine, a lager beer, or ouzo with a glass of water as a chaser to go along with this stew. And don’t forget to have lots of good crusty bread around, too. Greek Rabbit Stew. Kouneli Stifado Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins Total Time 1 hr 50 mins I have not yet made this rabbit stew, but if you are freaked out about rabbit, you could substitute chicken. Keys here are browning the rabbit really well, including sweet wine (Mavrodaphne if you can find it), as well as allspice and cinnamon. Course: Soup Cuisine: Greek Serves: 6 people Author: Hank Shaw Ingredients 2 cottontail rabbits or 1 domestic rabbit Kosher salt 2 medium red onions, sliced 5 cloves chopped garlic 10 allspice berries 1 cinnamon stick 4 bay leaves 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 large tomatoes, grated, or 1 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes[/ingredient] 1 cup dry red wine 1/2 cup sweet red wine 1/2 cup chicken or rabbit stock 1/4 cup red wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil Instructions Cut up the rabbits and cut into serving pieces. Be sure to include little bits, like the belly flaps, the front legs, the kidneys and such; they become yummy surprises in the finished stew. Salt the rabbit pieces well and set aside for 30 minutes. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a frying pan and brown the rabbit well. As each piece browns, move it to a brazier or Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot. When the rabbit is browned, saute the onions for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat, until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Sprinkle with salt. Do not let the garlic burn. Turn the contents of the frying pan into the brazier or a Dutch oven, then arrange the bay leaves, oregano, allspice berries and cinnamon stick over them. In the pan you browned the rabbit and the onions, add the wine, sweet wine, vinegar, stock, tomato paste and grated tomatoes — cut tomatoes in half and run them through your coarsest grater to leave the skins out of your pot. Cook this down over high heat for 3-4 minutes, then pour over everything in the pot. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook slowly for 1 hour, then check. It may need up to another hour. You want the rabbit to be just about falling off the bone. You can pull the rabbit meat off the bone, as I do, or just let your guests do that. Grind some black pepper and drizzle some really good olive oil over everything right when you serve. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souda_(island) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_horse https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/greece-rabbit-savvy-pets.62323/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare https://honest-food.net/greek-rabbit-stew/ https://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/fauna-and-animal-species/mammals-in-crete/rabbit https://rabbit.org/journal/4-11/symbol.html http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/lepus.htm http://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/lepus-constellation/ http://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2014/12/The-Folklore-of-Rabbits-Hares.html http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?t=20160&start=40 https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/technology/greek-island-declares-war-on-wild-rabbits-239336 http://mythsymbolsandplay.typepad.com/my-blog/2017/03/deities-associated-with-hares-and-rabbits.html https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/bunny-money-rabbits-hares-ancient-coins/ Assessment of Genetic Structure of Greek Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) Populations Based on Variation in Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) Abstract The RAPD method was used to assess the genetic differentiation of brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations from Central Greece. Greek wild populations were compared with samples from Austria, Poland, Germany, France, and Bulgaria, as well as with reared/released hares to investigate the impact of the releases on the native populations' genetic structure. The absence of diagnostic bands distinguishing between L. europaeus populations confirmed the high level of gene flow between brown hare populations over long geographic distances reported by other authors. Phylogenetic trees, derived from genetic distances estimated by RAPD band frequencies, suggested one major partitioning event of nuclear DNA lineages found in the samples. The reared individuals clustered with the Austrian, Polish, German, and French populations, whereas the Greek populations clustered apart with the Bulgarian population. Within Greece the distribution of the six wild populations did not follow any geographical trend, since their genetic divergence did not seem to correlate to geographic distances. However, RAPD profiles of some reared and wild specimens were different from the common RAPD pattern observed in the vast majority of sampled hares, probably reflecting an admixture of genetically differentiated individuals. The RAPD analysis indicates that releases might have begun to affect Greek population structure and reinforces the view that appropriate management is needed, adjusted to the local populations' biology and ecology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1020260819629 The Greek Harehound is a rare breed of dog that only comes in a black and tan color, originally bred as a scent hound for tracking and chasing hare in Southern Greece. Wikipedia Scientific name: Canis lupus familiaris Origin: Greece Color: Black & Gold Temperament: Outgoing, Friendly, Affectionate, Intelligent, Passionate, Brave Weight: Female: 37–44 lbs (17–20 kg), Male: 37–44 lbs (17–20 kg) Height: Female: 17–22 inches (43–55 cm), Male: 18–22 inches (45–57 cm) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Harehound How do you say your full name? Where are you from in Greece? How do you say Rabbit in Greek? How do you say Hare in Greek? Tell us about where you live in Greece? the climate? the tereain? What have you enjoyed gthe most about visitining the United States? Have you seen wild rabbits in Greece? Do people eat rabbits in Greece? Are they kept as pets? Have you ever eaten or kept a rabbit as a pet? Are there any stories about rabbits? Any myths or Folktales? Are there any cities that use the rabbit or Hare as their symbol? Is the Rabbit or Hare on any of the coins?   https://lyricstranslate.com/en/%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%8D%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%B2-%CF%83%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%B4%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%AE-free-beleag.html https://lyricstranslate.com/en/%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%8D%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%B2-%CF%83%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%B4%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%B1-%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%AE-free-beleag.html The Free Beleaguered (Act II- Beginning) The silence reigns in the greenhill beyond the burial ground. The bird speaks, takes a seed, and the mother is jealous of it. The famine blackened the eyes. The mother is swearing onto the eyes. The good soldier from Souli stands aside and cries: "Lone dark rifle, why do I hold you in the arm, where you became heavy for me and the Muslim knows it ?" April and Cupid are dancing and lauging together, and as many blossoms and cores come out, so many weapons enclose you. A small white hill of sheep yells in movement, and gets thrown deep within the sea again, and, being vast white, it merged with the beauties of the sky. And into the waters of the lake, which it reached in fast, a blue butterfly played with its shadow, that felt its sleep within the wild lilium. The petite worm is also being in its sweet hour. The nature is magic and a dream in beauty and grace, the black stone and the dried up grass are vast golden. It spills itself with a thousand faucets, it speaks on a thousand languages: "Whoever dies today, dies fo a thousand times." https://fablesofaesop.com/the-hare-and-the-tortoise.html A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow. “Do you ever get anywhere?” he asked with a mocking laugh. “Yes,” replied the Tortoise, “and I get there sooner than you think. I’ll run you a race and prove it.” The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he agreed. So the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the runners off. The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise should catch up. The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time. Moral The race is not always to the swift.   © Copyrighted

June is National Pet Preparedness Month.  In this episode we talk to Dawn Sailer about being prepared for all kinds of emergencies.  We go over what you should have on hand just in case and things that work best for rabbits.  You will learn about emergency items that you should have on hand and also about making sure that somebody is your buddy in case you need their help during an emergency.  You will also learn about many items that are available to help you be prepared.   You can visit this link XXXTOFOLLOWXXX for more information about many of the great ideas that Dawn shared with us.   You might also enjoy dropping back and listening to NMHRS episode #28 where we interviewed Dawn about how she got started with rabbits and got in to the biz!

Hello Listener! Thank you for listening.  If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link below: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. Or you can become a Fluffle Supporter by donating through Patreon.com at the link below: Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit What's this Patreon? Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. What do you need? Please support Hare of the Rabbit Podcast financially by becoming a Patron. Patrons agree to a regular contribution, starting at $1 per episode. Patreon.com takes a token amount as a small processing fee, but most of your money will go directly towards supporting the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast. You can change or stop your payments at any time. You can also support by donating through PayPal.com at the link below: Hare of the Rabbit PayPal Thank you for your support, Jeff Hittinger.   Rabbit Care 101   I want to apologize for the time for this episode to come out. We lost power about two weeks ago when the March Storm came up the East Coast. We got power back after about three days, but only had half power, so we could not run anything 220 such as the heater, water, dryer and some things were also not running such as the refrigerator or freezer. We had to call the electric company out to find out if the issue was with the power coming to the house or not. That was not the issue, so we had an estimate to repair the Master Breaker in the fuse panel at almost $3000. A neighbor ended up helping me replace the Master breaker after we scheduled the power to be off, and it was a minimal cost. So after about ten days we had everything back except the heater. Today we have heat after finding a popped 5amp fuse. So I apologize for the delay, but it is tough to record without heat, or power, or running water.... Know the Basic Needs of Rabbits First off, here's what you need to know about the basics of what rabbits need. Check City Ordinances Before you buy your Hutch and rabbits, check with your city ordinances to see if your town has any restrictions. There has not been a lot of oversight of rabbits in the past, so many towns are accepting of rabbits within city limits. Before you raise rabbits in fact, you must first find out if you are allowed to raise rabbits in your locality and immediate area. The perspective commercial operator going into business on a considerable scale will naturally locate the rabbitry where they are relatively safe from zoning for many years. The small backyard breeder who is thinking in terms of ten or twenty holes has been know to purchase hutches, rabbits, and equipment only to learn shortly, to their sorrow, that rabbits may not be raised in their locality. It pays to investigate first rather than be sorry later. In some cases a limited number of rabbits may be kept provided the rabbitry can be located at an established distance from dwellings. When compared to chickens rabbitys generally have less regulations due to minimal noise from the rabbits. Now most of the info on state and city regulations was from the House Rabbit Society. They are a great source of information about rabbits. State Laws All breeders in the US are subject to the Animal Welfare Act which applies if they sell more than $500 of animals per year to a pet store or distributor. If so, then the breeder may need to be licensed and follow certain animal care and housing standards. There are many exemptions to the $500 rule though, and the law should read carefully to be sure whether they apply or not. See the USDA page on the Animal Welfare Act for more information. Many states and even counties and cities also have their own laws regarding the sale of rabbits such as the age at which they may be sold and where they may be sold. Here we attempt to list all relevant laws for every state. ⦁ North Carolina, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, and Vermont ban the sale of unweaned rabbits, or rabbits under 2 months of age. ⦁ Colorado bans the sale of rabbits under the age of 4 weeks. ⦁ New Jersey, California, Kentucky, South Carolina, Maine, Maryland, Montana, and Pennsylvania ban the dying of rabbits and other animals and the sale or giveaway of rabbits under 2 months of age. ⦁ North Dakota, DC, Illinois, Arkansas, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Washington, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Ohio prohibit the sale of dyed rabbits and other animals. ⦁ Washington, DC bans the sale of pet rabbits under the age of 16 weeks. ⦁ Pennsylvania bans the sale of rabbits and other animals in public places. ⦁ Vermont and California prohibit the sale of rabbits and other animals on the side of the road. ⦁ Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin all have laws prohibiting the give away of rabbits and other animals as prizes in carnivals or other events (although sometimes those laws only specify the giveaway of very young animals). City and County Laws ⦁ Aurora, CO has a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance that includes rabbits. They also have a pet limit law of two rabbits. Pet owners can get an exception to these laws by purchasing a breeder or kennel license. ⦁ San Francisco, CA prohibits the sale of pet rabbits in the city and county. ⦁ Los Angeles, CA prohibits the sale of pet rabbits and other animals in the city’s pet stores. ⦁ Boston, MA prohibits the sale of pet rabbits and other animals in the city’s pet stores. ⦁ Chicago, IL prohibits the sale of pet rabbits and other animals in the city’s pet stores. ⦁ The county of Bernalillo, NM prohibits the sale of rabbits as companion animals (i.e. pet stores cannot sell rabbits in the county). Sale of all rabbits is banned during the months of March and April (this eliminates impulse sales for Easter). This does not apply to the city of Albuquerque, which bans cat and dog sales but allows rabbit sales. ⦁ Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, TX all ban the sale of rabbits and other animals in public places. ⦁ In Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish, the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the city of Slidell all forbid giving away rabbits and other animals as prizes. ⦁ Any Arizona county with a population of 800,000 or more prohibits the sale of rabbits or any other animals on or near any public highway, street or park. ⦁ Santa Fe, NM forbids giving away live animals as carnival prizes within city limits. ⦁ New York, NY prohibits the sale of rabbits in the city’s pet stores. ⦁ Salt Lake City, UT prohibits the sale of pet rabbits in the city’s pet stores. ⦁ The following Ontario cities now prohibit the sale of rabbits in pet stores: Toronto, Kingston, Missassauga, Kitchener, and Windsor. ⦁ Surrey, BC and Richmond, BC have banned the sale of rabbits in pet stores. ⦁ Ottawa is now considering banning the sales of rabbits, cats and dogs in their pet stores. The history of the rabbit Rabbits belong to the order of mammals called Lagomorpha, which includes 40 or so species of rabbits, hares and Pikas. Fossil records suggest that Lagomorpha evolved in Asia at least 40 million years ago, during the Eocene period. The break-up of continents during this period may be responsible for the wide distribution of differing species of rabbits and hares around the world, with the exception of Australia. There are currently more than 60 recognized breeds of domestic rabbit in Europe and America, all of them descended from the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the only species of rabbit to have been widely domesticated. It is a separate species from other native rabbits such as the North American jackrabbits and cottontail rabbits and all species of hares. The European wild rabbit evolved around 4,000 years ago on the Iberian Peninsula, the name 'Hispania' (Spain) is translated from the name given to that area by Phoenician merchants, meaning 'land of the rabbits'. When the Romans arrived in Spain around 200BC, they began to farm the native rabbits for their meat and fur. The Romans called this practice 'cuniculture' and kept the rabbits in fenced enclosures. Inevitably, the rabbits tried to escape and it is perhaps no surprise that the Latin name 'Oryctolagus cuniculus' means 'hare-like digger of underground tunnels'. The spread of the Roman empire, along with increasing trade between countries, helped to introduce the European rabbit into many more parts of Europe and Asia. Wild rabbits are said to have been first domesticated in the 5th Century by the monks of the Champagne Region in France. Monks were almost certainly the first to keep rabbits in cages as a readily available food source, and the first to experiment with selective breeding for traits such as weight, size and fur color. Rabbits were introduced to Britain during the 12th Century, and during the Middle Ages, the breeding and farming of rabbits for meat and fur became widespread throughout Europe. The selective breeding of European rabbits meant that distinct breeds arose in different regions, and the origins of many old breeds can be traced back several centuries. Up until the 19th century, domestic rabbits had been bred purely for their meat and fur, but during the Victorian era, many new 'fancy' breeds were developed for the hobby of breeding rabbits for showing. Industrialization also meant that many people moving from the country to the expanding towns and cities, brought rabbits with them; apart from poultry, they were the only 'farm' animal to be practical to keep in town. Although many of these rabbits were bred for meat, it became increasingly common among the rising middle classes to keep rabbits as pets. Domestic rabbitry did not become popular in the United States until around the turn of the century, when many European breeds began to be imported, and breeders also developed some American breeds. During the two World Wars, governments in both Britain and the United States encouraged people to keep rabbits as a source of homegrown meat and fur, both for themselves and to help feed and clothe soldiers. After the wars, many people continued to keep rabbits in their gardens, and they become commonplace as household pets. Rabbits have become the third most popular pet after cats and dogs. Your first rabbit! First you need to decide what you will get a rabbit for. Will your rabbit be an inside pet, rabbits for a 4h project, Meat rabbits, fur rabbits, or rabbits for show. 4h Project Selecting a breed of rabbit can be a huge challenge for first-time rabbit owners. There are currently 49 breeds of rabbits recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). As a 4-H member, you should familiarize and research several breeds to determine those meeting the criteria you have for your rabbit project. There are market fryers, breeding rabbits, or companion pet rabbits. The goals you have for your rabbit project have a large effect on the breed you choose to purchase. Pet Rabbit What’s special about a pet rabbit? Clean, affectionate, and sociable, rabbits can make excellent pets. They can be litter trained and are very playful and entertaining. With good care, rabbits kept indoors can live for 5 to 15 years. With more than 60 rabbit breeds in existence, rabbits can vary widely in size and appearance. If you are a first-time owner, acquiring a single rabbit is probably best. If you choose a male (buck) rabbit, you will want to have him neutered to prevent territorial marking with urine. Both male and female rabbits are tame and affectionate when well socialized. As its owner, you will ultimately be responsible for your rabbit’s food, shelter, exercise, physical and mental health for the rest of its life. While families should involve their children in caring for a rabbit, youngsters need the help of an adult who is willing, able, and available to supervise the animal’s daily care. Rabbits are well-known for their ability to produce large numbers of babies. Purchasing and breeding a rabbit for the purpose of allowing children to witness the birth process is not responsible rabbit ownership. If a female rabbit becomes pregnant, it is your responsibility to find good homes for the offspring. Spaying females and neutering males not only prevents reproduction but decreases behavioral problems and health risks. Rabbits for Show If you are interested in exhibiting breeding rabbits or raising rabbits, it is important to have a copy of the Standard of Perfection for your breed. This publication describes the ideal rabbit for each recognized breed, and is the standard by which judges compare rabbits of the same breed against one another. If you are raising rabbits, you need to understand the process of culling. Culling is removing a rabbit from the herd because of inferior production, inferior quality when compared to the Standard, or possessing specific disqualifications. Your criteria for culling might be different depending on whether you are focusing on breeding, pet, or market projects. Meat Rabbits Market rabbits should be of a commercial breed and fall into one of the following three categories: