First time owner

[KojiKonijn]

I’m new to this website so sorry if this isn’t in the right place?

I’ve been wanting a rabbit for a few months now and I’m going to get one in August. I could use some help if anyone would like to answer my questions I would really appreciate it. 

What’s the best breed of rabbit for a first time owner? (Note: We have a large dog who barks)

What size of rabbit is best? I really like the meat breeds of rabbits like the Californian but I’m not sure if that would be suitable since I’ve never owned one..

I’m really concerned about my space limitations and I am not in the right situation where I can safely free range. (My setup would be a 36″ dog cage and a 4×4 ex pen)

I have done some research on rabbits and work with them at least once a week (I volunteer at a rescue where I plan on adopting one)

What are some good brands of pellets that aren’t extremely expensive but have enough nutrition in them? 

When I bring home a rabbit how can I minimize the stress its under? (The rescue is less than 5 minutes away from me)

What time would it be okay to bring them to the vet? 

Thanks for reading ❤️

[Daisy]

With rabbits breeds are not that important. Think of how big you would like your rabbit to be. They can be as small as 1 kg (dwarf) or as big as 10 kg (giant). Rule of thumb is that dwarf breeds (1kg) can be more skittish/fierce than giant breeds (5kg+), but you will always find giants that are bastards and the most friendly dwarfs ever, it’s not a hard rule. Giant breeds usually don’t grow much older than 5-6 because their size brings early health issues. Smaller rabbits can grow as much as 12 years, with some bunnies even making it to 18. Giant breeds need a LOT of space (not too sure how much though, I’m going out a limb and guess something around 4 square meters per rabbit at least?) while dwarfs are ok with at least 1 square meter per rabbit. But honestly, if you’re not going to keep a bonded pair (which means 2 square meters for your space), I would not house any rabbit on 1 square meter as it’s still quite tiny. I’d stick to 2 square meters even for 1 dwarf personally. Diet and vet costs usually go by weight so giants are again a lot more expensive than dwarfs. Most rabbits are between 1.5 kg and 3 kg.

Also think about the fur: Do you want a long furred rabbit, a short furred, or something in between? Also note that long furred rabbits (teddy, angora) need regular brushing and trimming to prevent knots and dirt build up. They are also sensitive to heat.

*Furthermore, what age would you like your rabbit to be? Baby bunnies are cute, but grow out of their aww cute phase very fast and are a pain in the ass the first year of their life. They will at first be so tiny that they can easily escape and you need to litter train them. Then they hit puberty, lose their litter habits and start exibiting hormonal behaviours such as nest building, honking, circling, nipping, riding, etc. You may want to have your rabbit castrated or spayed, the hormonal behaviour will go down when you do that. They are also very energetic. Furthermore, you won’t know what kind of rabbit you purchase. Characters of rabbits will develop with puberty, so your friendly baby bun (baby buns are usually always friendly) may grow up to be a skittish adult bun in the end. This is also the reason why you cannot bond baby buns; as soon as their characters develop they may mismatch and start fighting. Older rabbits (1 year+) have an established character, you know exactly what you’re purchasing when you get an older rabbit. You usually find them at animal shelters that will castrate and vaccinate the rabbit, which is a lot cheaper than doing it yourself. They are immediatly ready to be bonded should you wish and you can carefully decide on the character you wish to have along with litter and shew habits. In the animal shelter you may also find rabbit that have lived with dogs before and are used to it already.

Lastly, decide on a gender. If you’re going for a bonded couple, a castrated male and a female works best. Females don’t 100% need to be spayed, but some are very hormonal and onbondable when they’re not and unspayed females do have a higher risk for uterine cancer. If you go for a single bun, males may be friendlier than females but again this is just a rule of thumb. I’m sure there are arse$!&$ males and friendly females out there. Out of my 4 females and 1 foster female, I only had 2 that displayed typical fierce/nest building female behaviour (1 of my own and the 1 foster bunny).

If you know the answers to these questions, you know the right rabbit for you. Dogs were bred for ages for specific needs, thus usually have a character that strongely corresponds to the breed. This is not the case with rabbits. They are breeded for their looks (and in the past, their meat) so no breed really has a specific character aside from the dwarf/giant rule of thumb mentioned above. Thus, a mix/bastard may perfectly be able to suit your needs rather than a breed bunny (they are often healthier too because breeds often bring incest health problems or breed specific issues like sore hocks on Rex rabbits, the fragile French lop and the Flemish “German” Giant that is too big for their body to properly support them).

If you’re in Europe, Beaphar Care+ and Science Selective Supreme are the best pellets you can get at this moment (there are still debates going whether the grainfree pellets are better or not). Science Selective is 30 euros for a 10 kg bag and Beaphar is 40 euros for a 10kg bag. This bag will last you forever though, I’m still going through my very first bag I purchased when getting my rabbits and I got my rabbits February 21th. A cheaper alternative is Hopefarms Supertrio, which is also a good brand but a little more friendly on the wallet (I believe 18 euros for 15kg?). If you’re in the US, Oxbow Essentials seems popular but I have no idea how much that costs.

