Buying A Rabbit....

MarkyMark22

Hi All,

im hoping to get a rabbit or 2 over the next few days/weeks.

just looking for some advice before hand.

if im getting 2,should i simply get male and female?

would a male and male or female and female fight?

also would different breeds fight? i.e a lop eared and a lionhead etc?

what size cage should i be looking at getting?

and where is the best place to buy rabbits? should i go to a petshop or is there breeders?

thanks for any advice!

stereo_steve

Rabbits bond together all going well. Some rabbits will never get on together though. There will be fighting and you might have to always have them separated.

To increase the likelihood of two rabbits bonding, pick a male and a female. I have two sister rabbits that we got from a breeder. They grew up together and get on really well. Beawae though you will need to get your rabbits neutered at around 6 months old. Otherwise you are likely to end up with loads of babies or a serious falling out if they are the same sex.

Mixing different species of rabbits is fine.

Regarding cage size. Rabbits are the same size as cats. They are extremely curious and inquisitive. They can be extremely active. A cage is not sufficient for them. They need daily exercise. Unfortunately many rabbits in Ireland end up in a cage for their entire lives. Mine are house trained and are loose. Rabbits can be litter trained and adjust to indoors quite well. I can call mine and they come running.

Absolutely go for a breeder. Don't use a pet shop if possible.

TheFiveLamps

hey,i definitely wouldn't leave them in their cage all day,whenever i would be about i would allow them to run around etc. i would more than likely also get an outdoor pen for them.

thanks for the help!

do you know of any breeders around the dublin area?

stereo_steve

I got mine from ...

<ModSnip>

She seemed nice when we met her. No complaints. Got two mini lops from her.

storminateapot

MarkyMark22 wrote: »

Hi All,

im hoping to get a rabbit or 2 over the next few days/weeks.

just looking for some advice before hand.

if im getting 2,should i simply get male and female?

would a male and male or female and female fight?

also would different breeds fight? i.e a lop eared and a lionhead etc?

what size cage should i be looking at getting?

and where is the best place to buy rabbits? should i go to a petshop or is there breeders?

thanks for any advice!

Hi there, I am a rabbit lover and owner. Rabbits make beautiful pets. If you want to get two I would suggest getting two females from the same litter and they could get on as I have seen from my experience . If you get a male and a female you will be having lots of baby rabbits which you will need to give to loving homes. Neutering and spaying is an option to avoid unwanted pregnancies if you choose a boy to live with a girl for companionship. Two males could fight. I would like to draw your attention to the irishrabbitsproboards.com website for good advice. Rabbits are gentle and adorable but there is work involved. Grooming is an issue that doesn't get the attention it should in the books I have read. It is extremely important to brush and comb bunny and remove the dead and loose fur on a daily basis. Special attention also when bunny is moulting. You are doing bunny a huge favour by grooming him every day. Don't let them ingest fur because it will be dangerous and could block bunny's sensitive digestive system. This may lead to death if bunny swallows fur. Rabbit droppings are a good indicator of health and the more droppings you see the better. May the litter box be full is my motto! Round marble shaped dry droppings are a very good sign. My advice to you is to feed a pellet food, a small portion once a day and not a cheaper cereal mix feed because rabbits can pick and choose the favourite bits and ignore the rest of the food. They will end up full and fat and not eat their hay. That would be a disaster for the bunny. They need a balanced diet and will eat every single pellet. - Burgess excel is an excellent choice. One of the most important foods you will give your rabbit is HAY. Meadow hay, timothy hay, oat hay- a high fibre diet is essential. HAY MUST BE GIVEN IN LARGE QUANTITIES DAILY. YOU CAN NEVER GIVE TOO MUCH HAY. There is not a lot of nutritional value in straw. Of course access to fresh clean water for drinking every day is also vital. Dandelions, some fruit and veg - do your research on what is safe for bunnies. Best of luck! and ENJOY THESE GORGEOUS PETS. THEY ARE WORTH ALL THE EFFORT.

yellowcrayon

hi, ive had many rabbits over the years and just from my own experience you are better off getting two from the same litter. The best bonding ive had was 2 mini lops from the same litter (both female), never had a problem with them.

Ive tried to bond 2 females together,and it takes quite a lot of time (car journeys to bond them) and a lot of neutral territory.

