Bunnies! =:)
Sat Oct 16, 2004 3:20 am
Tomorrow I'm going to look for a rabbit to adopt. It's a bit of a compromise since I originally wanted a dog, but I can't keep one at my parent's house and I won't be moving out for a few years. I'm very very excited about it getting a bunny though.. Doesn't really matter since all I wanted was a little animal to take care of.
Anyway, I've never had a rabbit before, so it'll be a new experience. Any advice from rabbit owners would be appreciated.
Anyway, I've never had a rabbit before, so it'll be a new experience. Any advice from rabbit owners would be appreciated.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:53 am
Carrots and lettuce (and other fancy stuff) should be reserved as a treat for rabbits. While they can have it every once in a while, to them... it's like what chocolate cake is to us, fine once in a while, but too much will make them sick. In the wild, a rabbit's diet will consist mostly of grass.
Also, go read Watership Down by Richard Adams.
Also, go read Watership Down by Richard Adams.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 5:15 am
Actually, if you don't mind me saying, lettuce and things like it should be fed daily to help their digestion. Or atleast I hear.
I have two rabbits currently, and after having a total of four die in the past year alone, I have lots of experience.
First let me state you need to learn what they cannot eat because some things, Iceburg Lettuce as an example, can give them poo poo problems and even kill them.
Also, take your bunny to the vet as often as you can, because sometimes your bunny can be sick with no real sign(s), as I learned the hard way. As soon as you see something odd going on such as diarreah, phone the vet ASAP.
Another thing, get the biggest cage you can afford as well as a play pen, which, with any luck and some room, you can attach the sides of the play pen on the cage so he or she may go in an out as they please.
Do not feed your rabbit any foods you are not sure of, like corn. If you have doubts, most likely its for a reason.
If you have other questions or concerns, PM me. I know quite a lot, but not everything.
I have two rabbits currently, and after having a total of four die in the past year alone, I have lots of experience.
First let me state you need to learn what they cannot eat because some things, Iceburg Lettuce as an example, can give them poo poo problems and even kill them.
Also, take your bunny to the vet as often as you can, because sometimes your bunny can be sick with no real sign(s), as I learned the hard way. As soon as you see something odd going on such as diarreah, phone the vet ASAP.
Another thing, get the biggest cage you can afford as well as a play pen, which, with any luck and some room, you can attach the sides of the play pen on the cage so he or she may go in an out as they please.
Do not feed your rabbit any foods you are not sure of, like corn. If you have doubts, most likely its for a reason.
If you have other questions or concerns, PM me. I know quite a lot, but not everything.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 7:53 am
Despite lettuce being good for rabbits, it isn't always a good idea to give it to them on a daily basis. When I had a rabbit we gave him lettuce every few days and inbetween those days we would feed him parsley. Small seed sticks are a good treat to give them as well.
Try to clean the cage at least once a week. They tend to get depressed when their pens/cages are dirty. Change the water every two days or so, etc etc. I'd recommend getting a rabbit care book when you are at the pet shop getting supplies.
Try to clean the cage at least once a week. They tend to get depressed when their pens/cages are dirty. Change the water every two days or so, etc etc. I'd recommend getting a rabbit care book when you are at the pet shop getting supplies.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:19 am
Like guinea pigs, lettuce isn't a good thing in copious amounts. Neither is cabbage.
Carrots don't have to be reserved as treats, though, but that doesn't mean you can lob 10 carrots a day at your bunny, just be sensible.
You should try and get a run outside- they like to run around outside and eat grass. This can be attached to the hutch (if you're keeping it outside) or seperately.
Carrots don't have to be reserved as treats, though, but that doesn't mean you can lob 10 carrots a day at your bunny, just be sensible.
You should try and get a run outside- they like to run around outside and eat grass. This can be attached to the hutch (if you're keeping it outside) or seperately.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:49 am
We used to have 2 rabbits... But since no one except me took care of them, it got hard for me since I had my own dog to care for.... So eventually we gave her ( the other died), to a bunny farm, which must have made her happy since she made more little bunnies there 
Anyways, I don't know about the lettuce thing... My rabbit never ate it anyways. But there is this kind of dried thing that falls from trees that rabbits like. My mom used to buy them, untill we found out that they're all over the place, so we just picked them from the ground.
Like robot said, they should always have a clean cage, with plenty of water.
And sometimes you should let them run around the house... A rabbit needs to strech its legs once in ahwile
Anyways, I don't know about the lettuce thing... My rabbit never ate it anyways. But there is this kind of dried thing that falls from trees that rabbits like. My mom used to buy them, untill we found out that they're all over the place, so we just picked them from the ground.
Like robot said, they should always have a clean cage, with plenty of water.
And sometimes you should let them run around the house... A rabbit needs to strech its legs once in ahwile
Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:19 am
Nooo...not more rabbits...*watches shinigami or reaper or something floating out of PPT towards them*.
I give this one piece of advice to all that get rabbits. They Love Fennel.
