Hey there everyone!
Today I wanted to share a video blog I made with my foster bunny, Brigitta. It’s a fun “How To” video about making bunny portraits out of their favorite treats!
An important note: fruits contain a ton of sugar and it’s best for your pet rabbits to have limited amounts of them. Brigitta only ate a little bit of her treat portrait and lots of hay afterwords to balance out her diet 🙂
One of my absolute favorite bunnies on Instagram is Ginny the Rabbit. She is a playful and darling little bunny who touches the hearts of many with her ever curious look. Ginny has head tilt, a condition that Ringo also developed towards the end of his life. It’s a difficult disability to have, but Ginny is an inspiration, showing how strong bunnies are and how wonderful life can be even when there are bumps in the road along the way.
I was very thankful to be able to talk with Ginny’s owner about her experience with rabbits and Ginny’s head tilt. She is so knowledgeable about rabbit care and I think we can all learn a bit about love and dedication from her story with Ginny!
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To start off, tell us a bit about yourself and your bunnies! What made you want to get rabbits as pets?
My obsession with bunnies actually started because of my dog, Addy. We grew up in Phoenix where suburban lawns were always packed with wild bunnies. They were EVERYWHERE. And naturally my fat little Shih Tzu desperately wanted to befriend them. Between me and her, I joked that one day I’d get her a bunny. Well as fate had it, something happened that made me seriously consider doing just that. I came home one night and Addy didn’t come to greet me. She was just sitting under the table wagging her tail. When I peered underneath the table, there was one tiny baby bunny!! I couldn’t believe it! I took the bunny back outside then brought Addy into my room to go to bed. Lights off, I was sitting in bed with Addy at the foot, and I saw her start wagging her tail. I looked over the edge and the bunny was BACK and sitting in the doorway!! So I ended up letting the bunny stay for three days. And during those three days I really came to love that little bunny. I was soon looking up everything to care for it and was going to keep it…but something felt wrong. This bunny was wild. I realized that it could never be free if it lived with me. I needed to let it go, so I did. After that, I began to research more about bunnies as pets. Eventually I did adopt a bunny, and he and Addy were great friends!
What made you want to start an Instagram account and what is your experience with the bunnies of Instagram community?
I wanted to start an Instagram account because I thought it would be a good platform to be voice of resource and hope for rabbit owners. I saw what @bunnymama had done to educate and change misconceptions about bunnies, and I wanted to add to that. I imagined that if more accounts joined, filling Instagram with more info about adoption and proper care, then we could really reach people, really make a change. I chose Ginny because she had an important story to tell. She was rescued from a horrible hoarding situation, got a terrible disease as a result of growing up in those bad conditions, and despite all that, she learned to love. Most people have never heard of her condition, they do not know that her disability and many other rabbit illnesses are treatable with proper veterinary care. I hoped that in making her account, I could also help save lives. And to my surprise the community on Instagram has be nothing but loving. Truly, I never imagined there would be so much support, it has really changed my life for the better.
Ginny is a very special bunny- how did she get head tilt and what was that experience like for you? What were the symptoms? How did you get the problem under control?
Ginny got headtilt from a parasite she was likely born with called E. Cuniculi. Many bunnies carry it but only about 10% get symptoms like Ginny did. I woke up one morning and there she was, my Ginny, but with her head sideways. I recognized it right away because her brother had it and I had met him at Tranquility Trail where I got Ginny. I had done a little research on it and knew the basic symptoms (I was very lucky I recognized it because recovery is highly dependent on how fast treatment is started). Besides headtilt, symptoms including: dizziness/vertigo, difficulty standing or moving, rolling or circling, falling, rapid side-to-side eye movement (nystagmus), hind end weakness or paralysis are a medical emergency. These symptoms can also be caused by an inner ear infection (or in more rare cases seizures) so a good vet will check for both. Despite receiving the best medical care, it took her three months to walk again. Most bunnies actually recover in a month with little or no headtilt. Some take even longer or have a greater degree of tilt or paralysis. Ginny is one of the luckier bunnies. Despite her tilt, today she runs, and jumps just like any other bunny!