And trust me, the male/female combo is not always best. The male can try to be the more dominant of the two and the female may not like this; causing problems. One of my female lops, Lola, attacked a male lop, Buddy and ended up biting his ear and rippin it half way up and leaving him with some cuts. If rabbits injure each other like this, I wouldnt even try to attempt bonding again.

The best bonding is when the rabbits either ignore each other completely when in each others company, or when they are curious and sniff the other rabbit. One rabbit will sometimes nip the other one, but this is fine once neither is too scared or hurts the other. Having a spray water bottle and shoes to cover your hands makes it easy to seperate fighting buns.

My advice though would defo be to get 2 from the same litter. And lop eared rabbits are quite friendly, and the breed doesnt make a difference to the bonding process. And always buy from a breeder. Pet shop rabbits tend to die very soon after bringing them home due to stress.

Best of luck

storminateapot

No two rabbits are ever the same. They all have different personalities. That is another reason why I love them. They have the cutest whiskered faces. Adorable critters. Some bunny loves you always.

Sigma Force

Spay/neuter anyway no matter whether they are male or female but take their age in to consideration it's not a good idea to put an older rabbit under anesthetic unless it's really needed.

North Wexford SPCA are looking for a home for a neutered rabbit at the mo.

RubyGirl

Were you listening to the Ray Darcy show this morning about rabbitt's?

Sigma Force

No, what did they cover on it?

RubyGirl

Guy wrote in about two rabbitts he bought, two males but turned out one was a female. Pet shop took no responsibility.

But by the time he took the male out the female had another nest of babies.

So he's looking to find homes for them, email the show and they will pass on your details.

bergheim

Cage -
As usual, bigger is better. If your rabbits will spend most of their time in a cage, then get the biggest cage that is practical in the home. As a general rule, the cage should be at least 4 times the size of the rabbit. It is best to get a cage without wire floors or alternatively cover wire floors with a piece of wood, or grass or sisal mats. Because wire floors can be uncomfortable for them and can cause sores.

Rabbits are vegetarian, meaning a good daily rabbit diet consists of good quality pellets, fresh hay (timothy, oat hay, grass hay), fresh vegetables, and water. Fruit, for treats, should be given in limited quantities.

storminateapot

Can someone help me deal with this please? Advice from those who have been in this situation appreciated. What will help heal this pain? I am grieving the death of my darling bunny who has died a week ago. I know some people will think I'm silly. They may think it is a bunny, you can get another one. I know it isn't a human being of course. I saw him dying, taking his last breath. I loved him. He was so gentle and friendly. I found him a huge comfort when I was ill and I really miss him. Will this pain ever go away?

I know I can get another one but I can't replace him ever. This is hard. I have lost pets before and I treasure their memories and I love them but this little guy was really a little character and very special. He used to play football in the garden and chase the cats away if he saw them in the neighbourhood. He was almost a little dog in a way.

yellowcrayon

Storminateapot, I know how you feel.. Ive had a number of rabbits and actually have 4 at the mo... But one special little one died the same way you said yours died... Saw her taking her last breath.. It was horrible to see...
I think sometimes it can be the fact that you see them die and suffer that can add to the grieving time.

In fairness though, you're allowed to grieve, and a week isnt very long. So just grieve as much as you like. I think its nice to frame a photo of them to remember them, and it can really help; just being able to look over at the photo when you're watchin tv and remember somethin cute they've done.

And maybe wait a while before you get another rabbit. Make sure you've grieved the loss of your poor bun.

storminateapot

Thanks so much yellowcrayon. I appreciate your kind words and it is a big help to see that others feel the same and have experienced the horrible pain of losing a beautiful creature which is just what a rabbit is. I will read over your post a few times a day and I will try and say goodbye to Bunny and always keep his memory close to me. A framed photo is a lovely idea. Thank you! Rabbits are under rated as a pet in my opinion. Cats and dogs get great attention as the top choice for a pet but I think rabbits are up there with them too and should get more promotion.

Kimbot

Marky,

Rabbits are fantastic pets, if you are still looking I am currently looking to rehome 2 Rabbits as I am moving to an aprtment next week and cant take them with me PM for details.

Chessala

storminateapot, why would you not be allowed to grieve over losing a close pet? People grieve about their dogs and cats, what makes a rabbit different? I still remember seeing my first rabbit die and it still hurts, 6 years later. Take your time, you can grieve as long as you want. A new rabbit will definitely win a space in your heart but your little one will always have a spot no one can take over.

