I know we're speaking to the choir here...about the love of bunnies.
But how often are we asked why bunnies make good pets?

We thought we'd share a few thoughts on the subject.
Rabbits arent  for novelty Easter "gifts" anymore...and never should be.  Easter should be about jelly beans and coloring eggs and thinking of the Savior.
Rabbits are living, breathing, feeling pets.

Never-the-less rabbits are indeed growing in popularity as house companions.  Did you know that there are now 5.3 million pet rabbits in the world!? Crazy!!
Do you wonder why the rise in popularity? Some folks attribute it to the internet.  It seems that more people are sharing their positive experiences with their pet bunnies. Rescues and rabbit organizations  are using the internet to get the word out as well.  It seems that when people talk on the internet, others listen.

So..you may just be a rabbit person...like some people are dog persons or cat persons or reptile people.
What is a rabbit person? What do they look like?
It may be that a rabbit person is a person that derives as much pleasure from watching their pets behavior as much as and if not more than handling your pet.  Observing your bunny's personalities is quite satisfying if you are truly a rabbit person. You may have a silly rabbit,or a frisky bunny, much the same way a kitten can be. And just as dogs are known for their loyalty...so can your sweet bunny be.  Rabbits are intelligent and are easily litter-box trained and they learn to respond to their name and can master some tricks. (I know a bunny that loves to go tubing with its human family on Lake Powell!!)
And though it appears to be a cheap pet...$20.00 or so...bunnies dont deserve to be second rate pets. Do your research to be sure you and a rabbit are a good match. And understand that a rabbit may not be the best pet for small children. Children love to snuggle and pick up and haul around the things they love. Rabbits dont necessarily LOVE being picked up and hauled around...they prefer the ground.  They arent darling stuffed animals to be mauled and squashed.
There are more than 48 recognized breed of domestic rabbits. There are so many to choose from-Giants and minis and dwarfs- long eared ones and short eared breeds-Some come with long fir and others are short-haired. Colors seem limitless and there's even a rabbit bred so that one ear sticks up and the other flops down...called a unicorn lop..or a helicop lop which has both ears sticking straight out to the side!!
There is indeed great joy,amusement and satisfaction  in owning a rabbit for a pet, if you've done your research and taken the time to learn what to expect from your rabbit too!!
So ears up friends, and be a wise and informed pet owner!!

Ball Bunny by ThalitaDol on Etsy

I was trying think who the most famous rabbit was in the world. When  I ask that, what rabbit comes to your mind first?
To be honest, the first one that came to my mind was Rabbit, from Winnie the Pooh. After that, I thought of Peter Rabbit and all his troubles in Mr McGregors  garden.
Searching the web straightway produces  a very comprehensive list.
Each of these rabbits seems to bring back memories from my childhood.
How about you?
Did we miss any?

#1 Bugs Bunny..."what up doc?"  Good old Bugs and Elmer Fudd

#2 Br're Rabbit...I wonder if you have to be over 50 to even know who this is? Thats a sad state of affairs if this is so.  Look him up...and then read it to a child you love.

#3 Peter Rabbit...thank you Beatrix Potter

#4 Velveteen Rabbit..while your at the library getting The Brier Patch and Tar Babies for the antics of Br're Rabbit,  pick up this story for the kids too...and for yourself!

#5 Easter Bunny...not every kid should get a real live Easter Bunny...but they all should get chocolate!!

#6 Harvey...once again dating myself quite a bit.  Jimmy Stewart is and always will be a dream boat. Go rent the movie!! Its great!! Everyone should meet the 6 ft invisible rabbit!!

#7 Trix the Rabbit....Trix are for kids...and sugar highs.

#8 Roger Rabbit...naughty rabbit

#9 The Energizer Bunny...pink, cool and pounding the skin!

#10 Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh...Hundred Acre Wood  wouldnt be the same without him.

#11 Thumper...wasnt he Bambi's best friend? Making the most of large feet!!

#12 The Hare..from The Tortoise and the Hare...personally I prefer tortoises...but bunnies are the next best. We love the Hare even in his foible.

#13 The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland...what time is it again? Who's late for a very important date?

#14 Little Bunny Foo Foo...who remembers this song...bopping mice on the head?  Another naughty rabbit I'd say....poor field mice.

Anybody want to round out the list...who did I miss?

DID YOU KNOW!?!?

William Cowper (1731-1800) was a highly popular poet in 18th century England. He had three great loves of his life- they were his three rabbit companions , Puss, Bess and Tiney. He included his three rabbits in his poetry and letters, and wrote articles in the prestigious "Gentleman's Magazine" about them. Cowper was also a skilled carpenter and went to great pains constructing apartments for his three beloved rabbits. And like every responsible pet owner should be, he went to great lengths to learn all he could about the proper care of and best diet for his three little furry friends. William battled severe depression and suicidal tendencies all his life, and Puss, Bess and Tiny were a great source of strength for him, and helped to alleviate some of the debilitating symptoms of depression. He wrote about Puss in his famous poem "The Task". In Book III of that work in the section "The Garden", he describes his close relationship with Puss:

The Rabbit-Human Bond

Well – one at least is safe. One shelter’d hare
Has never heard the sanguinary yell
Of cruel man, exulting in her woes.
Innocent partner of my peaceful home,
Whom ten long years’ experience of my care
Has made at last familiar; she has lost
Much of her vigilant, instinctive dread.
Not needful here, beneath a roof like mine.
Yes – thou may’st eat thy bread, and lick the hand
That feeds thee; thou may’st frolic on the floor
At evening, and at night retire secure
To thy straw couch, and slumber unalarm’d.
For I have gain’d the confidence, have pledg’d
All that is human in me to protect
Thine unsuspecting gratitude and love.
If I survive thee I will dig thy grave
And, when I place thee in it, sighing, say,
I knew at least one hare that had a friend.

