Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicki S
Ahh see hers were two brothers so it's weird comparing them with cats but the way Tom cat wee stinks more than a girl cats is it kinda like a scent marker with male rabbits then? My wee boy has been on about rabbits for ages too is it true u have to lift them by scruff because the under belly lining is so thin you can damage their internals by lifting underbelly? Sorry for all the questions and did you get him?
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When rabbits scent mark, they don't wee unlike cats and similar animals. They have scent glands under their chin and will rub their chin on objects (this behaviour is called chinning) to mark it as theirs. Guinea pigs do spray to scent though. But my rabbits and guinea pigs are kept outside so this isn't a problem for me.
Male rabbits smell more than females, my boy's urine smells a lot stronger than my female (but then again, she drinks more water than he does)
When you pick up a rabbit, you don't have to scruff them. While you can, there is no harm in it so long as you support their hind end, picking them up like you would a cat, is no problem either. So long as you don't pick them up by your hand around their stomach area (you can pick them up with your hands on their ribs and then when the rabbit is lifted up off the ground, use one hand to support their bum) as this isn't protected by anything other than fluff and flesh. Its really hard to explain, but there are plenty of you tube videos showing how to correctly pick up and hold a rabbit!
Also, i don't recommend rabbits for young children. Most rabbits hate being picked up. Normally, when your holding them they are absolutely fine, its the picking up part that they don't like. They are prey animals so being lifted up off the ground is probably very scary for them. They often kick and wriggle, often scratching you (not on purpose, they just want to be back on the ground) so this is something to be aware of if your looking to get rabbits.
If you want a good pet for children, i'd personally go with guinea pigs. Although hard to catch, they are wonderful little animals. My girls will sit on my lap for hours with no problems! When you catch them they are fine, all they do is run away from you so its a matter of getting them in a corner and just scooping them up
Possible new rabbit!
. I love looking at animals on gumtree and pets4homes but i'm at capacity for pets at the moment. Although i was seriously tempted by an absolutely gorgeous chocolate syrian hamster on gumtree yesterday, already over a year old but she was absolutely stunning and looked a lovely character. Oh dear... I hope someone nice gets her. Want to see bunny pics..... 
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