New housing help

Hi there, i'm new to this forum, can't believe that i never found it before! It's really helpful... Anyway... I have a 16month old female lop eared rabbit named Heidi who recently gave us a big scare but thankfully she is going to be ok.

The thing is, she doesn't live with me, we've recently moved house and felt that it would be cruel to take her away from her enclosure at my mother in laws (where we lived). She currently has a small hutch that has the door pinned open and she only uses for a toilet (she is litter trained) and for when it's really cold, otherwise she is out hopping around her 5ft square fenced off enclosure rain or shine.
After thinking i was going to have her put to sleep i really want her here with me.
We don't have a lot of money and our garden is really small and covered with small pebbles, we can't make any changes to it because it is rented. Are pebbles ok for rabbits?
Does anyone know of any bargain hutches with runs attached that won't break the bank, my husband has said we can only have her back if it is cheap and cheerful. We need to buy her a new hutch anyway as the one she has is now chewed to sawdust, she is very keen on gnawing.

Any info would be great!

You can buy some good sized hutches on ebay and some of them are bargains. Try to get a 5ft double if you can. I don't know about pebbles. Is Heldi spayed, vaccinated? etc

Ebay or maybe even make one yourself if you are any good at diy? ot sure re pebbles could they be raked to one side maybe so that she has an area for her run but so that they could be put back when you move?

I'm pretty handy when it comes to DIY, I've made all my tortoise enclosures myself

Heidi hasn't been spade but i'm thinking about it soon because i'd like to get her a friend, probably a guinea pig though, plus she's getting a little tempermental over things.
She hasn't been vaccinated, we've had rabbits all our lives and never had them vaccinated and they've never had any problems and lived to a happy old age. She has been wormed. She's fed on premium pellets to stop selective feeding, is litter trained and loves to toss flower pots about!

How much will it cost to make nice one? Will it work out cheaper than buying? My tortoises have an insulated hide, then a big pen (well, big compared to them!) - in total it cost about £50. Would something similar be ok, obviously i'd have to use fox proof wire (our house backs onto a field so i'm sure we'll get them). Are there any free sites with plans on that you know of? I'll check out ebay.

carley1985 said:

I'm pretty handy when it comes to DIY, I've made all my tortoise enclosures myself

Heidi hasn't been spade but i'm thinking about it soon because i'd like to get her a friend, probably a guinea pig though, plus she's getting a little tempermental over things.
She hasn't been vaccinated, we've had rabbits all our lives and never had them vaccinated and they've never had any problems and lived to a happy old age. She has been wormed. She's fed on premium pellets to stop selective feeding, is litter trained and loves to toss flower pots about!

How much will it cost to make nice one? Will it work out cheaper than buying? My tortoises have an insulated hide, then a big pen (well, big compared to them!) - in total it cost about £50. Would something similar be ok, obviously i'd have to use fox proof wire (our house backs onto a field so i'm sure we'll get them). Are there any free sites with plans on that you know of? I'll check out ebay.

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I would strongly recommend getting her speyed, even if you are not looking to get her a friend. 85% of unspeyed female rabbits get uterine cancer. Please also get her vaccinated against Myamatosis (every 6 months) and VHD (annually).

Also, Rabbits shouldn't really be kept with Guinea Pigs as they have completely different dietary needs and a lot of Guinea Pigs end up getting hurt by Rabbits. Your best bet is to try and bond her with a neutered male. Getting her speyed should stop her being too temperamental about things too.

I think making a hutch etc would work out cheaper, although I have managed to grab some great bargains on ebay before!

Good luck!

Buuny_Friend said:

I would strongly recommend getting her speyed, even if you are not looking to get her a friend. 85% of unspeyed female rabbits get uterine cancer. Please also get her vaccinated against Myamatosis (every 6 months) and VHD (annually).

Also, Rabbits shouldn't really be kept with Guinea Pigs as they have completely different dietary needs and a lot of Guinea Pigs end up getting hurt by Rabbits. Your best bet is to try and bond her with a neutered male. Getting her speyed should stop her being too temperamental about things too.

I think making a hutch etc would work out cheaper, although I have managed to grab some great bargains on ebay before!

Good luck!

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agreed also be aware that g.pigs adn rabit can also pass disease to each toher and are much better partnered with their own kind. it is no longer recomended for them to be kept together a rabbit rescue will allow your bunny to choose its partner speed dating adn help you bond them as it needs to be done on netural territory for it to work xx if buuiilding a hutch a minimum size is 6ftx3ftx3ft with an attatched 6x6ft run. x

Buuny_Friend said:

I would strongly recommend getting her speyed, even if you are not looking to get her a friend. 85% of unspeyed female rabbits get uterine cancer. Please also get her vaccinated against Myamatosis (every 6 months) and VHD (annually).

Also, Rabbits shouldn't really be kept with Guinea Pigs as they have completely different dietary needs and a lot of Guinea Pigs end up getting hurt by Rabbits. Your best bet is to try and bond her with a neutered male. Getting her speyed should stop her being too temperamental about things too.

I think making a hutch etc would work out cheaper, although I have managed to grab some great bargains on ebay before!

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Same as what Bunny_Friend has said. Vaccinations are very important to stopping deadly diseases. Yeah, some rabbits would be fine without them, but why take the chance? Rabbits should not be kept with guinea pigs for the same reasons as above. A neutered male is a much better companion for Heldi.

I thought that rabbits and guinea pigs couldn't be kept together because they need extra vitimin C and may get squished when snuggling or their ears bit (we've also had guinea pigs but kept seperately) it's just that i saw a few with rabbits on here and assumed it was ok, i won't be doing that now then!

I didn't know about uterine cancer in female bunnies, that's worrying :?

And i shall try to persuade my husband to pay up for the vaccinations, i would gladly go into our savings to get anything for Heidi but my husband is another story, he doesn't like rabbits.

I don't know why, they're soo cute and loving!

I'm planning on a 6ft double hutch with an attached run, i'd better get a move on, i'm nearly 4 months pregnant and bumpy will be in the way soon. I may have to buy the hutch and build the run which would be the easiest thing to do.

The hutch sounds fab. Good Luck with your husband.

hubby will mellow withtime.. i was told no pets... i have had 3 rabbits and foster rabbits.... and have 4 hamsters of my own... have minded several hamsters too he now alwyaas thinks abot the animals! and loves them being here x