Getting a Ready for a New Bunny (Part 2)
So like I hinted in my previous post, this will be dedicated to the stuff you need to have before bringing home a rabbit!
If you can adopt a rabbit from the shelter, this should be your first choice as there are many unwanted rabbits surrendered there waiting for a loving home. If not, then the pet shop is not your next choice! No, no, no! They usually sell their bunnies at about 3-6 weeks old, the stage when they are the CUTEST. But this is not the age that they should be separated from their mums, however. Opinions on this vary, but 6-8 weeks would be a good standard. 8 weeks or older is better. (*^^*)
So, what do you have to prepare before getting a rabbit? On to the list then! Here it is: New rabbit shopping list.
1. Cage.
Get the biggest one you can possibly put your hands on. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits need a lot of space. A cage where they can just "lie down" is not enough. Preferably they should be able to hop three times across the cage without bumping their nose. Be sure to get a cage that can have a food/water bowl, litter, some toys and still have some space for your bunny to move around in.
I tried to get the best cage I could. But here is the only one I was able to buy off a pet store:
It's about 80cm long, I think. I will be housing just one dwarf rabbit here so I feel like this is adequate space. However, I want to make it a point that they still NEED OUT TIME! 3-4 hours a day. They need to stretch and hop and be a bunny!
Or you could just make your own!
For my first rabbit, I made a do-it-yourself cage out of store/kitchen organizers. Each piece I bought for about 50-80 pesos... That's a total of 6 pieces to make an enclosure. I used cable ties to secure the pieces together. It's a lot bigger than my store-bought cage though... and for a lot cheaper!
2. Water bottle/food dish
3. Rabbit pellets
There are so many commercially available pellets on the market that it must be hard to choose! Currently, I'm using Versele-Laga Cuni Gran. Find details about the product here. It's essentially for "does and meat rabbits" as the site suggests... It has some corn grains. I don't like it about that. Corn grains are good only if the rabbits that maybe has a run, but definitely not for caged rabbits. Corn produces FAT and that is generally not good for out little furry friends. ><
4. Hay
Hay is VERY IMPORTANT for a rabbits diet. It should be the main food of your rabbit! While pellets are given at controlled amounts, hay should be free-fed. Unlike cats, rabbits can not "cough out" their fur. Hay has a lot of fiber which help them have better digestion and helps prevent digestive block.
For rabbits under 6 months old, offer Alfafa Hay. For 6 months old and over, offer Timothy Hay.
Optional
5. Litter box
Rabbits are not hard to litter train. That's one of the best things about them. While it might be a little difficult to train younger rabbits, it usually won't give you any stress to train older ones. Since bucks tend to "spray" when they are a little older, it's a good idea to find a litter box with a high "back."
6. Litter/wood chips
This is what you put inside your litter box. You could opt to use shredded paper or hay. BUT NEVER USE CAT LITTER. Rabbits tend to spend a lot of time in the litter box and eat some of the litter... Keep this in mind.
7. Toys
Rabbits love to play! But if you can't afford toys, you can always improvise. Rabbits love to chew. So how about a cardboard mansion? And they need a lot of social interaction. So please send as much time as possible with your pet! <3
Here's a quick list before we end!
1. Cage
2. Water bottle and food dish
3. Rabbit pellets
4. Hay
Optional
5. Litter box/pan
6. Litter
7. Toys
I hope this was informative and became of use to you! Have a great day. <3
If you can adopt a rabbit from the shelter, this should be your first choice as there are many unwanted rabbits surrendered there waiting for a loving home. If not, then the pet shop is not your next choice! No, no, no! They usually sell their bunnies at about 3-6 weeks old, the stage when they are the CUTEST. But this is not the age that they should be separated from their mums, however. Opinions on this vary, but 6-8 weeks would be a good standard. 8 weeks or older is better. (*^^*)
So, what do you have to prepare before getting a rabbit? On to the list then! Here it is: New rabbit shopping list.
1. Cage.
Get the biggest one you can possibly put your hands on. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits need a lot of space. A cage where they can just "lie down" is not enough. Preferably they should be able to hop three times across the cage without bumping their nose. Be sure to get a cage that can have a food/water bowl, litter, some toys and still have some space for your bunny to move around in.
I tried to get the best cage I could. But here is the only one I was able to buy off a pet store:
It's about 80cm long, I think. I will be housing just one dwarf rabbit here so I feel like this is adequate space. However, I want to make it a point that they still NEED OUT TIME! 3-4 hours a day. They need to stretch and hop and be a bunny!
Or you could just make your own!
For my first rabbit, I made a do-it-yourself cage out of store/kitchen organizers. Each piece I bought for about 50-80 pesos... That's a total of 6 pieces to make an enclosure. I used cable ties to secure the pieces together. It's a lot bigger than my store-bought cage though... and for a lot cheaper!
2. Water bottle/food dish
Now I think it's quite obvious why we need this, don't we? Hehe. You can choose to have another food dish to put the water in. It's easier to drink water for the buns that way. But I prefer to use a water bottle as it prevents the water from being contaminated.
There are so many commercially available pellets on the market that it must be hard to choose! Currently, I'm using Versele-Laga Cuni Gran. Find details about the product here. It's essentially for "does and meat rabbits" as the site suggests... It has some corn grains. I don't like it about that. Corn grains are good only if the rabbits that maybe has a run, but definitely not for caged rabbits. Corn produces FAT and that is generally not good for out little furry friends. ><
4. Hay
Hay is VERY IMPORTANT for a rabbits diet. It should be the main food of your rabbit! While pellets are given at controlled amounts, hay should be free-fed. Unlike cats, rabbits can not "cough out" their fur. Hay has a lot of fiber which help them have better digestion and helps prevent digestive block.
For rabbits under 6 months old, offer Alfafa Hay. For 6 months old and over, offer Timothy Hay.
Optional
5. Litter box
Rabbits are not hard to litter train. That's one of the best things about them. While it might be a little difficult to train younger rabbits, it usually won't give you any stress to train older ones. Since bucks tend to "spray" when they are a little older, it's a good idea to find a litter box with a high "back."
6. Litter/wood chips
This is what you put inside your litter box. You could opt to use shredded paper or hay. BUT NEVER USE CAT LITTER. Rabbits tend to spend a lot of time in the litter box and eat some of the litter... Keep this in mind.
7. Toys
Rabbits love to play! But if you can't afford toys, you can always improvise. Rabbits love to chew. So how about a cardboard mansion? And they need a lot of social interaction. So please send as much time as possible with your pet! <3
Here's a quick list before we end!
1. Cage
2. Water bottle and food dish
3. Rabbit pellets
4. Hay
Optional
5. Litter box/pan
6. Litter
7. Toys
I hope this was informative and became of use to you! Have a great day. <3
This is my first rabbit ever, Pepper. He is STILL with me, of course! <3
Where did you find your litter box?
ReplyDeleteGot that at Cartimar. :)
DeleteIn addition to why you can't feed corn, is not just fat: Corn have hulls that rabbits cannot digest and it creates blockages on their intestines which will lead to stasis - a state where the bunnies stop to eat/drink/pee/poop.
ReplyDeletemore helpful info:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html
Have you got your bunnies fixed?