Bunnies

[Cassandragrenr]

I'm thinking about getting bunnies, could they live inside? What about in the winter or in bad weather? How big should it be, what should I put in it?? Can bunnies be alone or do they need a friend? I have so many questions

 

[Cassandragrenr]

I'm thinking about getting bunnies, could they live inside? What about in the winter or in bad weather? How big should it be, what should I put in it?? Can bunnies be alone or do they need a friend? I have so many questions

How big should their enclosure be**

 

[EverythingDucks]

Yes, they can absolutely live inside! They can be kept in a large dog pen or something of similar size, like this

C&C grids are another good option

This quote has lots of information on all the supplies you'll need

• A large wire dog play pen - cages and hutches are much too small, and are way overpriced. Dog pens provide much more space for the rabbit and it's needs, and can be purchased for half the price of any cage or hutch. Amazon sells them for around $30 - $40
• Hidey houses - they prefer two entrances, cardboard boxes work great.
• Toys - a wide variety of things to chew on to keep the rabbit busy, and to keep teeth from getting overgrown (I've made lots of DIY ones).
• Treats - avoid pet store treats, fresh veggies and fruit such as apples, bananas, and herbs are much better.
• Food and water dishes - ceramic or stainless steel bowls with a stand (avoid water bottles, they are hard to clean, don't provide enough water, and are very unnatural for rabbits to drink from)
• A brush - though rabbits groom themselves like cats they often ingest too much hair which can block their GI tract, which can cause GI stasis and kill them very quickly. "Bunny hair busters" work perfect, you can get them from amazon.
• Nail trimmers - small, simple, dog nail trimmers are all you need (you can have the vet do this, but it's good to have on hand)
• A large cat sized litter box - low storage tubs can work just fine (avoid the small corner litter trays, the rabbit should be able to turn all the way around and move comfortably)
• Litter - either pelleted pine litter and paper bedding (avoid cat litter, it has clay which can be fatal if ingested)

It depends on the enclosure and the climate where you live. I personally am against keeping them outdoors in small hutches for many reasons. For pets, they really do best indoors where they can bond with you. Rabbits can get quite lonely when they're by themselves in a hutch all their lives, so having them with you often makes for a much happier bunny.
Hutches are usually much too small to provide enough space for exercise and play, and leave little room for the rabbit alone with all the proper things a rabbit should have in it's enclosure.
I've heard many experiences where people have lost their rabbits to predators such as racoons, dogs, cats, hawks, owls, and foxes. Even if your hutch is secure (although most that are sold are not), just about anything can literally scare the rabbit to death, causing a heart attack, without even getting into the hutch.
Not to mention the risk of heat stroke, or even freezing. Rabbits are fairly cold hardy, but in the summer they can easily overheat. This may not be a concern in some areas, but even temperatures above 75 F can cause issues.

One of the biggest threats however is RHDV2, a deadly and highly contagious disease that has been killing both wild and domestic rabbits in America. There is a vaccine now, but it's recommended to keep rabbits indoors and at least off the ground.


Easy! Rabbits can be litter trained quickly (when fixed) and can be free roamed like cats and dogs. Lennon the Bunny, The Bunny Lady, and 101Rabbits on YouTube have lots of information on this.

It really depends on the individual. Some rabbits love it, while others prefer human company. A male and a female typically get along best (when fixed!), or two males. Females are more likely to fight, but some may get along just fine.
Be sure that both rabbits are at least 6 months old and fixed before bonding them. Rabbit rescues will often help you find the right match for your bunny, so you don't end up having to keep them completely separate.

They should be at least 8 weeks old. I do not recommend buying from any sort of store, since they often come from places similar to puppy mills. If you really want a baby, I recommend looking for a reputable breeder. Someone who breeds with the best interest of the rabbits well being. Many people just do it to make a quick buck (no pun intended ) so be sure to avoid people like that, and scammers.

But with how many rabbits are dumped each year, and the millions of rabbits at shelters in need of homes, I personally believe adopting is best. Not only are there plenty to choose from, but rescues will often spay and neuter their rabbits. Which makes it much easier considering you won't have to find a vet and pay for the procedure (which can be anywhere from $40 - $200 or more). In my opinion, getting a fixed adult rabbit is much better than dealing with a baby, which will quickly grow to be a hormonal teen. Once rabbits reach sexual maturity, around 4-6 months, they can become aggressive, territorial, litter habits will worsen, and males may start spraying. Getting the rabbit fixed will, well, "fix" those issues, and will prevent accidental litters (which sadly leads to more dumped rabbits). Some rescues will put babies (8 weeks to 5 months) up for adoption though, so if you still want a baby, rescuing is definitely an option.
Of course you could always check FB or Craigslist for rabbits needing to be rehomed, but sometimes you never know what you're going to get.

If I were you, I would check your local animal shelter or rabbit rescue and see if you can foster some rabbits before deciding on getting one. Many rescues require you foster the rabbit before adopting anyways.

Hopefully this helped to answer your questions, feel free to ask me anything though, I'll be glad to help
I have a whole Pinterest board for rabbit enclosures if you need ideas too.

Rabbits can do great in pairs if you're willing to take the time to bond them. This means having the both fixed first, so I do not recommend getting two baby bunnies at once. Either wait until your first rabbit is fixed, then adopt another fixed rabbit and bond them. Or, you could adopt an already bonded pair.
Just be aware that if they do not bond, you'll have to house them completely separately. And they may become territorial or even aggressive if they so much as smell the other rabbit.

