Best rabbit pet care books according to redditors

Ferrets For Dummies https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470139439/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GuSCzbG3RRERN

Start with this one. EDUCATE YOURSELF!

1. Expect to pay roughly $500-700 in initial startup costs. This includes the cost of a ferret, a cage, and all the necessary supplies. You will need: food/water bowls (heavy ceramic), a litter box, litter scooper, litter, food (please see the kibble comparison chart on the sidebar), toys, and beds.
   
   
2. No. Ferrets have very sensitive upper respiratory systems. Do not keep a fan directly on or near them, you can quite easily cause a respiratory infection. To keep them cool during the summer months, you will have to put some effort into it - freeze water bottles and tuck them inside of a t-shirt, then lay that in the cage. You can also stick ceramic tiles in the fridge overnight, then line the cage floor with them when it starts to get warm. Ferrets do NOT do well in heat. They don't have a way to cool themselves off, they don't sweat and they only pant as a last ditch effort before they succumb to heat. Anything over 23C is considered dangerous. Once you hit 26C you are playing with their lives. You MUST keep them cool.
   
   
3. The Ferret Nation is considered the "Cadillac of Ferret Cages". I think most people who are serious about their ferrets eventually get one.. they are the only cages that I know of where all 4 doors swing wide open. You can add onto them if you like (if you ever get more ferrets.. ferret math is easy to get sucked into!), they are easy to clean, and easy to move. They are huge cages, but a single story one should be plenty of room for just 2 ferrets. They are expensive.. but well worth it, and pretty much everyone on this subreddit will agree to that.
   
   
4. Ferret Proofing 101
   
   
5. Don't really have any horror stories, so here's some general things I'd like to add:
   
   

• Read our FAQ thread
  
• Find an actual exotics vet near you that specializes in ferrets, find out what they charge for yearly checkups, distemper shots, blood glucose testing after your ferret hits 3 yrs old, and Lupron shots/deslorelin implant if they wind up with adrenal disease, and most importantly: EMERGENCY VISITS! Every year, about 50% of ferret owners wind up in the emergency room with their ferret. THIS IS IMPORTANT. FIND YOUR VET NOW BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU HAVE TO SCRAMBLE.
  
• Sign up for a credit card that is only for your ferrets. Use it only in emergency situations.
  
• Read through the FAQ thread again.
  
• Pick up a copy of the Ferrets for Dummies book. It's kind of the "Ferret Bible".

The House Rabbit Handbook is one of the best books money can buy on house rabbit care. As a more immediate resource, Rabbit.org is available along with the lovely wabbitwiki sneaky_dragon linked.

I'll echo the other posters here - ferrets will get sick more often than a dog, in my experience. I think of it as their life is condensed to 7-10 years compared to a cat or dog's 15-18 years. A dog will have a good 10 to 12 years before it might have cancer or die or old age, whereas a ferret will run into problems around the age of 4 to 6. Ferrets are such sweet, joyful, punchy-personality & heart-capturing creatures. I imagine it must be equally tough with rats not living very long?

If you haven't heard of it already, read Ferrets for Dummies. Yes really - it's THE ferret book, and explains all their conditions and risks.

We try to always have $1k emergency money that we can use on ferret vet bills. We feed them the best food we can find, and keep up on their hygiene. Make sure they don't eat anything they shouldn't - fabric, rubber, plastic - due to risk of intestinal blockage. This should cover your bases fairly well.

Edit: out of curiousity, I looked it up: black footed ferrets live 8-9 years in captivity, maybe up to 12. Polecats live up to 14 in captivity?

They're super smart and depending on their personalities can be super cuddly or a bit more aloof, or somewhere in between. I've seen people liken them to tiny dogs which I would say isn't too far off. They're quite social and nocturnal and don't exactly do well alone, so get a pair if you can. :) I've only ever had males, so their potty habits are the only thing I can speak to. Our rats would poo outside the cage when we first got them, but now they'll run back and use their litter box if they have to go. As far as pee goes, they do tend to pee on things quite a bit. It's generally only a little bit, but still pee. We had all of our boys neutered and that has cut down quite a bit. :)

Edit: I found this book to be quite helpful before I bought them. The price is quite low so it may be something to consider if you're curious.

