Lots of questions

[maddogdodge]

Hi everyone I'm just in the process of researching if a rabbit would be a suitable pet for me or not.

I grew up absolutely adoring rabbits, I had 2 as a kid and loved them, although I won't deny that they didn't have the best life. They lived in very small cages 24/7 and just had cheap supermaket food... I was a very young kid though and didn't know any better.

Although it's been many many years since I've owned a rabbit, every time I see one it just brings me back to my 2 bunnies

I have quite a few questions, this could get quite long, so if you do actually read it all and can help me out that would be absolutely amazing!

1. How do rabbits cope in the heat. I know they don't do well but what temperatures can they cope with? Are they like ferrets when it comes to heat? I have ferrets who live in cages that open up into a purpose built enclosure for them which has concrete floors, they do really well in the heat when they've got access to the concrete floor as well as cool water to play in and ice blocks to sleep next to. I live in Victoria Australia so from December to the start of March the temperatures range from 20 to 40 degrees Celsius. The rest of the year averages anywhere from 10C to 20C.

2. Diseases, what diseases should I be aware of? Any common preventable issues they can get?

3. I have a space just outside my bedroom window that I'm thinking would make an ideal rabbit house. It's previously housed one of my cats as his night time enclosure, but more recently has been used for broody hens to hatch chicks. It has 2 sections, the first is about 2.5m by 1.5m with a concrete floor (good for summer) and very solid totally weather proof walls. From there it has a tunnel which leads to an outdoor section with grass, this section is about 1.5m by 3m. The tunnel and outdoor section is covered in wire from top to bottom and is totally rabbit and predator proof. With a thorough clean out from my last batch of chicks, does this sound like a good home for a rabbit?

4. Best diet for a rabbit? I know they need hay, but can anyone give me some info on a proper balanced diet for a rabbit?

5. One rabbit or two? I like the idea of having just one rabbit, but if having 2 is considered a better option, then so be it. Bit like my ferrets, I've always had them in pairs.

6. Male vs Female... any obvious differences in personality?

7. Good breed? I'd probably rescue a rabbit but I'd be interested to know what breeds people recommend. I know they're not the type of pets that like to be held, which is absolutely fine. I just want a really friendly bunny with a relaxed and happy personality.

8. Litter training - If I kept a rabbit in the enclosure I described above, he/she can poop to their heart's content in the outdoor section but on the indoor section with the concrete floor I'd probably want a litter box in there. Are they easy to litter train? Would any accidents be easy to sweep up with a dust pan and brush? (my memory as a kid of rabbit poo is that it's small and not messy like other animals is). And what kind of litter would you recommend? I use 'Breeders Choice cat litter' for my ferrets. It's made out of recycled paper.

I think that's all my questions for now... I know that was really long, but if any of you can help me out that would be amazing. I love rabbits but don't want to make the commitment if I can't provide what they need!

 

[Aki]

All the questions you are asking have their answers on the forum and here (it's a very reliable website) :
http://rabbit.org/category/life-with-a-house-rabbit/

I advise you to do your research and then, if you have specific questions, to ask them here. They are already posts about every question you are asking on this forum. There was one just yesterday about the male / female / which breed issue.

 

[Blue eyes]

The site Aki recommended is the House Rabbit Society, and Aki is right -- it is a wealth of information.

As a new rabbit owner, however, the site itself may be rather overwhelming.

I will answer a few of your questions. First is your question about heat. I live in the Sonoran desert and our temperatures get even higher. From May to September our daytime highs range from 32 - 48C! Any temps of 80-85F (26-28C) or higher can cause heatstroke in rabbits. I would highly suggest considering making your rabbit(s) house rabbits. I have housed all of my rabbits indoors. In my opinion, it is the best way to house them.

Being inside, I get to interact with them far more often and regularly. I wouldn't do it any other way. And inside, the temperature shouldn't be an issue.

There are diseases unique to Australia of which I am not familiar. I believe calcivirus is one major concern. We do have some Australian RO members so they can chime in on that.

