butch - The Hoppening Houston

Can I Feed My Rabbit People Food?

thehoppening — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 19:13:00 +0000

I was eating pizza and my bunny Fred was nearby. He hopped up and stole a slice. I took it away from him. At the time, I knew pizza wasn’t good for bunnies, but I didn’t know why at the time.

So let’s talk about something super important. – why bunnies chomping down on people food is a total no-no! Butch has posed in this photo with a pizza box. So we will use pizza as an example.

Now, don’t get me wrong, pizza is like a heavenly gift to us humans. But when it comes to our furry little friends, bunnies, it’s a whole different story. Here’s the tea on why bunnies and pizza don’t mix:

Tummy Troubles: Bunnies have super sensitive tummies, sis! Their diet should mainly consist of hay, fresh veggies, and some rabbit pellets, not greasy slices of pizza loaded with cheese and toppings. Bunnies are herbivores, meaning they can’t eat cheese or meat. Think your rabbit can just barf it up if it upsets their stomach? Think again. Rabbits cannot throw up. Their digestive systems aren’t built that way. Pizza can seriously upset their delicate digestion, leading to tummy aches and messy bunny poops. Liquid bunny poop means an emergency trip to the exotic vet. No one wants that for their adorable fur baby, right?
Obesity Alert: Just like us, bunnies need to watch their waistlines too! Even if pizza was safe for them (it isn’t), pizza is high in fat and calories, which can make bunnies gain weight like there’s no tomorrow. Excess weight can cause the same problems they do in humans – arthritis, cardiovascular problems, and joint problems. They have difficulty cleaning themselves. We want our little fluffballs to stay fit and active.
Sneaky Ingredients: Pizza toppings can be a real sneaky snake, hun! Some ingredients like onions, garlic, and mushrooms are big no-nos for bunnies – they’re toxic and can mess with their health. Even the tomato sauce can be too acidic for their sensitive systems. We wouldn’t want to put our buns’ health at risk, would we?
Dental Drama: Bunnies’ teeth never stop growing! That’s why they need fibrous food like hay to chew on, to keep those pearly whites in check. Pizza is soft and doesn’t do much for their dental hygiene. We don’t want our buns dealing with gnawing pain, do we?
Say Bye to Nutrition: Pizza might be a delicious treat for us, but it’s not bunny-approved nutrition. Bunnies need a well-balanced diet to thrive, packed with essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Most importantly, bunnies need raw veggies. Pizza simply doesn’t cut it, babes!
Habitual Hazards: If we start feeding our buns pizza, they might get a little too obsessed with it, and that’s not good news. Bunnies can be picky eaters, and we don’t want them refusing their healthy rabbit food for a slice of cheesy goodness every day!

So, my fabulous friends, let’s keep pizza for ourselves and shower our bunnies with love by giving them a bunny-friendly diet! They’ll be happier, and healthier, and will hop around like the adorable fluffsters they are. And remember, when in doubt about your bunny’s diet, always consult a rabbit-savvy vet!

Stay fierce and bunny-friendly!

The post Can I Feed My Rabbit People Food? first appeared on The Hoppening Houston.

The post Can I Feed My Rabbit People Food? appeared first on The Hoppening Houston.

Brushing Butch’s Bunny Butt

thehoppening — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 18:07:04 +0000

Butch is a lovely rabbit. What surprises me about this lovely fur is that he sheds so darn much of it. He sheds almost as much as my bunny Rainbow, who has long, thick fur.

Rabbits clean themselves like cats do – licking. They clean every part of their body and if they have a friend, they will take turns helping each other with those hard-to-reach spots.

Because Butch had his back legs injured, suffered from a large maggot in his skin, and has weak back leg muscles, he needs some extra help. He also doesn’t have a bunny friend to help him.

Grooming is an important part of rabbits’ lives. If you have longer-furred rabbits, it will become central to their care. For Rainbow, I brush, and I vacuum frequently to get rid of all the fur he shed.

I put Butch in the Bunny Bus (wagon) and sit on a comfortable chair. I brush him with a fur buster. I love petting his soft fur and telling him what a good boy he is! He is a handsome boy with pretty fur. He really likes that.

The best part of grooming is letting him play afterward.

The post Brushing Butch’s Bunny Butt first appeared on The Hoppening Houston.

The post Brushing Butch’s Bunny Butt appeared first on The Hoppening Houston.

Like A Good Neighbor – Stay Over There

thehoppening — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 03:11:04 +0000

Butch is watching me jam out.

I like to listen to music at night. And boy does that music make me feel good!

Butch sits and watches me act foolish while I enjoy my favorite jams, which can vary from night to night.

One of the songs had lyrics along the lines of “I know you love me.” I glanced at Butch and he pulled his head back as if to say, “Not me! You stay over there.”

I stopped singing and laughed!!

You may or may not know that Butch was shot with a bb gun and wandered for weeks with his wounds outside. He also had a big, fat maggot in his skin by his spine. He’s the toughest rabbit I’ve ever met.

On top of being a superhero, he’s got these gorgeous eyes. They are brown, intense, and full of intelligence. Butch is such a work of art.

The post Like A Good Neighbor – Stay Over There first appeared on The Hoppening Houston.

The post Like A Good Neighbor – Stay Over There appeared first on The Hoppening Houston.