Advice for houserabbit preparation

[lizzyjm]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and new to the world of rabbits! I'm adopting two baby brothers and should hopefully be picking them up in a couple of weeks after they've been neutered. I've been reading up a lot about what to do and what to expect, etc, so I'm not going into this totally blind.

I'm told the buns are Dutch Cross and at the moment they're fairly small because they're young.

I've already got a 4' dog crate set up with a pen attached but I'm a bit overwhelmed with the choice of other things to get. (They will hopefully be allowed into the flat and out on the balcony eventually, they won't be locked in the cage forever!) I've ordered a couple of bowls from ebay and have made a list of other things I need to get:

Bedding
Litter
Litter tray
Toys
Timothy hay
Meadow hay?
Pellets
Hay rack
Travel carriers
Seagrass mat
Twine for hanging toys?
Medical kit
Water bottles

I've also been saving up cardboard boxes and loo roll centres! I guess I line the bottom of the cage with newspaper but do I need anything else? For the bedding, I've found these 'Vet Beds' - would they be okay? Should I get a couple for each rabbit and then I can use one for the travel carriers as well and when they're in the wash. I don't really know what size to get though. Talking of travel carriers, again, I'm not sure about size. I've found this one
on ebay but I'm not sure if it's too small. They will be brought home in them which will probably be a (hired) car journey of around an hour and a half but after that it'll probably just be the occasional half hour walk to the vets.

The problem with food/litter/hay is getting big bags home. I work during the day so can only get things delivered to work. I notice that Tesco do a rabbit pellet food that I could get in an evening internet delivery - has anyone used this? The bunnies are currently eating Excel Pellets and I realise I would have to change over gradually. Alternatively I could maybe bring a suitcase to work and wheel the sacks home!

If anyone has any advice on any of the above or anything else then please let me know! Thank you.

 

[lizzyjm]

Should I have perhaps posted this in a different part of the forum?

 

[funnybunnyabc]

Hiyyah :wave:
No you have youre post in the right place i think
im just gonna start from the top so here goes . . .

Hi and welcome to the forum :wave:
so i was just wondering how big is the pen is for the buns ?
cardbord boxes are great i just cut a hole in each end and one on the top and bun loves it also i found that with toilet roll tubes that if you put a treat in the middle and then blockk it in with hay that provides like litrally 3 hours of fun
i think newspaper and vet bed will be good ( my bun tends to have a nibble at the newspaper :lol: )

Good Luck with buns p.s wat are there names ? we will need pics wehn buns arive!

ETA im not really sure on tesco food is it tescos own ?im not very sure on thenutrition :?

 

[tracey madigan]

Hi,think you have most of it covered but cable protectors maybe a good idea as they can chew through them before you can blink :roll: .Have you not got a pet store near you that would be open on weekends for supplies then?

 

[bunlover]

i would suggest hosepipe to wrap any cables or plug wires in and make sure any plants are well out of rabbits reach a stair gate to stop him leaving certain rooms? also how about litter trays, hay rack and stuff for litter trays such as megazorb etc, also maybe a soft towel to hide in tunnels or cardboard boxes veggies, you should only need one large carrier for a bonded pair as yo uwont want to seperate them. but most of that already on list! lol

 

[Gemmapookie]

Hi and welcome to the forum :wave:
Sounds like you're all organised and ready to go
Will they be free ranging eventually? If so as suggested above you'll need to bunny proof your house or their room by covering wires, removing plants and any valuable wooden furniture :roll: Wat is your flooring like? Buns tend to not like hard slippy floors such as tiles or laminate so if you have these you might need to get some carpet tiles or similar to cover it with.
Have a look on thehayexperts.com for toys, healthy treats, tunnels etc to keep them entertained. Vetbed is a perfect choice of bedding for them
I'd stick to excell pellets if possible, can you order a big bag off the internet if there's not a pet store nearby? Just incase you dont already know they'll only need the equivalent of an egg cup full of pellets each per day (I give mine theirs in the morning for breakfast) and remember to ask the rescue you're getting them from what veggies they're used to. Introduce any new veg really slowly.
Only other thing I can think is to get a good bunny brush so that you can groom them everyday. This will help you bond with them and will keep them from shedding too much on your carpet
Good luck, and get some piccys on here as soon as they're settled in :wave:

 

[lizzyjm]

Argh I posted a long reply to this but it doesn't seem to have posted! I don't have time to rewrite it at the moment so for now will just say thanks for the helpful replies and I'll write more later or in the morning.

