Hello! I'm not a rabbit owner, but I am a rabbit lover!

[sdrabbitlvr]

Hi everybody! I'm really enjoying the forum. I joined a while ago but have never really been in since then.

Anyway, I'm not a rabbit owner. Though I dream of it, I am not. I love rabbits to death, and I'm waiting for the perfect time when I'm in a stable housing, occupational, andfinancial situation. So far, that hasn't come yet.

I'm planning on adopting a rabbit once I'm ready,but in the meantime, I am owned by two guinea pigs named Maggie and Sophia, and a dog named Riley. They are a lot of work, all three combined, but I love them more thna they think...so it's worth it.

I have a few questions about rabbits that I'd like answers to...

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, most challenging pet you've ever had, how hard is it to take care of a rabbit?

2. Which is easier to take care of: single rabbit or bonded pair? Which do you recommend more?

3. When I do adopt a rabbit (or two), I was considering maybe housing them in my bedroom, with free run of the room during the day and at night they would go in an x-pen so that I don't have to worry about them chewing or making mischief while I'm sleeping. Is this a good idea? If not, what do you recommend I do?

4. I'm at school from about 7 am till about 3 pm. For the rest of the day, I'm home with them, and able to care for them. Would rabbits be alright being alone for this period of time? Would asingle rabbit be lonely/bored while I'm gone?

5. I want a rabbit very badly, but from what I've heard, they're expensive, hard to take care of, and not very cuddly. Are these things true?

6. How much do you spend on your rabbit per month?

7. How much time do you spend taking care of your rabbit?

Sorry for all the questions! I just want to be sure that I'm ready for such a long commitment - up to 12 years.

If you have any more advice or information for me, I would greatly appreciate it!

You can probably tell, but I'm trying to find the easiest way to have a rabbit. I don't want to spend a lot of money. I don't know if I have enough time to properly care for a rabbit. I don't know if my living conditions and lifestyleare appropriate for them.

All answers and information are greatly appreciated! :thanks:

 

[Fancy77]

WOW huni I am impressed with your willingness to have all ur ducks in a row b4 u get a bun!! Kudos to u!!

I will not b able to answer all ur questions, but here is my opinion on some.

1. maybe a 3 on your scale...I think it is fairly easy. Cleaning litter pans every few dayc vs cleaning dog poop up daily...HUGE Bonus. Oh the most challenging part is when they hit puberty...IMO

2. I have had both and to me its the same work load.

5. The most expensive part will b vet costs. S/neuter unless u adopt from a rescue...that to me is a more cost effective way, and if s/he needs emergency med. attention cuz they r mostly considered exotics they tend to cost more. I put a bit away each week for that fund tho

7. I groom 1 time a week, clip nails about every 6 weeks, feed them daily and let them play daily

Just so u know depending on what kind of rabbit u get will make cost fluctuate. I have Flemish Giants and they eat more compared to a Netherland

Hope it helps

 

[pOker]

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, most challenging pet you've ever had, how hard is it to take care of a rabbit?
I would rate it at about a 3..it's fairly simple-they aren't high maintenance at all

2. Which is easier to take care of: single rabbit or bonded pair? Which do you recommend more?
i have 2 rabbits right this moment that arent bonded, and thats still very simple, so i dont think a bonded pair would be much different...either one is a fair deal

3. When I do adopt a rabbit (or two), I was considering maybe housing them in my bedroom, with free run of the room during the day and at night they would go in an x-pen so that I don't have to worry about them chewing or making mischief while I'm sleeping. Is this a good idea? If not, what do you recommend I do?
That is a good idea...but you do have to really make sure that absolutely nothing is around for them to chew on.that means even making sure the carpet cant be chewed...you have to bunny proof absolutely everything! maybe an NIC condo would work out..