Fryers: 3½–5½ pounds (8–10 weeks of age) Roasters: 5½–9 pounds (not over 5 months) Stewers: over 8 pounds (over 5 months) Make sure you understand the requirements of your fair for exhibition of your market rabbit project. Some projects will require you to have one to three rabbits as part of your project. If your project includes more than one market rabbit paired with another, then you want to find two or three rabbits that are identical in type. Rabbits in the fryer and roaster categories can be expected to gain approximately 7 ounces per day if provided adequate feed and water on a daily basis. Weighing your market rabbits is important to make sure you are on track to obtain the desired weight at the end of your project. Shelter and Protection Housing can be evaluated with a few factors: ventilation, size, material, temperature, and protection. Ventilation is the process of moving air above and below the cage to decrease temperature and ammonia odor, which can be damaging to a rabbit’s respiratory system. This can be accomplished naturally or mechanically, but you must ensure that direct drafts are not imposed on the rabbits. The ideal temperature for an adult rabbit’s environment is 45–70 degrees Fahrenheit. Housing for rabbits can be maintained either inside or outside a physical structure. Outside facilities require that the rabbits be protected from the weather and predators. Inside housing provides more control of the environment, including better bio-security, but comes with more expense and more ventilation challenges. It is necessary for you to determine the housing plan that fits the current situation you have at home. There are numerous materials that can be utilized to build rabbit cages; however, remember that rabbits are gnawers, meaning they will eat building materials. The material used will depend on whether you have an inside wire cage or an outside cage. The outside cage typically includes (three) plywood or pressed board (sidewalls) and roof to provide necessary protection for the rabbits. Or you may have a hanging cage rack system that is covered. Inside cages will usually be constructed from galvanized welded wire. Inside Housing There are lots of different ways to house your bunnies indoors. Every bunny and every house is different. The most important thing is to provide a home that suits your bunnies and that keeps them safe. As long as they have lots of space, a quiet place to retreat to and plenty of toys, then you will have some very happy bunnies. There are several options to house rabbits inside. They can live free-reign in a bunny proofed room/rooms, or they can be contained within a puppy pen, bunny condo, or large rabbit cage. If contained, their space should always be large enough so they can hop around, and they should be let out of their pen for at least a few hours everyday for exercise. Make sure the primary location of your rabbit is not isolated from you and your family. A family room or living room is a good place. Bunny Proof Your House Rabbits need space to run around and explore. In order to create a safe space for your bunny and to protect your belongings, you will need to thoroughly bunny proof the area. This includes covering all wires with plastic sleeves or flex tubing, or lifting them 3-4 feet out of reach of your rabbit. If you don’t want your baseboards gnawed, you can cover them with plastic guards, 2x4s or furring strips. You’ll also have to block off certain areas since rabbits like to chew the undersides of beds, items on bookshelves, house plants, and more. Basically, your rabbit will try to chew everything in reach. Lots of people have house rabbits that have the run of the house (along with an area to call their own). This is a great option for house bunnies, but it all depends on the fact that your bunnies are well trained enough for this. Safety comes first and if you do not trust your bunnies to be left alone, or if you have other pets, then it is probably best to have them safely enclosed in an area, for when you are not there. Avoid placing rabbits in the same room with barking dogs if possible. Rabbits usually adapt quickly to barking heard from a distance. House rabbits and indoor cats can get along fine, as do rabbits and well-mannered dogs. Dogs should be trained to respond to commands before being trusted with a free-running rabbit, and supervision is needed to control a dog’s playful impulses (this is especially true for puppies). If you want to add another rabbit to your family, rabbits that are neutered adults of opposite sexes work best and they should be introduced for short periods in an area unfamiliar to both rabbits. A great set up for a house rabbit is an open top puppy pen. They can be spacious and airy so the rabbit does not feel enclosed as much as they would in a cage. The best height to get is 35in. This will stop any escapes if your bunny was thinking of jumping over the top. Just be careful to not place any items next to the edges that your bunny could climb up on and make it easy for them to jump out. Remember, although puppy pens are a decent size, it is still very important that your bunnies get their daily exercise. If you let your rabbit have free range exercise around the house, increase the free range area gradually, until they are trained. Also decide beforehand what rooms are out of bounds and take precautions for this so your rabbit understands. A good idea is to attach a puppy pen to the dog crate to allow for the extra space. Also note some dog crates can also be difficult to clean out. Pens are also great as you can move them around, change the shape of them etc to suit your space and this adds variety. They also look good and do not clutter a room. Use ordinary cat or dog cages, or cover wire flooring with sections of newspaper (can be messy if bunny digs) or plain, brown corrugated cardboard. If dog cages are used, check to be sure the spacing between the cage wires is small enough to prevent a rabbit's head or limbs from getting stuck. If you have other animals then you will need a pen that comes with a top too for added security. Indoor rabbit/guinea pig cages Indoor rabbit/guinea pig cages – the size of these are usually too small on there own, so to add a puppy pen as additional space would be a great idea. Be aware of indoor rabbit cages with a step up/over at the entrance. They are not rabbit friendly. Old & young rabbits struggle to get in and out of them and if your rabbit needs to sprint into it at speed if something panics them they could injure themselves. The plastic indoor hutches/cages are usually not big enough. Indoor location Where to place your rabbit’s indoor home. The area needs to be quiet, cool, away from drafts, and away from heaters. You should have your rabbit near a window for natural light, but watch for direct light. Near patio doors is a good idea so they can look out, but also be aware they can easily get spooked by predators in the night that walk by patio doors, so you may want to block the view at night with a curtain. Make sure they are not right next to any radiators. Outside housing The list is endless to what people are doing this day and age to provide their bunnies with the most luxurious suitable accommodation. ⦁ Outhouses converted to bunny homes with outside run attached. ⦁ Hutches placed within an aviary ⦁ Dog kennels with the runs attached (these come in all shapes and sizes). ⦁ Sheds (wooden ones only) Plastic or metal ones get too hot. If you are using a hutch only, then make sure it is a decent size for the breed, and they will need an additional area for their exercise time. If you cannot attach a run direct to the cage, you could consider a runaround tunnel to attach them from afar. Always place runs onto concrete slabs to stop your rabbit digging a way out and to stop a predator digging his way in! You can consider a metal puppy pen for exercise as they are reasonably priced and great as they fold away when they are not being used and you can set them up anywhere. You can also buy more than one and make the pen even bigger. Make sure you supervise your rabbit whilst they are exercising in these as they are in no way predator proof. Never leave them unattended. Building your own enclosure Remember the bigger the better for your bunny and for you to as it will be easier to clean out and also you will get so much more entertainment watching your rabbits skip and run at great speeds. Plywood and pine are safe woods: two types of pine wood, Whitewood and Redwood untreated. Galvanized wire no bigger than 1 inch by half inch should be size of squares. Never use wiring with large squares as rats and stoats could get in or cats/foxes could injure your bunny through these gaps. Prime welded wire mesh is best. Predator proofing It is extremely important that all enclosures are made predator proof. ⦁ You need to place your rabbits accommodation on cement slabs to avoid a fox digging in or a rabbit digging out. ⦁ Make sure doors are secure with bolts at the top and bottom for extra security. ⦁ Always provide hideouts – safe places to hide when they get spooked or feel threatened ⦁ Tunnels are good for hide outs. ⦁ Place boards at the front of your enclosure to add extra privacy & to help stop your rabbit getting easily spooked. Weather proofing It is essential especially with certain types of enclosures. You need to protect them from the wind, rain and strong sunlight. Covers can be bought for standard size hutches but can be costly. Corrugated plastic sheeting is a good way to protect from rain and is excellent for roofing. Just watch the clear plastic in the summer as this could heat your enclosure up like a green house very quickly. Place sun reflectors underneath to help stop this. Use bubble wrap or plastic sheeting like builders sheets or plastic dust sheets or tarpaulin for protection from wind and rain. Attach to a piece of wood at the top and hook this to the cage to create your own little roller blind. Or by adding some wooden panels to each side of your enclosure and making them an inch wider than the enclosure allows you to have something to attach the bubble wrap or plastic sheeting to. Metal clips keep it in place very securely when it is very windy. Always leave gaps for air flow. Cover a sheet of wood, wider than the accommodation itself, with felt roofing and place on top of enclosures for added protection. Keep weighted down with bricks or slabs. Large beach mats or windbreakers are ideal for protection Venetian blinds or cane/bamboo blinds are another option. Attach bubble wrap to the inside of them in the winter for added protection Do not use fabric that can get damp as this will draw the heat out of the hutch. If large enclosures like sheds/playhouses have gaps around the top area you can stuff them with bubble wrap to stop drafts. Just make sure its out of reach of your rabbits. Tips for the summer: Wooden sheds/play houses can get very hot in the summer. Try insulating the roof to help keep it cooler. Sun reflectors can help and also large patio umbrellas or shade sails can help. Placing rabbit housing in the shade of trees can also help top keep them cooler. Large floor tiles are good and help keep them cool in the summer also indoors & outdoors. Creating the right environment Whatever you chose to place in your rabbits enclosure, by rearranging the set up every now and then your bunny will think they have a whole new home to explore and this keeps them entertained! Rabbits love "projects" such as objects in their environments that they can move and manipulate. These provide stimulation and exercise. Nest boxes Nest boxes within an enclosure make an ideal place for your rabbit to hide in or to keep warm in. They may also enjoy jumping on top of them. Stuff them full of hay in the winter and your bunny will love it. You could also make them even cosier by putting cardboard around the inside edges in the winter for extra insulation. Cardboard boxes Cardboard boxes provided hours of entertainment and also provide somewhere for your rabbit to run into when they feel threatened. A cardboard "hidey box" placed in the cage can make a rabbit feel more secure. However, this may increase territorial behaviors - particularly in un-spayed females. Boxes are most useful in wire cages, where the rabbit has no other means of hiding himself. Stuff a large cardboard box with hay if you don’t have a small hutch or nest box. The double walled cardboard boxes are best as they are more sturdier and will last that bit longer. You can order them in bulk at quite a reasonable price off the internet. Just check they don’t have staples in. Hay racks Place next to the litter trays to allow your rabbits to eat as they poop which all rabbits love to do and it encourages hay eating. Plant pots, hanging basket racks, utensil holders or fruit bowls can all be good ideas for hay racks. Basically anything that will not harm your rabbits health and if it has holes in can be stuffed with hay and used as a hay rack. The Ikea carrier bag holders are also a big favorite. Or just make a tunnel shape out of galvanized wire and stuff that full of hay. Please watch any items that have large enough gaps in where they could catch their feet or heads. Always make sure the gaps are stuffed well with hay. A good tip is to place grass mats or flat bits of cardboard under the hay racks. This allows you to sweep the spilt hay up very easily and place into the litter tray, so nothing is wasted. Wicker baskets Make sure that it is untreated and made for pets, as treated wicker is highly poisonous. Cheap comfy beds Rabbits love comfort and a good cheap way of providing a pet bed is use a sample square of carpet. You can get these from most carpet shops very cheap, or a flat chair cushion and place them in cotton pillow cases. Pillow cases are also cheap to buy and easy to wash. In the winter you can also include a little blanket. The bunnies love to dig at blankets and push them about. Litter trays and dig trays Litter trays come in all shapes and sizes, but the bigger the tray the more hay you can put in to encourage your rabbit to eat hay whilst he poops. Seed trays and drip trays can be ideal as they do come in big sizes and all kinds of shapes and are cheaper to buy than some actual litter trays. Raised areas filled with soil or filled with grass turf are a great way of adding some natural materials if the floor is all concrete slabs, or simply use a few flower pots full of soil. Seed trays and drip trays are also great for placing soil or grass turf in. Make ramps safe Make ramps safe and rabbit friendly by covering with carpet or a mat. You can also add bits of wood to create a step effect and allow your rabbit to have more grip on the ramp. Never position a ramp too steep as this could result in an injury. You can place a sturdy item like a large garden stone/brick or the wooden hideouts you can buy to raise the ramp up at the bottom more, so its not so steep. Flooring All flooring for inside and outside accommodation should be non slip to avoid your rabbit injuring themselves. Ceramic tiles are a good way of protecting wooden flooring to outside enclosures like sheds & hutches. If you use newspaper, place them underneath the paper. Feeding The 3 most important foods for a rabbit are hay, hay, and HAY! Contrary to popular belief, rabbits do not need salt licks, vitamins, or hard wooden objects to wear their teeth down. Teeth are kept worn to a proper length by the silicate and lignin content of grass and grass. hays. Do not offer rabbits plants, vegetation, or tree branches unless you are sure they are not harmful. Rabbits are unique in the fact that they are susceptible to digestive disturbances. To lower this susceptibility, they use a process called cecotrophy to maintain balance in their digestive system. Cecotrophy is the process of ingesting feces, typically done at night. The ingestion of the soft feces, or cecotropes, increases protein digestibility and energy digestion for the rabbit. Nutrition The most important nutrient you can provide your rabbit is water. Access to fresh, clean water is necessary for rabbits to maintain proper growth rate and body condition. Fresh, clean water is a must during the summer months, because rabbits do not tolerate heat well and depend on water to cool their bodies. Fresh water needs to be changed daily. Double check to see that the steel ball in the bottle is working properly each time you hang the bottle. Bowl (changed daily) encourages more drinking. The bowl should be heavy crock to prevent tipping. Pellets: Commercially produced rabbit pellets provide a complete diet for rabbits. When you add supplements on a daily basis, you are altering the balanced diet provided by the pellets. Supplements should be used carefully or used as an occasional treat for your rabbits in order to minimize their effect on the balanced diet. Limited pellets (plain only! no seeds, nuts, colored tidbits): 1/4 cup, per 5 lbs of body weight per day. Consideration for appropriate nutrition depends upon the stage of production, added supplements, environmental temperature, quality of pellets, and access to water. Crude protein (CP) is the major nutrient we assess because the fiber is fairly consistent in most commercially produced rabbit pellets. Crude protein feed recommendations are 16–18% for growing market rabbits; 14–16% for maintaining body weight on mature rabbits (non-breeding stock); and 16–18% for stock in active breeding. Other Foods Dark Green leafy veggies daily if possible. Good veggies: all dark green leaf lettuces, dandelion greens, kale, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, cilantro, basil, Avoid: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, spinach. Limited amounts of sweet veggies such as carrots. Occasional treats in very low quantities: slice of apple, slice of banana, a few hulled sunflower seeds, 2-inch piece of carrot. For more frequent treats, use fragrant herbs such as cilantro, parsley, arugula, and basil. Do not feed bread or-other high-carbohydrate foods, as they can lead to intestinal dysbiosis. Groom Your Rabbit Grooming list for your rabbit: A flea comb, brush, flea products safe for rabbits, toenail clippers. Rabbits are naturally clean animals and wash themselves frequently, but you still need to groom your rabbit on a regular basis. Rabbits go through shedding cycles a couple times a year. It’s important to brush your rabbit to remove all the excess fur. Otherwise, your rabbit could ingest it and have serious digestive issues. Regular nail clipping is also important because long nails can get snagged on things or they can curl into your rabbit’s paw. General Care & Socialization If possible, talk to the rabbit calmly and stroke them daily. Rabbits are highly social animals who thrive on attention and social interaction. Many rabbits are very overtly affectionate, and will nuzzle and lick their handlers. Others are shyer and more "laid back." Try not approach the rabbit from directly in front. Rabbits have laterally placed eyes and cannot see up close, directly in front of themselves. When working with an unfamiliar rabbit, pat the rabbit gently between the eyes, til he relaxes, before picking him up. Never attempt to lift a rabbit who is struggling. Rabbits can easily break their own backs attempting to get away from perceived predators. Handling Rabbits are light-boned animals. Because of this, improper handling can easily injure a rabbit. Rabbits should be handled from a young age, after weaning, and handled often. Never pick up a rabbit by its ears, by the skin on the back, or by the scruff of the neck. Doing so can injure the rabbit and damage flesh condition. Rabbits are easily frightened and may react differently in an unfamiliar situation. A very tame rabbit at home may become stressed and frightened at a show. Never place the rabbit near your face! A rabbit’s toenails can scratch deeply. Lift the rabbit by supporting his hindquarters and forequarters simultaneously. If the rabbit struggles to get down once lifted, lower yourself and the rabbit as close as possible to the floor to prevent injury. If your rabbit will be a pet, have the rabbits spayed/neutered. Besides preventing accidental litters, spaying prevents uterine cancer which can reach 50-80% as rabbits age, and neutering reduces spraying and other hormone-driven behaviors. Always remember that rabbits are a prey species. The more predictable their environment and the more securely they are handled, the more relaxed and sociable they become. Many rabbits relinquished to shelters have been severely traumatized in their former environments. They may have learned to survive by nipping or boxing. These behaviors can usually be eliminated by correct handling and social interaction. Rabbits are highly territorial, and may also attempt to nip or box when their territory is "invaded." This is especially true of un-spayed females. This behavior is entirely normal, and is usually greatly reduced by spaying/neutering. If a rabbit boxes when you offer food or clean the cage, place one hand on the rabbit's head and gently press and rub, while using the other hand to remove food bowl, or litter-box, etc. A rabbit who has suddenly stopped eating or whose eating patterns have suddenly changed needs immediate veterinary attention. Health/Vaccinations Rabbits are typically low-maintenance animals when it comes to health and vaccinations. There are no vaccinations that are mandatory recommended for rabbits, and just a few medications that are actually labeled for use on rabbits. Healthy rabbits have a normal temperature range of 101.3–104.0 degrees Fahrenheit, a resting heart rate of 180–250 beats/minute, and a constantly moving nose. Most veterinarians do not have much experience with treating rabbits. This requires you as the owner to become familiar with signs of common diseases and ailments. Your observation will be integral for maintaining health among your rabbits on a daily basis. If you think your rabbit needs medication, consult your veterinarian to determine the appropriate medication and dosage level. Rabbits have a sympathetic nervous system. This creates a real challenge in determining the correct dosage of medication needed for a sick rabbit. Providing too much medication (overdosing) is toxic. Un-derdosing, or giving too little medication, is ineffective at treating the condition. There are four administration routes that can be utilized in rabbits. They include oral, subcutaneous (nape of neck), intravenous (veins in feet), and intramuscular (hind leg or back muscle). The American Rabbit Breeder Association has a Rabbit and Cavy Health