Hi folks! new rabbit owner seeking advice

Hi there everyone,

I as hoping folks could advise me on whether I have the right ideas to take care of a dwarf lop-eared rabbit.

I've never kept rabbits before in my life as my dad has a bad allergy to them. However I have recently started a new job doing presentations and workshops for children which involve allowing them to hold/pet live animals. One of the animals I have to have is a rabbit and although I'm currently not trained in the animal workshops I've been told I definately need a bunny. I spoke to my family regarding this and they agree the best thing would be for the rabbit to live at my aunts house provided the rabbit can indeed live outside.

I began my second week of my new job today and on arriving at my mangers house she immediately asked me if I wanted a rabbit she'd aquired over the weekend. From what I understand the rabbit was kept in a hutch and not allowed out. My manager is keeping it this week to ensure he has no health problems and he's to get a vet check up on Wednesday. Some of his fur on his bottom looks matted and he is quite boney but he seems alert and curious.

Now apparently we have a spare hutch at the office which I can take home though I'm not sure of its dimensions. Can I please just check though that I have the basics correct?

- Food - Pellets as the main diet. Fresh vegetables fed one new item at a time so if he reacts badly to one we know which it is. As he's quite skinny is there anything special I should feed him to get his weight up? As I say I've never kept rabbits but even I can see this one is boney.

- Age - I've been told he's around a year old.

- Behaviour - He is a docile little chap and let me pick him up no problem (though I understand he might be feeling under the weather hich would explain this).

- Run - Apparently my work doesn't provide runs so I'll have to get my own. What am I looking for in a run for him and what size is best? Should I simply get him the biggest one I can afford or will he stress in open space?

- Sexing - I'm not sure what sex my rabbit is but if he's a boy would I be better to get him "fixed"? If so what are the risks involved in this operation?

- Company - Would he be better off with another rabbit or will he be OK on his own? My aunts garden is very big so space is not an issue nor is money, if he'd be better off with a friend then that's what he shall have. What sex rabbit would I be best to get if he's a boy or girl? I assumed two boys would fight but really I've no idea. I definately do not want them to breed.

- Living outside - Can he live outside all year or just part of the year?

Sorry for all the questions folks but after the start this guy's had in life I think he needs the best care possible from me.

(I'm not wringing his neck in the picture)

ooo he's cute...

I can only tell you what i do myself and i am sure people will be along to give you some more advice...

There is a food list on here that will let you know what you can try with your bunny, and make sure he has fresh good quality hay to eat during the day... I put my hay in the hutch and let them graze on it.

I would definitely get him neutered... I had a male bunny who calmed down a lot when he had the snip and if you say he is under the weather then he might just perk up a bit down the line!
If its a she then same again... My two are a pain in the bum at the moment, moody, obstinate and only concerned with food... they are being spayed mainly due to me hoping their behaviour will calm down and also for the physical side aswell...
I am sure he would love company... I have no idea about that but alot of people on here do and im sure you will find a match here

My rabbtis live outside. they have a hutch and run attached. They are coverd over with a persian rug at night whether its summer or winter (yes they are spoiled and my great aunt RIP would have a fit if she knew :shock but they have access to the run day and night which i don't like as they should be under lock and key in my opinion before it gets dark...
They are soon to have a shed with run attached, no piccies yet but i have seen some great ones on here!

I hope everything goes well for you and him/her!

Aww, he looks cute

For food hay should be the main diet with smallish quantities of pellets - about 25-50g per day. You need to be careful with a change in diet so feed what he's currently on and then introduce the new brand you intend to use gradually mixing the two. Pellets are best as they are high fibre and prevent selective feeding (a problem with mixes).

I wouldn't feed up up so to speak if you feed a normal amount of pellets (or very slightly more) and plenty of hay he should gradually put on weight. Part of the weight loss is probably muscle wastage and he'll put this back on gradually where as sudden weight gain will just be fat. It's also important he has lots of hay to keep his teeth in good condition.

