Calling all Bunny People

[Meatball]

I want to adopt a Rabbit from my local animal shelter. I had bunnies when I was younger but we kept them outside and my mom took care of them.

My new bunny will be an inside rabbit so looking for advice, cage suggestions etc.
Things people don't tell you, good and bad
Share your bunny stories please

 

[kastelling]

You should check out www.binkybunny.com . It's a great website!

 

[kastelling]

Also, I would avoid a cage and go for a pen-type enclosure. SOOOO much easier to clean, and more space for the bunny! There are some good photos on that website of different people's set ups.

 

[Meatball]

Thanks Megan!

 

[rocabird]

I have a wire dog crate for Glee's cage, but she runs loose in my bird room unless the birds are out. I'll second the pen idea, they are much easier.

Will the bunny already be spayed or neutered when you adopt it?

Since hay is a big part of their diet, you may want to check for places to buy a bale of half a bale of hay. I can get half a bale for $3 and it will last me about 5 months compared to $14 for a bag from the pet store that last 1 month. If you can find a place locally there are places online where you can get it cheaper and in larger amounts.

What other info are you interested in?

 

[Meatball]

Thanks! Yes my local shelter spays or neuters before adoption. I want to adopt a bunny in need so I will not be looking anywhere but the shelter.

I am looking into the NIC cubes as well for a cage because they seem cheaper but not sure if I have the room. He will get a lot of run around time and I am hoping to bunny proof my whole bedroom so he can run around in there while I am at work.

Thanks for the info on the hay too, I will look into that.

Some questions I have-
How easy or hard are rabbits to litter train? Do they like to play with you or be left alone? I know they chew on everything so wherever he is out needs bunny proofed.
Do they eat pellets or just veggies and hay? How much time does your bunny spend out with you each day?

 

[Dana Lee]

My sis rescued a lion head bunny that was living in a 10 gal aquarium (it barely had room to breath) in a dark basement. He was at our home for one week, loose in my sister's room and then he went to a wonderful new home. A family friend adopted him and he lives in a pen inside the house and comes out for playtime. He also has a pen in the yard just so he can enjoy some fresh air on a nice day when the family is outside. I will say they chew everything, even the shoes my sister was wearing (crocs) lol. Bunny proof everything! He eats pellets, veggies, and timothy hay. I believe he is out for a good 3-4 hours a day just for running around plus he sits with the family while they watch tv in the evening. This particular rabbit wasn't very playful but he did love to sit on our laps and have us cuddle him. I don't know about litter training, he wasn't trained at all when we had him, but he was only here till we found him a home

 

[jasminlana]

our bunnies eat pellets but we supplement with fresh veggies and fruit. they like carrots, banana, apples, watermelon, also they love dandeliiions if you have some growing in your yard. my gobble these up like candy -- make sure no pesticides -- also they need sticks to chew to keep their teeth from overgrowing. I give them apple tree twigs -- you can buy or cut up your own. there are other tree branches you can use but ck the site for the safe wood list because some are bad.

they like to forage and chew paper towels rolls. sometimes I put alfalfa hay and carrots in paper towel rolls for them to shred and forage.

they wil chew wires, also put holes in your clothes so be prepared or wear old clothes, tees and jeans when you play with them. teeth are very sharp so never put finger near their mouth as they might think they are carrots.

oh, they love clover too. you can train them to use a cat litter box. a lot of things bird eat they can eat too, banana chips pumpkin seeds

 

[kastelling]

My buns eat massive amounts of timothy hay. They get a small amount of high quality pellets (oxbow) once a day, and a large meal of leafy greens once a day, with small amounts of other veggies sometimes added. Fruit is very high sugar and is considered a treat only. You should see the mayhem when I pass out berries.

I find my bunnies pretty easy to litter train. My only issue is that my buns aren't fixed, so I do have some marking issues. Since you will be adopting one already fixed, you should have no problems!

From what I have read, it is very common for rabbits to not like to be touched. It depends entirely on the rabbits. Two of mine prefer that I stay hands off. They are sassy, and very interactive (and shameless beggars) but prefer to not be touched. So I respect that. Of my other two, one acts like a typical teenager. He's waaay too cool for petting! At least till I really get into rubbing his cheeks, then he could easily fall asleep in my arms. And my last like to be petted on his head and cheeks, and will ask for pets often. But he doesn't like to be petted anywhere else, and is scared silly of being picked up! They are all different.

