Two More Quick Questions!

[Preston]

[align=center]Hi there,

I apologize for the second thread, but I can't edit my posts if it's not within three hours, so I couldn't add questions to my previous thread.

Anyhow, I wanted to ask this really quick. A friend of mine dyes their rabbit's fur. Not sure exactly with what, but supposedly it's safe non-toxic animal dye. I was trying to tell them it probably wasn't good for the rabbits, but when asked why, I really couldn't think of an answer. With this harm their rabbits, or is it safe? Apparently their rabbits really don't seem to mind it at all.

Second question, this is about housing, but I really didn't want to make another thread in the housing section because I know people don't like when people make multiple threads in a short time frame. Would is be alright if I make my rabbit's cage have three wood walls? I really want them to feel safe and secure, so I was only going to make the front NIC grids, so it wasn't completely open. If I make three of the walls wood and the front an NIC grid, will it get enough ventilation? Will it get too hot? Also, would the rabbit find a way to chew the walls, or is it not possible for them to chew flat surfaces?

Thank you!

~Preston[/align]

 

[Nelsons_Mom]

I would worry about ventilation and temp control with three full walls. Not to mention it would be so dark! You're better off just having a cardboard box inside the cage to provide a place to hide. If anything, my rabbits get MORE anxious when something is going on and they can't see it.

As for the dye, rabbits groom themselves and would therefore ingest the dye as it breaks down on the strands. You can apparently dye with koolaid, but then I'd be worried about my bunny injesting all of the horrible processed sugars. A lot of the time "pet safe dye" is intended for dogs who don't meticulously groom themselves like cats and bunnies. I would definitely urge them to stop dying their rabbits. I don't know who would even think to do something like that, to be honest.

 

[majorv]

Oh, they'll figure out a way to chew a flat surface, even wood! I put my rabbit's cage too close tothe wall and I now have little holes in the sheetrock where she managed to get her teeth through the wire and knaw on it.Personally, I don't see the need for three of the walls to bewood. An enclosure within the pen could serve the same purpose.

 

[Preston]

[align=center]Ah, I was under the impression that four see-through walls would stress them out and make them feel they have no place to hide. Would one or two walls be alright, or is that still pushing it?

After calling him up, it seems he uses safe food dye that only lasts two days. I guess he might use it on a holiday or something?? Is food dye safe, or no?

Thanks!

~Preston[/align]

 

[agnesthelion]

I would not worry about having any solid walls. There are many products out there that can provide bunny with a hide out if need be, or heck, a card board box with a cut out can work too!

You may also find that after bunny gets used to his/her surroundings they don't even need a hideout! Agnes is rarely in hers.

As far as dye, I'd be more worried about the process I guess. If it is a safe dye, non toxic, then the dye itself is probably fine. But the process of dying, if it scares or stresses the bun out, not good. But if the bunny doesn't mind then, eh, probably not worth getting worked up over.....

 

[LakeCondo]

Food dyes are considered safe enough, but that doesn't make them good. Virtually all the food dyes are petroleum-based, though some are made from insect exoskeletons etc.

And I don't understand how it comes out in only 2 days. Does he use another chemical to remove it? If it's easy to remove the rabbit surely is ingesting it when he grooms.

As someone else mentioned, I see no reason to dye an animal. If you must do it, use natural dyes such as beet juice, pumpkin puree, pureed grass, etc. And then let it fade naturally.

 

[Preston]

[align=center]Actually, the food dye comes out within two or three days by itself. It just kind of fades while he rolls around and such. I misunderstood and thought he was doing the entire body, but it turns out he has some discolored patches of fur that he's touching up. Isn't it still wrong? Or is it just me?

The reason I was asking about the three walls is because on other websites I've seen set-ups like that before and the owners said their bunnies love it. Would one or two walls be okay?

~Preston[/align]

 

[MiniLopHop]

Here is one of my set ups, just for ideas. There are three walls just because of it being a room. I also give them a hide box that they like to zoom through and sometimes lay in. When I took the picture they were in their "burrow".

 

[Nelsons_Mom]

I still don't understand the dye. The color of a bunnies fur is irrelevant unless you show.

And where are you seeing four solid walls? I'd like to look because I know my buns would be miserable! They love to look out and see what's going on. They get nervous when they can hear things and not see the source. I think that by having any solid walls as part of the cage, in my opinion, is asking for a nervous jumpy rabbit! Though, of course, my cage is backed against the wall.

 

[Preston]

[align=center]Thank you so much, I'm more of a visual person so that's exactly what I needed to see. Out of curiosity, what's that fish tank type thing in the bunny's cage? Looks like it has hay of sorts?

~Preston[/align]

 

[Preston]

Nelsons_Mom wrote:

I still don't understand the dye. The color of a bunnies fur is irrelevant unless you show.

And where are you seeing four solid walls? I'd like to look because I know my buns would be miserable! They love to look out and see what's going on. They get nervous when they can hear things and not see the source. I think that by having any solid walls as part of the cage, in my opinion, is asking for a nervous jumpy rabbit! Though, of course, my cage is backed against the wall.

[align=center]Thanks, but what I'm really trying to find out is if it's harmful for the rabbits. So far it seems it's not, so I can't really tell him it is. Thanks though!

No no, not four walls, three. I was planning to do an indoor cage, but I guess I wasn't taking into consideration that outdoor hutches might need three walls, not indoor ones. Here's one of the ones I was referring to:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=74065&forum_id=1

~Preston
[/align]

 

[Preston]

[align=center]This is also the type of thing I was talking about, though mine would have NIC grids in the front.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=thre...145&tbnw=172&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:197,i:6

Yes, I know the run is for chickens, I came to find out whether or not it would be suitable for a rabbit. Mine would be much larger.

~Preston[/align]

 

[LakeCondo]

If the dye fades, that really means it flakes off in microscopic pieces, many of which surely licked off by the rabbit.

The dye seems to be to entertain the owner & perhaps to be a fashion accessory. It would be better, in my opinion, to use the dye only on the person's hair.

 

[MiniLopHop]

The tank is their dig box. It has clean dirt. They love to jump in and go to town. The back of it is their litter box with the hay wrack over it. With a flat picture it is hard to see the depth. Some hay does fall into the dig box as well.