New Bunny Owner!

Ok, well maybe not just yet!

Im looking to adopt my first bun in the next few weeks - I work in a fairly well known pet store so will hopefully be getting the hutch from work (We stock the Trixie hutches?) but i am totally new to this so am looking for all the advice i can get!

Ive had a read on here at some of the current threads and theyve been fantastic, but Im just wanting to clear something up!

I was told that it was too cold to have outdoor rabbits now as theyre not used to cold temps outside. A friend of mine said they would be fine to come inside at night to sleep in a pet carrier? (like this...)
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?i...E-SearchBox&rlz=1I7GFRE_en&sa=N&start=54&um=1


Am i right in thinking the large dog size would be too small even for a baby bun?

I have my own horse too so am wondering if her hay would be suitable? She is on a hemp bedding (Aubiose) so would use a bag of that as and when for bedding too?

Sorry if none of this makes any sense!
x

Hi and welcome!

It's great that you have decided to adopt a bunny, they are wonderful companions! Sorry it's taken a while for anyone to respond, this is a fast moving forum, so it's easy for posts to disappear off the page sometimes!

Your friend may have gotten a little confused about indoor/outdoor bunnies during the colder seasons. Rabbits naturally develop a winter coat as the weather gets colder, but if the bunny has been living indoors up untill now, they havent been exposed to the decreasing temperatures, so havent grown their winter coat. Putting an indoor bun out now, would be like you going out in shorts and t-shirt now! :shock:

If you take on a bun that has been indoors, it MUST stay indoors now until spring, when the weather is warm enough for you to not need a coat outdoors.

A pet carrier is ONLY for that purpose, to carry your bunny. You cannot keep a rabbit in a pet carrier overnight, as they dont sleep all night, and need plenty of space to move around. Have a look at The Animal Welfare Bill, that clearly states the legal requirements for a rabbit's housing.

The hay you have for your horse should be ok, afaik. I have bought bales from a farm who supply to my friend's stables, but I'm sure someone else will be able to confirm that.

I hope that helps! :wave:

Thanks for that I did think the carrier would be too small for it to move about properly in! This is part of the email that a friend of mine sent me -

"Hiya,
Yeah a carrier will be fine to sleep in, mine does at night and shes bin ok! It could stay out at night as long as its got a cover on the hutch and loads of bedding. You can get little heat pads and proper beds for them too so they’ll be plenty warm enough. If it’s a baby it should only need hay anyway so don’t worry about getting food."


Judging on the whole pet carrier idea now i dont know how much to believe of anything she says :?


We have a kind of 3 sided structure on our decking that backs on to our house - it stays warmer (we have giant old patio doors that dont keep any heat in the house!) than the shed so we'll be putting the hutch there as its covered from the rain too. Does this sound ok? (sorry, toooootally new to bunny stuff!)
x

She needs more than hay in her diet, though hay should make up about 90% of her diet. I don't know why your friend would advise that. I recommend pellets so that she won't start selective feeding. Where is she coming from and what diet is she on now? Keep in mind that if you change a rabbit's diet, it must be done slowly, gradually introducing the new food so it doesn't upset their digestion.

I'm pretty sure this is correct, but I would seek extra advice and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

She needs more than hay in her diet, though hay should make up about 90% of her diet. I don't know why your friend would advise that. I recommend pellets so that she won't start selective feeding. Where is she coming from and what diet is she on now? Keep in mind that if you change a rabbit's diet, it must be done slowly, gradually introducing the new food so it doesn't upset their digestion.

I'm pretty sure this is correct, but I would seek extra advice and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
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It is possible to do a veg/hay only diet - The RWAF have a good leaflet on their website but it doesn't suit every bun. But as already said any changes in diet will need to be gradual.

Just to add Auboise make great bunny litter. I use it with all mine.

Don't forget a constant supply of veggies (maybe when she is older - I don't know much about babies, never had one!). I get all mine from the reduced section of the local supermarket, you can pick up so much, like parsley or pak choi for 25 pence and it gets used without any problem at all :lol:

How big is the hutch you are thinking of getting too? a lot of the Trixie ones are quite small. Also, could you consider getting two bunnies as they thrive on companionship and can also keep each other warm. Just a thought. If you get them both young, then the bond should already be established.
Introduce any food slowly, and although hay makes up the majority of their diet, veg and a few pellets daily is a good idea too. I would certainly keep a young/ baby bunny inside over the winter now as their coat won't be developed and they could freeze. Once it is a bit milder, they can be introduced to outside and be kept in the conditions you describe. Good luck! They are fun pets.

