Hi there! I'm also relatively new and I did a lot of researching before I got mine too. Before I start, Mocha is one and a half years old and he weighs about 4 lbs for reference. My current set-up after 6 months of trial and error is this:
- An
exercise pen originally meant to be a playpen for small animals that could attach to a cage but works just as well on its own. There are eight panels linked together and only detachable at one point (so you can use it as a fence if you want, or put it against the wall rather than use it as a standalone pen). It's also got a "door" that is detachable but is raised maybe 5 or 6 inches above the ground, and I just use a small cardboard box that's a bit shorter outside as a little "porch" to make it easier for him to get in and out of the pen. I love this set up because it's such a breeze to clean the area-- all I do is fold up the xpen and put it against the wall so I can sweep and vacuum however I want. The walls are too tall for him to jump out of but I can put things in there easily or even lift him out if needed!
- Large rug that covers most of the hardwood flooring in my room + a smaller rug for added exercise space. Some bunnies are absolutely fine with smooth floors and can hop around like it's nothing, but my bunny absolutely hates it and would only ever venture out onto the hardwood if he's feeling super adventurous-- he comes scrambling back the instant I stand up or call his name! Rabbit paws have no traction on them (unlike cats and dogs) so you're definitely going to have to invest in at least one or two big rugs if your flooring is mainly hardwood like mine is. I've heard that carpet runners are awesome for bunnies to race up and down on too, but my room isn't large enough for them. Just make sure that your rugs have non-skid backing to them or they'll slip ALL over the place when your bunny tries to binky-- I learned that the hard way!
- A large plastic chairmat from Staples over the part of the rug where his cage is. I originally used a large thin cotton blanket over my floor (no rug at that point yet), which he loved to dig up and chew holes out of. I then figured maybe a yoga mat would work since I know some people use interlocking foam pieces... but this was before I learned that Mocha is a big fan of chewing/digging! Since you haven't gotten your bunny yet you're not going to know if he or she will be a chewer or not, but all I know is that it was not fun to come home to a million bright green foam pieces all over the floor of his xpen!
It was at that point that I bought the plastic chairmat because I knew I needed something he couldn't destroy. I also experimented with putting a simple straw mat (the kind you might bring to the beach) over it and laying out large pieces of cardboard as flooring for him to go nuts with, but those didn't last very long and were SUCH a mess to clean up after.
- A
jumbo corner litter pan with a grate over it that I bought before I got my bunny and am still using. Again, depending on the size of your bunny you may be fine with a smaller one-- I even think this is a bit too big for my Mocha but it worked out fine because I would put all his hay in one side so he can poop and eat at the same time. The grate ensured that all the poops would fall right through, and it's super easy to clean with some vinegar and water. I am currently using Carefresh Ultra which is the white kind-- I love it for the fact that it's easy to change and you can tell at a glance how much your bunny peed, what colour it is and where he peed, but I'm not too happy with the odor control (it's also pretty expensive) so I'm looking into switching to wood pellets soon.
- His food/water bowl setup is as such: A wood/acrylic tray that I found at a supermarket for I think $3? It fits his food bowl, his veggies bowl and his water bowl perfectly. His water bowl is just a small ceramic tea cup that I found in our basement and is heavy enough that he can't toss easily-- even better that the ear of the cup can be slotted through the wires of the pen for added security! One of the food bowls I got for $2 at Dollarama (if you're in Canada) and the other I got at a local pet store for maybe $6. Just make sure whatever you decide to go with for food and water bowls that they're ceramic or at least heavy enough that they can't easily toss or chew up. For pellets I go with Oxbow Essentials because it was recommended most out of the sites I found-- if you end up picking a young bunny it would need an alfalfa-based diet, which Oxbow also offers (it's called Young Rabbit if I recall correctly), and once it matures you will need to switch to a timothy-based diet (make sure it's the first ingredient in the list) for optimal health. Alfalfa is higher in calories and calcium which can cause obesity, kidney problems, or bladder problems in older rabbits so you would want to give that only as an occasional treat once it's older.
- A double-weave seagrass mat that I bought recently for both added traction (since the chairmat isn't as slippery as hardwood floor but can still be hard for him to run on) and warmth/comfort since it's getting chilly here where I live. Again, I used to have the floor lined with cardboard but it was mangled pretty quickly. With this mat it is lasting much longer, and even though I've noticed that Mocha has taken some nibbles here and there, he uses it for the most part just to huddle up on and nap.
- A
large pet log that was bent into the shape of a tunnel on top of a pet bed meant for small dogs. What I used to have was a cardboard box with two or three exits cut out (depends on the shape of the cardboard box first, since I would either right put it up against the corner or leave some space around three sides depending on its dimensions), but he would move those around easily so I had to weigh it down with a few heavy books that I wouldn't mind if he took a few nibbles out of. I'm happy with the wooden log and I got the pet bed for warmth with the upcoming winter, but you either won't need it if it's warm where you live or you can just use a sheet of cardboard underneath, which was what I used to do too.
- Assorted toys, wood chews, cardboard pieces and toilet paper rolls to cure boredom, all chewed up to various extents. I would avoid soft plastics toys that he can chew off and ingest because that can cause GI blockages-- there are also certain woods like cedar that you would want to avoid giving him because they are poisonous to rabbits. Here is a list (with pictures!) of trees from which twigs and branches are safe for rabbits to chew on:
http://kanin.org/node/190 Personally I avoid giving Mocha plastic toys of ANY kind even though some suggest giving rabbits hard plastic toys that babies use for teething; I once bought this carrot tosser that came with a plastic rabbit head and ring and he was way more interested in chewing the hard plastic parts--
and he was succeeding in chewing them off! Nothing happened to him, thankfully, but I learned my lesson and it would depend on the rabbit you get too, I think. For cardboard, you're best off using plain cardboard; if it's got colourful pictures and stuff on it - think diaper boxes - that's apparently a type of plastic and you shouldn't give it to them. I've heard that cereal boxes and kleenex boxes are fine, but I just go for plain cardboard to be on the safe side. Toilet paper rolls and plain packing paper (like the kind that come in huuuge bunches with Amazon orders) are also great inexpensive toys for rabbits!
- I give Mocha various treats once in a while, mostly of the dried variety because for some strange reason he does NOT like fresh fruit or herbs like most rabbits! I literally have to leave it there for a day or two before he would even touch it, and even then sometimes he just never does and I end up throwing it away, strange bunny. Some of my (and his) favourites are Martin little friends' Apple Dumpling and Banana Muffin treats. They come in small pieces and there is no sugar in them as far as I know, plus the cartons they come in are also made out of chewable cardboard! Another kind I like are certain types of Fruitables which are originally meant for dogs but contain no meat and only 7 calories-- I learned of this line of treats through Leith Petwerks, a reputable online rabbit supplies store that I really like. They have multiple flavours but I've only bought the pumpkin banana kind thus far and Mocha loves them. Just steer clear of treats like yogurt drops (which are pure sugar) and ones with a lot of random seeds and stuff in them. And remember to be firm and not to give them too many treats even if they keep begging... which they definitely will!
