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♥Baby Rabbit♥
- Thread starter ♥Missi♥
- Start date
monkeypuzzler
Mama Doe
Hi Missi, welcome to RU.
First thing I would say, is that I would advise getting two rabbits not one, as rabbits absolutely love company, and 99% of them are happiest with a partner. The best combination is a neutered male and neutered female. If you get them as babies you'll need to keep them seperate until old enough to be neutered. Alternatively you could get two young adults from a rescue who have already been neutered and bonded.
Next, accommodation, very important that you give the rabbits as much space as possible. The minimum recommended hutch size is 6' x 3', with a large permanent run attached.
Now, diet, a rabbit's diet should be comprised mainly of hay, which is fed ad lib, and can then include a small amount of pellet food, plus a selection of fresh vegetables (which should not be introduced until they are older if you get babies). Any new veggies should be slowly introduced by trying with one small piece first and monitoring for any changes. Fresh water should be available at all times, it will depend on the bunny if they prefer a bowl or bottle.
Finally, vets and vaccinations. I would advise finding yourself a good bunny savvy vet (folk on here may well be able to recommend a good practice in your area) and getting registered ASAP. Your rabbits will need to be vaccinated against myxi every 6 months and against VHD every year (with at least two weeks between the two vaccines being given). Make sure your vet has a good on call service for evenings/weekends so you know where you will have to take your bunny if they become ill at those times. Any signs of illness in rabbits should be taken seriously since they are prey animals and sometimes don't show pain until they have been suffering for a while and can go downhill pretty quickly.
Those are just the basics really, there's lots more to tell, so please ask questions about anything else you want to know.
Hope the above is useful.
Roo.
First thing I would say, is that I would advise getting two rabbits not one, as rabbits absolutely love company, and 99% of them are happiest with a partner. The best combination is a neutered male and neutered female. If you get them as babies you'll need to keep them seperate until old enough to be neutered. Alternatively you could get two young adults from a rescue who have already been neutered and bonded.
Next, accommodation, very important that you give the rabbits as much space as possible. The minimum recommended hutch size is 6' x 3', with a large permanent run attached.
Now, diet, a rabbit's diet should be comprised mainly of hay, which is fed ad lib, and can then include a small amount of pellet food, plus a selection of fresh vegetables (which should not be introduced until they are older if you get babies). Any new veggies should be slowly introduced by trying with one small piece first and monitoring for any changes. Fresh water should be available at all times, it will depend on the bunny if they prefer a bowl or bottle.
Finally, vets and vaccinations. I would advise finding yourself a good bunny savvy vet (folk on here may well be able to recommend a good practice in your area) and getting registered ASAP. Your rabbits will need to be vaccinated against myxi every 6 months and against VHD every year (with at least two weeks between the two vaccines being given). Make sure your vet has a good on call service for evenings/weekends so you know where you will have to take your bunny if they become ill at those times. Any signs of illness in rabbits should be taken seriously since they are prey animals and sometimes don't show pain until they have been suffering for a while and can go downhill pretty quickly.
Those are just the basics really, there's lots more to tell, so please ask questions about anything else you want to know.
Hope the above is useful.
Roo.
♥Missi♥
New Kit
Hi
Hi. Thanks for the tips! I wouldnt beable to get a buck as well, but my friend will be getting another rabbit soon and we are hoping to take them to rabbit show's together, so she would be socializing with other rabbits. My hopes are low of getting a doe though. My Mum doesent really want one beacause she thinks it will dig up the garden. Can you train it not to?
But I will try to convince her to let me have one. My Dad isnt fussed. I have an idea that I will teach myself about rabbit care by getting books from the libary and set up a powerpoint on it just to show my Mum how much i really know and then just maybe.............she'll let me have one.
But they are such sweet creatures and I would really love one!
Please hope for me! I know how bigger responsibility it is but my friend had a rabbit so she can help me!
Hi. Thanks for the tips! I wouldnt beable to get a buck as well, but my friend will be getting another rabbit soon and we are hoping to take them to rabbit show's together, so she would be socializing with other rabbits. My hopes are low of getting a doe though. My Mum doesent really want one beacause she thinks it will dig up the garden. Can you train it not to?
But I will try to convince her to let me have one. My Dad isnt fussed. I have an idea that I will teach myself about rabbit care by getting books from the libary and set up a powerpoint on it just to show my Mum how much i really know and then just maybe.............she'll let me have one.
But they are such sweet creatures and I would really love one!
Please hope for me! I know how bigger responsibility it is but my friend had a rabbit so she can help me!
In a word no. My experience has been that once a digger, always a digger. It's the natural instinct. Training to use a litter tray is easier (although not guaranteed) as by nature, rabbits are clean animals and don't want to spend all their time caked in their own poo and wee.♥Missi♥;2598943 said:
♥Missi♥;2598943 said:Hi. Thanks for the tips! I wouldnt beable to get a buck as well, but my friend will be getting another rabbit soon and we are hoping to take them to rabbit show's together, so she would be socializing with other rabbits. My hopes are low of getting a doe though. My Mum doesent really want one beacause she thinks it will dig up the garden. Can you train it not to?
But I will try to convince her to let me have one. My Dad isnt fussed. I have an idea that I will teach myself about rabbit care by getting books from the libary and set up a powerpoint on it just to show my Mum how much i really know and then just maybe.............she'll let me have one.
But they are such sweet creatures and I would really love one!
Please hope for me! I know how bigger responsibility it is but my friend had a rabbit so she can help me!
if only getting a lone rabbit then you will need to ideally have it as a house rabbit. as they really do like company its no good saying you will take it to shows with another persons rabbit as several things may happen
1. bonding rabbits is hard even if they get on 1 time they may not the next especially 2 of same sex and unnueterd
2. rabbits unneutered does have an 85% chance of getting uterine cancer after age 4years
3. they can live up to 14 years tho 8-10 is normal.
4. most shows want unneutered pure bred rabbits so you would have to get off a breeder and ensure that they are reputable and the rabbits enjoy beign handed most do not like being picked up
5. go to a rabbit show i have been to one and was very dissapointed, many of the cages at the one i attended were small and often the buns had no hay
rabbits ideally need a hutch or cage they can stretch in all directions and take three hops accross minimum and stand up also a run is apprichiated for around minimum of 304 hours a day. so ideally you will need a 6ftx3ftx2ft huthc with attatched 6x6ft run or an indorr 48inch dog crate with attatched run and levels added into it.personally i think it is best to get a nuetered pair of buns fro ma rescue so you can look after them properly and give them the best care.not that breeder rabbits are bad at all just that not all breeders care about teh animals welfare and do it purely for the money while there are exceptions it is hard sometimes ot tell if you are not expeirianced with rabbit care yourself. if you buy a rabbit fro ma pet store that will not be show quality.
♥Missi♥
New Kit
Hey there. Sorry, havent posted for awhile! But im really happy because im defiently getting a baby doe! and dont worry there is a double hutch we are looking at getting, its really spacish so the bunny will be very happy.
Well, let you know when I've got her!
Think Im getting a black one its a lop cross satin cross angora. looks cute. She's the pic on my Avatar. Thinking of calling her Smudge! what do you think?
and dont worry there is a double hutch we are looking at getting, its really spacish so the bunny will be very happy. Well, let you know when I've got her!
Think Im getting a black one its a lop cross satin cross angora. looks cute. She's the pic on my Avatar. Thinking of calling her Smudge! what do you think?