The remainder of your questions are easily answered at my rabbit care website. It is a basic site and perhaps not as overwhelming as the rabbit.org site. I'd suggest looking there and just browsing the top tabs for what you are looking for. Here is the site.

The photo collage may give you a little bit of a feel for housing rabbits indoors.

 

[ladysown]

In Australia you need to keep your rabbits INDOORS, behind screening, to try to prevent them from getting .. oh whatever that disease is they use to control rabbits. Can get carried in on bugs.

 

[Azerane]

Ok, lots to answer, so here goes

1. Rabbits do not cope well with the heat at all. Despite their big ears which suggests otherwise. There is a reason rabbits stay in burrows all day on hot days. Burrows can be at least 10 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. I always recommend rabbits be kept inside because of the heat, however having said that, I have previously as a teenager owned two rabbits (at different times) that lived outside through summer heat. Anything above 30 starts getting risky for a rabbit. If you are set on keeping rabbits outdoors, you need to have the main part of the enclosure in full shade for most of the day 10am-6pm. Water to cool off in shouldn't be provided as rabbits don't dry off too well and getting wet can lead to them getting sick. That being said, they love frozen water bottles, ceramic tiles that have been kept in the freezer, ice blocks with carrot juice or diced herbs frozen in them, a wet towel draped over part of the cage etc. If the outdoors was their permanent set up and had all those things to help keep them cool, you would still need to bring them inside anytime the temperature was 34+ (I always brought Bandit in at 30+). While some rabbits live for years outdoors with no problem, to me it's simply not worth the risk of losing them to heat stroke when it can so easily be prevented by bringing them inside. Even if they make it through one hot day, multiple hot days in a row can really stress their system. Sorry if that was a little preachy, I hear of too many rabbits dying from heat stroke every year around here.

2. Calicivirus and Myxomatosis are the two big ones, both are fatal. They are both spread by biting insects. Calicivirus (aka RVHD (rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease) and RHDV) is also spread simply by indirect contact. For example, if a wild rabbit in a park has it and eats some grass, you walk on that same grass and then you walk around your rabbit in those same shoes, your rabbit can become infected. Fortunately, there is an annual vaccination available for calicivirus. Unforunately, there is a new strain called RHDV2 which is newly arrived in Australia about a year ago, which is mostly resistant to the vaccine. RHDV2 has a vaccine overseas which is not yet available here. The myxomatosis vaccine is not available in Australia. To protect against it, it is recommended that you cover the outside of your hutch and run with fly screen. Myxomatosis has a poor prognosis at vet clinics and euthanasia is usually recommended to ease suffering.

I'm also going to list GI Stasis here, even though it's not a disease. Gastro Intestinal stasis is common in rabbits and can lead to death. It is when a rabbit stops eating and/or pooping and the gut slows down/stops. It is considered a symptom, not a diagnosis and usually occurs from stress, infection, other illnesses, gas, fur blockage, pain, tooth issues etc. A rabbit that stops eating or pooping for 12-24 hours is considered an emergency case. It's worth reading up on before getting a rabbit.

3. The housing you have available sounds like a great size. especially with access to the lawn as well. Is the floor of the grassy area covered in wire mesh as well? If not, it is likely they may dig out or a fox may dig in. How far away from the ferrets will they be? Is the wire on the pen and run chicken wire, or something stronger? Rabbits have been known to chew through chicken wire. And once again, covering the set up with fly screen is a good idea to prevent mosquito bites carrying diseases.

4. I could write a whole essay on diet, but to keep it simple: 5% pellets, 10-15% leafy greens, 80-85% fresh hay. Pellets should have high fiber content +16% the higher the better and the first ingredient should be a grass hay. Avoid the muesli type mixes that have grains, corn and other coloured bits. Leafy greens include herbs (basil, parsley, coriander, rosemary, oregano) lettuce (cos, red, curly but never iceberg) and various other things. Fruit a veg are considered treat foods as they are high in sugar. Recommended hay types are meadow, oaten and wheaten. Lucerne is only good for young rabbits up to 6 months old. Any additions or changes to a rabbits diet should always be done very slowly as they are hind gut fermenters, the bacteria in their stomachs needs time to adjust to new food. There are so many good resources on rabbit diet online.