What has your experience caring for a disabled bunny been like?
Honestly during those early days, I was terrified because I thought she was going to die. I felt so hopeless, and there was such little info about headtilt at the time (today there is TONS). We hardly slept the first couple weeks due to stress and having to wake up to help her drink. Seeing her so sick was heartbreaking, but through the pain I also saw her fighting. That was what kept us all going, I knew she could beat it because she knew she could too. At first caring for her was very hard because we were still learning. But once we found the right resources things got really easy, and they kept getting easier. Today Ginny is really quite independent, the only special treatment she gets is a low litter box, a nightlight, and massages. Our bond together has never been greater too. Ginny used to be extremely timid before her tilt, but in helping her, she has learned to trust me. Seeing Ginny’s heart change and watching her grow has been extremely rewarding. She has taught me so much about life and adversity. I just feel very thankful I was able to be there for her, and she for me.
There are so many disabled bunnies in shelters- what would you say to someone looking to adopt a bunny with health issues? What tips would you give?
Do your research. Know what you are getting into. And most of all, know that adopting a bunny is a long term commitment. Caring for these animals is a full time job and can literally be like caring for a baby, depending on the severity of the disability. Unfortunately things can always get worse, and with bunnies they get worse fast, especially if they are already disabled. You’ll need to be prepared with the funds and time to care for them when the going gets tough. It’s also important to have a support system, sometimes life happens, who will be there for your bunny when you can’t? I would also familiarize myself with online resources and read about other’s experiences before adopting. The website, http://www.disabledrabbits.com was a huge help to us! I also highly recommend visiting the Facebook group: Help for Head Tilt Hoppers and well as the group: Disabled Rabbits. Adopting a disabled rabbit can be incredibly rewarding and life changing when you are prepared!
Finally, tell us your favorite part about having pet rabbits!
How can I choose?! From their grumpy little faces, to their quiet quirks and mannerisms, it’s truly hard to pick when everything about them is amazing! But there is one thing I think most bunny owners can pinpoint and it’s this: bunnies change your heart in ways you never would have expected. Since I’ve gotten a bunny, my world has completely changed. I started thinking about my life differently, from what I was eating, to where I was buying my makeup. I started asking myself more big questions about life, questions about patience and sympathy. I started taking more time to listen, taking more time to love. It’s amazing the power there is in these simple things, power that can literally change someone’s, or somebun’s, life. There is a lot to love about rabbits, but my favorite part is their hearts.
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Following Ginny’s account and learning about head tilt helped me catch the symptoms that Ringo had very early on. We were able to care for him quickly and because of that he never developed a severe case. As a rabbit owner, it’s a great idea to follow and learn from bunnies with all different backgrounds and experiences. Knowing what kind of diseases and potential dangers that are out there can be potentially life saving for your little fluffy friends.
I would also like to link to @thebunnynamedhiphop, who has been through head tilt as well and was a huge help when Ringo got sick. Hip Hop and Ginny are both excellent examples of strong and inspiring bunnies and I would highly recommend following their journeys on Instagram!
Check out Ginny at her online homes below!
Every rabbit deserves to be spoiled. Our furry friends do so much to show us love and affection and they ought to be shown the same kind of attention in return. Here is a step by step guid on how to properly spoil your pet bunny.
Rabbits are wonderful pets and our best friends. They are only in our lives for a brief time, but we are there for all of theirs, so they deserve to be spoiled. So go ahead, give your bunnies some bananas from me 🙂
Dear Ringo,
I don’t think words can describe how much you meant to me. Ever since you came into my life over 9 years ago, I knew we had a special connection. We didn’t have to share the same language to instantly bond to one another.
