dwarf rabbits?

Question

I just purchased 2 dwarf rabbits, They both stay in 1 reasonably sized cage. I would appreciate any input on taking care of them as far as food and getting sufficient exercise, lighting etc. As a novice all information and input would be appreciated. Thanks

Some say that all rabbits in pairs should be neutered even if they are both of the female persuasion, Do you agree?

Answer 1

Purchase the best stock you can afford from reliable breeders.
Don’t be surprised if a breeder won’t part with his "very best animals".
Asking for a bred doe is acceptable.
As in all things, the "best" is often worth the wait.
Ask questions before you buy.
You can locate a breeder and get good stock if you are patient.
Sprinkle hutch roof to help cool in summer.
Do not over feed.
Keep everything clean!
Keep good records.
Wean litter mates one at a time.
Handle your rabbit every day.
Frozen water bottles, placed inside the cage helps keep bunny cool.
Do not breed immature does.
Never take a buck to the does’ cage for breeding. Take the doe to the buck.
Avoid buying animals that show signs of disease or injury.
Only breed animals that are in prime condition.
Have nest boxes available at appropriate times.
Don’t disturb a new doe and litter right away.
Don’t wean kits until at least 6 week of age.

Answer 2

If they're both female, they can probably stay in the same cage. If one's a male, you might have babies. ;D If they're both male, they might fight.

I'd keep them room temp, they're animals and they can stand the cold or heat. As for lighting, it doesn't really matter THAT much, as long as it isn't pitch black all the time.

Get a good quality food, if you can find a food with dried veggies/fruits/grains in it that would be great. A good brand is Kaytee Fiesta. Makue sure you don't keep their dish full of food all the time, they only need 3/4 cup a day, if it's full they'll eat out of boredom. They also LOVE timothy hay. Don't give them fresh fruits of veggies until they're 6 months or so. Salt is good for them as well. Vitamins are good, but they don't NEED them.

As for exercise, you can buy a rabbit harness at a pet store, and try taking them on walks. It's necessary, though. They won't want to walk at first, but they'll get used to it. They might like a flip toy as well.(It's just a hard plastic toy that sounds like a rattle.) They love throwing stuff around. And make sure they have something in the cage to chew on, like wooden blocks and such. (Also good for the nails.)

If you have any more questions you can e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 3

First of all, congratulations on becoming a parent to 2 new bunnies! Now, you didn't say what sexes your bunnies are, so we'll have to hit that one first. If you have 2 males, you're going to want them in separate cages because males are extremely territorial and will fight to the death. If you have a male and female, come about the 6-month mark, they will both be sexually mature and will start making babies, so once again, you'll want 2 cages. If they're both female and getting along fine, there's no reason to separate them...they'll actually bond very well and will cuddle and sleep together for warmth and things like that and just be really cute looking! As for the food part, you'll want a high quality pelleted feed for rabbits (I prefer Kaytee brand, but you can also get rabbit feed from a local feed store (like the type that sell horse supplies) usually in up to 50lb bags for a great price!). Follow the directions on the packaging for the amount to feed (it goes by the weight, and should be about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pellets per rabbit per day. The amount can be cut in half and given twice a day, or can be given all at once. Along with the pellets, you always want them to have unlimited access to fresh timothy hay (or an orchard grass mix...anything but alfalfa...it's too high in fat...hay is another thing that you can get for a huge bargain at a local feed store), and clean water to drink. As far as fresh veggies and fruits go, what I do with my rabbits is give them a fresh fruit snack in the mornings (an apple wedge per bunny, an orange wedge, a chunk of banana) and then in the evening along with their pellets, I give each rabbit 2 cups of fresh leafy greens...stay away from iceburg lettuce, it has no nutritional content for them, and not too many carrots as they're very sweet. Romaine lettuce, kale, kohlorabi, broccoli, carrot tops, dandylion greens (and flowers), etc can and should be given...they need the roughage. A great site to check out for more foods to try and for info on litterbox training is: www.rabbit.org They also have great info on toys and exercise. My bunnies get the run of the house during the day, so I don't really have to worry about exercise...the only times they're in their cages are when I'm not home to watch them, or when I'm asleep at night. As far as lighting goes, rabbits don't have any special requirements. Just keep them away from too much heat...rabbits overheat very easily. Hope this helps...feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions!

Answer 4

We usually keep our dwarf rabbits in separate cages. They eat basic rabbit food you can find in any pet store. They like banana peelings and carrots also. Fresh greens like dandelion work also. Timothy hay is another good product. Take them out and let them run around for a little while, but watch them around wires. They love to chew so we give them wood blocks to chew on for their teeth.

Answer 5

togetherness for the rabbits is a great thing, as they are social animals. especially if they were raised together, if not maybe use a seperate cage, In addition to rabbit pellets, give them fruits and greens, in moderation (go to your local grocer, and get the less than perfect fruits and vegetables that they throw out anyway, many give them away for free) In the winter, provide cracked corn they love this also, and it helps build the fat layer to keep them warm. I would hold mine often, carry them around, so they got so used to me, they would follow me around the yard, yes sunshine is important but not too much provide a cover on top to keep the sun from beating on them, good luck they are excellent pets!

