Customer Reviews

House Rabbit Handbook: How to Live with an Urban Rabbit

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is by far the most intelligent and informative resource for those who love rabbits and want the best for them! This book gives rabbit owners practical guidelines into thinking "rabbit" and understanding how to make the best possible environments for rabbits in our human homes. Besides the comedic stories of indoor rabbits and their antics, it also gives concrete advise to solve any rabbit situation that may arise and medical information which can not be found anywhere else. Harriman has the mastered the system for everything "rabbit" and I highly recommend this book. In fact, without this book thousands of shelter rabbits, abandoned and rejected rabbits would never have found the gentle, wonderful second chances they have. My gratitude goes out to this house rabbit effort not only for my own shelter-saved house rabbit, Checkers, but for the others I have had the opportunity to help via Harriman's book and resource. I serve as a humane educator at our local shelter and this book is the core of everything we teach on rabbit ownership. Believe it!

I bought the first edition of this book years ago when I brought my first two bunnies home without knowing anything about how to keep them in the house. It told me everything I needed to know to start out, and how to get into the proper frame of mind to let the bunnies teach me everything else. The book goes beyond care instructions and maintaining health--it teaches you about interspecies relationships: human-rabbit, dog-rabbit, cat-rabbit, guinea pig-rabbit. I now work as the rabbit adoption coordinator for our local Humane Society and we always give this book out for free when someone adopts a bunny--it outlines our standard for humane bunny care. Every shelter director and worker should have a look at this book....it will transform the lives of rabbits in shelters who are often very misunderstood by their caretakers. The authors clearly understand and respect animals as valuable beings, not just as "playthings" for humans. Thus the book is a big step forward in the movement toward kindness and respect for all non-human beings with whom we share this earth.

THE HOUSE RABBIT HANDBOOK is an essential guide for anyone who has a rabbit as a house pet. The book contains information regarding rabbit behavior in a home that is very accurate; at least it seems accurate when I look at the behavior of my two rabbits. The author believes that rabbits can have just as much personality as a dog or a cat and assumes that people who keep rabbits as pets wish to interact with them. So if your goal is to keep a rabbit in a cage in the backyard, this book will not be all that helpful. If on the other hand you want a unique pet that is curious, capable of being entertaining, a bit on the mischievous side, and yes, even loving, this book will he of great help.

The book contains all the basic information about rabbit care in a home setting. Care, feeding, grooming, attending to health needs, and the like are covered. There are also suggestions about rabbit-proofing a home and the pros and cons of allowing rabbits to roam freely around the house.

For me, the most helpful section of the book dealt with introducing a new rabbit my first rabbit. I assumed that since he was so friendly, a new friend would be perfect. I was wrong. He was a terror and wanted nothing to do with his new playmate. Now one is lost without the other. The suggestions of this book really worked.

While the information in the book is based on sound veterinary advice, the reader quickly realizes that the author relies heavily on personal experience as well. The techniques she espouses flow from her experience. Ideally, people will want to read this book prior to getting a rabbit, especially since it contains valuable information about preparing for the rabbit to come home. However, if you, like me find yourself in a crisis situation with a rabbit and need to find a book with answers, this book will be a godsend.

Just one piece of advice. Don't leave the book on the floor by mistake. I am noticing a few little nibbles on the binding. Though I am a voracious reader, I do not think that the nibbles are the way I devour my books.

This book is very informative on all aspects of rabbit ownership, including Rabbit Body Language and what your pet is trying to tell you by the things he does (how he acts). Rabbits are not pets like cats and dogs in ANY WAY and this book makes that very clear. It also validates my decision to not take my rabbit to all the mothers from my work that are dying to have me take the rabbit to their house so that their little brats can carry it whenever they find out I have one! *LOL* Kids and most rabbits DONT MIX in a great deal of cases!

Chances are that if you have any question in the world about your rabbit, that it will be covered in this book despite the fact that it's not a very thick book. If you don't have a rabbit and you're thinking of getting one for the first time then you D.E.F.I.N.I.T.E.L.Y. need to get this book BEFORE you get the pet in your household! Please remember this!

Only one negative thing about this book: In SOME parts I feel that some general blanket-statements are made pertaining to what activities rabbits like (or DON'T LIKE). My rabbit couldn't be more different than what they're describing in these parts. This is, however a minor point. Get the book and you won't be sorry. It's worth its weight in gold.

If you are an animal lover, you know that animal fugitives often come to our doorstep in a box, thrown out of their homes by naiive people who didn't know what they were getting into, and bought a cute little fuzzy critter on impulse. Such was the case with my Steve (previously named Elsbeth), a cute fuzzy white bunny with pink eyes, and nice healthy teeth.

Hesitant about bring a pooer and a chewer into my home, I tentatively agreed and set about researching as much as possible about rabbits. I found nothing--nothing which would help me to stop him from chewing up yet another electrical chord or leather jacket or pair of shoes, and nothing to stop him from pooing and peeing everywhere, and trying to uh...have relations with my kitties!

