Wanting new pet

[Decon]

Hello everyone , I’m a former cat person but my last one died a few weeks ago ( lost 2 in 3 months) , so I’m looking for something I can in an enclosure and a small or miniature rabbit/ bunny sounds like a good option. Mini lop is what’s mostly available locally but not sure of behaviour of rabbits in general. Any advice would be welcome and thankyou

 

[Imbrium]

I had a cat pass away years ago who I'd had since she was a 3 month old kitten (she died at 7 yrs old). I was so heartbroken, I just couldn't bring myself to get another cat but around 6 months later, I woke up one day arbitrarily determined to get "a bunny" lol. I hadn't had a rabbit in nearly 2 decades, but by the end of the day I'd bought starter supplies and procured two adorable baby girls.

A few things to know if you're considering a rabbit:
#1 - A cage is NOT enough. Unlike actual "cage" animals that have a wheel to run on, a rabbit needs one of the following:
~ a cage or condo (roomier than you can buy in a store) and a minimum of 2-3 hours a day free-roam time
~ a cage or condo with an attached run (made with dog exercise pens, for example) that provides at least 60 square feet of space
OR ~ to be fully free-range (like a cat) with the help of bunny-proofing

#2 - Spaying and Neutering
Males don't need to be neutered for health reasons, but often do for behavioral reasons (they can spray pee up to 6 feet in the air and like to aim for eyeballs). Females really need to be spayed for health reasons (an unspayed female has HALF the average life-span of a spayed female). ALL rabbits need to be altered before they can be safely bonded with a second rabbit because hormones can make them crazy and volatile.
**I can not recommend enough to adopt from a shelter or rescue** Spay/neuter surgery at a vet is usually in the $200-400 range! Meanwhile, the last two rabbits I adopted cost a combined total of $45 and came already fixed.

#3 - Hay
If you don't like the idea of finding hay in the strangest of places (including in your underwear somehow), rabbits are not for you. They eat a ton of hay and it gets tracked EVERYWHERE.

#4 - Cost
Rabbits can be very expensive if you shop at a pet store. Learn to love your local feed store/livestock supply store! Hay is like $3-8 per pound from the pet store and around 8 pounds for $1 at a feed store. Kiln-dried pine pellets or paper pellet litter is maybe $10 for 20 lbs at a pet store... I pay $5.99 for 40 lbs of equine pine at the feed store. Like cats, you can easily drop $10-20 on a single toy at the pet store and, like cats, they'd rather play with something from the dollar store anyway. Our cats get hours of enjoyment out of a cheap bag of pipe cleaners and our rabbits love wiffle balls, untreated willow wreaths, hard plastic baby keys, baby spoons, stacking cups, links...

#5 - Rabbit attitude
Rabbits have a lot of attitude! Like cats, they are FULL of personality and every one is unique. We've got 5 cats and 4 rabbits and they've each got a completely different take on life. They are NOT cage pets but they ARE wonderful companions!

Some great sites to learn more about rabbit care that should cover any basics I've overlooked after a long day at work:
https://rabbit.org/faq-diet/
https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
https://rabbit.org/hay-in-your-bunnys-diet/
https://binkybunny.com/bunnyinfo/
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/
http://www.therabbithouse.com/
https://bunnyapproved.com/indoor-rabbit-housing/
https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/housing-your-pet-rabbit-indoors/

 

[Decon]

Hi Imbrium and thanx for the reply, and I had one cat for 12 years and the other 7 . I’m getting a bunny and have thought a lot about enclosures . I’ve seen rabbits kept in cages not much bigger than the cage I took my cat to the vet in ,but I definitely believe any pet should have a quality of life so I’m thinking about converting the 2 aviaries and chook run into a bunny enclosure . Thanx also for the links
And I know from cats that females are generally the more docile sex....so will probably get one.