If we got one bun then I was looking at something like this...
http://www.petscorner.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=257

or this one if we got a pair
http://www.petscorner.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=256


We do have a garden so the run would be separate.

Will def be changing food over slowly as i know that my horse gets an upset stomach if her food is changed too quickly anyway

Ive been to see a little pair not far from me but the woman didnt mention they were giants and we dont have the room for extra big buns unfortunately!

ScutterBug said:

If we got one bun then I was looking at something like this...
http://www.petscorner.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=257

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Hi Scutter bug from what I can work out (though I must admit my maths aint the best) that hutch is just over 4' and isn't suitable for a rabbit.

or this one if we got a pair
http://www.petscorner.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=256

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This one is better but it's still on the small side. Is there anyone near you that could maybe build you a custom hutch? We got a massive double 5'x2' hutch for £100 brand new from a guy that likes to do woodwork in his spare time. If it's only going to be one storey it should ideally be 6'x2' with enough room for the buns to stand up.

I've had a look at the website you've linked but I can't see any of their hutches that are an ideal size. There are some other websites that sell nice big hutches (though I'd need to look them out).

You'll need to post some pictures up of your new bunnies when you get them.

Most RSPCA centres will sell you a 6x2x2 hutch for about £100

Thanks Crunchie - the double one is the biggest one we sell without a run attached (we have to have a separate one because of where the hutch is going to be!) Ive been looking about in the papers but cant find any bigger ones at the moment. I'll definately get in touch with the RSPCA, thanks w1lll.

I'll hopefully be getting the hutch in the next few weeks (pay day tomorrow, horray!!) and will see if any suitable buns pop up! Obviously as they'll be my first i dont mind waiting until the right one comes (hops!?) along

Have you considered converting a shed?

a shed with attached run would be good...or a playhouse with attached run. some great pics on here of peoples set ups. :wave:

I live at home with my parents and dad is dead set that he's not giving the shed up He's only putting up with me getting a bun because he doesnt have to have anything to do with it:roll: Some of the playhouse set ups on here look fab, ive just been having a look through!

We have about a 15x10 patch of grass at the end of the decking (down a few steps) so i thought eventually they would be able to go in a run in there (one of the big pens with the little house attached) when its warmer.

My buns are in a hutch called 'the york':

http://www.thepetpads.co.uk/shop/rabbit+hutches+and+runs/

its brilliant

only prob is straw and sawdust gets stuck in the grass but not a prob if its on concrete lol

Katheryn said:

My buns are in a hutch called 'the york':

http://www.thepetpads.co.uk/shop/rabbit+hutches+and+runs/

its brilliant

only prob is straw and sawdust gets stuck in the grass but not a prob if its on concrete lol

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It's nowhere near big enough..... as already stated the minimum size is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft..... the 'York' is only 4ft wide. The height is also far too low and would prevent some rabbits from being able to stand up properly.

I would also recommend a shed and run if you could possibly do this - better for you and better for the buns' that will live there. I'm already planning my ideal bunny habitat as like you I don't have rabbits yet but am hoping to have some in the future. I'm plannning a 'kennel' type run for mine x

oops correction mine is the harrogate off that website if its not big enough its tough takes up half the bloody garden

I still think one like the york is big enough for one rabbit

some people keep them in much smaller hutches than that

Katheryn said:

oops correction mine is the harrogate off that website if its not big enough its tough takes up half the bloody garden

I still think one like the york is big enough for one rabbit

some people keep them in much smaller hutches than that

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No it still isn't big enough. That's 5ft, not 6ft. 6ft isn't really that big - my guinea pigs' cage is almost 6ft long and it really isn't that big when you see them in it. Rabbits are much bigger than guinea pigs.

ETA: People keeping them in much smaller hutches doesn't make it ok to keep them in something that's too small. It doesn't justify keeping them in something that's almost big enough!

Well my buns are happy enough and they arnt big rabbits so cant see the problem they can stand and move about fine so i think it also depends on the size of the rabbit too

biscandmatt1 said:

a shed with attached run would be good...or a playhouse with attached run. some great pics on here of peoples set ups. :wave:

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Here's some pics of mine: