Animal Stories - People Talking About Small Animal Pets



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Latest Animal Stories on Small Animal Pets (5567)

Marie - 2012-07-22
Hi Charlie sorry to bother youu again. I have the beautiful Holland Lop Bunny she is about 5 to 7 mos old. We went on vacation for a week and left her with family friends who raised bunnies she was well taken care of and I wrote down her whole schedule. We picked her up yesterday and she won't let us hold her and If we do she's biting like crazy and peeing and pooping like crazy on us. This is not normally what she does to us peeing yes. Does she just have to get use to these surrounding again and us or could there be something wrong? We did bring back a lot of gifts for her. Also I have bought her many rope chew toys and she ends up eating them. We tried the Apple wood sticks and other bunny wood toys she won't bite them. Please help Thank You Charlie Have a Great DAY Marie

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Charlie Roche - 2012-07-22
Hi how's it going. Sounds like your little one has come into puberty - a teenager with hormonal problems. She would have achieved puberty around this age regardless of where she was but the scent of other bunnies/babies and boys is a definite signal. One teen is fine but a bunch together gets interesting. I would suggest that you have your bunny spayed for best pet results. Hormonal problems just no fun. Probably nothing wrong but is it possible that she could be pregnant? Stuff happens but otherwise just puberty. Enjoy - fun isn't it. Daughter came to my house with her favorite bunny and so did my grandson. Two different breeds and they had fun and they had babies. I got blamed for this and I didn't do it.
Marie - 2012-07-23
Thank You so much Charlie. I am having trouble finding and exotic pet vet. The one she goes to can care for her but he is not a exotic vet. I live in NY so I am still looking for referrals I dont want to take her just to anyone. Charlie I was told that is shortens her life if we have her spayed is that true because she is our baby and part of our family. It scares me at the thought of having her put under I have fears something bad will happen and me and my daughter cannot handle this. You r all so funny about your daughters bunnies I would say that got along great LOL!!!!!!!:)))) Thank YOU Marie
Charlie Roche - 2012-07-23
Hi again. To the best of my knowledge and have been told that spaying lengthens the life of a bunny. Now whether getting pregnant shortens the life so spaying lenghthens it, I am not sure. Yes, it is hard to find a vet that does exotics and actually one that does it and just didn't take a course for the weekend. You might try contacting Fish and Game or Animal Control as they might know (usually do) a good vet. Good luck - and enjoy.
Marie - 2012-07-24
Thank You Charlie one more question does Bunnies see and what do they see outline, black and white etc.. Snow loves watching the Yankee game she will sit and watch the whole thing on my husband lap or mine or my daughter. She also likes watching certain shows I dont know weather its the colors or movement but we are curiuos??? Thanks Again Charlie

Laura - 2009-04-22
I love rabbits because I got one, her name is dutchess. She is so cute. I love rabbits very much.

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stefani - 2012-05-05
I recently got one and named her the same name .. that's so funny , had to comment , my bucks name is Earl
jessica - 2012-06-09
Do you do breeding with youur male i have a female and I was wanting to breed her . Thankyou

jenifer - 2012-03-31
I just bought a pet rabbit from a feed store. He was the last one. He seemed so calm and easy to hold so I bought him for my two boys. (On sale for $14.99) When I got home I wanted to find out what kind of rabbit he was so I researched online. The feed store guy wasnt sure what kind he was. So, I came to find he's one of the rare Cinnamon Rabbits! So cool!

Michelle Storts - 2012-07-31
I bred my mini rex doe with my holland lop buck. Was wondering if theres a nickname to call these hybrids. Just like holland lop lionhead hybrids are called lionhead lops or lionlops. Is there a name for mini rex and holland lop cross bunnies?

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Charlie Roche - 2012-08-01
People have crossed the mini rex with the hollarnd lop but I could not find a 'NAME' for the cross. The ones advertised just say 'Mini Rex and Holland Lop cross'. Maybe you can come up with a name - there are others out there. Go to www.bing.com and enter 'mini rex + holland lop'

Ariana9098 - 2012-07-29
I have a rabbit but I am not sure of her breed. We think that she is a mini rex but we cannot tell. Any tips? Also she lives in the same hutch with my purebred Netherland Dwarf, Napoleon. We thought she was a Netherland Dwarf before because she could fit in a gerbil ball comfortably. they look identical both are broken blacks with black around their eyes and ears.

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Ariana9098 - 2012-07-29
She looks a lot like the rabbit pictured above.
Charlie Roche - 2012-07-29
There really isn't an accurate way for us to determine the breed of your little one. Could be a Rex but it could be a cross and look like a Rex. Much depends on size, fur, coloring etc. If she is a cross - could look like mom or dad or grandparents.

Baare Beary - 2012-06-21
My pet mouse died last month his name was Mouse I had him for almost 20 months- I came home and he had died with his eyes open and it almost looked like he was praying. I don't know why he died he was fine the day before. Did he suffer? My heart is so broken without my little boy.

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Charlie Roche - 2012-06-21
No, probably just fell asleep and went on to the whatever world. I am sorry - it is hard to lose a friend.
Anne - 2012-10-08
I had a mouse die recently and her eyes were open, as well. She had been having some health problems but had seemed find the night before. Unfortunately, because mice are so tiny, any illness or problem will take over very quickly. Also, 20 months for a mouse is a good age. They average less than 2 years typically. I can't tell you if he suffered or not, but he could have simply just died of old age. I'm so sorry for you loss.
Catrena - 2012-10-02
I am sorry for your loss. I just lost a mouse tonight and I am on here in my grief looking for answers.
Imogen - 2012-10-07
I'm really sorry. I know it is very hard to lose a pet-I've lost 3 female mice, and my heart broke. I was so upset and in grief for ages about my girls. Just remember the fun you had together.
Magda - 2012-10-23
I have males and females for free

Daria - 2012-09-18
Does anyone know if you can domesticate the rattus rattus version or are they always high strung-you know, like the difference between parakeets and canaries-look but don't touch! I have been able to catch them with my bare hands and stroke them in a cage but that's about all.