5. This is personal preference, though if you are keeping your rabbits outdoors, I recommend two. A house rabbit has more of a chance to spend time and interact with you, outdoor rabbits will have less time so two is good. Keep in mind that this presents a whole new set of issues if you don't adopt an already bonded pair. Rabbit bonding can be a mammoth task, and if not introduced properly, two rabbits can fight and cause serious injury. Both rabbits need to be spayed or neutered before attempting to bond them. Again, there's a million resources for this online for further reading. If you want two, adopting a bonded pair from a rescue is really the easiest option in that regard. Some rescues will attempt to bond two single rabbits they have for you.

6. Everything I read says that females can be more moody, more inclined to cage aggression. But there are plenty of female rabbits that don't have these problems, and male rabbits that do. Getting a rabbit that is an adult can really help you in this stage, because their personalities are quite determined and it's easier to see what they're like. Young rabbits are yet to develop into their full personality.

7. Like with anything, breed personalities can be highly variable. The only thing I do know is that netherland dwarves tend to be skittish and high strung, and lops laid back (which leaves plenty of other breeds). Some dwarf breeds can be predisposed to malocclusion of the teeth as well.

8. Litter training is a great idea, it's likely they would use a tray in the concrete area but still pee/poop on the grassy area. When I would take Bandit out on the lawn, I would take his tray with him. I found that he would poop on the lawn, but still jump in his tray to pee. Litter training is fairly straight forward and consists of wiping up pee spills with paper towel and putting that in the litter tray, and sweeping up poops and putting those in the tray too to help the bunny learn where to go. Having your litter tray set up with hay at one end is good too, as rabbits like to eat while they poop Breeders choice is a good litter to use, I think it's unscented, which is good. You can also use compressed wood pellets, such as oz-pet. I used to use breeders choice but found the wood pellets had better odour control (not as important outdoors I suppose).

Phew, my fingers need a rest after that. I hope it helped though. There really are a million resources online, it's really a matter of knowing what to look for.

 

[flemishwhite]

Ok, lots to answer, so here goes
.

Azerane pretty much covered everything. I myself really want my bunnies to be house rabbits. I'm spoiled, my last rabbit, Bunny, over the last many years of her life was a perfect house rabbit. Excellent litter box behavior, ..only one litter box in the entire house. No chewing problems in her later years. Affectionate. She slept in out bedroom...sort of a little watch dog. Anything unusual in our outside the house would cause her to start loudly thumping.

When first turned Bunny loose in the house, there were some anxious moments. We had initially multiple litter boxes, but she would still pee about a table spoon here and there. She was marking...after about 4 or 6 weeks this stopped. There were some chewing incidents. Also, as a fertile female, she had a birthing nest built (harmless, but cute behavior). Neutering her put her on the path to being the perfect house pet. I enjoyed her sleeping in the bedroom..I felt safe with her awareness and knowledge that she'd thump if something out of the ordinary was happening.

 

[maddogdodge]

Thank you all for your answers, much appreciated. Sorry it took me a while to get back here, just had a lot going on lately. Still tossing up my options, I'm planning to do some more research though. My work mate brought her rabbit to work the other day to have a dental done. Gosh she was such a sweet bun! On that subject would you all agree that if plenty of things are provided for the bunny to chew on and wear their teeth down then they shouldn't need dental work at the vet? That's one thing I hate about treating bunnies at the vet I work at... Giving them an anaesthetic can be scary and risky!

If you are set on keeping rabbits outdoors, you need to have the main part of the enclosure in full shade for most of the day 10am-6pm. Water to cool off in shouldn't be provided as rabbits don't dry off too well and getting wet can lead to them getting sick.