4. I'm at school from about 7 am till about 3 pm. For the rest of the day, I'm home with them, and able to care for them. Would rabbits be alright being alone for this period of time? Would asingle rabbit be lonely/bored while I'm gone?
The amount of time is fine-i leave my rabbits that long too..but you have to check their food and water every morning before leaving!! and its hard to say if the rabbit will be bored alone.some rabbits get bored easily, others are so happy that boredom never strikes...changing toys often usually keeps a bunny more busy and less bored.

5. I want a rabbit very badly, but from what I've heard, they're expensive, hard to take care of, and not very cuddly. Are these things true?
A)They are not always expensive. adopting a rabbit is usually a really great way to go, the prices go to a good cause. B)they aren't hard to take care of. litter changing and cage cleaning, feeding, giving hay, and having playtime with your bunny--thats not hard at all-its fun! C)Some rabbits may not be cuddly. rabbits like to be able to have all feet on the ground-but some allow you to cuddle with them.
The most expensive part in rabbit care would be any vet bills and spay/neuter costs--thats why adopting a shelter bunny is best-they are already spayed/neutered.

6. How much do you spend on your rabbit per month?
well i spoil my bunnies as much as possible...but buying in bulk makes me spend about 45 dollars every 2 months or so.. i buy bulk items like 45 pound bags of food and 50 pound hay bags, things like that actually save you money.

7. How much time do you spend taking care of your rabbit?
Litter changing and Cage cleaning=around 25 minutes per cage-but I also like to move things around and vaccuum.. feeding and water=not even 5 minutes.. playtime-3 hours..its not tough at all. grooming and all that happens 1 time a week..



Its really great that you are really going all out there to get ready for having a rabbit one day.. It really is such a great experience..at first i didnt want to put too much cost into it-but it gets sooo addicting!!!! i have a rabbit fund just so i can spoil the rabbits like crazy...

If you have any other questions-never hesitate to ask...by the way my name is Hannah-slave to Poker, Vegas and Gratie(he'll be here in february)

 

[Amy27]

Welcome to the forum!

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, most challenging pet you've ever had, how hard is it to take care of a rabbit?

They are the hardest pet I have ever owned. But the only other pet I have ever owned was cats.

2. Which is easier to take care of: single rabbit or bonded pair? Which do you recommend more?

I had a bonded pair that unbonded after several years. It was soooo much easier to take care of them when they were bonded. Only 1 cage to clean. Easier to let them out to run together. I would recommend a bonded pair. But you can never be sure they will always be bonded so you have to be okay that if they did unbond for whatever reason, you could have 2 separate rabbits.

3. When I do adopt a rabbit (or two), I was considering maybe housing them in my bedroom, with free run of the room during the day and at night they would go in an x-pen so that I don't have to worry about them chewing or making mischief while I'm sleeping. Is this a good idea? If not, what do you recommend I do?

The only issue I see is sometimes rabbits can be loud at night when you are trying to sleep. I am a light sleeper, my buns aren't even housed in my room and sometimes they wake me up chewing boxes or using the water bottle. You can bunny proof the room so they don't have much they can get into that would be harmful.

4. I'm at school from about 7 am till about 3 pm. For the rest of the day, I'm home with them, and able to care for them. Would rabbits be alright being alone for this period of time? Would asingle rabbit be lonely/bored while I'm gone?

I work full time and go to school full time and my rabbits are fine when I am gone. I make sure they have big cages with lots of things to keep them busy. Having a bonded pair would also help when you are gone. But if you did have a single rabbit, they would be fine. I would just provide a large cage with lots of toys and boxes to play with.

5. I want a rabbit very badly, but from what I've heard, they're expensive, hard to take care of, and not very cuddly. Are these things true?

My 2 rabbits are not cuddly. But I still find them a very fun pet. I play with them. They love for me to hand them toys they can throw. They like head pets. They are harder to take care of then cats. But it is worth it. If you can litter train them, it will make it a lot easier to care for them. They can be expensive if they have an illness. My vets charge more money because they are exotic pets. This year alone I have spent several thousand in vet care for my 2 rabbits. But we have had some illness. The years prior, I only spent money for a yearly visit. You just have to be prepared if your rabbit does get sick, it can be expense. In regard to expense and regular care, it depends on what you feed. Lots of veggies can get expensive. I buy hay online which is cheaper then getting a small bag at the pet store. There are ways to make the food and litter cheaper if you shop around and/or order online.

