RE: A few questions about bunnies…

[kurottabun]

Basically echoing what Wick said

Are you keeping your bunny indoors or outdoors? Most, if not all members will recommend keeping it indoors if possible due to various reasons which I won’t expound on (just in case you’re already planning to keep it indoors).

I have a Netherland Dwarf too, and although they are the smallest breed (smaller than a dwarf lop), bear in mind that the smaller the breed is, the more active they tend to be, which means the more space they need. Of course this can be considered a generalisation since every bunny has their own personality, but quite a lot of members with big breed buns do find them to be more laid back.

One of the easiest ways to know how to rear a pet rabbit is think of how they are like in the wild, then try to reenact that environment for them. A few points about wild rabbits:

1) They live in vast grasslands that provide them with plenty of space to run around. This is why they shouldn’t be in a small cage 24/7.

2) They dig burrows to rest and hide from predators. This is why a lot of pet bunnies dig on carpet or other things – the instinct is still there. Some people provide safe digging boxes while others just put down a bunched up piece of cloth in a corner. For a hidey place, put cardboard boxes or tunnels down so the bunny has somewhere to hide when they are scared. Make sure you don’t bother them while they’re in there especially when you’ve just had them for a bit.

3) They are prey animals often hunted by foxes, predator birds and many others. This makes rabbits jumpy animals that get spooked easily. This is why members advise against picking them up – the only time rabbits are “picked up” in the wild is when a predator sweeps them off the ground and eats them. They have a blind spot right in front of their face, so try not to approach them from there and approach from the side instead. Constantly scaring them will result in distrust.

4) They hide their illnesses because showing weakness in the wild means being the first victim of a lurking hungry predator. So you need to spend a significant amount of time paying attention to even the slightest changes in the rabbit’s behaviour (and poop).

5) No human food like cereals, chips etc should be given (some people actually do this) because wild buns don’t have access to those stuff and neither should house bunnies.

Most importantly as Wick mentioned, do make sure that your mom is on the same page with you on this to prevent difficulties in the future. Finances and time commitment are two things to take note of – I’ve easily spent more than a thousand bucks since getting my bunny back in March (food/litter + cage/pen + vet bills + other misc stuff) – that’s barely four months in.