Committee that can field questions about doctoring rabbits. Health problems that are common in rabbits: Intestinal blockages Because rabbits groom themselves constantly, they can get fur-balls just as cats do. Unlike cats, however, rabbits cannot vomit, and excessive swallowed hair may cause a fatal blockage. Rabbits can also develop a serious condition known as GI stasis which has many of the same symptoms. If your rabbit shows a decrease in appetite and in the size of droppings, get advice from a rabbit veterinarian. If you keep your bunny brushed (less hair is swallowed) and give them a handful of hay daily, this should help with blockages. Bacterial issues A rabbit’s digestive tract is inhabited by healthful bacteria. If the good bacteria balance is upset by stale food or a sudden change in diet, harmful bacteria can take over the digestive track and kill the rabbit. If you keep all rabbit food in a cool dry place and make dietary changes slowly, giving a new food in small amounts, this should help. If no abdominal gurgling or loose stool results in 24 hours, the food may be offered again. If your rabbit goes outside, check for pesticides and toxic plants. Infectious bacteria Many rabbit diseases are caused by bacteria, not viruses, and can be treated with antibiotics. If your rabbit shows symptoms of a “cold,” take him to a veterinarian familiar with antibiotics that can be safely used in rabbits. Oral drugs of the Penicillin family, such as Amoxicillin, should NOT be given to a rabbit, since there is risk of destroying good intestinal bacteria. Find an experienced veterinarian before a problem develops. If your rabbit has been harassed by a predator, take him to a veterinarian even if no injuries are apparent. When it is over, keep your rabbit cool with nearby wet towels or ice. Regularly check your rabbit’s eyes, nose, ears, teeth, weight, appetite, and droppings, as you would in any cat or dog. Transportation Rabbits should travel in cages specifically designed for them. Purchase a rabbit carrier that is the correct size for the age and breed of your rabbit. Do not transport a rabbit in a box! A rabbit can become overheated easily and die quickly as a result. Hot weather conditions can be dangerous for a rabbit. It is best to place rabbits in an air-conditioned vehicle for transport. If this is not possible, keep windows rolled down and air circulating. For long-distance travel, rabbits should be in carriers and covered with large sheets of cardboard or similar items to block the sunlight. A thin sheet of foam placed under the cages will help cushion the ride, keeps cages from slipping or tipping, and protects the car’s interior. Place an absorbent, generous quantity of bedding or a canine house-training pad in the bottom of the carrier tray to help absorb any wastes or spilled water. Secure water and feed pans inside the carrier. There are specially designed pans for carrier use. To avoid spillage, provide only a small amount of water during transport. Most rabbits will not eat or drink during a ride. If stopping, be certain to keep the vehicle cool. Park in a shaded area or keep the car’s air conditioning operating. If cool outside, roll down windows. Handling rabbits during transport can heighten stress resulting in increased body temperature. Secure cage doors with zip ties. Carry your own water from home as changing water sources can upset the rabbit’s digestion. Watering the rabbit through the carrier is easily accomplished by using a houseplant watering can with a narrow spout. If taking several rabbits on a journey, invest in a wheeled cart on which the carriers fit easily. Many types of these carts are available. Rabbits are adorable, affectionate pets that you can fit into your family with a little time and effort. For the most part, rabbits should be kept inside for them to thrive and keep them safe and healthy. Rabbits are intelligent, social animals who need affection, and they can become wonderful companion animals if given a chance to interact with their human families just as any rabbit should! http://petpav.com/rabbit-care-101-tips-to-care-for-your-newly-adopted-rabbit/ https://www.spca.org/page.aspx?pid=430 http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/care-pet-rabbit/ https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Selecting-a-Pet-Rabbit.aspx http://www.bunnyhugga.com/a-to-z/general/history-rabbits.html http://best4bunny.com/bunny-care/housing-ideas/ https://rabbit.org/ordinances-protecting-rabbits/ http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit_sale_laws_in_the_US https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/4h-31     © Copyrighted

International Rabbit Day Hello Listener! Thank you for listening. If you would like to support the podcast, and keep the lights on, you can support us whenever you use Amazon through the link below: It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what. Or you can become a Fluffle Supporter by donating through Patreon.com at the link below: Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit What's this Patreon? Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. Please support Hare of the Rabbit Podcast financially by becoming a Patron. Patrons agree to a regular contribution, starting at $1 per episode. Patreon.com takes a token amount as a small processing fee, but most of your money will go directly towards supporting the Hare of the Rabbit Podcast. You can change or stop your payments at any time. Thank you for your support, Jeff Hittinger. First we are going to look at what is rabbit day. International Rabbit Day is an international day which promotes the protection and care of rabbits both domestic and wild. International Rabbit Day is held on the fourth Saturday or Sunday of September; in 2017 it will be held on Saturday September 23rd. History The holiday was established by charitable organizations in order to attract much attention of the world public to the problems of the death of a large number of rabbits as a result of neighborhood with people. In huge quantities these humble animals are used by mankind in various fields of activity: for food, as a raw material for fur processing production, felt and knitting industries. And we shouldn’t forget about numerous scientific researches and diagnostic laboratories, where they are taken as experimental ones. Before we answer the question “What is the meaning of International Rabbit Day 2017?” I can’t but mention that in the world there are about 200 breeds of rabbits, and among them about fifty – are fluffy and kept as decorative as pets. On this day fans of rabbits are united into various clubs and institutions. The initiative people organize exhibitions and competitions of their eared pets. Meaning What does National Rabbit Day mean? Frankly speaking, it is up to you to decide whether to celebrate this holiday or not. However, all over the world on this day the specialists come forward with a request for humane treatment of rabbits during their breeding and regulating their numbers. They also call for a reduction in the use of fur from rabbits and their meat in public catering. These men and women take care of these creatures’ well-being and health. For the House rabbit society, when they celebrate International Rabbit Day, we think about the many ways that rabbits bring joy to our lives, and also the many ways in which they are harmed, by hunting, eating, medical experimentation, product testing, fur-farming, and living isolated lives in outdoor hutches. House Rabbit Society's mission states that "ALL rabbits are valuable as individuals, regardless of breed purity, temperament, state of health, or relationship to humans. The welfare of all rabbits is our primary consideration. In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits...Domestic rabbits are companion animals and should be afforded at least the same individual rights, level of care, and opportunity for longevity as commonly afforded to dogs and cats who live as human companions." Are you looking for some fun ways to celebrate this special occasion? Here are a few ideas to get you started: ⦁ Spend time with your rabbit. This sounds so simple, but it’s so important! Take some extra time to enjoy your bunny’s company on this special day. ⦁ Share the joy. Rabbits have the universal talent of making people smile. Show someone your bunnies. ⦁ Host a bunny party. Hop to it and invite your friends to a rabbit-themed party with bunny décor, fun games and plenty of carrot cake for guests and carrots for your bunny. Ask each guest to bring a donation for your local small animal rescue. Events! House Rabbit Society's chapters will be holding a number of events to promote International Rabbit Day this year. We hope that you'll join us by attending one of them! International rabbit day is another chance to tell people how much joy this living being can bring to the house, and an ideal occasion to please wonderful long-eared pets. No mater how you will celebrate International Rabbit day, I hope that you reach out to friends and neighbors and let them know about your positive experiences with rabbits! Be sure to share the joy. Rabbits have the universal talent of making people smile, so be sure to spread some bunny sunshine by sharing cute photos on social media and put those cute faces in front of all your friends and family. http://www.rabbit.org/hrs-info/worldrabbitday.html https://whenisholiday.com/europe/when-is-rabbit-rabbit-day-2017.html https://community.petco.com/t5/Blog/How-to-Celebrate-Your-Bunny-on-International-Rabbit-Day/ba-p/62841   © Copyrighted

International Rabbit Day is fast approaching, so Lori begins with a two-part interview with Dr. Anne Martin, executive Director, House Rabbit Society. They discuss rabbits as pets and other welfare issues including cosmetic testing on rabbits and rabbit overpopulation. There’s tons of good info here! Then, Philadelphia based family law attorney Mark Momjian joins Lori […]

House Rabbit: Today we are going to discuss the house bunny.  The idea of covering an episode about the house bunny was suggested by Tom Woods from the Tom Woods Podcast which can be found at http://tomwoods.com/. The Feature product is Yesterday's News -     which we cover later in the episode. You can support the podcast, and help keep the lights on, whenever you use through the link at Hare of the Rabbit on the support the podcast page. It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what.   I would like to thank whoever purchased through the Amazon link, there were some interesting items: Mountain Man Beaver Balls String Silencer -     Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI Cable - 3 Feet (0.9 Meter) Supports Ethernet, 3D, 4K and Audio Return -     Steam Gift Card - $20 -     Mousepad Unique Design Mouse Pad Beautiful Purple Sunset -     A lot of the information I gleaned about the House Bunny were from two great web sites: http://rabbit.org/about-us/ and http://myhouserabbit.com/ The House Rabbit Society is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization with two primary goals:     To rescue abandoned rabbits and find permanent homes for them and     To educate the public and assist humane societies, through publications on rabbit care, phone consultation, and classes upon request. They operate an adoption and education center out of our International Headquarters in Richmond, California. Why would you get a House Rabbit? Rabbits make wonderful indoor companions.  They are clean, relatively quiet, and adorable! But before you jump into rabbit ownership, make sure a rabbit is a good fit for your family. First of all, ensure you’ve properly budgeted for your new furry friend. Costs include an adoption fee; vet bills for spay/neuter surgery, annual checkups, and occasional illness; housing and bunny proofing supplies; and food. After ten or more years, these costs can add up! House Rabbit Society, a national nonprofit organization, recommends that you keep your rabbit in the house rather than outdoors.  Rabbits are intelligent, social animals who need affection, and they can become wonderful companion animals if given a chance to interact with their human families. Once you’ve set up the primary housing location for your rabbit, you’ll have to bunny proof the surrounding area where your rabbit will romp, rumble and play. Rabbit Proofing one’s home involves three things: 1) Preventing destruction of your property; 2) Protecting your companion rabbit(s) from harm; and 3) Providing safe and fun chewing alternatives for your rabbit. Now we are going to cover some tips to Bunny Proof your home. Pet rabbits love to dig and chew.  If you are overly protective of your furniture then a house rabbit may not be perfect for you. House bunny proofing can only go so far and chewing on a bit of smoothed oak or walnut is perfectly natural as far as bunnies are concerned.  In order to protect your house rabbit as well as your home you’ll need to bunny proof.  Rabbits are chewers.  Rabbits enjoy small, dark spaces.  Rabbits are curious.  These are three good reasons why you will need to "rabbit proof" your house prior to allowing your rabbit access to your home.  Rabbit proofing your home will protect your rabbit and your belongings. Get down on the floor, and imagine for a minute, that you are a rabbit. Look at all of the wonderful places you have to explore and the many chew-able items available for your enjoyment. Wires are one of the main targets of bunnies. Their sharp teeth can slice through your wires quickly, damaging your favorite lamp     or worse, electrocuting your rabbit.  Bunny-proofing your home is part of living with a house rabbit.  It is natural for rabbits to chew on furniture, rugs, drapes, and, most deadly of all, electrical cords.  Preventing rabbits from chewing on electrical cords is of utmost importance, since rabbits can be badly burned or electrocuted. The consequences of biting into an electric wire are too severe to risk relying on training alone.  Instead, you must take action to move the cords safely out of reach.  So now I am sure that you are asking "how do I keep electrical cords out of reach?" Cords must be concealed so that the rabbit cannot reach them.  Exposed cords can be encased in vinyl tubing (found at hardware stores). By splitting the tubing lengthwise with a utility knife the cord can be pushed inside it,  It is best to cover wires with hard plastic sleeves or flex tubing -     .  These can be purchased at any hardware, home improvement or electronics store.  It may also be called Spiral cable wrap, and It costs about $3 for 10 feet and works like a charm for most, but not every bunny. (Some will still manage to chew through it.)  This stuff is very flexible so the cords are still manageable after wrapping. It works well with cords that you might have in the middle of the room or might move quite often, such as vacuum cleaner, phone, video game, extension, lamp and other cords. Simply raising the cords above floor level may NOT work. Remember that when sitting up on their hind legs, rabbits can reach a foot or more in the air. Placing cords behind furniture may NOT prevent your rabbit from reaching them. Rabbits can fit into some pretty tight spaces. Bitter sprays often do NOT work, since rabbits tend to like bitter tastes. Plastic tubing (similar to that used in fish tanks, or with “swamp coolers”) from a hardware or aquarium store can be slit lengthwise with a blade and the wire can be tucked safely inside. A harder, black, pre-slit type of tubing is also available. The best solution, is to keep all wires out of the reach of your bunnies.  You can also use large flex tubing to protect wooden table or chair legs. Baseboards and moldings are also frequently chewed by bunnies. If a rabbit insists on chewing baseboards, edges of chairs, a board can be put over the places of temptation, making them inaccessible while also providing an acceptable chewing surface.  You can protect your baseboards by covering them with plastic guards, 2x4s or furring strips found at your local hardware store.  You can also protect the elaborate moldings with wood panels attached via velcro strips.  This method should be combined with training your rabbit not to chew on these items. Blocking Off Areas. Some bunnies can jump 36 inches or higher, and their curiosity brings them on top of shelves, chairs and desks.  They are also quite adept at squeezing into tight spaces, like behind your bookshelf or under your bed.  You’ll need to make sure to block off these areas.  You can use baby gates or puppy pens to block off sections or whole rooms, but ideally they should be made of metal, otherwise your bunny will chew his/her way through quite quickly.  Watch out that the slats aren’t too far apart, or your rabbit will slip right through.  If the slats are too far apart (which is often the case with baby gates), you can zip tie wood panels to the bottom. Bunnies are natural diggers and will dig anywhere they can, especially on your carpets.  Any loose edges will be pulled and dug on until your carpet becomes a stringy mess.  Tiles or untreated sea grass mats are good ways to cover areas that your bunny likes to chew.  You can also arrange your furniture to cover spots your bunny frequently digs. Beware of Houseplants. Houseplants can be dangerous to bunnies.  Many plants are toxic to your bunny, and contrary to popular belief, domesticated rabbits don’t always know by instinct not to eat these plants. It is best to keep any plants out of the reach of your bunny. Poinsettia, holly, tomato leaves, and tulips are among the plants toxic to your bunnies.  Hang plants from the ceiling if you have an active bunny, but watch for falling leaves! Furniture: Upholstered furniture and beds that are several inches off the ground are wonderful places for rabbits to hide underneath. However, some will burrow up into the soft underside and make a nest. A flat cardboard box or frame of 2x4s, smaller than the area of the future base, will keep the rabbit out, and won’t be seen from human level.  Rabbits may not only chew the upholstery that you can see, they may get underneath the furniture and chew the underside. Some rabbits will climb into the hole they have made. Use caution with recliners, since rabbits may get underneath them and into the mechanism. Books: Use glass-fronted book cases.  Place books and newspapers you are still using in chew-proof bins, either hard plastic or metal. There are copper and brass wood bins for fireplaces that are very serviceable and aesthetically pleasing.  Do not place books on the lower shelves of bookcases. Kitchen: The kitchen can pose special hazards for a curious rabbit. Open cupboards and drawers, open areas on the back of appliances, and toe kicks on lower cupboards are just several of the places that may look inviting to a rabbit. Removing the rabbit from one of these areas may mean moving the heavy appliances, with the possibility of hurting the rabbit in the process, or removing the bottom of the cupboard to free the trapped rabbit underneath.  Block off areas around appliances and cabinets to prevent the rabbit from getting behind them. Keep in mind that there must be adequate air circulation around the appliances. Walls: Clear plastic panels from the hardware or plastic supply store can be affixed to the wall to protect against your rabbit chewing into the sheet-rock or tearing off the wallpaper. Placing furniture over that spot can also conceal the damage and protect against further chewing. Now one of the best solutions is Enrichment as a Distraction. Providing many toys can also help dissuade your rabbit from chewing on your belongings; when your bunny is occupied he/she will be less inclined to be destructive. Give your rabbit enough attention, safe chewables, and toys, so that she is distracted from chewing furniture and rugs. A cardboard box stuffed with hay makes an inexpensive play-box. Young rabbits (under a year) are more inclined to mischief and require more confinement and/or bunny-proofing than mature rabbits. Think of yourself as your rabbit's guardian, and about what you need to do to protect him. Rabbit proofing your home will be absolutely necessary if your rabbit will be in your house outside of his cage. Some people prefer to set up an indoor fenced exercise area for their rabbit, so the rabbit proofing does not need to be quite so intense. By bunny proofing your house, you’ll provide a safe environment for your rabbit and protect your belongings. This will make both you and your bunny very happy. House-training/Litter Training By nature, rabbits choose one or a few places (usually corners) to deposit their urine and most of their pills. Urine-training involves little more than putting a litter-box where the rabbit chooses to go.  Pill training requires only that you give them a place they know will not be invaded by others.  Rabbits may have free run of the home. However, it’s best for most–and necessary for some–to start with a space they can call their own. This can be an exercise pen, a large dog crate, a bunny proofed room, or a very large cage or condo.  Use a cage large enough to contain a small litter-box (along with bunny’s food and water bows, toys, etc.) and still allow enough room for the rabbit to stretch out.  Using a puppy pen is usually a better option than a cage because it provides more space, and it can be easily adjusted if you want to gradually increase the area to eventually give your bunny free reign in a bunny-proofed room (or rooms).  Because puppy pens have doors, it’s easy to let your bunny out of the pen for daily exercise. To make this confined time learning time, make sure that there’s a litter-box in the corner of the space that your rabbit chooses for a “bathroom.”  As soon as he or she uses the box consistently, you can give him some freedom.  Place one or more large litter-boxes in corners of the running area outside the rabbit’s home base.  If you don’t use a cage, you need to give the bunny a particular area to call its own.  Just put a litter box wherever the bunny seems to prefer. Use only positive reinforcement  such as treats and praise, and never punishment. Older rabbits are supposed to be easier to train than younger rabbits, especially babies.  A rabbit’s attention span and knack for learning increases as they grow up.  If you have a baby, stick with it! And if you are deciding whether to adopt an older rabbit, or litter train your older rabbit, go for it! When training, do not Let the bunny out of the cage and not watch with undivided attention; You can’t watch TV or read the paper or knit or talk on the phone and expect to keep your mind on what the bunny is doing every second.   