Preparing for our bunnies

We are collecting our bunnies on Saturday and they will be six weeks old. We are having two, a little boy and a little girl.

We have nearly finished building their hutch, it is 8" wide x 4" deep x 5" high with two floors and a ladder. It has a bottom "floor" and is on legs, it doesn't go straight onto the ground. We are also making a huge run that can either clip to the hutch or we can move around the garden seperate from the hutch when we want to.

Can anyone recommend any specific toys for them and any well known good sites to get them from. Before I go off on a buying spree I am not sure if any rescue homes sell them and if so would rather money go there than the pet shop etc. I have seen a few toys I like the look of!

I really like the long tunnels and the plastic hideouts I have seen so far, also do you think we will need 2 water bottles and 2 feeding bowls, or would we just be better with 1?

Also, I would like them to use a litter tray, I have seen corner trays and square trays, is it just personal preference or is there a "bunny" preference in general. Would the 2 bunnies use the same tray?

They are really tiny at the moment, and I want them to feel secure, I am a bit worried the hutch is too big for them now, although I know it will be great when they get bigger.

Also when we had rabbits before we always put newspaper down and then sawdust and straw in the bedroom and hay to eat. Is this still the correct way. As said above I would ideally like to get a litter tray for them to use (hopefully!!).

Thanks for your help.

Hi there
The hutch you are building sounds fantastic! Most people ow recommend not using sawdust/shavings as it can cause health problems. I just use a layer of newspaper with hay on the top.
Litter tray - I like them really big! They will probably both want to sit in it together, so a large rectangular one will probably be best.
One bowl and one bottle should be fine.

I am slightly concerned that you say you are gettign them at 6 weeks. Baby rabbits shouldn't be sold until 8 weeks old. Where are you getting them from?

You should get them neutred as soon as they are old enough or you could end up with alot more bunnies

I got confused a bit, they were 6 weeks when we saw them so will be 7 weeks and 1 day old.

We promised the children we would get a rabbit in the spring at the end of last year and some friends got 2 from the garden centre last week, I will not get any rabbits from the garden centre or pet shop so searched on the internet and found someone that had some, they are x breed.

I didnt find this website until after we had been to see them and chosen the two which is a shame because we could have given 2 bunnies a home from here.

I thought they may be a bit young but the lady said because there were two going together then this would be fine, so we have gone along with that and I am soooo excited, I'm counting down the sleeps with the children!

We had 2 rabbits who died 2 years ago aged 7, so it feels like it was ages ago and I want to make sure I have moved with the times and am not doing anything wrong!

Thanks for your advice, I will look for a large tray and just the 1 bottle and bowl and will forget the sawdust, does nobody use straw either now?

So any rescue places sell any bits and pieces?

I have already rang the vet about getting them neutered/speyed and vaccines for myxi and VHD. Was told they can have the vaccines from 6 weeks, 2 weeks apart.

We don't want a litter of babies so have arranged with the vet to go in around 11 weeks to see if they think baby boy will be ready for neutering at 12 weeks.

To be honest we didnt realise how expensive it was to have the bunnies neutered/speyed and was initially going to get both of them "done". But may just get baby boy done now, would there be any problems with not having baby girl speyed?

Sorry for all the questions

Leaving the girl unspayed will mean her risking getting uterine cancer (80% of Does over 5 contract it) and also lead to behavioural problems linked to her hormones. It may also cause friction between her and the boy due to an overwhelming desire to mate.

If you cannot afford to have them neutered you need to ask yourself if you can afford them full stop....what if they get sick? Rabbits are classed as exotics and need specialist knowledge and treatment making them expensive pets to keep.

They are still to young to be rehomed....8 weeks is minimum many people wait 12. The fact they are together makes no difference, its Mum they need to be with. They will still be learning from her, helping them develope and become more sociable.

Fair doos.

That is what I was asking for, not necessarily saying we wouldn't get her spayed, simply asking the implications. I was just a bit surprised that it was nearly £80 to get baby girl spayed and just under £60 for baby boy.

We are definitely getting baby boy done and if there are implications, which it seems there are, then we will get baby girl done too.

We fully understand the cost of rabbits, I have had 1 or 2 rabbits for about 30 years, but the past 2 years we haven't had any. During this time we have not (to my knowledge - dad may have done when I was little) had any spayed or neutered. Our last 2 rabbits were 2 sisters and got on just fine with us, the dog and each other.

I am only asking for advice and stating what we were told by the person we are having them from with regards to their age.

rory+polly said:

I am only asking for advice and stating what we were told by the person we are having them from with regards to their age.

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And I think it's wonderful that you are

Welcome to the forum :wave:

Might want to try another vet for those spaying and neutering prices! - Mine were only done last year and the boy right at the end of he year - he was £40 , she was £50.
I am glad you came on the forum! Its nice to know bunnies are going to good homes, and it sounds like they will be....
but I would question that they were leaving mum a bit to early to. Even if there is 2 of them coming together - see maybe if you could collect them a week or so later. Anyways welcome to RU! - Beware its addictive :lol:

It's £60 for boys and £90 for girls here!

Hiya, welcome to RU

I've seen buns for sale from 6 weeks and whilst it's not recommended, if you don't buy these as arranged then chances are the owner will seperate them off anyway, so I would say at least they're going to a good home!

In terms of whether they might be frightened in such a large space initially, you could try putting a 'hooded cat loo' in your hutch to give them an extra hidey or even a cardboard box stuff with hay.