6. How much do you spend on your rabbit per month?

Including vet care, over $500 a month. But, I have a sick rabbit that goes to the vet monthly and gets blood work and x-rays. I also feed a ton of veggies because of my rabbits illness. I spend about $60 a week just on veggies. I also buy expensive pellets, Organic Rabbit by Oxbow. So I think this very high and most rabbit owners do not spend this much a month.

7. How much time do you spend taking care of your rabbit?

Cleaning and feeding I probably spend about 4 hours a week. But then I spend as much time as I can playing with them.

 

[katt]

hello! like everyone else, i love that you are taking the time to look into what rabbits are as pets before getting one.

i will offer my opinions on your questions as well, but you will find that they very from person to person greatly!

1)i would say a 2, but i have owned rabbits for SO long (it will be like 9 years this feb) that i don't think about taking care of them anymore. it just is. not sure if that makes sense. they are so much in my daily life that it is completely second nature.

2) this is a little harder to answer. i don't think a bonded pair is really any harder to take care of them a single rabbit. but there are plus and negatives to each side. a single rabbit will be more devoted to you. they tend to like being around people more. but a bonded pair will not get lonely when your gone. lets just say that i loved having a bonded pair, and hope to bond my 2 in the future.

3)my suggestion would be to have them in a cage full time except out of cage play time untill you get to know them and their habbits. i personally loved using an xpen, but my old rabbit herman could jump it easy (and my xpen was rather high). NIC cages are great cause you can make them to fit an area. once you know the rabbits well enough, then decide how much you want them to be caged. winnie is 4 and has been completely free range for about 2 years. i never cage her at all. but i have had rabbits in the past that would not be able to handle being free range.

4) rabbits will be perfectly fine. in fact a single rabbit will most likly be okay as well. this is were though having a pair would be good because then they won't get lonely

5)i won't lie, they can be. like said it really is about the vet care. they are considered exotics, and it can be hard to find vets that really know how to treate rabbits. you might have to pay more to get a good vet. but in the grand look of things, no they aren't as far as food, toys, hay, ect. and some bunnies aren't cuddly. it depends completely on the rabbit. for instance- winnie is my free range girl. now she doesn't really like to be picked up and played with, but she does sleep with me every night, and lays in bed with me for pets while a read. my other rabbit chaucer is caged, when he comes out, he would rather be held and snuggled then run around. and my roommate's rabbit toulouse doesn't want to be touched at all, once in a very great while i will be able to pet his nose, but other then that, he really wants to be left completely alone. each rabbit is different.

6) i am also a person that spoils my buns. they get veggies every day, and i like to give them organic whenever i can (i am also someone that eats as much organic as possible, so i try to feed them that way). depending on the season, i can spend up to $20 easy a week in veggies (store bought vs. farmers market during the summer, and what they get that week will vary in price). i buy food by a 50 pound bag for around $15, and it lasts me about 2 months with 3 rabbits. right now i spend lots of money on hay as i can't find a decent bale to buy from anyone (so i am buying mini-bales from petstore). factor in litter too (i use yesterday's news, that runs me about $14 a bag, and last me around 3 weeks cleaning litterboxes out almost every day). i am also a dork and by chaucer to many toys, and winnie extra treats. i honestly spend way more money on them then i should.

7) that is a really good question. um. lets see. each morning i spend about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour with each of them. fresh food and water, new hay, litter box clean, nose rubs. then i try to each night let chaucer and toulouse out for a while to run around. they all get fresh water and veggies at night (so another 15 minutes doing all that). i groom once a week (more when they are molting). do major cage cleanings once a week or so (take everything apart, scrub it all down, ect). clip nails 2 times a month.

anyway, now that i wrote a book lol, i will say welcome and feel free to ask any other questions. you can pm me if you ever need to talk. my name is katie! enjoy the forum

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, most challenging pet you've ever had, how hard is it to take care of a rabbit?
I would say a 3 or 4. They don't require the amount of care as a dog, but still require daily care. You do need to watch them for changes in behaviour as they can go down hill fast.

