Told You So, Part 2. Ugh.

Well, first off, let me say that by all appearances I was right about the kits.  The change in their droppings was due to the change in diet because of weaning.  All but one of the kits is hopping around and continues to gain weight.  One, the one whose color we can't figure out, continues to struggle a bit, but he has gained weight today.  Unfortunately, he isn't super active.  But now, as I have finished typing that, he is jumping all over me. 

However, Charlotte was also right.  Unfortunately.  Tootsie continued to deteriorate despite Charlotte's best efforts.  She passed away the next day in Charlotte's arms. 

We have no idea what was wrong.  She would not eat, and had not eaten for a few days.  She would drink, gladly, if Charlotte was feeding her with a medicine dropper.  There weren't any droppings strung together in her pan, like one would expect to find with wool block.  She didn't have a temperature, so there should not have been an infection.  I guess we'll never know.

So now Charlotte has a litter of kits that still need something only a mother can provide.  Fortunately, we have Snowball and her litter of kits, and they are all together now.  While the doe cages are a perfect size for one doe and her kits (about 30" x 60"), it looked a little crowded with 13 kits in there.  Each cage has two doors on it, so Charlotte put them together offset so that one door is free on each side and two doors are wired together in the middle.  It looks like a little bunny paradise now.

It's difficult to tell in the picture, but the kits are really zooming around in their paradise.

You can see the twist ties Charlotte used to wire everything together.

How Rabbits Travel

For traveling and shows, it’s best to have smaller cages for a few reasons.  First, you don’t need a big cage taking up space in your car.  That space is usually needed by a person or another rabbit.  Big cages are just a hassle.  And they are a hassle to carry.  Second, everyone needs more room at shows.  It is almost always crowded.  You want the cage to be as small as possible without making the rabbit uncomfortable.  You want to have a show cage for a cleaner rabbit when going to shows.  Whatever you do, do not use a dog/cat carrier.  If you have to, you can use a regular pet store cage, but you'll have to clean your rabbit up at the show.

Perfect cage for shows

Pet store cage.  Better than a dog carrier, but not desirable.

Dog/cat carrier.  Do not use for rabbit shows.

    

Rabbit cages should not be able to slide around.   French angoras especially need to be cool while traveling, without any sun on them.  Sun will just make them hotter and more stressed.  We also ran the AC the whole time traveling back from the Stockton show, and the rest of us got cold.  Next time, we will all wear long sleeves.  If traveling in a truck, do not want to put your rabbits in the bed unprotected from wind and sun. 

I like to buy disposable plastic tablecloths to cover the seats and protect them from messes. Do not hook up a water bottle while traveling, but always bring one.  Rabbits will not eat or drink while traveling, and water will just leak.  Put a towel over the cage to protect your rabbit from sun and from seeing rapid movements outside the vehicle, especially headlights.  Also, rabbits generally do not like being held while traveling.  It’s just bad news.