Rabbit advice?

Question

I just got my first Rabbit. It's an adorable Miny Rex. He's orangeish brown and has 2 black stipes acroos him. We named him Casey James after my favorate Nascar driver, I need to know if rabbits can have or need shots like cats and dogs do though. Also, is it safe to let them have small amounts of carrots and lettuce? My cats seem to want to make friends with him but he kicks them. Any tips on getting them to get along? I don't leave the rabbit alone with the cats even for a short time. Can rabbits be litter trained? I don't really like caged animals and feel he shouldn't have to be caged if he can be trained. Harness trained? Any other rabbit care and advice is also welcome.

Answer 1

Hello Casey:
It sounds like you get a great little friend there!
First off ,it the rabbit isn't running away from the cat and just kicking at it, the rabbit might warm up to the cat but give it time and don't push the subject.
You don't really need shots for your rabbit, but if you feel that it's not acting like it usually does do not hesitate to take it to the vet..
Give your rabbit any kind of vegetables as it nutritious for him along with being good for working down his teeth.

you can train a rabbit to use a litter box just as a cat would but he would have to have his own box and not to share one with the cat. You always have to remember the most important thing when having a rabbit out of his cage and in the house. Rabbits chew everything!!! they love to work their teeth down on electrical cords and that wouldn't be good for the Rabbit!
I would let him get his exercises on a leash outside. It is easy to harness train a rabbit, just put it on him and once he starts moving around he can explore and enjoy! Let him eat grass or whatever else that is in plant form.
I hope this helps!
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Answer 2

Like most others have said hay is essential and should be available 24/7 in unlimited amounts, same as water. You are totally doing the right thing there. Hay is high in fibre which is essential for gut movement ( gut stasis can be fatal) and it also keeps the teeth busy! Rabbits teeth grow all the time and need to be ground down, eating hay does this. You probably know all this already! Do you have a rescue centre near you? You could take your bunny there for advice and avoid the vets fees. Most rescues will know the difference between an overweight bunny and a large bunny. Rabbit pellets are made to fulfill the dietary requirements of a rabbit, they do therefore ensure your rabbit has all the vitamins and nutrients it needs. You dont need many pellets however to keep your rabbit healthy. The higher the fibre the better. Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 3

Congrats on your first bunny! They are amazing pets that are full of personality! To answer your questions:

1. No, rabbits do not need shots like cats and dogs do. However, you should make an appt. with the vet for a check up.

2. Yes it is ok for them to have carrots and lettuce. They can have as many carrots as they want. Only give them lettuce and parsly as a treat once in a while. The high water content in those foods will give them diarhea. A rabbit's diet should be 95% timothy hay and 5% pellets. Hay will stregthen their bones. ( I learned this AFTER my bunny got sick).

3. Yes, he will get used to the cats. Give it time.

4. Yes they can be litter trained. Train them like a cat. However, they poop all the time. It is how the mark their territory (along with rubbing their chin on things and spraying).

5. Yes you can put them on leashes, but they don't like them and cannot be walked like dogs.

Now this is VERY important. Do NOT use pine or cedar shavings to line the cage. Although it is cheap, it can cause serious respiratory problems, like the fatal disease Snuffles. I lost my bunny to Snuffles because I didn't know any better. Use Aspen. It is more expensive than pine or cedar, but it is safer and absorbs more pee anyways.

They should be given a bath, with rabbit shampoo, at least once a month and should have their nails clipped about twice a month.

Although I am not an expert, I know a butt-load about bunnies. Please feel free to email me if you have another other questions. I am online everyday so I will be able to answer you quickly.

My addy is [e-mail]

Answer 4

If you are in the US then rabbits don't need shots. They can ocassionally have carrot but never iceberg lettuce. Stick with Romaine. Don't leave the cat alone with the rabbit as the cat is a predator and the rabbit is prey. Rabbits can be litter box trained. Don't harness train it. There are too many risks of injury. You should read the book the House Rabbit Hanbook and go to these websites.

Answer 5

You may do well to buy or borrow a few books on rabbit care, since it sounds like this is your first rabbit.

Rabbits don't need shots. They may need a vet if they get sick though.

Some rabbits can be litter trained if you know what you're doing.

You do need to keep him caged until you learn more about rabbits. You don't need him gnawing on an extension cord and getting hurt. Or disappearing in the house... rabbits don't come when called.

Rabbits should be on a diet of rabbit pellets but a little carrots and lettuce are good. Keep them off cedar bedding. Make sure he always has a source of water.

Answer 6

You can get special rabbit harnesses.
I would be careful about leaving the cat with the rabbit until they are totally used to each other, otherwise the cat's hunter instincts may appear.
I think they could be litter trained as many people do own household rabbits.
You could cage your rabbit for the night and leave it hopping around in a enclosure in your garden/house.
The rabbit will slowly get used to the cat but because the cat is probably bigger than him he probably feels threatened. Just be there when they meet!
Good Luck!

Answer 7

my mini rex an all the other rabbits are litter trained put a litter box in the corner he uses in his cage with some pine bedding this bedding seems to be the only thing mine will go potty on an not eat or lay in it put a couple in the room you let him roam in wherever he goes the most after a while you we have him down to using the one mine finally hop back in their pins for a drink an to go potty then back out for more roamin time mine eat carrots everyday an fresh grass pulled out of the yard they love bales of hay an saltine crackers an we even give cornies once a week they love it ive been told no lettuce its not good for them in will give them the runny poops try spinach or colored greens mine seem to do ok an we feed them rabbit pellets,carrots,fresh grass, timothy hay,sunflower seeds, an saltine crackers, certain treats everydaynot all at once of course they get some things in the morning an the rest an night they sleep in kitty beds an use cat litter boxs but cat litter is bad for them use comfy pine bedding thats what we use anyway good luck

Answer 8

My rabbit was incredibly easy to litter train. He had picked a corner of his cage to "go" in... so I put the litterbox there. He uses it reliably. In fact, when he's loose in my kitchen, he goes back in his cage when he has to "go".

Lettuce and carrots and other fresh veggies are not only good, they are a must. DO NOT FEED ICEBERG LETTUCE, but leaf lettuces are fine. For great feeding recommendations, check out www.rabbit.org. There is a VERY comprehensive list of good rabbit veggies out there somewhere on the net, but I can't remember where. In any case, ONLY feed stuff on these lists... as there are a lot of veggies out there that can cause problems... so if you aren't sure... better safe than sorry.

Browse around the rabbit.org website... it's a GREAT tool. And browse the web for other sites too... just be sure it's a reputable source if it's information conflicts with other stuff you've read.

As for the cat... mine have learned to ignore the bunny and vice versa. My bunny is less than interested in being buddies with my cats. However, I know people who have bunnies who snuggle with cats too, so I think it just depends on the bunny and the cat, since they all have their own personality. In any case, bunnies make great inside pets. Feel free to email me if you'd like pointers on setting up a great indoor area for bunny! :)

Answer 9

ok
yes rabbits can get shots. go to a vet
yes you can but they mostly eat hay and rabbit food and things like that
put the rabbit in its cage and hold the kitty so they can sniff each other and the rabbit wont hurt the cat
umm i think they have leashes for rabbits so they CAN be trained but that depends on your rabbit and how hard you work to train it.. but it's best to leave it in a cage if you're not home

Answer 10

shots just get registered with a vet n s/he will tell you when needed, carrots lettice sure! thats fine, mine refuses to have fresh fruit n veg which is *** anoying, oh dear your rabbit has issues, maybe its just protecting itsself, i spose rabbits can be trained, mine comes home, but poops on the hutch roof which is the worse...more info get a book i spose ^_^