REENIES RABBIT RESCUE

Rescue, Rehab, Rehome, Respite.

Helping rabbits in New York’s Hudson Valley and surrounding areas since 2014.

Our “2024 Meme Theme” calendar is now on PRESALE $20, pick up or add $8 for shipping 
December ship date TBD, 100% proceeds go to caring for our animals!
Each month features a Reenies Rescued Little Soul! Thank you for supporting us!

2024 Rabbit Calendar

2024 Calendar

$20.00

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Be a Bunny Valentine!

Be a Furbaby Valentine!

For $25, Your Valentine will enjoy a rose petal cookie or catnip treat on Valentine’s Day, from you! You’ll receive good karma and a personal thank you card from Spokesbun Chubbs!

Please be sure to list the name(s) of your Valentine and your mailing address on your payment. Valentines may be purchased via credit card or alternate payment methods below. Checks can be mailed to PO BOX 2, Salisbury Mills NY 12577.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE!

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BE A BUNNY VALENTINE: For $25, Your Valentine will enjoy a rose petal cookie and toy on Valentine’s Day, from You! You’ll receive Good Karma and a personal thank you from Spokesbun Chubbs!
BE A FURBABY VALENTINE, For $25, Your Valentine will enjoy a rose petal cookie or catnip treat on Valentine's Day, from you! You'll receive good karma and a personal thank you card from Spokesbun Chubbs!