My plan for a bunny enclosure has a large section that is fully protected from the sun and has a concrete floor that stays really quite cool on the hot days. Years ago I kept my ferrets in there and they did well. Ferrets don't cope in temps over 30C either. I didn't know that rabbits take ages to dry, so thanks for mentioning that!

To protect against it, it is recommended that you cover the outside of your hutch and run with fly screen. Myxomatosis has a poor prognosis at vet clinics and euthanasia is usually recommended to ease suffering.

A fly screen covering definitely sounds doable. Yes I've seen Myxo in rabbits at the vet clinic I work it, it's truly horrible!

The housing you have available sounds like a great size. especially with access to the lawn as well. Is the floor of the grassy area covered in wire mesh as well? If not, it is likely they may dig out or a fox may dig in. How far away from the ferrets will they be? Is the wire on the pen and run chicken wire, or something stronger? Rabbits have been known to chew through chicken wire.

The bottom has wire as well, so no bunnies would be escaping and no foxes would be breaking in. The wire is aviary wire that is 1cm square, so it's pretty strong, I can't imagine a rabbit getting through it. Ferrets and bunnies would be kept well away from each other! My ferrets have their cages and large play area set up at least 100m away from the proposed bunny area. So they'd probably never see each other.

4. I could write a whole essay on diet, but to keep it simple: 5% pellets, 10-15% leafy greens, 80-85% fresh hay. Pellets should have high fiber content +16% the higher the better and the first ingredient should be a grass hay. Avoid the muesli type mixes that have grains, corn and other coloured bits. Leafy greens include herbs (basil, parsley, coriander, rosemary, oregano) lettuce (cos, red, curly but never iceberg) and various other things. Fruit a veg are considered treat foods as they are high in sugar. Recommended hay types are meadow, oaten and wheaten. Lucerne is only good for young rabbits up to 6 months old. Any additions or changes to a rabbits diet should always be done very slowly as they are hind gut fermenters, the bacteria in their stomachs needs time to adjust to new food. There are so many good resources on rabbit diet online.

Thanks for that info! I think the rabbits I had as a kid were given the muesli mix type food They did get hay, thank goodness! And also thank goodness my Mum knew enough about rabbits not to give them iceberg lettuce. I'll have a look for a decent pellet and get prices and such before I commit to a bunny.
I live on 30 acres, so every summer we grow, cut and bale our own hay Some of it we sell, but we also keep a lot for our cattle and as nesting material for the chickens. So we'll have plenty of hay available at no cost

6. Everything I read says that females can be more moody, more inclined to cage aggression. But there are plenty of female rabbits that don't have these problems, and male rabbits that do. Getting a rabbit that is an adult can really help you in this stage, because their personalities are quite determined and it's easier to see what they're like. Young rabbits are yet to develop into their full personality.

If the general thought is that females are more moody, then I'm happy to get a male or two. But as you say, if I get adults then I'll already know their personality

 

[maddogdodge]

I should also mention that we have a brilliant large veggie garden, so I could grow a lot of their veggies myself

 

[Azerane]

Thank you all for your answers, much appreciated. Sorry it took me a while to get back here, just had a lot going on lately. Still tossing up my options, I'm planning to do some more research though. My work mate brought her rabbit to work the other day to have a dental done. Gosh she was such a sweet bun! On that subject would you all agree that if plenty of things are provided for the bunny to chew on and wear their teeth down then they shouldn't need dental work at the vet? That's one thing I hate about treating bunnies at the vet I work at... Giving them an anaesthetic can be scary and risky!