if there is an "accident" without being “caught” and herded to the litter box, your rabbit will be that much slower in learning what they are supposed to do. Start with a box in the cage, and one or more boxes in the rabbit’s running space.  If your rabbit urinates in a corner of the cage not containing the box, move the box to that corner until they get it right.  Don’t be concerned if your bunny curls up in the litter-box, as this is natural.  Once your rabbit is using the box in the cage, open the door and allow your rabbit into their running space.  Watch him or her go in and out on her own.  If she heads to a corner where there’s no box, or lifts up her tail in the characteristic fashion, cry “no” in a single, sharp burst of sound.  Gently herd your rabbit back to the cage and litter-box, or into one of the boxes in the room.  Be careful, You don’t want to make the cage or the litter-box seem like punishment.  A handful of hay in the box makes it a more welcoming place.  After she first uses the box, praise your rabbit and give it their favorite treat.  Once she uses the box in her room a couple of times, you’re well on your way, as her habits will be on their way to forming.  As she gets better trained in her first room, you can increase her space.  Don’t hurry this process. And if the area becomes very big, or includes a second floor, be sure to include more litter-boxes, so as not to confuse her.  Remember, as she becomes more confident and uses fewer boxes, you can start to remove some of her early, “training” boxes.  If your rabbit continually urinates in a spot where there is no litter-box, put his box where he will use it, even if it means rearranging his cage or moving a table in the living room. It is much easier to oblige him than to try to work against a determined bunny! Get your rabbit into a daily routine and try not to vary it.   Rabbits are very habitual and once a routine is established, they usually prefer to stick with it. Does spaying/neutering make a difference? Yes! This is often the most important factor.  When rabbits reach the age of 4-6 months, their hormones become active and they usually begin marking their territory.  By spaying or neutering your rabbit, he or she will be more likely to use the litter-box (as well as be much healthier and happier). What types of litter should I use? It depends on what’s available in your area and what your rabbit’s habits are. Keep in mind the following as you choose your litter: ⦁        Most rabbits spend lots of time in their litter boxes ⦁        Rabbits will always nibble some of the litter ⦁        Rabbit urine has a very strong odor. House Rabbit Society recommends organic litters, made from alfalfa, oat, citrus or paper. (Some brands to look for: Care Fresh (Natural only), Cat Country, Critter Country, Yesterday’s News -     , and Papurr). Pros and cons of the various types of litter include: ⦁    Swheat Scoop Litter should be avoided, because rabbits will often ingest it.  Because it is comprised of wheat, it is very high in carbohydrates and can cause obesity, diarrhea, bacterial imbalance, and other health issues. ⦁    Many people have great success with litter made from paper pulp or recycled paper products. These litters are very good at absorbing and cutting down on odors. A litter called Carefresh (use the Natural only product) is available at most pet stores, as is Yesterday’s News. A similar litter in a pelleted form is called Cellu-Dri. These litters are harmless if ingested. Every week I would like to bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience, and I have researched enough to recommend. Today’s HOTR Amazon Item of the week is Yesterday's News.  Now when I worked i a pet store, people either loved the yesterday's news -     or hated it.  there did not seem to be any in-between. One issue people have about their rabbit’s litter box is that it smells. Using a newspaper pellet litter like Yesterday’s News -     will solve the problem.  Even though it’s made of newspaper, the compressed pellets neutralize the odor much more effectively than sheets of newspaper. Here are a few tips about using a recycled paper pellet litter:     Just put a very shallow layer of the litter in the litter box — enough so that the bottom is covered.  It does not have to be deep because rabbits do not bury their droppings like cats. Furthermore, you will be discarding ALL of the litter every time you clean it, so you want to use the least amount possible to make it last and save money.     You can buy large bags of Yesterday’s News that are marketed for cats.  You don’t have to get ones marketed for rabbits.  Just be sure to buy the unscented version.     Put hay on top of the thin layer of litter.  Rabbits like to eat and poop at the same time.  So this encourages them to use the litter box.  Just be sure your rabbit has access to clean, fresh hay at all times.   ⦁    Another approach is to place a handful of hay in each box, or to simply use hay as litter. It is helpful to put several layers of newspaper under the hay, to absorb urine so that your rabbit is not standing in the urine. Most newspapers today are using soy-based ink, which is safe for your rabbit, but check with your local newspaper to make sure first. Obviously, you need to change the hay fairly frequently (daily), since your rabbit will be eating it. This method often helps to encourage good litter habits as well as to encourage hay consumption, since rabbits often eat at or near the same time as they use the litter box. ⦁    Clay litter is dusty–if your bunny is a digger, the dust can make her/him vulnerable to pneumonia.  Also be careful because the deodorant crystals in some clay litters may be toxic.  Clumping litters will clump inside the rabbit’s digestive and respiratory tracts causing serious problems and often leading to death. ⦁    Corn cob litter has the the risk of being eaten and causing a lethal blockage. ⦁    Oat- and alfalfa-based litters (available from Purina, and Manna-Pro, are said to have excellent odor controlling qualities, but if a rabbit eats too much, they expand and can cause bloating; this litter can be added, with the bunny’s waste, to compost ⦁    Newspapers are absorbent, but don’t control odor ⦁    Citrus-based litters work well, offer no dangers, and can be composted, but may be hard to get and expensive in some areas. ⦁    Compressed sawdust pellets are inexpensive, highly absorbent litters used in many foster homes. They are made from softwood or hardwood sawdust.  Their wood composition helps control bacterial growth and odors.  Wood stove fuel pellets and Feline Pine are two examples of this product. ⦁    Litters made from Aspen bark are safe and good at absorbing odors. One brand is called GentleTouch. ⦁    Some people have reported success with peat moss which can also be composted. Now to cover Cleaning and disposal: Clean litter-boxes often, to encourage your rabbit to use them.  Use white vinegar to rinse boxes out–for tough stains, let pans soak.  Accidents outside of the cage can be cleaned up with white vinegar or club soda.  If the urine has already dried, you can try products like “Nature’s Miracle” to remove the stain and odor.  To dispose of organic litters, they can be used as mulch, or can be composted.  Rabbit pellets can be directly applied to plants as fertilizer. Pellets vs. urine All rabbits will drop pellets around their cages to mark it as their own.  This is not failure to be litter-trained.  It is very important for your rabbit to identify the cage as her property so that when she leaves the cage for the bigger world of your house, she/he will distinguish the family’s area from her own and avoid marking it. To encourage this, make the rabbit the king of his cage. Try not to force him in or out of it– coax him.  Do not do things to his cage that he doesn’t like, or things to him that he doesn’t like while he’s in the cage.  The trick to getting the rabbit to keep his/her pellets in the cage is to give him ownership of his cage–respect the cage as HIS:  Don’t reach into the cage to take him out; open the door and let him come out if and when HE wants to come. Don’t catch your rabbit, herd him/her back gently, and let him/her choose to go in to get away from you (walk behind and clap hands, and say “bedtime.” They learn that you will stop harassing them with this until they go into their cage, so they run in except when they feel they haven’t gotten their fair share of time outside the cage.  If the rabbit has been snuggling with you, it’s okay to carry him to the door of the cage and let him go in–just don’t put him directly into the cage, and try to avoid chasing and trapping to put him in the cage.  Don’t reach into the cage to get food dishes–anchor them near the door of the cage so they can be filled with a minimum of trespassing into the cage, or wait until the rabbit is out to fill them.  Don’t clean the cage while the rabbit is in it–wait until he comes out. He’ll come over and supervise you, even help you move things around that you’ve set down outside the cage, but as long as he isn’t in the cage, he won’t see your cleaning as an invasion of his territory. (I wouldn’t object if someone were cleaning my house, either) The same techniques can be used if a rabbit doesn’t live in a cage, but in a particular part of a room.  Mark the territory with a rug, tape, whatever, and don’t trespass over that. Even if your goal is to let your rabbit have full run of the house, you must start small.  Start with a cage and a small running space, and when your rabbit is sufficiently well trained in that space, gradually give them more space. Do so gradually!  If you overwhelm them with too much freedom before they are ready, they will forget where the litter box is and will lose their good habits. House Rabbits and Other Animals House rabbits and indoor cats can get along fine, as do rabbits and well-mannered dogs.  Dogs should be trained to respond to commands before being trusted with a free-running rabbit, and supervision is needed to control a dog’s playful impulses (this is especially true for puppies).  Adding a second rabbit is easiest if the rabbits are neutered adults of opposite sexes, and they are introduced for short periods in an area unfamiliar to both rabbits. CONSUMABLES     Limited pellets daily     Fresh water     Hay /straw (for digestive fiber and chewing recreation)     Fresh salad veggies/fruit (add gradually)     Barley/oats (very small amounts)     Wood (for chewing recreation)     Multiple enzymes (digestive aid)     Petroleum laxative (when needed for passing hair) GROOMING     Flea comb     Brush     Flea products safe for rabbits.     Toenail clippers GENERAL SUPPLIES     Dust-free litter     Whiskbroom/dustpan     White vinegar (for urine accidents)     Hand vacuum     Chlorine bleach (for disinfecting)     Newspapers Be sure to find an experienced rabbit veterinarian before any problem develops. Bunnies take time. Perhaps that’s one of their special gifts to us in this hectic world. They require that we take time out to sit and watch and do nothing else. Besides getting a well-trained bunny for your efforts, you also get a short period of time each day to watch one of the most charming little creatures on earth explore, skip for joy, and in general entertain you with her bunny-ness. If you would like to support the podcast, you can support through Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit for one dollar a month.  Patreon/Hare of the Rabbit is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators. A lot of the information I gleaned about the House Bunny were from these four great web sites: http://rabbit.org/about-us/ and http://myhouserabbit.com/ http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/bunny-proofing-your-house/ http://myhouserabbit.com/new-to-rabbits/preparing-for-your-first-house-rabbit/ http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1803&aid=2724 http://www.justrabbits.com/house-bunny-proofing.html Plant of the Week: Corn Word of the Week: Advancement Rabbit and Otter, The Bungling Host http://www.indigenouspeople.net/bunghost.htm Many native American tribes have legends in which various animals display their ways and means of obtaining food from others, sometimes using trickster methods. They return meal invitations and even attempt to provide food of a similar nature and in the manner of the previous host. Sometimes, this leads to trouble. There were two wigwams. Otter lived in one with his grandmother, and Rabbit lived with his grandmother in the other. One day Rabbit started out and wandered over to visit Otter in his camp. When Rabbit entered Otter's wigwam, Otter asked if he had anything to eat at home. "No," replied Rabbit. So Otter asked his grandmother if she would cook something for Rabbit, but she told him she had nothing to cook. So Otter went out to the pond directly in front of his camp, jumped in, and caught a nice long string of eels. Meanwhile, Rabbit was looking to see how Otter would catch his food. With Otter's great success, Rabbit thought he could do the same. Rabbit then invited Otter to come over to his camp the next day. His grandmother had already told him that she had nothing to cook for their meal, but asked him to go out and find something. Then Rabbit went out to the same pond where Otter had found the string of eels; but he could get nothing, not one fish, as he could not dive no matter how hard he tried. In the meantime, his grandmother was waiting. She sent Otter out to find Rabbit, who searched and finally found him at the same pond, soaked and with nothing to show for his efforts. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. "I'm trying hard to get us some food," he replied. So friendly Otter jumped into the pond and again caught a string of fish, this time for Rabbit's grandmother to cook for their dinner. Then Otter went home. The next day, Rabbit started out to visit Woodpecker. When he reached Woodpecker's wigwam, Rabbit found him at home with his grandmother. She got out her large pot to cook a meal, but said, "We have nothing to cook in the pot." So Woodpecker went out front to a dry tree-trunk, from which he picked a quantity of meal. This he took to his grandmother, and she made a good dinner for them. Rabbit had watched how Woodpecker obtained his meal, so he invited Woodpecker over to visit him. The very next day Woodpecker arrived at Rabbit's wigwam for a visit. Rabbit asked his grandmother to hang up her pot and cook them some dinner. "But we have nothing to cook," she replied. So Rabbit went outside with his birch-bark vessel to fill it with meal. He tried to dig out the meal with his nose, as he had seen Woodpecker do. Soon Woodpecker came out to see what caused the delay. Poor Rabbit was hurt, with his nose flattened out and split in the middle from trying to break into the wood. Woodpecker left to return to his own wigwam without any dinner. Ever since then, Rabbit has had to carry around his split nose. Another day, desperate for food, Rabbit thought he would go and steal some of Otter's eels. He got into the habit of doing this every second night. Toward spring, Otter began to wonder where his eels had gone as his barrel was getting low. Otter thought he would keep watch and soon found Rabbit's foot tracks, and said to himself, "For that, I am going to kill Rabbit." Now Rabbit knew what was going on in Otter's mind, and when Otter reached Rabbit's camp, he fled. Otter asked Rabbit's grandmother, "Where has Rabbit gone?" "I don't know," she replied. "Last night he brought home some eels, then he went away." "He has been stealing my eels," said Otter. "Now, I'm going to kill him." So began Otter's search for Rabbit, who guessed Otter would be trailing him. Otter began to gain on Rabbit, who picked up a small chip and asked it to become a wigwam. Immediately, the chip became a wigwam and Rabbit became an old man sitting inside. When Otter came along and saw the wigwam, he also saw the gray- headed old man sitting inside. He pretended to be blind. Otter did not know that this was Rabbit himself. Out of pity for him, Otter gathered some firewood for the old man and asked if he had heard Rabbit passing by. "No, I have not heard any one today." So Otter continued his search. Later, Rabbit left his wigwam and started out on another road. Otter could not pick up Rabbit's trail, so he returned to the wigwam. Not only was it empty, but gone entirely. Only a chip remained in its place. Otter then saw Rabbit's tracks where he had jumped out of the wigwam. This trick made Otter very angry and he cried out, "You won't fool me again." Otter followed the new trail. When Rabbit sensed Otter was closing in on him, he picked up another chip and wished it to become a house, and there was the house, ready to live in. Otter came along and was suspicious as soon as he saw the house with a veranda across the front, and a big gentleman walking back and forth all dressed in white, reading a paper. This, of course, was Rabbit himself, but Otter did not know it. He asked the big gentleman, "Have you seen Rabbit go this way?" The man appeared not to hear. So Otter asked again. The gentleman replied in Pidgin English a phrase that meant, "Never saw Rabbit." But Otter looked hard at him and noticed the man's feet, which were Rabbit feet. So Otter felt certain this was his prey. The big gentleman gave Otter some bread and wine, and Otter left hurriedly to again track Rabbit back to the house. He came to the place, but the house was not there. Otter could see the tracks where Rabbit started running away. "He'll never have a chance to trick me again, that's his last time!" declared Otter. Rabbit soon came to the head of a bay where there was a very small island, so small that a person could almost jump over it. He jumped onto the island and wished it to become a man-of-war. Otter came to the same shore and saw the big ship anchored there, and the big gentleman in a white suit walking the deck. Otter called to him, "You can't trick me now! You're the man I want." Then Otter swam out toward the ship, to board it and to kill Rabbit. But the big gentleman sang out to this sailors, "Shoot him! His skin is worth a lot of money in France." News: Giant rabbit died after United Airlines staff put it in freezer: Report http://www.mid-day.com/articles/international-news-giant-rabbit-died-after-united-airlines-staff-put-it-in-freezer-report/18211162 London: A giant rabbit, who mysteriously died in the care of United Airlines, was accidentally shut in a freezer by a bungling staffer for 16 hours, a media report has claimed. Three-foot Simon, who was expected to outgrow his father Darius to become the world's biggest bunny, appeared happy and healthy when he touched down at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport en route to a celebrity buyer but was found dead a short time later. The Sun, citing a source, reported that the pet froze to death after he was accidentally left in a freezer for around 16 hours. However, a United spokesman denied the claim, saying that the "assertion is completely false. Simon was cared for at the PetSafe kennel facility which is kept at room temperature (on average 70 degrees Fahrenheit)." "He arrived at Chicago O'Hare airport in apparent good condition at 10:25 AM (local time). He was seen by a representative of the kennel facility moving about within his crate about 11:00 AM," he was quoted as saying. "Shortly thereafter, a kennel representative noticed Simon was motionless and determined that he passed away," the spokesman said. An airport worker was quoted as saying that the rabbit arrived fine but there was some sort of mistake and he was locked inside a freezer overnight. "The next day staff went in and did an inventory. The rabbit was huddled up facing away from the front of the cage towards the wall. Everyone thought he was just having a nap or something," the worker said. "Nobody realized it needed to be taken out," the airport worker added. The worker said temperatures inside the chiller were between 0 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius. He claimed the pets are usually kept in a special area kept at room temperature between 18 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius. The worker said United Airlines has launched an investigation but they do not know who put the rabbit in the chiller. "We know from the inventory that that the rabbit was alive when it reached the airport. So it happened in the warehouse," he said. "It has all been kept very hush hush but none of us know who froze the rabbit," the source said. United recently made headlines and remains under scrutiny following its treatment to the Vietnamese-American passenger, David Dao, who was physically dragged off an "overbooked" flight when he refused to give up his seat for United crew members on a flight from Chicago to Louisville. Just days after the incident, it emerged that a bride and groom headed for their wedding were booted from a United Airlines flight after they relocated to empty seats three rows up without permission. Sunny Bunnies scores US licensing partner Evolution will handle all North American licensing, merchandising and promotional rights for the non-dialog preschool series. http://kidscreen.com/2017/04/26/sunny-bunnies-scores-us-licensing-partner/ UK distributor Media I.M. has tapped California-based Evolution to handle all North American licensing, merchandising and promotional rights for Digital Light Studios’ CGI series Sunny Bunnies. Licensed apparel, accessories, publishing, toys, plush, home, food and health & beauty products are slated to launch next spring. (The property will make its debut at next month’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.) The 52 x 3.5-minute non-dialog show currently airs on Disney Channel and Disney Junior in the US. The first season of the series, aimed at three- to six-year-olds, has also bowed in multiple regions across the globe, including EMEA. The toon was adapted from the Sunny Bunnies YouTube channel, which has amassed more than 95 million views to date. It follows five fluffy balls that appear anywhere and have mischievous adventures. More than 100 runners participate in the annual Epic Sports Rabbit Run http://bangordailynews.com/2017/04/29/sports/more-than-100-runners-participate-in-the-annual-epic-sports-rabbit-run/ The annual Epic Sports’ Rabbit Run race winds through the Bangor City Forest. The 5.25 mile course saw over 100 runners Saturday. Proceeds went to benefit the Bangor Humane Society and the Clifton Climbers Association.

