Hello!

Hey,

I used to have a rabbit when I was little and myself and my partner are now looking into getting one soon. I'm hoping I will find some helpful things on here as I want to give our future rabbit the right care. I have a room where I keep my hamsters which I was hoping our rabbit could also go into, I have a few hamsters so they have a room to themselves now and I have worked out there is space in there for a rabbit too to have a 'hutch' and additional space to run about.

I'm looking forward to finding out a bit more I used to adore my rabbit when I was little.

Hi there , massive welcome lot Happy Hoppers ;-)

There is so mucin to man know about getting a bun - you have deffo come to the right place and please do feel free to ask as many questions as you have - that's what we are here for :-)

Firstly it's important to know that bunnies need a lot of space. An indoor bunny doesn't really need a hutch at all - a secure pen for night time or when you are out is often the best option with somewhere that they feel safe to hide. Hutches are not really suitable for bunnies at all truth be told unless they aren of a very very large size.

Secondly it's important to given the bunny then right food to keep him healthy and happy. A bunny should eat AT&T least 80% hay and this should be a good quality and an unlimited amount. Only 10% of the diet should be nuggets (never meusli) and the last 10% fresh veg such as Spring greens, kale or herbs.

thirdly bunnies are very social animals- they need company almost all of the time.... So if they are to be in the room most of the time they should really have a bunny friend, unless of course the bunny can spend most of his time with you.

The RWAF have some brilliant advice on keeping buns, here is a link to their welfare leaflets

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/index.php?section=leaflets.html

And here is a post about how My house bunny lives....

https://happyhoppers.forumotion.co.uk/t11109-this-is-where-i-live?highlight=Where+I+live

There are also some really good posts in the property section about set ups.

Lastly have you considered getting your bun/buns from a rescue centre - the buns will be already neutered, vaccinated and bonded - there are around 60000 buns in rescue needing homes at the moment and the rescue centres can be great at helping make sure you are all set up for the best of the bun :-).

Please do ask any questions you have, we are always happy to a help!

Katie x

  hi and welcome!

Thank you Katie, that is a wonderful set up that Daisy has!

Thats good the hutches arent really suitable, I never liked the one we had as a child despite it having a run attached, I found it horrible to clean!

Are there certain veg that they cant have? I wouldn't want to give them something bad for them. Is there a list somewhere of rabbit safe foods?

I am home most of the time and when I'm not my partner is so the only time we wouldn't be in the room with the bun is when we are sleeping so they will get lots of company

Yes I want to get one from a rescue, I wouldn't be showing them or anything so I am not fussed over any particular colour or anything I just don't want a big bun, I'm looking more at a dwarf lop or similar. I have found a rescue near me but I want to get everything ready before I contact them.

I will look in the property section too, is there a flooring which is best?

Hi Amelia  

Hi Amelia and welcome to HH :waves:

Have a look at our information area where you will find loads of 'stickies' which give you lots of specific information on things like neutering, safe foods, accommodation etc.

Members of the forum have varying levels of expertise and knowledge and are always very happy to share that with new members.

Looking forward to hearing about how your search continues.

Hello and welcome to HH

Hi!

I echo much of what Katie has said - I have 2 house rabbits.

The RWAF have produced a really good booklet that consolidates all of their advice and is better than most of the books out there. Here is the link

http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/RWAbrochuremaster.pdf

It advises on everything from diet to neutering and housing etc.

As for flooring - it is a bit of a mixed bag. You want something durable as buns are prone to chew and dig it, but also soft on the feet to protect from hock damage. I have a non slip vinyl floor with lots of rugs on top for my pair.

As for the breed - can I ask why you have settled on a dwarf lop (and are you aware that dwarf lops are actually medium sized?). A standard lop is large, a dwarf lop is medium and a mini lop is small. The other issue is that small rabbits often need as much if not more space than larger ones. There are great videos on you tube of nethies belting around the house and using every bit of space. Small rabbits often also have big personalities.

The other big issue around breed choice is health. As someone who is probably going to have your mind blown by all the things you never knew about rabbits when you were young (it's happened to most of us) you are going to be learning about rabbit illness for the first time. Some health issues are more likely in certain breeds. For example short nosed rabbits are more prone to dental issues, so that includes most of the breeds that have been bred to be smaller like nethies, lionheads and the dwarf and mini lops. Lops are also thought to be more susceptible to ear infections. Large buns are prone to heart issues. Rexes are prone to sore hocks due to poor fur cushioning on their feet. I don't say this to put you off but rather to make sure you ask the right questions about existing conditions when you go to the rescue and so you know what to look out for.