If you bring the rabbit home, put it in its home and just leave it be for a few days (aside from feeding and giving water ofcourse), so that it can get used to its new environment.

The last question depends on if you get a baby bunny or a bunny from a shelter. Shelter bunnies are checked by vets before going to new owners so a vet visit wouldn’t be needed then.

*Yes, I’m a strong advocate for shelter bunnies, haha! Shelters are overpopulated with bunnies waiting for a new chance and a new home and you can find all colours, ages (yes, even babies! Shelters may acquire pregnant females), “breeds”, fur types, genders you may want there. If you’re going for a bonded pair, they will help you picking the bunnies that go best together and help bonding them (or even bond them for you), or you can pick a bonded pair that already came in as a couple. Saves you a lot of headache!

[OnyxMoon]

I agree completely with Daisy, but i do want to point out that rabbit breeds do have traits to them.

My shelter bunny, Onyx (4 years old), is most likely a Mini Satin and Polish mix. The males are said to be super laid back and easy going, and that’s all Onyx is. He is snuggley (after getting him to trust me and not bite all the time), and he just wants to relax all the time. The shelter didn’t know what breed he was, so i just did my own research and he looks exactly like an all black Polish bun. but he has traits of a Mini Satin as well.

I got him his future partner recently, Rosalie, who is a baby (8 weeks old). She is a pedigree, Blue eyed, solid white, Mini Rex. The difference between them is tremendous, Rosalie is exhausting. She has so much energy, being a baby. Onyx just wants to sit around, and she wants to sprint around. MIni Rex’s are said to be super friendly and bond easy to their humans, they are super-duper curious and friendly. Which she is, she is constantly periscoping to see whats going on everywhere. After a little while, she started licking my hand. Now she licks me all over my face and up and down my arm, she is so lovey-dovey. But she’s still a baby, this could disappear in just a few months. I prepared myself before i got her, and said i’d love her no matter what. So I’m just enjoying the love while its here. But like Daisy said, you’ll need to prepare for that if you get a baby bunny.

However, I really do recommend getting a shelter bun as your first bunny, because they tend to be easier (not easier than other animals, just easier as the first bunny because they’re older, most likely spayed or neutered or able to be. Buns are high maintenance, thats why a lot end up in shelters). Not only can most shelters spay/neuter them (again, they do this in the US, not sure where you’re from) before they come home, but they can also give you information about they’re personality before you adopt them. Baby bunnies require tons of time and effort because you are starting from a clean canvas. Whereas adopting older rabbits, even just starting at 6 months old, they already have some of the lines sketched out and you just need to define them and color in the picture.

(Also! I feed my bunnies Oxbow pellets, they aren’t super expensive and aren’t bad pellets. I dare say they are good quality! I am in the US, i buy from Chewy.com because they have the best prices on this stuff. I think they only ship around the US though. Oxbow hay is great as well! They have tons of different kinds.)

[KojiKonijn]

I did forget to mention I am in the U.S. Almost all the rabbits at the rescue are spayed/neutered and based on what I’ve seen the adults do seem to be the best choice thanks for replying How would I transfer food though? I’ve heard of Oxbow but the rescue doesn’t use it since it isn’t well known and we have so many rabbits (about 90?)

[KojiKonijn]

(I’m in the U.S.) That’s really helpful because I never truly thought about that factor (lifespan) Would it be cruel to have just a single rabbit? I probably would end up getting another one in a few years but I couldn’t really afford two. The rabbits at the shelter I volunteer at are fixed and if they aren’t I believe they give you either a discount or a coupon for it? Would it be okay to bring the rabbit outside sometimes? (Most likely away from the street possibly at a park or something) 

[Wick & Fable]

I’m surprised the shelter is not familiar with Oxbow. They’re centered in the US and are the most highly recommended brand typically. Shifting food just needs to be done slowly, so 25/75 for a few days, 50/50, etc.

If you’re able to provide the rabbit with company the majority of the day, a single rabbit will do well as long as you’re taking care of him/her properly and are engaged. If you cannot commit that much time with the rabbit, two would be best, though that still requires a lot of work. I don’t think any rabbit owner would say that a rabbit is less work than a dog or cat. They’re pretty high maintenance.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[KojiKonijn]

They do know about Oxbow since I’ve seen a few adopters switch their food to it. But the rescue has such a limited amount of funds that I don’t think they could afford to buy that brand even if it is better. (Recently there’s been a bunch of litters too) Oh really just over a couple of days? I saw something recommend over 4 weeks. Would it be okay if I had lets say I spend 5 hours on weekdays and over 12 on weekends with the rabbit? 

[Author]

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