When bonded successfully, they're bonded for life and can't be separated. Some rabbits love to have a freind to play with and groom. Others prefer fo be alone though, so it really depends on the individual.

If you aren't going to be home often, I recommend adopting a pair. But, a lone rabbit will be perfectly happy if you can provide it with lots of attention.

This rabbit YouTube channel has some great information on rabbit care.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCUSfEor0VihlL4fMt-VlLgQ

 

[Weeg]

If you plan on keeping it, you'll need a large enclosure, not those tiny tight cages that pet stores supply. You'll want to get a large dog X-pen, those give enough space for a rabbit, but if your up for it, free ranging in the house is another great option. Rabbits are litter trainable, so as long as the house is bunny proofed, you should be just fine letting them roam. Unless you have other pets such as cats or dogs. My cats don't mind her too much, rabbits are very territorial, so once she gets to know her new space, she will probably hold her own up against a cat. Dogs on the other hand, it depends. My Labs like her, though she is afraid of them. They leave her alone for the most part.

To setup her new area, since wether or not you decide to free range her, you will need to dedicate her space to an X-pen or room so she can get used to potty training, and her new space. Get her a large cat litter box, the bigger the better. I use a cheep 6$ low sided plastic bin I got at Winco. As long as its very large, and the sides aren't to large, any rectangular bin will work. You can use a covered litter box too, and that will also double as a hiddey house. To setup the litter box, you'll want to fill it with a thin layer (you don't need much litter) of pine pellets, or paper litter are most common. You don't want to use kitty litter since it contains clay, which is toxic if ingested. I use a 40/60 mix of paper litter and pine pellets. Paper on top just for a bit of cushion. You'll then put the hay directly in one side of her litter box. If your rabbit tends to only poop on the side without hay (Aspen does not, she moves it all around the box) then you only have to put litter on that side. Rabbits will mostly poop where they eat hay, so having the hay in the litter box without a hay bag is your best bet.

To potty train her, place all poops outside the box inside her litter box, and wipe up and deodorize the area where she peed. It could take from a few days, to a few weeks to litter train her. As long as your consistent, it should go just fine.

With that in mind, you'll need a hidey house. I don't suggest getting a fabric one until she's potty trained, since cleaning those are a pain. You can get seagrass ones on Amazon, but for potty training I like the large Oxbow woven houses since they don't have a bottom. Then they can't pee or poop in the house, and get it dirty. I used a seagrass house before Aspen was potty trained, and they're impossible to clean. Just found this wooden one without a bottom, and it looks good too! Rabbits like to have two exits in their houses, so keep that in mind when looking. The Oxbow one doesn't have that. You can use a cardboard box as well for short term. Just make sure that it doesn't have any tape or color on it that she might invest. She will eat/chew it up, so any boxes with dye should be avoided.

For feeding and water, a cat water and food dish with a stand is good. It keeps them from spilling it which is a plus. You can also get large cat bowls at Ross Dress for Less, and they have orem fabric hidey houses as well for once she's potty trained.
Don't use a water bottle though, since it can be hard for rabbits to get enough water from those. A large cat water bowl is usually suitable. I use a cat food/water dish in a stand, it holds about 1/2-3/4c of water, and I have to refill it daily.
You'll also need some kind of mat or blanket to cover the floor if its slippery. Rubber mats (Ross Dress for Less) without a lip may be more suitable until she's potty trained. They're easy to clean, and rabbits may decide they like peeing on soft things, so putting blankets down may encourage her not to use the litter box. At least it did for Aspen.
When you choose a rubber mat, keep in mind that if your rabbit is an aggressive chewer, she will destroy any mat or blanket with fibers or weaves she can pull out. Depending on your rabbit, you will probably want blankets or rugs in her area with very tight weaves, and nothing made of seagrass.

Rubber mats that are flush with the floor are probably a good choice. I used a mat with a lip, and it was destroyed by the next day. Something like this would probably be suitable.
Once your bun is potty trained, then reusable puppy pads work great! Thats what I use for Aspens area.

For diet, you'll want to give her high quality rabbit pellets, I use Small Pet Select, at about 1/4c per 4lbs of body weight. You can give her this daily. Along with that, a large handful of organic lettuce mix, spring mix works great, or other greens with each meal. I use carrot tops, radish tops, and then get organic spring mix for the rest of the time. Rabbits can eat most all lettuces other than Iceberg. No cabbage, or spinach either. She will also need unlimited Timothy, Orchard Grass, or other hay other than Alfalfa at all times. Rabbits can go into GI stasis quite easily, and keeping hay available at all time is vital to their health. They will eat a lot of hay, so you may have to replenish it daily.

Toys are also very important. Cardboard cat scratchers make great toys, but you can also get hay twists, wood toys, and other toys at pet stores. You can make your own toys with pinecones, tiny branches tied in a bundle with food grade twine. You can also use small pieces of fire wood soaked in fruit juices as toys. I soaked some plain wood chews from my feed store in mango juice, Aspen loves them!
As for other supplies, you'll also need kitten/cat nail clippers, a rabbit comb, thehair buster comb is great, though its very pricey. Having a basic first aid kit is also important.
Lennon the Bunny does have some good Youtube videos, though I've also heard its not the best source. I love RabbitsOnline for my rabbit questions, they have a great forum with helpful members.
Trying to think of other things I need to include, bunny proofing maybe, but you don't have to worry about that quite yet. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! Sorry for the novel btw.