 

[lizzyjm]

Hooray, the message I wrote was still on the clipboard on my work PC!
---

Thank you, so much for the replies - very helpful!

Gemmapookie - they will be free-ranging eventually (possibly excepting the bedroom!) and I think I've mostly bunny-proofed the place, though I do still need to sort out something with the computer cables which are awkward as they all go in different directions! I didn't realise they would only have an eggcup's worth of food each so that's useful to know! I couldn't find any info on amounts on the Burgess website. A bunny-brush is also a good idea, thanks!

bunlover - it's good to know they can go in the same carrier - how big do you think it needs to be? Obviously I want to get whatever's best for them but I'm also mindful of the mounting costs! Actually thinking about it, I also need to be able to pick up the thing and be able to walk with it. Hosepipe is also a good idea, though I don't know many people with gardens and therefore old hosepipes what with living in London. I'm sure I've got some old towels too that I can use.

tracey madigan - There is a pet shop I investigated on Saturday and they did have big sacks of Excel pellets, though it's still a good 20 minute uphill walk home! I wonder if they would fit in my suitcase...

funnybunnyabc - the pen is this one, with 8 91cmx61cm panels attached to the cage. I have it going longways down the hallway though, not in the octagon shape. I might get another one and attach to the other door to give them a bit more space when I'm not around to supervise. The Tesco rabbit food is Wagg Optimum Premium Rabbit Food rather than their own. I've ordered one in my next delivery as it's only £2.94 so I guess I can try mixing it into the Excel after a while for a trial run maybe.

I'm still thinking of names at the moment, on the website they were just down as Baby 1 and Baby 2 but I found out on Saturday that they've been calling them Dash and Blankie, but they said I could rename them if I want! Current front-runners are Adam & Joe (from the telly/radio duo), Pootle & Perkin (from The Flumps) and Pick & Mix!

(Edited because I keep forgetting to subscribe to the thread)

 

[lizzyjm]

This is a picture from when I went to visit them on Saturday:

 

[TeflonsShadow]

1: Set up - you say you have a dog crate and a dog pen, if this doesnt have a lid/roof, I would recommend getting some thin material (like net curtain, do you know what I mean?) and make a roof (attaching the material to the top of the pen with clothes pegs), I learnt this the hard way when my nethie was coming out of the pen while we were out and helping himself to naughty food!!

2: Bedding etc. I would HIGHLY recommend getting some litter trays and using wood pellet cat litter (NOT CLAY) as this keeps the smell down (I use two big trays from Wilko next to each other for my SMALL two, I would recommend two between yours, if not more). After you have the cat litter in the trays, add handfulls of hay, they LOVE to sit in their litter trays and eat while pooping.....!!

3: Bedding again. One good thing you can use are hooded cat beds, but these arent always good, it depends if your buns are destructive .... or they may use it to pee in........ vet bed fleece is good, make sure you have spare in case you need to wash it (which is a great advantage). My two have an IKEA rug in theres.

4: Rabbit proofing. Get on all fours and SEARCH for any spaces they can squeeze into..... stuff these with pillows etc or block with cardboard/wood. Only give them supervised free range to begin with, so you can watch to make sure they dont manage to hide!!

5: CABLES!!! Bunnehs LOVE cables, mine especially love thin ones, so make sure ALL cables are out of the way or guarded by you.... you can buy cable protectors too.....

6: Fooooood!! Keep all non-bunneh food out of reach!!

7: Their food. Stick to what they eat now and slowly change over to what YOU want to feed them on. I personally recommend Science Selective, my two LOVE it and it prevents selective eating...... you can read more about that on here.