 

[Blue eyes]

For a first rabbit, it is strongly advised to begin with one that is already fixed. You can find already fixed rabbits at rabbit rescues as young as about 6 months of age (pretty good considering they can live 10+ years).

Unlike with other pets, starting out with a baby is not ideal, contrary to what one might think. Since their personalities can vary sooo much, and since you are not going to influence the personality of a baby, starting out with a baby is more like russian roulette -- you never know what kind of rabbit you will get. It is not true that by starting with a baby you will be able to train them to like handling, etc. On other hand, a rabbit that is already fixed has an evident personality -- you will know just what you are getting. By meeting a number of already fixed rabbits, you can find the personality that suits you (and one that likes you too).

Bear in mind that the smaller rabbits tend to be higher in energy, so they need just as much space as larger rabbits. They are also the ones that are able to jump higher too.

I have not found that female rabbits are more docile than males. Either one can be energetic or docile. My two most outgoing rabbits were a male and a female. My most laid back rabbit was a male. So gender isn't even a rough determiner of being more or less docile.

 

[Imbrium]

I dunno, male rabbits are often pretty laid back, but then again so are our male cats (our females from the same bloodline are more high strung; the unrelated female is a bit of a 'tomboy'). They really are all unique individuals, so you can't make very accurate generalizations based on gender (with the exception of unspayed females often being particularly neurotic). If I were you, I would visit a shelter or rescue with an open mind and see which rabbit meshes best with you. That was definitely my first choice when I got back into rabbits 7 years ago... unfortunately, there were no shelters/rescues that adopted rabbits out in San Antonio (which really surprised me!), so I went with a breeder.

I'm really excited for you, I think you'll have a blast getting into the world of rabbits! That's cool you've had birds as well - we've got 10 society finches and 7 diamond doves . Rabbits are a bit higher-maintenance than cats to set up but once you've got their enclosure made and/or bunny proofing done for free-roaming they're not that much more trouble or cost than cats (assuming you buy hay/pellets from a feed store). I forgot to mention, they litter-box-train themselves pretty readily as adults (babies may have accidents) as far as pee and *most* poop goes... though you'll always have some stray poops because rabbits produce up to 500 poops a day and you can't expect them to get them ALL in the litter box, lol (though fecal poops are dry, odorless and easy to sweep/vacuum up).

Rabbits are sadly often very misunderstood and as a result, mistreated. People keep them in a store-bought cage, feed the wrong things and give them little human interaction. Here at RO, we strive to educate others about just how amazing a rabbit can be if you truly incorporate them as a member of the family. Aside from diet, choice of litter box substrate and the specifics of house-proofing, treat a rabbit like a cat and it's hard to go wrong. Like cats, you have to EARN their love and affection. Like cats, they want attention on THEIR terms. Like cats, they're unique snowflakes, no two the same. They're super smart... they play, they love, they drive you crazy at 3 am when you're trying to sleep.

 

[Decon]

I’ll probably go tomorrow and get what’s advertised as baby Rex x Angora and just get one I like and hope for the best . There are no rescue or shelters in my area so I’m just going with a breeder. Their located over 1 hour drive away so I’ll pick up hay and food whilst there. It’ll mostly be an outside rabbit but I live alone in a three bedroom house and fenced backyard so supervised free roaming won’t be a problem

 

[zuppa]

There's nothing wrong with getting a baby as your first rabbit, mine was 8 week old and I am very happy that we went through his growing problems together and I've learned a lot, my second rabbit was also 9 week old, the other two were adopted 7 months girl and unknown age boy but they are not fixed it was all excellent experience of course depends on how much time you want to give to your rabbit if you don't have time and just want some company a fixed adult probably would be easier I agree with that. I can't agree with that all rabbits must be fixed and can't be bonded unfixed, that's simply not true.

 

[Imbrium]

There's nothing wrong with it, it's just more expensive and you're in for a ride, lol. Babies are a trip but Nala and Gaz sure had me paranoid about everything when they were tiny! I'm glad I did babies once; I'm not sure I'd want to do it again.