In this weeks episode, we will be covering the Flemish Giant rabbit, the plant of the week which is Linseed, the word of the week; admission, and a few news articles. I have a new segment I am adding to the podcast.  Every week I would like to bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience, and I have researched enough to recommend. Today’s HOTR Amazon Item of the week is the 20 Pack of Blue Barb Rabbit Nipples for Automated watering .   I believe with some things to always buy the best you can afford. This weeks product is a nipple waterer for rabbits.  These are one of the best rabbit nipples available for 5/16″ inch tubing.  These are easy to take apart either to clean or replace parts. They are easy for rabbits to use and works great with gravity fed or low psi automated watering systems.  They can also be used with Ferrets, Chinchilla’s and other small Mammals.  I have found that the blue ones seem to hold up better then the red nipples.  I have also found that the “T”‘s that are with the nipples break very easily, so I would not recommend expecting the “T”‘s to last very long.  In fact, I have found that the “T”‘s last about thee weeks before I have a failurethat I have to change them out.  The nipples I have found seem to last pretty well.  I have had to swap them out about every few months, and this is because they sometimes break in half, and I think this is more from getting knocked by something outside of the cage.  They attach to the cage by sticking one end of the spring in one of the small holes on the metal base of the drinker, hook that to the cage, and stick the drinker inbetween one of the bars of the cage, with the hook on the nipple piece to the cage.     If you would like to support the podcast, you can support through Patreon for one dollar a month.  Patreon is an established online platform that allows fans to provide regular financial support to creators.  Patreon was created by a musician who needed a easy way for fans to support his band. you can also support the podcast, and help keep the lights on, whenever you use Amazon through the link at Hare of the Rabbit on the support the podcast page. It will not cost you anything extra, and I can not see who purchased what.   Now we are going to explore the Flemish Giant Rabbit.  We briefly discussed this breed last week when we were covering the Belgian Hare, and that led to this episode. History Opinions differ as to the real origin of the Flemish Giant.  It is undisputed that Flanders – the origin of it’s present name – was the country of it’s adoption and dissemination throughout Europe and eventual appearance in America.  As early as the 1500’s, rabbits "four times bigger than ‘normal’ rabbits" were already living in the area of Verona, Belgium.  Exactly when the actual oversize rabbit giant genes first surfaced will probably remain forever unknown. It could have been a random mutation. It was bred as early as the 16th century near the city of Ghent, Belgium. It is believed to have descended from a number of meat and fur breeds, possibly including the Steenkonijn (Stone Rabbit—referring to the old Belgian weight size of one stone or about 3.76 kg (8 lb 5 oz)) and the European "Patagonian" breed (now extinct). The name Patagonia is a reference, which could be a reference to Argentina, or to a Spanish term meaning "big foot."  On the other hand, the belief that giant creatures lived in Patagonia was common at the time, making the name a logical one for a very large rabbit breed. In the late 19th and early 20th century, big bunnies were all the rage.  From Flanders, Belgium comes the biggest bunny of all, the Flemish Giant.  Europe, however, can give no definite information as to how or when it first appeared there.  It is known to have been bred there on a large scale during a period of several hundred years, and for a long time was called the Patagonian rabbit. Now I read many different thoughts about the "Patagonian" Rabbit, and I will cover them as we go. This "Patagonian" rabbit, a large breed that was once bred in Belgium and France, was not related to the Patagonian rabbit of Argentina (Sylvilagus brasiliensis), a separate wild species weighing less than two pounds (about 1 kg), nor the Patagonian hare (Dolichotis patagonum), a species in the cavy family of rodents that cannot interbreed with rabbits. An analysis of historical events during the 16th and 17th centuries gives strong support to the belief that the original Patagonian was the wild rabbit of Patagonia in the Argentine Republic.  During the 16th and 17th centuries the Dutch were sailing the seas back and forth, trading with the West Indies, Central and South America.  It is not likely that they would bring back with them merely the name Patagonia and tack it on to the rabbit of Flanders and the Netherlands.    It is, however, very likely that they would take back to Europe the rabbit itself, and name it after the country from which it came.  However, it was just about the time the Dutch were carrying on their trade with South America that these rabbits first became known.  Previously there was no record of them.  Even today the loose limbed, wild sandy rabbit of Patagonia has the same typical appearance of the Patagonian rabbit of Flanders as it existed there several hundred years ago. It seems likely then that one of three things happened.  Either this rabbit was taken from Europe to Patagonia, or from Patagonia to Europe, or was a breed givin an exotic name with no origin's in Patagonia; but since we find no record in Europe before the Dutch started trading with America, then it seems fairly obvious that this rabbit may have originate in Patagonia. Whereas, however, in Patagonia the rabbit has remained wild and not been subjected to selective breeding, leaving it as it was hundreds of years ago. In Europe and America, selective breeding has been carried out extensively, and this has produced the far superior rabbit known today as the Flemish Giant. The earliest authentic record of the Flemish Giant Rabbit occurred about the year 1860.  At that time, in England, stories were being circulated by travelers having recently returned from Flanders, of the enormous size of the rabbits raised in that country and in parts of France.  Weights of certain specimen were stated to be 18  to 20 pounds.   Rabbit meat at the time was being imported into England to the extent of millions of pounds yearly and local breeders were unable to fill the demand.  English breeders of meat stock produced their product from stock weighing an average of 7 to 8 pounds at maturity, so it was but a short time later that the first importation of Flemish breeding rabbits took place.  In The British Islands Rabbit breeding as a fancy and as a means of reducing family expenses was looked upon more as a necessity rather then a hobby with this and competition being what it is, it was but a short time before the Flemish Giant made its appearance at some of the many rabbit shows held periodically in England.  The first standards for the breed were written in 1893. The first Flemish exhibited, although impressive in size, was not handsome.  The color being of a dirty iron grey with sandy or white bars on legs, long ears bent over at the tips, and a general uncouth appearance.  Nevertheless, it was but a brief period before the first Flemish Breeders’ Association was organized for the express purpose of improving the new breed.  Various experiments and crosses with other varieties worked a wonderful change in the former homely specimen and it eventually became the rule that no show was complete without a large display of Flemish Giants.  The weight and color improved from time to time.   American fanciers imported Flemish Giants from England about the same time of the Belgian Hare boom in the early 1880’s.   Fast-forward to the mid-1800’s.  Multiple Belgian clubs were already regularly holding weight competitions featuring their giant rabbits. The winning Flemish Giants weighed up to 19 pounds in the latter half of the 1800’s. No special notice was attracted to the breed until the year 1910 when at that time rabbits were exhibited at the leading poultry shows throughout the country.  The Flemish Giant was soon established as a favorite owing to their enormous size and beautiful colors.   Flemish Giants arrived in the USA at the very end of the 1890’s. They arrived here only partially pedigreed, yet the demand for these giant rabbits was as monstrous as the rabbits themselves. It was not long before American breeders organized their own clubs and standards of perfection for the Flemish Giant. The breed was well established by the turn of the 20th century, desired for its meat-producing qualities.  The first Flemish Giant club in the United States was established in 1915.  The Federation was founded in 1915 by a group of four Flemish Giant rabbit breeders and recently, they celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Flemish Giant National Show.   In 1924, the Flemish Giant Rabbit became a charter breed of the newly formed American Rabbit and Cavy Breeders Association, the forerunner of today’s ARBA. Before and during the last World War, it was very common in Europe to see these large easy-care rabbits being raised by children, who fed them on garden produce, to provide cheap and healthy meals in hard times. The British Flemish Giant is only bred in the UK, and is not as large as the typically massive Flemish Giants found in every other country. The breed is rare today. British Giant Rabbits The British Giant Rabbit is similar to a true Flemish Giant as recognized throughout the world.  It is a massive rabbit with a minimum weight of 13.5 pounds (6.14 kg), and no maximum weight. Now we are going to look at how the breed spread around rest ot the world!  By the end of the 19th Century, Flemish Giants were recognized in Belgium in two colors, gray agouti (white bellied) and iron gray (dark bellied), and various breeders began importing them to their various countries. Flemish Giant Rabbits are the mammoth rabbits of the rabbit world, and the basis of all giant rabbit breeds such as British Giants, Continental Giants, and Gigantes de Espana (Spanish Giants). New Zealand: The breed was imported into New Zealand from North America in the 1980s, its principal attraction being its large size – it is one of the largest breeds of domestic rabbit.  It soon attained a degree of popularity in NZ, which it still has today.  In 1986 a 10-month old Giant weighting over eight kilograms was imported from Germany and was used to help increase the size of those in New Zealand. Since then no other Flemish Giants have been brought into New Zealand.  Some time after the Flemish Giants were imported into this NZ, they were bred to New Zealand Whites by a small number of commercial breeders to try and produce a larger carcass with a fast growth rate.  The results were not up to their expectations as the cross resulted in an increase of bone to meat ratio – a Flemish Giant will produce bone first before filling out into the large solid rabbit they are.  They are often referred to as slow growers.  The Giants were also crossed with smaller breeds to introduce different colours and this has resulted in a reduction in their overall size, with a number of smaller sized rabbits being sold as Flemish Giants in New Zealand.  Any adult below five kilograms can’t be a giant amongst rabbits and live up to its name!  In 2011 it was estimated that there were about 70 Flemish Giant rabbits in New Zealand. Germany: The Germans changed the name of their Flemish Giants to German Giants in 1937.  They are genetically 100% Flemish Giants, however selectively bred to conform to the particular specifications of the German standards of perfection for the breed. England: Flemish Giants arrived in England in the early 1900’s. There was apparently a difference of opinion as to which breeding goals to pursue and which colors would be permissible. Perhaps this is why one can find a British Flemish Giant which is only bred in the UK and in only one variety, and the larger British Giant Rabbit which resembles the true Flemish Giant, and which is found in various colors. Japan: Japanese Jumbo Whites resulted from crosses between Flemish Giants and New Zealand Whites.  They enjoyed their heyday before 1950, but now their numbers are so few that the Japanese Agriculture Association protects the breed. Spain: The generally accepted breed history is that the Spanish Giant is the result of crosses between Flemish Giants and two Spanish rabbit breeds, the Lebrel Espanol and the Belier, a lop.  Subsequent breedings selected for erect ear carriage and size.  By 1900, the breed known as the Gigante de Espana (Spanish Giant) was recognized in Valencia, Spain. Flemish Giant Rabbits in the USA American Flemish Giant Rabbits are massive, but don’t quite achieve the truly gigantic proportions seen in a few strains of Continental Giants. This does not mean that Flemish Giants do not have the same size potential of the Continental Giant. They do, but the US Standards of Perfection don't incentivize massive size. Additionally, Flemish Giants in the USA do not carry themselves as flat as do the Flemish in other nations.  American breeders focus on their ideas of overall "balance," while still specifying no maximum weight.  In the US, a slightly smaller, but balanced rabbit will win over an enormous Flemish Giant that does not appear sufficiently balanced. This is the part of the USA standard that places less emphasis on a gigantic rabbit, resulting in giant rabbits that aren’t quite as ‘giant’ as their cousins in the UK or Europe. Overall Description Appearance The typical reaction of most people who see their first Flemish in person is that of awe! Those first comments are almost always some version of “WOW! That is one BIG rabbit”; many will also add “that is bigger than my dog!” Both statements are not an exaggerated truth, though are they favorites that the owners of these amazing giants just love to hear. The body of a Flemish Giant Rabbit is powerful, with relatively broad hindquarters without being fat.  It should carry a heavy bone. Flemish Giants are easily recognizable & quite distinguishable from other breeds of rabbits.  Most commonly, Flemish are world-renown for their long, erect ears and their substantially large size. In addition to this, they have big blocky looking heads with bright bold eyes that are fully complimented by long, noticeable eyelashes. When they are sitting in a resting position on a flat surface, starting from the base of their shoulders, they have a gradual rise that transitions across their wide midsection to their massive, broad hindquarters which continues in a smooth descent, over the hips, to a rear end that sits flatly on the table-top. As one of the largest breeds of domestic rabbit, the Flemish Giant is a semi-arch type rabbit with its back arch starting in back of the shoulders and carrying through to the base of the tail giving a "mandolin" shape.  The body of a Flemish Giant Rabbit is long and powerful, with relatively broad hindquarters.   Flemish Giant Rabbits weigh 15 pounds on average, though the biggest ones can weigh up to 22 lb, and the longest one on record (in fact, holding the record for the longest rabbit in the world of any kind), measured about 32 inches long. ARBA - The show standard minimum weight for a senior doe is 14 lb (about 6.4 kg), and the show standard minimum weight of a Senior buck is 13 lb (about 5.9 kg). The English Lop has a minimum ear span length, but the Flemish is the only breed where the standard specifies a minimum rabbit length.  This happens to be the same number as for the English Lop ear span: 21 inches.   Weight is at least 13 pounds on senior bucks and 14 pounds on senior does.  No maximum weight is specified, but some Flemish have pushed even to 20 pounds.  However, when judging the Flemish it is important to remember that big is good, but balanced is better.  Bone should be heavy, These are gentle giants. BRC - Bucks shall not be less than 4.974kg (11lb) and doe’s not less than 5.44kg (12lb). Size shall be considered irrespective of weight. FUR The fur of the Flemish Giant is known to be dense. When stroked to the head, the fur will roll back to its original position. The fur of the Flemish Giant is known to be glossy and dense. When stroked from the hindquarters to the head, the fur will roll back to its original position.  Coat & Condition should be a full short coat, firm in flesh and moderately thick. Color: The American Rabbit Breed Association (ARBA) standard recognized seven different colors for this breed: black, blue, fawn, sandy, light gray, steel gray, and white.  All are solid colors, as “broken patterns” are not recognized by the ARBA.  However, the color standards are different as defined by the BRC, mentioning only Dark Steel Gray. (BRC) Colour - Dark steel grey, with even or wavy ticking over the whole of the body, head, ears, chest and feet alike, except belly and under tail which shall be white, upon the surface of the fur. Any grey, steel, sandy or other shade on the belly or under tail, except a streak of grey in each groin, shall disqualify. AMPLIFICAITON OF COLOUR: The under should be blue at the base for a little more than a third of the length, then black, merging into a creamy, or bluish white ticking which may be again tipped with black.  In even ticked specimens, the mixture should show half grey and half black tipped hairs over half of the body, neck, face and ears, but may be interspersed with longer yet – black hairs, both even and wavy ticking being permissible. The whole should be uniform in colour.  The under parts to be white with blue under-colour. Tail should be ticked rather darker on top, white on the underside. Legs Their front legs will be very large, within proportion to their bodies, which will also be quite visible. However, their hind legs, while they are equally massive & very powerful, will not usually be as visible because they will be tucked up under their sides. BRC - Shall be in length proportionate to body, strong in bone, large and straight. Feet shall be velvety, dark and ticked. Ticking to show when coat rubbed back. Ears and Eyes The ears are around 8" (20cm) long, standing erect, there may be light rings around the eyes.   The ears large, and the standard actually calls for a reposeful expression in the eye.  Eyes shall be bold and dark brown in colour. Bucks and Does: Bucks have a broad, massive head in comparison to does, and can take 1.5 years to reach full maturity. Does may have a large, full, evenly carried dewlap (the fold of skin under their chins), and can take 1 year to reach their full maturity.  Does can take 1 year to reach their full maturity. Breeding season is in February. Flemish Giants do not handle heat well and therefore, pregnant rabbits do not do well during hot Summers. Babies are ready for new homes at 8 weeks or older. BRC and ARBA Although there are several differences of desired traits in this giant rabbit breed, the two most commonly used descriptions are that of the ARBA & the British Rabbit Counsel (BRC) Breed Standard’s of Perfection. Both standards state slight differences, from the American minimal weight standards for fully matured bucks at 13 pounds & 14 pound does, to the British standard of 11 pound bucks & 12 pound does. Other differences include body style, with the ARBA calling for a semi-arched mandolin shape & the BRC desiring longer, flat bodies. Otherwise, both state that heavy bone structure, mass, & thick, long ears, with bold eyes & dense, short fur that has a roll-back effect when brushing your hand across their backs in a back-to-front motion. BRC points:  1) Colour 30 points 2) Size & Weight 20 points 3) Body 15 points 4) Legs and Feet 15 points 5) Head & Ears 10 points 6) Coat & Condition 10 points Total 100 points INTERMEDIATE FLEMISH 1. To be judged to the Giant Standard 2. Age to be over 6 months old. 3. Weight - Buck to be less than 4.989kg (11lb). Doe to be under 5.443kg(12lb). Important Tips to Look for When Buying Show Stock: Big Flemish are desirable, but balance is even more important. Balance means well proportioned.  The head, ears, and legs should balance with the body. Long bodied rabbits should have longer heads, ears, and legs than a medium length rabbit.  Flemish giants should wide enough to not be too narrow.   Things to Avoid: Rabbits that are not balanced.  Pinched hindquarters, fat rabbits, narrow body.  Short body under 20 inches on seniors or lack of body arch is a disqualification.  Thin ears or weak ear base. Ears that turn over at the tip or are less than 5 1/2 inches are a disqualification.  Medium bone is a fault. Fine bone, short legs, cow hocks, flat feet, weak ankles (bending at the ankle affecting straightness of forelegs), and mismatched toenails are disqualifications. Thin, very short or very long fur or a soft coat. Care You should keep in mind that caring for a Flemish Giant differs from caring for smaller well-known rabbit breeds, this is of course mainly due to their larger size. Before getting started you will have to consider which of the different housing options would be the best solution. Due to its large size, the Flemish Giant needs substantial living quarters that provide ample opportunity for physical movement. The House Rabbit Society recommends keeping rabbits inside the home in a very large pen or room(s) in the home.  Larger dog crates are often more appropriate than traditional rabbit and small-pet cages, which tend to be smaller and shorter.  In the United States Department of Agriculture's standards for animal housing, rabbits over 12 pounds must have at least five square feet of floor space.  The size of appropriate living quarters increases with size of the rabbit.  You may wish to consider a custom made hutch, with a large door for the rabbit's access, or perhaps a dog crate would be better than a hutch.  