Your New Green Companion

You’re vegetarian, you shop with your own recycled bags and work hard to keep your waste out of the landfill, so it make sense that you are leaning toward an animal companion that matches your green lifestyle.   Look no further – rabbits are one of the most planet-friendly pets around!

Rabbits Create a Very Small Carbon Paw Print

Like you, rabbits are herbivores.   They eat only plants and grasses.  They are “local” consumers, enjoying fresh hay and greens available locally.  Shop at your local farmer’s market for their daily salad and enjoy an extra bonus; ask for the “trimmings” from carrots, beets, turnips, etc. and get them for free! Hay can come from your local feed store or from the House Rabbit Society’s community hay sales program, decreasing the “food miles” required to sustain your rabbit companion.

A rabbit’s waste is composed of broken down hay fibers, which is clean and free from bacteria that are harmful to our environment or us.   This makes them cleaner, fresher smelling, and easier to care for than most other animal companion species.

Bucket enjoying the tall grass.

Your rabbit’s litter box waste can go straight onto your compost pile, your outdoors plants (the droppings can go into your indoor plants), or into the green waste bins collected by your trash company.  If you use a rabbit-friendly paper or wood-based litter box filler that, along with bunny’s droppings and hay, makes wonderful compost material.

Love to garden?  Plant a vegetable and edible flower garden to feed you – and your rabbit – and use bunny’s litter box contents to fertilize the plants and act as mulch to protect roots and hold in moisture.  You don’t even have to compost it first; rabbit waste is nutrient rich and safe to use right from the litter box.   If you belong to a garden co-op or a gardening club, your rabbit’s litter box waste will be like “gold;” everyone will want some!

Rabbits Love Recycled

Rabbits love “green” toys.  Cardboard boxes make great hideouts and are fun to chew.  Empty tissue boxes or toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay make yummy treats.  Old magazines and phone books translate into hours of shredding fun.  Empty paper bags create fun hiding places.  No need to spend money on expensive new toys; just share your junk mail and paper-based waste with bunny!

Rabbits also love babies’ toys.  Heavy plastic chew toys and rattles are fun to fling, rattle, and chew. Toddler playhouses from Little Tykes make great bunny play areas.   Pick these up at resale shops for children.

Green Cleaning

Use non-toxic cleaning products for your rabbit.  Vinegar & water make the best cleaning solution for bunny’s washable bedding, toys, and litter box.  Not only is it completely safe, vinegar has been proven to kill bacteria.  Also keep your yard and home free from pesticides and fertilizers that can harm bunny – and you.  Instead, use Diatomaceous Earth (available at nurseries, online, and at the SDHRS Bunny Supply Store) to kill fleas, mites and other pests.

Adopt a Recycled Rabbit 

Adopt – don’t shop for your new rabbit companion.  Visit your local shelter, humane society or rabbit rescue when looking for a bunny friend.  Thousands of rabbits end up with local animal welfare agencies, in need of a good home, especially after Easter.  Don’t shop at a pet store or breeder when so many pure bred rabbits are available through rescues.  When you purchase from a breeder or pet store, you are contributing to the problem of animal overpopulation and not enough homes for every bunny born.

To learn more about adopting a “recycled” rabbit, visit www.sandiegorabbits.org.

~ Judith Pierce, San Diego House Rabbit Society

Prince Harry rocks a “bunny tie” while attending a tea party at the White House.  Way to go, Harry!

Prince Harry stole the spotlight fromMichelle Obama during his visit to the White House yesterday for a—what else?—a tea party with one seriously standout accessory. Though the fashionable first lady looked stunning in a feminine Prabal Gurung dress, our eyes were immediately drawn to the dapper royal in a sharp suit paired with a tie decorated with—wait for it—adorable little bunnies!  More…..

This story highlights the transition of two “laboratory” bunnies from the horrors of vivisection to the protection of the House Rabbit Society and the Beagle Freedom Project.

