Hey

How about a thread with recommendable or less recommendable books on rabbits? 'Cause I'm in the mood for buying more books

I can recommend

R. M. Lockley's "The Private Life of the Rabbit"

Excellent academic book on wild rabbits and their social structure. Lockley studied wild rabbits for years. Very interesting reading that gives you a good understanding of rabbit behaviour. This book was the inspiration to Watership Down.

Susan E. Davis & Margo Demello "Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural and Cultural History of a Misunderstood Creature"

Really nice book on the history of rabbits. Perhaps a bit too much on the cultural history from an anthropological point a view, but still really interesting reading.
 

I cannot recommend

Anne McBride "Why does my rabbit"

The intention of the book is great - to make bunny owners aware of bunny behaviour and how to solve most of the behaviourial problems. My problem with this book, is that she does not mention neutering at all, and so in a sense the whole book is pointless, because all the problems with spraying et.c could be easily dealt with. Also, she states that you cannot have more than two rabbits together, because otherwise a problematic hierachy will be established, which I do not agree with.

Anne McBride "Why does my rabbit" : I'm reading this at the moment. I really liked the 1st half - about rabbit colonies. I do like the 2nd half for it's anecdotal scenarios and find it useful. However, I have a similar problem as you did.  I would like to see more studies done in neutered rabbits. It's one thing to understand how they naturally live and their instincts and relation to their wild cousins - but take out their sex hormones and how much of it is affected? So I think it's a useful book for people to read. There is mention of neutering throughout the book but not a great emphasis on it. I do believe the author is pro neutering though.  I would like to see something similar and more up to date that goes into fixed domestic rabbit behaviours and interactions.  

Any one got any suggestions on such a book?

I read A House Rabbit Primer - Understanding and Caring for your Companion Rabbit  by Lucile C Moore several months after I got Jersey. I found it really good. A good one for those new to House Rabbits.

I'm also reading (not much) Rabbit lopaedia - A complete guide to rabbit care by Meg Brown and Virginia Richardson  Jury is still out on this one. Admittedly, I've only flicked thru and read bits of it but some of the info seems.....out dated & inaccurate....

Sorry - I've made so many addition to my 1st post I thought I should stop doing that!

Wanted to add books I'm interested in.   I'm waiting on a library copy of The Rabbit Whisperer (lol) by Ingrid Tarrant . Anyone read it? Thoughts?

I also want to get When your rabbit needs special care by Lucile C Moore and Kathy Smith I think this one would be worth having a copy of at home.

When I first was about to get a bunny I got The Guide to Owning a Rabbit by Anne Lindsay. (this book is more for new rabbit owners though)

This was a very good book, it did not emphasize some things enough but it did give some good pointers that people buying a bunny would not know. For example it says that rabbits are recommended to be kept as inside pets, but it does not push the point. It gives examples of good indoor and outdoor homes and says they should be 4 time the rabbit and that the rabbit should get time to play outside of the cage every day. It also tells you that rabbits can be litter trained and says that you should not house bunnies in wire bottomed cages. One thing it does not say that I am sad about is that it does not say to not give your rabbit pellets with junk in them.

Now that i look it over again it actually is a very good book, I learnt a lot of things from it before I found this site. I got a pen for Fern and did not get Ceder or pine for her because this book said it was bad. This book only seem to lack in the diet department, but is very good otherwise. I also convinced my mom to get Fern spayed because of this book, it really is a very good book!

Glad to learn that Rabbitlopaedia - A complete guide to rabbit care by Meg Brown and Virginia Richardson is not recommendable, because I have been looking at that one.

I've been thinking about The Rabbit Whisperer, so JG, please update this thread once you have finished it.

I've also considered Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny (Paperback) by Chandra Moira Beal and Rabbit Health in the 21st Century Second Edition:A Guide for Bunny Parents by Kathy Smith.

Well, I'm not really reviewing any books in this posts, sorry, but just hoping somebody perhaps have read some of these books?

Posted By mocha200 on 04/17/2010 11:02 AM
do you have to pay to be a member? or give out private information?

Yes, you have to pay. I don't remember how much, but it wasn't that much. Also, you have access to all kind of seminars et.c on rabbits in your local area. Private information: You only have to write your name and address, if that is what you mean? But you can definitely trust House Rabbit Society, so no worries.

Posted By mocha200 on 04/17/2010 11:02 AM
do you have to pay to be a member? or give out private information?

For you in the States it would cost $18 per year to join them. Then you will be mailed their Journals. But the Journals are also available online, for non-members. Check them out, you might find some things you like to read up.

www.rabbit.org/journal/index.html

Posted By Sarita on 04/17/2010 11:05 AM
Rabbit Health in the 21st Century is excellent - I highly recommend this one.

Yes, that's one of the ones that my HRS required me to buy before I adopted Jeannie.  It's a good one.  I also had to buy House Rabbit Handbook How to Live with an Urban Rabbit, by Marinell Harriman.  I only flipped through it... the only section I really read was the bonding part which was pretty good.

Posted By mocha200 on 04/17/2010 07:16 PM
barbie: not to get off subject, but how long did it take to bond you to? cuz i am bonding mine right now and i was just curious.

Less than two weeks! 

You can read my whole bonding journey here: http://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/11/aft/109043/afv/topic/Default.aspx  There are videos and pictures too and one of my last posts is a list of tips that I learned along the way.

 Stories Rabbits Tell was interestingg, but parts I found a bit of a snoozer, (sort of textbookish  in style in some areas) but still educational! .  For those that don't know much about the book, it's not a care guide, but just as the subtitle states "A Natural and Cultural History of  a Misundestood Creature"  - though behavior and care tips are included in parts really is more about rabbits place in our past and present. 

Relaxed Rabbit: Massage for Your Pet Bunny:  I haven't used the techniques as much once I took some T-Touch classes at the House Rabbit Society, but when I did do these massages, I remember trying them out on Bailey --- she just melted. This thread has made me dig that book back out again (lucky Jack and Viv!) 

Posted By Beka27 on 04/17/2010 07:29 AM
 "When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care"!  

What did you think of this book?  I had planned on getting it as well.

I swear by the House Rabbit Handbook, which I bought before I found this site. It made such a difference in understanding how to care for Spockie.

I also purchased Rabbits for Dummies. I actually found it pretty helpful as a back up resource. And the back of the book listed many websites to go to for more info. which was very important. Both had chapters on certain things so you can skip around without any problem.

I am currently reading Clicking with Your Rabbit, and Karen Pryor's Reaching the Animal Mind. Very interesting, and off to a good start with my clicker for Sammy.

Posted By BinkyBunny on 04/18/2010 12:16 AM

Posted By Beka27 on 04/17/2010 07:29 AM
 "When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care"!  

What did you think of this book?  I had planned on getting it as well.

Loved it!!!!!  I think it's even better  than "Health in the 21st Century".  I prefer to get books at the library BEFORE purchasing, so I had to go thru the electronic library ordering system b/c my library didn't carry this.  It was sent to me from somewhere else and I kept it out as long as I posibly could... up to 20 renewals, before I had to finally give it back.  I still haven't gotten around to buying it unfortunately.  It has a great drug reference section in the back that helped me out quite a bit when people had questions about meds on here.

I am currently reading Clicking with Your Rabbit, and Karen Pryor's Reaching the Animal Mind. Very interesting, and off to a good start with my clicker for Sammy

I have the Rabbit Whisperere and do not like it.    I find  House RAbbit Handbook  so much better.    The  RW was a lot of the same thing but the layout of the book and the pages I didn't like.   Was hard to read.