They require a lot of space. Outdoor cages should be 5 feet by 3 feet ( 1.5 meters by 1 meter).  Cages must be in the shade so the rabbits do not overheat. Cages should be protected from wind using painter drop cloth. Cages should have plywood roofs to protect rabbits from rain and snow. The US dept of Agriculture standards for rabbits over 12 lbs (5.45 Kilos), advise at least 5 sq ft (.50 Sq Meters) of floor space for rabbits of such sizes and elsewhere you will find suggestions of minimum hutch sizes for large rabbits to be 14"High x 36" Depth x 48" Width (36x91x122 cm). This size allows the rabbit very little room and whatever you decide upon, just bear in mind the fully grown size can be from 14 to 20lbs (6.36 to 9.09 Kilos). Cages with incorrectly sized wire gauge bottoms (as opposed to small gauge wire or solid bottoms) can harm the feet of a Flemish Giant more so than smaller house rabbits due to their increased weight.  A resting board may be required to prevent sore hocks for a larger breed rabbit.  The Flemish Giant will require larger quantities of food compared to smaller breeds of domestic rabbits. Like some other short hair breeds of rabbits, the Flemish Giant will usually require mild attention to grooming due to its shorter hair. Shedding during the spring and fall transition periods tend to be the most dramatic, with smaller sheds often occurring in between. Care for the Flemish Giant is the same as with all rabbits but a rabbit of such size needs a lot of attention and handling from the beginning or a young age. Diet Flemish Giants can be fed like other rabbits, with the amount of food increased to match their larger size.  ARBA recommendations include hay and occasional treats. A high protein diet of 16% or more is needed for them to gain bone mass while growing and later when muscle mass develops.  Apples, cabbage or broccoli in small amounts can be given as treats and slowly increased.  A quarter apple per rabbit every other day for 3 weeks can be increased to a half apple after that.  Since Flemish Giants do not reach full size until they are 1.5 years old, they need to be fed a lot until then.  When females have babies and during winter, they need to be fed as much as they can eat, and given plenty of water. In supplementing a commercial diet, care must be taken to avoid excess protein, calories, and minerals such as salt and calcium, which in excess can cause kidney stones.  Overfeeding leading to obesity is a major health concern for both commercial and pet rabbits. The House Rabbit Society recommends 2 cups of chopped leafy vegetables per 6 pounds (3 kg) of body weight and no more than 2 tablespoons of fruit or carrots per 6 pounds of body weight daily. CARE OF THESE GENTLE GIANTS Because of their large size they are usually not bothered by cats, hawks or other small mammal prey.  Flemish Giants do not handle heat well.  They would need shade and a way to cool down. In hot cliamates, some people keep rabbits in a climate controlled environment with air conditioning in the Summer.  Flemish Giants are large rabbits that eat a lot. It is extremely important to have a good quality pellet food and plenty of hay daily.  IF you add a vegetable one day, and the bunny gets diarrhea, STOP IT IMMEDIATELY.  It is critical when a bunny gets diarrhea because they will dehydrate quickly.  Make sure they have plenty of clean water available at all times. Health The American Rabbit Breeders' Association (ARBA) recommends delaying breeding of female rabbits until they reach the senior weight range.  For Flemish Giants, this is 14 pounds, and a typical rabbit will reach this weight when they are about 9 months to one year.  A Flemish Giants can take up to 1.5 years to reach their maximum weight and a breeder should wait until the rabbit is slightly over a year old before breeding.  Females and males can become sexually mature at 4 months and 8 days.  Once the rabbits are 3 months old they should be keep in separate cages or put females with females and males with males.  If fighting occurs then they must be separated.  The breeding lifespan of a rabbit is variable.  Some breeders prefer not to have any more litters after the age of three years while others continue to produce quality litters for five to eight years.  The gestation period is between 28–31 days.  On average they give birth at 30–32 days. The Flemish Giant rabbit can produce large litters, usually between 5 and 12 in a litter. A nesting box filled with hay is given to the female as she prepares for birth.  After birth, clean out the hay, replace with some new hay, and check to see if babies are all alive.  Check box every day in case babies die and take them out. If the rabbit is not used to handling, then you will have big problems later on when, for example, you need to pick them up or examine them.  Rabbits of sizes similar to the Flemish Giant can be heavy to lift when fully grown. Because of their size, children are unlikely to hurt them by picking up or dropping them. They also get on well with other pets and can live easily with smaller rabbits, but you need to be careful with any introduction to smaller rabbits. Although they can cope with cold temperatures, they do not fare so well with the heat.  They must have exercise and it needs to be remembered that they will be more expensive to keep. They will eat a lot more than the smaller breeds, requiring more hay; they excrete more and need larger living accommodation. Larger rabbits can become high maintenance as they get older, though no more than a dog would. Uses Flemish are thought to have originally been used for fur & meat production.  However, it has since been realized that due to their large bone density, the meat to bone ratio is not the most ideal prospect available for such a purpose as meat production.  Instead, they are now primarily kept as pets and showmanship animals, as well as for 4H projects in the United States.  These gentle-giants are well-known for their easy-going, calm, docile nature.  Because of this, they make great pets for children and adults alike. Flemish Giants make excellent pets as they are calm, but heavy for most children to handle.  They eat at least .5 kg. or more food a day of dried rabbit pellets.  They expel a lot of waste.  Flemish Giants are not typically regarded as "meat" rabbits because much of the commercial rabbit market focuses on young rabbits, usually around 70 days of age.  At this time, Flemish Giants are developing bone mass rather than muscle.  However, when raised to roasting (under 6 months) and stewing (over 6 months) age, the size of the Flemish makes them desirable.  They are also often bred with other meat rabbit breeds, such as the New Zealand, to increase both meat-to-bone ratio and litter size. Due to the large amount of high protein food they consume and the cost of this food, the selling of the Flemish Giants for meat is not profitable; as buyers want to give just a few dollars per rabbit. Apart from being kept as a pet, the Flemish Giant is used for meat, fur, show, pet assisted therapy and education. 4-H and Show Flemish Giants, due to their uncomplicated grooming requirements and docile personalities, are used by 4-H programs throughout the United States as a starter rabbit for teaching children responsibility and care of farm animals and pets.  Another very popular youth program outside of 4-H that promotes responsible show breeding is the National Federation of Flemish Giant Breeders Youth Program.  Flemish Giants are the second oldest domesticated rabbit breed in the United States, following behind the now rare Belgian Hare, which we covered in last weeks episode. The Flemish these days is primarily a fancy breed, raised for show and pets.   People who first see them sometimes think these biggest ones must be meat rabbits, but Flemish consumes too much feed for the meat yield to be a very efficient commercial breed.  They have always had a strong following. Today the Flemish rabbit leads in number exhibited at all the principle shows and are sold at the highest prices recorded since the days of the ill-fated Belgian boom. Temperment/behavior Flemish Giants can be docile and tolerant of handling; frequent interaction with humans is a requirement for this to occur.  Flemish Giants, like all rabbits, can become fearful, and sometimes aggressive, if handled incorrectly or irresponsibly.  Their larger frame requires special attention paid to the spine alignment when handling a Flemish Giant, or any rabbit for that matter. Consequently, potential owners should consider these factors in addition to their size, level of food consumption, and substantial waste production before buying. It should be stressed though that proper handling of such large bunnies is very important- for your benefit as well as theirs. They do have very powerful hind legs, & when they feel threatened or scared, or are hurt, they can quickly inflict serious injury. Otherwise, due to the size of these bunnies, respectfully compared to that of a medium-sized dog, they require more money & time spent in caring for them than that of a smaller breed of rabbit. However, owning such a wonderful rabbit is well worth the investments to have one, or more.  Among other things, when considering becoming a Flemish Giant owner, it’s always best to learn all that you can before you buy. Each & every one of these gentle Giants has his or her own personality.  They are very inquisitive, and they are quite intelligent.  They will often stand up on their hind legs and stretch their bodies out so that they can see what is around them.  This is a common greeting as well, especially when they are buttering up their owner for a good ear-scratching or head-rub.  It also goes without saying that the more attention they get, the more they will want.  They will play with toys too, rolling them around by using their front paws or some nose-nudging, picking them up with their teeth, and most of the time will follow through by tossing it in true bunny-fashion.  If your big buddy is quite fond of you, or just in a playful mood, he may even bring his toy to you in the manner a dog would, when playing fetch.  However, they will also let you know when they are aggravated or upset, be it with you or for any number of other reasons.  This may be done by completely ignoring your greetings, turning their back to you and refusing to acknowledge that you even exist at that very minute, or if they are really ticked off, you can expect some loud thumping from those heavy hind feet and possibly adding in some grunting noises while they are demonstrating their unhappiness.  Although some Flemish are more vocal than others, they all do possess the ability and will, at some point, of making known their wide array of sounds. There are a few things that Flemish Giants do not tolerate very well.  First on their list is being picked up.  They become very nervous when they are picked up.  Therefore the importance of doing so correctly can not be stressed enough.  Picking them up is best done by lifting with both hands under midsection.  When that is not a possibility, pick them up swiftly, by the scruff (between the shoulder blades), and rapidly tuck them into position; be that onto a sturdy surface, or holding them in the manner of carrying a small human child, with their butt cradled in your arm and their front feet resting on your chest, or in a foot-ball type hold, where their head is tucked into the bend of your elbow, your arm snuggly holding their body against your stomach region while using your other hand to securely support around the rest of their massive body.  Once they know that they are secure and safe, they will relax and you can carry them around. Next, they do not like any loud noises, of any kind.  To them, this only means ones thing, danger is near! They will run, stomp, jump, scratch, and even bite without warning if they are really afraid.  Keep in mind that if these things happen to you, especially if you just brought your furry friend into your home, he is afraid and trying to protect him-self. Don’t take it as a personal attack against you in particular.  Brighter, happier days are just around the corner.  Be patient and be sure to give your Flemish the best possible care that you can. Flemish Giants are placid and laid-back, docile and tolerant by nature.  Because of this they do well with considerable handling, and are ideal for showing and as pets. Am intersting fact I uncovered about the breed is that the:  THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ONCE "INTERVIEWED" A FLEMISH GIANT. In 2010, the paper ran an "interview" with Herbie, Prospect Park Zoo’s 18-pound rabbit, to promote the zoo’s Live Encounters Program.  It was actually an interview with Denise McClean, the zoo’s director.  McClean revealed that Herbie was domestic and "probably would not be able to survive out in the wild on my own." In response to the question "Do you ever misbehave?" she said, "Flemish Giant rabbits have litters that run from five to 12 bunnies. If you left me with a female, you could end up with a whole lot of rabbits." Uses Rabbits tend to be bred for one of four things: meat, fur, show, or pet use.  Even though this is a large breed of rabbit, they are gentle and easily handled.  This makes them good for pets or show rabbits. Club Today, it is one of the more popular breeds at rabbit shows because of its unusually large size and its varying colors.  It is promoted by the National Federation of Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders, which was formed in 1915.  The Flemish Giant has many nicknames, first and foremost the "Gentle Giant" for its uniquely docile personality and also the "universal rabbit" for its varied purposes as pet, show, breeding, meat and fur animal. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) maintains the breed standard for all of the recognized rabbit and cavy breeds for it's international membership.  Recognized breeds are eligible for Registration and Grand Champion recognition. The AMERICAN RABBIT BREEDERS ASSOCIATION, INC. is an organization dedicated to the promotion, development, and improvement of the domestic rabbit and cavy.  With over 30,000 members throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad, its members range from the pet owner with one rabbit or cavy to the breeder or commercial rabbit raiser with several hundred animals.  Each aspect of the rabbit and cavy industry, whether it be for fancy, as a pet, or for commercial value, is encouraged by the organization. The British Rabbit Council (BRC) is a British showing organization for rabbit breeders. Originally founded as The Beveren Club in 1918, its name first changed to British Fur Rabbit Society and finally to The British Rabbit Society. Today, the BRC among other things investigates rabbit diseases, maintains a catalog of rabbit breeds, and sets rules for about 1,000 rabbit shows annually in the UK. Owners of house rabbits are also encouraged to join the organization to learn how to care optimally for their pets. Both the ARBA and the BRC recognize the Flemish Giant Rabbit with slightly differing standards as discussed earlier. Have I Missed Anything? If you know something about the Flemish Giant breed standard, history or status of this rabbit, please let me know.   Do you have a story about this particular Breed?  What do you love about them?  Do you have any tips or tricks up your sleeve for what might make this breed happiest? Perhaps you're a breeder of this type of rabbit. Let me know, and maybe we can set up an interview? http://www.nffgrb.net/Articles/Origins.htm http://rabbitbreeders.us/flemish-giant-rabbits http://mentalfloss.com/article/62965/7-big-facts-about-flemish-giant-rabbit http://www.rabbitmatters.com/flemish-giant.html http://flemish-giant.com/ http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-breeds/flemish-giant-rabbit-breed-information/ http://www.raising-rabbits.com/flemish-giant-rabbits.html www.thebrc.org www.arba.net https://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/flemishgiants.html http://www.petrabbitinfo.com/flemishgiantrabbits.html www.nffgrb.com. https://gentlegiantrabbitry.com/about-us/ NEWS: United Airlines in fresh PR nightmare after rabbit set to be world’s biggest dies on UK flight http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/26/united-airlines-fresh-pr-nightmare-rabbit-set-worlds-biggest/ United Airlines is battling another PR nightmare after a rabbit destined to be the world’s biggest died on a flight from Britain to the US. The airline, which recently triggered a worldwide backlash after a passenger was forcibly removed from one of its flights, could now face legal action after the death of a valuable rabbit in the cargo section of a Boeing 767 from Heathrow to Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport. Simon, son of Darius the worlds largest rabbit who died during transit to the USA Measuring three-feet, Simon was expected to outgrow his father Darius, whose length of 4ft 4in made him the world's biggest bunny. The 10-month-old continental giant rabbit was reportedly being sent to his new celebrity owner, whose identity hasn’t been revealed.  “Simon had a vet’s check-up three hours before the flight and was fit as a fiddle,” breeder Annette Edwards, of Stoulton, Worcs, told The Sun. “Something very strange has happened and I want to know what. I’ve sent rabbits all around the world and nothing like this has happened before.” The animal was found dead when it arrived at O’Hare, the airport where passenger Dr David Dao was dragged off a United flight earlier this month. "We were saddened to hear this news,” a United Airlines spokeswoman said, according to the Mirror. "The safety and wellbeing of all the animals that travel with us is of the utmost importance to United Airlines and our PetSafe team. "We have been in contact with our customer and have offered assistance. We are reviewing this matter." Ms Edwards, a former glamour model whose rabbits are said to be hired out at £500 a time, and the new owner in the US are considering legal action, the Sun reported. Darius, the Guinness World Record holder for world’s biggest rabbit, weighs three-and-a-half stone and costs his owner about £2,400 per year in food alone. United Airlines is already facing a row over a passenger being taken off a plane at Chicago's O'Hare Airport His mother Alice held the record before him and Simon was expected to continue the family tradition. The most recent figures from the US Department of Transportation - dating from 2015 but released this February - show 35 animal deaths occurred during transit across 17 carriers in the States. United accounted for 14 animal deaths in that period with a further nine reported injured among the nearly 100,000 animals carried by the company. United Airlines is still trying to tackle the public relations disaster caused by Dr Dao’s removal from a Chicago to Louisville flight on April 9. Video recorded by other passengers showed the 69-year-old doctor being dragged down the aisle with blood on his face after refusing to give up his seat. The carrier has since apologised several times. Second wild rabbit tests positive for tularemia in Pueblo West http://www.koaa.com/story/35243351/second-wild-rabbit-tests-positive-for-tularemia-in-pueblo-west PUEBLO WEST - A second wild rabbit found in Pueblo West has tested positive for tularemia, according to health officials. This animal was found near Scarsboro Drive. The first animal was found before Friday, April 21 in the Kirkwood Drive area. Health officials do not believe either rabbit came into contact with people. Both animals were reportedly covered with ticks. Tularemia, also called rabbit fever, is known to be transmitted by ticks and deer fly bites. Rabbit fever, or tularemia, can spread to human and cause life-threatening fever.  Typical signs of infection in humans include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, chest pain, and coughing. Tularemia can be effectively treated with antibiotics, therefore should you have any of these early signs, see a doctor.   