Getting a rabbit. Need tips!

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I am also getting bunnies and My cage is an outdoor one that will have a heating pad in the "loft" or upstairs and in all, the bunnies will have 12 square feet to run and play. I was wondering though, how many bunnies would be able to fit in the cage? I was hoping to get maybe 2
Or 3 spayed and neutered buns ...
 
Nutella is still wary when I go to pet him (which is expected) but he's certainly enjoying tossing around his toys. The starter kit did come with a small basket that appears to be made of straw. Is this safe for him to chew on/play with?
 
Nutella said:
The starter kit did come with a small basket that appears to be made of straw. Is this safe for him to chew on/play with?
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It should be. Baskets are always a favorite, and you can put some hay in it for additional appeal. My Natasha can make it through a basket in no time flat.
 
Tomorrow I'm getting a litter box and some litter. Can I get a few recommended types/brands? I know there were a few mentioned earlier.
 
MikeScone said:
There isn't just one kind of "Lop" - lop-eared rabbits vary in size from Holland Lops, which are small rabbits at four pounds or less, to French Lops at ten pounds and up. You can find details on the various lop breeds on the RO Rabbit Identification Key Lop Rabbits page.

Lionhead rabbits are smaller than Holland Lops - 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. The RO Rabbit Identification Key has a page on Lionhead rabbits, too.

We have pictures and information on all ARBA recognized breeds in the Rabbit Key - to start at the top, click here for the "What Breed is My Bunny?" page.
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Also it depends on how much you feed them on how big they can get. A bunny will overeat if you let it especially with sweets and fruits. Depending on food, treats, and how much play time you let your rabbit have will determine how big they get.

Vanessa
 
I purchased my cat litter pan from my local Petsmart. It was their in-store brand large litter pan. I also upon my breeder's recommendation purchased Petsmart's Esquisicat unscented paper cat litter. I also depending on sale prices purchase Yesterday's News regular original unscented paper cat litter. I would recommend either of those as your first litter. When you are more familiar with your bunny, his litter habits, you may want to further research/try other less expensive products such as the wood pellets. That just my personal thoughts. I have two bunnies and they do use more litter than one & I change the litter pan frequently.
 
In my opinion, it is best for you to know or learn the proper amounts & limit your bunny rather than depending on your bunny knowing when to stop. My bunny girls would never stop eating their Craisins but for their health I limit them to two Craisins each in any day. Too much sugary foods can cause tummy trouble that can require medical treatment.

Did your breeder or pet store already give you a list of foods your bunny was already eating. If not you may want to also purchase a good rabbit pellet such as Oxbow Essentials & feed your bunny as directed on the package. It can help supplement the diet & helps to make sure that he/she has the proper nutrition for a bunny.

Make sure your bunny always has fresh, clean, dry hay at all times! It is important for bunnies to have plenty of hay available & no, I have never heard of a rabbit/bunny overeating hay. My bunny girls have hay at all times & so far I've had no problems because of that.
 
kenna219 said:
I am also getting bunnies and My cage is an outdoor one that will have a heating pad in the "loft" or upstairs and in all, the bunnies will have 12 square feet to run and play. I was wondering though, how many bunnies would be able to fit in the cage? I was hoping to get maybe 2
Or 3 spayed and neutered buns ...
Click to expand...

If you'd like a trio of buns would suggest that you find an already bonded trio at a rabbit rescue. The rabbit rescues have already spayed/neutered rabbits. They often have fixed pairs that are bonded. A trio may be more difficult. It can be very hard to bond 3 rabbits, though there are a couple members who have been able to do it.
If the rescue has a trio already bonded, that would be the easiest way to have a trio.

If you plan to have a heating pad, have you figured out how to keep them from the electric cords or from chewing the heating pad?
 
Got Nutella a nice play area in the closet! He loves it! He seems so excited about his new home! <3

He seems to have warmed up to me! I plan on getting him a check up at a local vet. :3 Does anyone know how much vets are for rabbits?
 
I ended up getting some pine litter. Not Cedar! It doesn't clump. They're pellets.

he seems to be able to decide when to eat and when not to. I'll still have a schedule for him, but so far the most he's done was knock over the first bowl and then eat it out of the bedding. XD But he stopped that. He has toys to toss around. He tires himself out, flops over, naps, gets back up and hops some more. :3

Just to clarify, rabbits breath quickly right? He odes take rather rapid breaths but I think that's normal.

