Total rabbit newbie

[dl incognito]

Hi all,

New to this forum, nice place.Anyways,mygf and i have been toying with the idea of getting a rabbit.In specific the lionhead one.

Could someone give mea rundown of essential and basic rabbit care?

 

[RebeccaUK]

Hi and welcome. There are loads of oldposts here that you might want to refer to. At the head ofthe page of topics is one called 'A chet sheet for rabbit care' thisshould answer your basic queries then if you have any specialisedqueries do a search in the search box for topics.

You are definitely in the right place here.

 

[ariel]

Welcome and enjoy your stay, as mentioned if you read "cheat sheet" post it'll help a lot.

 

[babybunnywrigley]

Welcome to the board!

 

[dl incognito]

Holy geez, i didn't even see the stickies at the top

 

[dl incognito]

So... a little overwhelming, theres a lot more to know than i thought there would be.

I guess i have a lot of research to do.

 

[dl incognito]

Ok, i have a few questions.



1) Is there a general rule for cage size?

2) My gf likes the lionhead rabbits, how large do they grow?

3) It would be keptin the basement. Doesthat mean we have to "bunny proof" it (make cords inaccessible, nosmall places it could get stuck).

 

[ariel]

Answers
1) cage size ideally should be at least 4 times your bunnies size andenough room for them to stretch out comfortably, think upwards as well(there is a whole post called cages only I will bump for you)

2)Don't know but if you click on the following link it wil help you (in there it said about 3 1/2 pounds)
http://www.centralpets.com/critterpages/mammals/rabbits/RBT1492.shtml
( I just did a google search and found it)

3)
Yes by all means bunnyproof your bunny area.
I found laying on the floor and looking around very helpful as I found lots of areas my Bindy could of gotten into.

Good luck.

There are lionhead lovers here in this forum so they could offer advice to you, I have a Himalayan.

 

[Just Jack]

ariel wrote:

Answers
1) cage size ideally should be at least 4 times your bunnies size and enough room for them to stretch out comfortably, think upwards as well (there is a whole post called cages only I will bump for you)

2)Don't know but if you click on the following link it wil help you (in there it said about 3 1/2 pounds)
http://www.centralpets.com/critterpages/mammals/rabbits/RBT1492.shtml
( I just did a google search and found it)

I find this very confusing as often when people refer to size (ie. how big they get) they usually talk in terms of weight, just as you did. I imagine that two bunnies of different breeds who weigh the same amount may not neccessarily be the same dimensional size. This is something I too need to know more about.

 

[Pipp]

They'd be pretty close, I'd think, although a 5 lb mini-lop would be 'smaller' than say a 5 lb Belgian Hare. Definitely something to consider.

The best cage size test IMO is a space thatallows the bunny totakethreeregular hops.

And this is a year-oldthread, you must really be looking around a lot!

sas and pipp :bunnydance:

 

[Just Jack]

LOL I hadn't noticed it was a year old, I was thinking it was recent! I was actually Googling ""cage size" lionhead" and this thread popped up. No wonder I couldn't find that thread that ariel bumped.

 

[Just Jack]

and still there is the problem that I don't know how big a 3.5 lb lionhead would be so I have no clue as to hom much space it would take for 3 hops :s

 

[Pipp]

Just Jack wrote:

and still there is the problem that I don't know how big a 3.5 lb lionhead would be so I have no clue as to hom much space it would take for 3 hops :s

Pipp, the bunny in my avatar is just a touch over2lbs if that helps. (And I have a normal female-sized hand).

I saw your other thread. (Isn't Peg awesome?). How much time are you expecting them to spend in the cage? Pipp has a small cage, but it doesn't have a door (or for that matter, a lid), so size really doesn't matter. She has the run of the bedroom, and sometimes the whole house.

sas and pipp :jumpingbunny:

 

[Just Jack]

Peg is a phenomenon (see it even says so in Wikipedia!)

Now this is the part where I'm going to feel guilty. I don't know how much time they will spend in their cage but it'll probably be a good bit. They will of course have to remain in their cage when I am not at home (ie classes, work, family events, etc). They will also remain in their cage when I am home but an unable to watch them (ie sleeping & showering). The big issue I guess would be times when I am around and can somewhat watch them. My girlfriend is a graphic designing major so there are always art stuff around in the living room which is mainly the only place they could have free roam. I'll have to try to work on seeing how I can "bunny proof" this area. At least in one aspect with my rattan furniture it doesn't make it a problem if they get under them.

 

[Pipp]

LOL! I love that I give my bunny run of the room/house, but truthfully, it hascost me in the four figures, adding up all the shorted out electronics from her first week with me, and paying for the lazy times where I'd figure "I'lljust bunny proof that tomorrow."

But you can still just get some NIC (Neat Ideas Cubes) panelsand either build a bigger cage, or simply put together 'blockers' as needed outside their existing cage. With my foster buns, sometimes they'll have a two-cube high fence in one direction outside their cage, sometimes in another, so they get variety. Or in some rooms it's MY'stuff' that's blocked off with the fencing. (TIP: Stock up on old pillows, they're great for keeping bunnies from going in behind or under things). (PS:I'd be curious how much they like the Rattan).

Either way, I wouldn't feel guilty. If they were living in the wild, they'd be in a pretty small warren dug in the dirt and they'd only spend a couple hours at best outside trying to eat without gettingeaten. (I don't buy into the 'horror' of the'caged pet', considering rabbits in the wild are a bundle of nerves and have an average life expectancy of 11 months).

sas and pipp :bunnydance:

 

[RO STAFF]

Just Jack wrote:

Peg is a phenomenon (see it even says so in Wikipedia!)

:thudYou weren't kidding!!!


Phenomenon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Jump to: navigation, search

For other uses of the word, see Phenomena (disambiguation) and Peg.
A phenomenon (plural: phenomena) is an observable event, particularly something special (literally something that can be seen from the Greek word phainomenon = observable).
:laugh:

 

[Lissa]

Welcome!

There is so much to learn about rabbits. I've had rabbits almost my entire life and I still don't know everything there is to know. It's a continuous learning process.

 

[naturestee]

For a bit of reference, here is a pic of my 3.5 pound dwarf hotot Fey in a 30 inch long cage. I was using it as a hospital cage.

I'm not sure how long the cage is that you are buying. One thing I have found with pet store rabbit cages is that they don't fit much inside once you get a rabbit in there. Also, with my girl pair I've found that they like having space to get away from each other, although that will be different depending on the personality of your rabbits. If you are concerned about the cage size, you can always return it (before it gets used, anyway) and get a dog crate instead. It's much easier to find a decent sized dog crate for a rabbit then it is to find a decent sized rabbit cage for a rabbit. Or you can add on to your cage or build a new cage with NIC cubes.

 

[Just Jack]

the cage I bought is 36 x 14. inside of it I already have placed a small play house which is 14 x9. I wonder if the play house is even big enough for them to comfortably get inside. they have quite a bit larger rabbit cages there but they are typically over $100 and that's getting a bit pricey...

I'll have to see about these NIC cubes... I've never seen them before.

 

[naturestee]

Actually, the cage behind the one Fey is in is made with NIC cubes. They are 14x14 inch wire grids that are sold for making shelves at lots of places under different brand names, including Target, Shopko, Home Depot, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

That cube cage is twice as long as it is wide, so it's 28" by 56."