 

[Bird_lover]

I recommend making your own C & C cage out of "cubes" and coroplast!

I made a 2 panel X 3 panel (29" X 43") cage using the cubes from Bed Bath and Beyond and zip ties. The cubes from BB&B include two shelves to insert "within" a cube, which make for great doors on the top of the cage. Looking at the cage from above: X = regular panel, D = Door ("shelf" panel):

X D X
X D X

The doors are zip tied on the left side, and hook to close on the right. I hope that makes sense.

Grid Wire Modular Shelving and Storage Cubes - Bed Bath & Beyond

Looking from the front SIDE - X X X , I cut out a large hole using wire cutters in the center panel, so my bunny can hop out. I then secure that center door with another door, like this:

Additional door for rabbit & guinea pig wire grid cage | eBay

Here's a two story bunny condo made from cubes to give you an idea of how nice these cages can look, how big they are, and how versatile they can be.

2-Story Rabbit Bunny Guinea Pig Cage *NEW* 43x29x29 | eBay

I used one box of cubes to make my cage - that's 19.95 (I think) minus a $5.00 coupon, plus a bag of zip ties. (And you will use LOTS!) The coroplast is expensive, unfortunately, but works great.

I am using another box of cubes to make a "run" to add to the size of my bunny's cage, where he can come and go freely through the side door. For me, this was preferable to a larger cage that took up more floor space, since I can remove the run when I need the floor space (grandkids, entertaining, etc.) You can also use the cubes to make "fences" to block off doors or covered pens for temporary outdoor play.

I like things to look "nice," so I was hesitant about the C & C cages, but I am very pleased with the way they look and the versatility they afford. Besides, just anthing else is too small. If I'm going to keep two little parrotlets in a Marvelous XL CHateau cage, I'm not going to put my bunny in some too-small cage that just doesn't seem very humane to me.

Good luck.

Basically, for the price of two boxes of cubes I have endless possibilities for my much loved, spoiled little baby bun!

 

[love4birds]

Some questions I have-
How easy or hard are rabbits to litter train? Do they like to play with you or be left alone? I know they chew on everything so wherever he is out needs bunny proofed.
Do they eat pellets or just veggies and hay? How much time does your bunny spend out with you each day?

My bunnykins was a PITB to litter train. He never really got a hang of it. My solution was to feed him only in his little box. He has a large, shallow plastic container as a litter box, filled about 1/3 with Carefresh bedding. One corner has his Timothy hay, one corner has his pellet bowl, and one corner has his salad bowl. The last corner is where he water bottle hangs. I also only give him treats in there. It has drastically reduced the mess elsewhere!

Tink is pretty antisocial. He loves being pet, and he loves getting treats, but aside from that he would rather be left alone. He is a bit of an odd guy.

My buns eat massive amounts of timothy hay. They get a small amount of high quality pellets (oxbow) once a day, and a large meal of leafy greens once a day, with small amounts of other veggies sometimes added. Fruit is very high sugar and is considered a treat only. You should see the mayhem when I pass out berries.

This is pretty much what Tink eats, too. He is really picky about his hay, but he goes bonkers for Sunsation (?) Timothy Hay (especially the ones with dehydrated veggies and flower petals, but he loves the plain one too), so that is the one I buy. I've tried just about every other brand of hay on the market, and he'll eat them a bit... but he goes through a ton of the Sunsation timothy so that is the one I buy. He get about 1/3 cup of Oxbow pellets a day. And a large bowl full of his salad, which is mainly a variety of mixed greens (LOTS of greens!) and a little bit of veggies. Fruit and sugary veggies (carrots, snap peas, etc) are very limited, just as treats. He also loves herbs, mint is a favourite.


Oh, and he lives in an xpen. It is super easy to clean and so much more spacious than a cage!

 

[Meatball]

I recommend making your own C & C cage out of "cubes" and coroplast!

I made a 2 panel X 3 panel (29" X 43") cage using the cubes from Bed Bath and Beyond and zip ties. The cubes from BB&B include two shelves to insert "within" a cube, which make for great doors on the top of the cage. Looking at the cage from above: X = regular panel, D = Door ("shelf" panel):

X D X
X D X

The doors are zip tied on the left side, and hook to close on the right. I hope that makes sense.