8: Toys! Have a look on online sites such as hayexperts, equinecaninefeline and zooplus for FAB bunny toys, things around the house and charity shops make good toys too, such as cardboard, cat scratch posts, plastic flower pots, jingly balls etc (use your imagination but always supervise play with new toys in case they chew plastic or get caught on it etc)

9: Essentuals!! Hay - try different types of hay, mine get Timothy hay, plain hay from pets at home, as well as treat hays, like the chammomile hay etc. ALWAYS have hay available. I always give mine hay twice (or more) a day, they seem to 'go for it' more when there is fresh hay (even though its the same 'stuff' out of the bag??!) You might be lucky enough to get bales of hay, search for farmers near you but you need to be able to store it..... and still give treat hay. Sadly, I live in a flat so no storage for it. Its usually only between £2 -5 for a bale!! Lots of spare money for treat hay!!

10: Treats! Dont go mad on treats, and go for natural ones if you do..... such as herbs (basil, corriander, parley etc), treat hays, veg. Things like chocolate drops are not really benficial to buns.....

11:Water! Have a water bowl and a water bottle available if possible, my two like both but in this hot weather they can get through a lot of water quite quickly so I like to think they have more than enough!!

12: Chewing! I REALLY REALLY recommend getting PLENTY of wooden things for your bun to chew, you can get all sorts of flavoured/shaped wooden toys, tunnels and chews. These help keep the buns teeth in check and divert them from chewing other things. My buns were not interested in them for ages but now I am buying them new wooden toys every month!

13: Travel cage. I recommend the cat cabrio, your buns will prob be medium side, so this will fit them both in, plus it has the benefit of being able to be opened from the top (so hard to get some buns out of doors...). Quite a few people on here have them, even my local rescue got some after seeing mine!! http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=327&pf_id=52107

Ummmmm

14: Vets. Take your buns to the vets for an MOT (and for them to get registered) not long after you get them. They can talk you through needed vaccs etc, even though your buns will be house buns like mine, you can never be too careful, I REALLY recommend getting myxi and VHD done (VHD can kill a bun within hours, there is NO HOPE for a bun that catches this) and even indoor buns can get myxi.

I cant think of anything else off the top of my head, feel free to PM me if you like with more questions, I love my indoor rabbits, and had to learn about how to care for them through experience which I am happy to share with you...!!

Good luck, and I cant wait to see more photos!

 

[TeflonsShadow]

PS, I noticed you said about buying food..... you can order rabbit food online, delivered to your home, so no need to carry it uphill, and no panic if your pet shop runs out!!

 

[lizzyjm]

Thank you TeflonsShadow!

The pen doesn't have a cover and I was wondering if they would be able to get over it somehow! It's 91cm high.

Wilkos is a good idea for the litter trays and maybe other things too - I can get to one at the weekend and have a look.

I don't think there are too many spaces that they could get into but I did read something on here about them getting into kitchen cupboards so I might need to get some child locks for mine!

I do need to finish off sorting out my computer cables, but I'm wondering if it might be easier to the desk off with some pen panels or something.

I got some of the Waggs one in my Tesco delivery last night so I will try that out along with the Excel they're used to. I think I will get a bag of that from the local pet shop at the weekend. The problem with internet delivery is that they'd almost certainly deliver when I'm out at work and couriers can't even get into my building to leave a card.

Thanks for the travel cage link - on offer too! More than I was hoping to spend but it does have very good reviews and I like the built in water/food bowls.

I had been wondering what to do about vets as well. They are being neutered before I get them and I think they are being vaccinated too if they haven't been already, so I wasn't sure if I needed to register them or wait until they needed to go! The nearest vet to me is actually based at the Royal College of Vetinary Surgeons so should be good I need to sort out insurance too - anyone got any advice on the best place to get that?

 

[TeflonsShadow]

Thank you TeflonsShadow!

The pen doesn't have a cover and I was wondering if they would be able to get over it somehow! It's 91cm high.

Wilkos is a good idea for the litter trays and maybe other things too - I can get to one at the weekend and have a look.

