• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

thinking about getting a bunny-- have a few questions

emzy08

New Kit
hi--

i'm new to the forum. i live away from home for college, and miss my dog and cats, so i was thinking of getting a bunny for my apartment. i love animals and i think a bunny would be a good fit. i do have a few questions though..

first, i want something affectionate and with a personality. hamsters and guinea pigs just aren't like having a dog or cat. it seems that bunnies are this way, but i guess i was just confirmation :)

second, what is their housing like? i have a large cage (32x22 i believe). the bunny would be primarily out in the apartment, but i do have roommates so when i am gone/at class (not usually for more than a few hours at a time) i think it would be best that she be in her cage. that being said, would she be better in her cage, or loose (in my room) at night?

third, what kind of bedding do they use, or do they need bedding? i want to litter train the bunny (the breeder i am looking to get her at will have them litter trained), so do they need bedding? i know they need constant hay, in addition to their food. basically, what is their set up like?

and anything else i should need to know! i feel like a bunny will be a good pet for me, but i need to know more about them before i commit. thanks!
 
It depends on the bun, some are shy and don't like attention much, and some are the opposite.

definitely would need to be free range in your room as much as possible. Unless you can have a big C&C cage + attached run.

bedding isn't really needed. I use newspaper and hay.

2 bunnies is much better than one. They're very social animals.

Adoption would be best, there are lots of homeless buns. I'm guessing you're American, so if you don't know of any rescues there is craigslist where you can adopt homeless buns. also could check out Pet Finder.
 
will he be ok though, in the cage when im gone? i want a small one, so he would have room to move around and stuff.

and at night, what do you recommend?
 
Is the cage in inches? It would be better suited to a hamster rather than a rabbit. If not free ranged, rabbits need a 6ftx2ft cage and a attached run of 6ftx4ft because they're really active animals :)

At night I'd just leave the rabbit(s) out as long as the room is rabbit proof. My past rabbit, Izzy, free ranged my room without a cage 24/7 and he loved it.
 
it is inches (i forgot this was a uk site!) but its a rabbit cage. its significantly bigger than a hamster cage!

what all does rabbit proofing require? i know they eat wires, but not much else about them..
 
:wave: Answers in red
hi--

i'm new to the forum. i live away from home for college, and miss my dog and cats, so i was thinking of getting a bunny for my apartment. i love animals and i think a bunny would be a good fit. i do have a few questions though..
Basic, but has the landlord and your room mates agreed to having a pet?
first, i want something affectionate and with a personality. hamsters and guinea pigs just aren't like having a dog or cat. it seems that bunnies are this way, but i guess i was just confirmation :)
Bunnies can be affectionate and have wonderful personalities, usually if allowed to be proper bunnies. However, that's not a guarantee and some can be grumpy or destructive or nervy. I have 2 indoor ones that despite being neutered, having company, plenty of space and enrichment, they still destroyed furniture (have a special interest in soft furnishings :oops:) and are incredibly nervous - do not like being handled at all.
second, what is their housing like? i have a large cage (32x22 i believe). the bunny would be primarily out in the apartment, but i do have roommates so when i am gone/at class (not usually for more than a few hours at a time) i think it would be best that she be in her cage. that being said, would she be better in her cage, or loose (in my room) at night?
That cage sounds small but may be OK if it really is just for a few hours a day. The apaprtment would have to be totally bunny-proofed. Wires are of particular interest (there's a theory that they look like yummy twigs) and many a settee, curtains, skirting boards etc. have been destroyed (see thread in this section on that specific subject). Are you all (including landlord and flatmates) prepared for that?. If he/she was in such a small cage for longer, behavioural as well as health issues would more than likely arise.third, what kind of bedding do they use, or do they need bedding? i want to litter train the bunny (the breeder i am looking to get her at will have them litter trained), so do they need bedding? i know they need constant hay, in addition to their food. basically, what is their set up like?
Good luck with the litter tray training but bear in mnd that once home, as territorial animals, he/she may start weeing and or pooing in different areas to mark hes/her territory. I assume that the breeder has advised you to get the bunny neutered. As well as calming hormonal behaviour and other health benefits, un-neutered buns wee stinks! It's extremely potent and I certainly couldn't put up with that smell indoors. Bedding - in the litter tray, a layer of newspaper covered with megazorb (absorbant and soaks up wee) then covered with hay so they can nibble and poop at the same time.

and anything else i should need to know! i feel like a bunny will be a good pet for me, but i need to know more about them before i commit. thanks!