Grid Wire Modular Shelving and Storage Cubes - Bed Bath & Beyond

Looking from the front SIDE - X X X , I cut out a large hole using wire cutters in the center panel, so my bunny can hop out. I then secure that center door with another door, like this:

Additional door for rabbit & guinea pig wire grid cage | eBay

Here's a two story bunny condo made from cubes to give you an idea of how nice these cages can look, how big they are, and how versatile they can be.

2-Story Rabbit Bunny Guinea Pig Cage *NEW* 43x29x29 | eBay

I used one box of cubes to make my cage - that's 19.95 (I think) minus a $5.00 coupon, plus a bag of zip ties. (And you will use LOTS!) The coroplast is expensive, unfortunately, but works great.

I am using another box of cubes to make a "run" to add to the size of my bunny's cage, where he can come and go freely through the side door. For me, this was preferable to a larger cage that took up more floor space, since I can remove the run when I need the floor space (grandkids, entertaining, etc.) You can also use the cubes to make "fences" to block off doors or covered pens for temporary outdoor play.

I like things to look "nice," so I was hesitant about the C & C cages, but I am very pleased with the way they look and the versatility they afford. Besides, just anthing else is too small. If I'm going to keep two little parrotlets in a Marvelous XL CHateau cage, I'm not going to put my bunny in some too-small cage that just doesn't seem very humane to me.

Good luck.

Basically, for the price of two boxes of cubes I have endless possibilities for my much loved, spoiled little baby bun!

Wow, thanks for all the info! Those definitely look great! So you only used one set to make your cage? Does it have multiple levels?
That sound like a really cost effective cage.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Multiple level bunny cages are a PIA to clean. Believe me, the floor corral is much easier and so much more spacious for them.

Remember bunnies are prey animals like our birds. Never chase them to catch them; they become instinctively fright and flight animals. It is best to herd them into a corner with a box or panel to contain them before picking them up. Also never let their back legs flail in the air; their spine could be damaged while they try and escape. When holding a rabbit, hold them firmly against your body with all four feet on an arm or your stomach so they feel secure.

I love rabbits but can no longer have them as pets as I have become extremely allergic to them.

 

[Bird_lover]

Yes, I only used one box to make a 2 panel by 3 panel cage with a top. If you do a search on c & c cages, you can get some good ideas. Like I said, I will have a removable "run" that I can attach to my cage which will give my bun even more floor space, and we also let him/her out pretty frequently. My bun is still young and very tame, and comes running to my hand when I put it in the cage, and loves to sleep in my lap while I surf on the web.

 

[rocabird]

Some questions I have-
How easy or hard are rabbits to litter train? Do they like to play with you or be left alone? I know they chew on everything so wherever he is out needs bunny proofed.
Do they eat pellets or just veggies and hay? How much time does your bunny spend out with you each day?

Spayed/neutered rabbits are pretty easy to litter train. The easiest thing to do is put hay in one end so they have to sit in the box to eat it. They'll go while eating so will get used to going in the box.

My bunny isn't a lap bunny, but will sit there while you pet her. She likes attention, but is also good at being by herself. She's not big on chewing, only really likes cardboard, so I don't have to worry about her chewing on furniture and the room doesn't have any wires for her to get at. She does love being up on things. Her favorite spot is sitting on top of the garbage container.

I make hay available all the time. Glee also has pellets out all the time and eats about 1/2 cup a day. Then she gets about 2 cups of greens at night. She does get some treats in her treat ball everyday. She's out for about 20 hours a day during the week and 12 hours a day on the weekends/days off.

House Rabbit Society Rabbit Care Guide and http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html are good websites for bunny info.

 

[Tarax]

My rabbit has a normal cage? its just one that sits on the floor and its best to have the wire rack i believe its called so the rabbit isnt in the shavings? I dunno i dont have the wire rack but i clean my rabbits cage every other day and if sometimes if its really bad everyday.
Ive had my standard rex (Dexter) for almost a year, he loves ANY kind of toy he can toss around and that makes noise. I like to have extra bowls and water bottle's just so he always has a clean one and incase one breaks. I have a lot of toys because he gets bored and usually he enjoys paper towel or toilet paper rolls to toss around.
He oddly doesnt like Timothy hay, i got 2 bags for the price of 1 soo you might want to test it out on him first to see if he likes it
I feed him pellets, carrots, a little bit of banana ( be careful its high in sugar), he enjoys some oats every once in a while, celery, and fresh parsley.
My rabbit makes a lot of noise at night but im so use to it now its odd when he isnt being loud?
Also for shavings i use to use pine which was good but i recently switched to using a recycled paper type material ( its odour control, rabbits sure can smell up a room) you can get it in different colours but i just use white or cream coloured ones.