It's good he has a vet check coming - it's important he has his teeth checked as a problem with those is common if he's been in a bad situation and could also account for weight loss. Rabbits teeth grow continually and not enough hay can equal overgrown teeth.

He could certainly live in the house and use a litter tray like a cat. You're best starting by confining him to one room - a corridor, bathroom, kitchen or spare bedroom can work well. Baby stairgates are good for blocking access. If he goes outside you'll need a secure run (predator proof and bunny proof) keeping in mind rabbits dig lots! The type of run depends on your preference - I have an avairy style which means I can walk in with my rabbits but you can also have lower ones with lift up lids. Attaching the hutch is good so they have lots of access time. A shed or converted outbuilding is another alternative. Are you in the UK? Whether he can live out will depend on the weather. In most areas of the UK the answer is yes though you'll need to add some weather proofing in winter. In some other places the temperature gets a bit more extreme so moving someone inside of into an outbuilding is a good idea.

Girl or boy I'd recommend neutering. Both sexing have some pretty undesirable hormonal behaviour eg spraying urine/grumpyness. If you have an experienced rabbit vet the risk in no higher than a cat/dog. Company neutered and of the opposite sex is a good idea. They'll get upset if parted though so if your taking him to visit people you'd need to take his friend too.

An excellent 'starter' article on rabbit care can be found here...
http://www.hrschicago.org/dietcarefr.html

Browse the rabbit care section of this site, and many of the threads, there is no end of tips and help here.

Thanks for the advice folks.

I've been thinking more about what I need and have made a little shopping list.

Here's what I'll buy tonight...

Pellets
Hay
Softer bedding (I assume he'll need something softer than hay for his bed?)

I was half thinking of a getting a run that attaches to the hutch so he can go back in when he wants. Is this a good idea and how big a run will he need?

So I'll need to get him neutered, that's another thing on my list.

In terms of company if I did get him a pal would I be able to take one out on shows during the day (generally from about 9am-3pm for three days a week). Would that cause them stress to be seperated as I couldn't fit two bunnies in the car (and couldn't let the kids get wind of the fact there's two in the one box).

if you get another for company they should not be seperated even to go to the vets,(if possible)
Hay is fine as bedding,

Oh well guess he'll just have to stay on his own, that's a bit of a shame but my manager keeps her rabbit on his own too and he's a very affectionate, cuddly wee man.

as long as he gets alot of attention from you, he shouldn't get lonely.
The problem with seperating them is that they can reject eachother after being apart.

Ok well I didn't bring Roly home tonight but instead brought his hutch home. I live in central Scotland and from what I understand this has always been an outdoor rabbit though I'd need to make sure.

It's not a great hutch to be honest so I'm on the lookout for another one. It's 4' by around 20" dont thik it's qute 2') and it's all open there is no where for him to hide. We have hammered a piece of wood over a quarter of the front and I wil buy him a hide box tomorrow to go in it. I'm also going to get him one of those soft little rabbit beds.

I have the hay to use but I forgot to get soft bedding. Does the hay act as the main substrate or do I need something else? Also is there anything I can put on the floor of the hutch as it looks as though the wood has not been treated.

I've been having a look on Ebay and good hutches seem quite expensive. I'm going to try some local DIY shops to see if they can build me a custom hutch that I can maybe attach a run to.

In terms of company I know people that keep guinea pigs and rabbits. Now the main animals I keep are reptiles and amphibians and mixing species is geberally frowned up. Does the same apply with rabbits and guineas? I feel a bit sorry for him being on his own most of the time.

