Im planning a getting a pet rabbit and need info on how to care for it.?

do they shed when indoors?

do they need to be "toilet trained" and if so how?

how often and what do they eat?

how often and how much exercise do they need?

because of my work the rabbit will be in a hutch with a run from 8am till 6pm, is this ok or do i need to arrange for someone to let it run around the garden for an hour inbetween?

will i need to get it spayed or neutered or will it need "shots" of any kind?

Im planning a getting a pet rabbit and need info on how to care for it.?
I had a pet rabbit for years and loved every minute of it! Here are some answers for you:

1. Rabbits only shed when they are molting- this happens a few times a year and is very easy to notice. I just brushed mine when I noticed his fur starting to change.

2. Yes- you need to toilet train them. Use a kitty litter box and put down some hay. Rabbits love hay so use hay in his bedding as well. The best thing to do is when he uses the toilet- put some of his poo pellets and urine inside the kitty box and place him in the box as often as possible. Mine was trained in about 2 days!

PS- clean this out often as they like to lay in them as well

3. You MUST give them fresh raw veggies everyday. Brocolli, kale, spinach, the green tops from carrots, parsley was my bunnies favourite food... I also would put down a 1/2 cup of organic rabbit food every day.

4. Rabbits love to run- I did not keep mine in a cage. He had free run of the house. If you are keeping him in a cage you need to let him out every morning and evening to get some exercise and to bond with you as they love to be pet on the head and stroked.

5. If you can have someone let the bunny out during the day this would be great but if not- please make sure you give him lots of attention before and after work

6. I would recommend a spay or neuter- my boy bunny would try to hump my ankle and would bite me when he was "in need" after his surgery he was the most loving little pet ever!



Having a rabbit is a big responsibility. They do show human emotions and you will know when they are angry with you for something. They are very social creatures and love to interact with people. My rabbit would run to the door when someone came to visit and I even taught him to sit up and beg for treats. Rabbits have a major sweet tooth and love anything sweet! Don't give them any chocolate but if you want to treat them they love dried cereal- especially Cheerios!
Reply:Good choice of pet! ;-)

My rabbit doesn't tent to shed indoors - i bring her in quite frequently but she lives outside.

She has a litter tray in the corner of her hutch but didn't use at first cos she didnt like the pellets (she ate them!) so i filled it with sawdust instead and now she uses it all the time.

My rabbit has bowl full of russell rabbit food every other day cos if i give her one everyday she eats it all to quick and gets too greedy! I tend not to give her veggies as they upset her tummy but i give her the occasional half a biscuit!

She goes in her run everyday and loves it and she also loves running up and down the stairs indoors.

You should be ok leaving your rabbit as long as you give her an hour or so when you return or before you go and most the day at weekends (if your not working then).

My rabbit has injections for mixe..... something i can't spell but all rabbits need them every year.

Well, hope this helps you!
Reply:They shed, sometimes a lot sometimes a little. But no big mess.

The CAN be litter trained, it is easiest to do when they are spayed/neutered but you can do it otherwise too.

They eat rabbit food; pellets, timothy hay, fruits, veggies.

They need excercise everyday for about 2-3 hours.

That will be ok, as long as you take it out everyday and hold it a little bit.

You don't HAVE to get them spayed/neutered, though recommended.

No shots.



The website that I learn EVERYTHING I could about rabbits was rabbit.org.
Reply:The shedding depends on the breed. Most breeds do shed, but the amount depends on the breed. If they live indoors they can be litter trained like a cat. My rabbit has free choice feed, which mean that she has food available to her at all times. If you don't want to do that you should feed your rabbit about twice a day. You can feed them hay and rabbit pellets, which most feed stores carry, and for treats they like grass, dandelions, carrots, lettuce (not iceburg, it's too hard for them to digest and could kill them). The hutch with a run should be fine as long as you are sure that there is no place that your rabbit can escape or predators can get it. You don't need to get it spayed or neutered as long as it lives by itself or with other rabbits of the same gender. Hope I helped!
Reply:They eat a mixture of pellets, Timothy Hay and Fresh Vegges!



They loove people and need to be cuddled everyday! if your bunny is outside alone please consider hawks, owls even racoons or snakes or other predators that might eat him and make sure he will be safe from them.



Bunnies can be litter trained, I did this by not putting shavings (I use carefresh as wood shaving cause respiratory issues) put the shavings in a litter pan inside the cage but dont put them anywhere else, the bunny will use it, if not when he does poop you put the poop in the pan to show him, worked for me for both of mine.



SPaying or neuturing is a good idea if you are considering a friend later on... personally I dont like the idea of bunnies in surgury but its a personal preference :)



If you do not spend alot of time with your bunny he will be timid, the more time spent the better the experience of owning one, so spend as much time as you can with him. Enjoy your new pet!! and GOOD LUCK!!
Reply:I'm actually now off to the vets to pick my rabbit up from being neutered! However i will respond to your question fully tomorrow (with an "edit", if your question is still open), I would love to share lots of information with you regarding this wonderful pets :)



If you think of any other questions between now and tomorrow morning please add them on and i will answer all of them;- and look forwards to doing so! Its great you are asking so many questions, i think you will be a very responsible owner.



"Do they shed when indoors?"

Slightly. Rabbits moult several times a year with varying intensity, and it depends on the breed. However, grooming will lessen the amount of fur left on your carpet immensly - once a week for smooth/shorter haired breeds eg Dutch and every day for longer haired breeds eg Lionheads.

My rabbit is a Rex and sheds very little. I brush him once a week but not very well as he hates it! He prefers a damp hand run over his fur to pick up the stray hairs.
Reply:ok you need a roomy hutch if outdoors and cover the floor of it with sawdust, and in the sleeping part put lots of hay so its comfy!

my rabbit always goes to the toilet in one corner and this is usual for most rabbits.

clean the hutch at least once a week, give it extra hay if it flattens it!

you will need a waer bottle that you need to refill at least once a day or it will get dirty and not nice for the bunny.

i feed mine mix which you can buy from most petshops, its a dry complete mix, i also give it veggies like lettuce, and grass (they especially love dandilions!)

you will need a run with mesh on the ground as rabbits can burrow under it!

i dont usually excersise it but sometimes i let it run around the kitchen with me.

make sure the hutch is away from preditors (foxs!)

if your only planning on 1 rabbit theres no need to spay it but i advise you to take it to the vet to get regular jabs,



hope i helped and good luck

xx
Reply:Rabbits will shed and mostly it will depend on the breed - short hair rabbits - are the best bet for this.

They will toilet train and you can buy a corner loo from most pet shops - where you identify a corner where they want to mess and place it there.

Rabbits will chew and eat constantly if allowed and bored - plenty of fruit and veg (avoiding lettuce)

Exercise should be freely available and if s/he is confined to a hutch I think the legal requirement is 2 x 6ft

If the rabbit is in a hutchen you will want to consider getting a run attached.

If you get a buck when he comes to sexual maturity he may start to spray then you will want to neuter - does smell less. And you can get shots for mixy etc which will be benefical



The most important thing to decide is whether you want your rabbit to be a house rabbit or out door ther is no 50/50. Rabbits adapt to their environment, their coats thicken and thin to the weather. If they are ou one cold night and have been in a nice warm heated house for the past few months their coat wont have grown to keep him warm.

Your rabbit will love you follow you and think your his mum if you treat him right so plenty of cuddles and strokes and attention .

Toys are good and stop them getting bored. rabbits chew and if left in the house on their own - bored and lonely - watch out for our TV wires :)

Buunys are cool I love them