Introduction

Welcome to Rabbits For Dummies, 2nd Edition, the one and only book that you need to get started in the wonderful world of rabbit ownership. Of course, when it comes to rabbits, you can never stop discovering. Although they may seem like simple little creatures, rabbits are actually physically and emotionally complex and they never cease to amaze those who live with them.

If you're interested in rabbits, you came to the right book. Whether you're thinking about getting your first rabbit or you already have a bunny and want to find out more about how to take care of him, this book can be a great help.

How hard is owning a rabbit? Rabbits For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is designed to be a useful reference for those who aren't experts, as well as those who know zero about rabbits. Even people who know a thing or two about bunnies can benefit from this book because it's a reference for behavior and health.

Rabbits are nothing like cats and dogs, the two most common pets. The rabbit's digestive system is more akin to a horse than a feline or a canine. And the psychological makeup of a bunny is closer to that of a bird than that of a cat or dog.

In order to understand your rabbit and care for him properly, you have to know the details specific to rabbit ownership. By finding out about rabbit psychology, rabbit physiology, and basic rabbit care, you'll have what it takes to take care of a rabbit just right.

About This Book

Rabbits For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is like a department store: You're able to enter on whatever floor you like. You don't have to walk past that smelly perfume counter to get to the housewares section on the third floor. You just walk into the housewares section. Likewise, you don't have to start reading this book at the beginning, going through each page until you reach the end. You can turn to any section of the book that interests you and begin reading at that point and not feel lost. You don't have to remember what you read yesterday, and you don't have to read chapters or sections in order. Just find something that interests you, read it, do it, and put the book back on your shelf. (No one expects you to read from cover to cover except maybe your high school English teacher, but you can ignore her this time around.)

Each part of the book is divided into chapters that address basic questions about rabbits and their care. You'll find answers to questions like

• Am I really cut out to be a bunny owner?
• How do I prepare my home for my rabbit's arrival?
• How do I communicate with my bunny?
• What's the best way to make sure that my rabbit is healthy and happy?
• What do I do in the event of a medical emergency?

Conventions Used in This Book

Rabbits For Dummies, 2nd edition, makes information easy to find and use. To help you navigate through the text, we've used certain conventions:

• Italics are used for emphasis and to highlight new words or terms that are defined.
• Boldfaced text is used to bring attention to key words or highlight points in a series.
• Monofont is used to set apart Web sites and e-mail addresses.

In this book, we refer to rabbits with the male pronouns (he, his, him) and the female pronouns (she, her). This convention is merely for readability's sake. We don't call rabbits "it" because they're living creatures.

What You're Not to Read

From time to time in this book, we share information that may be interesting but isn't essential to the complete understanding of the topic at hand. You can find this nonessential information in two places:

• Sidebars: The gray shaded text boxes contain supplementary information that you can skip or read later.
• Technical Stuff: Paragraphs highlighted with the Technical Stuff icon contain technical rabbit facts and tidbits that are interesting but not required reading.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing Rabbits For Dummies, 2nd Edition, we made some assumptions about our readers:

• You know a rabbit when you see one.
• You're one of the many people who think about adopting a cute, fur ball of rabbitness, but you want to make sure that a rabbit is the right pet for you and your family.
• You're lucky enough to own a rabbit, but you want to be certain that you're doing all you can to properly care for him.
• You care about rabbits and want to treat them with kindness, especially when it comes to housing them in your home.
• You're allowed to keep rabbits in the area where you live.
• You know that the best way to find out about things is to read about what the experts have to say on the subject.
• You're no dummy, despite the title of this book. In fact, you're pretty smart - otherwise, you wouldn't have bought this book.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is put together in a way that allows you to find the information you need quickly and easily. Rabbits For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is divided into five parts made up of several chapters relating to that specific rabbit topic.

Part 1: Bringing on the Bunny Basics

Before you even get a rabbit, you need to know what rabbits are all about. This part offers information about whether a rabbit is right for your lifestyle, how rabbits are put together, how to go about choosing a rabbit, and the best places to find one.

Part 2: Taking Care of Creature Comforts

Housing, grooming, and feeding - these three important elements for keeping a rabbit are all covered in this part of the book. You can find out why rabbits are happier and healthier as indoor pets, how to litter box train your house rabbit, why keeping your pet clean and groomed is so important, and how best to feed your bunny.

Because rabbits are prone to illness, bunny healthcare is an important matter. In this part, you can find out how to recognize common rabbit illnesses, how to prevent them, and when to go to the vet. You also get help putting together a bunny first-aid kit, and you discover how to handle rabbit emergencies. Finally, this part discusses how to say the final goodbye when that inevitable moment comes.

Part 3: Rabbit Psychology: Behavior and Training

Rabbit personality is what makes living with a bunny so much fun. Find out how to understand bunny body language. (They can't speak English.) Discover helpful tips on training, as well as how to train your pet to do a few fun tricks. This part also includes invaluable information on how to deal with common behavior problems, such as biting, chewing, and digging.

Part 4: Enjoying Your Fun Bunny

Think rabbits don't do much except sit in a cage all day? Wrong! You can have all kinds of fun with your rabbit. Part 4 discusses playing with him, getting involved in rabbit clubs and shows, and even traveling with him. This part also covers the unique sport of rabbit hopping, along with details on how to get involved with rabbit social issues.

Part 5: The Part of Tens

In the Part of Tens, we tackle three different subjects: health emergencies, useful rabbit Web sites, and ways of enhancing a pet rabbit's life. In the health chapter, you find an overview of the ten signs that require emergency action. Follow the advice, and your rabbit is likely to live a long, healthy life. Chapter 18 has the best links on the Internet for rabbit lovers. And last but not least, the final chapter offers ten ways to make your bunny's day special.

Appendix

The Appendix in this book contains a plethora of rabbit resources, including rabbit rescue groups, purebred rabbit clubs and registries, rabbit activity groups, educational organizations, rabbit publications, and other useful resources for rabbit owners.

Icons Used in This Book

As with all the other books in the For Dummies series, this book has useful little icons in the margins to call your attention to specific types of information. See the following explanations of what each of those icons means:

You see this icon throughout this book because when it comes to rabbits, you need to do plenty of remembering. We place this icon next to important information that you won't want to miss or forget.

When you see this symbol, beware! This icon highlights information about dangers that can cause your rabbit harm.

Occasionally, rabbit information gets a bit technical, hence this icon. When you see it, put the left side of your brain in high gear. But if you're short on time, know that this information is interesting but not essential.

This icon alerts you to helpful hints regarding rabbits, pertaining to their care and handling. If you read the information next to this icon, you'll have a happier, healthier rabbit.

Where to Go from Here

Go wherever you want. You can start at Chapter 1 and read all the way through to the final appendix, or you can hop, skip, and jump around - much like a rabbit.

If you're going to do that skipping around thing, can we at least ask you for a favor? Before...