2. Which is easier to take care of: single rabbit or bonded pair? Which do you recommend more?
I have a bonded pair and a single. I don't find the pair any more work than the single. They do have an extra litter box and larger cage, but it is really not much more work. My single does require some more specific care, but she is an angora, so has some different needs than other rabbits.

3. When I do adopt a rabbit (or two), I was considering maybe housing them in my bedroom, with free run of the room during the day and at night they would go in an x-pen so that I don't have to worry about them chewing or making mischief while I'm sleeping. Is this a good idea? If not, what do you recommend I do?
It is a good idea. However, not all rabbits are litter trained when you get them, so you might need to take that into account. It could just mean putting something over your floor to protect it while you work on litter training.

4. I'm at school from about 7 am till about 3 pm. For the rest of the day, I'm home with them, and able to care for them. Would rabbits be alright being alone for this period of time? Would asingle rabbit be lonely/bored while I'm gone?
Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, so they probably won't miss you being there during the day. There are many people who work full time and still have rabbits. As long as you can spend some time in the morning to check on them and feed them, they should be OK. If you provide toys and such, they probably won't get bored.

5. I want a rabbit very badly, but from what I've heard, they're expensive, hard to take care of, and not very cuddly. Are these things true?
The vets bills can be more than a cat or dog, mostly because you need an exotic vet and they tend to charge more. Rabbits don't require regular vaccinations, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention. Rabbits do have a more complicated diet than a dog or cat. They need hay, veggies and pellets (although some don't feed veggies or give them in smaller amounts). You can buy hay by the bale, look for deals on pellets and shop wisely for veggies, but it still can be expensive. Litter can be expensive, but horse stall bedding or wood stove pellets are cheaper than store bought litters.
They aren't that hard to care for, but do have special needs. The cage needs to be cleaned often, they need excercise and can't be left alone for too long without being checked on.
Most rabbits don't like to cuddle, but they are affectionate. You can interact with them on the floor and on their terms.

6. How much do you spend on your rabbit per month?
I buy hay by the bale and spend about $15 a year for 3 rabbits. It would be hundreds if I bought the smaller bags at a pet store. I buy Oxbow pellets which last about 2 months for a 10 pound bag and it costs about $20 a bag. My angora eats different pellet and I recently bought a 50 pound bag for about $15, I am not sure how long they will last, but it should be a while. I buy large bags of litter for about $6 for 35 pounds. A bag lasts about 3 months for 3 rabbits. I do spend more on veggies, probably about $5-7 a week. I don't have many other expenses with them.

7. How much time do you spend taking care of your rabbit?
I clean the litter boxes every other day (3-4 times a week). It takes about 30min to do them all. I feed them twice a day and spend some time then petting and such. My angora has a pen attached to her cage and loves to be pet when I go by her, she also needs grooming which is about 5-10 minutes a couple times a week. I do agility with them and that works out to at least 2 hours a month as practise and any events.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Ah, you remind me of myself when I've thought of getting new pets

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, most challenging pet you've ever had, how hard is it to take care of a rabbit?

