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Bunny shopping list

Wondergirl

Alpha Buck
I'm just about to get my first two mini lop babies and was wondering what accessories and equipment I should buy to keep them happy and entertained. What wouldn't you be without as a bunny mummy?
Also there is some conflicting messages about what size hutch to keep them in. Ideally id like a two tier one so if I need to separate them at any point, I can lock the ladder hatch. Space is limited so a shed is out if the question before you get any ideas ;)
 
When it comes to hutch size, the bigger the better. Get the biggest you can fit into the space that you have :D RSPCA recommended minimum is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with a permanently attached run.

Are you keeping your rabbits indoors or outdoors? That will make a difference as to what people will recommend to you. My two live indoors (with running around time in the garden) and I have no experience with keeping rabbits outdoors.

Essential equipment: water bottle or bowl, litter tray (even for outdoor rabbits as it'll make clean the hutch more convenient). You dont really need a food bowl but most people use one.

Litter tray: make sure it's big enough. I line the bottom with newspaper, fill with paper-based cat litter three-quarters of its length, then hay in the last bit (rabbits like to munch and poo :)). Daily cleaning is: 1 lift out newspaper with used litter and dispose of, 2 wash out tray with hot soapy water, 3 dripdry or dry with kitchen towel, 4 refill.

Toys: most rabbits love a tunnel. Cardboard boxes as hidey holes. Inner tubes from toilet/kitchen rolls are great for throwing. A yellow pages for shredding.

Food: hay, hay more hay. Then a bit more hay. (You cant have too much hay... ;)) Fresh water daily. Some veg daily. A tiny amount of pellets if you want but if not then bigger portions of veg. Stick to their usual diet for now and make any changes gradually.

A pair: you'd be surprised (or maybe not...) at the number of people that posting when their pair of 'female' rabbits have babies... :? I'd recommend an early visit to a vets to have the babies sex checked and whilst you're there you can make plans to have them neutered and vaccinated (VHD and mxyi in the UK). Have you checked for a good vet locally? Rabbits are considered 'exotic' in the veterinary world and good vets are worth finding.
 
Thanks :)
My buns will be outdoor bunnies. They will be in a heated garage during the winter then out in the garden in spring.

Just a question, if the RSPCA recommend 6ft, then why do manufacturers even bother making anything smaller? Lol. It would save kits of decision making on my part!


When it comes to hutch size, the bigger the better. Get the biggest you can fit into the space that you have :D RSPCA recommended minimum is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with a permanently attached run.

Are you keeping your rabbits indoors or outdoors? That will make a difference as to what people will recommend to you. My two live indoors (with running around time in the garden) and I have no experience with keeping rabbits outdoors.

Essential equipment: water bottle or bowl, litter tray (even for outdoor rabbits as it'll make clean the hutch more convenient). You dont really need a food bowl but most people use one.

Litter tray: make sure it's big enough. I line the bottom with newspaper, fill with paper-based cat litter three-quarters of its length, then hay in the last bit (rabbits like to munch and poo :)). Daily cleaning is: 1 lift out newspaper with used litter and dispose of, 2 wash out tray with hot soapy water, 3 dripdry or dry with kitchen towel, 4 refill.

Toys: most rabbits love a tunnel. Cardboard boxes as hidey holes. Inner tubes from toilet/kitchen rolls are great for throwing. A yellow pages for shredding.

Food: hay, hay more hay. Then a bit more hay. (You cant have too much hay... ;)) Fresh water daily. Some veg daily. A tiny amount of pellets if you want but if not then bigger portions of veg. Stick to their usual diet for now and make any changes gradually.

A pair: you'd be surprised (or maybe not...) at the number of people that posting when their pair of 'female' rabbits have babies... :? I'd recommend an early visit to a vets to have the babies sex checked and whilst you're there you can make plans to have them neutered and vaccinated (VHD and mxyi in the UK). Have you checked for a good vet locally? Rabbits are considered 'exotic' in the veterinary world and good vets are worth finding.
 
Thanks :)
My buns will be outdoor bunnies. They will be in a heated garage during the winter then out in the garden in spring.

Just a question, if the RSPCA recommend 6ft, then why do manufacturers even bother making anything smaller? Lol. It would save kits of decision making on my part!