Robert Pinsky wrote this about another poem of Cowpers' entitled Epitaph on a Hare:

 "This poem about his not very nice but beloved pet rabbit, Tiney, is funny and charming, but those qualities do not divorce the poem from Cowper's intense melancholy and dread. The poem is about death and comfort, and it demonstrates the genuineness of its humility by its careful attention to details. The straightforwardness and smiling directness are sad, temperate, heartfelt, and moving, as well as droll."

Here lies, whom hound did ne'er pursue,

Nor swifter greyhound follow,

Whose foot ne'er tainted, morning dew,

Nor ear heard huntsman's hallo',



Old Tiney, surliest of his kind,

Who, nursed with tender care,

And to domestic bounds confined,

Was still a wild jack-hare.



Though duly from my hand he took

His pittance every night,

He did it with a jealous look,

And, when he could, would bite.



His diet was of wheaten bread,

And milk, and oats, and straw,

Thistles, or lettuces instead,

With sand to scour his maw.



On twigs of hawthorn he regaled,

On pippins' russet peel;

And when his juicy salads failed,

Sliced carrot pleased him well.



Turkey carpet was his lawn,

Whereon he loved to bound,

To skip and gambol like a fawn,

And swing his rump around.



His frisking was at evening hours,

'For then he lost his fear;

But most before approaching showers,

Or when a storm drew near.



Eight years and five round-rolling moons

He thus saw steal away,

Dozing out all his idle noons,

And every night at play,



I kept him for his humor's sake,

For he would oft beguile,

My heart of thoughts that made it ache,

And force me to a smile.



But now, beneath this walnut-shade

He finds his long, last home,

And waits in snug concealment laid,

Till gentler Puss shall come,



He, still more aged, feels the shocks

From which no care can save,

And, partner once of Tiney's box,

Must soon partake his grave.

DID YOU KNOW!!!??

Can you guess how many teeth a rabbit has in its cute little bunny face?!
 The answer would be...28!!
A bunny has 4 incisors, 2 on the top and two on the bottom plus a whole bunch of other ivories. They have some teeth called "cheek teeth" that they use to grind their food.
Did you also know that rabbit's teeth never stop growing!? (like horses or beavers) And so...just like horses and the busy beavers...rabbits need to wear down their teeth by always chewing, nibbling, crunching on good things. So its very important to provide your bunny with all kinds of 'chew toys,' and a high fiber diet. For if you dont, your sweet rabbit may just choose to chew on the leg of you antique dining room table or your expensive carpet, or even on dangerous cords that swirl around on the floor.
 The high fiber diet is  the best answer for good dental health of your rabbit. Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Food is an excellent source of fiber for your bunny. Providing cardboard boxes and tubes, unsprayed apple branches and willow baskets for chewing are another good idea as well.
 Lets do all we can to avoid costly vet visits for our dear pets!! Chewing is a good and very necessary trait for our rabbits!! Chew on friends!!!
(one of my darling grandbabies just got his first 2 bottom teeth...I guess it got me think'in about rabbit teeth.)

Rabbit Food Review

Check out what this prominent breeder in Washington said about Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Food.

http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-feed.html

At Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Food, we are committed to the health and happiness of you and your bunnies...and here's why...we have fully researched what is needed and should be in the ideal rabbit feed, and more importantly, we have researched what should not be in your rabbit feed. Give our rabbit food a try...both you and your rabbits will see for yourself why this is the best food on the market, and why it just may be the last food you use for all your rabbits at every stage of life. We don't have the fanciest packaging, but we have the freshest and the greenest natural rabbit food you will ever see through our clear view bags.  It really is true... "It's what's inside that counts"

Check our store for specials that you can take advantage of right now. 15% off your first purchase! Use Coupon code: XYZ123

Visit our store at: store.naturalrabbitfood.com

We've been under construction for what seems like ages!! But now we are off and running and can now offer you the best rabbit food on the planet!!

This may sound a bit odd, but you need to LOVE your rabbit food, because like us humans, it's "garbage in - garbage out"...we need to make sure our rabbits are getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals, so they can grow correctly and without the diseases and problems that can plaque a rabbitry if they are not getting the right nutrition in the correct amounts and at the right stage of their life.

Here at Sherwood Forest, we know rabbit food and are excited to have you try our 3 rabbit food formulations. Check out our store to see how you can get a discount on your first purchase.

Best to you and your rabbits,

David Sherwood

PS.Let us know how we can improve our service to you and what other sizes of rabbit food packages you would like.

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Visit our store:

store.naturalrabbitfood.com