OP, as was mentioned here, get 2 rabbits for sure. They are very social animals and shouldn't be alone or in a cage. As a rule of thump a rabbit should always have 2 qm available to move, more if possible but that's the absolute minimum.

The easiest combination is actually male/female with a neutered male. Two males are a very difficult combination as there definitely will be fighting. Females often tend to fight to but are less likely to if they have lots of space.

Consider that rabbits can get quite old (average is 8-10 years if held properly) so it is a long-time commitment similar to a dog/cat. If you decide to let them roam make sure to secure electric cords.

In general rabbits are just adorable and VERY mischievous. You'll never get bored and come to love them very quickly.

meoklmrk91

Pet shop is rarely a good idea, most of the rabbits are very poorly socialised and will be very skittish. Breeder or rescue is a good way to go. A good breeder that is.

They are very inquisitive animals, so keeping them in a hutch all the time will do no good, you can have a hutch as there base but don't leave them in it all the time, leave them out to run around or better still litter train them and leave them run free.

Diet is incredibly important, the stuff you buy from the pet shop is okay but not the best, use it as a supplement as opposed to the be all and end all. Lots of hay, they love it and its good for them. Plus fruit and veg, mine used to go crazy for broccoli, they would hang out the doors of there cages until the got it, they were none too pleased when the broccoli ran out.

Two rabbits that are together from a young age get on well usually, a male and female usually work when they are older but make sure that you have them neutered either way it's best all round for their health and happiness.

If you are interested in rescuing and are in the Munster area, limerick animal welfare always have lots of bunnies available for adoption, all of which are neutered, and they are all good with other bunnies as they live in a bunny colony. Plus they will give you a wealth of advice. No tiny hutches though! And rightly so.

storminateapot

Thanks for all the valuable tips and information and going to the trouble of posting long posts.
Thank you so much. I appreciate it and it is a big comfort to get some support from rabbit lovers. You are a great help to me.

Ailishcrehan

There are a number of bunnies available for adoption from rescues (know of one animal rescue that has a number of bunnies of differing ages including babies...these arrived after 4 bunnies were dumped, some pregnant). If you want to give a rescue bunny a home, please let me know and can send you the details!

storminateapot

Thank you Ailish Crehan. At the moment I am still finding it hard to think about getting a new rabbit. I have an eight year old guinea pig and a cat and I think that I will concentrate on making them my priority because they are my best friends. I have lost one out of my three little ones. The two that remain need me 100% and I want to give them all the attention they deserve now.
I owe them the best home I can give them. When my little old lady guinea pig has joined Bunny in pet eternity I will give a rescue bunny a home and thank you for the suggestion. I promise to keep it in mind for the future.

Monokne

Aww, I was really sad to read of your bunny Storminateapot!

I have 5 bunnies but only had 2 when our little Charlie had an accident and died in September. I brought him to an all night vet to put him out of his pain and there genuinely are still plenty of nights I think about him and get upset. I think what makes it so hard with bunnies is the inability to say goodbye properly you know? Do they know this is it? It's just strange and hard. They're so helpless, poor little things.

Anyways, hope you feel better soon :-)

Actually, while I'm amongst rabbit owners - how often does everyone exercise there's? My two pairs are both in big two storey hutches and I sometimes feel bad if a couple days go past without them getting out...but, then when I do let them out they'll amuse themselves for like half an hour then go back in anyway, or sometimes they'll be done after 5 minutes. Anyone any tips on how often/how long they need to be let out??

Sigma Force

8 years of age is a great age for a guinea pig sounds like your critters have a great home and I know not everyone is very sympathetic when it comes to smaller pets..even people who are nuts about their own dog or cat sometimes don't understand how sad it can be to loose a rabbit or other small pet or bird.

Guinea pigs for instance can seem like they only love you for their food but I had kind of an ahha moment (cripes didn't mean to quote Oprah..am officially middle aged)..any hoo.. one of my previous piggies Fudge was at the vets can't remember if she'd been given a shot or was just upset about having her temp taken but she was upset and the first thing she did was run directly to me when I picked her up she cuddled right in to me for reassurance. I knew my guineas knew me and treated me like a food dispenser but never knew until that day how much they relied on me and actually wanted to be around me..it was so sweet.

I'm just hoping this Easter that people are careful not to give rabbits as presents to small kids so many poor rabbits and guineas are bought over Easter and then by September aren't wanted any more or are just left in small hutches in the garden :-(