I don't think there are too many spaces that they could get into but I did read something on here about them getting into kitchen cupboards so I might need to get some child locks for mine!

I do need to finish off sorting out my computer cables, but I'm wondering if it might be easier to the desk off with some pen panels or something.

I got some of the Waggs one in my Tesco delivery last night so I will try that out along with the Excel they're used to. I think I will get a bag of that from the local pet shop at the weekend. The problem with internet delivery is that they'd almost certainly deliver when I'm out at work and couriers can't even get into my building to leave a card.

Thanks for the travel cage link - on offer too! More than I was hoping to spend but it does have very good reviews and I like the built in water/food bowls.

I had been wondering what to do about vets as well. They are being neutered before I get them and I think they are being vaccinated too if they haven't been already, so I wasn't sure if I needed to register them or wait until they needed to go! The nearest vet to me is actually based at the Royal College of Vetinary Surgeons so should be good I need to sort out insurance too - anyone got any advice on the best place to get that?

Insurance is up to you, not many places do it for buns, I know petplan does......

Another thing with the carrier is that the water/food bowl comes out if you dont want it. It truely is awesome!

I would always take the buns to get registered at the vets, they need to know them in a 'healthy' state so they have something to compare too if they get poorly...

And as for the height thing.... SERIOUSLY, my nethie can jump over a metre...... net curtain is cheap, or use an old duvet cover (not the duvet though) or a towel? You dont want them to jump over and hurt themselves/get into trouble!!

 

[pigsforlife]

Good luck! House rabbits are a whole bunch of fun (and trouble)! :lol: You sound very well prepared though. Charlee is a house bun and so will be her husbun (currently waiting for him to be nuetered) - I am wondering what sort of mess I am getting myself into :roll::lol::lol:

And as for the height thing.... SERIOUSLY, my nethie can jump over a metre...... net curtain is cheap, or use an old duvet cover (not the duvet though) or a towel? You dont want them to jump over and hurt themselves/get into trouble!!

Wow! My nethie has her pen plus freerange of the rest of my room. I just swing out on of the pen pieces and clip it to some grids I have running along the base of my bed (to block her from going under my bed). The pen piece is 90cm tall and she has never got over it!

 

[swalk]

a quick note on litter trays......I started by using normal cat litter ones but found that thye managed to get their little bottoms over the edge of it......

I now have a high backed corner version which is brilliant - they reverse into it quite happily, and however high they manage to lift their bottoms it all stays in the tray:lol:

Also - if you go to the Farmway website they deliver megazorb in massive bags and also feed and healthy treats - maybe worth looking at

another tip if they start chewing wooden furniture - put anti nail-biting liquid on - that soon stops them!

have fun with them!

 

[lizzyjm]

I've just placed a big order on The Hay Experts! And I was trying not to get carried away! Still quite a few things to get though. I'm still in two minds about the expensive carrier.

Thanks for the tip about anti-nailbiting liquid, I'll certainly be using that!

Thanks for all your help everyone!

 

[lilylover]

No real advice as its already been given previously.... i have 2 female 2 yr old housebuns who absolutely rule me :? but love them to bits. They do love their litter tray but will still poop on my couch which one of them will also still chew the corners of if she's bored or just feeling naughty. They absolutely adore their cardboard boxes for sleeping on, playing in and chewing so make sure you get friendly with a shop with regular deliveries They Do calm down a bit as they get older and get used to their routine and they do get to understand the meaning of the word No even if they choose to ignore it when they want :?
What else? Oh yes, they re an absolute heart wrenching joy

 

[lizzyjm]

I did notice a shop near me often has loads of empty cardboard boxes outside!

I had a text this morning from the rescue to tell me they are being neutered today and it turns out one is a girl! So I now have to rethink the name situation!

 

[lizzyjm]

I'm meant to be picking the bunnies up on Sunday (11th July) but the only person I know with a car can't help. And car hire places are shut on Sundays. I tried posting in the transport request section but only rescues can post there. Is there somewhere else I can ask? I could take them on public transport but would that be too stressful for them? Not to mention heavy for me!