First time rabbit owner...?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a rabbit, but I want to know alittle more about the animal. I have alot of questions so here it goes- How do you take care of it? Do their cages need to be cleaned often? How much are they? Can they be trained? Are they generally kind animals? And also how much will the cost come to? (all of the supplies including cage, bedding, food) Thanks!

It would be an indoor rabbit, and also how big should the cage be?

Answer 1

Here ya go!



...(\_/)
..(='.'=)
..(")-('')



HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF A RABBIT???


Pet rabbits are fun, loving animals that are very easy to care for and can be a welcome addition to your family.

There are many different breeds of rabbits to choose from. Visit your local pet store or rabbit breeder to get an idea on the type of rabbit you are looking for. When choosing a rabbit, look at the surroundings making sure it is clean. Look for alert and active rabbits. Look for people that can answer all questions regarding rabbits. A dirty environment can mean unhealthy rabbits. Do your homework before buying, be aware of what a healthy rabbit looks like and have a little knowledge. The best age to buy a rabbit is between six to ten weeks old. Their eyes should be clear and bright. Watch for signs of diarrhea, sneezing and sniffling.

Do not handle your new rabbit too much at first upon arrival home. Give him a chance to get used to his new environment. Explain to young children how to handle a rabbit safely. After a couple days, begin to hold your new rabbit. handling a rabbit makes him more tame and loveable. Slip one hand under his chest and use the other to support his hindquarters. Never pick him up by his ears!

Feed your rabbit twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Pellet food available at petstores, hay, and greens should be your rabbit's main diet. You can supplement this with occasional carrots, apple slices and brocoli. Keep plenty of fresh water available at all times. Make sure you provide pieces of wood for your rabbit to chew on. Rabbit's teeth grow constantly like fingernails and chewing on wood helps to file them down. Give your rabbit plenty of attention and pet him frequently. Rabbits get along fine with other household pets but use caution when introducing. Do not give your other pets a chance to hurt your rabbit.

Provide a cage for your rabbit. He can be an indoor or outdoor pet. If outdoors, make sure you provide adequate protection from the elements. The cage should be large enough to allow your rabbit to move around. Recommendations for size are four and one-half feet wide, two and one-half feet high and two feet deep.

Keep your rabbit's cage clean. Change his bedding as needed. it should be done at least two or three times a week as a minimum. They are generally clean animals and will usually "dirty" in one area of their cage. Scrub the cage with a mild disinfectant once a week.

Allow your rabbit to be out of his cage often to exercise. Provide supervision when he is out. Rabbits love to chew on things. Rabbit leashes are available to allow your bunny to take a walk outside.

Rabbits do not require much veterinary care unless sick. They can be neutered. You may want to take them in occasionally to have their nails trimmed.

Having a pet rabbit can be a welcome addition to your family. They are relatively easy to care for and require little maintenance-just lots of love and attention.





SOME TIPS


Do some research on rabbits.Through either books or the internet.

Clean your rabbit's cage every day.

Change your rabbit's food every day.

Check that your rabbit has enough water. If not, change it and refill it daily.

Play with your rabbit!

Let your rabbit out only if someone’s watching it!.

Make sure your rabbit has a run.

See a vet if your rabbit is not happy or acting strangely.

Dangle a carrot in the lid of the run. Your rabbit will stand up and try to get to it. After it's lost interest or you're done playing with it, feed it to your rabbit.

Let your rabbit roam, if you have a pesticide/fertilizer-free lawn. Make sure that your rabbit is safe from predators and harmful weeds.

Pick up your rabbit with one hand grabbing the loose skin on the back of his/her neck and the other hand under his/her bum to support the weight.

Give the rabbit some wood to gnaw on

Never pick him/her up with its tail

If he/she's good give him/her some treats!

There are many different types of rabbits, some are jumpy, some are lazy, and some are in-between. Don't force your rabbit to play.



All you need to know is right here. Good luck!

http://wa.essortment.com/takecarepetra_rnok.htm


The cost will come to, about 100- 200 dollars. Good luck again!

Oh ya! Rabbit Food info!

http://www.russelrabbit.com/languages/sus/25.htm

Good luck~

Answer 2

A rabbit is a great choice. They are pretty low maintenance and are fun to play with. They are generally easily tamed, but there are exceptions. Rabbits are cheap compared to all other pets. Many rabbit breeders have a very high standard for what their rabbits look like. This means that they have a lot to give away or sell for cheap ($5 or $10). These rabbits are not usually rejected because of behavior, but simply because they do not meet the physical standards of a show rabbit. You can find these most abundantly at rabbit shows.

