Help!! Im lost! What are basic needs for a rabbit?

Sandrease

Hi.
At this weekend im going to buy a bunny! Finally ive decided! Im doing research on the internet - about cages, food, fun and everything that concerns rabbits... And now i realized that im lost in this huge amount of the information. I dont know anymore where to start, what to buy, where should it live - in the cage or in all the house, how i can teach the bunny go to the toilet, where to put the toilet- in the cage or somewhere in the house, what kind of food is the best and so on and on....
I understood that cages are for everyday living but what for are wooden houses and similar decorative houses - for playing i guess... Does it mean i have to give 1 room for the bunny? Or i should supervise it at all times when its out of cage?

Please if somebody could give me any additional info upon my problem (?) i would really appreciate it.
Please dont tell me to use Google because ive read all the possible sites. Iw would rather hear some real life stories.

Thank You very much.

Tabitharose

http://petsireland.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=42461

Cottage Rescue have 2 bunnies looking for a home. Would suggest that you think about rescue bunnies as well in making your decision on where to get your rabbit from. Cottage Rescue, if you were interested in homing the bunnies they have would, I'm sure be able to answer all & any questions you may have

Sandrease

I saw already them on the net today. They are lovely! But from start - im thinking only of 1 rabbit... Im too confused to have two...
Im afraid of one at the moment! I want to take care of rabbit properly so i dont hurt or upset him/her.

P.s. Its a huge responsibility in my opinion, thats why im so careful.

Sigma Force

Hi, it's great to see an potential owner wanting to do some research before getting the pet.
So here's a 'little' info..are you ready you might need to sit down I tend to waffle on lol.
I'll start with the basics.

Rabbits are social creatures and 2 is much better plus great fun to watch them play with each other and snuggle up together, plus you don't feel so guilty if you have to go out for a few hours.

The problem with having two is unwanted litters so it is really best you get from a rescue that has the animals already neutered or at least one of them spayed/neutered. Female rabbits have an 85% chance of contracting reproductive cancers plus they can become grumpy and territorial as they mature so it is best to find a good small animal vet that will spay the rabbit.

Clare Animal Welfare have a number of rabbits that are in need of a home if you click on my sig. you will see a link, to be honest I find 2 rabbits no more work than one, they are easy to litter train esp. if neutered.
Find the spot where they pee and place a regular cat litter tray with newspaper and a brick (so they can't move it about) or something like carefresh bedding, I find if you change the newspaper daily it's not a problem, you can eventually see if they will go in to a covered litter tray or make a small open plywood box and put the tray in there.
They will poop everywhere, they can't help it but neutered ones tend not to do it as much. But the poop is very easy hoovered up and doesn't smell.

Diet wise, rabbits must always have fresh, good quality hay available. Good hay should have a fresh odour, no musty smells.
Rabbits must never be fasted even for an operation their gut needs to keep moving so hence the constant supply of fresh hay.
Fresh water in large water bottle must always be available too, hay is very dry so they drink a good bit.
Avoid salt and mineral licks like the plague, salt licks can become addictive plus if your rabbit has a proper diet there is no need to add stuff like that.
They also need a good quality rabbit mix like Burgess, a cupful daily should be enough depending on the size of the rabbit.
Fresh fruit or veg daily also, more veg less fruit. Safe fresh foods include (well washed and not sprayed with any chemicals, organic is better) broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, dark green cabbage, avoid light greens like lettuce but especially iceberg lettuce which is very bad for rabbits, don't go overboard on green veg it can give them a tummy upset and can lead to the runs or bloat. Fruits to feed include apple, pear, strawberry, grapes.
You can also as a treat give a little fresh herb like oregano, thyme, apple mint, rosemary, pennyroyale mint is toxic, if unsure about a food don't feed it.
Some fresh grass is nice too as long as it hasn't been trampled on, sprayed with chemicals etc.
Also as a treat Timothy hay and Burgess Forage Excel which is a dried grass which they love.

