New and looking into getting rabbits PLEASE HELP

[Harlee]

Hi, I am new to this website and am considering getting a new bunny addition I could really use help on a lot of the bunny knowledge. Lol. I would love to hear how you all take care of your rabbits and things I could know thx.

 

[Harlee]

Also what are some great ways to save money when owning the rabbits

 

[zuppa]

Hi, rabbits are very cool but also a lot of work, cleaning, protecting everything chewable in your home, growing issues, health and food, you will need to give them enough of room to play and lots of attention every day, if you are still not scared tell us what kind of rabbit are you looking for like why you think you want to get one, maybe you have idea already what breed you like and what age etc? Post some pics from internet what kind of rabbits do you like, tell us a little bit about yourself, your lifestyle, will you keep your rabbit outside or in your bedroom, we are happy to share experience just your question is a bit too general I don't know where to start

 

[Harlee]

I don’t exactly have a breed but I know that I would like to get a very young rabbit I also would like to keep the rabbit outside. I think I may look into getting a holland lop or a mini Rex. I am at home most of the day so I would have plenty of time to dedicate to my rabbit. I want a rabbit because they seem like a great pet and I have been looking for a pet ever since my dog has started to slowly pass away.

 

[zuppa]

Great, so you can get rabbit 8 week old because until that age they need to be with their mother. I can't advise on outdoor rabbits unfortunately as have no experience myself, only my grandpa had some but was long time ago, all my rabbits are indoor.

Are you thinking to buy from a breeder or get a rabbit from your local rescue? Because if you can get from rescue you can still have a young rabbit but a huge plus would be that their rabbits are already neutered/spayed so you'll have one less problem because when you take a baby at 8 weeks they are all very sweet, but when they are 10-12 weeks old they start acting as teenagers and some of them can change completely, they can start peeing everywhere marking their territory, even on you, can get aggressive, start chewing everything and rattling the cage etc, with neutering / spaying this should pass, after a few weeks, so many people do it at age about 4,5-6 months, then 4-8 weeks after surgery they still can keep acting same so I would say if you want to skip the problem you are looking at 6-7 months old rabbit from your local rescue. Or at least neutered/spayed.

Because if you take a rabbit 8 wk old you will have to go all the way through it and if you want to neuter / spay it cost a lot, a couple of hundreds. but it is nice to get a baby and watch him or her growing Just think about what suits you best and don't put yourself under pressure, then decide what you want.

I would suggest to visit your local rescue and you'll get better understanding maybe.

 

[Harlee]

Ok thanks that was very helpful the sad thing is we have no local rescues that take in rabbits so I will have to get a rabbit from a breeder. I hope if I do more research I can find a rescue but I will definitely look into that. I do have a question though what all should a baby rabbit eat

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

Check your local humane society, they may get some abandoned or owner surrenders. I looked up "rabbit rescues in North Carolina" and I found 3 in the state. One in Wilmington, one in Trenton, and one in Cary.

 

[zuppa]

Ok thanks that was very helpful the sad thing is we have no local rescues that take in rabbits so I will have to get a rabbit from a breeder. I hope if I do more research I can find a rescue but I will definitely look into that. I do have a question though what all should a baby rabbit eat

Babies are weaned at about 6 weeks of age and then need to stay with their mother until at least 8 weeks and then they are getting unlimited hay, about 30 gram of junior rabbit dry food (pellets) and later they are getting some leafy greens, very little portion until they are about 4-6 months. So when you get 8 wk old rabbit you ask breeder to give you some dry food or ask for brand and get that same pellets, if you want to change to other food you will need to change gradually, mixing old ellets with new for a couple weeks, gradually adding more new pellets and less old, otherwise your rabbit can stop eating.

So, your rabbit's diet should be about 80% of hay, 10% of dry pellets (good quality plain pellets, not muesli, no corn or peas etc) and little by little you will be adding fresh vegetables, about 5% and the last 5% would be treats like a slice of apple or thumb size piece of carrot or same size piece of banana, that's not every day, because they are high on sugar.

Rabbit needs hay about same amount as himself, it is best to give twice a day in the morning and in the evening.

Also your rabbit will poop a lot so you will have to make some kind of litter box but here I am not too sure as outdoor rabbits are a bit different I think. I am sure here are many people who knows more about outdoor rabbits.

 

[Blue eyes]

http://rabbit.rescueme.org/NorthCarolina

http://everybunnyrescue.simplesite.com/441636206

https://www.nhcrabbitrescue.org/adoptables

Above are rescue rabbits available in NC. I cannot stress enough how much better it is and how much happier you will be to get an already fixed rabbit (or pair) from a rescue. Getting a baby bunny for a first time bunny owner is not advised (for many reasons!).