BUNNY BASICS CARE GUIDE

  • Buns require the same level of care as dogs or cats, although they’re very different. Like any pet, they should have proper diet, housing, annual vet visits w/ a FECAL TEST. Daily clean up is required. Buns naturally dislike being held and aren’t teddy bears! They can bite! You’ll need to earn their trust by spending time with them. What you put into your rabbit is what you get out of your rabbit. They love watching TV and soft music is calming. Buns are fragile–handle with care.
  • SPAY/NEUTER: Very important to spay/neuter your bun!  Fixing your rabbit relieves hormonal urges, reduces urine odor, improves potty skills, lessens grunting, biting, humping, pacing and chewing. It also reduces the risk of cancer which is high for rabbits.  Low cost spay/neuter rabbit clinics: roeders ark 845.386.8700, westchester humane 914.632.2925    
  • Buns can NEVER be without HAY and WATER: Bun’s digestive tract needs to be moving at all times. Hay is 80% of diet and should always be available day and night. Using a hay rack keeps the hay clean. AVOID alfalfa hay. NEVER leave a big bowl of pellets out! LIMIT pellets to approx 1/4-1/2 cup daily depending on bun size and metabolism. If bun fills up on pellets they will lose interest in hay, and ABUNDANT hay eating is CRITICAL to gut health and teeth. Hay is nature’s nail file for their teeth. NEVER feed pellets with colored pieces, seeds, corn and fruit. A variety of dark leafy greens should be given daily. Provide twigs or wood to chew. If you see poop stuck to bun’s butt, that is NOT NORMAL and indicates a poor diet. If this occurs, reduce pellets, withhold fruits and treats, offer limited leafy greens with a variety of hay.  If bun stops eating, pooping or acts “off,” they’re sick! Take them to a vet immediately as buns can die quickly from not eating (stasis).
  • Buns love fresh water every day. A large, ceramic, flat bottomed dog bowl is best. Drinking from a bottle is like sipping from a dripping faucet which may prevent rabbits from being adequately hydrated.
  • GOOD GREENS to feed: Lettuce, arugula, escarole, endive, swiss chard, cucumber, pepper, bok choy, mustard green, pumpkin, fennel, dill, mint, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, beet tops, carrot tops, radish tops and more.
  • BAD FOODS: NEVER feed iceberg lettuce, lettuce starting to go bad, lawn mower grass, roadside or treated grass, corn, oak, pine, spinach, peas, celery stems (the leaves are OK), cabbage, broccoli. No breadssticks, cheerios, yogurt raisins, oats, or store-bought rabbit treats filled with artifical colors, preservatives, etc.
  • NO MORE THAN ONCE PER WEEK: parsley, kale.
  • EDIBLE WEEDS & FLOWERS: knapweed, fleabane, daisy, ragweed, thistle, chicory, chamomile, echinacea, smartweed, marigold, pansy, lavender, nasturtium, violet, morning glory, plantain, dandelion, goldenrod, lemon balm, knot weed, jewelweed, yarrow, heather, foxglove, rose, woodsorrel, pennywort, yarrow, wild carrot, all varieties of grass.
  • EDIBLE TREES: sugar maple, norway maple, silver maple, willow, birch, apple.
  • FRUIT can be given OCCASIONALLY as a special treat: Pineapple, orange, beet, apple, tomato, pear, carrot, watermelon, banana, peach, nectarine, plum, mango, papaya, cherries, melons, kiwi, raspberry, strawberry, grape. EXCESS sugar or too many pellets can cause digestion PROBLEMS.
  • BUNS NEED TO CHEW! Their teeth never stop growing. Overgrowth is a common problem with symptoms that include drooling, wet chin or an unwillingness to eat hay and greens. If this occurs a vet check up is necessary. Encourage hay eating and chewing with fresh twigs from outside (see safe list above) and rabbit chew toys such as willow balls.
  • ​BUNS LIKE FRIENDS: A spayed/neutered companion will alleviate boredom and curb anxiety. They will groom and snuggle each other. Other pets such as dogs and cats can make suitable companions but only on a case by case basis. Introducing a friend involves a “bonding process.”  
  • OUTDOORS: A HUTCH IS NOT ENOUGH! Hutches must be enclosed within a larger pen so bun has a free-range space. A predator-proof environment is required, yet it must also allow freedom to run. Wire-topped 10 ft x 10 ft chain link dog kennels are perfect. Bury wire in ground around perimeter of fence so predators can’t dig in and buns can’t dig out. Outdoor kennels should then be covered with BOTH chicken wire to protect against small predators and mesh wire screening to keep bugs out. Take buns indoors for extreme weather like heat waves and freezing temps. Monitor health and behavior closely. It’s easy to miss the subtle signs of eating, drinking and attitude changes that indicate illness. Without the use of a chew-proof heated water bowl, water will freeze–so replace it several times per day. A chew-proof electric heated pad provides warmth. In summer heat, buns need extra water and shade as heatstroke kills. Lean a frozen water bottle against them, gently spritz with water, put up a fan and locate them in a shady spot. Hutches can either be heated or covered w/ water resistant styrofoam that bunny cannot chew. Or buy a rabbit hutch cover/hutch snuggle online. Block sides with plastic sheeting and pack inside with straw. Moisture-absorbing hay lacks the insulating properties of hollow straw. HAY is for EATING and STRAW is for INSULATING. Outdoor buns need BOTH. Straw is CRITICAL for winter.
  • THROW THE CAGE AWAY: A free roam rabbit is a happy rabbit! Bun can free roam the whole house or just one room with a pet gate… If that’s not an option, then a puppy exercise pen, placed on top of a cut-to-size piece of floating linoleum is good. If free-roaming, introduce bun to space slowly for optimal potty skills. Adequate space to move around is essential to a happy and healthy rabbit. Living in a cage is like living in your bathroom.. You can survive but you wouldn’t be happy. A wire cage is not a suitable habitat for any rabbit. Bun’s muscles atrophy from restricted mobility. A rabbit’s foot is pure fur, it lacks pads like dogs and cats have and if not given a flat surface to retreat to, wire causes painful “sore hocks.”
  • BUNNY PROOF: Buns will chew wires, furniture, rugs, base boards, etc. Pick up, tape up and cover up exposed wires.
  • HELPFUL TIPS: Place a FRESH stick where bun was chewing, try rubbing a hot pepper on the area. Hide wires behind a board. Insert wires into a plastic plumbing tube, or wire cover. Plexiglas can protect sensitive areas like baseboards and outlets. Plastic corner guards protect doors from being chewed. IKEA “table leg scratch boards” protect furniture legs.    
  • BUNS have FRAGILE BACKS which can BREAK easily: In nature, when a rabbit‘s feet leave the ground they know they’re about to be dinner. Therefore, buns are instinctively terrified of being picked up. You must earn bun’s trust and eventually they won’t mind. Take great care when handling a bunny. Pick up and support their bottom, holding their chest to yours. Do not let them kick their legs back. Swaddle them like a baby. Stay low to the ground when picking up and putting down as they can jump. Jumping can result in fatality. Never pick up a bunny by their ears!
  • LITTER-BOX: Most buns are trainable, but there will always be a few stray poops on floor. Use at least two litter boxes. Avoid cat litter, cedar and pine (harmful to liver.) Aspen, CareFresh paper bedding, Yesterday’s News pellet litter or old newspaper with hay on top are all safe. Hang food and hay dishes over litter box so that bun has to be in litter box to eat. They like to poop while eating! If bun pees on floor, try changing litter type. Wire-grated boxes can help. Rearrange all the furniture in the room and then place the boxes in different spots, restricting access to the area where bun was peeing on the floor. Bleach boxes to reduce odor. Boiling water with a paint scraper will clean a stubborn litter box. Best small vacuum for hay pick up is THE BEAST by Vacmaster. PATIENCE is a VIRTUE… It can take as long as six months to train!
  • GROOMING: Wire flea combs and small shedding blades remove excess fur. Clumps of loose fur can also be plucked or pulled out gently. Long nails are uncomfortable and can scratch you. Trim them yourself or take bun to groomer or vet. Genital pockets (scent glands located on each side of genitalia) can develop a waxy build up that should be cleaned out with a moist Q tip. Check ears to be sure they are smooth and crust-free. Unlike cats, rabbits cannot throw up. Regular grooming prevents fur blockages. Don’t bathe your bun–spot clean only if necessary. If bun is indoor/outdoor, be careful of fleas. The ONLY safe chemical preventatives are Revolution and Advantage. FRONTLINE is LETHAL for rabbits.
  • TRIVIA: Buns are LAGOMORPHS, not rodents. They are CREPUSCULAR (most active at dusk and dawn). They prefer 50 degree Fahrenheit temps. Poop? 200-300 times per day! Everyday buns excrete a nutrient-rich CECOTROPE, which they must eat for health like a multivitamin.  Buns communicate subtly and silently and are trainable with practice.
  • NOTE: We offer bonding, boarding, grooming, advice, energy healing and bunnies-for-event hire. Contact us for info. 
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