SDHRS: First take us back to your first bunny.

Alison with some of her star bunnies.

Alison: My family had companion rabbits before I was even born, and as I was growing up I’d hear fun stories about my older siblings’ bunnies, and always wanted one of my own. When I was a teenager I finally got my own first bunny, Apollonia. That was back in the 80′s before HRS existed! She passed away around the time I graduated from college. Then I moved out of my parents’ house and into my first apartment and got my first dog. I didn’t think I could have both a dog and a bunny, so I didn’t have any bunnies for quite awhile after that. Fast-forward many years… I learned of HRS, and that dogs and rabbits CAN live peacefully together, so I adopted my second bunny, and then my third… and that was the start of my rabbit habit! This time, thanks to HRS, I had the resources to give my new companion rabbits the best care, and I’m very happy to have bunnies in my life again. And I found my bunnies and my dog did indeed co-exist very happily together.

One of Alison's birthday greeting cards.

SDHRS: You’ve been involved with SDHRS for a long time. What sorts of activities are you involved in?

Alison: My first volunteer job through HRS was to update the San Diego shelter pages on the Cats and Rabbits and More website. I also served on the SDHRS Board of Directors for several years, and I regularly foster rabbits. But most of my volunteer work involves graphics and photography. I design and layout our newsletter, The Rabbit Reader, and I put together our information books, ads, flyers, signage, postcards, etc. I photograph events (http://sdhrs.shutterfly.com/) and foster bunnies for the HRS website and promotional materials, and provide photos and graphics for articles, t-shirts, etc. I also assist at education and fundraising events, and last summer I did a presentation for one of SDHRS’s Speaker Series called, “Playing Games with Your Bunny,” where I demonstrated clicker training with one of my talented bunnies, Domino.

SDHRS: So how did your develop your photography skills?

Alison: I took many photography classes in college and I even had my own darkroom. (Of course, this was back in the days of film cameras!) Over the years I have continued to take photography and Photoshop classes, always seeking to improve my skills.

Another birthday card staring Baxter and Scooter.

SDHRS: What inspired the idea of making your own cards? When was that?

Alison: When I adopted my first bunnies, B.B. and Buddy, I found them to be so adorable that I was often taking photos of them. I’d share my photos with friends and fellow volunteers, and several people said that my photos were so cute that I could sell them. So, I thought, “Why not?” I was having fun learning Photoshop at the time, so I created a line of greeting cards featuring photos of B.B. and Buddy. And of course, over the years, I adopted many more “stars,”, including Scooter, whom many have deemed “the World’s Cutest Bunny.” (He is extremely photogenic and a total ham!)

SDHRS: How do people get a hold of your cards?

Alison: I have a website  (http://www.alisongiese.com) where people can order my cards, and they are available at the SDHRS Bunny Store. I also opened an online shop on Cafe Press  (http://www.cafepress.com/alisongiese). I have calendars, t-shirts, mugs and other printed products featuring my photos, as well as my cards. Cards are typically $4 each, or less if ordered in quantity.

SDHRS: What makes your cards unique or better than other similar products?

Alison: My photos are all of rescued animals (my own and fosters). And for the most part, the photos depict rabbits doing what they do naturally, although I confess I do occasionally pose them with holiday props. I also have a variety of styles… some cards are basically untouched photos, and others are highly Photoshopped, with “talk bubbles” and other digital modifications.

SDHRS: How many rabbits/pets do you have now?

Alison: Over the years of volunteering for SDHRS, I have faced a lot of temptation! I now have 10 rabbits and two dogs (both of them are really great with the bunnies) and three foster bunnies. And if that wasn’t enough, I also have a bunny-sitting business (which is my primary income), so there are always lots of bunnies in my home. I am home all day, so they all get lots of attention. And I’m a bit of a neat freak, so I’m very fortunate that my wonderfully supportive husband, George, helps me with the daily cleaning. He loves the bunnies, too.

