Hi, I'm new and I have a few Q's about bunnies. Y

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zozothebozo

Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
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Location
Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Hi
I really would like to get a rabbit, but my mother says that I have tolean some about them, first. So, I joined rabbits only so that I couldlearn more of the care of rabbits. I would be great if someone couldanswer these questions:
1. What is the best kind of cage for rabbits?
2. How many times a week should you change a rabbit's litter?
3. Is there a best rabbit food?
4. Is it easy to litter train a rabbit? Any suggestions?
5. Do you have any special ways you play with your rabbit?

Thanx a lot.
:)
 
That was probably the suckiest job of introducing myself ever. Let me try again :)
Hi!
My name is Zoe, and I am 14 years old. IYhave been wanting a rabbit fora reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeely long time. A few days ago, my mom finallysaid, "You can have a rabbit if you find out all about them." So, now,I'm here and I'm trying to learn about bunnies. I was wondering ifmaybe you could please introduce me to the site.
If you can, that would help a lot!

Zozo
 
Sorry -- we're not ignoring you. I thinkit's been a rather bad day for everyone all around, and we're allrather sad over the loss of Buck's rabbit. The weather hasbeen dreary today, and it would have been my mother's 62nd birthday, soI'm feeling a little down and haven't been on-line much. Ithink Carolyn is getting ready to have some rooms painted at her house.

Your questions are going to require some time to answer, and hopefullyyou'll get some input by tomorrow. With the holiday comingup, I think everyone is also a little busy, plus the fact that many ofus are on other forums, I'm the moderator on 3 other forums and had 111newsletters to stamp and mail out today, preparing to go out of townfor a convention, taking care of 4 kids, helping my daughter cram forthe rabbit registrar's exam and on top of it all, a friend is going outof town, so I am in charge of her rabbitry and all her kids.Needless to say, I'm a basket case :?

The House Rabbit Society can be a great help to answer your questionsuntil we can get to them . . .http://www.rabbit.org/

There are some awesome people on this forum, and I'm sure you're going to get some great responses soon!

Pam


 

Welcome Zozothebozo,

Nice introduction. This isn't a chatroom, though. You may be expectingimmediate turnaround in your questions, but it's not like that.

I'd suggest you go to the library and take out some books and do somereading about rabbits. Are there any 4-H groups near you? Could youvolunteer a few hours at a pet shelter and learn from there how rabbitsare cared for? Are there any breeders in your area that you could gospend an hour with and talk to?

We are more than happy to help answer questions you have, but you haveto do your part and research it as your parents wisely suggested. Afteryou've found out the basics, if you have questions, come ask. We can'tprovide you with everything. None of us have the time, but we will behappy to help you if you come to a bump in the road.


:)

-Carolyn
 
I tried several animal rescue/shelter in my areabut they all said that they couldnt take anyone under the age of 16...even with an adult. I read about Buck's rabbit Maxie. Thats reallydepressing.:X
 
Well, I have to go eat some apple cobbler now, but lets talk again soon!
Any for anyone who comes into the forum while I'm not here, responsesare welcome. Also if anyone wants to AIM me im Ezoeta. Bye!
 
Hi Pamnock,

I wasn't tired until I read your post.
You really should schedule a massage for yourself. If anyone needs it, you do!

I'm sorry about the anniversary of your Mom's young birthday. Only 62 is robbery.

Prayers and thoughts of her sending you a sign. Be on the lookout, you'll get one.

She'd be really proud to know that you made it to being a Judge. It'sher gift and honor to us that you are here helping and caring forpeople and animals you don't even know.

-Carolyn
 
I am new to the rabbit world I waiteda long time till the right rabbit picked me to be his mom it was wellworth the wait till we found each other.I will let you in ona few things I have found out. I would sludgiest getting a book Mysister a rabbit owner suggested this book. The House Rabbit Handbook,3rd Edition, by Marinell Harriman as a goodbook.Ihave ordered it but not yet read itI did get a book form the pet store that I am reading. Thereis also a search feature at the top of the page you can put in a wordor two and it will bring up post about what you wanted to know. Itsdefinitely a good thing to look in to before getting a rabbit theyrequire a lot of love and care. you need to spend a lot of time with ananimal to gain its trust and love.

1. What is the best kind of cage for rabbits? Not a metalgrate bottom rabbits do not have pads on there feet like cats or dogsif you do get one with a grate on the bottom therabbit will need a place to rest on like a Grass pad orblanket.


2. How many times a week should you change a rabbit's litter? Dependson the kind of cadge bottom you have. Daily toevery other day I would say. Wet bedding is not good for rabbits andwill make them sick. What kind of bedding you use is very importantCeder for instance is VERY bad for rabbits. Alpin pellets and Timothyhey and news paper isgood.


3. Is there a best rabbit food? To many vegetables are notgood for rabbits. My rabbit gets pellets and timothy hay that is goodfor there teeth.