For sure, this book helped me out a lot to learn about these beautiful creatures. Rainbow Boa. Rainbow Boas as Pets. Rainbow Boa, Biology, Behavior, Husbandry, Daily Care, Enclosures, Costs, Diet, Interaction and Health. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1911142399/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UzpPzbSNK9S38

How much do you know about monitor lizards in general? I would suggest reading science books about monitor lizards, but also this site, though not about Savannahs at all, is full of information that is applicable to monitor lizards in general. It's where I started. https://www.varanusmelinus.com/info/varanids/

Varanoid Lizards of the World is an excellent resource https://www.amazon.com/Varanoid-Lizards-World-Eric-Pianka/dp/0253343666/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JZVOJRA3CU0F&keywords=varanoid+lizards+of+the+world&qid=1559192860&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=varanoid+lizards+of+the+%2Cpets%2C197&sr=1-1-catcorr

I also use this book as a reference. It's easy to read and provides some good general husbandry information. https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-behavior-enclosures-interaction-included/dp/1910617121/ref=pd_sim_14_2/141-4324967-5761057?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1910617121&pd_rd_r=e0f679c2-8298-11e9-b5fd-65c62fe45754&pd_rd_w=fpdTI&pd_rd_wg=hbz6b&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=3GH8Y9DEQ2M1MVM17D6K&psc=1&refRID=3GH8Y9DEQ2M1MVM17D6K

Plus, it's a pet with hands...

Aww, how awesome of you for taking in a probably-abandoned bun (there are unfortunately many post-Easter throwaways). I've got two adopted rabbits myself.

Judging from the utter lack of a dewlap, I'd guess it's a boy. First and foremost, do you have a litterbox for him yet? Rabbits are easily litter-box trained. You should get him one and put in some wood pellets (the kind they sell in feed stores for horse stables -- super cheap) or recycled paper pellets (like Yesterday's News) and a big handful of good quality hay.

Someone posted a link to the House Rabbit Society's website already, which is a really good resource. I'd also recommend this if you can get your hands on it somewhere. Also, if you have any questions on rabbit care, feel free to PM me.

Congrats on your new ferret! I highly suggest you pick up Ferrets for Dummies to help you learn all about being a ferret owner!

• For the boxspring, you just need a fitted sheet or 2. Put one on the underside of the boxspring. If it does not stay very well on its own, then put the other fitted sheet on top to hold it on. This worked for me and my 5 ferrets when they had access to my bedroom :) Go to a thrift store and buy the fitted sheets for cheap!
  
  
• As for the fridge and stove, that gets a little trickier. You can use scraps of wood to block off the underside and spaces on the sides of the units. Most home improvement stores have a scrap bin that has tons of pieces that should work well for incredibly cheap.
  
  
• Something else that tends to be forgotten is the spaces under your cabinets. Some cabinets have space under with a gap that ferrets can easily fit through. There can be unknown holes for pipes that go into the walls/floors/outside. You may also want to block this off with wood, or just block access to the kitchen all together.
  
  
• Your other option is to get a ferret playpen to block off the kitchen. You can get one like this. I know it may seem expensive, but its so versatile, I couldn't imagine not having one. The kitchen can be a dangerous place for ferrets, so my business has no access to the kitchen because of this.
  
  It's a dangerous game to play having a pet when they are not allowed. Hopefully your complex gives notice when they plan to come in. Recruit a friend to be your ferret sitter in case you need to house him temporarily somewhere else. Have a plan before you need it!

Ferrets for Dummies was a lifesaver for me when I got my first ferret and I still consult it. Also, they are so very inquisitive so ferret proofing your home is an ongoing task, even the smallest hole can be scratched into a larger one. And congratulations! You can never stay in a bad mood when you have ferrets in the house.

Here's a cookbook for your hamster

Ducommun suggests to introduce them in the (empty) bathtub because it's neutral territory. I have never tried this but sounds like fun. If you are pretty sure that they are all healthy I guess you could try this right away.

You're welcome!

It's good that you contacted the breeder. I can definitely see what you mean about wanting one that's really yours, but to a breeder/seller then "unique" means "expensive". Anyway, now you've got a top end for your scale of how much you could spend on getting a unique hamster!