Bunnies are social animals and do better with their own kind. You mare more likely to see wonderful behaviour traits develop when all their basic needs are met, including having a pal (preferably of the oppsoite sex) to interact with. you can't beat seeing two loved up bunnies playing, snuggling and grooming each other :love:).

Hope that's helped and fire away if you have any more questions :)
 
Last edited:
:wave: Sorry I didn't realise you live across the pond ;). I'm not sure what the American equivalent of megazorb is - perhaps William can help there.
 
that was another question-- is it highly recommended they be neutered? im not dead set on getting it from the breeder (shes a friend) but im definitly going to look into rescue.

roomies and landlord are ok :)

no curtains, i am prepared to hide wires, and im not sure about the furniture. if they have other things to chew on, will they still chew on furniture?
 
Sadly most rabbit and hamster cages you see at pet shops are way too small. My hamster cages are that size.

It depends on the rabbit, For my rabbits its mainly cords but just in case I don't leave anything valuable within their reach.

I'm not sure what the American equivalent of megazorb is - perhaps William can help there.

Aspen shavings, carefresh, yesterday's news, basically paper based products, are safe.
 
Last edited:
that was another question-- is it highly recommended they be neutered? im not dead set on getting it from the breeder (shes a friend) but im definitly going to look into rescue.

roomies and landlord are ok :)

no curtains, i am prepared to hide wires, and im not sure about the furniture. if they have other things to chew on, will they still chew on furniture?

:wave: Neutering is definitely the way to go. If not neutered, the nicest natured bun could turn into an evil little whatsit once his/her hormones kick in. Also I can't emphasise enough how bad an un-neutered buns wee stinks. It is truly foul and I wouldn't want it in an apartment, tainting all the furniture and clothes etc. even if you get used to the smell.

My indoor pair had all the sticks and chewing stuff in the world... but still preferred my furniture :roll:. They turned my bedroom into a scene from the Tainted Love by Marilyn Manson video - funny now but I was not happy at the time.
 
oh my gosh. how did u stop them from chewing?

how difficult is litter box training, if they are not already so?
 
oh my gosh. how did u stop them from chewing?

how difficult is litter box training, if they are not already so?

I had to change to bed to an open style one after they wrecked the divan base by turning it into a warren :oops:. I failed miserably in the stopping chewing stakes :oops: and had to strip the bed and keep all duvets, pillows, blankets etc. away and only get them out when I needed them. They ruined too much expensive bedding for me to leave it out for them :(.

Litter tray training - some get it, some never do. My indoor boys were great and would only pee and poo in their litter trays. However, just before the bond between them broke, I did notice they were scaterring the odd poop around the room.

Here's the link for what buns have destoyed

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=299168
 
Oh I forgot, even though perfectly litter tray trained, once they discovered the joys of being on the bed, they chose the corner of that to pee in as well :(.
I had to redecorate (the wee stained the paintwork) and then attempt to block off that corner. Unfortunately I chose a pile of cushions, which they loved destroying :oops:
 
you are a student? can you afford rabbits? mine cost me around £80 a month (between them, i have two, and that includes insurance) but that does not include the damage to property etc - and mine are nice, friendly, five-year old bunnies, boy and girl littermates, both neutered. i wouldn't recommend rabbits as pets for anyone - you need to be particularly un-moved by a damaged home, particularly well-off and willing to spend everything you have and more on their care (how much does it cost to get a broken bunny-leg in the usa? its a lot here. fingers crossed it never happens). also when they moult everything, and i mean everything, gets covered in hair. expect to find rabbit hair in your underwear and in your food. to have rabbits as pets you need to be mad, of independent means, childless or children having flown the nest and over forty - or possibly a devoted teenager with wealthy and generous parents. rabbits are the wrong, wrong pets. don't get them. a big, cosy syrian hamster with longish (not fancy-long) hair is much better - but no other kind of hamster because the others don't relate to you).

and before you ask, i wouldn't part with mine...
 