4. Is it easy to litter train a rabbit? Any suggestions? I am still learning about this!


5. Do you have any special ways you play with your rabbit?Two things you need to think about is letting abunny out of his cadge daily to run free and get exercises. The secondkeeping him entertained. My bunny Buster has free time when I came homefrom work. I keep him confined to the living room so I can keep an eyeon him he gets in to lots of trouble. You need to make sure the roomyour bunny will be in is safe for him. I have covered my electric cordswith tubing I got from Lows so he will not bite the cord andget electrocuted. You need to make sure they have lots of toys in andout of the cadge.Buster has cat toys that are ballswith bells in them he likes he also likes the inside cardboard oftoilet paper rolls. I also have cardboard boxes in the living room forhim to play in on and run around.

There is so much more to know than what I have posted.I would suggest you use the search feature it has helpedmeto learn a lot. Rabbits are a big responsibility andrequire a lot of Love and Attention But it is all worth it when theygive you bunny kisses in return!!! Good luck I hope you findall the info you need and find the right bun bun for you! :D




 
Morning Carolyn,

It's strange you should mention to be on the look out for a sign frommy mother (she died suddenly at 50 years of age over 10 years ago)-- I've always had the feeling of positive signs,but this past week my 16 year old daughter has been having nightmaresof family members dying. I think it's adding to my stressthat my daughter and son are going up to New York for a show bythemselves (not an unusual occurance as I'm usually busy at this timeof year and they went to that show by themselves last year).

Holidays are always a sad time for us, not only because of the loss ofmy mother, but numerous members in our family including deaths due tosuicide. Another tradgedy haunts us . . . My husband hit andkilled a pedestrian 6 years ago and has never been the same -- he neverwent to counseling and I think he suffers from traumatic stresssyndrome. I'm also worried over my brother in the middle east(he's in the reserves).

I feel bad that I'vebeen a little short with people this weekand am just not my "normal" self. I really apologize, thisjust isn't like me and I hope I get over the blues soon :( Ijust have such a terrible feeling of impending doom.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and safe Easter.



Pam
 

Wow Pam you certainly have a lot going on I will keep you and your family in my thoughts!
 
I have a few ideas as to your questions from what I have learnt in the past year.

The best cage depends on where your rabbit is living. Mine are outside.If they are outside the best idea is to have a wire bottom and wire onthe front of the cage, the rest should be wood so that they aresheltered from wind, rain, and snow. But remember, if they have a wirebottom, they need things to protect there feet from getting sores, wesimply use scrap wood that has no paint on it so they can rest therefeet and its easy to replace if it rots. Rabbits need places to hide,when they become scared, the like dark places. Mine have cardboardboxes with rabbit sized doors in them until my dad can build insulatedwinter wood boxes for them. We use straw for bedding in them so theyhave a place where its nice and soft.

If they are inside, a large cage should do (depending on the size ofrabbit you get). Never use pine or cedar shavings in the bottom, norclumping cat litter, use newspaper or newspaper cat litter. Most have awire grate on top so stuff falls through and your rabbit isn't sittingon wet stuff (some don't) but if they do you need to have a place theycan rest their feet.

Rabbits need out daily, even mine get out in the winter, they LOVE snowand I just make sure they are dry before I leave then in their cage forthe night. We have an outdoor run where they can dig and run and eatgrass, but watch out for digging, they can dig fast! If they areindoors, make sure the wires are protected or well out of reach.

Depending on the personality of the rabbit will depend on how you playwith them. Some you can't really play with them as such as they playalone but you can pet them for hours (they love it). Some rabbits willplay fetch but I don't know if you can train them to do this, it mayjust be a natural thing for some. Spice absolutely loves to chew, heeats toilet paper rolls, shreds newspaper, eats his cardboard house,eats plastic fruit containers. The best thing for these guys are piecesof apple trees, they love the bark! (if you know someone with an appletree it's cheaper to get them to cut off a branch then to buy chewsticks) Mocha on the other hand, loves to thro things, he normallyplays with toilet paper rolls, small sticks, and fruit baskets. Makesure they have wood for there teeth as it keeps their teeth healthy andfrom growing too long.
 
Greetings,

I'm more apt to agree with M&SMom about the wirecage. I think they're much healthier for the rabbit becausethe urine and poop drops right through to the drop box and the rabbitis sure to stay dry--a necessary thing for a rabbit. Sittingin soaked litter is very bad for the little ones. I realizethat overseas, wire cages aren't suggested, but I find them to be thebest thing since sliced bread. Some claim that wire cagesproduce sore hocks, but sore hocks can happen due to poor hygiene, dampbedding, Rex (type of rabbit) coats because they have less fur toprotect the hock, but still I'd go with a wire bottomed cage with aplastic mat for the bunny to rest on. Long nails can do it,too much weight on the heel is trouble, obesity, immobility, largebreeds and inheritance can cause sore hocks.

Both Dawn and M&SMom have done an excellent job answering the poster's questions. Way to go, Ladies!!