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Clarice Brough - 2012-09-19
The rat species 'Black Rat, Rattus rattus' is a larger and more aggressive species than the Brown Rat (shown here) which has become more common and domesticated. Although I've never reared this wild rat, I have reared wild mice and the biggest difference between them and domestic mice is they are always more nervous and jumpy. Even though they are handled and socialized from infancy, they never outgrow this tendency. I would bet it is similar for the Black Rat.
Andrea Sosio - 2012-10-11
R. rattus is actually smaller (not larger) than R. norvegicus. I wouldn't equate the black rat to 'wild rats' as in fact most wild rats are brown (norvegics) rats. There is not much evidence of people domesticating black rats, but it is difficult to say if this is because black rats are harder to domesticate or, more simply, because they are rare. Rat domestication / rat fancy has started in the XIX Century, when the R. norvegicus had already largely replaced the black rat all over Europe, so breeders didn't have much chance to breed the black ones.
Clarice Brough - 2012-10-13
Great info about the background on these two species. But I did find myself questioning the size so did a bit more research just to make sure. What I've found is that the Black Rat, Rattus rattus, is in fact larger. It has a body length between almost 13 inches (32.4 cm) up to 25 inches (46.4 cm). The Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus, on the other hand can only reach up to 10 inches (25 cm) in length.
Lee Fairclough - 2012-10-22
Speaking as someone who has kept both, they both adapt superbly to captivity. They are both placid, highly tamable and live happily in soicial groups. While I wouldn't say either was more tamable than the other, I have never been bitten by a black while I have had the occasional nip from a brown (although I've ket more browns). Re: the sizes, the brown rat is considerably bigger. While the black rat may get slightly longer including tail-length, the blacks have a proportionately much longer tail. Additionally, brown rats are much more heavily built and are getting on for twice the adult weight on average as the blacks. In terms of build and appearance blacks are much more like very large mice, with larger ears and more delicate features. I suspect the principle reason you don't see many black rats in captivity is that the brown rat has become an ubiquitous laboratory animal and is bred in large numbers for this and as a food animal for reptiles. I suspect that there is also a stronger stigmatism still attached to the black rat still as harbinger of the plague. Finally, in the UK at least wild black rats were virtually driven to extinction by browns. While black rats aren't encountered in pet shops, many zoological parks and attractions still have colonies on display. As you can imagine with a large mix-sexed colony of rodents, they often have an abundance of surplus animals which end up euthenised as food for other exhibits, but a chat with the appropriate keeper can often secure some in return for beer money. This is how I got mine. One word about blacks for anyone deciding to keep them, tho', they are a lot more fragile than browns and their tails are much more easily damaged, also they can lose toe-nails if you're not careful picking them up from a substrate they don't want to let go of so you need to be gentle with them.
pes11 - 2012-10-22
I have a black and norway rat that live happily in the same cage. My black rat, Lars, is actually much more tame than my norway rat though i think that might just be their personalities. Lars is much smaller than my norway though he is the dominant rat. He also seems to pick up on verbal cues better. He learns tricks faster and is more motivated by human attention than food.

Loretta - 2012-05-04
What can I bathe my bunny in? What can I use on him?

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Charlie Roche - 2012-05-04
You do not bathe a bunny as they are extremely clean and wash their coat similar to a cat. If needed, you can brush them to remove excess or lose fur.
stu - 2012-10-21
take your bunny swimming, try and keep their ears out of water to avoid problems. my 2 new z's love it and my valvetteen rex hav a blast. obviously make sure the lake or water your dipping them in is safe. if u swim in it they will....this will also give them somethin todo .(grooming all afternoon)

Verity Johnson - 2007-11-12
My New Zealand white is very calm and very nice.

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Anonymous - 2012-10-20
I agree

Marie - 2012-10-19
Hi Charlie TGIF!!!! Its Marie again I have Snowball the holland lop bunny. I have it running between the kitchen and hall its gated off. He's still pooping all over we had him trained to go in his cage but he does not do it anymore I am not sure if he thinks that this spot is his cage or what its been going on for awhile. We never litter box trained him because he would not go in it. During the day I let him have the run of the house for a couple hours and he loves it he binks (SP). But when he's running around he also poops and pee's where he;s running..l What should I do I am nervous about puting him into the cage at night when we go to bed to retrain him I feel its cruel because the cage is small. Do you have any suggestions??? Thank You so much P.S. He is very spoiled I donnot think he knows he's a bunny I think he think he's one of us LOL!!!!

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Erin - 2012-10-19
Hi Marie, I'm not Charlie, but I have an English Lop (Max) that does the same thing. He gets to stay in his cage when I get tiered of picking up Easter Eggs and wiping up the floor. He doesn't seem to mind, he also has a smaller cage. Have you tried to put several litter boxes out just to see if he will use it. I would even lay out papers because you can roll them up and put it in the trash. I have thought about having Max fixed but didn't know if it would help. I think it could because it looks like he is kind of marking when he does this.
Marie - 2012-10-19
Thank you so much Erin!

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