Indoors is best and safest, at this time of year especially. Some rabbits can be prone to 'the snuffles' so they do need somewhere warm, comfortable, dry and draught free. You can bunny proof a room, see how they get on it that one room to start with, eventually you can let them out to the rest of the house if it's safe. They will be happy living in one room though, much better than at the end of a garden in a hutch.
You can also let them out in Spring and Summer in a secure rabbit run to eat the grass, the run must have a top and wired bottom, plus shelter and something to stand on so their feet don't get sore from the wire.

Toys & other items include, shop bought ones, soft cat beds, treat balls for rabbits, kitchen roll inserts stuffed with hay&veg, Plain paper bags stuffed with hay and herbs, cardboard boxes with wee holes cut out. Avoid too many shop bought treats too much sugar and additives.

Vaccinations are important, wether indoors or out, they need a Myxomatosis vax yearly and also two weeks after the Myxi vax they need one against VHD.
The initial vet care like vax and neutering can be expensive but they are so worth it.

Two rabbits are great fun, they sometimes need a few days or weeks to settle in, there's usually one more naughty that the other.
Never house rabbits and guinea pigs together.

Please don't buy from a pet shop, for a start you may not get the proper sex and end up with unwanted litters or an already prengnant bunny on your hands, try Cottage Rescue or Clare Animal Welfare, they will know the sex of the rabbits and some of the neutering is already done all you have to do is have a homecheck and pay a donation.

If you need anymore rabbit info. just let me know also here's a link with more info http://www.rabbit.org/

Remember rabbits can live for up to 10 years sometimes longer but average is 7 to 10 years.

Told you I'd waffle on too much lol.

They do make brilliant pets though.

Sandrease

Thank you very much for your post! Lots of useful info!

Sandrease

Hello. I bought a rabbit two days ago and he is fantastic! Im starting to litter train him but with not much success. I understand that it takes time but he does it everywhere in the cage. And I mean literary everywhere not in some particular corners or places... What are my proper steps to litter train him? I have a litter pan in one corner, food tray in another, small box to hide in in the third and a rug where to sit and chew on in the last one. And by the way he thinks his litter pan is a BED! And sleeps there and goes to toilet outside the ,,bed,,.

We bought an xl cage with an opening top but there are no doors on the sides. Is it crucial to let the rabbit climb out himself or am I allowed to take him out? I read he has to think of his cage as his castle and not as prison.
If someone could give me any helpful advice, please...as there is too much information and nothing seems to be working at the moment.

Regards.

Sigma Force

You can take him out of the cage, of course when he's having a nap he won't like it (none of us do lol) but when he's up and about of course youcan take him out.

What type of litter or lining do you have on the cage at the moment?
He's basically got things backwards, he thinks he's supposed to use his litter pan as a bed and his bed as a litter pan.

You could try taking the litter pan out for a day or two, use only newspaper on the floor, use a hay rack for his hay so no hay is on the floor. He should start peeing in more spcific place/s then.
When he does next time you are cleaning him out, use white vinegar to clean the floor of the cage, keep some wet newspaper aside and put it in the litter pan, place the litter pan in one of the areas he soils the most.

If the cage doesn't have a seperate bed area ..you know with a partition, it can be a bit confusing at first.
But keep at it, it could be that he's still young and just getting used to things, things should settle down after a while.
Sometimes even litter trained rabbits will pee in other areas especially if there is a change, unlike some small pets bunnys like to be stuck in their ways and love their routine so it will take time to develope a routine with him.

In the mean time no need to panic, if the cage is plastic don't worry too much, white vinegar is excellent for getting out rabbit urnine stains.

I know it's very early days but if he's out on the floor does he go back in to his cage to pee? If so that's a good first step.
But it is early days so a bit more time and mabey someone else here can offer some more tips on toilet training.

Also be very specific on what are is which, keep his food and sleeping area in one part and the water near by and the toilet area at the other end.

Hope this helps, you're doing grand so far sure he's only new, any pics of the little guy?