Roly seems to be coming on a bit more though he's still skinny my manager says he's been eating well and he got the all clear from the vet on Wed. Today when I went to visit him he hopped over to say hello and had a right good sniff of my hand when I put it near the wire of his cage.

hay is all you need for bedding, lots of people use vinyl floor tiles on the floor of the hutch as it makes cleaning easier, and saves the wood. you can get these in the £1 shop.
rabbits and guinea pigs should not live together

i dont see why you couldnt have two bunnies in the car? they would both go in one large cat carrier, my two do. also yes they are happier in pairs, but can live alone with lots of company, neutering is a good idea a min run size of 6x6ft is recommended but more the better.you can get a shed for him or a playhouse for about 100 quid new which is a good bunny home instead of a hutch, a hutch size should be min 5x2x3ft but a 6ft one is nicer! obviously the more room the better. be aware that rabbits are prey animals and they tend to hate being picked up, but hope it all goes ok for you ps ensure they have ample hay and water 24/7 pellet food is good mine like science selective and bedding could be straw/hay or carpet or viynal(sp) try and get him litter trained it will be easier. also i would try and ensure that he has a variety of foods but introduce them gradually eg veggies and hay/dried grass herbs etc. be aware carrots are high in sugar and too many will make them fat give as a treat! xx and dark green vegg is good! plus lots of toys tunnels cardboard boxes etc. and things to rip up chew or throw! x

5x3x2 hutch, cripes my boa constrictor isn't in a tank that big. :shock:

Well he definately needs a better hutch and I guess I may as well get it right. Will two dwarf rabbits live OK in a hutch of that size? The carrier I've been given has plenty of room for two rabbits so maybe I could take 2 in the car with me. I'll wait and see how Roly gets on first though and ensure he puts on a bit of weight. I see the SSPCA have a lot of rabbits up for adoption in Edinburgh, maybe I can adopt one later on.

My mum has had the idea of making a run ourselves, are there any webpage that give plans for building runs at all? I guess that way we can make it whatever size we want.

I don't think Roly's been fed much veg, I gave him a little fresh parsley today and it was gone in half a second. :?

Sorry for the amount of questions, as I say the animals I'm used to are bugs, reptiles and amphibians and they're obviously very different.

I would add a litter tray to your shopping list as neutered rabbits are very good at using them If you put litter (I prefer paper based litter becuase it doesn't dust) in it, and hay in the box or in a hay rack above the box, you don't need any litter in the rest of the hutch. But he might need more hay during the winter to keep warm. During winter he should also have a "bedroom" that he can be in if he gets cold.

From his picture I think his weight should be about 2 - 2,5 kilos, so if you feed him about 40 grams of pellets and keep an eye on his weight and figure he should be alright I think. If you feel his ribs, and then run your hands down to his tummy, they should be even in comparison. What I mean is that if the tummy sinks in after the ribs, the bunny is thin, and if the tummy sticks out after the ribs the bunny is too fat (I'm not very good at explaining in english..) I think it would be good for him to have a bit of exercise as he looks very thin over his back where normally bunnies have a lot of muscles, so he might need a bit more muscle mass in addition to more food Rabbits tend to be more active in places they haven't been before, so when he is settled in in his new home, I think he will run around more if let into the garden/house etc.

How is he setteling in? Has he been a good boy, eating his hay?

He seems to be settling in very well. I'll let him settle for a bit and gain some weight then take him to the vet to be neutered. After that we can think about getting him a lady friend.

He had a good run about the garden this morning for an hour and a half then another hour and a half at night. My aunts garden has a 6 foot fence round it which goes down to the ground so it's near rabbit proof. He was hopping about nibbling at grass and dandelions but there were other times he was running from one end of the garden to another.

He is pooing and peeing normally by the looks of things too. However I did find that he'd eaten all his food in the space of only a few hours but there is plenty hay in his hutch too. Poor thing must be starving.

:wave:

He isnt going to stave if he has plenty of fresh hay :lol: Looking all hungry and starving just something they do to try and get extra pellets from us

Here is a thread on building your own run, I got lots of helpful advice on this but still havent tried making one Am going to in the summer though so both my single buns can play side by side in the garden as I only have one at the moment.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=110592&highlight=build

Even though the garden is bunny proof he will still need supervising incase any cats come into the garden

All mine are litter trained, I use Megazorb in their trays. You can get a huge sack for about £7 and it lasts ages Mine lasts about a month with four rabbits and three rat cages :lol:

I have this hutch for two of mine, but I think my run is higher than the one in the picture so they might be making them different now

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Massive-Rabbi...172541QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL0805011311a30828

And my other two have Ryedale hutches which I would go for They are the best!

http://www.rehutches.com/

Lots of people use sheds or playhouses for their buns though Or large dog crates for indoor buns.