 

[carlottalyn]

Yay, that's awesome that you're going to be adopting a new bun!!!


They're a blast, my furry stress relievers lol. Of course they have their own set of challenges and chores, but there's nothing cuter than a happy bunny binkying all over the place, or cleaning their adorable faces and ears! Anyway.


I agree about an x-pen being the best bet for a cage...go with at least a 3' high one though (I got the 4' one), buns can jump impressively high, even the dwarfs. If you'd rather though, the NIC cube cages are easy to make...just make sure that if you get the cubes from Target, realize that they often have the 3" square grid ones mixed in the box which are too big for the majority of bunnies out there. And that you'll need tons of zip ties lol!! This is the one that we built for my male after we got him, it's the same size as another member posted, 28"x42". The female's in the x-pen...still working on bonding! They both alternate with out of cage time throughout the day.

I got the large, high back cat litter boxes for them, and hung hay racks on the side of the cage "inside" the litter box...it really helps with the litter training if needed, or just reinforcing it, plus keeps the hay mess to a minimum. The picture above shows the first litter box I got right after we brought him home, I realized later that it was much too small (even for my little 2lb guy) and got a large one!


If you have any allergy issues with Timothy hay, try Orchard grass. It has been a lifesaver for us.


And yes, lots and lots of fresh veggies of course, and I like Oxbow brand for pellets personally although I know there are other good ones out there too.


Hmm what else...bunny proof lol!!! And if you have any carpet in areas accessible to the bunny, kiss it bye-bye. It's a lost cause. Our bedroom carpet is destroyed! And they particularly like to chew on wood trim...argh.


While bunnies generally aren't too fond of being picked up, I think most enjoy a good head scratch...Rufus especially will just lay down and zone out when I'm petting him, and Lilah follows me all over bumping me with her nose if I stop petting her. They're affectionate, in their own way!


If you think there's even a chance that you'll be looking for a second bun as a companion in the future (and warning, if you go on Binkybunny which is an awesome forum, the chances are you'll start thinking about it haha), be open to looking for a bonded pair as well!!! They seem to be harder to adopt out than the single buns, and I can only imagine how great it would be for bunnies to have companions to groom, be groomed by, play around with etc. I really believe that someday my two will reach that, but it would have been much easier to start out with two who had already bonded. Just a thought.

Congrats again, good luck in the search!!!

 

[Cephus]

I used to breed Holland lops, Jersey wooly and Netherland dwarf rabbits for show, long, long ago. They can be pretty easily box trained, especially if you get them young and fill the box with hay/alfalfa (change often, of course). Put some fresh rabbit pellets or some urine-soaked hay in the corner of the box so they get the idea. A friend made a "litter box" out of an old cage, he cut the top part off, leaving just the floor and integral pan and put it into the rabbit's pen. The rabbit would run over, do it's business there, and it could be emptied like any other rabbit cage. A lot of it depends on the individual rabbit, it's hard to generalize. Depending on the breed of rabbit you get, some are positively hungry for attention and handling, some are not. I've had an awful lot of rabbits over the years, the one I had that was the most attention-craving was a Flemish Giant. He wanted to be in your lap all the time, no matter what.

Best of luck finding a new bunny friend. Make sure you spend some time with the rabbit before you adopt, get to know the personality, it's important to find one that compliments your own.

 

[Sunnyside]

I recommend the Corn Cob Litter, it doesn't stick to their tails. I also did the play area and I put a cat carrier in for her sleep area. I fed Timothy Hay and a fresh salad daily. The only thing that got on my nerves was the crap balls stuck to her 'behind' all the time. I always had to soak her and pull them off, grosssssss. Other than that she was cool.

 

[Cephus]

It depends on the breed. Long-furred breeds always have more problems than short-furred, plus diet plays a big part. Make sure they're getting plenty of fiber and not too much water (or wet greens) and you won't have an issue. Pellets ought to come out dry.