hi i'm new and i need help with some things!

[BLooBunny]

hi! first things first, my name is Jamie. I'm 15 and i live in the south(mississippi). i own two lovely cats, and i decided i wanted a bunny. i absolutely have been fascinated with bunnies since i was a little girl! my nickname was bunny. i love bunnies with lots of colors and long flappy ears! i don't know breeds of bunnies but i do love bunnies that look like this

http://swissmiss.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/bunny26_1.jpg
http://customersrock.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/bunny.jpg
http://akosut.com/log/img/FLUFFY%20BABY%20BUNNY.jpg

I really don't know what kind of bunny to get! i just LOVE bunnies totally! i have a few questions to ask pet owners.

1. do you have cats and if so, were they friendly to your bunny?
2. where did you place your bunny's cage at? (if inside house)
3. what are all the foods can it eat, and what should it not eat?
4. do you have a bunny? if so, what does it look like? (pics are highly appreciated)
5. how long will it stay small?
6. what's the biggest it'll get?

thanks!:biggrin2:

 

[LadyBug]

HI! I'm Anna, :welcome1!





of your link they are, top is a Dutch, Middle is some kind of lop(it's a baby, the pattern is called 'broken')and i think the bottom in a Nether Land Dwarf(or a younger baby of another up-ears breed), Himalayan coat.

to your questions-

1. we have two cats, on is friendly, the other has gone from wanting to stalk him to tolerating him. they're fine, but we keep an eye on them.

2. living room, he's very social, and loves being part of the family goings on.

3. too much to list! check out the library.

4. i have a seven month old male holland lop. he's a little angel. full sized at about 4 pounds. here's a Easter pic-

and one of him with Pickles(the one that likes him)

5. babies reach full size in any where from about 4 months to 1 1/2 years, depending on the breed.

6. any where from about three pounds(Nether Land Dwarfs)to 12-16(Flemish Giants).



I recommend for a first rabbit, not too little(Nether Land Dwarf. also commonly know as Nethies around here)nor too big(Flemish Giants(Flemies), Checkered Giants, and other over maybe 8 pound breeds, unless you'd like rabbit as big as your cats and can house that.).

Glad you found us, this is a great place to learn about rabbits!

Anna

 

[Phinnsmommy]

Hey! Glad you joined.

1) I have two cats, that are 10 years old. They would never attack the bunnies, but they aren't all cute and cuddly with them either. If the bunnies get too close, they will hiss. And that's two indoor/outdoor cats, too.

2) My bunnies don't necessarily have a "cage", they, like alot of bunnies, have a room. It's called Free Range. They are in my walk in closet, and it works great because I can just open their door and they can run around my room.

For this to be safe, you have to do a thing called Bunny Proofing. You can find more info on that from our Library section Here!

3) A healthy diet for a bunny includes unlimited grass hay, fresh greens, and pellets. The most common hay is Timothy. Hay is important because it keeps your bunnies digestive tract healthy and wears down their always growing teeth. I order my hay online from http://kmshayloft.com/. I love it, and so do my bunnies. Here is the library thread for hay. They also get fresh greens every night. I usually give cilantro, parsley etc. All you need to know about veggies can be found Here!. I buy Oxbow pellets, and they are really high quality. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits don't need alot of pellets. It should be more of a "supplement" in my eyes. Heres the thread for Pellets.

4) I have two bunnies, Phinn and Cleo. Phinn is a black lop-mix. Cleo is a white and brown broken lop. Pictures of them can be found in their Bunny Blog!

5) Yup- most rabbits stop growing at about 4 months to 1 1/2 years.

6) The size depends on the breed. Heres pretty much all the bunny breeds:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_forum.php?id=18

Rabbits are high maintenance, but if you take care of them right, they are the best pets ever :biggrin2:.

Also, rabbits have a life span of 6-15 years, so you need to think of the future, and going to college etc.

Don't hesitate to ask if you need any more help!

 

[tort]

Our bunny is actually running the house!!! He's a Holland Lop Dwarf and weighs in at about 3 pounds. When we brought him home 7 months ago only one cat tried to stalk him and ended up getting kicked and chased by Zamboni; by the third day he was marking the cats with his chin.lol

Since then we have added 2 ferrets to our family (Nicky in Dec. and Koko in April). Nicky and him have bonded and Koko looks to Zamboni for a little protection when Nicky plays too rough with her.

When one of our cats had kittens Zamboni took it upon himself to play protector of them and keep the other cats from getting too nosey around momma and the kittens.lol

 

[juliew19673]

HI Jamie - how great you of you to research before getting a bunny - good for you. I was "forced" to take one, but have found them to be FABULOUS; that being said however I do have a cat who HATES him; she is very old however and has never liked another animal (take this into consideration with your cats - are they friendly w/other animals - if so, it might be really easy to make them a "pack")

Bunnies must be "kept" - they will chew cords (think if he chewed through the TV/Cable cord - would your parents throw him out?).. That being said, if you have an area say 4 feet by 4 feet to begin with -you could keep him/her safe in the begining from themselves..