Answer 6

You should read the book the House Rabbit Handbook and go to these websites.

Answer 7

Here is a link to the House Rabbit Society:
http://www.rabbit.org/
You should find helpful info with all of these subjects including litter training

Answer 8

The first thing to do, is to get another cage for one of them. Rabbits are territorial and you can very easily end up with a dead rabbit. They aren't sociable with other rabbits and aren't like dogs or cats. Rabbits die from stress, and you can end up with a dead rabbit, and see no marks on it. What happens is, rabbits are nocturnal, and could be fighting at night, when you are sleeping. When you see two rabbits laying down together, it is because the more timid rabbit has no where to go in a cage.

Never feed them cabbage because it could kill them from gassing them up. You also want to go very light on feeding them greens because it could give them diarrhea, and is very low in protein. The best thing to feed them is rabbit pellets with some good quality alfalfa hay.

I have answered this question before, and you can check on my answers for more information.

Answer 9

Have a read of these great detailed rabbit sites too -
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rabbits/a/?once=true&
http://www.tagyerit.com/hopline/cold.htm
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html - my own site - please have a browse and enjoy reading!

Answer 10

Hello, Rabbits can be VERY costly. But if they are taken care of properly, they do not need to visit the vet often. Just get her basic stuffs. FOOD -Birth to 3 weeks–mother’s milk -3 to 4 weeks–mother’s milk, nibbles of alfalfa and pellets -4 to 7 weeks–mother’s milk, access to alfalfa and pellets -7 weeks to 7 months–unlimited pellets, unlimited hay -7 months to 1 year–introduce timothy hay and oat hay, decrease alfafa -decrease pellets to 1/2 cup per 6 lbs. body weight -increase daily vegetables gradually -fruit daily ration no more than 1 oz. to 2 oz. per 6 lbs. body weight (because of calories) -1 year-6 year-Unlimited timothy, grass hay, oat hay, straw 1/4 to 1/2 cup pellets per 6 lbs. body weight (depending on metabolism and/or proportionate to veggies) Minimum 2 cups chopped vegetables per 6 lbs. body weight fruit daily ration no more than 2 oz. (2 TBL) per 6 lbs. body weight. ** ONLY INTRODUCE TREATS (INCLUDING FRUITS) WHEN THEY TURN 6 MONTHS OLD. DO NOT FEED BABY CARROTS UNTIL THEY HAVE REACHED THAT AGE TOO. COST - hay $8 (15oz) - last for 3 weeks to a month - pallets $7-$11 (5 lbs) - last for 3 weeks to a month - litter/bedding $7-12 (5-7kg) - last for 2 weeks - 1.5 months depends how often you change it and how absorbant your bedding is - vet fee (JUST IN CASE) - $40-200 on hold - chew toys $1-5 (you can DIY your own toys) - cage - $20-150 depending on size - litter box - $5-12 - hay ball (to store hay) - $3 - pallet tray - $1-2 - water bottle - $3-5 -*******WHEN RABBITS REACH 4-6 MONTHS OLD, THEY NEED TO BE NEUTERED/SPAYED. IT ALLOWS THEM TO LIVE LONGER. (GOOGLE IT). NEUTERING COST ABOUT $50-100 WHILE SPAYING IS SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE, $80-120. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FIND A RELIABLE VET. DO NOT GO TO CHEAP VETS ***prices in USD. I am from singapore so i roughly convert it to USD. note that it's roughly an estimation as different country may charge differently. PERSONALITY - Rabbits can be very loving. They are sociable creatures and love interaction. (my rabbits sleep with me every night! - Rabbits may chew on your furniture. MAY. one of my two rabbits is well behaved and doesn't chew on them. so train them not to. :) BUT, THEY LOVE WIRES. you can't help it. so keep your wires away from the floor or please rabbit proof them - Rabbits get bored if they are neglected. they need lots of love, and you will get lots of love from them too! - Loyal creatures. - They can do tricks! (up, come here, walk (on two legs), jump up here) - They do BINKY when they are happy. Binky = jumping in the air or jumping like crazy. This means, "wheeeeee i am so happy and contented i love the world!" Rabbits often "half-binky", this means that they often flick their head like a lunatic. - overall, they are awesome. But you have to endure their personality at about 4-5th month as they will start to become rebellious. Get them neutered. But best to wait for them to turn 6 mth old as sterilizing them too early may be risky. BONDING - rabbits can be bonded with another rabbit. Best to get the opposite sex for a companion. MAKE SURE TO NEUTER/SPAY them because 1) you won't want 5 more babies to take care of, and 2) female may be annoyed and hurt the male. - rabbits can bond with other animals. But not all. Make sure to introduce them carefully and be there to supervise them. ONLY ALLOW THEM TO BE ALONE AFTER 2 WEEKS OF PEACE TOGETHER. Sorry if i am unable to answer all your questions. This is the best i can give. You can google up the diet guideline, bonding guide (rabbits), also how to bond with your rabbit. :)