What are temps like in your area? Rabbits have trouble dealing with heat and become susceptible to heat stroke around 26.7 C. They deal with cold temps much better as long as they're sheltered from the wind/elements. There's also the need to dig-proof and predator-proof their enclosure. I've gotta get ready for work, but I'll try to remember to find some helpful links on outdoor enclosures when I get home.

 

[Decon]

Actually I’m a little concerned about temps , we’re out of winter and in spring now and it’s getting warmer, but we get 40 + temps in summer which might be a challenge but it’ll get plenty of shade + water. The aviary I intend on converting are built on concrete slabs

 

[JenGibs]

Actually I’m a little concerned about temps , we’re out of winter and in spring now and it’s getting warmer, but we get 40 + temps in summer which might be a challenge but it’ll get plenty of shade + water. The aviary I intend on converting are built on concrete slabs

PLEASE do research on any bun that is all Angora or part Angora. Maintenance is HUGE and they have different nutritional needs. They do not do well outdoors at all. I have 3 English Angoras and I set aside a full weekend every 6 weeks for haircuts as it takes a long time (they need breaks too bc of stress). That doesn’t include the brushing, matt removal and specific grooming 2-3 times a week. Personally, I don’t think pet bunnies should live outside anyway. Why have one as a pet if it will live outside?

Bunnies are wonderful pets. Just do research before getting an Angora mix bc of the super high maintenance. Some lion heads are longer haired than others too so make sure you know ahead of time. A lot of long haired buns are not properly cared for. It’s a lot of work and not fair to them when their body fluff gets tied up to their legs or underarm or groin area. It hurts them to move, jump and play. I absolutely adore mine but I knew what I was getting into beforehand.

 

[Decon]

Thankyou JenGibs for the info on angoras and lioheads. The angora I was looking at sold. I’ll probably end up with a lop , which most likely will live inside at times.

 

[JenGibs]

Thankyou JenGibs for the info on angoras and lioheads. The angora I was looking at sold. I’ll probably end up with a lop , which most likely will live inside at times.

No problem. Just look into the maintenance aspect of any bun that you are looking to adopt.

 

[Decon]

Maybe something like this one

 

[Imbrium]

Adorable!

To elaborate on lionheads, they come in two key varieties, by the way - single-maned and double-maned. Either you can't tell the difference when they're babies or it would take an experienced breeder. My Nala had a ridiculously thick mane and also a rear skirt when she was little (developed between 2-4 mos) but when she blew her juvenile coat around 6-7 mos she permanently lost the skirt and her mane got WAY thinner. Once her adult coat grew in, it was obvious she was single-maned (one copy of the gene that makes them lionheads) - double-maned adults still have the thicker mane and skirt that Nallies had as a baby. A single-maned lionhead is no more grooming-intensive than any other rabbit (heck, Nala sheds significantly less than our Californian and both Holland Lops we've had, meaning she needs less frequent brushing). Double-maned is most likely another story.

 

[JenGibs]

Adorable!

To elaborate on lionheads, they come in two key varieties, by the way - single-maned and double-maned. Either you can't tell the difference when they're babies or it would take an experienced breeder. My Nala had a ridiculously thick mane and also a rear skirt when she was little (developed between 2-4 mos) but when she blew her juvenile coat around 6-7 mos she permanently lost the skirt and her mane got WAY thinner. Once her adult coat grew in, it was obvious she was single-maned (one copy of the gene that makes them lionheads) - double-maned adults still have the thicker mane and skirt that Nallies had as a baby. A single-maned lionhead is no more grooming-intensive than any other rabbit (heck, Nala sheds significantly less than our Californian and both Holland Lops we've had, meaning she needs less frequent brushing). Double-maned is most likely another story.

Agreed. Some have a ton of fur! My dwarf lion head has a small skirt and a thin mane.