Ask Mrs. Bun

ASK MRS. BUN ... on personal habits

Column from Volume 10, Number 1:

I like to drink. Not to excess, but I do drain the bottle pretty regularly. What with this water input, I have a like amount of, um, output. This wouldn't be a problem, except my caretaker doesn't ensure that my litterbox stays dry. I often end up with dirty feet and a wet rear. What kinds of tips can I give my faithful but not-to-bright servant, besides CHANGE THE LITTERBOX MORE OFTEN!!?!

Damp in Dumas

Dear Damp:

Now, don't be too hard on your human. They tend to be absent-minded, and they say litter costs them money, whatever that is. The key to keeping your foot fur pristine is layering.

Litterbox layering can take many forms. The simplest is a thick pad of newspaper under a generous helping of hay. The hay on top forms a barrier that stays pretty dry and drains your liquid output down to the absorbent paper. And the hay makes a tasty and healthful snack, as well.

A drawback to this method is that a paper-hay box must be changed every day or the paper will be overwhelmed and wetness and smelliness will result. And if you are the type who likes to chow down on paper, this method is not for you.

Many folks layer paper, absorbent litter--such as clay kitty litter, safe pine litter (such as Feline Pine brand), aspen litter, or recycled paper litter--and then a top dressing of hay.Again, if you eat too much paper that layer should be eliminated.

Another method, which saves some of that money substance, is to layer a very absorbent but expensive litter such as Feline Pine under a cheaper litter, such as clay. As always, a fresh daily serving of hay on top is welcome.

Litter-layered boxes can be absorbent and keep things dry and smelling fine for up to a week, even for titan tipplers like you.

My nails are getting kind of long, and my human doesn't quite know how to go about trimming them. I would prefer a nice pedicure myself, but in lieu of that, how can I teach my human to trim my nails so I don't keep catching them on the cage wire?

Bleeding in Buda

Dear Bleeding:

You didn't happen to specify if your nails are black or white. White nails are very easy. Mine are white, and I like to have them trimmed and polished every two months. This would be the optimal schedule. For white nails, simply look for the quick (the pink part of the nail) and trim at least an eight of an inch above that. If the nails are black, you will need to backlight them with a flashlight so that you can see the quick. If your human manages to nick you too close and you bleed, he can use QuickStop or another preparation from a pet store to stop the bleeding. Flour has also been known to work in a pinch. You could also trim them yourself, but other bunnies' experiences with self-trimming have not been terribly successful.

Hey! Do you know Heloise of helpful "Hints" fame?  I need to get some information on an alternative home remedy.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the nail-trimming part of my grooming sessions. It sure beats ripping those babies off on floor wire! However, my human is getting on in years (40ish) and the eyesight must be going, because my quicks get nicked occasionally.

They use this stuff called "Quik Stop," but it's a styptic powder deal that HURTS!  You (or Heloise) got any ideas on another way to stop the bleeding without the pain?

Please answer this soon; they groom me regularly and I need to be prepared.  Thanks!

Tootsie

Dear Toots:

No need to bother San Antonio's Heloise - she's busy enough.  I happen to have a nifty, painless, natural solution: flour.  Yep, fine flour will stanch the flow enough to encourage clotting.  You do have to use more than you would styptic powder, but it's cheaper.  For the ultimate in PC, be sure to use organically grown, unbleached, non-wheat flour.

An even better solution is to persuade your human to splurge on spectacles.  Can you read THIS, aging human?  GET NEW GLASSES!

Dear Mrs. Bun:

Sometimes when I'm eating I make a sound that startles my mom.  It's sort of like a "snort," and almost always happens when I'm eating.  It comes from my throat, and I guess the closest equivalent would be a human belch.   I've never heard another rabbit make this sound.  Is this normal?

Snorting in South Austin

Dear Snorting:

Well, yes, it is normal, for rabbits that inhale their food and don't take time to taste it. Or for rabbits that have nasal problems. Has your otolaryngologist checked out the state of your nasal passages lately?

Dear Mrs. Bun:

Sometimes I get the hiccups when I eat too fast. What can rabbits do to cure the hiccups?

Hiccups

Dear Hiccups:

Well, rabbits can't do anything to cure hiccups themselves other than try to inhale the contents of a water bottle, but there are some things humans can do that you won't like. One would be to startle you, scare you or chase you around. The other would be to force feed you something like Laxatone. Either way is the icky human equivalent of making you eat a spoonful of sugar. If they try to stick your head in a paper bag and tell you to breath deeply, though, just eat your way out of the bag. You won't have hiccups for very long either way.

Column from Volume 6, Number 1:

My Dinky is peeing on the couch a lot. What a mess! How can I get him to stop without having to confine him to his cage?

One explanation is that Dinky isn't getting the attention and play time with you that he needs. I have known rabbits who are little angels when they get enough attention, but turn into terrorists when frustrated and bored. If you have been able to spend less time with him than previously, there are a couple of remedies. One is to try to integrate more time with Dinky into your schedule. If that's not possible right now, you should consider a companion for him, such as another rabbit. Another possibility is that his couch fetish has nothing to do with attention and play time, but more to do with the sofa feeling soft under his feet like a litter box. You could try covering the couch with a cheap shower curtain or clear rolled plastic that's used for dropcloths for painting. The hard, crackling surface will be less inviting to him, and it will make accidents easier to clean up. I have heard of humans who tried this and within a few days the behavior stopped.