Oooh and I'm sorted vet wise :)
 
Just a question, if the RSPCA recommend 6ft, then why do manufacturers even bother making anything smaller? Lol. It would save kits of decision making on my part!

Generally speaking they're commercial organisations looking to get maximum money out of us with minimum input from them :D And not really interested in animal welfare. You can buy hutches that are too small, unsuitable for outdoor use, without proper looks. They dont care if you buy tat from them, they just want you to buy. And if you dont like what you buy and then buy something else, even better from their point of view :D

And there are good ones of course too. You just have to do your research :) If you search the housing section of Rabbit Care you'll have lots of ideas in there.

Have fun :D
 
Try to get a 6ft x 2ft double if you can, but a 5ft x 2ft double is also sufficient. The run doesn't have to be attached, but it is best. If it's not attached, then just put them in it during daylight hours. The run should be at least 25sqft, or 5ft x 5ft or 6ft x 4ft, but the bigger, the better. You may want to think about where you place it, on grass or concrete. Grass is a natural food for a rabbit and allows them to graze, but most people can only do this during the summer months as during the winter, it gets muddy, so you may want to put them on concrete during winter.

Accessories:
- Water bottle and bowl (ceramic dog bowls are best)
- Litter tray (cat trays or high sided corner trays or covered trays)
- Litter (do NOT use clumping cat litter, it can be fatal if ingested by rabbit, use paper based litter instead, such as Megazorb or Carefresh)
- Food (use a pellet food, such as Science Selective, Oxbow Bunny Basics, Excel)
- Hay (use hay that is green and sweet smelling, such as Timothy or Meadow hay; bought online, from pet shops or farm shops)
- Carrier (cat carriers are best)
- Toys (willow goes down well with my rabbits; willow balls, baskets, sticks, tents, tunnels etc)

The rabbits will need to be vaccinated at 8 weeks of age for Myxomatosis and Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (given two weeks apart). It's also best if they are neutered; for males, this can be done from 16 weeks onwards, for females, from around 5-6 months onwards. If you get a male and a female, they will need to separate until 6 weeks after the male's been neutered.
 
I'd recommend getting the biggest you can fit and afford off the bat. 6x2 with an attached 6x6 run is what my local branch of the rspca will home to, but I know many rescues will accept a 6x2 hutch and 6x4 run.

We got one that looked big but wasn't really that large (5ft double, no run) when we first got our buns, we quickly upgraded to a bigger one (4x3ft hutch with 6.5 x3ft run), we then built a 6x3ft run to add on to it and finally we've upgraded to an 8x6 shed with 8x8 run.
If we'd just got the shed in the first place we'd have saved ourself a fortune!:lol:
The entire reason for this is that once you've seen a rabbit tear around your garden at full speed nothing you can give them will seem big enough and you just want to give them as much space as you possibly can.

I'd fully recommend lino-ing any hutch as well, stops wee soaking in and is easier to clean.


Things you need
- 2 bottles (in case one cracks or when they freeze in cold weather)
- a bottle brush
- a small food bowl (an eggcup full of pellets is the recommended amount of food for an average size bun per day)
- food
- hay (should make up 80% of their diet)
- hay rack (I use a half moon basket)
- toys!
- litter trays (I have big storage boxes)
- substrate (I use aubiose but there are several options, just avoid wood shavings)
- cleaning stuff.
 
I've definitely done my research into hutches! That's why I'm so confused! Lol.
I've got a run that I acquired from the people who had our house before us and I'm not sure it can be attached to the hutch but that's fine.
I'm getting 2 does from the same litter so they are sisters. I ideally want a hutch that is 2 tiered so that if necessary I can keep them apart until they are spayed.
The buns are weaned onto a&p pellets at the moment but as that's do hard to come by where I live, they will be getting SS pellets. They come with changeover food... Which begs my next question... Do I just mix a bit of the a&p stuff with their new feed during the changeover period? That's what I do for my horse... Just wondered if it's the same for bunnies?!



Try to get a 6ft x 2ft double if you can, but a 5ft x 2ft double is also sufficient. The run doesn't have to be attached, but it is best. If it's not attached, then just put them in it during daylight hours. The run should be at least 25sqft, or 5ft x 5ft or 6ft x 4ft, but the bigger, the better. You may want to think about where you place it, on grass or concrete. Grass is a natural food for a rabbit and allows them to graze, but most people can only do this during the summer months as during the winter, it gets muddy, so you may want to put them on concrete during winter.

