Hello from the Netherlands!

[ashleigh]

Hello my name is Ashleigh and I live in the Netherlands (not dutch, but Australian)
I actually don't have any rabbits yet! But I joined so that I can get as much information as possible before bringing a rabbit home. I have been searching the web for some weeks now but I find forums so much better for information.
It's just me and my boyfriend in our apartment, no other animals and we plan to keep out rabbit or rabbits inside, preferably with a big puppy pen so they have plenty of space when they aren't roaming freely. I'm home all day so plenty of time with our new friend.
We would like to adopt from out local animal shelter here in the Hague or if anyone reading this knows someone here in Holland who needs to re-home their rabbits then please let me know!
At this point in time, I'm really looking for information surrounding indoor homes for your rabbit. i.e. what do have inside the pen, a bed, box, hutch?

Looking forward to knowing so much about these adorable guys!
:biggrin2:

 

[terrie]

a rescue shelter is better, its the best place to get a bunny, they will have it already neutered or sayed and you wont have to get it fixed yourself , it gets expensive to them fix they will live longer too!!

 

[cwolfec]

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you are going to be a stellar bunny mommy because you are doing all the research and legwork ahead of time! Can't wait to see who you get

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:wave:

 

[LakeCondo]

Welcome. In an xpen [ie exercise pen or dog pen], most importantly is a large cat-sized litter box with high sides. It's always a good idea to start with the litter the rabbit is used to & then switch if you wish. However it can't be clay or clumping or artifically scented. Most people seem to prefer pellets rather shavings. If you do use shavings, they can't be pine.

A hide box is a good idea, especially at first. All you need is a cardboard bos with no plastic tape on it, ideally no tape at all. Close it by interleaving the flaps. Then cut 2 entrances into it, just big enough for the rabbit. he or she will no doubt enlarge them.

Actually, maybe the most important thing is what floor protection you have under the xpen. Rabbits almost always are diggers, so you can either have something like linoleum with a rough-enough surface that the rabbit would slip around, or an indoor-outdoor rug with a very low nap & with something waterproof under it.

Any running freely will require protecting all electric cords & maybe any baseboards.

 

[daisyandoliver]

Welcome!!

 

[agnesthelion]

Welcome and good for you for doing your research!

Lots of cage options...go to the housing section and there are pics and ideas there....ie NIC, xpens, dog crates etc....

Hollands are adorable and ironically my second fave breed behind lionheads I like the smaller breeds...

Adopting is a great option to search for an already fixed bun and personality figured out too....

Good luck

 

[ashleigh]

 

[ashleigh]

Thanks everyone!

@LakeCondo; Does is matter if the cardboard box has print on it? Not just the generic brown? It's quite hard to find a plain colored one. Our whole house is either vinyl or linoleum floor don't know which, but I was thinking of putting a fleece blanket or something as the flooring of the pen and underneath that blanket, some plastic table cloth.

@terrie; There is actually a website for the rodent animal shelter here and all their rabbit listings aren't labeled as neutered, but something tells me they just haven't updated it.

I'm preferably looking for a bonded pair at the moment and the shelter has two they bought from a French shelter because they had too many..

 

[ashleigh]

Oh and another question, Do you guys just have water bowel for your rabbit? It's silly but I don't know how they drink, I see hanging water bottles but for the most pictures on here just have water bowels.
I'm also a pretty clean person, I vacum and mop the floors once a week, wash everything etc etc.
What do you guys recommend for floor cleaning with bunnies around and if I wash their blankets, should I avoid using any washing detergent?
What do you use in general to clean their environment?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Ours all have water bottles. We use a shop vac to clean up the poop and hay daily. Use a steam mop once a week on the tile. We use cleaning supplies that are safe for use around babies--scent free. I usually buy some cleaner from PetsMart for the hutches and give everything a thorough rinse.

 

[LakeCondo]

Boxes should have any pasted-on labels removed. If they have lots of writing with markers, that might not be good, You could always buy unused boxes, after you try one box & see how much your rabbit chews it.

I use a water bowl rather than a bottle. Each has advantages & disadvantages. Bowls can be spilled, bottles can't but can drip & have to be fastened at the right height for the rabbit. If the shelter uses bowls, they may not know how to use a bottle & you'd have to help them learn.

The thing to clean bowels etc with is diluted white vinegar, maybe 10-1 water-vinegar.

Rabbits aren't rodents, but I can see the shelter including rabbits in their focus.