Need advice on keeping rabbits in my room

[RandomDuck]

Hi, I've come here since I need some advice and it comes with a story

My parents decided to buy my sister 2 rabbits and they have a cage, water, etc, but my sister pretty much started to neglect them recently (since she's really young) and now they spend everyday in a cage.

I've decided to take on the responsibility of taking care of the 2 rabbits but all I currently have is my room which should be big enough for 2 of them, but I need to know exactly what equipment to buy since I'm on a REALLY tight budget

So far I don't have the necessary tools to rabbit proof my fan cord which they will definitely chew on, so I plan to cut off the section of the room with it + the bottom of my bed so they don't crawl under. I don't know any cheap fencing besides some cheap nylon mesh meant for dogs which I'm 99% sure they'll just chew through or go under

I'd also like to know if there's any other things I need to bring in for this as well

 

[RandomDuck]

Update : I found a way to easily rabbit proof cables ignore the part about fan cord

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

my rabbit(s) lives in my room also. He doesn't have a ton of supplies but enough for him to live a very happy life. I'm not sure if you keep storage under your bed or if there is another reason that you don't want them under there, but under my bed has been very useful for me. My rabbits tunnel and hidey houses are under there.

Aside from that, here is what I have (for my free-roaming bun):

- cat litter box
- litter
- high quality hay
- toys
- pellets
- first aid (i obtained this gradually over a few years)
- rug/blanket/something to put on the floor to get friction
- water bowl + veggie plate
- xpen is handy too (puppy playpen)

That is about it, to be honest. I'm sure i'm missing something but hopefully someone else can add in what i've forgotten

 

[SirLawrence]

When I started out, I had not money or knowledge to take care of Lawrence. His dish was one of my bowls, and his litter box was a cookie sheet with hay on it. As time went on, and I gained more knowledge, I got him more appropriate stuff, such as a custom built litter tray, and flip-proof stainless bowls, and a gravity waterer. Then, I found that some of the cheapest options worked the best for both of us! Here's some things I buy for both him and Lucas now that I have "settled" on:

I used these Sterilite 28-Quart trays for their litter. They're $8 for two.

Hide boxes. I et hides and tunnels from my local shipping store, and the price varies, but they're around $6, which is a lot for a box, but they don't have any labels or tape on them, and they last forever! (Although this will vary based on how much they chew!)

To cover cords, I found a tan garden hose at Wal-Mart for about $8. I cut it to length, and cut a slit down the hose, and voila, rabbit-proof cords. I have covered every cord in my house, and still have most of the hose left. And the tan color doesn't look bad.

As for hay, I started buying Oxbow, but it is really expensive! It's great hay, but pricey! I have settled on the Standlee 50-lb bale from Tractor Supply. It runs about $20 and it lasts for about 3 months for my two buns, and I go through it rather quickly.

As for toys, my boys don't play with too many bought toys. Lucas has a cat ball he had with him in the rescue, but I've found their favorite toys are the 'ol hay-in-the-toilet-paper-tube. Essentially free, since you're buying the hay anyway, and I assume you use toilet paper.

A simple water bowl can be had for a few dollars; it doesn't need to be anything fancy, just make sure it can't easily be tipped over, and it wont be easily chewed or eaten! Mine have the stainless cat bowls from Petco. They were about $6 each, but I'm sure you can find them cheaper on Amazon.

My rabbits are free-roam when I'm home, but can't be trusted to be out when I'm at work or asleep, so they have "houses", which they both love, and will sometimes hang out there rather than coming out to play. I found that the large dog crates work as a good "house", and while still a cage, they're big enough for a rabbit to hop around, and the plastic bottom is smooth and easy to clean. I would look on Facebook Marketplace; I've seen people getting rid of them all the time for cheap! Lucas come in what I'd call a normal rabbit cage from the rescue, and I immediately put him in one of these I borrowed from my dad. He loved it. Over time, I've added two more, so now he's got three strung together!


But, with "living space" I always say do the best you can. I'm lucky and my buns have separate pens in a room devoted to them with its own air conditioner. I know that's unrealistic for most people, but do your best, and they'll appreciate the improvement of coming under your care regardless!

The most expensive thing I buy for my rabbits is Oxbow Garden Select Adult rabbit pellets. I pay about $20 for an 8-lb bag, but you can buy larger bags at a lower price per ounce. I got a tip from my vet, though: don't let it sit out for more than about a week or so, as some of the fortified vitamins and such will break down. I freeze gallon bags, and open them as needed.

I wouldn't say keeping a rabbit is particularly expensive, but it's more complicated than a dog or cat. Do the best you can, ask questions on here, and we'll help you! You're doing a wonderful thing for two little ones! ☺ ☺ ☺

 

[sabrina92]

Here are some things I got for my now free roam bunny: Amazon links provided throughout and things vary depending on the bunnies ages.


- dog large litter box ($23.34 with repeated delivery which you can cancel after your item ships and they always have extra discounts. I paid $14 for mine) Many use litters for their rabbits but I just use pee pads and get the 100 packs. I put a grate in the litter box so when she does her business it falls through the grate onto the prepaid so it’s easy clean up and she doesn’t step in it. I also put the hay/pellets in the box but some put the hay above in a hay bag.

- Hay, I use oxbow hay just because it was recommended by the breeder and easily accessed. I get the 40oz bags usually. Many members on here state to cut the cost of hay just get a big bale from the tractor supply store.

- Toys : I usually buy stuff on Amazon which tend to be pretty cheap or I follow DIY toys from the bunny lady

- Pellets: typically use oxbow pellets as the bag is big and you do not need to feed rabbits a lot so it last for a while. Bigger bags tend to be cheaper but every place has stuff go on sale or give you a discount so I’d just look around. I’ve never had to pay full price for an item because I just check for promo codes. Also most pet places let you return items even used if your pet does not like it!

- First aid: I mainly get stuff off of Amazon and I always find ways to keep my bunny cool from the heat. Ice packs, empty frozen water bottles, a fan, spray bottle etc…

- rug/blanket/something to put on the floor to get friction: Flooring link any type of rug that is not going to shed, tightly woven carpet so your bunnies don’t dig and chew and pull everything up. The first week I got Cleo I had put pee pads down all over the room, and towels. If you have a rug that they might chew just stick a towel or something over so they won’t chew it
- water bowl + veggie plate: I got my bowl from Petco for $2 with a sale and veggie plates online from Amazon (check the link I put for the first aid).

- exercise pen (puppy playpen): I got mine off of Amazon for $30 on sale but just recently returned is so my bunny can be a completely free roam bunny. When I had the play pen I just used it to block off part of my room and put blankets up so they wouldn’t rattle the metal. I let her under my bed because she likes the dark space and feels safer there so I would recommend using cardboard or something to create a little hideout for them when you let them out of the cages.

- Grooming: I use a comb to brush her fur and I plan to take her to a vet to get her nails trimmed as I am not comfortable with doing it myself but you can watch videos on how to trim them yourself as well!

I don’t spend a lot of money on my rabbit and find promo codes where I can to cut the cost but I do spend a lot of time with her so she trusts me and bonds with me. I also let her run around and get exercise they need. Honestly the most expensive things tend to be the vet bills depending where you go and if you have pet insurance or not.

Tips:
I would definitely continue to post on this forum because the community gives a lot of great advice and everyone is so kind and willing to help where they can. I would also follow some bunny youtubers (Sincerely, Cinnabun and Lennon the bunny ). Also follow people on Instagram (if you have one). There is a pretty big bunny community on there and they love to give tips, tricks and discount codes! Hope this helps a little bit!