After only ever having pet fish (and one crazy aquatic frog), I never thought that humans and animals could become friends. I knew that dogs were loyal and cats were cuddly, but never in my life did I expect a rabbit to be so devoted.
It didn’t take long for you to start following me around the house. I got used to you running circles around my feet and waiting for me to sit down for dinner at my usual chair.  I still laugh at the fact that my dad used to tell me that I was your girlfriend and that you were never happier than when you were in my arms. Some of my fondest memories were our nighttime routines of racing up the stairs to the third floor where you slept at night. I loved running around the room in circles with you always at my heels. And then once I was tired, we would sit down on the couch where you would demand to be pet until it was time to go to sleep. I remember many of those nights becoming tearful when your health wasn’t at its best.
But you always persevered. No matter how sick you seemed, you continuously bounced back, better than ever. You taught me how to never give up hope.
You also helped me through some of my lowest points. You were a great source of support and always a wonderful listener. You motivated me when not much else did and grounded me when the rest of the world seemed like too much at times. It’s amazing how holding and petting you could instantly improve my problems. Knowing that you were always there, wanting to spend time with me as much as I wanted to spend time with you, was an incredible source of comfort.
I still can’t believe that you’re gone, and the pain of missing my little fluffy buddy is still very present in my life. I know how special you were and how lucky I was to have such a deep bond with you for all of those years. We had a unique animal to human chemistry that isn’t easily replaced. I’ll never have another pet like you and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I will forever cherish you, Ringo. I hope you’re eating tons of basil and binky-ing around in bunny heaven.
Love,
Dylan
A popular topic of debate amongst rabbit owners is whether or not it is okay to hold your pet rabbit. I have a lot of opinions on this matter. I know that I may not be as informed as some of you out there, so I encourage everyone to discuss this in the comments below. Every bunny and bunny owner is different, so I think it’s important to hear as many voices as possible.
To start out, I am a firm believer that you should hold your rabbit. However, I think there are a lot of outside factors that go into whether or not this can be a reality for every pet. This, however, is my personal story with Ringo.
When we brought Ringo home, he was around six weeks old. He was a tiny little fluffy thing that could fit in the palm of my hand. The first thing we were told was that we shouldn’t handle him for the first two weeks after bringing him home in order for him to adjust to his new life. That piece of advice was completely ignored.
As a twelve year old who had just gotten her first pet (that didn’t live in a fish tank), there was no way I wasn’t spending every free minute I had cuddling with my new bunny. The rest of my family didn’t know this, but I spent hours sitting in my room, holding and petting Ringo. His cage used to be in my room initially, so I had tons of time to play with him before bed without the rest of my family knowing. As Ringo grew up, I never stopped picking him up and holding him. He was handled constantly as a baby, so the transition to holding him as a post-pubescent bunny wasn’t difficult at all.
Ringo continued to love being held. He never struggled or kicked while being picked up and he could be held for over a half hour before getting squeamish. A lot of that had to do with the fact that we were originally taught to trance him. This is another giant debate in the rabbit community. People say that holding rabbits on their backs like a baby, or “trancing,” can harm your rabbit and potentially cause it so much stress that it could die. Back in 2007, every rabbit book and how-to guide told us that that was the way to carry bunnies, so that’s what we did. What I can say is that he never struggled while being picked up and carried. When he was cradled in this way, his head was usually upright and responsive and we knew his signals for wanting to be put down. I personally believe that he was never in harm. And he wasn’t exclusively held this way. He enjoyed being held in all kinds of ways.
Now, I think that holding Ringo at a young age made him much better socialized than if we hadn’t handled him for the first few weeks. I think that the amount of cuddling and handling I did really helped Ringo bond to me, as anyone could see. So I believe that if you have your pet bunny from a young age, you should definitely try to handle them.
I do also know that not all rabbits are the same. It is said that Rabbits prefer having all their feet on the ground. Every rabbit might be different, but I suggest gradually learning how to pick up your rabbit because you will at least have to try clipping their nails one day or giving them medication, so you might as well start getting used to it.
