Hi there,

I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself.  My husband and I are about to adopt a rabbit from the NHSPCA and this forum has been enormously helpful in getting us on the right track.  We've been waiting a long time for the right time for a rabbit.  Its just a coincidence that we're getting the rabbit at Christmas, rather, were getting it now because I just finished my master's degree and finally have more time after work to spend with the rabbit.  We are about 80% done with putting together our rabbit condo.  I expect we will get a single rabbit, unless we really like a bonded pair.  We are going tomorrow to look at what's at the shelter, but we'll take home the bunny we choose after the holiday-- that way we will be home for his first few days and can watch him closely.  I'm hoping for a full-size Rex rabbit, but I'm not picky-- any medium size, fixed rabbit that warms my heart will do. 

I've just about soaked up the information on this board and the House Rabbit Society and other rescue group websites.  I do have a few questions, which I will post in the appropriate forum pages.   

Here are some pictures of the condo we built-- don't worry, we will add plenty of toys!  I would sincerely appreaciate any comments or suggestions from you folks. 

http://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tab...fault.aspx

The footprint is 28"x42" and it stands 56" tall. We made it out of organizer cubes from target and Coroplast corgated plastic. We have a few details to finish and I'm sure we will modifiy it once we get the bunny.

The center front panel on each layer opens for cleaning/access. The top three floors open independently of the floor level. When we are home and the bunny is out and about, the three top ones will stay closed and the bottom one open. The cardboard tubes won't be in that corner they are for playing in the living room. We are going to add a wooden nest box just below that first level.

I got this microfiber blanket at Big Lots, we are waiting for a part for the sewing machine, then we will finish the edges and add velcro to secure it to the corrugated plastic "floors". I have two sets of the blanket so we can rotate and toss one set in the laundry for regular cleaning (especially during litter training).

Here is the hay rack and litterbox. The floor is a entry-way waterproof mat turned over for a cushiony but easy to clean surface.

We also made this fence to slowly increase the area the rabbit has access to during litter training. Evenutally, we'll use it to keep the rabbit in the living room and/or bedroom and away from hard-to-bunny-proof areas.

These baskets used to be on the floor to the left of the cage, my husband stained them so we can use them for hey, litter, rabbit food and other supplies.

Thanks for looking!

Abby

woooooow!!! SNAZZY!!! You are going to make some bunny a very very lucky bun!!! Welcome! We're going to expect tons of pictures of the new arrival. Which, you will then probably meet the "poking stick" that, well, pokes you when we await for your photos of the new bun!!! Watch out though, MonkeyBun has a huge one that she brandishes often! The cage looks great, will love to see it with the new bun and lots of toys!

Welcome to BB! You guys are seriously prepared to getting a rabbit! It's so great. I can't say I was but I can say I am prepared for always having rabbits in my life now. You'll make wonderful rabbit caretakers I think.
The condo looks great. You may find your newbie won't use it all at once (depending on the rabbit) but I'm sure it won't take long. Please do come back and post about the rabbit(s) you bring home.

Edit:  I just had a look at the NHSPCA rabbits.  Oh boy! Decisions, decisions!  (Don't you love the internet? I love that I can look at all these rabbits but it's sad there are SO many waiting for adoption.)

Well, after about 7 months at the NHSPCA, Charlie the house rabbit found his forever home!

Charlie is an approximately 1 year old, neutered Rex rabbit.  He's a bit overweight, but otherwise seems to be free of health problems.  He's "in training" with the litterbox-- I'd say he heads there about 75% of the time on his own, and the rest of the time, it seems like the poops just fall without his noticing.  Considering all the stress involved with moving and a new territory, I think he's doing great.  We put the mat I bought for his carrier in his pen and he peed on in 3 times in a row, so we took it away and have had only one other incident since.  I took your advice and got a larger litterbox.  He seems thrilled to jump up the levels, but less so about going back down, so I put the old litter box on the top level as a second option.  We also beefed up our fence-- he took one look at that and I saw him calculating his escape in his mind.  Here are some pictures:

Yeah, we have a whole box of plain brown boxes left over from our wedding favors.  I hid a couple sprigs of parsley at the bottom and added hay.  It kept him intersted for a while, then the top opened and he snagged all the good stuff. 

Charlie is doing amazingly well, its only day 3 and he was already licking my husband (not me! err... hubby has the week off from work and is quickly becoming the favorite) and doing fat-bunny-binkies.  I think he spent so long at the shelter because whenever someone tried to "meet" him he did his best wild boar act-- grunting, lunging, piss, and vinegar.  He hasn't growled once since he got home.  He's lunged once or twice, but just to protect his food. 

He had a few pee incidents (maybe 4 total) on the first two days, but none today.  He's been leaving single poops around his cage and pen-- we've been praising him with a head scratch and a raisen when he goes in his litterbox and I'm putting his poops in the box, too.  Today, the marking is already much reduced.