Help! I have so many questions!

[Alyssa]

Hi, I’m a bunny lover, and a few years ago my teacher gave me her bunny. Her name (the bunny not the teacher) is Stella,I have no clue how old my little Stella is, but I do know that she is a pure breed Holland loop. She’s a silly little thing. I had no idea how little I have been giving her the love and care that she deserves. I am learning that I need to do more then just let her out of her cage once in a while, groom her, and put her back. ? below are a couple of the questions that are on my mind.

Question 1
Should I get me Stella a different cage?
You see the cage that my teacher gave me with Stella, is a metal cage with metal planks on the bottom w/ space in between for poop and pee to fall through. Maybe I should rewrite my question to, how can I convince my parents to let me get her a cage where the bedding won’t fall. Does anyone have any ideas on what good point about this new cage would help my parents realize it would be better for Stella. Not only that but do you think it would be easier to clean, if it is then I think my mother would be on board for the new cage.

I do have more questions but I don’t have time to type them right know have to help clean the house for Christmas day tomorrow.

P.s.

Happy holidays to all bunny lovers

[Wick & Fable]

I’d say have you and your parents read the information on the bunny info portions of this website together, or print out the items and show it to them. While a bit nerve-racking and it’s easy to imagine them rejecting something you request, you’d be surprised how they may change when they see you’ve done research and are taking the responsibility to show them.

Yes, you want a cage with a solid bottom. The grated screen for pee to fall through is for a litter box, which is a separate piece to go in the rabbit’s environment. The majority of the floor must be solid. Wire floorings will cause a painful condition called sore hocks.

You will need to have a discussion with your parents. Caring and having a rabbit is easily much more difficult, time consuming, and expensive than having a dog or cat. If you’re being supported by your parents and they are not willing to take your rabbit to the vet, buy the necessary supplies, open the home to be a free roam environment so that rabbit can live healthily in a suitably large environment, than there may need to be a discussion if keeping the rabbit is the best decision. Additionally, I assume you will be going to school or potentially attend something regularly that you’re out of the house for multiple hours at a time. It’s important the rabbit gets time outside the cage and is monitored, fed, and cared for properly. Anyone who’s a part of the house hold should become informed on rabbit care.

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.

[sarahthegemini]

You say you’re at school so I assume you’re a child and your teacher just gave you her rabbit?! Is that normal?

Right, firstly rabbits are complex little creatures that need freedom. Keeping her in a cage and only letting her out “once in a while” is quite frankly, unacceptable. They need AT LEAST 4 to 6 hours out of the cage EVERY SINGLE DAY. And that’s when they are confined in an adequate size cage. The cage needs to be big enough that she can run, jump, sprint and binky. If you do not let her out regularly, that is abuse.

Secondly, a wire bottom cage is cruel. It causes great discomfort for her little feet.

Honestly, you need to do your research if you plan on keeping her because you have a lot to learn. It’s concerning that you’ve had her a few years and have only just thought to research her care.

They are not low maintenance pets by any stretch and they are not cheap either. Your parents need to be on board completely.

[Fluffykins]

Yes please explain the whole teacher gave you her rabbit?!

[Rain]

If your parents absolutely do not want to buy a new cage for your bunny, then you should put some type of thick fabric over the wire. That’s only temporary though because it can still cause a rabbit to slip and slide. Unless it’s like a memory foam mat or something. Those work best most of the time. I’m sorry, as probably comes across as rude or mean, but do you know what to feed a bunny? Just because that’s the main thing before anything else, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but your teacher just kind of shoved you into this, and most of the time when a rabbit is adopted all of a sudden with no time for the owner to research, the owner doesn’t have any idea about the rabbit. Just to clarify, you know that rabbits need hay as their main source of food, yes? If not, that is the first thing to buy.
I’m in middle school, and since my house has a bunch of places for a mischevious bunny to get hurt, I can’t let my baby free roam during the day for eight hours. Even though my mother stays home, she doesn’t trust herself to watch over him as he runs around the house. Although, during the day it is usually my bun’s sleepy time, so for a couple hours, he wouldn’t need excercise anyways. But they still need more space than a cage can provide. You can attach a dog pen to her cage so that she has some more space. Or, if you bunny proof your home, or provide her with a room all to herself, she will be safe and can still have plenty of excercise.
Months ago, when I wanted a bunny really bad, I was not able to get one, because my parents didn’t trust me with the life of a pet. With good reason too. I was under the common misconceptions as everyone else: Bunnies are low maintanence, they only eat veggies and carrots, they should just be put in cages. But I did days of research after they said no to prove that I could take care of a bunny. I went on here mostly to find out all the basic care and info about rabbits. I recommend that you try the same, and then go back to your parents with a bunch of counterarguements and research filling your brain. That’s how I convinced them. It takes time, but it works. You can do the same to get your parents to buy you a new cage, and to provide your bunny with better care. Also, if your rabbit is a female, they get a 60 percent chance of uterinian cancer. I doubt that she is spayed already, so that would also be a priority. I don’t mean to scare you, but it’s common for them to get this. It also increases their life span.

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