Rabbit Books

[bunty]

I have just recently read two rabbitbooks. The first one was Why does My Rabbit Do That and the second onewas Stories Rabbits Tell. They both are very good but the second upsetme about the rabbit industry but would recommend to all. Also I readone about King Murphy to my buns, It made me cry but they like to hoparound and sit on my back when I read to them.

 

[pamnock]

I have not read "Stories Rabbits Tell", but therehas been much controversy over the book. I prefer to stay outof the politics of the rabbit world and do not cast judgement on theauthor who is working with information she was privy too. Ican however, certainly offer a equal amount of horror stories from theexperiences I have witnessed in dealing with pet owners, which led meto the decision not to sell pet rabbits. A high percentage ofpet rabbits suffer the horrors of neglect, mutilation andstarvation. If breeders witnessed what actually happens tomany of the pets they sell, I can guarantee that many would immediatelystop any pet sales. Most of us on the internet only see thebright side of pet ownership, as those participating on the forums arevery dedicated to their animals. However, there is anothergroup of uncaring pet owners lurking in the dark shadows that mostpeople are unaware of.

On a brighter note:

I've always enjoyed the book "Lop Rabbits as Pets" by SandyCrook. An excellent book for rabbit owners of any breed, andone of the first books I purchased when we got our first Holland Lop.

The 8th Edition of "Rabbit Production" is considered the "Bible" forrabbit breeders, however, pet owners will also find it very informative.

I also recommend Kathy Smith's "Rabbit Health 101" (now reprinted undera new title). This handy book is a "must have".

Pam N.

 

[HankHanky]

I have read"Stories that Rabbits Tell"

I have nothing but BAD things to say about it. This due to theone-sided slant by ARA's who are so against Breeders. So, I willrefrain from saying what I would like to.

Suffice it to say that in my opinion, that book belongs on the trash-heap! JMPO.

Dennis,C.V.R. [A Breeder and Danged PROUD of it!]:dude:'S

 

[bunty]

The Rabbit Health Book by Kathy Smith is adefinate must have. I use it so much. I agree about the bad side of petownership being in rabbit rescue and getting in all those unlovedneglected crestures and those are only the luck ones who have not beenmurdered. Some times I feel just so overwelmed by all theabuse in the world. I am a firm believer in breeders as they are theones who try to produce offspring who fit the breed standards to helpinsure temperment type etc. There are bad in all people who just breedfor money and do not care after the aminal leaves there house and checkis cashed. The Book Stories Rabbits Tell opened my eyes as aperson in rabbits because I was only aware of the nice side of petownership and when I started the lady who took me under her wing didnot show me all the horror at first because I could not have handledit. My favorite aprts were about the authors eg.potter. I cried when rabits come to rescue filled with buckshot as they were used for target practice and thrown along the roadwith theeir umbilicus still intact. I have so much to learn in rabbitsand want all the knowledge I can get

 

[Carolyn]

Greetings Bunty,

I've not read 'Stories Rabbits Tell', but I've heard from more than afew sources that the authors were called to task on some of theirwritings and how they surmised their story. Let's just say, they're notLily White.

Have to be careful of those that swing far right or far left in my opinion.

Kathy Smith is a most excellent source of information as Pamnock hadrecommended, and she also suggested the 8th edition of "RabbitProduction" which was the best $35 I've ever spent. It'squite scientific and often over my head, but I definitely refer to itall the time. It's the kind of thing that sinks in after I've read it acouple of times.

(this one's forHankHanky)
-Carolyn [A Pet Owner and Danged PROUD of it!] :dude:

* * * * * *

Bunty: The book I recommend, if you can find it because it's out ofprint, is the book that "Watership Down" was based on. R.M. Lockley's"The Private Life of the Rabbit." He studied rabbits for 6 years of hislife. Excellent book.

 

[Buck Jones]

Funny you should mention The Private life ofthe Rabbit by R.M. Lockley. I just started to re-read ittoday, for the third time in an attempt to glean some more informationI may have missed in the past.

In Chapter 1, The Mind of the Rabbit, he makes such agreat statement, and I quote:" As we shall seethroughout our story, humans are so rabbit."

His book was the source information for Richard Adams' WatershipDown, and one of the few books I've been able to finddevoted solely to rabbit behavior. The only otherone I've come across is Anne McBride's, Why Does My Rabbit...?

As matter of fact, I just, this afternoon, ordered her earlierbook(1988), Rabbits and Hares, which I believe was based uponher doctoral dissertation work, to see what all informationit might contain. She said that at that time, it was more aptto be found in the nature section of a book store, because rabbitshadn't yet become the popular pet in England, that they noware.They have apparentlysurpassed thedog, there, and are gaining on the cat.

Buck

 

[bunty]

I found a copy of the Private Life of a Rabbit andordered it now I have to wait 4 weeks to have it shipped from England.I can't wait



Thank you

 

[Buck Jones]

My copy of Rabbits and Hares is beingshipped from England, as well. Life of the Rabbit wasa milestone in its time, and I often see it quoted as source in otherguide books, literary works, or scientific papers. Apparentlythere have not been too many studies like it done, before orsince. Mr. Lockley made many diagrams of the various rabbits'territories, which I can rarely make sense of, but I read it for thedescription of the rabbits' behaviors.

His "wild" rabbits, by the way, are the same species as ourdomestic rabbits. He was not writing about cottontails, norhares. If you have never read Richard Adams' WatershipDown, you may want to, in order to see how Adams used Lockley'sbehavioral descriptions to bring "accurate" life to his poignant novel.


