Hello folks :)

Hey! Will be a rabbit owner soon!
Looked all over for a rabbit for my girlfiend and we found one, a mini lop that is a light tan colour and we will be viewing him on saturday but cant have him home till 2-3 weeks later.
We plan to buy off a breeder as seen this is recommended and I once bought a gecko from pets at home and was poorly and at the vet all the time.

He will be a house rabbit and have his own room but want a cage that is big enough for him and possibly another in the future.....
I want a hutch but indoor ones are expencive so we are planning on using an outdoor one. For the size 6ft is recommended but as it has two floors would this one be ok as its not 6ft long? http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/pets/bluebell-hideaway-%28in-store%29



Hope to speak to all soon

Why not look at getting a pair of rabbits from a rescue rather than a "breeder". They will be neutered, vaccinated and you will get lots of free advice
Regarding hutch and run combination have a look at Welfare Hutches and Boyles Housing websites for ideas, it will be better quality and last longer. Bear in mind that the recommended area requirement for a single bunny is 60sqft

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Welcome!

I think that's the hutch we have - ours is possibly slightly bigger, as I remember paying more, but that looks about right. It works as an indoor hutch, and has helped up well so far (about 6 months since Monty moved in) but I recently asked about the size and whether Monty needed to be free-range all the time (here, if it's useful: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?465015-Leaving-a-rabbit-alone) and as you'll see, I have inadvertently been very mean by leaving Monty in it for a few hours every night We have since worked on rectifying this, and he now free-ranges all the time. In these circumstances, I can say that his hutch is working rather well - he mainly now uses it as a good base for feeding time, and to sleep in during the evenings while we have the television on. How big is the room that your new bunny will be in? It's a good hutch - slightly tricky to build (feel free to PM if you do decide to buy it and are having problems building it, I think I made just about every mistake that there was to make!) but stolid, sturdy and dependable once done. After some experience, I would say a bigger hutch might be better if you can fit it in - because it's two-storey, Monty now can't stand upright in all places - but if, like us, you don't have the room for anything more, that was the best one our research turned up for a reasonable price. (I would have liked to buy a longer-term one, but getting the rabbit is pricey, I know!) We also provide a number of other dark places for Monty to hide, places for him to feed, and a couple of water bottles, so he only has to use his hutch by choice - everything it offers him is available elsewhere in the flat too.

If I could go back and do it again, I would, as Horace the Bold says, be more strongly swayed towards a rescue. Why have you chosen a breeder? We bought Monty as a single rabbit from a local farm that breeds. I think it was the right decision at the time, we were new bunny owners too and only wanted one as we didn't think we would be able to cope with starting with two, but now we are starting to think about bonding him, the idea of having got two to start with suddenly seems much more appealing! If you're unsure about coping with a rabbit practically/financially, I can certainly empathise with only wanting one to start with though

I hope some of that is helpful. Do ask lots of questions! Everyone here has been very friendly and patient, and I know Monty is a much happier bunny for the advice I've received.

Hello, my first was from a breeder and I've vowed never again. My second (to make a male / female pair) was from a rescue. The rescue is by far the better option, lot's of good advice and often you will get a rabbit originally from a breeder but someone found out the hard way that rabbits where not for them.

One thing I'd like to say is that rabbits do not live well if only kept in a hutch. They are energetic, curious animals and need room to run and explore. Our buns have a sectioned off part of the living room where they sleep at night but they have free run of the house from morning til night. They are naturally clean animals and will use a tray.

The other point to consider is that these are highly sophisticated social animals and will always do better as a pair. (how would you like to live alone for life?)

Hope it all goes well for you.

Rod