Angeline: the Bad Bun Chronicles

[EverythingDucks]

Well Happy Birthday to your sister!

Like @HappyClucker7 said, corn isn't good for rabbits.

I highly recommend you keep the bunny indoors for many reasons. For one, you'll get to bond with him a lot more, two, he'll be much safer from predators (they can die from a heart attack just from the sight of predators), three, he won't get too cold or overheated (many rabbits die from heat stroke), four, you'll be able to provide him with a lot more space than you could with a little hutch.

Here's a list of things you'll need

• A wire dog playpen. You can get these for less than half the price of any cage or hutch from Amazon or a pet store, and it will provide enough space for all his needs while still leaving room for exercise.
• A food and water dish. Don't bother with water bottles, they are hard to clean (which causes bacteria), are very unnatural, and don't provide nearly enough water (rabbits drink as much as a large dog and the little nozzles don't let enough water come through)
• Fresh Timothy hay. A rabbits diet is made up of 80% hay, so it's very important that they have access to unlimited fresh hay 24/7. For now you can pick up a large bag from a pet or farm store (I recommend Oxbow), but you can get it in much larger amounts for cheaper from a local farm. You can provide the hay in the litter box or an extra large hay rack or box (don't get the pet store ones, you can get much larger and better ones from amazon).
• Pellets. Rabbits really only need 1/4 a cup of pellets a day. I recommended Oxbow rabbit pellets which you can get at most pet stores.
• Fresh spring mix veggies. Rabbits need plenty of fresh greens in their diet. You can pickup a box of spring mix from the grocery store. About a handful for breakfast and dinner is good.
• Toys. Toys are very important to keep rabbits occupied and to keep their ever-growing teeth down. You can get these from the pet store, amazon, or you can make them yourself out of cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, and paper bags.
• Hidey houses. Rabbits, being prey to many animals, need places to hide and feel safe. You can use cardboard boxes, bendy bridges and things from the pet store or amazon, and even covered cat beds and hideouts work well. They prefer ones with two or more entrances.
• A litter box. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box just like a cat. All you need is a proper sized litter box (not the corner trays that pet stores sell, cat litter boxes work much better, as do under-the-bed storage tubs), paper based litter (not cat litter which has clay that can be fatal if ingested, just use the paper bedding), and plenty of hay. Rabbits often eat while pooping, so providing plenty of hay will entice your rabbit to use the litter box. Just place the box in the corner of the playpen that he goes in the most, and be sure he can turn all the way around in it.
• Grooming tools. Rabbits will groom themselves on the daily just like cats, but it's important that you help to get out extra hair, especially during molt. If you don't groom them enough they can sometimes ingest too much hair which causes GI stasis (this happens when they don't have any food in their system and can kill them within 24 hours. This is often caused by blockage, hair, in their GI tract). I recommend using a Bunny Hair Buster from amazon, though dog combs work as well. You'll also need a pair of nail clippers unless you intend on having the vet do it every few weeks.
• Bunny proofing supplies. It's very important that you allow free roaming time for at least 4 hours a day so your rabbit can explore and exercise properly. To do this, you'll need to bunny proof an area so it's safe. This means putting up wires and protecting them with cord protectors, possibly covering base boards or corners of furniture, and blocking off spaces such as areas under beds or couches. Most of these supplies you can get from home improvement stores or amazon.
• Extra stuff. You might end up needing a dog or cat carrying crate for vet appointments or travel. Some treats, which should be small. You can use bananas, carrot slices, and apple. These are just a few that most rabbits like. Don't get any from the pet store, those are all junk food. Lots of rabbits enjoy using cat scratches, tunnels, and games made for dogs and cats. You may also need a nail file if their nails get too scratchy.

Some things to avoid:

• Cages. These are often much too small, cheaply made, and overpriced.
• Hutches. Extremely over prices, much too small, unsafe, and they often have wire bottoms which is quite uncomfortable.
• Water bottles. As I said above, these don't provide enough water, are hard to clean, and unnatural to drink from.
• Corner litter trays. These are made to fit tiny cages and simply don't allow enough space for a rabbit to use. Especially once you put the proper amount of hay in it.
• Pet store treats. These often have dyes and harmful ingredients despite being sold for rabbits. Some fresh greens or fruit make much better snacks.

I hope this helps, and good luck! Feel free to ask me any questions, I would love to help!

I posted a lot of information here if you would like to read through it.

 

[Isadora]

I posted a lot of information here if you would like to read through it.

Thanks, I definitely will!

 

[Isadora]

I posted a lot of information here if you would like to read through it.

Ok, just read through this. What a great, comprehensive list! Thank you for taking the time to put that together.
I didn't know that, if ingested, the cat litter was bad. She has a box with kitty litter in it and she's definitely eaten some of it. I'll have to remove that ASAP.

 

[Little Baby Bean]

Shadow, Velvet, Ebony, Raven, or Licorice?

 

[Isadora]

 

[JustBabyMargo]

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Jane

 

[JustBabyMargo]

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Olive?

 

[JustBabyMargo]

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She kind of looks like she should be named Velevetine Rabbit (like from the book)!

 

[CSAchook]

Ok, just read through this. What a great, comprehensive list! Thank you for taking the time to put that together.
I didn't know that, if ingested, the cat litter was bad. She has a box with kitty litter in it and she's definitely eaten some of it. I'll have to remove that ASAP.

For the litter box, I recently converted to pelleted litter and love it. Oxbow makes one made of of straw that is great (available on Chewy) or Small Pet Select has a pelleted pine litter that is quite good and a little bit cheaper (if you by the largest size).

 

[Kiki]

She kind of looks like she should be named Velevetine Rabbit (like from the book)!

Angeline.