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Jynxie

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Feb 26, 2011
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Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Hello,

I don't have any bunnies (yet!) but I do plan on getting one in a few weeks. I haven't bought any supplies yet, thats for next weekend.

So I was wondering what do you guys think I'll need, and what will the petsmart associates try and sell me that I don't need? LOL.

Anyone have any ideas for a checklist other the cage, bottle, food, and probably a hide house? I also read on here that shavings aren't very good for the breed I'm looking into (Lionheads) so I was wondering what alternatives should I look into?

Thanks. :3
 
For a fluffy bunny like that i would get:

-wood stove pellets for litter (you can find them at a feed store or a hardware store where they sell stoves), they're better than shavings and sometimes even cheaper

-water bottle/dish

-food dish

-pellets

-cage(the bigger the better, for ideas go to the housing and nutrition part of the forum)

-hide-outs like boxes with holes in them, some ones you can buy in a pet store

-a few toys are always good, but dont have to be store bought. paper towel rolls with hay stuffed in them are a good example

I dont know if Im missing anything, but i think that should be it for basics. For pellets you want a brand that has a high fibre, low-ish protein component, maybe 14-16% protein. It depends what's available in your area and what you can afford.


 
It is a good idea to know what you need before you go. Pet store employees will try to sell you a bunch of crap you don't need and that can be bad for bunnies. Most of them don't know much about cats or dogs let alone rabbit and other 'exotic' pets.

Cage: The bigger the better. One thing to keep in mind is that most companies measure at the largest part and the actual floor space is much smaller. For what you spend, a large wire dog crate or an x-pen is bigger and more suitable for rabbits. Also look into NIC (C&C) cages. They are much cheaper than most cages and you can make it as big as you want or have space for.

Bedding: If you litter train, you do not need litter in the while cage. I use wood pellets in the litter boxes and have fleece blankets in the rest of the cage. Be careful about materials that you use as some rabbit like to chew them and you don't want stuff that has string and threads that can be ingested. Towels can be bad for this. I would get at least 1 more blanket than you need for the cage so you have something while you do the laundry.

Litter box: As cute as they are, try to avoid the small corner boxes. They tend to not be big enough for most breeds. You might get away with one for a lionhead, but it would not work if you have a bonded pair. I use large size cat ones. It can also be a good idea to have a grate over the box. There are some that come with a grate, bu you can also make one using wire mesh, a florescent lighting grid or plastic stitching screens (at craft stores). Also get a cat litter scoop or something to make cleaning a bit easier (go to a dollar store for this).

Litter: Wood or paper pellets are best. Petsmart does have a house brand of both, but the wood pellets are kinda expensive. If there are feed stores near you, check them for Horse Stall Bedding. Hardware stores should carry Wood Stove Pellets at this time of year.

Dishes: I prefer dishes for both food and water. Petsmart has metal dishes than clamp onto the cage in the bird section that are suitable for rabbits. I do like the ones that clamp on rather than the ones that just hook on as the ones that hook on can still be thrown around by a determined rabbit. If you do use a bottle, get one that is about 16oz so you don't have to fill it all the time. For a food dish, get a ceramic ones. Plastic can be chewed which can lead to bacteria getting into it.

Food: Proper diet is very important. You will need pellets and hay from the store. For pellets, get a plain pellet and avoid the mixes. I believe that Petsmart does have Oxbow pellets. For young rabbits, get an alfalfa pellet, but for adults (6 months and over) go for a timothy based pellet. For hay, young rabbits should have alfalfa while adults should have grass hay like timothy. Buy the biggest bag you can find (and afford) as you will use it all. Another good option for hay is to buy it in a bale. If you might have trouble storing one, see if there is someone near you who will share one. I can get a bale for $10 while a bag that is 5 pounds also costs $10.
When you get your rabbit, get some pellets from where you get it so you can slowly switch the rabbit over.

Toys: Rabbits need toys to play with. A bored rabbit is a destructive rabbit. For pet store toys, get grass mats, things to toss, balls with bells (try the cat section), a hay ball (wire basket that you can stuff hay into) and maybe some wood blocks (avoid colours). You can also use paper towel tubes and stuff them with hay as a toy. Cardboard boxes and cat tunnels (or cardboard ones if you can find them) are also good.

Cleaning: For cleaning I use a cat litter scoop, dust pan and brush and a spray bottle that has water and while vinegar. You don't need special cleaners. You can get this stuff at a dollar store and just use regular while vinegar. I use the litter scoop in the litter boxes. The dust pan and brush are for sweeping up poops and hay in the cage and the water/vinegar is to spray down the cage and clean up any pee spots. Vinegar is also good to remove urine stains in the litter box, just spray is and let is sit for a few minutes and give a bit of a scrub before rinsing.
 
I wanted to add that the one thing NOT to let the pet store people talk you into is "treats". The manufactured treats are worse than junk food. It's much better to use fresh vegrtables, herbs, and/or small amounts of fruit as treats rather than processed junk.
 