I know most people think that starting with a baby is the best way to go but it truly is not. I'm sure you may find that hard to believe. Please read the following link to see why:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/choosing-your-first-bunny.html

Also, the best way to build a bond with a rabbit is to house him indoors. It really is easy to house indoors and there is no reason for them to be smelly! Most of us here house our rabbits indoors. You can see many of our indoor habitats if you click on this link (on this forum):
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/2019-cages-add-your-photo.93422/

As I'm typing this, my rabbit is nearby. In his eyes, we are 'bonding' because we are in such close proximity. This afternoon, I was reading while on the couch and my bunny was hopping about and begging me for a treat. (We keep a jar of treats by the couch.) He'll probably hop out again in a few minutes when I watch TV. This is one of the reasons it is so great to have an indoor rabbit.

The weebly site linked above also has more info all about how to house rabbits indoors, litter train, diet, bonding, health supplies (first-aid kit) to have on hand, how to cut costs, etc.

 

[Imbrium]

It costs a LOT (like $200+ typically) to spay/neuter and it's pretty stressful having to send your little baby in for that kind of surgery. I got my first two rabbits as babies and the other five we've had were all rescues (some were still in the 4-6 month range when we got them). The babies are cute, but I have no desire to do that again - the expense and stress, the difficulty potty training, the hormones... good god, the hormones. With a rescue rabbit, it's usually $30-50 for an already spayed rabbit, whose personality is much more obvious (babies' personality can change a good bit when they hit that "teenage" phase).

The top two ways to save money both involve feed stores/livestock supply places! #1: Buy hay by the bale. Why pay like $5+ a pound at a pet store when you can get like 8 lbs for $1? #2: get wood pellet horse bedding for the litter box(es). It's around $5-8 for a 40 lb bag, infinitely cheaper than anything at a pet store, and it's very effective as long as you're using enough (I'd say 2-3 inches of it in the litter box).

https://rabbit.org/
https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/ <~ diet info
http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/ <~ diet info, including help choosing a brand of pellets
http://www.therabbithouse.com/guide_size.asp <~ while there are a number of reasons why it's more ideal to keep a rabbit indoors, outside can be an option depending on where you live. North Carolina is probably one of the better states for outdoor housing, as the winters aren't too cold but it looks like (according to Google) it doesn't usually get above 90F in the summer? You'll still need to take some precautions and help a rabbit cool when it's in the 80s, but that's not too bad. This site discusses outdoor housing a bit.
https://www.binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx <~ various helpful information

 

[Orrin]

You've gotten some great advice. Please follow up on it and read everything you can at every one of those links.

Like you, when we first considered rabbits our mindset said "outdoor hutch." There are two things wrong with that: 1) Outdoor, 2) Hutch.

You and your rabbit will not have near the quality time together if it is kept (and forgotten) outdoors. Because of an accidental pregnancy--no fault of our own--we wound up with more rabbits than we can keep upstairs with us; so, some live in our basement. Believe me, the time we spend with the rabbits living with us is far greater and more rewarding than that with the overflow crowd downstairs.

Hutch. Rabbits need room to romp, run and stretch. A hutch is not enough. I cringe at the very thought of all the rabbits kept in cages. After you've seen a rabbit with space to run joyfully and do binkies, you'll soon feel the same way.

 

[Imbrium]

Hutch. Rabbits need room to romp, run and stretch. A hutch is not enough. I cringe at the very thought of all the rabbits kept in cages. After you've seen a rabbit with space to run joyfully and do binkies, you'll soon feel the same way.

Thanks for reminding me of a site I forgot to link to! In addition to the site "therabbithouse.com" that I linked to, discussing the need for a run in addition to a hutch, this site also has great info:
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-housing/why-hutch-not-enough/

On my old computer, I had saved the link for a YouTube video (pretty well-known on this site) from a woman who lives in England showing her outdoor rabbit set-up (including both hutch and run and showing how to 'winterize' things)... I remember the rabbits were named "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" (from Dr. Seuss)... but I can't for the life of me find the video. Does anyone know what video I'm talking about and how to find it??

Outdoors does mean less time with the family, but that doesn't make it "wrong" to keep a rabbit outdoors if that's your only option. However, it really is inhumane to keep them confined to a hutch! There are many viable options for making sure your outdoor rabbit is safe, comfortable and has enough space to get an appropriate amount of exercise.