Sandrease

hello! As you can see in the photos I use shavings and Meadow Hay for bedding. At the moment petstore didnt have the green hay (they told its the best) so hes eating the meadow at the moment also.
In litter pan is Critter Litter from Super pet and on the top hay. You were talking about bed... As you can see I dont have it, maybe I should put there one?
I know its too early to ask and wait from him but hes still leaving his feces everywhere, he moved his toilet in the middle of the cage himself but hes not going there.... But surprisingly I discover everyday that hes urinating in the litter pan! I dont know maybe I just havent noticed that hes doing it also somewhere else...

When hes out he never pees... But he leaves feces... I start to educate him, when I see that he did it I put him back in the cage and talk with him in the loud voice ... I feel so bad, because I feel like im punishing him.... And I feel afterwards soooo miserable....:( Then hes frightened and tries to eat them very fast... Will it help like with cats that I will put his nose into feces? Maybe I shouldnt do like that but how then??

And I bought some hutch cleaning spray especially for small animals, can I use it?

Sandrease

Hey, and I also solved the problem (in my opinion) about the side doors. I told that the cage has an opening in the top only. When Im ready to let him run in the room, I open the side clips and move upwards the cage, so he can jump through and be free. Now Im not supposed to intrude his property anymore, he can or can not come out. And he always comes!

And one more- its known that I have to change water everyday so its fresh. What is meant by word fresh? Water from the tap? Or I should give him water what I can buy in the shop - like pure riverrock etc?

Our man in Havana

When you litter train a bunny its just the pee! They will poop everywhere! Thats just the way a bunny is they have a VERY fast digestive system - this is why when there is little food a bunny will eat its poop as its still very rich in fibre & is a good food source.

Its best not to use tap water or to put tap water into a jug & leave overnight this allows the chemicals to evaporate etc.

Our man in Havana

Sandrease wrote:

I know its too early to ask and wait from him but hes still leaving his feces everywhere, he moved his toilet in the middle of the cage himself but hes not going there.... But surprisingly I discover everyday that hes urinating in the litter pan! I dont know maybe I just havent noticed that hes doing it also somewhere else...

This is a good thing! That means he is littered trained!

Sandrease wrote:

When hes out he never pees... But he leaves feces... I start to educate him, when I see that he did it I put him back in the cage and talk with him in the loud voice ... I feel so bad, because I feel like im punishing him.... And I feel afterwards soooo miserable....:( Then hes frightened and tries to eat them very fast... Will it help like with cats that I will put his nose into feces? Maybe I shouldnt do like that but how then??

NEVER NEVER NEVER punish the rabbit for pooping!!!!! They CAN NOT control the poop production!!!!! Punishing them would be cruel & will make your bunny not trust you!

Sandrease wrote:

And I bought some hutch cleaning spray especially for small animals, can I use it?

This is fine to use.


Please re-read the advice guinepig rescue gave you - she clearly stated that the poop is easily hoovered up!

Sigma Force

Rabbits can't help pooping everywhere, it's hormonal and you cannot train them not to poop, shouting at your rabbit is cruel, they don't understand and rabbits are easily frightened you will just end up with a scared bunny.

If you use hay in both bed and litter area you are going to confuse the rabbit how is the bunny supposed to know which is which.
The critter litter is a good idea and that alone should be enough for bun.

Don't give him bottled water, fresh water just means fresh out of the tap, I use Brita water because we have a bad limescale problem and the limescale wrecks the bottles. Or as Bond said you can leave it stand if your water quality isn't great.

Why do you think you shouldn't go near the rabbits cage, although they like a safe place if for example you have to pick him up for cleaning etc don't worry about disturbing him unless he's asleep.
Neutering him at 6 months will prevent him from spraying everywhere, sometimes bunnys will kick out and spray you in the face lol.