Yes... and no Rabbits shouldn't need dental work at all. If you have a rabbit that eats plenty of hay, that's usually enough to keep their teeth well worn. Rabbits that don't eat enough hay, or chew on other things will tend to develop molar spurs, which will need to be ground down. Then you have rabbits which have either been bred poorly, or breeds that are predisposed to having teeth issues (most commonly dwarf breeds with the more squished in faces) and you can end up with malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth. Which since you work at a vet you probably know means that they don't make correct contact when chewing and so don't wear properly. In some cases spurs and things can be corrected with a couple of treatments, but serious cases of malocclusion can require very regular grinding and/or trimming of the teeth which can get pricey (or on some occasions, complete removal). Because rabbit teeth are constantly growing, a small tooth problem can quickly become a big tooth problem. MediRabbit is a wealth of information on rabbit health and care, check out this page on malocclusion: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/D_problems1.htm

It certainly sounds like you have a really great set up. We have mostly terrible pellet brands in this country. The international brands available are the best ones, Burgess Excel and Oxbow are the best though come in at $28 and $20 per approx 2kg bag each. Following that you have VetaFarm which is an Aussie brand and are about $12 for 1.5kg but of all our brands, they're the only one that meets the actual ingredient requirements and has a somewhat decent fiber content. Jack Rabbit premium rabbit pellets used to be pretty decent until they changed their recipe, now the first ingredient is clover when it used to be grass You want a pellet that is grass hay based (not lucerne) with high fiber. All of the supermarket and pet store brands are rubbish, though of course if you can't afford the pricey stuff, you can't afford it and go with the best you can afford. This chart here for UK brands, breaks down what you need to be looking for in a pellet. http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp Sorry if I'm rambling on about it, I'm literally in the process of making a youtube video on this very topic and have been researching Australian pellet brands for some months now. Unless there's some interstate that aren't here in SA, Vetafarm is the only Aussie brand I would personally ever buy.

 

[maddogdodge]

Yes... and no Rabbits shouldn't need dental work at all. If you have a rabbit that eats plenty of hay, that's usually enough to keep their teeth well worn. Rabbits that don't eat enough hay, or chew on other things will tend to develop molar spurs, which will need to be ground down. Then you have rabbits which have either been bred poorly, or breeds that are predisposed to having teeth issues (most commonly dwarf breeds with the more squished in faces) and you can end up with malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth. Which since you work at a vet you probably know means that they don't make correct contact when chewing and so don't wear properly. In some cases spurs and things can be corrected with a couple of treatments, but serious cases of malocclusion can require very regular grinding and/or trimming of the teeth which can get pricey (or on some occasions, complete removal). Because rabbit teeth are constantly growing, a small tooth problem can quickly become a big tooth problem. MediRabbit is a wealth of information on rabbit health and care, check out this page on malocclusion: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Dental_diseases/Differential/D_problems1.htm

It certainly sounds like you have a really great set up. We have mostly terrible pellet brands in this country. The international brands available are the best ones, Burgess Excel and Oxbow are the best though come in at $28 and $20 per approx 2kg bag each. Following that you have VetaFarm which is an Aussie brand and are about $12 for 1.5kg but of all our brands, they're the only one that meets the actual ingredient requirements and has a somewhat decent fiber content. Jack Rabbit premium rabbit pellets used to be pretty decent until they changed their recipe, now the first ingredient is clover when it used to be grass You want a pellet that is grass hay based (not lucerne) with high fiber. All of the supermarket and pet store brands are rubbish, though of course if you can't afford the pricey stuff, you can't afford it and go with the best you can afford. This chart here for UK brands, breaks down what you need to be looking for in a pellet. http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp Sorry if I'm rambling on about it, I'm literally in the process of making a youtube video on this very topic and have been researching Australian pellet brands for some months now. Unless there's some interstate that aren't here in SA, Vetafarm is the only Aussie brand I would personally ever buy.

Thanks so much!! I really appreciate all this info you're giving me! Gosh the issue of rabbit food in Aus sounds just as bad as ferret food here, theres virtually no decent ferret foods here! I had a look on My Pet Warehouse just before I read your comment and narrowed down my options to Burgess Excel, Oxbow and Vetafarm so it sounds like I was on the right track

 

[Azerane]

Not a problem at all. I'm not surprised that ferret food has exactly the same problem, I see even less of it in stores than I do of rabbit food.