Very new to rabbits.. thinking of fostering!

[LilMissSunshine]

Hi! Well, I dont have a rabbit lol but i've begun researching and such..

I found a local bunny rescue in my area, and they are looking for foster homes. So I thought I would find out more about these lil guys and maybe help them out!

Now, all I know about rabbits is that they are cute and they hope around.. so im here to try and learn as much as I can!


For instance, I have an ex-pen (used it when I just got my chihuahua). I know that rabbits can live in them but I was wondering what other things they need in there.. Id love to see pictures of your expen setups

Would fostering a pair of bunnies (spayed/neutered of course) from the rescue be better since im a beginner/a student?

What is daily care like?

How often do you clean the litter box and whats litter do you use?

What are they like as far as human attention they need? Perfect would be if they enjoyed human attention, but weren't all over me. Just content to hop around, be petted, and just chill.

The litter box issue... How good are they with a litter box? is it a 100% thing when it comes to pee? Im renting my apartment and i cant ruin the carpet. What is something that you use/put under the ex-pen?

Interaction with my dog. now, Romeo weighs 5 pounds and is pretty good with small animals. can they learn to get along? can rabbits/dogs really play? I would never leave them alone together regardless, romeo may be 5 pounds but hes still a dog and he still likes to chase squirrels and stuff..

umm..I think thats it for now! anything else you think I should know please do

 

[slavetoabunny]

I am with Gainesville Rabbit Rescue and will try to answer some of your questions.

LilMissSunshine wrote:

Hi! Well, I dont have a rabbit lol but i've begun researching and such..

I found a local bunny rescue in my area, and they are looking for foster homes. So I thought I would find out more about these lil guys and maybe help them out! Excellent choice! Besides $$, the next thing that rescues need the most are foster families.

Now, all I know about rabbits is that they are cute and they hope around.. so im here to try and learn as much as I can!


For instance, I have an ex-pen (used it when I just got my chihuahua). I know that rabbits can live in them but I was wondering what other things they need in there.. Id love to see pictures of your expen setups Ex-pens are a great habitat for rabbits. It is how we house our rabbits and recommend to adopters. They will need food and water bowls, litter pan, hidey-box or large igloo, wicker chewables and a few toys. Some folks give their bunnies fleece blankets.

Would fostering a pair of bunnies (spayed/neutered of course) from the rescue be better since im a beginner/a student? I personally think that a bonded pair requires no more time to care for than a single. Most rescues have already bonded pairs available.

What is daily care like? I have 2 singles and a pair. Every morning I vacuum up the loose hay and poops from the bunny area, fix salads for everybun, feed pellets and hay, and freshen water. Depending on how many litter boxes I have to change that day, it takes me anywhere from 30-45 minutes. In the evening, I feed pellets and top off the hay. Fill water, if needed. This takes about 15 minutes.

How often do you clean the litter box and whats litter do you use? I change my bonded pair's box every other day and the 2 single's boxes every 4 days. I use horse bedding pellets for litter.

What are they like as far as human attention they need? Perfect would be if they enjoyed human attention, but weren't all over me. Just content to hop around, be petted, and just chill. This depends on the rabbit. Some rabbits are very social and demanding and others like to be left alone for the most part. What is important is that they get as much time out of their pen as possible every day. All of my rabbits get at least 3 hours a day (I have to rotate playtimes).

The litter box issue... How good are they with a litter box? is it a 100% thing when it comes to pee? Im renting my apartment and i cant ruin the carpet. What is something that you use/put under the ex-pen? I find that bunnies are much better with pee than poo. My buns are all 100% with pee, but tend to leave a few stray poos outside the box. I would recommend getting a commercial grade (very low-pile) area rug to put under your pen. They sell a 5' x 8' rug at Walmart for $20.

Interaction with my dog. now, Romeo weighs 5 pounds and is pretty good with small animals. can they learn to get along? can rabbits/dogs really play? I would never leave them alone together regardless, romeo may be 5 pounds but hes still a dog and he still likes to chase squirrels and stuff.. Dogs and rabbits frequently get along. I cannot personally comment since I don't have dogs.

umm..I think thats it for now! anything else you think I should know please do

Fostering is a wonderful experience and I can't imagine ever not having foster rabbits. Who knows, you may become a member of the elite foster failures club!

 

[thelittleladybug]

LilMissSunshine wrote:

Would fostering a pair of bunnies (spayed/neutered of course) from the rescue be better since im a beginner/a student? DEFF.! I would totally suggest fostering first. Its great for the community and great for you to learn.

What is daily care like? Very easy! I clean my buns cages once a week, sometimes twice but not often. Most of my bunnies are litter box trained so it's quite easy. I always keep food in the bowls and make sure he always has water. Rabbits need more water then us!

How often do you clean the litter box and whats litter do you use? Probably once, twice a week. I just recently changed my litter to "care fresh" (i believe thats the name?), my rabbit FREAKS with it. haha. He trys to bring his litter box downstairs with him. He even brings it closer to his water bowl and food bowl just to stay sitting in it while he eats or drinks.

What are they like as far as human attention they need? All my rabbits are different, some like to be around you always, some like to be around you but still want a their space. They aren't like dogs but aren't like cats either.