I give this one piece of advice to all that get rabbits. They Love Fennel.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:40 pm
If you do let your rabbit around your house, you can get some spray stuff that rabbits dislike to spray it on things such as wires and other things that the rabbit shouldn't nibble on.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 2:08 pm
DO NOT give them vegetables as their regular food. It's... not pleasant, to say the least. I know this from experience. My rabbits love ornamental grass (y'know, the stuff that's green with white lines on it?) so if you have some of that, you could cut a bit down and feed it to yours.
Go to your pet store, they'll have rabbit pellets. This is the rabbit equivalent of dog food. My rabbits love it, and we feed it to them as their daily food. We also give them a mixture of sunflower seeds (NOT ones from the grocery store, ones that you would find in hamster food) and different grains, and they love that as well.
Get him/her something to chew on so that his/her teeth don't get too long. It's also a good idea (if your rabbit won't be outside like mine are) to get a little harness and leash and take it for walks outside. Don't try to put a collar on your rabbit, and only put the harness on when it fully trusts you, you will get bitten. You should brush it regularly, especially now, because it will be shedding the summer fur and growing winter fur.
I'm assuming you'll want to pick your rabbit up? Only advice I can give there, since mine just hop onto my lap, is don't pick it up the way you'd pick up a puppy, it will more than likely bite you. I'd suggest asking the person who shows you the rabbit to tell you how to pick it up.
There are also many, many good books that you can get about taking care of rabbits. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll help as best I can. I hope this post was of some help. ^_^
Go to your pet store, they'll have rabbit pellets. This is the rabbit equivalent of dog food. My rabbits love it, and we feed it to them as their daily food. We also give them a mixture of sunflower seeds (NOT ones from the grocery store, ones that you would find in hamster food) and different grains, and they love that as well.
Get him/her something to chew on so that his/her teeth don't get too long. It's also a good idea (if your rabbit won't be outside like mine are) to get a little harness and leash and take it for walks outside. Don't try to put a collar on your rabbit, and only put the harness on when it fully trusts you, you will get bitten. You should brush it regularly, especially now, because it will be shedding the summer fur and growing winter fur.
I'm assuming you'll want to pick your rabbit up? Only advice I can give there, since mine just hop onto my lap, is don't pick it up the way you'd pick up a puppy, it will more than likely bite you. I'd suggest asking the person who shows you the rabbit to tell you how to pick it up.
There are also many, many good books that you can get about taking care of rabbits. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll help as best I can. I hope this post was of some help. ^_^
Sat Oct 16, 2004 2:13 pm
It's fine to feed your rabbits fresh vegetables every day, as long as these are supplementary to the dry food.
You HAVE to feed them dry food/pellets/whatever.
Also, use plenty hay for bedding- they will eat the hay and it's good roughage for them to eat, and it's warm bedding- and they love it. Don't use straw though, this has sharp edges and can give them injuries.
You HAVE to feed them dry food/pellets/whatever.
Also, use plenty hay for bedding- they will eat the hay and it's good roughage for them to eat, and it's warm bedding- and they love it. Don't use straw though, this has sharp edges and can give them injuries.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:10 pm
I suggest the wood chips, if the hay doesn't float your boat.. they can nibble on those and its pretty easy to clean.
I suggest changing water more than every few days, though, because rabbits, or atleast ours, enjoy pooping and getting wood chips in theirs. (Mainly because the wood chips stick to our Angora)
I suggest changing water more than every few days, though, because rabbits, or atleast ours, enjoy pooping and getting wood chips in theirs. (Mainly because the wood chips stick to our Angora)
Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:18 pm
Erm, Medli, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me you give your rabbits water in a bowl?
That's not really advisable- you should us a water bottle that you can get from a pet store and change the water every day.
That's not really advisable- you should us a water bottle that you can get from a pet store and change the water every day.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:23 pm
Igg wrote:Erm, Medli, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me you give your rabbits water in a bowl?
That's not really advisable- you should us a water bottle that you can get from a pet store and change the water every day.
Yes, I do. Every single water bottle we have tried leaks. Bad.
I never thought about the water bottle thing, so forget the water thing in my above post.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:25 pm
Yeah, ours used to leak but we attached it at just the right angle. And it's finally stopped being leaky.
My guinea pig barely drinks water anyway- the vets said he gets enough water from teh fruit and vegetables we feed him.
My guinea pig barely drinks water anyway- the vets said he gets enough water from teh fruit and vegetables we feed him.
Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:46 pm
When you're buying it (if you want it to be cuddly) watch carefully how it reacts to the person who first moves in to pick it up. Does it run away? Does it try to bite? Does it react in a jerky manner?
The pet store closest to me here has open top cage type things, so the rabbits are all quite friendly and used to being handled (except the new ones)
On the other hand...
Llama? Rabbit? You decide.
The pet store closest to me here has open top cage type things, so the rabbits are all quite friendly and used to being handled (except the new ones)
On the other hand...
Llama? Rabbit? You decide.