Sandrease

Bond, You are right, I didnt read the previous post properly... And I was demanding from him things which cant be achieved at all..... Poor Bunny.... When I read this post I went straight to him and apologized, now were friends again - I hope. I just can say you thank you for attracting my attention to this! Its better to understand that faster.... otherwise I would torture him further... And by the way - I can proudly say that he IS litter trained. Its only the 4th day when hes at my house, and I discover that everyday hes going to toilet in his litter pan! He is quick learner, I guess :cool: Only 4 days! :eek:

Today we had an hour and a half walk in my room. I think he trusts me again! But I noticed that he doesnt like when I take him in my arms. He likes to run freely and explore everything.... And after I put him down on the ground after petting (stroking) He is dissatisfied and hits his legs once to the ground.... But after 20 sec hes loving again...!!!

I used one day tap water because I ran out of good one. And his poo was not good. So I ran to the shop and everything is back to the normal again!

I havent regretted that I took him! Hes lots of fun as well as work!


Thanks to everyone for helping me to deal with all the problems!

Sandrease

Neutering him at 6 months will prevent him from spraying everywhere, sometimes bunnys will kick out and spray you in the face lol.

That sound quite a fun Guineapigrescue! I think hes 3 months old at the mom Im looking for a good small animal vet at the moment, I could say its hard to find one in my area....

Our water is really bad from the tap because I sometimes sit in the toilet if I drink that Thats a good idea of Brita, I should buy it! Thanks.

Sigma Force

That's good to hear, hopefully you and your rabbit will have many hapy years together.

About picking him up, many rabbits don't like the sensation of ebing picked up, it's a natural reaction as they are a prey animal, once you hold them close and make them feel secure they are fine. It's also important to hold him regularly or sit him on your knee and brush him, it will help with bonding and also make vet visits easier when it comes to handling the bunny.

Our man in Havana

Sandraease where abouts in the country are you? I live in Laois but travel to Bairbre O'Malley in Bray as she is one of the best for small animals.

Sandrease

Im from Co. Sligo. I know one good vet hospital in Balyvary, Co. Mayo. But its apprx 60 km from me.... If I wont find any better small animal vet Ill go there. Hope he will survive !



http://www.healthypets.ie/

Sigma Force

If they are used to dealing with rabbits they should be fine.
A few questions you can ask them to put your mind at rest like do they get rabbits in often for this procedure, do they fast rabbits before hand (if they say yes this is a red flag and don't use them), ask them about the after care, ensure they give the bun a head collar afterwards and also insist they give the rabbit a pain killing injection, if your bun turns out to be female see if they will have you bring the bunny in the next day for another pain killing injection if you feel your rabbit is a bit sore, or indeed even if he's male.

A rabbit in pain may not eat and you need to get the bun eating asap.
Also ask them any other questions you might have concerns about, no harm.

Rei-chan

Rabbits are awesome.
We have three. A wife, husband and son...(we married them, got a wedding dress, cake and church n' all! xD Not really).
I think rabbits should stick together, so two is good. We had an accident with our rabbits(had the babies at 5 months before the female could be spayed.) All the babies were killed by a cat, and the second little there was only two but the other one became poorly at 4 weeks and had to be put to sleep. =(
They have the run of the back garden from about 11-7pm. The three live together in two dog transportation cages(the huge ones for dalmations) stuck together, covered in thick plastic and full of hay, so they're nice and warm.
We haven't trained them, as I don't see a need since they're hardly ever in the house, we just hang out in the back garden with them, but they do pee a lot on a certain patch of grass, especially the female which is dying.
So I'd advise getting another rabbit, around the same age, while your one is still young. They can fight.
And you should give your rabbit lots of room to binky around, and it's so fun watching them binky and binkying with them(not around other people though...They might think you're crazy). You make sure you're rabbit is able to get in and out of the cage easily...Mine absoloutly hate being picked up, but I still pick up Peter and give him a cuddle! He doesn't mind that much any more. But they can jump a lot higher than you think...Sometimes I wonder if my rabbits will hop over the wall and eat all of next door's flowers...

Sigma Force

All the babies were killed by a cat,

That's very sad and this is why

They have the run of the back garden from about 11-7pm.

Are you referring to the grass that is dying from the rabbit pee, if not and your rabbit is poorly she needs a vet.

especially the female which is dying.