Lots of fresh water (found the "gerbil" jars as I refer to them, to work best - you know the feeders that you fill that hang off the side of the cage as then they can't "turn over" these as I have foudn they like to do with their freeding standingwater bowls when they get cranky). Lots of fresh timorthy hay and timothy hay pellets - with some added snacks of carrots, spinach, brooccoli, etc (you can find on this site the approved snacks for buns)..

Bunnies are great pets - but from one newbie owner to another, take into consideration the space, food and time you have to enjoy them - as they will take over your world as you will find you can't stay away from them as they are SO cute and fun..

Best of luck to you - keep posting to let me know how your search goes.

 

[MsBinky]

Hi Jamie,

Welcome to the forum Let me five you some basic info just in case there are things you didn't know...

First thing's first, a rabbit needs to be neutered or spayed. Unspayed females have an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer, and unneutered males (in general) will spray. Having the bun altered will also help with behavioral problems and allows you to bond then with another bunny in the future if you would like. Not all vets will treat rabbits so it is important to locate one in your area. If you add your location to your profile, we can help you with that.

Second thing is food. Hay is the primary source of nutrition, not pellets. Pellets should be plain, not full of colorful bits, nuts and seeds, etc. We can link you to more details if you'd like. They always need fresh water of course. Rabbits can be given veggies (lettuce and herbs mostly) daily as it is part of a healthy nutrition. Sugary things like fruit, carrots, etc. and gassy greens can be given in small quantities on occasion up to a few times a week. * It is very important however, that when introducing fresh veggies and fruit to your bun, that you do so one veggie/fruit at a time and see how the bunny reacts to it.Some rabbits will react to certain things, some won't react at all, but best to be cautious, especially if it is a baby. If it is a baby, some say it is best to wait until 4 months of age. If you check the library, you will find a ton more info and even the "safe food" list.

As for housing, anywhere you put the bun should be safe from drastic temperature changes. For example, not in the direct path of the air conditioner, heater, and things like that. Be careful with windows as they can make a bunny overheat during the summer, or get sick with breezes etc. (Speaking in general)

You can let a bunny roam free in a room, or even the house, if it is safe. This means, all things such as wires, magazines, etc. should be out of range. I would personally prefer they at least be restricted to a room as it is much easier to make it safe. Rabbits can be litter-trained so that is really handy. They do sell protective tubes to put over wires to bunny-proof areas. Another thing you can build is a pen. We especially love NIC pens here. As for cages, most cages found in pet shops are waaay too small for bunnies. Again, NIC condos are great. If you don't know what NIC grids are, just give a shout and we will show you.

Other than that, rabbits love to play so you will need to have time to play with your bunny. They are great fun in all honesty the general populationhas no clue what rabbits are really like. They are great for the right people so if you think it sounds good so far, then you're on the right path towards being owned by a bunny. Oh yes, don't think that it will be the other way around. You've been warned

As for the cats, it really will depend on your animals and their personality. My cat adores them and has even started "talking" to them. However, I do not leave them unattended as even a playful bite can be deadly for a bunny. Very important to check allclaws prior to letting them play if they aren't declawed.

If you decide to get a rabbit, consider adopting from a local shelter, even if you want a baby. They are often overloaded as people often let them reproduce or dump them because they didn't inform themselves prior to getting one. When choosing a rabbit, make sure it is 8 weeks or more, alert, no crusty eyes, leaky nose, and check the teeth as well.

Ok I think I talked enough :?LOL. I hope that gives you a brief idea. Byie

 

[kirst3buns]

Good foryou for doing researchbefore getting a bunny! :great:So many end up homeless because people don't realize the care involved or their lifespan. This is a great place to learn and there is lots of information in the library here to help out. :welcome1

Reading the bunny blogs will give you a good idea of what daily life with a rabbit is like. Also, spaying/neutering are important and spaying a female is generally more expensive than neutering for a boy. Many shelters have bunnies available for adoption that may already be litter trained, spayed/neutered, socialized with people and other pets and many types, sizes and ages.

1. I have 2 cats and one ignores the bunnies completely and the other likes the bigger rabbit (my lop girl who is about 6 lbs) but stalks the smaller one. I don't trust either of them with the rabbits so I have a set up where the rabbits can run in a room that the cats can't get into.

2. My rabbits usually live in our sunroom/family room because it is close by to family activities and they are more a part of the family. I am currently have some construction done though so they are in my basement (it's a walk-out at least with full daylight windows) but we are only down there in the evenings I'm hoping to move them back to their normal spot in about a week. I miss seeing them all the time. They have large NIC cube cages with second levels that are about 4'x4' and 3x4. This type of cage is much cheaper, larger and can be made to fit your space than anything storebought. There is more info on these in the library. Basically, a large cage can be made for about $30. Mine have tops too so they are safe from the cats.

3-6 the library and bunny blogs are great places to find that information.