First Bunny in Five Years

[MissAlexLee]

Hi all! I'm new here and wanted to gather as much advice and tops as I can. I grew up with rabbits but this will be my first time owning one of my own and doing it the 'proper' way.

I have a lot set up already and still a lot more to go. Housing wise, I have a Living World Deluxe Habitat in the size XL (seriously huge in my opinion). I'll be attaching to that a clear plastic playpen/fence to give more room since I won't be able to let my future rabbit free roam 24/7 but still don't want to confine them to just a cage. I have two water bottles, one small one for inside the cage and a larger one facing the outside. I also have two large bowls ready. The last main thing I have is very standard paper bedding for inside the cage.

Aside from all of that, I have some good wood toss toys ready to go. I will attach a picture of the cage as well as my checklist I set up the other night. Please let me know if there's anything I should add or exclude, I want to make sure I do things right for this first time!

 

[Blue eyes]

Welcome to the forum!

I love that you are getting prepared in advance. I wish more people would be like you.

A couple suggestions from what I'm seeing. Mostly is that the cage will become a glorified litter box by filling it with paper bedding. I'm not a big fan of those types of cages for that reason. I'll attach a photo of another RO member and how she made such a cage 'work.'

You have the right idea by getting a pen to attach around the cage. Just be sure it is tall enough. I wouldn't go lower than 30" in height.

Bowls are preferable to bottles for water. I'd suggest one that has a clamp that attaches to cage and then the bowl just twists inside. Bowls make it easier for them to drink (more natural) and they tend to drink more from a bowl -- which is good!

For a litter box, I noticed your hand-written notes said "small." Actually, a large litter box is preferable-- easier for training, stays odor-free for longer, easier to maintain.

Here (click) are a few more tips for setting up a cage from my website. It also includes what first-aid items that are good to have on hand (which I did not notice on your list).

No lava blocks (or salt or mineral wheels). Chew toys are fine but it depends on the rabbit. Many completely ignore them. No worries. It is the hay that wears down their teeth.

If you are getting your rabbit from a rescue (highly recommended since they are already fixed, personality is therefore evident) then you'll want to be sure to use the same pellet feed for awhile. You don't want to offer any greens the rabbit isn't already used to -- at least for the first few weeks.

Once bunny has had a few weeks to settle in, then you can gradually switch pellet brands if needed (If you need a healthier brand), and start introducing greens. Avoid all treats until bunny is on a diet that includes daily greens. Then any treat should be limited to 1-2 tbsp per day. That's one apple slice or 1" of carrot. Skip any store bought treats -- most are junk.

 

[Blue eyes]

Oh... check the second photo on the following thread:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/2019-cages-add-your-photo.93422/#post-1106467

It looks like the same cage you have (with a pen around).

 

[MissAlexLee]

Oh... check the second photo on the following thread:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/2019-cages-add-your-photo.93422/#post-1106467

It looks like the same cage you have (with a pen around).

Thank you so much for all of this information! When I was a kid, it was mostly my family taking care of our rabbits so I've just been taking bits and pieces of what I remember from that and then the information I find elsewhere about the best ways to provide a safe environment for a rabbit. This helped a lot!

The picture attached is definitely what I had in mind, so it's nice to see that other people have it done about the same way and have had success with it!