# Anyone here have rabbits?



## Free2Dream (Aug 10, 2009)

Hi everyone.  My girlfriend is obsessed with getting a bunny. She had one when she was much younger (like, 12) and really enjoyed it, but her dad got mad at her and gave it away, and she's always wanted another. Now that she's moved out of her parents' house, she asked me if I would mind if she got one. I said I didn't, as long as it came from a reputable breeder/rescue (I don't believe in purchasing animals from pet stores). We found a great Holland Lop-breeder nearby, and we're going to look at her stock soon. I have been reading up on rabbit care, and I have to say, I'm actually very interested in them. I enjoyed reading about all the breeds, color varieties, shows, etc., but I do have a couple questions. 

- Would it be all right to keep the bunny caged most of the time, if s/he were allowed ample supervised exercise time outside of the cage? My gf eventually wants the bunny to be a free-range house bunny, but I don't know how comfortable I am with that yet. I don't want it getting into something dangerous.

- As far as feeding goes... I have always heard that rabbits require hay daily. She claims that she only fed her other rabbit commercial pellets, and that it was fine. I still want to go with feeding hay, though. Timothy hay is the best for regular feeding, right? Are Oxbow products considered safe/nutritious/etc.? I am at a complete loss as to where to buy pellets. I do not really trust most commercial small animal foods, so any suggestions in that area would be very helpful!

Thank you so much. I'm excited to bring the new baby home.  (rest assured that my two darling hedgies will not be deprived of any attention... as much as they're hoping they will be  )


----------



## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I personally would not want a free range bunny. They chew too much and the risk of damage to furniture, baseboards etc as well as the risk of bunny chewing something that could hurt him is too great. Bunnys are fairly easy to contain so making a huge coral is fairly easy. 

Yes they do need hay as well as a good quality pellet. Hmmm, I'm not sure if it's Timothy they need or not. I think they need one type as babies and the other once adults. I can't remember which is which as it's been a while since I bought hay for buns.


----------



## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Be aware that the rabbit may refuse pellets. My Netherland Dwarf, Georgette (named for my grandfather, so don't laugh please) refuses pellets of any type. She simply will not eat them, and is rather picky in general.

I would also advise against letting the rabbit roam freely. If he/she gets his/her teeth into an electrical cord, they could well end up being electrocuted, and this is NOT a nice way to die, which is exactly what would happen.

Alfalfa and Timothy hay are necessary for a rabbit, both of these can usually be found at pet supply shops. Georgette inhales hers, which I find odd because most rabbit food pellets are made from hay. Maybe she doesn't like the texture or something.


----------



## Free2Dream (Aug 10, 2009)

I thought that free roaming sounded like a bad idea. I am going to try to convince her to keep her in a large pen. I've seen that a lot of people keep their bunnies in dog play pens and such. 

I know through keeping horses that alfalfa hay is very rich and should be fed sparingly. Would a mix of alfalfa and timothy (mostly timothy, a bit of alfalfa) be appropriate?


----------



## Kristin (Mar 27, 2010)

Hi!! Good luck with your Bunny adventures. I used to breed rabbits (New Zealands) and my mother and sister raised Rex and Mini Rex. We always went through feed stores for our supplies, but we also had quite a few. I would also NOT like a free-range bunny, but that's just me... they are great in a good sized cage with toys (things to throw like a canning jar ring lid and a blankie) and then "floor time". I currently have Guinea Pigs and i have found the Oxbow products to keep them very healthy. 

I don't know if this helps as others have already been very helpful! Good luck!

What kind are you thinking of getting?? Different breeds definitely have different personalities!


----------



## Free2Dream (Aug 10, 2009)

Kristin said:


> Hi!! Good luck with your Bunny adventures. I used to breed rabbits (New Zealands) and my mother and sister raised Rex and Mini Rex. We always went through feed stores for our supplies, but we also had quite a few. I would also NOT like a free-range bunny, but that's just me... they are great in a good sized cage with toys (things to throw like a canning jar ring lid and a blankie) and then "floor time". I currently have Guinea Pigs and i have found the Oxbow products to keep them very healthy.
> 
> I don't know if this helps as others have already been very helpful! Good luck!
> 
> What kind are you thinking of getting?? Different breeds definitely have different personalities!


I looove Rex! They are so sleek and pretty. My gf is insisting that we get a lop-eared rabbit, so the breeder we contacted breeds Holland Lops. I like them because of their small, compact size, but if we had the room I would make her get a Flemish Giant, LOL. I had a friend who bred them back in high school and I think they are fantastic.


----------



## Kristin (Mar 27, 2010)

If you like the feel of the Rex you may like a Mini-Rex! They are quite small, but not as small as the Holland. The Rex breed, I have found, have a very loving and personable temperament! Sounds like you are researching very well and will make a great choice on whatever you decide!! 

To be honest, I always wanted those huge floppy Flemish Giants as well!!! LOL  They are really fantastic!


----------



## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I've been researching for a rabbit of my own for so long. My boyfriend and I were going to get one but we got a hedgehog instead. A friend of my Dad's has a free range bunny, it is very smart and just follows her all over the house. I think that free range bunnies have to be really well trained not to chew furniture and you have to do really thorough rabbit proofing so they don't get into anything dangerous. This is easier with bigger rabbits though.

I have some links that might help you (assuming you haven't found these yourself yet.

http://www.ontariorabbits.org/forum/phpBB3/


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

At one time I raised all types of dwarf rabbits, dutch, mini holland lop, mini rex, netherlands and lion head. They all ate pellets and hay. Oxbow is a very good brand to feed. Rabbits can be litter trained, but I still wouldn't allow one to free roam unsupervised because of the chewing issues. Right now I have a Netherland X that lives in the house in the winter and in his "summer home" outside in the summer. I let him out for excerise/playtime when I'm with him but never alone. Rabbits are great pets.


----------



## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Free2Dream said:


> Would a mix of alfalfa and timothy (mostly timothy, a bit of alfalfa) be appropriate?


That sounds about right, yes. Probably a 75% Timothy to 25% alfalfa ratio would work.


----------



## nougat (Jun 3, 2010)

"Would it be all right to keep the bunny caged most of the time"

Bunnies need 3-5 hours of exercise time every day. Early to mid-morning is when they're most active.


----------



## Free2Dream (Aug 10, 2009)

nougat said:


> "Would it be all right to keep the bunny caged most of the time"
> 
> Bunnies need 3-5 hours of exercise time every day. Early to mid-morning is when they're most active.


Yeah, I heard that. We are both pretty active people, so I doubt there will be a problem giving the bunny exercise. We have different work schedules, so one of us is usually home even if the other one is not.

We are going to look at the breeder's babies sometime this weekend. She doesn't have any broken coated ones like we wanted, but she does have blacks, tortoise shells, and agoutis. I can't wait, they are soooooo cute!


----------