I've had/have hermit crabs, cockatiels (still have), rats (still have), hamsters, mice and bunnies (I have 4). I'd say the rats and bunnies are about the same. I can't really rate them on a scale. Bunnies do take daily care in that you have to of course feed them pellets and hay, and depending on the bunny, salads every day or a couple times a week or never. You have to make sure they have enough toys to keep them happy, and lots of out of cage time. If your bunny is shy, you will need to work with him. Plus of course cage cleaning (note: if your bunnies litter train properly and you use a good pelleted litter, you probably won't EVER smell rabbit urine) and rabbit proofing the house. Most important of all, you need to be in tune with your rabbit because often the signs of illness are very subtle. I personally don't think it's HARD to take care of the daily needs of my bunnies, because I love them a ton and really enjoy caring for them. The hard thing is when they get sick! They can need a whole lot of care when they're sick, and for quite a while. Also one of my bunnies was recently diagnosed with a fatal illness, and one of my other bunnies may be headed down the same path (vet visit on Monday), so of course that makes things much harder than normal- both emotionally, and as far as actual work done and expenses. Another thing: bunnies aren't cheap!

2. Which is easier to take care of: single rabbit or bonded pair? Which do you recommend more?

My 4 rabbits are actually all singles so I can't really comment on the difficulty. I would love to watch my bunnies being friends though and I hope to bond 2 of them soon, though I'm skeptical of whether or not it will work. As some others have pointed out, something to keep in mind is that a bonded pair can unbond so you may be left with 2 singles to care for. If you DO want two bunnies though, by all means, adopt an already bonded pair!

3. When I do adopt a rabbit (or two), I was considering maybe housing them in my bedroom, with free run of the room during the day and at night they would go in an x-pen so that I don't have to worry about them chewing or making mischief while I'm sleeping. Is this a good idea? If not, what do you recommend I do?

This sounds great, though you may find your bunnies are too destructive or have poor litter habits so can't have free roam unless they're being supervised. If the pen is big enough though and you give them lots of supervised play time, it will be fine. You generally don't have to keep an eye on them every single second when they're out, but make sure the room is bunny proofed and it's a good idea to have an idea of what they're up to! It's not hard to supervise though.

4. I'm at school from about 7 am till about 3 pm. For the rest of the day, I'm home with them, and able to care for them. Would rabbits be alright being alone for this period of time? Would asingle rabbit be lonely/bored while I'm gone?

This sounds fine, especially if you provide toys! There are lots of websites that sell bunny toys. Feel free to PM me, I can suggest a couple of my favorite stores.

5. I want a rabbit very badly, but from what I've heard, they're expensive, hard to take care of, and not very cuddly. Are these things true?

It's true they can be expensive especially if they get sick, vet bills are high for rabbits- chronic illness makes it worse, you need to be able to afford lots of potential vet bills. That being said, my girl bunny has only been to the vet ONCE and she's a year and a half old, and that visit was just a check up, so it's not like all bunnies go to the vet constantly. You just have to be prepared. I already commented on the difficulty of care. The cuddliness really depends. I have had the pleasure of "owning" and loving 6 bunnies over the years. ALL of them have been cuddly. I'm going to speak in the present tense even though 2 of them are dead, for simplicity's sake. All of my bunnies hop up on the couch to sit with me and like being petted and doted on. They'll all sit on my lap and like gentle hugs. 2 of them even follow me around wherever I go. They definitely like attention. 1 of them came from a pet store, 2 from a breeder, and 2 from animal shelters. I only knew the personality of 1 of them before bringing him/her home. Either I've been REALLY lucky, or I have a way with rabbits. Some of them I've needed to gently work with to help them become comfortable with me, but all of them have liked cuddles within 2 or 3 weeks of me bringing them home. So I don't think it's true that rabbits aren't cuddly. It depends on the individual and how they're handled I think.

6. How much do you spend on your rabbit per month?

I have 4 and probably spend $80 on food ($30 for pellets, $35 for veggies, $15 for hay but the hay would be way more expensive if I didn't buy it in 100 pound bales), $50 on toys, $30 on litter, $20 on random things. So that's $200, about $50 per bunny. Then of course there's vet bills. The average vet visit is about $150 for me.

7. How much time do you spend taking care of your rabbit?

I take care of them throughout the day. Average time in actual bunny upkeep is probably only about 20 minutes or so per day, per rabbit if I add up the time for the week and divide it by 7. Since I have 4 it's a little different though. That time is feeding them, washing veggies, cleaning up after them, watering, washing bowls. This doesn't count their out of cage time (there's a pet out pretty much at all times when I'm home and awake) or cuddling.

