a few questions....

[tate]

hello all, i have been thinking of getting ahouse bunny for a while now and actively researching for a good twomonths but have a few questions i'm hoping someone can help me with.

i've been reading all the horrible illnesses they're susceptable to andi'm wondering how often they tend to get seriously ill and how easilywith the correct care it is to prevent that from happening? do rabbitsrequire vaccinations? on average how long do you spend caring for asingle rabbit per day/week (not including out of cage time)? howlongdaily do rabbits need to be out of the cage? i have petrats who free range part of the day so it would be impossible for me tohave a rabbit out all the time. i'm seeing lots of pictures of bunniessnuggling with their owners but i keep reading that they're not animalsto cuddle, is this correct? are there many differences between males& females that typically makes one a better pet (i ask thisbecause typically male rats are calm whereas females are littlebusy-bodies)? are there any particular breeds thatare moresuitable as pets or does it depend more on the particular animal?

thank you for any info you can give me .

 

[Josh_Oreo]

Hi! I think it's great that you'rethinking of getting a bunny of your own.As to your questions, as longas they are well cared for and kept under good conditons, rabbits don'tget seriously ill very often. As I said, as long as they are treatedcorrectly, they will be fine. To my knowledge, rabbits don't requirevaccinations, but I think they are able to get them if you wish to dothat, but I'm not sure, so someone please correct me if i'm wrong.Personally (not including out of cage time) I spend about 15-20 minutescaring for my rabbit a day. That is just cleaning his cage, hislitterbox, feeding him, filling up his water bottle, and refilling hishay rack. It's not much every day. Out of cage timedepends onthe size cage you have for your rabbit and your rabbit's size.Personally, I spend about 3-5 hours with my rabbit outside of his cageevery day. And even inside his cage, he has lots of room to spread outand play. Pet rabbits are great pets to cuddle with, especially afterthey have known you for a long time. My rabbit loves to liedown next to me and have me pet his head. Between males and females, Idon't think there's a big difference and both can make great pets.Finally, all rabbit species can make good pets and yes, it does dependon the animal. Good luck finding the perfect furry little pal for you.

~Josh

 

[superchar42]

Vaccinations are dependent on your State (Idon't know what Ohio has going on) but Michigan doesn't require them. Ithink some other countries do.

Weekly I think I might spend four hours total with cleaning andfeeding. If you get a rabbit, invest in a good sized shopvac. It makeslitter box changing a BREEZE!

Out of cage time is largely dependent on what you are able to do, thesize of cage or pen you give them, etc etc. I try and do a half hour aday at minimum.

The rest all vary by the individual rabbit. I'd suggest getting abonded pair because it's SO STINKIN ADORABLE to watch them groom eachother. Plus, when you're gone they'll both have someone to talk to. Nolonely hearts.

I'd suggest going through a rescue shelter because the people that workthere will know the buns personally and be able to tell you theindividual habits and quirks each one has. There are some buns thatwill take to being cuddled here and there (not normally for long) butit takes a long time for the bun to trust their human.

I'd suggest a Red Eyed White rabbit (like a New Zealand or FloridaWhite), they're largely unappreciated, super soft and I don't knowabout anyone else's but mine is just a sweetheart.

Being prepared and finding out what you're getting into before gettinga rabbit will likely prevent any serious disease more than anythingelse - I keep hearing about people's rabbits who die after six monthsor something and I can't help but be angry at the people who didn'ttake the time to find out that this is, indeed a living creature thatmust be cared for like any cat or dog. ...enough of that from methough.

I hope that you make the decision that best fits you and your family members (the ones with whiskers, too!)

 

[bluebird]

there are no vacinnations in the US.get a rabbitthat is at least 8 weeks old preferably an adult rabbit.most rabbitsare healthy and proper food is i think the key.i think about 20 min perday unless its cleaning day.maybe less.i highly reccomend a male somefemales get cranky when they want too breed.Some rabbits are verycuddly.breeds i reccomend are Holland lops,Dutch,Netherland dwarfs,minirex, Fuzzylops and jersey woolies.buy from a reputablebreeder or get a shelter bunny.ask if they breed for temperment.I wouldstay away from petstores i have seen too many sick rabbits and underage rabbits for sale.If you go too the ARBA website you can find a showin your area.A show is a great place too see many breeds and get infofrom experienced rabbit raisers.bluebird

 

[HoneyPot]

i've been reading all the horrible illnesses they're susceptable to andi'm wondering how often they tend to get seriously ill and how easilywith the correct care it is to prevent that from happening?

It's hard to tell as each rabbit is different.

The important thing is not to get a bunny that you know isill at the start. Bunnies from pet stores are usually takenaway from their mother at too young an age which can lead to lesshealthy animals. Spay and neuter your bun to avoid all thecancers. Keep them in a clean environment and make sure theyhave clean water and food at all times to avoid parasites... some ofthe other genetic things you just can't avoid.

Make sure they aren't eating anything they shouldn'tlike rubber, or carpet to avoid blockages. Groom them oftenso they don't ingest a lot of hair. Try to give them a proper wellbalanced diet of hay, vegetables and pellets to avoid them going intoStatis or getting molar spurs.

There's lots you can do, but some things you can't prevent.

do rabbits require vaccinations?

Not in the US, no.

on average how long do you spend caring for a single rabbit per day/week (not including out of cage time)?

about 15 minutes a day withmaybe 1-2 days a week about an hour for litter, cage, room cleaning.

how longdaily do rabbits need to be out of the cage?

2-5 hours a day.

i'm seeing lots of pictures of bunnies snuggling with their owners buti keep reading that they're not animals to cuddle, is this correct?

every rabbit is different. I have one that won'tlet me pet him for very long because he's too bouncy and active andjust won't sit still. I have another who will head butt youuntil you pet her and cuddle her. So it really is dependanton the bunny whether they are cuddlers or not - it's a personalitything.

are there many differences between males & females thattypically makes one a better pet (i ask this because typically malerats are calm whereas females are little busy-bodies)?

some people say males are friendlier... but my female ismore cuddly.. although my male is friendlier but he won't cuddle...hmm.

are there any particular breeds thatare more suitable as pets or does it depend more on the particular animal?

depends on the animal. Although larger breedsare calmer. Smaller dwarf breeds tend to be more active andskittish.

thank you for any info you can give me .

Nadia

 

[jenfur427]

I think personality and whether or not theysnuggle with you all depends on the rabbit. That's the main reason weadopted our bun from the shelter. I paid a $60 adoption fee, and thatincluded her spay. Plus she was an older bun, and they could tell meher personality. Plus she was already litter box trained. We basicallywent in there, and told them we had two young kids and a small dog, andthey took us from cage to cage and showed us the ones who would be agood fit for our family.

Miss Vega has a large cage, but is only in it when we're asleep or outrunning errands. I probably spend 15-20 minutes a day actually "caring"for her (filling food bowls, changing water, chopping up veggies,cleaning out the litter box, filing up hay rack, vacuuming up the furoff her carpets). I clean up an messes she makes as I see them (spilledfood, etc) so it never gets bad enough to take me much longer than the20 minutes.

 

[tate]

thank you all for your answers and advice .