The litter box issue... How good are they with a litter box? is it a 100% thing when it comes to pee? Every once in a while they will accidently poop but thats so easy to just sweap up, its not a prob. However, it does take a week or two to potty train them...depending on age as well. My rabbits are very good with using them but they do have accidents. Wherever your bun uses the bathroom the most is where you should be the box. (cat litter pans work great too)

What is something that you use/put under the ex-pen?I suggest getting a computer chair plastic mat with some old towels put down so they dont go slidding everywhere.

Interaction with my dog. now, Romeo weighs 5 pounds and is pretty good with small animals. can they learn to get along? can rabbits/dogs really play? My personal rabbit HATES dogs. He attacks them...whenever our chi comes in the room he thumps his back feet like hes making music. However ive only met a couple rabbits who don't mind them...you can deff. tellthey are scared! I wouldn't suggest it...but it all depends on the rabbit.

Hope I helped! I run a small rabbit rescue and having foster homes for them takes so much weight off my shoulders.

 

[kirbyultra]

LilMissSunshine wrote:

For instance, I have an ex-pen (used it when I just got my chihuahua). I know that rabbits can live in them but I was wondering what other things they need in there.. Id love to see pictures of your expen setups
Patti covered a lot of ground, but wanted to add that xpen design and other cage configs are featured in the cage and construction subforum under Hare Care: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=27442&forum_id=93. Lots of good pix and ideas there. Minimum, I think the bun needs a litter box, a water bowl, pellet dish,and a little box where he/she can hide out and feel safe.

Would fostering a pair of bunnies (spayed/neutered of course) from the rescue be better since im a beginner/a student? Personally, I think if you are just starting out, while it may be very exciting and you're anxious to dive in and help, the best way is probably to start with a single bun and get used to rabbit behavior before you go into handling a pair. Once you get the hang of it, one or a bonded pair does not make a lot of difference, but to start with two can be a bit overwhelming.

What is daily care like?Oh, lots of fun!!! If you bunny proof your home/room/apt, they can run around and explore all your furniture, investigate your clothes and stuff. It's a lot of fun. Of course you do need to keep an eye for things like their food intake, their output, groom them, feed them, clean their litter box (every few days). Making sure they get exercise by running around is the most fun though Rabbit fur and hay needs to be picked up and vacuumed daily with a handvac for my own sanity's sake

How often do you clean the litter box and whats litter do you use? Some rescues like the one I work with tell people that litter is quite possibly a waste of your money. It is and it isn't - I find that I like the Feline Pine (or any compressed wood pellet that has been kiln dried) smell because it does deal with the minor odors quite well. Our rescue tends to use a whole bunch of old newspaper in the litterbox and when it's been dirtied we just toss all the newspapers. It's all the same concept. I think with using newspapers w/o litter, you might have to be more diligent with cleaning out the litter box every 1-2 days. With my pine pellet litter, I clean it out every 3 days and never deal with any smells in the home.

What are they like as far as human attention they need? Most buns I have dealt with so far enjoy having the interaction, but often opt to do their own thing 80% of the time. Some buns are extremely affectionate and those buns usually are in and out of the shelter as they are very desirable for adoption. Most buns I have seen are content with seeing you, but not necessarily having you fuss with them. Petting is almost always welcomed.

The litter box issue... How good are they with a litter box? is it a 100% thing when it comes to pee? Im renting my apartment and i cant ruin the carpet. What is something that you use/put under the ex-pen? Cardboard, lowpile area rugs, children's foam playmats, newspapers... all good options to put under the pen (some buns chew on the flooring, so you have to watch and see depending on the bun). Most altered buns can be litter trained and be very good w/ both pee and poo. My buns sometimes leave stray poops now and again but I can count the # of pee accidents on 1 hand. Shelter buns are variable, especially if they were recently spayed/neutered. Litter habits can be sloppy if they are still hormonal and learning to use the box.

Interaction with my dog. now, Romeo weighs 5 pounds and is pretty good with small animals. can they learn to get along? can rabbits/dogs really play? I would never leave them alone together regardless, romeo may be 5 pounds but hes still a dog and he still likes to chase squirrels and stuff.. Depends on the breed of dog. I would hesitate on putting them together with a hunter breed (even with supervision), but then again, also depends on the individual dog. Typically a larger bun feels more confident and less antsy and scared around a predator animal. But if the dog is harmless (doesn't chase, doesn't bark too much, won't chew) and fairly relaxed, they can learn to be together. Foster buns are kind of tough because depending onduration of stay, it can be real hard for them to adjust to a dog. Some buns take right to it, some buns are just scared out of their minds even being near another animal.

 

[Cutie Bunny62]

First of all you need a bowl with fresh water and a bowl with fruits and a few treats, but be sure that the bunny won't tip it over. Change the water daily, and be sure that the bunny can stant on its back paws so the ceiling of the cage won't touch his head. :bunnydance:

Daily care is when you change the water bowls daily, interact with the bunny, cleaning his cage, and grooming the bunny at least twice a week (angora rabbit need daily brushing because of their long fur).

Sorry I can't answer all the questions its just that I don't want to give you in correct answers. If you need anything else on bunnies, the best way is to check out books oruse the internet.

 

[mistyjr]

No Fruit.. Surgar isnt good for them

 

[thelittleladybug]

Cutie Bunny62 wrote:

First of all you need a bowl with fresh water and a bowl with fruits

Only a VERY little fruit and carrots a week for them...to much starch/sugar. NO oranges...(Supposedly mostly only no oranges for males, not sure to much on that)