I want to get a bunny, what kind of care does it need?

Question

what kind of cage should i get it, what food does it eat, and what do i need to do to give it exersise. also will it run in a oversize wheel? and how can i play with it? please send me some links if you can. thanks!

Also is it safe to take them outside?

Answer 1

The cage needs to be an absolute minimum of 10.5 sq feet for one. See www.guineapigcages.com for some rabbit cages. You build it yourself and it only costs about $30. All of the materials are found locally. They need a high quality rabbit pellet, no colorful mixes, unlimited timothy hay, daily veggies and fresh water. NO SALT OR MINERAL BLOCKS! They are excess vitamins which contribute to stones and diabetes. All of their salt and minerals can be found in a healthy diet. Exercise should be letting them have free roam of a room or the house either full time or for a few hours a day. You can play with it by leaving toys around the room, hiding veggies or some will just follow you around. They do NOT use wheels or balls or leashes. Those all cause very serious injuries. They should never be housed outdoors.

If you contact a rabbit shelter near you, they can match you up with one perfect for you. They also have bonded pairs that you can adopt and will be able to answer your questions in person. Don't buy from a pet shop, they are often very sick or mis-sexed. Don't buy from a breeder, rabbits are HORRIBLY overpopulated. There are thousands of rabbits homeless. Not all breeders are also responsible, so it's sometimes hard to find a reputable breeder. A rescue is by far the best place you get your rabbit. Try www.petfinder.com

Answer 2

The house rabbit society is, in fact, a great resource for information. They have a great faq section and you can find information answering all of your questions on their website. www.rabbit.org I don't know what that other person was thinking. I haven't found any information on there that was wrong. I would like to know what that person thought was so horrible.
An adult rabbit should have 1/4 cup of food for every 5lbs of body weight a day. Also, about 2 cups of approved vegetables and unlimited timothy hay.
I keep my rabbits in what is known as an "NIC cage" these are cages made of wire shelving grids. You can make one yourself for a great price. Pet store cages are simply not large enough.
You should let your rabbit out to run in a bunny proofed room or pen for at least a few hours each day.
Do not put a bunny in a wheel or a ball. That is really bad for their spine.
I like to pet and cuddle with my bunnies and watch them play with eachother.
Make sure to have your bunny spayed or neutered. This cuts down on hormonal issues and also makes litter box training easier. Also, female bunnies have a high liklihood of getting uterine cancer if they aren't spayed.
Please check your local shelters or rescues for a rabbit. There are so many that need homes. Most are already spayed or neutered as well.

Answer 3

Diet
Rabbits are primarily fed a pelleted diet. Traditionally these pellets are made from pelletized alfalfa or timothy hay. Recent research indicates that these alfalfa based pellets are too high in protein and too low in fiber for adult rabbits. The digestive system of the rabbit includes an organ called the cecum that is located at the origin of the large intestine. The cecum's function is to break down and digest fiber. High protein, low fiber diets can lead to an impacted cecum.

Current wisdom recommends that adult rabbits (over 6-8 months old) be fed a Timothy Hay based diet for its lower protein and higher fiber content. Fresh dark green leafy vegetables like dandelion leaves, romaine lettuce, kale and endive should be given. Small quantities of fresh carrots, apples, banana, papaya, and even raspberries may be used as treats. Timothy Hay should be offered at all times.

It is safe to feed Guinea Pig pellets to rabbits in an emergency, but it is not safe to feed rabbit pellets to Guinea Pigs.

Supplementing their diet with a daily multi-vitamin in their food is recommended
Fresh water should always be available in a water bottle.

Housing
Rabbits can be kept in cages indoors, or in hutches outdoors in moderate climates. If the cage or hutch has a wire bottom there should be a solid floor in part of the cage so that the animal isn't constantly standing on wire.

A layer of bedding material should cover the bottom of the cage. A hiding space is also recommended.

Handling & Care

Rabbits are quiet gentle animals that require very little care. If handled when they are young, they remain tame and docile with regular handling.
Slide your hand under the rabbit's chest and gently lift while supporting the hind end with the other hand.

Traditionally pine shavings have been used as bedding material for these animals, but recent studies indicate that the phenols (aroma) in pine may be too strong for animals kept in closed environments without adequate air circulation. For animals in such habitats, Aspen bedding is a safe and practical alternative. Never use cedar shavings for Rabbits, as the phenols are very strong and cause serious respiratory, skin, coat and liver problems.


PS. NEVER Put you rabbit in an oversized wheel or an excersize ball

Answer 4

Don't listen to Gen.
Also NEVER LISTEN TO ANYTHING THE HOUSE RABBITS SOCIETY SAYS/ STATES OR ANYTHING ANY OF THEIR FOLLOWERS HAVE TO SAY. THEY KNWO NOTHING ABOUT HOW RABBITS SHOULS BE RAISED!( So in lamens term don't follow the link on the person's above me answer)

Any type of rabbit is O.K. to get. Try going to http://arba.net/photo.htm . Their is a picture of each of the breeds there. Also if you click on the picture it tells you all about the breeds.

The rabbit should have a cage big enough for them to run around in but not so big that they will never live in all of it (if you know what I mean). each rabbit though is differnet so it is hard for exact specs until you know what rabbit you want.

As for food and treats you do feed them pellets every day. You give them a certain amount (depending on the breed) and as for treats, they should have none at least until they are 6 months old. This is because the treats to early on could hurt them internally.

But after 6 months they can have a little bit of treats once and a while. Things like carrots, a small piece of apple or banana. But nothing more. They don't need to much sweets or they could get fat and maybe even sick. Also never fed the rabbit Lettuce. Lettuce is like water and could go right through them, give them the runs, and kill them. So never feed the rabbit lettuce.

They also don't need a salt lick. The salt lick is just one of those extra not nessasary things.

AS for playing. No wheel or hampster like play toy is nessasary. Get a large pen for your back yard (say for like a dog) and let the rabbit run around in that. They can get fresh grass (untreated grass of course, fertilized grass is like poison for them) and get fresh air.

If you can't let the rabbit run outside for any reason, you can pick a single room that is safe for the rabbit (and where you can watch the rabbit, cause you never want to leave the rabbit alone) and let the rabbit run around a bit. Make sure though that after about 10 mins. you put the rabbit back in the cagte so it can use the bathroom if needed cause the rabbit may or may not go on the floor/ carpet.

Let me know if you have anymore questions!

Answer 5

NO NO NO! Their cage needs cleaned 3 times a week, and if you litter box train them it's every other day. Let it out of it's cage and let it have tall grass. It eats carrots and celery with rabbit pellets. It also needs a mineral block and salt block. A long one it needs to be longer than it is tall. There are a variety of ways to play with a bunny as long as you train it when it's young but mostly depends on the personality. As long as you keep an eye on it outside yes it's perfectly fine to let it out. Dell i know how you feel i wish i didn't have my bunny. If you decide to get a male get it nuetered!

Answer 6

I will have to email you all of the stuff. Take the cage outside. Dont let it roam free.

Answer 7

well they smell not for in door ,,,,,,,,,,