Help In Buying A Bunny ….?
February 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under Questions & Answers
Hi
Now the weather has warmed up a little (I live in the U.K) Myself & partner have decided to get a bunny in thr next month or so.
We have a nice, clean, wooden shed that we will be keeping the hutch in. We have out lino on the shed floor already & are planning on leaving the hutch open in the day with shed door closed & having shavings & hay on the floor for the bunny to walk on, we also have a samll old radio we are planning on leaving on quiet!! (The shed has windows that we can open for air) so that the bunny can run round in the day (The shed being approx 10ft x 3ft) then of an afternoon when we return from work we have a average size garden that the bunny can be let out to graze for a short while. We have walked round out garden several times to make sure that it is “bunny proof” & there does not look like there is anywhere that he/she can escape too! – hopefully!!
My question is …… will the bunny be ok in the shed in the day time?
What shavings are best for the bunny? ie straw/hay/sawdust
Is there any toys we can out out for the bunny to play with? football plastic tubes etc – ones that will be safe!!
How much fruit/veg do we give the bunny (Bearing in mind this will be a baby & not full grown).
Any advantages to male/female? … we have no intention on breeding!!
Many Thanks in advance!!
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I would start out leaving the baby bunny in its cage til its about 3 1/3 to 4 months old,coz baby bunnies will find any little whole and hide in it.
Saw dust,you want to make sure its not dusty,no cedar,either,both will coz respiratory problems because of the dust in them.Straw is fine,you can also do sweet timothy hay,they love to nibble on it all day.
Fruit and Veggies: You want to start out with a small piece of carrot and apple,at first,No lettuce until about 6 months and then small handful is ok.Not to much,causes diarrhea.No celery,causes death.
No cabbage,will cause gas,and they can’t pass gas.Will cause death.
Toys:Sticks from Apple trees,I put wiffle balls in my cages,boxes,toilet paper rolls(card board tubes).Shredded paper.
Male or Female? I’d go with a female.Because Males will spray all over,yes just like a male cat.Their urine is very Strong.
Good Luck with your new bunny.
this site has helped me a lot with my new bunny. discusses care, diet, behavior, and training!
http://www.rabbit.org
give it shade and water and food and sawdust for shavings. That sounds great because we used to have bunnies and that is what we did too.
Your bunny would be better off if you can attach a secure run to the shed, so that he/she can get outside into the fresh air and have extra space for exercise. Also, you need to be 100% the garden is rabbit proof before letting them run around in it, saying hopefully isn’t good enough as they can make an escape very quickly and you might struggle to get them home again.
Please do not get one rabbit on its own, they are social animals and will get very lonely if living alone. The best combination is a neutered male with a neutered female and I would recommend getting them from a rescue centre instead of a pet shop as there are 100s of rabbits in rescues in the UK just waiting for a lovely new home like the one you have to offer.
Dust free wood shavings make a good bedding substance, I use Exel Bed-Down which is made for horses. You should also give lots of hay, as 80-90% of a rabbit’s diet should be hay, plus a small amount of pellets and some fruit/veg. When giving fruit/veg for the first time (which I wouldn’t do until the rabbit is 6 months old if you do go for a baby) just give a small amount – an inch long piece is ideal.
Toys – I find natural stuff, like logs and twigs and willow balls are the best, as even if the bunny chews through them it won’t do the rabbit any harm.
Also, don’t forget to get the rabbit(s) vaccinated. Good luck.