Dogs and cats can also contract tularemia by eating infected animals or through tick and deer fly bites. Signs to watch in your pet include fever, nasal and eye discharge, and skin sores. If you notice any of those signs it is recommended that you take your pet to a veterinarian promptly. Health officials recommend the following precautions to avoid the bacteria: · Avoid handling wild animals. · Leash your pets when outdoors and keep them away from dead animals. · When outdoors near places where wild rabbits or rodents are present, wear insect repellent containing DEET. · If a dead animal must be moved, avoid direct contact with it. Put on a repellent to protect yourself from its fleas or ticks, and use a shovel to scoop it up. Place it in a plastic bag and dispose in an outdoor trash receptacle. Wash your  hands with soap and water afterward. · Wear proper footwear outdoors where dead animals have been found. · Routinely use a tick and flea prevention treatment on pets. · Avoid mowing over dead animals. If you hunt, trap or skin animals, take additional steps: · Use impervious gloves when skinning or handling animals, especially rabbits. · Cook the meat of wild rabbits thoroughly to a temperature of 165°For higher. Rabbit club seeks participants http://www.prairieadvocate.com/2017/04/23/rabbit-club-seeks-participants/akghmaa/ by Prairie Advocate staff MOUNT CARROLL – The 4-H Rabbit SPIN Club is looking for members. Participants don’t have to be 4-H members, but must be from 8 to 18 years old by Sept. 1, 2016. Meetings are from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 8 and 21, June 6 and 26, and July 10, 24, and 31, at 610 E. Washington St. Participants will show their rabbits May 21 in Belvidere, and do not have to own a rabbit. Information will include field trips to professional rabbit shows and rabbit breeders, learning how to handle, feed, groom, and perform veterinary checks on a rabbit, and more. Current 4-H members can take part at no cost, while there is a $20 fee for non-4-Hers. Scholarships are available for new club members if needed. Email Leanne Rahn at lrahn@illinois.edu or call the Carroll County Extension Office at 815-244-9444 to register. Boy, 15, charged over hare coursing http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39671721 A 15-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a hare coursing incident in Midlothian. The teenager was also charged in connection with a dishonesty offence that allegedly occurred at the same time on 31 March. He was further charged in connection with a separate hare coursing incident in the Pathhead area on 23 March. The boy is the second to be charged with the Dalkeith incident which took place on farmland. A report has been submitted to the Children's Reporter. Sgt Michele Lindsay, of Police Scotland, said: "We recognise the impact that hare coursing has on rural communities and remain committed to investigating all reports of this. "We are working with farmers to tackle this issue and patrols are being carried out as part of the rural crime initiative. "Anyone with information about hare coursing or rural crime is urged to speak to a local officer. More than 100 rabbits saved by Brother Wolf http://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20170420/more-than-100-rabbits-saved-by-brother-wolf LEICESTER — A nonprofit animal welfare organization in western North Carolina says it has rescued more than 120 rabbits from a home after getting a tip from the neighbor of a property owner. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Brother Wolf Animal Rescue initially took 60 animals from the property, and is in the process of spaying and neutering 60 more. Brother Wolf founder Denise Bitz said more than 30 rabbits were pregnant, resulting in 65 baby bunnies born while in the group’s care. Bitz said many of the rabbits came to Brother Wolf with medical concerns because of overcrowding and poor nutrition. She said several rabbits died. Bitz said the property owner realized she was in over her head, but didn’t have the funds to have the animals spayed and neutered Video of rabbit being hit against pole prompts Maypearl ISD to change curriculum https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2017/04/18/video-rabbit-hit-pole-prompts-maypearl-isd-change-curriculum Written by Claire Z. Cardona, Breaking News Producer The Maypearl Independent School District is changing the curriculum for one of its classes after a video surfaced that shows a junior high student killing a rabbit for a class assignment, KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported. The outdoor education elective at Maypearl Junior High School is focused on survival and life skills. Part of the class involves the "dispatching and harvesting of animals, cleaning of animals and the proper cooking techniques of the animals, and those kinds of things," Maypearl ISD Superintendent Richie Bowling told NBC5. In a video of the incident provided to the Waxahachie Daily Light, a seventh-grade student is instructed by her teacher to kill the rabbit. The student is seen swinging the rabbit into a metal pole. A few parents raised concerns about the animal being killed, and whether it was killed humanely. The school has since changed the curriculum so no more animals will be killed in the class, the station reported. "Our parents were given information prior to even signing up for the class and asking to be a part of it," Bowling told the station. "And my understanding of that is it lists every bit of that out, as far as dispatching animals, harvesting animals, and all the processes that go along with that." The student who filmed the video was given a three-day in-school suspension because of the school's cellphone policy, the Daily Light reported. In its guidelines for the implementation of agriculture education, the Texas Education Code expects students to discuss "livestock harvesting operations" as well as "describe wildlife harvest techniques and procedures." It does not mention an in-class demonstration, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Now I would like to remind you that if you are enjoying the podcast, you can donate through Patreon for as little as one dollar a month. You donation will help to cover the expenses of hosting for the podcast.   Just Visit http://www.hareoftherabbit.com On this weeks episode, we cove the American Sable rabbit, the news, the word Admire and plant of the week: Lettuce, as well as another rabbit folk tale - Rabbit gets his split lip.   I would like to thank you for taking the time to listen to me today. American Sable Rabbit Information and History The American Sable is one of those little-known breeds that is actually very handsome and useful.   Sable rabbits were discovered in chinchilla rabbit litters separately in California and in England, and developed concurrently within their separate breeding lines on both sides of the world.  Recessive genes in the Chinchilla lines produced an entirely new colour, with a body shape that remained identical to the Chinchilla itself. The very first Sable rabbits are believed to have cropped up in the herd of Mr. David Irving, an Englishman who lived near Liverpool.   He had imported some Chinchilla rabbits from France in the mid-1910s.  The Chinchilla breed was itself still showing evidence of its newness in the various sports seen in the early litters. Shaded brown rabbits, as well as martin-patterned sports, could be found in the nestbox now and again.   The sepia-shaded bunnies in Mr. Irving’s nestboxes invariably landed in the stew pot, because he was focused on the Chinchilla color.  But there were other English breeders who were smitten by the cute-as-buttons sports.  They bred these brown rabbits together just to see what would happen.  What happened was, if the genetics were just right, they could produce more of these very attractive rabbits.   Although the color didn’t entirely breed true - it was never the only color in the nestbox - they could still standardize the type and medium sable hue of the rabbits.  Mr. Irving was instrumental in the spread of Sable rabbits, as they were eventually called, throughout Europe.   Now across the pond as they say, for the American Sables in the USA This American rabbit breed was developed independently from the Sable breed known in England in the early 1900’s.   In California in 1924, Mr. Otto Brock of San Gabriel, California, found the first shaded brown rabbits in the nestboxes of his ‘purebred’ Chinchilla rabbits. The rest of the story of American sable rabbits in California reads much as it did with the breeders in England. At first there were three different color variations among the Sables. There was a lighter brown, a medium brown, and one with tan markings. Of these three color phases, the light and medium browns were bred together to arrive a medium color, brown rabbit with darker points and the tan-patterned was developed into a separate breed called the Silver Sable Marten. With the exception of a few things, the American Sable is identical to the Siamese Sable and Sable Marten of England. The American Sable is slightly larger at an average of eight pounds of a senior buck and nine pounds for a senior doe. In England, the sizes run about two pounds smaller. The Siamese Sable is also shown in Light, Medium and Dark while in the United States, only the Medium color phase is recognized by the ARBA, the American Rabbit Breeders Association. In 1929, the American Sable Rabbit Society was formed. They named the new breed the American Sable, and called for medium-colored shading. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognized the breed in 1931. Included were medium-shaded Sables, and the lighter Siamese Sables.  Tan-patterned (marten) sables were also occurring in the US, however instead of recognizing them under the umbrella of the American Sable, they were called Silver Sable Martens, and these were accepted as a new variety of Silver Marten rabbits. After the great start to a challenging breed, the sables did not fare so well, at least in the United States.  The breed never truly caught the fancy of the rabbit breeding community. Like so many breeds, the American Sable got off to a great start.  However, as more new breeds of rabbits were developed, the Sable fell by the wayside.   By 1976, numbers of the Siamese Sable variety bottomed out. The variety was eliminated. Every year the ARBA has a National Convention where thousands of rabbits are shown from all over the world. All of the recognized breeds are shown as well as breeds that are in the process of trying to be recognized as a breed. When only one American Sable was shown at the Convention, it was a wake-up call that the breed was in danger of disappearing. The lone exhibitor, Al Roerdanz, was determined that the breed was not going to die out. After searching the United States, he was able to obtain seven more American Sables. He then imported a trio of Sables from England to breed to the rabbits he already had. Because of the small gene pool, Roerdanz introduced several other breeds to his existing herd of Sables. He added Californians, Chinchillas, and Sable Silver Martens, among other breeds to bring back his breed. Adding the Californians and Chinchillas was not as strange as you might think. The Sable originated from the Chinchillas and so did the Californian breed. Each breed that was added in to the breed was added for a specific reason.     In 1982, numbers of Sables were so low that Mr. Al Roerdanz of Ohio and a few other breeders had to literally re-build the breed. Through the efforts of Al Roerdanz of Kingsville, Ohio, seven purebred American Sables were located and used to revive the breed and increase numbers of animals.  They also used British imports and the injection of new blood mainly via Sable Silver Martens, Sable Rex, Havanas, Californians, and Standard Chinchilla.I  n 1982 Mr. Roerdanz along with several American Sable fanciers formed the American Sable Rabbit Society, which included 13 charter members. That year the breed reached the required quota of animals shown to retain recognition of breed status in the Standard of Perfection, according to ARBA rules, thus saving the breed from extinction.  At the 1983 ARBA National Convention, breed numbers were sufficient to retain the American Sable rabbit breed in the Sable variety. The American Sable is still rare, however not listed as endangered The American Sable has regular commercial type, but is slightly smaller than other commercial breeds such as the Satin or Californian.   It has commercial body type and is suitable for 4-H meat pen project, if you’d like to try something different from the usual Cal’s and New Zealands.  The fur is a rollback.  The namesake feature of this breed is its lovely sable color.  The back of the rabbit is rich sepia brown, which lightens on the rabbit’s sides and darkens to nearly black on the nose, ears, feet, and tail.  This breed is not very popular, but not in imminent danger of extinction thanks to a community of breeders who call themselves “Sablers.” The American Sable rabbit has a commercial-sized body which weights anywhere from 8-10 lbs., with males usually weighing slightly less than the females. These rabbits have a rounded head with vertical, upright ears. The head is rounded, with ears that are held upright and the topline creates a long curve, from the bottom of the neck to the base of the tail. The American Sable rabbit enjoys gentle petting on its back and between its ears. The American Sable rabbit has soft, fine, dense coat that requires more grooming that the average short-haired rabbit, but less than long-haired rabbit breeds like Angoras. Because their coat is so thick, they will definitely shed more during moulting periods. Owners need to be prepared for regular brushings during these heavy shedding periods, especially if your American Sable is an indoor rabbit. Simply groom your rabbit with a slicker brush outdoors 1-2 times per week as necessary during shedding season, and once every two weeks during off-season times. The American Sable rabbit only comes in one color that is accepted by the ARBA. Their head, feet, ears, back and top of tail are a dark sepia color, while the rest of their coat fades to a lighter tan, like a Siamese cat. The Sable coloration is caused by a gene called “chinchilla light,” symbolized by cchl or cch1.  This gene is incompletely dominant over the two below it (Himalayan and REW.)  When a rabbit has two copies of cchl, it looks so dark brown as to be almost black.  This color is called seal.  A correctly colored sable has one copy of cchl and one copy of a lower C-series allele: Himalayan or REW.   Therefore, breeding two correctly colored sables can result in seal, Himalayan, or ruby-eyed white offspring.   The non-showable colors are useful to a breeding program, however, because breeding a seal to a himie or REW will result in 100% correct sables.  Some breeders have crossed Californians (Himalayan-colored breed) into their American Sables to improve type and add some genetic diversity.  As is the case with any crossbreeding project, you will find some people for and others strongly against this practice. American Sables have soft, fine, dense coat that requires more grooming that the average short-haired rabbit. The head, feet, ears, back, and top of the tail are a dark sepia, while the coat fades to a lighter tan over the rest of the body, similar to the coloring of a Siamese cat. The breed's eyes are usually dark with a ruby hue. The eyes are dark but because of a recessive albino gene, the pupils reflect a ruby reddish glow. Kits are born white, silver, or gray.   This extraordinary breed has brown eyes that will appear red when reflected by light. This rabbit carries an albino gene which causes this red glow and also why some kits are born white. Let’s take a closer peek on how the breeders achieved this kind of coloration for the sables. A gene that is called ‘chinchilla light’, which is symbolized by cchl or cch1, causes the coloration of American Sable. This gene, being incompletely dominant over the Himalayan and REW gene, which are below the chinchilla light, causes the darkish brown coloring of the rabbit. It’s so dark that it’s almost black already. This color that stands between dark brown and black is called seal. Ideally, an American Sable with a correct coloring has one copy of cchl and one of either the Himalayan and REW. This also means that for a successful breeding of two correctly colored American Sables, a breeder can achieve a seal, Himalayan or ruby-eyed white offspring A perfectly colored Sable is difficult to produce. Any blotchiness of shading –which can be easily caused by sunburn or molt — is a fault.  The eyes must possess a ruby glow to avoid disqualification on the show table.  A white toenail is also cause for disqualification. There are 4 color variations that possibly will be in an American Sable nest box. 1) Seal which has 2 copies of the c(chl) gene giving it a dark coloration - almost black color. 2) Sable (sometimes referred to as Siamese), this is the accepted show color. 3) Pointed white - Californian or Himi marked - has 2 copies of the ch gene or a ch gene and a c gene. 4) Albino (REW). Breeding a Seal to a Pointed White or an Albino will produce a litter of all show colored Sable. Some kits born white can turn to the gray color which usually occurs 3 days after birth. Those born with the silver-grayish coat are those used for showing. The fur is silky and fine but has coarser guard hairs. The Sable will change colors for many weeks after birth and will begin to molt at approximately 4 months of age. Breeders prefer to keep their Sables in cooler environments and shaded as the heat and sun can cause the sable coloring to lighten. The Standard of Perfection describes the gradations of shading without actually specifying the intensity of hue, other than the "rich sepia brown on the ears, face, back, legs, and upper side of the tail." Weights: Senior Bucks: 7-9 lb: 3.2 – 4.5kg Senior Does: 8-10 lb The UK’s national organization, the British Rabbit Council (BRC), lists their breeds as the Marten Sable and the Siamese Sable. Weights for both varieties: 5-7 lb (2.26 - 3.17 kg) In the UK, both Marten Sables and Siamese Sables come in Light, Medium and Dark shading, the main differences being "width of saddle, in tone and intensity of sepia colours." Judges are instructed to "award the appropriate number of points for shadings and penalise those exhibits which lack shadings, i.e. are self coloured" (BRC-Marten Sables). Care Requirements An American Sable’s diet is like any other rabbits in that it should consist mainly of hay (70 percent), while the rest should be a healthy mix of pellets, leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables. Limit the amount of fruits that are high in sugar. Make sure to stay clear of iceberg lettuce, as it contains too much water and too little fiber to count as a good meal. Fresh pellets should also be made available daily – choose a pellet high in fiber and avoid mixes that include other foods like corn, seeds, or dried fruit. Fresh foods are also an important part of your rabbit’s diet. Dark, leafy greens like kale, romaine lettuce, spring greens, and some spinach should make up approximately 75% of the fresh food given to your rabbit daily, with vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and summer squash making up the other 25%. Fruits and starchy vegetables should be limited in the diet, but make great treats! Make sure that all fresh foods are washed thoroughly, and uneaten fresh foods should be removed at the end of the day. Fresh water should always be available, either from a sipper bottle or in a stable water bowl. Do not feed your rabbit yard clippings as grass is usually treated with fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides, and other chemicals that can harm your rabbit. Always research, and/or ask your veterinarian about your rabbit’s diet. When it comes to enclosures, this particular rabbit breed can live in either an indoor or outdoor enclosure, so long as they are not exposed to extreme weather temperatures or conditions. Outdoor enclosures need to be raised off the ground to protect them from predators such as racoons, coyotes, wolves, and should be made of wood or metal. A good rule is one square foot per pound of rabbit, so a nine pound rabbit will be comfortable in a hutch that’s 3ft x 3ft – double it if you have two bunnies. It should also be high enough for him to stand up in. The hutch should be placed in a sheltered area and it must be completely weatherproof. The top should be covered from the elements and depending on where you live, it may need to have 3/4 sides covered to protect them from extreme snow and allow air circulation. Indoor enclosures should be made of wire and have a metal or plastic bottom to allow bedding to be laid (wire bottoms are not comfortable for long periods of time and are taxing on your rabbit’s feet). The bedding needs to be spot-cleaned every day and completely replaced at the end of every week. Health issues? American Sables are energetic rabbits who will happily run round inside or out.  All rabbits are susceptible to developing overgrown teeth – the American Sable is no different. This problem is caused by a diet that lacks a proper balance of hay, which is used to slowly grind down teeth naturally. Overgrown teeth can grow into a rabbit’s jaw and face. In order to prevent this condition, make sure to check your rabbit’s mouth regularly for overgrown teeth and always make sure they have a proper diet consisting of mostly hay. Ears should also be checked periodically for ear mites, especially for rabbits who spend most of their time outside. Like most rabbit breeds, the Sable can suffer with a number of health conditions that any responsible owner should look out for and prevent if possible. No rabbit should be housed in quarters with a mesh floors unless they are provided with a resting board. The mesh can wear away the protective fur on the ends of the feet –the hocks – which will in turn expose the delicate skin underneath. This can become raw and broken and causes great discomfort and even infection. The rabbit must be monitored for symptoms of flystrike – particularly in the warmer months. He shouldn’t be allowed to become overweight and unable to groom himself as this will make him susceptible to flystrike. Temperament/Behavior The American Sable rabbit enjoys gentle petting on its back and between its ears.  In order for your rabbit’s personality to flourish, American Sables need to have plenty of time outside of their enclosures.   This attractive rabbit has an equally attractive personality: friendly, mellow, and calm.  American Sables are energetic rabbits who will happily run round inside or out, and once they’ve been tuckered out, will enjoy the company of their human.  They make great pets for singles, couples or families with children, and can live in apartments or homes with or without backyards.  They also can make wonderful companions for seniors.  Most Sable rabbits are placid and friendly (although it must me noted there can be aggressive animals in any breed) and make great pets. They seem to enjoy the company of other pets and will relish having a rabbit friend to lark about with. They also thoroughly enjoy the company of humans and will enjoy playtime immensely. The American Sable enjoys the company of other rabbits. It is generally docile, spending most of the day sleeping. Typically they enjoy the companionship of their owner, but on their own terms. When distressed, the American Sable will make a grunting noise or will, like many other breeds, thump its back foot on the ground in an attempt to scare whatever it is that is bothering them. Rabbits tend to be a little harder to litter train than other animals such as cats and dogs, but it is possible.  