Rabbits
In middle school I got quite enthusiastic about rabbits and I very briefly bred Mini Rex rabbits, originally for show. As with any element of the animal-fancier world, there was a great deal of lunacy about rabbits and I'm sure that's still alive and well. It used to be that if you got me started talking about rabbits I would go a little crazy myself and you might not hear the end of it. However, I think I'm better now and I am going to try to condense my experience with the lagamorphs into a few tidbits:
> When you get a rabbit, give it a few days to settle in--then try to make friends. Don't rush it; that's too much at once.
> Remember, they're prey animals.
> They love to play with empty rolls of toilet paper, especially with hay stuffed inside.
> They can be litter box trained, but very few will ever be as reliable as a cat (you can however use the same kind of litterbox, though no cover is needed).
> Their manure makes great fertilizer and can go straight on the garden, no composting needed.
> They have an excellent meat-to-bone ratio. If you're looking for a compact, economical meat animal to raise in an urban area, rabbits might just be the ticket.
> Rabbits have a life expectancy of 6-10 years.
> Rabbits will mate with siblings and other relatives so separate them by gender and neuter any males you want to try to house with females.
> Rabbits will mate at as early as 8 weeks - separate EARLY!
> Female rabbits are known as does, male rabbits are bucks, and babies are kits.
> Does can reproduce within 1 hour of giving birth.
> Rabbit gestation is approximately 28-31 days. Giving birth is also known as "kindling."
> Many does will pull fur out of their bellies and practice nest-building even when they're not pregnant.
> Only feed alfalfa to very young rabbits; once they are 6 mos. old switch to Timothy or a similar grass hay mix.
> Do not use clay clumping cat litter as bedding because they can ingest it and have serious blockages.
> If you see wild baby rabbits without the mother around, LEAVE THEM ALONE. In many states it is illegal to foster cottontails without a license, and the mother will usually come back for them--she does not hang out near the nest except to nurse so that predators are less likely to follow her to it.