I wouldn't say rabbits are bad pets. I'm grown up with rabbits and other pets ever since I was born so perhaps i'm just used to taking care of them, being tolerant of mess, fur, behavioral problems, etc but I wouldn't say any of those things have ruined my experience of having rabbits at all and I'm even allergic to hay and fur.

I'd certainly recommend them to anyone who could afford them and has the space (which you must admit is really, really cheap, other than vet bills, I mean, if you have free range house buns).

Overall, like all pets, you need to have the money, space, and time and how difficult they are to own depends on how they are taken care of (i.e a hutch is much more difficult to clean out than a litterpan is for a free range house bun) but I wouldn't say they're very difficult to own, in my experience.
 
Rabbits can be very affectionate and intelligent, but equally some can be vey independent and a little aloof. If you're expecting them to be anything like a cat or a dog, then you will be disappointed I'm afraid :( but they are lovely animals in their own right & can make great pets for anybody who is prepared to accept them as they are. :D

As already said, the cage size you quoted isn't big enough for a rabbit though, even for short periods of time. Happybun mentioned hamsters and all syrians (not just the long-haired) are very loving and have more personality that they are given credit for so I wouldn't write them off completely if space is an issue.
 
it is inches (i forgot this was a uk site!) but its a rabbit cage. its significantly bigger than a hamster cage!

what all does rabbit proofing require? i know they eat wires, but not much else about them..

Unfortunately that cage is far too small and is not significantly bigger than the recommended size of a hamster cage. Most hammy keepers on this forum use these types of cages http://www.thepetexpress.co.uk/?p=2_4&pid=13486 which is slightly bigger than but is smaller than this one http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages/hamster_cages/174238 and this which is also popular for hamsters http://www.gardencentre.co.uk/product.asp?id=15439&sr=gbase&ad=15439

if you want to use the cage you would be better off removing the lid and just using it as a litter tray and either building a pen or allowing the rabbits to be free range.
 
Rabbits can be very affectionate and intelligent, but equally some can be vey independent and a little aloof. If you're expecting them to be anything like a cat or a dog, then you will be disappointed I'm afraid but they are lovely animals in their own right & can make great pets for anybody who is prepared to accept them as they are.

I dunno, I always think of my buns as a cat-dog cross. Depends on the buns i think.
 
I dunno, I always think of my buns as a cat-dog cross. Depends on the buns i think.

Yeah, you're probably right there - I've had dogs and have a cat now & my bunnies are nothing like either; they're equally as lovable and full of personality but in an entirely different way. And, when you're getting a bunny, you won't know whether it's a bunny that thinks it's part-cat/dog or just a good old bunny-bunny. :lol:
 
If you get a single bun you will probably find it will be a lot more destructive, purely because it will be bored. You may say, but a human will be around but for a rabbit a human is a poor substitute for one of it's own kind. Rabbits use their body language to communicate in many ways, some of which we understand, many of which we don't!

If you decide to get a pair of bunnies I would suggest looking at bunny proofing a room. As pointed out there are hardly ANY cages, whether marketed as rabbit cages or not, that are suitable for rabbits. Usually the best thing is to other get hold of some interlocking mesh grids or a dog crate and puppy pen. But I much prefer having a room proofed where I can share the space with them. One thing you realise when you start looking into rabbits is that everything marketed 'rabbit' is too small. Dog and cat things are usually much better size wise. Mine have dog beds and dog bowls, a cat litter tray makes a good bed as well. Underbed storage boxes and washing up bowls work well for litter trays.

Bunnies can be very affectionate but at the same time value their independence. They don't like being picked up, they much prefer to come and see you (especially if you have food!!) or you to get down on the floor with them.

As for bedding I use newspaper and hay in their litter trays. The rest of the room is linoed and they have dog beds or cat litter trays with towels and blankets.

Please, please neuter your rabbit (or even better get a rescue!) or you will get sprayed, the rabbit will be hormonally frustrated and you will find it nigh on impossible to achieve a bond with another rabbit. With females there is a very, very high instance of ovarian cancer which spaying completely removes the risk of.
 
Back
Top