Rabbits for Dummies, by Audrey Pavia

"Rabbits with Dummies" is written by Audrey Pavia, who is a respected author of rabbit and other pet related materials for magazines and books. She has a good deal of experience with rabbits, and her knowledge of rabbit handling and her appreciation for the unique chararcteristics of rabbits shows in her writing.

Publisher: Wiley Publishing Inc.
Year: 2003
ISBN: 076450861X
Description: paperback, 312 pages, with 8 pages of color photos (the remainder of the book is black and white and is sparsely illustrated with drawings and black and white photos). Utilizes the conventions common to all "Dummies" series books, including a set of icons to mark very important sections of the text and interesting sidebars.

Review
Overall, this is a good rabbit care book for the beginner. It covers a lot of material and contains a lot of good, up-to-date rabbit information. I have a few complaints about the book, but these are mostly not related to the information, which is quite good.

"Rabbits for Dummies" is written in a very casual and conversational style, which makes it easy to read and understand.

"Rabbits for Dummies" is organized into 5 main parts: Bringing on the Bunny Basics, Keeping Your Rabbit Well Fed and Funk Free, Holing Up with Your Companion, Enjoying your Fun Bunny, and the Part of Tens. I found these names (and many other headings in the book) unnecessarily cute rather than informative about their contents, but fortunately, a detailed table of contents helps you sort out what is contained in these sections. As well, the index is quite long and detailed so the book can be quite readily used as a handy reference if you have a particular question or concern. A pull out card at the front of the book contains a couple of useful tidbits such as spaces for important numbers, and a lits situations that require a trip to the vet. The other checklists contained weren't as vital as some other lists I might have chosen for a pull out references (as an example, I might have used a list of good treats and forbidden treats over a list of items for a first aid kit).

The basic information contained in this book is undoubtedly valuable to any rabbit owner. The coverage of basic rabbit care was more than adequate. There was great advice in this book on the importance of finding a good rabbit vet, spaying and neutering rabbits, and getting timely veterinary attention in the case of illness. Other sections that stood out for me were the sections on interpreting (and dealing with) common bunny behaviors, training rabbits (litter and simple tricks that use the natural tendencies of rabbits), and travelling with rabbits. In addition, the section on showing, 4H, clubs and hopping as a sport covered topics not usually seen in shorter rabbit guides, thought not important to everyone. The section on feeding was good with discussions of choosing and limiting the amount of pellets, the importance of hay, and handy lists of good treats and forbidden treats. The housing section was also okay, although I would prefer to see that wire floors not be recommended at all. The extensive information on outdoor housing was also fairly unique when it comes to good rabbit books (although I would prefer to see rabbits as house pets). Good attention was given to rabbit-proofing the house and yard .

Although somewhat nit-picky, there was a few things about the book that disappointed me. The editing seemed kind of sloppy in places, and I found the "clever" headings more distracting than informative. In places the text was redundant, while in others there was repeated cross-references to other chapters (which I found clumsy and distracting, and sometimes appeared incorrect). Though minor, these points were enough detract from my enjoyment of this book. There was quite a bit of breeding information which I would prefer be kept out of beginner type books as there are enough homeless rabbits already. There were some parts of the book where coverage was a bit superfical or where the availabiltiy of more color photos would enhance the text (and having to look to the center section for photos referenced in the text is also clumsy).

Summary
Despite my reservations about this book, I would still recommend "Rabbits for Dummies" particularly to new rabbit owners. I think the author's enthusiasm for rabbits as companions is tempered with a realistic look at the huge commitment that a pet rabbit takes, and this combination makes this an especially good book for anyone considering a rabbit for a pet.