Just a few questions...

[TurtleShark]

So, I'm going to be getting a rabbit. It will be a mostly outdoors rabbit. I might bring it in during the winter months but otherwise it will be outside.

So, I know rabbits are social animals and that I would not be able to spend all day with my rabbit as it will be outside.
So, should I get two? I am planning on getting either a mini lop or a mini rex.
Which would be better do you think?
And if I get two, could I get both a lop and a rex or just two lops or two rexs?
Should I get a male and a female or two males or two females?
Spaying/ neutering is most likely out of the question, I'm afraid...
Should I get young rabbits or older rabbits?
How big should I build the cage for one rabbit? Two?
Can I keep both in the same cage?
What type of food should I buy?
Can I buy some harnesses for them so I can take them for walks around the yard? After they are used to me, of course.

I know the dangers of keeping them outside, the predators and illness and what not. But, as much as I try I can't talk my parents into letting me keep a rabbit inside...

Sorry for all of the questions

 

[Pipsqueak]

How much time *would* you spend with your bunny? If you really worry about you not having a lot of time and your bunny getting bored I'd say it would be a good idea to get two.

Yes you can get both, many many people have 2 different breeds that are bonded to each other.

If you can't spay/neuter your bunnies then you'd have to get two females. Male and female would breed, male and male would fight more. Even with 2 females sometimes they don't get along. I have two girls that I haven't bonded but I let them out with each other and they are totally fine, and they are both mature girls so they would probably be fine if they even shared a hutch.

I'd suggest young, they might have a better chance of bonding then, especially if you got two from the same litter or if they were both used to having littermates.

You'd want to look up what the suggested dimensions for a hutch are for each breed.

That depends on if you're bonding them? If you bond them successfully then they'd be fine together. If you weren't keeping them together anyway then that would probably be the same as just having the one rabbit without a buddy.

I get my food from a local food store so I don't really know, but I know some people on here feed Oxbow and some feed Sherwood, I really know nothing about either of these so someone else could probably answer better.

Yes all 3 of my bunnies walk on harness. Before you get them used to a harness you might want to look into an x-pen or two for them to run around in, they are really nice to have.

And it's good you're asking all these questions, it shows that you're a responsible person and you want the best for your bunny/bunnies.

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Yeah, if your worried about not spending enough time with your bunny it might be best to get two. I'd say that at least 3-5+ hours of time spent with your bunny is a good amount of time.

Either breed would be okay. Lots of people bond two tottally diferent bunny breeds and everything works out fine. It doesn't matter the breed.

Its good to spay/neuter your bunnies but if you can't, like the above person said, it would be best to get 2 females probably. And even then they will probably fight. Of course you can't be sure but a lot of time bunnies that aren't fixed will fight. Maybe you can save up on some money and bring them to the vet? Or is it a possibilty that you can get two already fixed bunnies? Lots of shelters will sell already fixed bunnies for not that higly priced. The only drawback is that if you want to get a specific breed the shelter probably won't sell that specific breed.

I'd say that getting young rabbits is the best. You'd have more of a chance to bond them. Young rabbits seem to bond with other bunnies better.

If you are going to keep them outside a hutch would probably be best. The size depends on wheter you will keep them together or not. Defintely don't just put them together at first, I would build/get 2 hutches before you actually put them together. Most people who get bunnies and bond them usually keep them in their own seperate cages and place the cages next to eatchother so that the bunnies can sniff and see each other but they can't get in to fights there are lots of rabbit bonding websites that tell you what to do. They should have a cage that is big enough for them to hop around in. Also, bunnies need a lot of execise so you wouldn't want to keep them in their cage all of the time.

For food, usually walmart sells the pellets. I get my pellets at walmart in the pet section they should sell pellets. And I also get my hay at walmat they sell nice green hay in big bags that lasts a while. If you don't have any stores that sell rabbit food you would have to get it online.

Yes, you can defintely get them harnesses to walk them around outside, I walk my Ash lots of times. If you do get a harness usually walmart will sell them or you can get one online. If you get a harness do not get a figure 8 style harness those kinds are dangerous for bunnies. I bought may Ash's harness online on Ebay. It was meant for a cat/kittne and its adjustable in size. It fits him just fine and he loves to explore places.

I don't mind answering questions. You have to ask things when learning about bunnies. And it shows that you are a responsible person who cares about the safety of your pets.

Good luck on getting the bunnies!

 

[TurtleShark]

Okay, thank you both! I am thinking about building one large hutch and just putting a divider through the middle. Then, if they do good with each other I can just remove the divider.

I'm thinking that if I do that a hutch that's 6-8 foot long should be alright.

Sometimes I'm not home at all for a few days and although someone will be around to give the rabbits food, they most likely will not spend any time with them... So I figure that that would be for the best.

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Ooo, good idea about putting a divider between one large hutch. That should work fine. I think 6-8 feet long should be fine. Yeah it sounds like getting two would be best if some days you won't be able to spend time with them.

 

[Pipsqueak]

Yes the divider sounds perfect. And if you're sometimes not home for days then it is a good idea to get two.

 

[TurtleShark]

I've got a couple of friends who might know someone who has mini rex or lop rabbits. I'll have to ask them.

So, for the summer, I should make the cage as open as possible, right? And then make a section where they can get completely out of the weather?

What should I use for the bottom of the hutch? I know I shouldn't use wire but should I use wood? Wouldn't it rot easily because of the bunnies' waste? Is there a way I can prevent that? Or what?

And; Water bottle or water dish? I've heard some debate on this topic...

 

[Blue eyes]

I'm going to jump in here and heartily disagree with what a couple others said. If you want 2 bunnies that are bonded then getting 2 babies is NOT NOT the way to go. Once their hormones kick in, there is a good chance they will end up fighting. If they do, then there is little likelihood that they will ever bond.
While on rare occasion, 2 intact rabbits will bond, it is certainly not the norm.
In all likelihood, they will have to remain separate. And if they are antagonistic toward each other, then having them side-by-side in a divided cage would just be stressful for them both.
The other issue is that baby rabbits are not ideal for first-time bunny owners.

Honestly, your best idea would be to get 2 already bonded rabbits. Rescues will sell already fixed and bonded pairs -- much cheaper in the long run. The other bonus is that there is a good chance they will already be litter trained too.

As to the water bowl/bottle question, I've found that bunnies drink more from a bowl than a bottle. You can get a bowl that twists off of a clamp like this one:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752724

BTW, babies do get along with other rabbits, but it is only temporary. The idea that babies bond better with others is a myth because it usually ends when their hormones kick in.