The food the cage came with has Alfalfa in it. I think I may have to not give him that anymore. Are there any brands that would be recommended?
 
If you want to switch a rabbit's pellet food, it needs to be done gradually, not suddenly. He should be still eating whatever he has been used to eating. Once you settle on a proper pellet, you'll mix the old with the new in a ratio of 3 parts old to one part new. Do that for a few days and then mix it half and half for a few days. Then just have it 1 part old food to 3 parts new. This way bunny gets used to the new pellet type gradually and without any tummy issues.
Oxbow Essentials has a decent rabbit food -- one for juveniles and one for adults.
 
Nutella said:
Just to clarify, rabbits breath quickly right? He odes take rather rapid breaths but I think that's normal.

The food the cage came with has Alfalfa in it. I think I may have to not give him that anymore. Are there any brands that would be recommended?
Click to expand...

Rapid breathing by human standards - twice a second or thereabouts - is quite normal for rabbits.

Oxbow does make a pellet brand with Timothy hay - Bunny Basics-T - so if your rabbit will eat that it would be better, but I wouldn't worry about there being a bit of Alfalfa in the pellets, if they're otherwise good (no "treat" bits or seeds, high in fiber). If you're not also feeding Alfalfa hay the small amount in the pellets isn't harmful. I tried Basics-T with my first rabbit, Scone MacBunny, but he wouldn't eat it (he rejected Timothy in any form), so he ate Agway house brand pellets all his life. I suppose Natasha might like it, but she's content with the Agway pellets, so I'm not going to make a change for the sake of change.
 
When a rabbit naps, does his breathing slow down? Cuz I'm thinking he's just tuckered out, but I just wanna make sure. Don't know if he was up all night and is just tired.
 
I put him in his play area just so he can get used to it. He doesn't seem sick but I'm still worried. Today I'm gonna make an appointment to get him checked out. I really hope he's okay.
 
When we got him, he was in a tiny wire cage. Hardly any room for the poor things. So I'm thinking he's not used to all the room to run around in. He probably just tires himself out. But still, I need to get him checked out and see how much neutering will cost.
 
I was hoping for a list of fruits and veggies that would be good for a grown rabbit please!
 
Nutella said:
I was hoping for a list of fruits and veggies that would be good for a grown rabbit please!
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•Veggies (They should have 1 c of these per 2 lbs of body weight)
Parsley
Spinach
Mustard greens
Beet greens
Swiss chard
Radish tops
Sprouts (from 1 to 6 days after sprouting, sprouts have higher levels of alkaloids)
Arugula
Carrot tops
Cucumber leaves
Endive
Ecarole
Frisee Lettuce
Kale (all types)
Mache
Red or green lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Spring greens
Turnip greens
Dandelion greens
Mint (any variety)
Basil (any variety)
Watercress
Wheatgrass
Chicory
Raspberry leaves
Cilantro
Radicchio
Bok Choy
Fennel (the leafy tops as well as the base)
Borage leaves
Dill leaves
Yu choy
•Not leafy greens (No more of these than 1 tsp per 2 lbs)
Carrots
Broccoli (leaves and stems)
Edible flowers (roses, nasturtiums, pansies, hibiscus)
Celery
Bell peppers (any color)
Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage (any type)
Broccolini
Summer squash
Zucchini squash
•Fruits (no more than one tbs per 2 pounds of body weight)
Cherries (any variety, without the pits)
Pear
Peach
Plum (without the pits)
Kiwi
Papaya
Mango
Berries (any type)
Berries (uncooked)
Pineapple (remove skin)
Banana (remove peel; no more than about 2 1/8 inch slices a day for a 5 lb rabbit…they LOVE this!)
Melons (any – can include peel and seeds)
Star Fruit
Apricot
Currants
Nectarine
Apples (no stem or seeds)
 
They have very specific dietary an nutritional needs.
Owning a rabbit is nothing like owning a hamster, despite what many people think. I'm glad you're researching early on. I wish you all the luck :)
 
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