Please, let me know what you think about handling rabbits! How do your bunnies react to being held? I’d love to hear anything you have to say and learn from other rabbit parents out there!
I would like to review this wonderful product: Ringo’s blue bed.
I bought this awesome pet bed at Pet Supplies Plus off the Addison Brown Line stop in Chicago, IL. I had been searching the store for a while for the perfect bed (in the perfect color) and I had a very helpful employee working with me. There were some giant beds meant for dogs and cats, but I wanted something that would be the right fit for Ringo. After a long search, we finally found a bin of kitten beds that were on sale. This bed (pictured above) was just a little over 10 dollars.
In old age, it’s important to keep your elderbun as comfortable as possible. After Ringo moved into my apartment, I got him a number of rugs and blankets to run around on. Rabbits that live indoors can develop sore hocks on their heels from hard floors and that happens more frequently as they get older. Ringo’s feet were doing fine on the carpets, but I thought he deserved a step up and decided to go out and find him a little bed.
When I brought this bed home, he initially was not interested in it. It was new and different, so he sniffed it a little, rubbed his chin on the edges (to mark his sent on it), and hopped away. Keep in mind, Ringo was blind at this point, so I’m not sure he knew what it actually was. I picked him up and put him in it, which was confusing for him for a minute, but he quickly warmed up to it.
Compared to other pet beds I’ve tried, this one was much better at staying upright. Most beds I’ve gotten tend to fall backwards when Ringo would jump in. This one was sturdy.
Most importantly, the bed washed VERY well. Ringo always had not-the-best with his litter box and loved marking his territory, so the bed was peed on a lot. But I could easily throw it in the washing machine and everything would come right out! I was really impressed by it.
I would definitely recommend this bed for any rabbit owner, I will definitely be buying many more in the future. You can find it at any Pet Supplies Plus store.
Ringo passed away on October 1st. Even though that was over two weeks ago, it still feels like it was yesterday. It has been incredibly difficult trying to adjust to life without my little bunny, but I’ve been able to find happiness from reflecting on his life and the time I had with him.
I wanted to create a gallery of Ringo through the years to show what it looks like to grow old as a bunny.
Rabbits definitely age quickly once they become elderbuns. They become very scruffy and messy, but they also become very bonded and appreciative of their owners. Ringo made sure that I knew how much he loved me every day. Whenever he would smell me when I entered the room, he would hop around until he found my feet to greet me. He constantly cuddled up next to me and gave me plenty of bunny kisses every day. I hope these photos don’t just show the aging process of rabbits, but also the way their personalities shine as they grow older.
Ringo was always the perfect model and it was a pleasure photographing him throughout his life.
Rabbits are extremely intelligent animals. Like dogs, they can learn their own names and come when called. You can also teach your pet bunny tricks pretty easily. It just takes plenty of treats! Rabbits can learn to paint, spin around, stand up, and even high five.
In this video you can learn how to train your rabbit to give you a high five. This bunny’s name is Exempel and he lives in Sweden. You can follow him @exempelthebunny on Instagram. Exempel was one of the first rabbit Instagram accounts I ever followed and I’ve always been impressed by the many tricks he has mastered! His owner is an amazing photographer and captures some of the best bunny moments I have ever seen, so you should definitely give their account a follow.
Ringo didn’t know too many tricks, although he definitely would come when he was called. We also taught him to stand up and walk on his back legs! He would do anything for a carrot!
On the surface, getting a pet rabbit doesn’t seem like a life changing decision. You might expect it to be as simple as going to your local pet store and picking out a new goldfish. But even the most well prepared bunny parents-to-be have no idea how much their new pet will impact their homes. Here are just 7 of the ways having a pet rabbit will change your life. Continue reading “7 Ways A Rabbit Will Change Your Life”
Ringo's Bunny Blog 