New Owner

Hello, I'm kind of new to owning rabbits, apart from having a couple when i was younger...now I want some more after seeing my friends

So...a few questions.....

I've got two rats, and know that rats shouldn't be kept alone, should rabbits also be kept as at least a pair?

I've ordered a 4ft hutch which will be inside, and I'm going to buy a run to go in the garden. Is a 4ft hutch big enough? I want it/them to have enough room

Does anyone know if bunnies get on with rats? they'll be in the same room...

Any idea which kind of bunny/s I should get as a first time owner?

and last of all:
this might sound really silly but if I cant get two bunnies, like if the cage is too small, could I get a bunny and a guinea pig?

Sorry for all the questions! I just want to be clued up so I don't make a mistake next week.

Hiya,

Bunnies and guinea pigs shouldn't be kept together, they need different diets and rabbits have been known to injure/kill guinea pigs, which they can easily do by accident because of the size difference. They communicate very different to so don't make great friends as they don't talk the same language.

You shouldn't have any problems with housing rabbits/rats in the same room but again because of the size difference rabbits are a threat to rats so no interacting.

Bunnies are cute little things most of the time but they can inflict nasty injuries if they do attack.

A 4' cage would be fine as long as they have plenty of exercise time out of the cage... at least 4-5 hours per day preferably in the evening/morning when they are most active. If possible you could bunny proof the room and give them free access in/out of the hutch the majority of the time. Rabbits are easy to litter train. If that's not possible you could use a pen to give them a bit more space with out access to the whole room. Here is a good example: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=21816&highlight=lino

Rabbits are quite like rats in a lot of ways, they are social and like to live in pairs/groups, they snuggle up together and love toys to play with.

Pairing them up can be a little more difficult that with rats, same-sex rabbits have a tendancy to fight so a neutered male/female pair is best. The easiest thing to do is go to a rescue and adopt a pair that are already together and neutered (saves you a bit in vets bills too!).

A lot of people are tempted by the babies and I can see why but I'd recommend going for a slightly older pair. They grow up quick and are only babies a couple of months so you don't miss much. Rabbits get their teenage hormones around 6-8 months and their personalities can change a lot. If you pick a pair of friendly bunnies from a year old upwards then you'll know what their temperaments are really like - no turning into moody grumpy bunnies :lol:

There is no particularly breed that's best for new owners. Rabbits personalities are down to the individuals so don't rely on the breed to know what they are like. With a 4' cage you'll need to stick to smaller rabbits so Netherland Dwarf's or mini lops would be ideal (or one of each). If you can provide free access to the whole room or a pen like in the example you could go for something more medium sized. There are lots of cross breeds in rescues. My favourite are the ones with ears that stick out sideways :lol:

Tam

thelma said:

Sorry for all the questions! I just want to be clued up so I don't make a mistake next week.

Click to expand...

Have a read through the rabbit care reference section of this forum http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=12 and the rabbit care section of the Rabbit Rehome website http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/rabbitcare.asp - there is lots of useful info on there that will help you get started.

Thanks a lot for all the help

Hi and welcome Thelma

I love it when people own a bun for the first time and have the sense to ask questions! No question is silly if it's something you're worried about! As for a good breed to start with, go for something smallish, I'm a huge fan of lionheads so will recommend them! They're soppy and gorgeous!