One of the best features of this book--one that
sets it apart from other books on rabbits--is the
sheer number of four-color photos of rabbits it contains.
If you're looking for photos on different breeds
of rabbits, this is the book for you. The photos
are nice quality and fairly illustrative of various
breed of domestic rabbit. In other words, you'll
get a good idea of what a particular type of rabbit
should look like.
Many of the photos also show rabbit care in action.
For instance, the book shows various types of rabbit
housing, the teeth of a healthy rabbit, and how to
lift and carry a rabbit. If you're curious about
what a rabbit show looks like or how a judge examines
a rabbit, you'll find photos of this sort of activity.
The photos don't take away from the value of the
text in this book. The Encyclopedia of Pet Rabbits is
a good reference on how to take care of a domestic
rabbit, whether you're a pet owner or whether you're
a breeder. At 320 pages, it's much lengthier than
most books published on rabbits. The spectrum of
information is good, ranging from basics such as
housing, food, and health care to complex topics
such as genetics and breeding. Chapters on rabbitry
management and production give overviews of issues
of interest to many breeders. The book carries the
ASPCA seal of approval.
Readers, however, might find the title of the book
to be a bit misleading. While the range and depth
of information presented is close to encyclopedic,
the book is really aimed at breeders and fanciers.
That's not to say pet owners won't find sufficient
information on raising a rabbit in the Encyclopedia
of Pet Rabbits--they will. But most of the information
is geared toward the rabbitry owner, rather than
the individual who has a pet rabbit or two. Roughly
half of the text isn't relevant to most pet owners.
A few topics that are important to most pet owners,
such as neutering and spaying, are not covered at
all.
If you're looking to set yourself up as a breeder
or if you want to show rabbits, this book gives you
a good introduction to the basics. However, if you
already have some knowledge or experience in these
areas, this book likely won't tell you anything new.
You're better off getting a book such as Rabbit Production.
Still, if you're a fan of cute bunnies like me,
the book is worth the money just for the number of
adorable rabbits it shows.
