So I want a rabbit, what do I do next?

[Corey NC]

Alrighty, I have been thinking (a bad sign indeed) I have dogs, cats, chickens, fish and birds, I need something new. My parents won't let me get a pig or a goat or another dog (already have 5) so I am working on convicing them on lettting me get a bunny.

We used to have 5 rabbits about 5 years ago that lived outside for about 2 years but we had wild dogs rip out the bottoms of there cages and killed them all. A very sad thing for a 10 year old to find when she goes out to fill up there water. So this time I want an indoor rabbit that won't get very big.

I don't know much about breeds or a whole lot on what type of habbitate an indoor rabbit would need so that is where I need ya'lls help. i don't have a whole lot of money and not a whole ton of space but I would rather buy a cage than build because I am not very handy with my hands.

I have the basic idea of the needs of a rabbit, food water, shealter, care, attention, and a litter box. I am very excited because this will be a whole new thing for me but that is what makes it exciting.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[chickbea]

Check out the website www.rabbit.org. It has all the info for keeping a bunny happy inside.

 

[Poison Ivy]

We had a rabbit that a friend left us when she moved. Felix was litter trained and was a great pet. I just didn't care for the fact that he chewed on everything in sight!

So Felix went outside to a rabbit hutch. Good luck on getting your rabbit.

 

[NOSPRINGCHIC]

We had rabbit for supper last night.

 

[Picco]

The mini rex, jesey woolly, netherland dwarf, and holland lop are all small breeds that do well inside. I had mini rexes and woollies a few years ago and had them inside. I used a large cage with pine shavings and a liter box. The door had a ramp on it and I let them run around when I was home. I would suggest having you rabbit spayed or neutered to prevent urine spraying and mood swings.

 

[hencackle]

I agree with Picco on having a pet rabbit spayed/neutered. The last rabbit I had was a Californian doe. When her hormones kicked in, she decided biting was fun. After she was spayed, she was back to her former sweet self.
Make sure your vet uses anesthetics approved for rabbits and NEVER give a rabbit any antibiotics that end in -cillin.

If you can learn to "trance" your rabbit, it makes trimming claws a breeze. I would hold Jasmine close to me and lean forward so she got used to the feeling of being on her back. It didn't take long until I just picked Jasmine up and placed her on her back in my lap and she would just relax and let me trim her claws.

I've had a Netherland Dwarf, a Chinchilla rabbit, and a Californian--I preferred the temperaments of the last two over the Netherland dwarf.
Stephanie

 

[MiniRexKid]

I've got MiniRex they're really great. Out of almost 10 rabbits that I've had only one is mean... (And I can't get rid of it!!

) Anyways... I'd recommend either them or like Dutch or something.... They're small, sweet, and they don't need a lot of room, and they aren't going to like, dissapear forever behind the furniture!!

French Vanilla, RubyEyedWhite buck, awesome temperment, would love to be someone's pet!! ($10)

Latte, broken chocolate buck, possibly the sweetest rabbit on earth!! Yeah.... I love my rabbits!!

 

[beameuplord]

I have had house rabbits for about 15 years. I had dwarf rabbits at first and my first experience was with a sable siamese false dwarf who was a wonderful pet and lived for 13 years. I went with a ferret for about 6 years after that, (the most precious pet I ever owned), then I tried a variety of other rabbits. I am a collector with Netherlands, Woolies, Mini Rex, mini lop, Havannah, ( all outdoors), and an English Angora inside. She is a bigger breed but by far the most personable of all the rabbits I have ever had. She rolls a ball around and we play bunny soccer. she will nudge it to me with her nose then I kick it and she she chases it and then mounts it and ...you know. It is hilarious. that is how I get her in her cage at bedtime. I roll her ball into her cage and she runs after it. She is really adorable but I keep her trimmed because she gets very hot and angoras have a terrible dandruff problem. Of course you wouldn't do that to a show bunny. I don't show mine. But she is so cute when she is trimmed and she has those big fuzzy ears that look like propellers ready to take off. She has the run of the house and is litter box trained and rarely gnaws anything. ONce in a while she digs around her litter box and I fuss at her then she stops. She lies on my husbands tummy at night and he scratches her head. That says a lot because he does not love animals.

TJ

 

[Grace Boyer]

I'd say a Dutch would be a good choice. My brother had several, and they were all very sweet, ( with the ecxeption of one). I had a New Zealand Chocolate, (I think that's what she was, has anyone ever heard of that breed, or did I make that up?), who was sweet at times, but shed very badly, and loved attention so much that if I didn't hold her one day, she'd crouch in the corner of her cage and not even look at me, or pretend to ignore me,, then whirl around and bite. Very sweet though, and learned to do tricks.
Corey, you mentioned you had Budgies. I have one too, and she's been losing patches of feathers lately. I've heard they can pull their feathers out because of extreme boredom, but although she's the only inside bird we have, I let her fly around the basement, and she has toys and swing in her cage, so I don't think it's that. Any idea what that could be? If you decide you want another bird, let me know, although I don't know how we'd get her to you. I'd like to find a new owner for her, someone that already has Budgies, because none of the rest of my family cares to get another one to keep her company. She hates and is terrified of people, but other than that, she's a sweet and loving pet.

 

[Corey NC]

Have you seen her pulling her feathers? Is there in mucus around her nose? Is she comfortable in her cage not scared all the time?

I don't know a whole lot about budgies just what I have read and have experenced. If she is pulling at her own feathers it could be from boredom. If that is the case get her some thing to chew on/pick at they have lots of thing at petsmart.

If she has any mucus she could be sick and her feathers are falling out because of it.


When you walk by does she freak out? If she is really nervious and scared she could be losing feathers because of stress.

Budgies are not ment to be alone, they are very social birds. If you can't spend a lot of time with her and to get her to know you as a friend you should really get her another bird and I can almost promise you she'd be happier.

Where are you at? If you aren't to far I may be able to take her. Maybe you could put an ad in your local paper or something if I can't take her.