Accessories:
- Water bottle and bowl (ceramic dog bowls are best)
- Litter tray (cat trays or high sided corner trays or covered trays)
- Litter (do NOT use clumping cat litter, it can be fatal if ingested by rabbit, use paper based litter instead, such as Megazorb or Carefresh)
- Food (use a pellet food, such as Science Selective, Oxbow Bunny Basics, Excel)
- Hay (use hay that is green and sweet smelling, such as Timothy or Meadow hay; bought online, from pet shops or farm shops)
- Carrier (cat carriers are best)
- Toys (willow goes down well with my rabbits; willow balls, baskets, sticks, tents, tunnels etc)

The rabbits will need to be vaccinated at 8 weeks of age for Myxomatosis and Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (given two weeks apart). It's also best if they are neutered; for males, this can be done from 16 weeks onwards, for females, from around 5-6 months onwards. If you get a male and a female, they will need to separate until 6 weeks after the male's been neutered.
 
If I was to have outdoor bunnies now I would get...

  • a 6x4 shed
  • aviary panels
though obviously a hutch may do you better if you are bringing them in in winter

  • lino for the shed/hutch
  • fleece/blankets/vetbed unless you go for the fill the whole hutch with hay route - be aware that putting hay everywhere makes it harder for them to know where their toilet is
  • large underbed storage boxes for litter trays
  • water bowl AND bottle - some rabbits like using bottles some like bowls
  • a large shallow food bowl (I actually use those saucer things they sell for plant pots to go on)
  • carrier - this is my favourite one http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=327&pf_id=5536 it is expensive but the top is SO helpful at the vets I cannot even begin to describe - I also use it to stroke and calm my rabbits on the journey
and then supplies

  • pellets
  • hay (bales are cheaper but require places to store them - they also tend to be better quality than most pet shops)
  • megazorb/auboise/carefresh/wood cat litter (I prefer megazorb myself. not tried auboise or carefresh - cat litter is good but heavy! Shavings aren't appropriate for rabbits)
As for toys - mine don't really play with toys. I prefer tunnels and levels for them to explore over actual toys.
 
In an ideal world I'd love a shed, however I simply don't have room for one. They are going to have to make do with a hutch. I'm looking at a 5 or 6 foot one with two tiers.





If I was to have outdoor bunnies now I would get...

  • a 6x4 shed
  • aviary panels
though obviously a hutch may do you better if you are bringing them in in winter

  • lino for the shed/hutch
  • fleece/blankets/vetbed unless you go for the fill the whole hutch with hay route - be aware that putting hay everywhere makes it harder for them to know where their toilet is
  • large underbed storage boxes for litter trays
  • water bowl AND bottle - some rabbits like using bottles some like bowls
  • a large shallow food bowl (I actually use those saucer things they sell for plant pots to go on)
  • carrier - this is my favourite one http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=327&pf_id=5536 it is expensive but the top is SO helpful at the vets I cannot even begin to describe - I also use it to stroke and calm my rabbits on the journey
and then supplies

  • pellets
  • hay (bales are cheaper but require places to store them - they also tend to be better quality than most pet shops)
  • megazorb/auboise/carefresh/wood cat litter (I prefer megazorb myself. not tried auboise or carefresh - cat litter is good but heavy! Shavings aren't appropriate for rabbits)
As for toys - mine don't really play with toys. I prefer tunnels and levels for them to explore over actual toys.
 
Thanks :)
My buns will be outdoor bunnies. They will be in a heated garage during the winter then out in the garden in spring.

Just a question, if the RSPCA recommend 6ft, then why do manufacturers even bother making anything smaller? Lol. It would save kits of decision making on my part!

Hutches are also made for guineapigs which dont need as large hutches as rabbits.

Generally manufactures want to get their money, if it means you buying a 'starter' hutch and then you end up upgrading they get two lots of money from you. Others are happy to sell you a small cheap hutch as many owners would not buy a rabbit if they could only get expensive big hutches. Sadly often these people often are those who have not done their research into the longer term needs of rabbits and rabbit ownership.
 
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