SDHRS: There are so many card options out there. Why should people shop locally or from you?

Alison: Because indirectly, they are helping rabbit rescue efforts. A little more than five years ago I resigned from my job of nine years which enabled me to spend a lot more time volunteering for SDHRS and taking in more homeless rabbits (in the form of both adoptions and fostering). I started bunny-sitting and designing greeting cards to earn enough money to cover my expenses. If I didn’t have this income, I’d have to go back to back to working full-time for someone else, which would force me to cut back significantly on the volunteer work I do for SDHRS. So that’s how people are also helping SDHRS by buying my products and boarding their bunnies with me. Oh, and also, they get the cutest bunny greeting cards around.

Step 1. Get a Ralph’s Rewards card at any Ralph’s store.

Step 2. Register your Ralph’s Rewards card online here. Click on the Rewards card icon in the upper right of the home page. It will prompt you to create an account.

(Note: Even if you already have a Ralph’s Rewards card, you’ll need to register it online in order to link it to SDHRS)

Step 3. Link your Rewards card to SDHRS. Go to this link and search for us under our legal name, “San Diego Companion Rabbit Society, Inc.” Follow the prompts to save our organization, linking it to your Rewards card.

Step 4: Swipe your Rewards card every time you shop and earn money to directly help rabbits in our care!

Individual purchases will begin counting towards our organization within 72 hours of registering the individual rewards Cards on-line.

If you do not have access to the online sign-up method, please call  1-800-443-4438 to learn about the alternative sign-up method.

What We Earn

Ralphs will pay each organization on a quarterly basis based on the following monthly qualifying purchases per household:

Up to $200                           1%
Between $200.01 and $350   2%
Between $350.01 and $500   3%
Over $500                           4%

The Bunny Store will be open on December 18 from 12-3pm. This is your last chance to stock up on supplies or buy gifts before Christmas, so get your buns in there. The store will be closed Christmas Day, and we will reopen on January 1, 2011.

Amy Spintman invented the Cottontail Cottage, which can be seen in just about every rabbit’s home. We sat down with Amy to find out how her popular product came to be.

SDHRS: How did you become a rabbit person?

Amy: I’ve been a “cat person” my entire life. After moving  to San Diego, I wanted to get another pet in addition to my cat, and got a guinea pig. Tilly the piggy had a nice long life, and when she passed away I wanted to get a pet which would interact more with my cat. I did a lot of research, and actually read the House Rabbit Handbook cover-to-cover before deciding that a rabbit was the right pet for me AND my cat. At first I thought I was unusual for keeping a rabbit indoors and spoiling her rotten, but then I found San Diego HRS and learned that I was not alone.

SDHRS: How did you come to live in San Diego?

Amy: During my senior year of college I got stuck in a snowstorm driving between my home in Maryland and college in New York, and my car wound up in a ditch. I decided at that moment that I no longer wanted to live in a cold climate, and went to graduate school in Florida. As part of my master’s degree, I did a semester-long internship in Santa Barbara, and then moved to San Diego. I didn’t have a job, and didn’t know a single person. It was just me and my cat, Skimble. That was in 1987, and it was the best decision I ever made. No more driving in the snow for me!

SDHRS: Tell us about your volunteer activities.

Amy: I started volunteering for SDHRS in 1996, and became a licensed educator the following year. My volunteer activities over the years have included education events, packing hay, event planning, and answering chapter e-mails and phone calls. I was on the Board of Directors for several years, and have maintained the chapter’s mailing list since 1997.

SDHRS: How many rabbits/pets do you have now?

Amy: I have just two rabbits at the moment. After having as many as eight rabbits, I’m enjoying the quality time I can spend with these two. I adopted each of them from San Diego House Rabbit Society when they were at least 7 years old, and they’re over 10 years old now and have special needs related to their age. I also have a big black cat, Salem. I adopted him when I had the eight rabbits, and he fit right in. He even loves to munch on hay.