The cage does not have to be huge, but they do need some room to run around or lounge. (make sure to accomodate your rabbit if you choose a larger breed). A 2 by 3 foot floor and about 2 foot walls is plenty for a medium sized rabbit. Cages can range from $15-30 depending on quality and size. You will also need a food holder (a few dollars) and a water bottle (a few dollars). The food is not any more expensive than dog or cat food and because it is such a small animal, one bag will last a while. You will want to put newspaper or something under the cage to catch droppings. It depends on your rabbit for how often you need to change the papers. Pretty much whenever you get tired of the smell.

I guess it is possible to train a rabbit, but what is more important is taming it. You must handle it often so it will get used to you, or it will be scared every time you touch it (not fun at all).

I hope you find a great rabbit!

Answer 3

Rabbits are amazing. I have one and he is the best.

How do you take care of it- You have to change the water and food every day, including the bedding if you are using woodshavings. Stay away from cedar shavings, they're poisonous and can kill your rabbit. Serve food according to the rabbit's weight and size. They need at least 2 hours of running everyday.

Cages- The cage needs to be 4 times and more larger than the rabbit so he can excersise on his own if you forget to take him out. The cage should be washed and cleaned with water (no chlorinated products) and a towel around once every 3 weeks.

How much- Well, rabbits aren't very expensive, providing that you're not buying some high class breed that needs extensive care. My Dutch Dwarf cost 35$. Sweetie!

Can they be trained- Generally, no. But they do respond to their name and they become very smart when it comes to treats. :o) Rabbits are generally intelligent and they can learn to play ball (pushing the ball back to you).

Kind animals- That depends on you and where you're buying your rabbit from. If the rabbit is socialized and handled, then he'll be the most loveable thing ever! Mine is. He doesn't like being held a lot, and they need their nails clipped. That's very hard to achieve. You'll need a helper when you have to clip their nails or you just take him to the vet.

Cost- Not much. You just need a big bag of rabbit food, a big pack of bedding and alfalfa hay. They NEED hay. Hay should be available at all times, even when the rabbit has finished his food. If your rabbit is hungry and he's eaten his pellets already, don't give him treats or pellets, give him hay!

Rabbits are very low-maintenance pets, but I would like you to know that they poop very often. My bunny is potty trained, and he hops into his cage to do his business in a corner and then hops out to continue his run of the house. They need to be brushed once every other day if it's a heavy coated rabbit, but mine is short-haired and I comb him around once a year.

Rabbits love to clean themselves, and mine licks his coat 24/7. They are suceptible to heat-stroke and colds, so the temperature has to be regulated strictly, especially in heavy winter and summer. Since they groom themselves all the time, rabbits have, yes, hairballs. This can cause the intestine to stop. If you ever see your rabbit having a loss of apetite, and he's scrunched up in the corner of the cage for a long time without moving, he's not drinking, take him to the VET ASAP.

My rabbit nearly died from gastrointestinal stasis, and there was no vet around. He's had 4 cases so far and the last one we had to treat him ourselves. I was ready to scream. Luckily, rabbits are hardy and they recover well.

Best of luck! :o)

Answer 4

We had an indoor rabbit. He was the sweetest pet ever. He had a great personality and loved to play. Flip-Flop (he was a floppy-eared bunny), loved to do flips and run as fast as he could. When he was out of the cage he would use a small litter pan we had in the corner of the house. We bought a cage at Petsmart for about $200.00. It was on wheels and had a pull-out drawer for the litter pan so it was easier to clean. His cage really needed to be cleaned every-other day, however we are so busy we didn't have time for that. I ended up putting his cage in the basement (our toy-room) so I could clean it only once a week (on Saturday's), but it was really smelly. He also shed really bad (worse than a dog) - I had to vacuum constantly all around his cage. He was a lot of fun and very sweet - but he was a lot of work. I miss him - but not the mess.

He was very social and loved to be around people. We also had him neutered - it's healthier for them.

Answer 5

First off kudos to you for asking about rabbits before getting one.
rabbit.org is a must visit for you!
I cant explain EVERYTHING about rabbit care so go to rabbit.org
Cages should be cleaned depending on how much your bunny poops. If litter box trained just dump it every day its easy. otherwise every 3 days
Very kind animals

They arent that costly but bare in mind that emergancy medical attention could be quite costly. One of my 3 bunnies is litter box trained if thats what you mean by trained. Another one of my bunnies I trained to jump over a little cardboard tube.

Answer 6

yup u can train them, they r the cutest things ever!

my rabbits hutch iscleaned evreyday

we built their home, on our own, a really big one, we give them fresh leaves,plucked straight from the plant.

we plant them in our home, lots of them, i dont know wot u call the plants in english, but my rabbits simply love them, humans eat those leaves too, every ones crazy abt those plants and r asking 4 leaves

Answer 7

Most of your questions can be answered at www.rabbit.org which i think is a good site. as for prices you may need to shop around. Check animal shelters first.

Answer 8

http://www.rabbit.org/

A great place to learn about rabbits!