Sometimes I wonder if my rabbits will hop over the wall and eat all of next door's flowers

Rabbits can jump up to 6 foot when they feel the need to.

Please people freedom is wonderful if they are supervised but letting the roam in an area there is cats (which is pretty much everywhere) is just as bad as letting your dog roam the streets.
If you have a pet rabbit or guinea pig it's your responsiblity to keep them safe and secure, security of any small pet is just as important as food/shelter/water.

Also this is another reason why cats should be living in the house only or in a garden they cannot get out of.

Sandrease

Hi. I just wanted to let You know that Im doing great with my rabbit. Hes lovely and very tidy! Im lucky to have him
One quick question - Can I let him to gnaw newspapers, magazines? When he comes out he jumps to them in no time.... Why Im asking it - I read that I can even put something like Golden pages in his cage.... But some oh the tiny bits he swallows - is it good to his stomach?
I havent done it yet, so first I ask and then I do!

Thanks in advance.

FranknFurter

GPR would prolly know the reality of this, but I do know that most newspaper inks are pretty irritating the the stomache of most animals and in some cases even toxic. I would assume it would be the same with most newspapers. Also they use bleach and whitening agents in the production process of paper and I cant see this being healthy either.

B

Sigma Force

Avoid letting him near glossy magazines etc some rabbtis and guinea pigs have a habit of eating newspapers, I can't imagine it's good for them to eat a lot of it.
Many rabbit and guinea pig owners use newspaper to line cages I do too so far no ill effects. Not sure what kind of ink is in the golden pages. What you can do is get a plain brown paper bag instead and remove any magazines he can reach.
They love to rip up brown paper bags and if you don't mind the mess fill it with some hay and veg then scrunch it up and he'll have a great time with it.

Sometimes they will do it because they miss digging, it's messy to do in the house but if he's ever outside in Spring/Summer in a secure pen you can fill a cat litter box with peat moss and he'll have a great time digging away.

Sandrease

Hello! I have several questions, hope somebody can help me again.

Do rabbits see, hear, feel smells very good? I guess their hearing should be perfect because of big ears.
Do they differentiate colours or they see black and white?

And one more - I cant understand what does he want from me when he runs to me and then makes a sound like a bee! Im sure its not grunting, its something different... something like humming... (rolleyes) I dont really know how to explain.... Sorry. But maybe somebody understood.

Are there any body parts, any particular places that are known where rabbits like to be touched?
He absolutely hates if im touching under his chin, he becomes mad, lowers his ears and attacks me... But he isnt mad for a long time though Have to
cuddle him and hes an angel again!

And the last - I give him one handful of dry food every morning and evening and hay never runs out for him, every evening he eats a plate of vegetables&fruits, but I somehow think he is hungry all the time. Because when I give him the food he shovels up the food like a beast!! After 2 min the bowl is empty... Do I not feed him good enough? Should I increase the size of the portion? I somewhere read that rabbits diet should consist of 80% of hay and 20% vegetables&fruits + food mix. Is that true?

FranknFurter

Sandrease wrote:

He absolutely hates if im touching under his chin, he becomes mad, lowers his ears and attacks me...

Check out his teeth, that they have'nt grown too long. And a general check of his mouth in general is no harm. If your not confident doing this ask your vet to take a look. I've heard of guinea pigs having sore mouths and biting whenever the area was touched. Id imagine it could be similiar with rabbits.
And make sure he has enough hard foods to wear down his teeth, sounds like you are giving him a lot of soft food. A rabbit "chew toy" might be a good idea, again, somthing GPR would probably have more experience with.

B

Sigma Force

A half a cup ful of dry food a day should be enough depending on his size, rabbits can be greedy sometimes and some like to stuff their faces. There should be instructions on how much to feed by weight on the pack, a very good quality rabbit food is rabbit Excel, in a green bag.

Being a prey animal they have to keep their wits about them in case of danger. Domestic rabbits aren't that far removed from wild ones so still have strong instincts.