If you are unsure about his weight your vet should be able to weigh him and let you know if he is a healthy weight. Bunnies need vaccinating twice a year against Myxi and once a year against VHD

He is sooooo cute! x

Right well I've decided that I utterly hate the hutch he's in now, it seems impossible to get totally clean. :evil:

My mum suggested having a 6' square run that we could actually walk into (I suppose that'd be more like an aviary), if I get that set up and also get a 5x3x2 hutch will this be OK for two dwarf rabbits?

Here's a few pictures of him I took today, he's a bit cheeky this rabbit. I was trying to do things to his hutch and he was scooting off when my back was turned. I'm positive he can't get out the garden but I'm paranoid he'll find a hole somewhere. However when I went and looked for him he'd bound out as if he was trying to convince me he'd never been away. Hmmmm:?:lol:

Hey folks I've been looking at hutches on Ebay and was wondering what you think of the following for two dwarf lops. Can you tell me if any of these are suitable? I can't seem to find any bigger ones...

1)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RABBIT-HUTCH-...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

2)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4ft-Rabbit-hu...hZ019QQcategoryZ63513QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

3)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XL-OVERSIZE-5...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

4)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5ft-Double-T-...ryZ63513QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I didn't really see anything smaller than that. I think we're definately going to go with a hutch attached to a 6'x6'x6' walk in run which the rabbits will be in all day.

I've asked for details on the rabbit and the girl who gave him to me knows he's had his vaccinations this year but is not sure if he's been neutred but will ask for me.

I think the avairy with a hutch inside is a great idea. Lots of people use a shed or playhouse with a run attached. That means you can clean the buns without getting wet! The run is best on slabs so that the buns don't dig out or something digs in.

The hutches you put links to are quite narrow. These companies do good hutches:

www.rehutches.com

www.happyhutch,co.uk

These are a couple off ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RABBIT-HUTCH-...ryZ63513QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Massive-Rabbi...ryZ63513QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Hope this help.

Thanks Wilbur, I did wonder if those hutches weren't big enough and I did think about putting slabs around the inside of the aviary.

I've had a look at the hutches you've reckomended and they seem to have runs attached. I think I'd be better with just a hutch if it's going to be joined to an aviary type effort anyway. Is there anywhere I can buy the hutches on their own maybe?

perhaps a company that does custom sized runs may be best for me.

Right guys in addition to my other posts I had a look in Pets at Home today and they had a hutch that was 169(l)x69(d)x80(h)cm, would this be suitable for 2 dwarf lop eared rabbits? I think it was the biggest hutch they had in all honesty.

Anyway we've made plans to have a ring of slabs fitted in the garden (with grass in the middle) for an 8 x 6' run, would this along with the above hutch be OK? We're having the aviary thing custom made to fit onto the hutch.

I took Roly to the vet for a check up as I don't entirely trust the person I got him from to have done this. The vet says he is fine although a little thin and he's not been neutred. I'll see if I can get him booked in for the snip before next weekend as the vet says his weight is OK to have this done. I still can't seem to get info from the person I got him from regarding his vaccinations. I don't want him to be at risk so does anyone know if it'd hurt to have the vacs done again if he's had them within the last 12 months? The vet actually recommended 2 vacs for mixi every year.

Would I be best to keep him out of the new hutch/run until we adopt another rabbit so they are both going into new territory together?

Also I was going to ask how people tile the inside of their hutches? Do you find something to seal it to the floor of the hutch with or do you simply lay the tiles inside?

Thanks for all the advice given so far.