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Littlemozart · Apr 24, 2011, 05:59 AM

A few weeks ago I bought an six weeks old rabbit. Don't know if it's a she or he, but that doesn't matter. It sleeps with it's eyes open, and I know that's normal, but today it's been sleeping very long. Perhaps 2 hours, and it looks like it'd dead, but I can see it breathing. Is my rabbit sick?
Please help me!
- Christine, 13 years old.

JudyKayTee · Apr 24, 2011, 10:33 AM

Only a Vet can tell you if your rabbit is sick. Did it somehow get exhausted and it's just very tired? Does it eat?

How long does it usually sleep?

I'm reading that they sleep a lot and often.

Our rabbit expert will be here shortly - I hope!

Littlemozart · Apr 25, 2011, 01:53 AM

I'm afraid I don't longer need answers. My dear, sweet, beautiful, gorgeous and kind rabbit Amadeus died yesterday. It was sudden, and nothing to do. We think it was something with the intestines or just pneumonia. Rabbit hides diseases very well, so it was hard for us to find it out. Once when I picked it up, a very thin diarrhea came out of the rabbit, and we called the wet. But it was too late. Suddenly it started to shake, and it looked like it had very ill stomack troubles. It was hard to watch, so I left the room. Then he just lay there and stopped breathing. He was so beautiful, and I don't why it died! I miss it so much.
My dear, dear, beautiful, handsome, gorgeous, kind, sweet and everything positive to say Amadeus<3

JudyKayTee · Apr 25, 2011, 06:43 AM

I'm sorry you lost your pet. I know it's hard to watch a pet die. I've been there many times, just like everyone else who ever loved a pet.

Before you get another rabbit you may want to read this - https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/other-...it-278170.html

Alty · Apr 25, 2011, 11:41 AM

Litttlemozart, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately rabbits are very finicky little animals, especially when they're young.

Rabbits under the age of 6 months die very easily. The least little thing can cause them to get sick, and once they're sick it's usually not long before they pass away.

Don't blame yourself for this. It was beyond your control.

One of the main reasons that rabbits seem to be fine one minute, and very ill the next, is that they're prey animals. The prey instinct is deeply ingrained. In the wild the sick don't last long, they're either kicked out of their family, or eaten by a predator. Alone, sick, they don't last long in the wild. Rabbits hide that they're ill for this reason.

Usually by the time the rabbit shows that it's sick, it's already too late.

Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Littlemozart · Apr 26, 2011, 09:16 AM

Thank you. I don't blame myself, but it's very sad. Good to know, Altenweg! JudyKateTee, I'll go to the site. Thanks for now!

JudyKayTee · Apr 26, 2011, 10:38 AM

Good that you realize it's not your fault. I myself had no idea rabbits were so complicated until "Alty" began posting. They are more complicated than dogs (with which I am very familiar). I had no idea there were so many types. I thought rabbits looked like all the other rabbits in the World - wrong!

If you have any photos of Amadeus, why don't you post them? We LOVE photos!

Alty · Apr 26, 2011, 12:31 PM

Yes, post a picture, sharing pictures may make you feel better, and goodness knows we love to see them. :)

Littlemozart · Apr 26, 2011, 01:55 PM

Sure, but if you want to see some photos you can go on my blog. Here is some links to photos of Amadeus:
http://littlemozart.blogg.no/1303723076_det_er_lite__gjre_ute.html
http://littlemozart.blogg.no/1303664090_amadeus_er_dd.html
http://littlemozart.blogg.no/1301930033_lion__rabbit.html
http://littlemozart.blogg.no/1301833494_say_hello_to_mrms_ama.html
Just warning you: it's the cutest rabbit you've ever seen, and plus my blog is on norwegian ;)

Alty · Apr 26, 2011, 02:04 PM

He's adorable. Looks like a little lionhead dwarf bunny. I have one of those, and another that's a lionhead harlequinn mix. :)

JudyKayTee · Apr 26, 2011, 02:38 PM

I actually had two rabbits - one got dropped off at my house, complete with a litter box, during the night. Have no idea where he came from but I had him about 4 years. Then I went out of town, my petsitter BOUGHT a companion rabbit for mine (who in their right mind does that?) - my rabbit (Sandy) got sick within 30 days and they both died. Vet said it was upper respiratory and we tried antibiotics but it was too late.

Alty · Apr 26, 2011, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by JudyKayTee

I actually had two rabbits - one got dropped off at my house, complete with a litter box, during the night. Have no idea where he came from but I had him about 4 years. Then I went out of town, my petsitter BOUGHT a companion rabbit for mine (who in their right mind does that?) - my rabbit (Sandy) got sick within 30 days and they both died. Vet said it was upper respiratory and we tried antibiotics but it was too late.

Respiratory problems is so very common with rabbits. The other bunny most likely brought it to your bunny, and once they get sick, it's usually too late to do anything, even with immediate vet care.

