Would a dwarf bunny be a good idea for a pet?

Question

I absolutely love bunnies and fell in love with one at the fair this summer. I'm interested in buying one but don't know much. What would you recommend as far as keeping one, room and space, diet, etc?

Answer 1

Yes, they can be very good pets. I recommend getting a rabbit from a rabbit breeder that shows rabbits though instead of a pet store. A rabbit breeder that shows rabbits will be much more able to tell you how to feed it properly and take care of it properly than someone at the pet store or someone who just raises them as a house pet.

A good place to go to figure out what kind of rabbit you want is at a rabbit show. There are 45 different breeds of rabbits in the United States and many of the breeds have different colors or varieties they come in. The only place you'll get to see most of those breeds and varieties is at a rabbit show. The American Rabbit Breeders Association is the governing organization for rabbit shows in the United States. You can find a listing of shows all across the United States and in your area on their website at http://www.arba.net

The breeder you get your rabbit off of will normally be the best person to tell you what is the correct way to house them, feed them, etc. As a general rule, it is normally good to feed your rabbit the same way as the rabbit breeder did that you got your rabbit from. Changing the rabbit feed can make them go off their feed or cause them to get diahrrea, especially if you change feeds in the summer when they are under more stress due to the heat outside. For feed, the best general rule is to feed them no more or no less than what the rabbit will just finish up eating in 24 hours. At the end of 24 hours, there should be no feed left in the feeder. How much they eat depends on the size of the rabbit breed (about 4 ounces or 2/3 a cup of feed per day for breeds 5 pounds and under and about 6 ounces or 1 cup of feed per day for breeds 5 lb and up). The size of the pen also depends on the size of the breed. Some breeds such as Netherland Dwarfs can be raised in something about as small as a carrying cage. Other large breeds such as Checkered Giants require cages 3' x 4' or so with solid wood floors due to their size and weight.

And by the way, please don't feed your rabbit vegetables or lettuce like some people on here say to do. They are totally wrong when they say the rabbit needs them. They can be very bad for the rabbit. Also, please don't listen to some people on here when they tell you that the rabbit is lonely and needs company or that it needs castrated or that you should give it a bath. People that tell you stuff like that know very little about rabbits even if they have raised them for over 10 years.

I've been raising and showing rabbits for over 24 years. Stick to advice from people that raise and show them. And if in serious doubt, contact the American Rabbit Breeders Association at http://www.arba.net They have experts that know tons about rabbits.

By the way, I noticed that someone stated that you should trim a rabbit's teeth. You should never trim a rabbit's teeth unless the rabbit has a problem that is called "wolf teeth" where the teeth aren't aligned properly and start to curl. A rabbit with good teeth should never need its teeth trimmed. Stuff like that is something that a person who shows rabbits will know and can show you first hand.

Answer 2

ALL pets are work, make sure you understand how to take care of a pet you've never had before and that you won't slack off of his or her needs.
Bunnies are very cute and cuddly, though they will poo alot, but so do other animals. The fun thing is they are like dogs, they can raom around the house freely. Make sure you have the financial aid for a rabbit, and get a MALE one. Unless you want little bunnies running around the house, which is a risk with a female. You can't always trust the pet shop.
Three words before you get one; read, read, and read. Go on Google. Look up rabbit care. Fill your brain with everything you need to know: cleaning, housing, feeding, social needs, timidness, sickness, price, tempurature, toys and games to keep rabbit(s) entertained, how much sunlight they need a day, ect. I did this before I got my rats, (I spent 3 days reading while I waited for them) and now I'm ready for any challenge, and have saved myself alot of mistakes and trouble.

Good luck!!

Answer 3

I dont know about a dwarf. We have a mini lop and he is great. Rabbits are alot of work! Ours lives inside the house, spending most of his day in a Marchiorio brand cage. I love thier cages. They have a nesting box so the rabbit can have some quiet time, they have pull out trays to make the daily changing of the paper liner easier and the bottom part of the cage is easy to take apart when you want to wash down the whole thing once a month or so. Rabbits should have more fresh veggies and less pellets in their diet as they near their first birthday, and always lots of hay available. The fresh veggies can become costly. I think I spend about 7$ a week on carrots, apples, banana, parsley, kale and other greens alone. So, they are not cheap. Also, I you plan on getting a rabbit, please consider having it spayed or neutered, but do your research to find a vet who specializes in treating rabbits.

Answer 4

Bunnies are wonderful pets, but remember a BORD bunny is a BAD bunny! They love lots of attention, love and care (meaning making sure that their nails are trim, their teeth are trimmed, keeping them from getting ear mites too) I know this sounds like a lot but if you want a bunny you will need to not only have space and time but able to take care of him if he becomes ill! My little Seymore lived to be almost 7 years old and he was a little guy that had some problems! But then I had a bunny Honeybuns and she lived to be I think 12 and never went to the Vet (she never needed too) But you do need to decide if you want your bunny potty trained (which is easy and I recommend), where is your bunny going to live (indoors or outdoors) My husband build Seymore a platform with fake grass and his cage was on it too and I put him in his cage at night to be safe and during hot months bunnies do not like being hot so I bought a fan that I ran for Seymore (being careful about the eletrical cord they love to chew) and when it got cold I kept him covered at night so he stayed warm! I think he was pretty happy and I miss him lots if you do decide just make sure that you don't forget about him and make sure he is always fed and has water! Best of Luck :-)

Answer 5

It's good that you are doing your homework first. Bunnies make wonderful pets (we have 2) and like any pet require care and attention. Not all vets are trained to care for rabbits, so you'll want to be sure that you have a rabbit savvy vet handy. Here is a link to a wonderful site about your first house rabbit - the whole site is great.
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#first
And here's one about some common myths about rabbits:
http://www.ontariorabbits.org/beginners/myths.html

If you want to get a pet, I suggest you start with the rescues as there are so many rabbits that need homes.
You can check out rescues at:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabresc.html

There is a wealth of information on the web about house rabbits and I'd check out the pages I've sent plus:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/rabbithealth.html

Answer 6

I'm not sure. Check to make sure you are not alergic to it, as it is very uncomfortable to be sniffling and sneezing day in and day out.
Bunnies are cute but they poop a lot. A dwarf bunny will, theoretically, have dwarf poop, but it is still a very large quantity. If you don't think you can do the work necessary for the good health and happiness of your rabbit, and I stress this, Do Not Buy One!

Answer 7

Only get a bunny if you have a lot of room for a large cage, like animals that bite and chew furniture and shoes, and can deal with the smell of a barn-type animal. They are cute and cuddly but bunnies come with a lot of work!

Answer 8

I do not know what you are looking for in a pet, but a rabbit can be a very easy to care for pet and provide lots of joy. I would recommend you go to www.rabbit.org to get more info. There is more info than you thought existed about rabbits as pets at that website.

Answer 9

In general, Netherland Dwarfs do not tend to be good pets. Of the smaller breeds I would suggest Dutch, Himalayan, or Jersey Wooly. Any breed can be worked with, but those breeds in general are the easiest.

Answer 10

You should get one from a shelter and save a life. Go to these websites and read the book the House Rabbit Handbook.