In the interests of not buying blindly, I recommend one of these books. You may be able to borrow them from a library, and/or your breeder may be able to lend you one.

• Hamsterlopaedia
  
• Proper Care of Hamsters
  
• Pet Owners Guide to Hamsters
  
  I'm sure there are websites too, but I'm a pre-internet hamster keeper. Damn, I feel old now.

I adopted my baby from the Houston SPCA. I checked their website every day till they had one pop up. They told me that ferrets usually last less than a week in a shelter. From what I can tell, she is intelligent, too smart for her own good and her name suits her very well in my opinion.

One of my friends got a ferret from a pet store, and he is... well an idiot... I'm not sure if it's from the over amount of breeding or just his personality in general. I went to that pet store asking when they would get ferrets again and they told me they get ferrets every couple of weeks.

Also I researched ferrets for about 3ish months and I'm still learning things about them as we speak. My boyfriend recently bought me the Animal Planet - Pet Care Library(Ferrets) and it has been super helpful and I'm greatly enjoying it.

My advice would be, if you're looking for information on every aspect of taking care of a rabbit, get a book about rabbit care like this one.
They will give you technical insight on everything you've asked about, and also give you a lot of details about owning bunnies backed up with personal stories that will help you figure out if a rabbit is right for your household/lifestyle.

Just saw this, And here they are incase you ONLY have a phone.

This is THE hedgehog sub-reddit. If you are looking to own a hedgehog, want to trade information, or do a hedgie meet-up, this is the reddit for you!

If you engage in racism or species-ism you will be banned. God loves all of his creatures, but the hedgehog most of all. As is evidenced by him sending his one and only son, Sonic, to save the world from the evil Rebotnik. So play nice.

I want to own a pet hedgehog


What are these cute things?

What to expect from your hedgehog

Books


The Hedgehog Owner's Guide

Hedgehogs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

Book reviews

Care


Basic Care

Example Cages

Diet Basics

Commercial Food Discussion

Sites


The International Hedgehog Association

Michigan Hedgehog Owners Group

Forums


Hedgehog Central Forums

Chins-n-Hedgies Forums

Rescues


Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue

Hedgehog Welfare Society


UK Hedgehog Information

St. Tiggywinkle's Wildlife Hospital Hedgehog Info Page

Rochdale Hedgehog Rescue

I just purchased both of these to supplement my normal A&P textbook. Maybe they could help you too! :)

Large Animal

Small Animal

I would like to help. I've started going through HedgehogFan's link and will hopefully have a good list of reading material for people. I found this book to be a decent guide.

I'm decently busy myself, so I completely understand!

You should check out the FAQ section and grab a copy of the ferret bible

While their domain name is hedgehogclub.com, the organization's true name is the "International Hedgehog Association," a 501c3 charitable organization in the US dedicated to hedgehog welfare.

Please also add a link to the Hedgehog Welfare Society (hedgehogwelfare.org), an organization dedicated to helping hedgehogs in need.

In addition, the man who runs the largest hedgehog rescue in the country, the Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue in Divide, Colorado, recently reviewed this care book and recommends it as the best currently available:

http://www.amazon.com/Hedgehogs-Complete-Pet-Owners-Manual/dp/0764144391/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b/181-0741693-3084544

One thing to watch for with aspirin is "Aspirin is a blood thinner and must therefore be avoided in case there are internal bleedings or when
surgery is planned" - medirabbit.

Dr. Chark, Cilantrologist, Jr. Tough Bun (aka morfz.com) calculator data has not been updated in 2.5 years. It is an good reference but double check for amounts from medirabbit or wabbitwiki. Even better would be the Textbook of Rabbit Medicine 2e or BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine. Of course a rabbit savvy vet is best.

I prefer not to punish but to enforce good behavior, it's what most books said about training your pet. Especially this one : http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Clicking-Your-Rabbit/dp/1890948233


little offtopic : I'm not sure why recently I see quite a few people spraying other people's bad behavior in TV shows/movies/... Is it a new trend?

Perhaps try this book? I got it myself but my boys are pretty lazy so I haven't done much with it.

The Proper Care of Guinea Pigs