SDHRS:  What inspired the idea of the Cottontail Cottage?

Amy: There was previously a mass-marketed cardboard playhouse called the “Lazy Cat Lodge” which was marketed for cats. Many of us found that our rabbits enjoyed it more than our cats did. I met the manufacturer at a trade show once and suggested that they market it for rabbits also, and they thought I was crazy. Shortly afterwards they discontinued the product entirely, so I took the opportunity to create something similar, with some tweaks to make it more attractive and rabbit-friendly. That was about 10 years ago. I already had the business Cats & Rabbits & More at the time, and was able to add it to my product line. Although I sell lots of other toys for rabbits on the website, about 90% of my sales are for the Cottage.

SDHRS: Why do you think the cottage has been such a hit?

Amy: The Cottage serves multiple purposes for rabbits. As prey animals, they’re naturally attracted to places where they can safely hide out and rest. They’re also curious and full and energy and enjoy running through the openings and exploring the world from different vantage points. I refer to the Cottontail Cottage as a “bunny magnet,” because no matter where you put one in the house or x-pen, rabbits will naturally gravitate towards it.

SDHRS: There are some similar “cottages” on the market. What makes your Cottontail Cottage unique?

Amy: I designed the Cottage to look like, well, a Cottage, and not just a cardboard box with holes. It has cute graphics and cutouts so it will look nice in a home.

SDHRS: Tell us about the background of Cats & Rabbits & More, and how your work ties in with SDHRS.

Amy: I started Cats & Rabbits & More in 1998 for two purposes: To sell high-quality toys for rabbits (at that time, they were few and far between), and to help promote adoptable small animals in Southern California. When I started the business and the website, many rescue groups and shelters, especially the smaller ones, did not yet have websites, so this was the only online resource they had to promote their adoptable animals. CRM is separate from San Diego House Rabbit Society, but because I’m an active volunteer with the chapter, we’ve been able to tie it in with the chapter as an additional resource, and to also promote the rabbits in local shelters which our chapter volunteers help care for. There are about 5 volunteers who help keep the website updated.

When I started the business, I put “cats” in the name because I didn’t think I’d get enough business or interest just focusing on the rabbits and wanted to include both of my favorite animals. However, the website and the business has evolved to being about 95% focused on rabbits. I sell a few cat items (and cats like the Cottage, too), but they really don’t sell very well. I think part of that is because you can get cat toys anywhere, whereas good quality rabbit toys are harder to come by.

SDHRS:  Why should people shop locally or from CRM?

Amy: People purchase rabbit toys from CRM not only because of the uniqueness of the items, but also because they know they’re dealing directly with someone who shares their love for rabbits and supports rabbit rescue. I know many of my customers personally, and have become friends with many of them over the years through e-mail and Facebook. I also regularly donate Cottontail Cottages to rabbit rescue groups for their fundraising events.

SDHRS: So where can people get a Cottontail Cottage for their bunnies?

Amy: The Cottage starts at $17.99 and is available at the San Diego HRS Bunny Store. You can also find it through Cats & Rabbits & More as well as rabbit rescue groups and other rabbit-friendly retailers.

Our Pepsi grant money has been put to great use and we are pleased to announce that the Bunny Bungalow at Oak Grove in Murietta is ready! The Bungalow will house rabbits who are ready for adoption, and is overseen by our satellite group, Lucky Bunny Rabbit Rescue.

Come join us for the Grand Opening! Learn about the great things that Oak Grove does for children and animals.

• Meet and pet our adorable Bungalow bunnies
• Learn about our pet-assisted therapy program
• Enjoy a slice of carrot cake and other goodies

Friday, December 10th, 3-5 pm
Bunny Bungalow at Oak Grove

24275 Jefferson Avenue, Murrieta, CA.