My roommate and I loved our new fuzzy, long-eared, cotton-tailed addition to the family dearly, but we were starting to have nightmares about being buried under mountains of poo! I had never given up an animal in life, and would sooner cut off an arm than do so. But we made the decision to give him to a shelter, where I knew his chances of making it were slim.

That's when I found the House Rabbit Society, and their wonderful book. Now, all of a sudden, everything made sense. The handbook helped me to think like a rabbit, and now that I have bunny-proofed my home, and given him everything he needs to be a bunny, he, my 3 roommates, my 2 cats, and my dog live in [near-] perfect harmony.

And last February, we even adopted a second bunny to be his girlfriend (spayed of course) so he wouldn't be lonely. Now, I even foster other rabbit fugitives for The House Rabbit Society!

Unlike many other current "rabbit books" (which contain out-of-date and possibly harmful information), The House Rabbit Handbook is timely, factual, practical and dedicated to positive human/rabbit relations. The health, well-being, and quality-of-life of both you and your rabbit companion(s) will improve with the essentials provided by this book. Issues covered include a bunny-proof indoor environment, neutering/spaying, choosing a healthy rescued rabbit from a foster home or shelter, litterbox training, regular veterinary care from a QUALIFIED rabbit vet, unlimited Timothy hay, limited Timothy/alfalfa pellets, caring for a rabbit throughout their 10-12 year lifespan, resources such as The House Rabbit Society, and lots of inspiring anecdotes and advice. Our bunnies Funny, Henry, Porcini, Chana and Naomi fully recommend the latest edition of The House Rabbit Handbook!

This is the book that started it all. A lot of folks don't realize that before the first edition of HRH back in 1985, very few people even knew rabbits could be litterbox trained, let alone spayed and neutered. The 3rd edition takes all the new knowledge gleaned in House Rabbit Society foster homes in past years and provides you with a truly great resource.

Buy one for yourself -- one for your vet -- one for your local library -- one for your local animal shelter. And get a few extra to hand out to new bunny owners. It's as essential to a well-loved rabbit as hay, a great rabbit vet, and fresh veggies!

I recently got a Mini Holland Lop and didn't know very much about rabbits, until I read this book. Not only is it filled with information about rabbits, but it also tells that it is possible to make your rabbit a house rabbit. This book has 7 chapters:

1. Customs and Characteristics- the rabbit's mental make-up, what your rabbit's gestures mean, and personalities.

2. What to do before you get your rabbit- what should your rabbit's personality be? and preparing your rabbit's hutch.

3. Training- how to litter train, simple, yet clever "bunny-proofing" tecniques for your house, and toys that your rabbit will enjoy.

4. Interacting with humans- bitting isn't just a sign of aggression, and handling your rabbit properly.

5. How rabbits interact with other animals- how to introduce rabbits to other animals such as dogs, cats, other rabbits, and gluinea pigs.

6. Meeting your rabbits physical needs- what your rabbit's diet should consist of, exercise, grooming, and keeping your rabbit's environment clean.

7. Medical Care- Taking your rabbit to the vet, to fix or not to fix?, the digestive process, common illnesses, and the care of young rabbits.

Since reading this book I've found myself able to better understand my rabbit, and I have also been able to better care for her. Also, following this book's instructions, I have sucessfully litter trained my rabbit!

If you have a rabbit, are planning on getting one, or just are interested in learning about rabbits, make sure to read this book!

This book may look small, but it is packed with so much helpful information. I grew up on farms with rabbits and *thought* I knew all there was to know concerning them, but I was so wrong! This book offers explanations on rabbit body language (very helpful!) and genreal behavior as well as gives tips on health care, litter training, and introducing a new bunny to your pet cat and/or dog. It explains why rabbits need toys and offers suggestions on what to feed your pet rabbit (and what not to feed him!). This book has really transformed the way I view rabbit care. If you have a rabbit or are considering getting one, please do yourself and your bunny a favor and read this book.

I'm not sure I understand why this book has received so many positive reviews. While the writer clearly has plenty of experience with and knowledge about rabbits, the information is not well organized and is often unclear. For instance, in the section on bunny-proofing your home, she never provides a simple list of the hazards and what to do about each. Instead, she opens with a list of questions and then transitions into a list of solutions--but the lists aren't coordinated. At one point, she mentions a solution for hiding hardwood floors and baseboards, but she never says what bunnies *do* to either. Chew? Scratch? How? I need a list of everything bunnies might damage followed by solutions for each. Another example: In the section about multiple rabbits, she focuses on introducing rabbits to each other but says very little about adopting a bonded pair. Is this better than adopting a single bunny? Why? Is it more or less work, and in what way?

My sense is that the author has been dealing with bunnies for so long that she doesn't quite know how to talk to a beginner--and that the editor doesn't understand the benefit of numbered and bulleted lists.