-Carolyn


P.S. For tips on litter training, see the post entitled "Litterbox Training".




 
Okay, now on to answer the other questions, had to stop before because my hands got sore lol.

If a rabbit is housed indoors and the stuff can fall through a wiregrate, I think you could clean it every 3 to 5 days, but if they aresitting in it, it needs to be cleaned every day.

My bunnies are both outside and the only place they have bedding is intheir boxes and I only clean that out when it starts to lose the cleanstraw smell, which is every 1 to 2 weeks because they don't go to thebathroom in it. I clean off the wooden boards that I use to protecttheir feet daily.

The best diet for a rabbit is timothy hay and pellets, fruits andvegetables are not needed daily. Some are even bad for them. We buytimothy hay by the bale (small horse sized bales) as they are cheaperand last a lot longer. Just make sure that if you do this, there is aplace outside where it isdry and off the ground because micecan get into it. (my dad built a hay and straw shed) Make sure the hayis not mouldy, never feed mouldy hay! You can tell if hay is mouldy ifthey inside of a bale is very warm, if it smells mouldy and of courseif there is white mould on it, sometimes it just feels hot inside andsmells mouldy but doesnt look mouldy, dont feed this! It's probablymouldy inside the individual strands of hay. You also want to ensurethat it is a good quality hay (lots of long thin strands and not alotof gold colored pieces as it means the hay was left out to long to dryand is turning into straw). In the summer it'sverygoodfor rabbits to get fresh grass, but ensurethat it has not been sprayed with pesticides and no fertilizer has beenused on it!

 
Dear Pam,

Most of the time, people dream about things they wish for the most ortheir biggest fears. She could very well be picking up onyour worries and the fears around her.

It's very scary to watch the news these days. It's hard notto feel an impending doom with the state of affairs the world is intoday. I will send a specialprayer for your brotherin church this Easter Sunday. This war is just a nightmare.

Any chance of slowing down and allowing yourself to be pampered andsupported? Allow others to help you at this time and don'tisolate yourself. I, too, know a bit too much of the effectsof what suicide has on a family. No matter how muchtime passes, you still want to know why. It's so frustratingknowing that they still could be here on this earth, but they chose notto.

Perhaps you can do something completely different this year for theholiday or completely ignore it. With it being so close tothe anniversary of your mom's death, it's adding insult toinjury. Allow yourselftoexpressyour feelings. Trying to stuff them wouldbe liketrying to avoid an elephant in the living room. Maybe youcould burn a candle toinclude your loved ones in theroom.

As to your children, God watches out for them too. They, and you, are always safe and protected.

Know that you are loved, appreciated, and respected by many, including myself, around this world.

-Carolyn





 
Carolyn wrote:
Dear Pam,

Most of the time, people dream about things they wish for the most ortheir biggest fears. She could very well be picking up onyour worries and the fears around her.

It's very scary to watch the news these days. It's hard notto feel an impending doom with the state of affairs the world is intoday. I will send a specialprayer for your brotherin church this Easter Sunday. This war is just a nightmare.



As to your children, God watches out for them too. They, and you, are always safe and protected.



-Carolyn


Thank you for being so thoughtful Carolyn : )

The sun is shining, my official judges license and number arrived inthe mail today, my husband brought home a dozen roses for me today andyou took the time to show you cared. I should just go outsidefor a little while, take a walk and be thankful for all the wonderfulblessings and friends that I have.

Thank you for that little extra prayer for my brother (Bill).I have been praying for all the soldiers and their familes backhome. Holidays must be so hard for them : (

Pam
 
I really like those plastic resting mats thatCarolyn suggested for the wire bottoms. The offer relieve forthe feet, are easy to clean and let droppings and urine fall through.

Pam
 
Sorry, I have no clue what these mats are that youare talking about, but anyways, I'm sure I will find out sometime if Igo to a pet store, lol.
 
Hi Zozothebozo,

I have only had my bunny (or should I say that the bunny has had me)for a year now. We got him when he was about 8 weeksold. Before we brought him home and right afterwards I wentto the library and checked out anything on rabbits that I could find.

Here are some good books to read. You should be able to findthese at your local library or bookstore. If not they canorder them for you.

Rabbits for Dummies by Audrey Pavia, Rabbit Handbook by David Taylor,Barron's The Rabbit Handbook by Karen Gendron and Hop To It - A Guideto Training Your Pet Rabbit by Samantha Hunter.

You may also decide to get the Rabbits USA magazine. It comes out once a year and you can get it at the pet store.

Twovery important questions to ask when you get yourbunnyare "What kind of food has the bunny been eating andwhat type of water bottle or container has he been using?"Bunnies have very sensitivestomaches and any abrupt change intheir diet could be bad for them. The water bottle questionis to try to cause the least amount of stress to his new environmentand by using the same kind itis oneless thing thathe has to get used to in his new home.

Are youplanning on getting a boy or a girl? How soon do you think you will gethim?

Congrats on the bunny,

Wabbitwuv
 

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