And ask around and find a good rabbit vet in your area. Many vets are still ignorant about modern rabbit medicine and have no interest in rectifying that position. If you can find a vet that is either already knowledgeable, or at least is willing to learn then you will be well prepared for any health glitches that may occur.

Hello and welcome to HH

It's great to see a prospective bun owner doing their research first. I'm sure that as well as all of the helpful information from forum members and the RWAF, the rabbit rescue you know of will be happy to help you as well

If you have any questions then please don't be afraid to ask. As Cheryl has said, there is so much more to learn about bunnies than once thought.

I'm looking forward to chatting around the forum more

Hello and welcome in  

You've been given some great advice already. If you're not fussy about breed / colour / shape there's a lot to be said for going for a bun who looks as much like a wildie as possible. Those that are less far removed from wild type often tend to have fewer health problems. Also, unfortunately agouti (wild colour) buns are often overlooked in rescue and can be there for a long time (as can black buns and red-eyed whites). On the other hand, a bun which is closely related to a wildie, and there are cases of domestic does breeding with wild bucks, can be a bit of a handful

If you go to a reputable rescue you should find they know their buns well and can do a good job of matching you up with a suitable one

 Welcome in. Not much I can add to the above but if you need any advice on outdoor housing, we have a hudad here that can build pretty much anything to your specification  

Sparky wrote:Hello and welcome in  

You've been given some great advice already. If you're not fussy about breed / colour / shape there's a lot to be said for going for a bun who looks as much like a wildie as possible. Those that are less far removed from wild type often tend to have fewer health problems. Also, unfortunately agouti (wild colour) buns are often overlooked in rescue and can be there for a long time (as can black buns and red-eyed whites). On the other hand, a bun which is closely related to a wildie, and there are cases of domestic does breeding with wild bucks, can be a bit of a handful

If you go to a reputable rescue you should find they know their buns well and can do a good job of matching you up with a suitable one

I can completely back this up. I have had seven rabbits, six of whom have died. Two from problems with digestion, another was killed by a stoat but the other three have all died from abscesses of the jaw caused by having problems with their teeth. Pet shop rabbits are often supplied by breeders specifically for the pet shop market. The rabbits which are most popular are lop eared bunnies. Unfortunately, these rabbits tend to have a broader skull than a wild rabbit and that affects the way their teeth develop. Couple that with their not receiving enough hay - which is absolutely vital - and you have a bit problem.

Many people think that rabbits are short-lived animals with a lifespan of 2 or 3 years. However, this is completely wrong. Rabbits can live to 10- 12 years if they have the correct conditions and food.

After going through the heartbreak of losing three buns to abscesses, I decided that I would only have uppy eared rabbits in the future and as close to a wild rabbit as possible.

When I adopted Sasha and her husbun, Dave from the SSPCA and took them to my vet for a check-up, they spent a lot of time telling me what a good choice I had made and how lovely their teeth were.

I would also suggest that you insure your bun or buns as soon as you get them. This is because any pre-existing conditions are not covered so if you wait until your bun has a problem, then you may not be able to insure for it. Vet bills are very expensive and it is horrible to have to think about whether you can afford to have your pet treated. I used up to £1200 with the other three for various operations. Definitely something to think about.

Sparky wrote: On the other hand, a bun which is closely related to a wildie, and there are cases of domestic does breeding with wild bucks, can be a bit of a handful

:

I can confirm this! 

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:

Sparky wrote: On the other hand, a bun which is closely related to a wildie, and there are cases of domestic does breeding with wild bucks, can be a bit of a handful

:

I can confirm this! 

Guess Flo, oops I mean guess who I had in mind

welcome to happy hoppers!  

 Howdy from the USA! I'm so glad you have joined us! I salute you for doing research. Bunnies just love to be around people even if they may not like being picked up. Most bunnies don't like it but may eventually come and lay beside you. Bunny proofing is SO important! All cables and wires must be covered. I just found a lamp cord almost chewed through this AM. It was a miracle there wasn't a fire or dead bunny. He had managed to pull off part of the shielding!  

We are owned by a mischievous lionhead named Rory. He keeps us on our toes. He's an approximately 20 month old indoor bunny. We keep him blocked in the master bathroom at night and he is free range the rest of the time.

Most rabbits thrive on a set routine and woe be to he/her that does not follow said routine to the minute! Something wonderful about agouti(wildie) colored buns is that when they shed it blends a lot better!  Rory is mainly white and OMG the hair when he moults!

Welcome to our happy family love.

Hugs

JO xx

Welcome to Happy hoppers,I hope you enjoy this wonderful friendly forum!