Setting Up Your Rabbits New Home
Whether
you do this before or at the same time you get your rabbit
is up to you. You need to purchase quite the amount of
supplies for a rabbit. Generally, it’s better to have
everything setup before you come home with the rabbit, so
all you have to do is put the rabbit in it’s new cage or
hutch. Please consider not waiting until after you buy the
rabbit to purchase all the equipment. Your bun will not be
happy in a cardboard carrier or box while you search for
the right stuff for him/her.
Finding The Right Home For Your Rabbit
One of
the first things many rabbit owners consider is what is
the right home for a rabbit? Should they be kept indoors,
or outdoors? Now, if you’ve been online searching around
the internet you’ve probably noticed this little heated
debate. Everyone has there own opinion, but the fact of
the matter is, either one is acceptable. However, in each
situation there are things to take into account.
Outdoor Rabbit
For
choosing to have an outdoor pet bunny, you would have much
more room for a bigger home. An outdoor rabbit generally
lives in a hutch, and commonly has a run attached to it. A
run is like a large fenced in area where a rabbit can hop
and play in, and maybe just stretch out and relax.
For an
outdoor rabbit it is most important to protect it from the
elements such as snow, rain, wind, and in hot temperatures
direct sunlight. But that is not all you have to consider.
In the winter you must make sure the water doesn’t freeze,
and in the summer more constant cleaning will be necessary
to prevent odor, insects, and bacterial growth.
You must
also remember that besides the elements harming your
rabbit that there are predators that will be after your
furry friend too. Yes, many of the hutches are made strong
and sturdy, but what many people don’t know is that a
persistent predator may very well eventually get into that
hutch and get to your rabbit. However, many people don’t
know that the #1 killer of outdoor rabbits isn’t being
eaten by a predator, it’s usually a heart attack derived
from the stress of a taunting predator. You have to make
sure that if you decide to keep your rabbit outside, that
it is protected from being put into a situation such as
this.
Another
thing many people overlook when choosing to have an
outdoor rabbit is that your pet has to adapt to the
environment in which it is in. What I mean is if you like
constantly bringing your rabbit in and out while caring
for it, you are putting a lot of stress on it. This stress
of constant temperature change, as well as change in
environment can make your rabbit prone to illness, and
even cause death.
It’s sad
to say, but outdoor rabbits are more often not taken care
of as properly as rabbits that are raised as indoor pets.
Owners with outdoor rabbits tend to spend less time
bonding and building a relationship with this great
animal, and generally lack of cleaning and other aspects
of rabbit care tend to follow. If you follow the
guidelines I just laid out above, and don’t forget about
your furry little outdoor friend, then having an outdoor
rabbit in a hutch can be a very rewarding experience.
Indoor Rabbit
On the
other hand, rabbits do make great indoor pets contrary to
popular belief. Of course, indoors you may be more limited
on space availability, but you can arrange for your rabbit
to have a rather comfortable lifestyle. Sometimes owners
use a hutch and a run inside the house if they have space,
but more often they use a rabbit cage. Which type of cage
you use is ultimately up to you, and bigger is almost
always better.
In the
cage you want your rabbit to have enough room to lie down
and completely stretch out and relax in, plus space for a
litter box if you choose to use one, and have room to hop
a little and jump. Different breeds of rabbits grow to
different sizes. Generally the length of the cage should
be at least 3 times your rabbit’s length when stretched
out, and at least as wide and as high as your rabbits
length completely stretched out. Remember, this is just
the minimum suggested, and the more room the better.
Though
the cage should be quite spacious, your rabbit will need
sufficient time outside of the cage to get the full
benefits of exercise and playtime, and of course time
bonding and getting used to you. What many owners do is
set up a closed off area where their rabbit can run around
and play (always supervised of course). Sometimes a little
playpen can be used too. It is recommended by many
veterinarians and rabbit owners that a rabbit should have
at least 2 hours a day to play and to exercise. I know for
some of you that seems like a lot of time, so having a
playpen (tall enough so your rabbit can’t hop out of) for
your rabbit to run around and play in while you are home
finishing up your days work can be a great time saver for
you.
One thing
to remember, DON’T EVER PUT YOUR RABBIT IN A FISH TANK
like some people do. Rabbits get hot pretty easily, they
need circulated fresh air. In the summer this is like a
death trap, and can very easily induce a heat stroke and
kill your rabbit.
Where to Place Your Cage
Another
thing to note about having an indoor rabbit is the
location of your cage. I’m going to let you in on a little
secret few new owners know. Some rabbits can make a lot of
noise, I’m mean A LOT. You may not think so much noise can
come from such a cute and tiny little bun, but let me tell
you, it can. This is especially so at night when you’re
trying to sleep. They can dig, and scratch in the corners,
bite the wires on the cage, flip food bowls and litter
bowls, jump, run and play too. If you have a rabbit that
does this, it’s best for your sanity to keep your rabbit
in a room that you don’t plan to sleep in. Some of you are
saying “Oh he’s just probably sensitive to noise, I can
take it”. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see who’s
right, now don’t we? It’s just a suggestion, but you can
do what you wish. Keep in mind that sometimes your rabbit
may be making all that noise for a reason that can be
resolved. Their food bowl may be empty or maybe a water
bottle needs to be filled. If you have more than one
rabbit, they may sense one another and want to mate, or
may want them out of their area. Or, you just may very
well have a very active rabbit. One of the best ways to
cut down on what appears to be a crazed rabbit at night is
to make their play time right before bedtime. Have them
burn all that energy up so that you can have a peaceful
nights sleep.
Furnishing Your Rabbits Enclosure
Whether
you use a cage or a hutch, there are a few things you
should consider having in your rabbit’s environment. Many
hutches and cages tend to have a wire based, or grated
bottom so that when your rabbit goes to the bathroom it
falls through the grating into the bedding so your rabbit
doesn’t have to lie in it. This may seem very convenient
at first, but what many people don’t know is that rabbits
don’t have padding on their feet, just fur, and having
their feet constantly rubbing on the grating can create
sores, cuts bruises, and even lead up to a broken foot or
leg if it gets stuck. A good thing to consider doing is to
take the grating out of the cage, or if you can’t, then
cover it with a big blanket or towel. Yes, your rabbit may
go to the bathroom on this towel so just remember that
when you select which one to put in there.
Inside
the cage you can have a litter box, which is highly
recommended. A little later on I’ll go into detail on how
to go about litter box training your rabbit, for now just
keep in mind that it’s good to have one in the cage. Also
you will need a food bowl for your rabbit’s food, and a
water bottle for the water, and a salt and mineral wheel.
As a new
owner you’ll soon realize that your little furry bundle of
joy likes to play with the objects in her cage. This will
include the litter box, food bowl, and anything else that
is movable. This may seem harmless enough and even cute at
first, but let me tell you that feeling vanishes quite
quickly. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning
time. What a mess they can make let me tell you. Plus, all
that food you’ll end up having to throw out is quite
frustrating as well.
So, a
strong recommendation for rabbit owners is to get items
that can latch on to the cage securely, or that are too
heavy for your rabbit to move. There are some great litter
boxes that latch on to the cage, and feeders that do too.
Trust me, these things will save you a lot of time
cleaning, a lot of money on wasted food and bedding, and
aid you in a peaceful nights sleep. You can also have a
toy or 2 in there for your rabbit to play with. Your
rabbit will sometimes be fascinated with the simplest of
toys. They’ll even play with the towel that you put in
there. I’ll talk a little more about toys later on, for
now let’s find out more about furnishing your rabbits
home.