If you ever want another bunny say the word, I'll get you one and I guarantee it's health. :)

Littlemozart · Apr 27, 2011, 06:17 AM

Thanks. He was the cutest rabbit I've ever seen! And I've had two rabbits earlier that got 6 and 8 I think. Isn't 8 pretty old for a rabbit?
So sad, JudyKayTee!
Altenweg? Do you have many rabbits? :) And so lionhead harlequinn mix! :D

Alty · Apr 27, 2011, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Littlemozart

Thanks. He was the cutest rabbit I've ever seen! And I've had two rabbits earlier that got 6 and 8 i think. Isn't 8 pretty old for a rabbit?
So sad, JudyKayTee!
Altenweg? Do you have many rabbits? :) And so lionhead harlequinn mix! :D

Actually, most rabbits have an average life span of up to 12 years, depending on the breed, and how they're kept.

Indoor rabbits live longer then outdoor rabbits. Neutered and spayed rabbits live longer then unaltered rabbits. Diet plays a big part too.

I have 4 rabbits. Two of them are shelter rescues, one was found wandering the streets, and another (the lionhead dwarf) was a pet store purchase from a very reputable pet store.

LOL! Lionhead's are very cute, very tame rabbits. They aren't easy to find. Your bunny was likely a lionhead (I can tell by the fur) or a mix (hard to tell if he was mixed because he wasn't full grown).

Harlequins are beautiful bunnies. The most distinctive thing about them is their eyes. Their eyes are blue.

My lionhead harlequin mix is a rescue, her name is Kilala. She came from a rabbit hoarding house. The lady had over 200 rabbits and let them run free, and breed free. Kilala was only 1 and a half when she was rescued, and she was pregnant. They did a spay abort at the shelter, and then we adopted her. She's a little spitfire. :)

I also have a Rex. Rex's are very common and I guarantee you've all seen one once in your life. They're the black and white rabbits. Most of them look pretty similar. You can tell the difference between a female and a male very easily with Rex's. The females have a dulop, a little pouch under their chins. The males don't. Our Rex is named Oreo, and she was the one found wandering the streets.

I also have a mix of God only knows what. He's grey, He's the softest rabbit I've ever had, and his name is Thumper. He's a shelter rescue. He's had a tough life. He was bought, then released into the wild. The shelter tried to catch him for over a year, but had trouble. So, for at least a year he lived on the streets. He was finally caught, and adopted. He fought with the owners other bunny and was returned to the shelter. He was on death row when we arrived. He had issues with aggression, and didn't like people. He's my big suck. He sits on my lap, nibbles on his towel, and watches TV with me. He's a big baby, he just needed the right home. :)

Last, but not least, there's Cotton. Cotton was actually our first bunny as a family (not my first bunny, but my husband and my kids never had a bunny before Cotton). We went to the pet store in our town to get dog food, and there he was. I couldn't leave him there.

Our pet store hardly ever has rabbits. They sell fish, and birds, and pet supplies. On occasion they sell dogs from local people that had an accidental litter. Very rarely do they have rabbits. Cotton was from a local breeder. The breeder passed away, and the family didn't want to deal with his rabbits, so they tried to sell most of them, and gave many to the shelter. Cotton was a baby, only 4 weeks old. The pet store took him and a few others, but couldn't house too many.

I fell in love and brought him home. :)

Sorry, I tend to talk a lot about my bunnies. I'll never be a bunny free home. Just love these little animals too much. :)

Littlemozart · Apr 28, 2011, 07:10 AM

Thanks for the information! So cute you described your pets! I'll sure talk to you later if I'm wondering 'bout something! You should be a vet or something! :D

Alty · Apr 28, 2011, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by Littlemozart

Thanks for the information! So cute you described your pets! I'll sure talk to you later if I'm wondering 'bout something! You should be a vet or something! :D

Awww, thanks. Any time you have a question, I'm here.

Rabbits are my specialty. I've learned a lot about them in the 40 years I've been on this earth.

It's a bit late for me to become a vet, too much schooling for someone my age to undertake. Besides, I'm really not good with losing any animal, and that's sadly a big part of being a vet.

I've volunteered in rescue, and of course I have my little rescue animals. The 4 bunnies is just the tip of the iceberg. I also have 3 dogs, a bird, and two fish. I'd have more if my house were bigger. :)

Littlemozart · Apr 28, 2011, 01:04 PM

You're welcome!
So cool.
Yeye, oh, I actually didn't know. Is it hard to not save an animal if you're a vet?
So cool! Haha, I'm just thirteen so I have plenty of time. I want a cat, many, many rabbits, fishes, hamsters, rabbits and birds when I grow up. (Not on the same time of course. It's not smart to have a cat when you have rabbits and fishes.. :P) :D

Alty · Apr 28, 2011, 03:29 PM

LOL! I have a beagle and rabbits. Beagles are actually bred to hunt rabbits. They're fine together. Of course the rabbits are never loose when the beagle is around. I'm careful. But he does sniff noses with them through their cages, and he doesn't seem to be aggressive towards them. I still don't trust him to be loose with them. :)

I've always had a house full of pets. My dad was a huge animal advocate, and couldn't walk away from any animal in need. As a result we always had a house full of strays. All my friends were extremely jealous. They wouldn't have been if they'd seen all the work involved, and the cost.

You have tons of time to have all the pets you want. Now is a great time to start learning all you can about them. That's how I started. Then, when you're older, you'll have all the knowledge on these animals, and that can take you very far. :)

Maybe you'll be a vet.