My bun's spay was £70 which is pretty average. Apart from preventing her get uterine cancer and pregnancy, it's also calmed her down loads and she's a much happier bunny now she's no longer driven by hormones. It is expensive, I agree - the vet told me it's due to the cost of the drugs required to get them through the operation - there is a much much lower mortality rate than it used to be and apparently it is due to these drugs. Worth doing though

Good luck getting your rabbits, am looking forward to seeing the pics, they sound adorable

ps these are good sites for your bunny stuff

http://www.bunnybasics.net/
http://www.thehayexperts.com/index.php
http://www.vagavalley.co.uk/bunnysupplies/

Hi

Thanks for all your help.

We could try another vet but am reluctant to because we have used these vets forever and I know they know what they're doing, all the vets. Our dog has had major operations and they let me go in and sit with him in the evenings for about 3 hours each evening while he was recouperating and until he was allowed home fit and well.

I have obviously spoken to them already about the vaccines and neutering and they told me about waiting 2 weeks apart for the myxi and VHD (I only knew because I had read it on here), and they told me to pop baby boy in at just over 11 weeks to make sure he could be neutered at 12 weeks and if he can't just keep popping back so they can check him. I am happy to do this and am happy with them. Would feel on edge if I didnt know the vet I was going to.

Thanks for those sites, I will have a look.

We will block off the upstairs for the time being and put a temporary piece over the bottom of the hutch to half it so they dont feel insecure and see how they go, am worried now they might fall off the ladder or something.

I did ask the lady if they were old enough to go because I actually thought it was 10 weeks, but she said they would be fine at just over 7 weeks, she would have waited until 8 weeks for 1 but because there were 2. I am reluctant to go back on this now and believe they are all going on Saturday and I dont know what she would do or say, so would rather leave it as is.

I'm sure they will be fine Soundsd like you are oing all the right things.
I would stick with the vet too - a good vet is worth paying a little extra for

.Welcome to the forum. You must all be getting quite excited about getting them..not long to wait now I 'd like to add a bit about the litter tray/trays. I'd get two or even three. My hutch is smaller than yours ...5x3 double storey with a 5x4 run attached, and I have two trays upstairs and one downstairs. I initially bought a couple of corner trays but found they were much too small, then a rectangualr one, but the buns kept weeing over the side as they tended to reverse on to it until their tails hit the back wall and then performed!! So I ended up wth big rectangular high-backed ones and they are perfect. Hmmm sound like the goldilocks story :lol:

:wave: Welcome to the Forum. Your hutch sounds fabby ! Sounds asthough you are doing all the right things before getting your buns My neutering is £30 and spaying is £30 too, suppose Im lucky as my vets is very reasonable. I have double hutches with attached runs and use two litter trays and water bowl in the run and a bottle on the hutch top section. Hope this helps

Sounds like you are being very committed and responsible with these bunnies - and their hutch sounds fantastic! They are too young at 7 weeks, but it has been done and isn't a disaster - they do learn social skills from their mum though, and very young rabbits are more likely to die from a sudden change of diet and the stress of a new home, which also affects their digestion - stress is a big killer with rabbits.

The important thing is not to change their diet suddenly, or introduce any veg if they're not used to eating veg - they don't have the neccessary digestive bacteria and it can make them very poorly indeed if you change their diet dramatically when they are tiny.

Ideally get some of the food the breeder has fed them, and let them settle into their new home, before making any more changes or vaccinating them - trips to the vet, vaccinations etc all stress a rabbit as they tend to be high strung animals.

None of my girls are spayed - it's recommended but not compulsory. They are all very sweet natured!

The main problem I can forsee with getting a boy and girl is that he will still be fertile for up to 2 months AFTER his neutering op. It's quite possible she will get pregnant if they are living together after the age of 4 months. Also bear in mind that because a vet is good with dogs does not mean he knows rabbits - many otherwise good vets are woefully ignorant about their care so be wary and keep asking questions here!

elve said:

The important thing is not to change their diet suddenly, or introduce any veg if they're not used to eating veg - they don't have the neccessary digestive bacteria and it can make them very poorly indeed if you change their diet dramatically when they are tiny.

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Yes, I'll second that. Make sure you get some of the same brand and type of food they've been eating where they are now so you can continue this and find out what type (if any) greens they have been having.

Neutering is pretty expensive if you have both done at once but you could always get the girl done at a later date. Often vets spay females later than males anyway.

Rabbits vets bills do add up so I'd recommend either getting insurance of putting aside a bit of money each week/month in a savings account so you have a backup pot of money if they ever need expensive treatment.

Bestw ishes,
Tamsin

Just a quick message to say welcome. Neutering costs seem to vary so much - my females cost £51 each, which is very reasonable compared to many vets.

I'm not sure of when the male needs to be neutered to ensure he doesn't impregnate the female, but I'm sure you can leave it a little later to have the female done once the male has been. This will allow you to save up a bit more.

Welcome to RU! New bunnies sound like they will have a wonderful life!

Fiona x

Welcome. Hutch sounds great, can I live in it!

I didn't get my doe spayed until a week a go, she's just had her first birthday and luckily didn't get any hormonal issues until a couple of weeks ago. As long as you get her spayed within the first couple of years (unless she gets crazily hormonal of course) I don't think you need to worry about getting her done urgently.

It's fair enough to say you should have the money for it, but having money to care for it and having an extra £100 to what you planned for right away are two different things in my eyes.