Unlike cats, rabbits may need to have a few litter boxes spread out across the house. Rabbits have unique and dynamic personalities and can form close, loving bonds with their owners. Many can be trained to use a litterbox, come when called, and may even enjoy learning tricks. Coupled with the fact that they’re quiet, require relatively little space, and are very low odor, it’s not hard to see why rabbits have become the third most popular pet in the United States and Great Britain. Rabbits May be a poor choice as a pet for young children. They may be soft and cute, but rabbits are easily stressed and frightened around loud noises and activity. Many rabbits do not enjoy being held or cuddled and may bite or kick to get away, and rabbits or the handler can easily be seriously injured in such a struggle. The American Sable rabbit is a meat rabbit breed. They have good body size and very suitable for commercial meat production. With proper care these small animals make excellent and adorable pets. The British Sable Rabbit Club was established in November, 1927, and the British Fur Rabbit Society accepted Sables in both Marten and Siamese varieties. The British Rabbit Council (BRC) is a British showing organization for rabbit breeders. Originally founded as The Beveren Club in 1918, its name first changed to British Fur Rabbit Society and finally to The British Rabbit Society. Today, the BRC among other things investigates rabbit diseases, maintains a catalog of rabbit breeds, and sets rules for about 1,000 rabbit shows annually in the UK. Owners of house rabbits are also encouraged to join the organization to learn how to care optimally for their pets.  The American Sable Rabbit Association was founded in 1929 and the breed was accepted by the American Rabbit Breeder’s Association (ARBA) two years later in 1931.  The American Sable is a rabbit breed recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA).  This is a tricky one for ARBA royalty participants, who must remember that although a fairly large rabbit, it is actually a four-class breed.  From what I could tell, the Royalty contest is for youth to compete on multiple levels.   The darkest period in the breed’s history was in the early eighties, when it would have probably been dropped from the ARBA standard if not for the dedicated effort of an Ohio breeder, Al Roerdanz.  Ohio remains one of the strongholds of the American Sable today.  According to the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) report in 2005, there are 500 to 800 American Sables in the United States. The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) maintains the breed standard for all of the recognized rabbit and cavy breeds for it's international membership.  Recognized breeds are eligible for Registration and Grand Champion recognition. The AMERICAN RABBIT BREEDERS ASSOCIATION, INC. is an organization dedicated to the promotion, development, and improvement of the domestic rabbit and cavy.  With over 30,000 members throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad, its members range from the pet owner with one rabbit or cavy to the breeder or commercial rabbit raiser with several hundred animals.  Each aspect of the rabbit and cavy industry, whether it be for fancy, as a pet, or for commercial value, is encouraged by the organization. Once bred for its fur and meat, the American Sable has made a tremendous comeback over the last 30 years. This is due to determined breeders who refused to let this breed die out, so that future generations can still appreciate the American Sable not only in the show ring but as a loving companion. The American Sable is 1 of 16 breeds that are considered endangered in the United States.  While the American Sable is still around today, it is on the rare rabbit list at number 10. It is a strikingly beautiful rabbit and it would be a real loss to have this breed fade out. If you are interested in helping to save this beautiful breed, visit a rabbit show to learn more about them. http://rabbitbreeders.us/american-sable-rabbits http://www.petguide.com/breeds/rabbit/american-sable-rabbit/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sable_rabbit http://www.raising-rabbits.com/american-sable-rabbit.html http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/breeds/rabbits/sable/ https://rightpet.com/breed-species/small-exotic-mammal/rabbits/american-sable-rabbit https://mysmelly.com/content/small_animals/american-sable.htm http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/americansable.html http://mosaicrabbitry.weebly.com/american-sable.html http://knowledgebase.lookseek.com/American-Sable-Rabbit.html http://www.hotots-satins.com/as.html http://www.second-opinion-doc.com/the-american-sable-rabbit.html http://www.roysfarm.com/american-sable-rabbit/ http://www.second-opinion-doc.com/rabbit-breed-profile-american-sable.html http://www.adoptarabbit.com/breeds/american-sable/ How Rabbit Came by His Split Lip http://umaine.edu/folklife/publications/northeast-folklore-2/passamaquoddy-tales/#Rabbit Note: All of the following tales were found among the E. Tappan Adney Manuscripts in the Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. All of them were collected by Adney from Governor William Neptune of Pleasant Point Reservation, Maine, in the early 1940’s. Some of the manuscripts were in hurried pencil script, clearly Adney’s own field notes; others were in typescript but appear to be no more than typed-out field notes; still others had obviously been worked over. One Sunday Rabbit start cruisin’ around. By and by see wigwam. It was Kingfisher, and he said, “Come in.” They talk and talk; by and by dinner time. Kingfisher went up brook and dive down [and] ketch big fish. Rabbit say, “Nice dinner.” [That] afternoon, Rabbit say to Kingfisher, “Come see me.” One Sunday Kingfisher come up and find [Rabbit’s] wigwam. Rabbit say, “Come in.” They talked a while. By and by, [Rabbit get] all rigged. [8] A spruce tree lean out over stream. It pretty near dinner time and he walk up tree and, lookin down, he said he’d do same as Kingfisher. By and By Rabbit dove down [and] struck [a] rock and split his lip. Kingfisher heard him call for help. He nearly drown. That’s how Rabbit got split lip. This old Indian story. News! New Orleans Fire Department Captain Ross Hennessey will receive the House Rabbit Society's inaugural Amy Espie Hero Award Sunday (March 19) after he rescued a lop rabbit named Pierre from a house fire in New Orleans last November. Wilborn P. Nobles III, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune New Orleans Fire Department Captain Ross Hennessey was amazed when a lop rabbit named Pierre regained consciousness moments after he rescued the bunny from an Uptown house fire last year. The firefighter said Pierre survived because he was on the floor, and "the difference between the floor and five feet above the floor might be 300 degrees." Hennessey's actions will be honored Sunday (March 19) as the House Rabbit Society plans to give Hennessey its first-ever Amy Espie Hero Award. The nonprofit's award commemorates those who do something extraordinary to help rabbits. The organization's executive director, Anne Martin, said Wednesday that the captain's actions exemplified their award. The incident occurred on Nov. 28, 2016. Neighbors noticed a fire at the home on Calhoun Street, Hennessey said Thursday. Authorities arrived to find the top half of the house ablaze, and the neighbors told firefighters a rabbit was inside. Firefighters extinguished the flames and went through the house before they a saw cage in the corner. He went over to the rabbit and gave him a nudge when the animal suddenly moved. That's when Hennessey said "Damn, I think this rabbit's still alive." The SPCA gave the department an animal resuscitation kit several years ago that authorities had yet to use, Hennessey said. He decided to put it to use on Pierre after he brought the rabbit outside. Hennessey said Pierre "popped back up" moments after the kit delivered oxygen to the rabbit. A Tulane student who owned the rabbit managed to escape earlier and was not on scene when Pierre was rescued, he said. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/03/la_fire_captain_rescues_bunny.html FARMINGTON — The city of Farmington is considering allowing residents to keep up to six chickens or rabbits on residential property. The City Council will discuss changing the code to allow chickens or rabbits during its 6 p.m. March 28 meeting at 800 Municipal Drive in Farmington. City Planner Cindy Lopez explained the number of animals was calculated using the current codes for dogs and cats, and the size of the smallest residential lots in Farmington. She said the code allows for four dogs or four cats or a combination of cats and dogs adding up to four. Currently, any city resident who wants to keep chickens or rabbits has to apply for a special-use permit. The city charges an $80 fee to process those permits and requires the applicant to go to a title company to acquire a list of nearby properties so the city can ask the neighbors for comments. That can cost residents hundreds of dollars, Lopez said during a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Thursday. Many people who have applied for the special-use permits already have acquired chickens or rabbits without realizing it is against code. http://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/farmington/2017/03/17/city-may-let-residents-keep-chickens-rabbits/99276864/ County ends slaughter ban in code update By Samantha Kimmey 03/16/2017 The Board of Supervisors unanimously lifted a 14-year ban on commercial animal slaughter and expanded size limits for second units on residential properties in Marin. The changes to the development code were among a suite of others  approved on Tuesday. Much of the three-hour hearing that preceded the supervisors’ vote, which followed a series of planning commission workshops and a planning commission hearing, was consumed by public comment on the animal slaughter proposal. Numerous people concerned about animal rights, the environment and property values pled with supervisors to keep the prohibition on commercial slaughter, which has been in place since 2003. But ranchers and agriculture advocates also came out to support the change, arguing that local slaughter is both more humane and in line with consumer demand that all elements of food production be as local as possible. Supervisors largely approved the planning commission versions of the code updates, which will not affect the coastal zone at this time. But they made a few notable amendments. For instance, they expanded allowable rabbit slaughter from only mobile facilities to both mobile and small-scale facilities, despite public outcry from a group called SaveABunny, which stressed that rabbits are companions and pets. A Mill Valley real estate agent with Sotheby’s International Realty, Cindy Shelton, said that lifting the ban would result in a “real estate nightmare” because it would have to be disclosed to buyers. Rabbit advocates also spoke, urging supervisors to prohibit their slaughter under the logic that they are considered companions and pets. The executive director of SaveABunny, Marcy Schaaf, expressed frustration that her group was “lumped” with other activists, like vegans. Numerous ranchers and agriculture advocates stressed the importance of allowing commercial slaughter. “It’s really important to have that option on the table,” said Loren Poncia, who ranches in Tomales. Kelli Dunaj, who has run a ranch in Marshall since 2013, said it was “unfair and hypocritical” to bring up the “bogeyman like property values” to try to stop the proposal. Landscapes, she went on, are “not just eye candy,” but working agricultural fields. Rebecca Burgess, executive director of a group of farmers and artisans called Fibershed, said her group’s mission of sourcing local fiber like wool also means supporting growing animals like sheep for meat. “To develop a sustainable fiber system, we need a sustaining food system,” she said. When public comment ended and the meeting turned back over to supervisors, some of their amendments, like allowing both accessory dwelling units and junior units, were easily agreed on. But they seemed on the fence about how to handle rabbit slaughter. Rabbit advocates had argued that there was little demand for rabbit meat, pointing to Whole Foods, which stopped selling it in early 2016. But when the board asked David Lewis of the University of California Cooperative Extension, he estimated that Marin had between five to 10 rabbit meat producers and that “demand is higher” than supply. Supervisor Damon Connelly indicated that he would support banning rabbit slaughter. Supervisor Katie Rice, who said she did not eat rabbit meat, said she believed that supporting agriculture meant supporting a “farm to table” system. She also said that if supervisors truly believe that slaughter is more humane when done more locally, it seemed improper to force rabbit meat producers to send their animals for slaughter elsewhere. https://www.ptreyeslight.com/article/county-ends-slaughter-ban-code-update The European Parliament is urging the European Commission to adopt measures that would make life better for more than 340 million rabbits raised for food every year in Europe. The parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to recommend outlawing battery cages for rabbits — tiny enclosures with wire-mesh floors no bigger than ordinary letter-size pieces of paper. Animal welfare groups say rabbits are extremely sensitive animals who suffer terribly in such small spaces, with such problems as open, infected wounds, respiratory disease and even cannibalism as the frustrated animals turn against one another. Humane regulations already exist for pigs, cattle and chickens raised for food, but not rabbits. European Consumer Affairs Commissioner Vera Jourova said such standards for rabbits should not be an EU-wide concern but one for individual states. http://www.voanews.com/a/european-parliament-calls-humane-treatment-rabbits-raised-food/3766462.html INFORMATION is being sought after the theft of three pet rabbits in Tadley. On March 12, between 11am-2pm, thieves entered the front garden of the property in Swains Close and stole three rabbits from their hutches. One of the rabbits is described as large, and beige in colour. The other is a motley grey coloured lion head rabbit and the last one is also a lion head rabbit, which is descried as black in colour with very long hair. If you have seen the rabbits, or have any information, then you can get in contact with the police on 101 with the reference number 44170093121. http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/15151928.Information_appeal_after_rabbits_stolen_in_Tadley/ Japan loves its different types of bread. Melon bread, pork buns, and several other types of the delicious baked goods are well-loved in the country, as is “usagi pan,” or rabbit bread. Bakers have long created rabbit-shaped bread for some time, but there’s a new version of the rabbit-related bread in town. It can be found at a Tokyo bakery, and it’s an entire loaf that’s shaped like a bunny. That means when you slice it into individual pieces of bread; you get the perfect bunny shaped bread for yummy sandwiches! Just make sure there’s a lot of lettuce on it, for bunnies! The bakery itself is named Lepus as a reference to the rabbit constellation, which is a clever take. The bakery’s rabbit bread loaves are absolutely adorable, and practically begging you to make some particularly adorable creations with. The bakery creates about 24-32 bunny loaves each day, but now Bakery Usagi-za Lepus is seeing a surge in customers wanting the bunny loaves. That means the bakery is probably working overtime to make sure you all get the bunny bread you want and deserve! https://www.geek.com/culture/this-bunny-shaped-bread-in-japan-looks-delicious-and-cute-1692050/  A decades-old Main Line tree stump carved into a family of rabbits has been taken down. But don't worry,  a new improved version will take its place in about a month or so. Last week, crews removed the tree that sat on the former Haas mansion property at County Line at Spring Mill roads in Villanova, after it was found to be deteriorating, Main Line Media News reported. The local landmark, carved by sculptor Marty Long, was known for its festive seasonal decorations. The seven carved bunnies, which represented the members of the Haas family, were often decked out in sporty sunglasses or holding Easter baskets with colorful eggs. The Haas surname derives from the Dutch or German word for hare, according to Ancestry.com. After the Haas parents died, the family donated the 42-acre property to the Natural Lands Trust. The grounds are being converted to public open space and are expected to be completed in about a year, the paper reported. Natural Lands Trust, which now owns the Stoneleigh estate property where the rabbits stood, have commissioned Long to make a new sculpture, the paper reported. The wooden rabbits have been removed and inspected, and if possible the group plans to put some of them on display inside the Stoneleigh mansion, Kirsten Werner, director of communications with the Natural Lands Trust, told the paper. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/real-time/Villanova-bunny-tree-removed-Haas-mansion-Stoneleigh.html A California couple who hold the Guinness world record for most bunny-related items now have so much rabbit stuff, they're packing up their floppy-hoppy collection and moving to to a bigger house. Candace Frazee and her husband Steve Lubanski run The Bunny Museum out of their home in Pasadena, Calif., where they house more than 33,000 rabbit-related knick-knacks, as well as six actual rabbits and some cats. Now the self-described "hoppiest place on Earth" is moving to a bigger location in nearby Altadena, set to open with a "grand hoppenin'" on March 20. http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-monday-edition-1.4011751/bunny-museum-owners-have-so-much-stuff-they-re-hopping-to-a-bigger-space-1.4011761 A series of rabbit holes in an England farmer's field led to a mysterious underground cave, believed to be centuries old. Historic England described the Caynton Caves in Shropshire as a "grotto" that likely dated back to the late 18th or early 19th century and included "neo-Norman decoration to bays between columns, one neo-Norman doorway with beak-heads and roll moulding; decorative quatrefoils and designs abound." http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/03/09/Rabbit-hole-in-England-farmers-field-leads-to-700-year-old-caves/6411489071679/  You may have heard of cat yoga or dog yoga, but now a Vancouver university is hosting bunny yoga.  Rabbits were recently added to some yoga classes at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus. The idea was to help the participants relax and raise money for the Small Animal Rescue Society of B.C. The bunnies roamed free on the yoga mats as participants went through poses during hour-long classes. Participants were allowed to pet or hold the bunnies during the class. The yoga bunnies are available for adoption. http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/downward-rabbit-bunny-yoga-lands-at-b-c-campus-1.3304440

28 March 2016 - In the interest of full disclosure, as a Rabbit American I admit a bias on the topic of rabbit welfare. Toward that end Will and I were able to have attorney Mara Hurwitt join the show to talk about the legal complexities and issues related to rabbits. Mara is a long-time educator for the House Rabbit Society, a leading international rabbit rescue organization. Mara has provided pro bono legal support for a variety of animal welfare organizations and has worked at the Federal level to protect wild horse herds (which, in my opinion should be considered a national treasure). Rabbits are the third most abandoned domestic animal in the nation yet few municipal facilities or private rescue organizations are both equipped and knowledgable enough to meet their special needs. Rabbit abuse is rampant and seems to be on the increase but things are changing and Mara is a part of making that happen. Will begins the show with the newest in crazy from North Carolina. Later in the show he brings the history with an overview of the Irish Easter Rising. I start out with, of all things, graffiti in Cairo. I draw almost exclusively from an article in The Guardian but you absolutely must take a moment to look at photos of this fragile, moving and significant art here and here. My main segment is on 21st Century Glass-Steagall legislation and this is the last of my banking regulation series. Next week I get back to modern monetary theory. Yippie! We have no Extra Mad extended interview this week. It's the busiest weekend of the year for rabbits - so many eggs and too little time. - Carrots! Arliss Psst - from top to bottom, the rabbits in the photo are my office crew: David (age 3), Neo (age 3) and Bethy (age 12).

Do you know how Buns and his business partner/producer Nicholas Quixote became such good friends? Nicholas found Buns in a park, under a bench. It's true, Buns was once homeless. Now, he is the biggest rabbit in show business. So kid, if you are down on your luck, think of Buns, anything's possible. This video was made for the House Rabbit Society's 20th Anniversary. It was last night. Rabbits can use your help so check them out. www.rabbit.org