Buck

 

[MyBunnyLovesMe]

I haven't read any rabbit books...any information I know I've gotten from you guys...you guys are my book....lol

 

[BunnyMommy]

These all sound like more great reads that I need to add to my personal library.

Thanks for these excellent reviews.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

You're slightly wrong there MyBunnyLovesMe. They aren't you're book, they're better then any book! lol.

 

[MyBunnyLovesMe]

My mistake! You're right!!! I'd take the forumsover any book One, I hate reading and this isn't really having toread through pages upon pages lol and Two, I've come to trust everyoneon here and have put the life of my buns in everyones hands!

 

[pamnock]

Buck Jones wrote:

Mycopy of Rabbits and Hares is being shipped from England, aswell. Life of the Rabbit was a milestone in its time,and I often see it quoted as source in other guide books, literaryworks, or scientific papers. Apparently there have not beentoo many studies like it done, before or since. Mr.Lockley made many diagrams of the various rabbits' territories, which Ican rarely make sense of, but I read it for the description of therabbits' behaviors.

His "wild" rabbits, by the way, are the same species as ourdomestic rabbits. He was not writing about cottontails, norhares. If you have never read Richard Adams' WatershipDown, you may want to, in order to see how Adams used Lockley'sbehavioral descriptions to bring "accurate" life to his poignant novel.


Buck

I find that many of the older and english publications focus onsomething that is so overlooked today -- the basics. One ofmy treasured handbooks is "American Angora" by Allan Gilbert publishedin 1942. The sound information in this book still holds verytrue today. It seems like everyone is looking for the "magicfix" to perfect rabbits/breeding when it's simply all in the verybasics of animal management/husbandry.

Pam

 

[Buck Jones]

pamnock wrote:


"I find that many of the older and english publications focus onsomething that is so overlooked today -- the basics. One ofmy treasured handbooks is "American Angora" by Allan Gilbert publishedin 1942. The sound information in this book still holds verytrue today. It seems like everyone is looking for the "magicfix" to perfect rabbits/breeding when it's simply all in the verybasics of animal management/husbandry."



I most emphatically agree with Pam. Several of thebooks in my rabbit library are copyrighted in the 1940's and I usetheir bibliographies to search for contemporary books of the times onthe Internet. Most often it is fruitless. The lastI located, printed in 1898, was an 8 volume series costing over athousand dollars! LOL A bit out of my league, I'm afraid.

These books were printed during a time where there was no pelleteddiet, nor did most rabbit keepers have access to "rabbit-wiseveterinarians," hence there was a greater need for self-reliance thanthere may be nowadays. I enjoy reading about thatand it sharpens my own discerning eye when dealing with potentialrabbit health problems.

Forums are neat and cool, but they, by and large, deal only withspecifics and "snippets" of information, the validity of which is noteasily confirmed. Publishers, due to the expense involved inprinting a book, often took pains to insure the information wasfactual, or the author was a bona fide expert in the field hewas writing about.

Books and the printed word are often more comprehensive than what I amable to find on the Internet. They require no electricity,can be read intermittently, don't crash, and can be read and/orstudied while in bed, or in other favorite reading locationsin the household(LOL)where we don't have a computer.

Books were always friends to me and, maybe, I'm just a child of mytimes with my utmost respect and love for them. I think ourculture is beginning to suffer some of the ill affects of notreading and learning vicariously, through books, by obtaininginformation rapidly, intensely, but superficially from the media andcomputers.

Many years ago, someone converted the actual text of an one hournewscast on TV into NY Times newsprint. The actual verbiageand information transmitted to the viewer would have encompassed onlythree pages of the NY Times! Need I say more...about thedumbing of America?

P.S. The last I checked, the NY Times was being written at a7th grade reading level. Where does that leave USA Today,People Magazine, or TV, for that matter?

Buck

 

[Carolyn]

Congratulations, Bunty, for finding the Private Life of a Rabbit by R.M. Lockley.

It's a most fascinating story the author is on estate and from1954-1959 where he observed the warren as his full-time job. He wasable to monitor their behavior in the underground because he had a roomwith a glass wall on it and was able to see what rabbits were pairingup and what ones weren't, etc.

The story starts off with 2 bucks and some does and the Chief Buckbullies the other one into submission by fighting, as in nature mostanimals do. Along comes another buck in another part of the warren thatis willing to be second in line, so he beats up on the weaker one andfinds his own territory to watch over. We're brought along as thisweaker rabbit is forced to stay just on the line of the fence, not beaccepted into the group, but still wanting to have the social contact.

(If you've never read Watership Down, it's a must. It's fiction, butwas based on the stories and experience that R.M. Lockley wrote aboutin this book. The author of Watership Down does have a rabbit thatrepresents the weak one I've just spoken about. I was glad to seeRichard Adams honor that poor, bullied, lonely rabbit.)

In The Private Life of a Rabbit, as an experiment, they take out theChief Buck for some time and when he's returned to the Warren after hissabbatical, the Second in Line becomes Chief and the original Chiefquickly learns that he has been thrown off his throne.

It's not written the way I have tried to transcribe it, but it's afascinating and a most interesting non-fiction story of how the rabbitsare in nature and with each other.

I'm really glad you found it!

* * * * * * * *

BuckJones and Pamnock,

There was one time when I was sharply criticized for quoting somethingfrom an old rabbit reference book. The poster told me that theinformation was 'outdated' and therefore, irrelevant.

I thank you for what you've said above.

-Carolyn

 

[bunty]

I am glad to hear about all rabbit books, I readthem to the guys as their bedtime story. They did not likeStories Rabbits Tell and my husband was upset I showed them thosepictures, especially our NZW