Questions about having a dwarf rabbit as a pet...?

Question

My hamster recently died & I was going to get another one. But, then I saw dwarf rabbits at the pet store & thought I might try something new. I don't know much about dwarf rabbits. I'm just starting to look into it.

Here are some of my questions:
1. How long do dwarf rabbits live?
2. Will a dwarf rabbit be comfortable in an old hamster cage?
3. How often do I clean the cage?
4. Will the cage start to smell in my small apartment?
5. Is it better to have a male or female? Does it matter?
6. Do dwarf rabbits bite?
7. How bad do they shed?
8. Can I leave a dwarf rabbit by itself for 9 hrs a day in the cage?
9. Can I leave a dwarf rabbit by itself overnight?
10. I live by myself. Will he be mean when people want to meet him?

Any other advice when considering a dwarf rabbit?

Answer 1

1. How long do dwarf rabbits live? Some can live 8yrs

2. Will a dwarf rabbit be comfortable in an old hamster cage?
No, rabbits need to stretch their legs, and be able to hop around.
3. How often do I clean the cage?
If you establish a small corner litter box, then you can just change that unless the rest of the cage becomes very dirty.
4. Will the cage start to smell in my small apartment?
Yes, if you don't clean the cage, they smell very bad
5. Is it better to have a male or female? Does it matter?
Not really, just make sure you never mix two reproductivly potent bunnies together, they can become pregnant in the time it takes you to separate them
6. Do dwarf rabbits bite?
Yes, bunnies are timid and need to be handled gently. Don't grab them suddenly, don't reach into the cage to grab them, and hold them properly and you will not get bitten.
7. How bad do they shed?
Mine sheds pretty badly if frightened, a soft bristle brush every once in awhile will be good enough unless its a longhair
8. Can I leave a dwarf rabbit by itself for 9 hrs a day in the cage?
Yes, as long as it get enough out of cage time.
9. Can I leave a dwarf rabbit by itself overnight?
Yes, as long as you make sure food and water are there, they are fine
10. I live by myself. Will he be mean when people want to meet him? Bunnies are intimidated easily. If people want to meet him, let him out of the cage and have them sit on the ground so he can go up to them at will. Until your bunny is very tame you can't expect him to rush up to meet you like a cat or dog would.

Male bunnies spray their urine outside the cage if not fixed
Bunny's can become heat sick very easily
If your bunny becomes to frightened too often its lifespan will decrease and it may have a heart attack.
You will need to know what vet takes rabbits, not all do.
Wire cage floors are very bad! Bunny's feet are soft and the wire will hurt. A sad bunny is a mean bunny.
You need to clip their nails, which may take two people. It practically takes three for me to clip my bunnys nails.

Answer 2

For lots of rabbit info in general (and probably about dwarfs too), go to www.rabbit.org.

To answer a few of your questions...

NO a dwarf rabbit cannot live happily in a hamster cage. It's too small. The dwarfs you see at a pet store are babies. They will get bigger. I've never seen a dwarf rabbit any smaller than a guinea pig when fully grown. You'll need a cage much larger than a hamster cage. Even most indoor rabbit cages are too small unless the rabbit is let out often. I have a house rabbit (not a dwarf, but a smallish breed). He lives in a converted dog kennel (about 2ft x 3ft, with two levels) but he has free roam of my kitchen in the morning and evening (basically when I'm home).

As far as cage cleaning, the bigger the cage, the less often you'll have to clean it. Rabbits are very easy to litter train. They typically urinate in one spot. Put the litter box in that spot. Some rabbits will continue to defacate (pooh) everywhere else, however others will not. My rabbit uses his litter box 100% of the time for both "#1 & #2".

Some people will tell you females are less aggressive, however, either sex make wonderful pets if they are fixed. Males will spray and can be aggressive if they are not fixed. On the other hand, females have something like an 80% cancer rate if they're not fixed... so it's better to get them fixed, even if you only get one. Mine was fixed when he was young and he's NEVER bit or been aggressive at all.

Any small animal will bite if not handled properly. Don't force yourself on it. If it wants to be left alone, leave it alone. Many rabbits do not like to be held, but enjoy being petted, etc. This is safer for the rabbit anyway since even small falls can seriously injure a rabbit (they have very brittle bones). As long as you tell guests to be calm and gentle with the rabbit, it shouldn't be afraid of new people.

Anyway, check out the rabbit.org site and if you have any questions, feel free to message me. :) Rabbits make great pets... but they're no "easier" than a cat or dog. They need regular attention as well as regular exercise.

Answer 3

1.Dwarfs can live to be about 13 years old. Make sure you are ready for 13 years worth of food, fresh veggies, litter, toys, etc.
Also, their vet bills can be rather expensive.
2.No way! I have house bunnies, and I went out and bought an X-pen from the pet store.It is for dogs, but works great for bunnies too. One about 3-4 feet high should be good, buns are masters at getting out of pens.
Inside should be the litterbox, a cat box is fine with wood pellets. I like Yesterdays News, don't use cat litter, or ceder chips.Put hay in the box, they will jump right in! Also lots of toys and an old phonebook or mag. for them to chew up and dig in. You can put a cardboard box with a few holes in it in the pen for her to hide in.
They should not be loose unsupervised(not at first), but they need a few hours a day to run around, they love to do the bunny 500 around the house! it is really cute.
A cage, even ones sold as rabbit cages are way too small, even for dwarfs, and hafe wire bottoms that give bunnies hock sores.
3. Scoop out the old litter every day, put in new hay. Clean the whole pen and the litterbox with vinigar once a week or more if it smells bad. If you clean too often though, they will stop using their box...
4. Keep it clean, open windows alot. I had a really small apt, and I had 3 buns, and it is challenging to not have it smell.
5. It doesn't matter, but either one MUST be spayed or neutered.
6. All animals bite. Bunnies are prey animals, they do not like to be picked up or carried around, they feel safest on the floor, and you need to respect that, or it might bite out of fear. But no, they are not mean, they don't just bite for the hell of it.
7.some prettuy badly, others not so much, you need to brush them often. They do go through a molt, when they drop insane amounts of hair.....just keep brushing.
8. If you have a large pen(never a cage) the bun can be in there all day, just let her out to play when you get home.
9. Yep, in it's pen though.
10. no, but it will most likely be scared and hide.
You should check out Etherbun on Yahoo groups, they are all house bun owners too. There is so much more you need to know before getting a bun, and this answer is already very long, also, check out www.rabbit.org. that is the house rabbit society. they have links on behavior, house training, bunny proofing your home, finding a vet, food, etc.

Answer 4

Hope I can be of some help hun,
For one..do not put a rabbit in a hamster cage as it certtainly isnt suitable
Did you know that you can have him running around your house just like a cat or dog? Yep, rabbits are easily litter trained and very clean as long as they have a tray to do their duty in...You need to nip into your nearest pet store and look in one of their books available. I've hasd rabbits all my life and they are by no way fierce, if you think about it these poor creatures are stuick in a cage 24 hours a day, ask yourself would if the situation reversed...would you be mean?
Hope it helped

Answer 5

i'm particular your mom has her causes. From journey, rabbits are an excellent type of work. I had one for more effective or less a three hundred and sixty 5 days even as i turned right into a baby (my first puppy) and made the decision to locate it a sparkling homestead that could want to take more effective useful care of it. If she will be able to no longer allow you to, you are able to continuously attempt to grow to be in contact with animals in different techniques. it truly is her homestead and also you've were given to well known that.