Another thing people get talked into is salt blocks. Rabbits will get all the salt and minerals they need from a good quality pellet and additional salt just isn't necessary.
 
Okay great, thanks guys.

Now I know what to avoid.
I'm excited to get all these things, even if I won't be getting a baby for a couple more weeks. LOL
 
We get kiln dried pine shavings to line the litter pans. The kiln drying gets rid of the phenols in pine and makes it safe to use. We also shred up newspaper and put in litter boxes as the bunnies love to dig in it and hide out too. Sometimes all we can see of Coal is her ears sticking up or the bedding moving around.
 
I use a waterbottle for my rabbit as she likes it better than a bowl however get one thats 3-4 times bigger than you think you will need because I thought my bunny is small so it shouldn't need to much water I was wrong Freckles 8oz water bottle is emptied 2-3 times a day.
 
Oh and sorry I forgot to mention it and not sure if anyone else has, get some chewing items. I'm always worried about rabbits teeth over growing and causeing discomfort and so this is one thing I am big on chewing items. I have some wooden blocks for Freckles which she loves and then Tayler got some pizza slice shaped wooden chews for them which she also loves. Taylers bunny prefers things like Krispy Chews and other "fluffy" chew items.
 
ALSO.

Would this cage be suitable?
Whenever I go to the petstore I always eye this cage, I love the look of it. But is it big enough and suitable for a lionhead?

I really love the little hay holding attachment also. :3
 
http://www.petcetera.ca/Products/Small-Animals/Cages-Habitats/Living-World---Deluxe-Habitat-(1).aspx

My link didn't work. >.>
 
I think you would be better off making an NIC cage, that cage is rather small and VERY expensive. the NIC cages are very easy to make with no skills whatsoever, and you could easliy build a cage in a matter of an hour or 2, more then 3X that size for about $50. if your set on it, the cage is doable for a lionhead, but I really dont think its worth it lol
 
I looked up those cages you're talking about, and everywhere they mentioned to get them was like target, kmart, etc.

I live in Canada and they don't have them there. They said some walmarts carried them though. I wouldn't mind making one, but I'm not sure how it'd work out.
I wan planning on putting a cage ontop of dresser. So I'm not sure where I'd be able to put it. But I do have some ideas if I did. You say they're really easy to set up?

By the way, that was just a website I found that had a picture. The pet store near me has it 75 dollars I believe.I wouldn't pay over 100 dollars for a wire cage, unless it was for a ferret and had a couple stories. :p
 
Researching those NIC cages now, I really like the idea of building my own and being able to change it around when they get bored. I just have to see if anywhere in Canada has them. I read Walmart and Staples sometimes carry them.

I do have a couple of questions, I see people with more then one level. Do I need to add wood, or any extra support?

Also what do you use on the bottom? I guess no one uses shavings with them eh? I'm a little confused on how they don't make a mess of the carpet or how to clean it.

Any help would be appreciated on how to make the perfect NIC cage.
 
That cage is quite expensive for what you get.
If you build an NIC cage, even with the supplies not on sale, you can still build a bigger cage for less than $100. 2 packs of 13 grids cost about $20 each at Walmart, this is enough for a 2X3 cage with top. A 4X8ft sheet of coroplast is about $20-30 at a hardware store. A pack of 55 zip ties is about $1 at Dollarama (you would need 2-3 packs). A roll of duct tape is about $5. The total is about $60. If you can get the grids on sale, that can cut those costs in half (I have gotten packs for $10) and you could get an extra pack to make a bigger cage. If you only made a 2X3 grid cage, you can get away with 2 2X4 sheets or coroplast.

As far as finding the grids, there are places in Canada. Walmart, Home Depot, Rona, Canadian Tire (more expensive here), London Drugs (don't know if there are any in Ont) should all have them. You can also try Bed Bath and Beyond or The Superstore.

They are easy to make, but does take a while the first time. It is a good idea to plan it out before you start. It's when you start adding levels and such that it gets a bit complicated.
 
Oh wow, you're in Brampton! I'm in Brampton! I can definitely help you with making a NIC cage if decide to go that route.

Here is a great site on making NIC cages: http://www.guineapigcages.com/howto.htm

Last time I checked, both Home Depot and Walmart carry the grids necessary. I can't quite remember how many came in a package at Home Depot, but I believe had to buy 2 boxes of grids to make a 3 x 4 x 2 cage (though I had several left over). The grids are fairly expensive, something like $39 for a box, but I spoke to the manager and got a huge discount because I was a student and it was for a bunny cage. Why? Don't ask me! I just asked nicely, explained I didn't have very much money, and they helped me out.

Also make sure to keep an eye out for the grids at any second hand store. In the last year, I've found large packages of them second hand twice.

For the coroplast, Rona does carry it but I found it was cheaper to buy from sign stores in the area. I don't remember the name of the one I bought it from, but I can look it up. Once again, explain it's for a bunny cage and they may give you a deal.

Hope that helps!
 

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