I hope this was helpful!

 

[mistyjr]

1.) I scale a 4 because it is hard cleaning cages out when you have little ones running around your house that wants my attention only. But it is very easy if you keep at it daily. And they are easier then a ferret and puppies.

2.) Hmmm, One cage I have one and another cage I have 2 buns. The buns love to keep each other busy. And not to lonely. So I would say more then one!

3.) You can keep the free run. I wish I could. Just make sure have litter boxes available.

4.) It's alright for your schudule. If you decide to just get one rabbit. Make sure that you have things for a bun to do.

5.) Not True, A baby of pellets is $7.00 a 44 pound bag and last about a month. And bale of Hay is $4.00 and it last a while. They arent expensive. And they are hard to take care of if you clean daily or every other day.

6.) My kids take them out everyday for about 30 mintues or more. Just depends how much my son wants to hold it.

7.) Feeding, Watering. About 5-10 mintues. And Cleaning both cages about 30 mintues each.


They are a lot easier then taking care of a Dog because you have to take the dog out every couple hrs.

 

[ZoeyGirl]

I wanted to stop in and say hi! I, too, have been doing research on bunnies before diving in head first on adopting any. You have such great questions and I'm learning alot. Hopefully, we'll be able to adopt some soon! Good luck!

 

[fuzz16]

1. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hardest, most challenging pet you've ever had, how hard is it to take care of a rabbit? 3

2. Which is easier to take care of: single rabbit or bonded pair? Which do you recommend more? Pair...less trouble by far. lol. they seem a lot calmer to once paired up

3. When I do adopt a rabbit (or two), I was considering maybe housing them in my bedroom, with free run of the room during the day and at night they would go in an x-pen so that I don't have to worry about them chewing or making mischief while I'm sleeping. Is this a good idea? If not, what do you recommend I do? its normally said to cage them at night so their easy to find in case of an emergency and make sure you have your room very well bunproofed. I have my two giants free roam all the time except certain times when i know i will be home late. Just make sure you have the toy thing covered. im lucky mine arnt carpet eaters but they do shred cords. and they bounce between two rooms and they thankfully dont chew on wood and sleep most the day

4. I'm at school from about 7 am till about 3 pm. For the rest of the day, I'm home with them, and able to care for them. Would rabbits be alright being alone for this period of time? Would a single rabbit be lonely/bored while I'm gone? i personally think yes. i have a single baby bun right now and i think he gets super bored and almost possibly depressed when ima at work all day and the only bun interaction he gets is my boy trying to fight him through the bars

5. I want a rabbit very badly, but from what I've heard, they're expensive, hard to take care of, and not very cuddly. Are these things true? yeeees and no. expensive is your definition of it. i am lucky enough to have resources to get free food and hay. but if i didnt, i would be buying hay by bales which would last me 2-3 months for 6$. i was buying 9lbs of oxbow hay for 20$ that lasted a week. and pellets, depends what you go wit. a lot of people push oxbow pellets which are a timothy based pellet, but i use alfalfa based which isnt the best and would pay 15$ every 2 months for a 50lbs bag. litter i use equine litter which is 8$ for 40bs which lasts 2 weeks spot cleaning litter boxes every other day. so it can get expensive over time but if you budget yourself then youll be ok and finding bargains definately helps

6. How much do you spend on your rabbit per month? i get everything free pretty much but i spend maybe 20$ on pellets for litter box and every now and then ill buy a new toy but they love their home made ones

7. How much time do you spend taking care of your rabbit? daily care including feeding, watering, spot cleaning, vaccing up loose poos takes me about 10 minutes

if youve ever had a cat i would compare the care and costs to them. like cats, they are independent creatures and your lucky if you get a cuddler. they are wonderful pets though and fairly easy. not hamster easy but not dog hard...yes i would compare them to a cat