Here's a site with some info on colours they see (something I don't know too much about so the site can tell you more) http://www.mybunnyfarm.com/whatrabbitssee/index.htm

As said it could be his teeth giving him a bit of trouble that makes him cross when you pet under his chin, or it could be that he just doesn't like it.
They have scent glands under the chin as well mabey he is having trouble with them.
Some rabbits like to have their ears petted most, some like under the chin and others like a back rub etc it depends on the bunny really.
I had a bunny that liked to be petted between her ears.

There are a few debates on how much dry food and veg rabbits should get, hay is always available and a bunny is usually good at judging themselves how much they can manage, the average rabbit usually eats it's own size in hay a day. So say if you grabbed a clump of hay and compared it to the rabbits size that's on average how much they eat.

A half a cup to a cup of dry mix is fine and a cupful of fruit or veg a day as well more veg than fruit though. That's what I gave mine along with fresh grass and they did grand on it.

Sound wise I'm not too sure what the buzzing sound is, does it sound like he could be grinding his teeth?

Here's a good site to refer to for all things rabbity.

http://www.rabbit.org/behavior/index.html

Sandrease

Sound wise I'm not too sure what the buzzing sound is, does it sound like he could be grinding his teeth?
_________________________________________________________________

No its doesn't sound like grinding his teeth. I know that sound, he silently does it when I cuddle him. I guess it will remain mystery! :rolleyes: Have to look after him more closely what`s on his mind then.

About dry mix - It looks like he is just greedy! Approx. half a cup is his dose of the day.

I give him broccoli, carrot and apple, not of course whole but some pieces. Can you tell me what kind of vegetables You are giving to the rabbit, maybe I can steal from You some ideas...

I bought a lot of chewing toys from wood, even wooden stairs with some ropes and wooden things hanging down but he doesnt like none of them. The only thing what he has already destroyed is - small rug which is made from organic material, looks like fabrics, like hay - but harder (maybe you have noticed in petworld). Have to buy one more. So I have really big problem what to give him to chew.

Soon we will go to vet. Have to look at the teeth. Because he doesnt let me to look. Hes independent.

By the way - Thanks for helping me Guineapigrescue, I dont know what I would do without You! Youre the one who ALWAYS gives me advice! Thanks.

Sigma Force

You can give him pear, cauliflower and brussel sprouts as well, in some supermarkets they have of cuts of broccoli and cauliflower (Superquinn do it) and you can basically bag it for free (bunny bag they call it), in the veg section where there's a wee saw and a galvanised bucket thing where people cut off the bits of veg they don't want). Some Supervalues do it too.
As a treat a little fresh herb oregano, basil thyme, apple mint (not pennyroyal mint it's toxic) or rosemary.

Depending on the rabbit they will like or dislike certain herbs, one of mine used to love apple mint the other hated it. It's very easy to grow and grows fast, most garden centres will be doing herbs soon and you can pop a few different kinds on the window sill or in a patch in the garden, good source of vitamins esp. when picked fresh. You can put the in the paper bag mixed in with hay rabbits go nuts for that.
Strawberries, rasberries, kale, wheat grass can be fed as well.
Dandelions as long as not sprayed with chemicals, but not too many.

Mine used to love apple branches, if you have or know of anyone that has apple trees your bunny will love chewing off the bark more than any other chew toy. As long as it hasn't been sprayed with any chemicals and has been well scrubbed with hot water first, some people bake them but you can end up with an oven fire lol.

Also check out zooplus.ie they have some nice snacks on there for smallies.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/rodents/snacks_supplements/natural_treats
I don't have bunnies at the moment but my guinea pigs love the JR farm nibble Boquet and I would say bunnies would too. Oo just noticed they have a snack pack which has "Oat Bites, Corn Cobs, Pine Shoots, and Nibble Boquet" your bunny would love you forever if you got that and it's only 6.56 which isn't bad because with one bunny it would last a good while.

Was just thinking I had a white bunny that used to make a humming sound, but it wasn't as long as a hum. It was short almost sounded like she was asking a question lol. Is that what your bunny sound like?
I could never make out what that meant, if you find out let me know.