New to the bunny world

[Nina S]

Hi all!

I am new to pet bunnies (and forums for that matter). My husband and I have been contemplating getting a pet bunny. Neither of us have ever had a pet before and have never been much of animal people, HOWEVER I do find bunnies absolutely adorable and have been doing loads of research on them.

I figured I’d come on here and ask some questions to those with real experience. For starters, I would love to hear a low-down on what people find are the pros and more importantly the cons to having a pet rabbit. Do you find them to be a lot of work and do they cause trouble? Are they destructive? Are they ok spending most of their day in a large cage while we are at work?

More questions to come soon, but would love to start getting a feel for what it’s like to own a bunny from real bunny-owners themselves 🙂

Thanks so much in advance!

-Nina

 

[HipHopBunny]

Hi Nina, and very welcome to BinkyBunny! 😀

It is very good to be asking these questions in advance, preparedness is always good. 🙂 Bunny owning has many pros and cons, for starters, rabbits make excellent companions, and great cuties – however, if you chose a rabbit because you think they are adorable, there is a LOT more behind those fluffy faces! 😉 They have giant attitudes, that can lead to trouble sometimes. They are VERY destructive if you don’t bunny proof wires, cords, etc. They can be a lot of work with changing out litter, hay, water, pellets, and veggies. But I would say they are well worth it in the long run. 🙂

How big would the pen be? Would they be indoors? Indoor buns tend to form much better bonds with their owners. 🙂 One thing to help keep buns entertained is to give them lots of toys and rearrange them frequently so there are constantly “new” things to explore.

I think you sound like a good bun owner and will spoil the lucky bun you choose, please keep us posted! 🙂

[Louiethebunny]

Ditto! A lot of people have the misconception rabbits are good starter pets, when in reality they need lots of care and can be more time consuming than dogs or cats. I got my first bunny 4 months ago and my second about 20-ish days ago, and may I say, it is SUPER FUN, but still a lot of work. I absolutely adore my bunnies and cant imagine myself without them! A big thinking point you want to consider is: Do I have the time for a rabbit? Lots of people get rabbits thinking they ae easy and mellow but dump them because they are too much of a handful or they can’t manage their care. You also want to consider how it would live, if you can afford vet care and general expenses, etc. There’s a ton of info in the “info” section of this website.

[Nina S]

Thanks so much for your kind response! It would be indoor, yes. Cage would probably be at least 40” in width. I don’t plan on letting it have free reign of the house, I was thinking we would let it out once or twice a day for supervised play. Is that enough for the bunny?

[HipHopBunny]

How long would the sessions be? The more time out they have, the more you bond with them, and the more exercise they get too, there is nothing like seeing a rabbit binky, and bonds with our furry friends, to me, are more precious than any piece of diamonds or gold. 🙂

[Louiethebunny]

My two bunnies share a 4 ft by 4 ft xpen rn, but I’m expanding soon, and rabbits should get 4 hours of playtime minimum per day. Because my school is going to be remote, my bunnies will run free in our room while I’m there and in their pen when I’m out of the room. Twice a day could be enough, but it depends on the length of the time. Do you plan on adopting from shelter or rescue?

[Nina S]

No I plan on getting from our local pet store

[Nina S]

How long do they need to be?

[Louiethebunny]

I would recommend adopting, most rabbits from shelters or rescues are spayed/neutered before adopted out, but it’s not always possible for everyone. Rabbits need AT LEAST 4 hours of playtime/exercise time per day, so two hours morning two hours night, or more if possible. Also, bunnies from pet stores are often mass bred and can sometimes have health issues in their genes, and are usually sold as babies and then need to be fixed.

[Bu20055]

I wouldn’t suggest getting a rabbit from a pet store. The mills they often come from are awful, and not only are you supporting that, but there are also a ton of behavioural issues that go along with coming from that kind of place. I definitely would suggest adopting from a shelter or rescue, as they will often come already spayed/neutered (especially if it is a bun specific rescue) and you’ll get to know what their personality is, meaning you’ll know if you’re a good fit.

 

As Louie said, they need a minimum of 4 hours of play time a day. So that would be (at least) one 4 hour out-of-cage play session, or two 2 hour out-of-cage play sessions, though more is always better. It’s also best to have play sessions at times when they are active (dawn and dusk) as it really doesn’t do much for them if it’s in their sleeping hours.

As for cage size- I know some people say a minimum of 8 square feet but I would definitely suggest 16 square feet or more. You’d be surprise how small the space starts to become once you fill it with the essentials (litter box, hideouts, food/water bowls, toys, ect.). I’m fostering to adopt a bun soon and I just set up the space the bun is going to have. It’s about 24 square feet, and while it looks quite large while empty, I found it filled up quickly. Make sure not to overstuff their space as well so they have room for lots of binkies and zoomiez. That said, make sure they still have lots to do in those hours while you’re away. Boredom breakers and puzzle toys are great to keep them occupied while only taking a small space in their pen. Edit: You can also scatter feed them their pellets and/or veggies, and if you feed them right before you leave for work, this can help knock of a good 30 minutes of the bun’s alone time.

 

If you aren’t going to be able to spend much time with the bun (4 hours out of 24 really isn’t all that much) you might want to look into adopting a bonded pair. You can either adopt two single buns to bond, or adopt an already bonded pair from a rescue. If you get two already together make sure they are properly bonded. Whether you get a pair or a single bun, you should definitely get them fixed though. Unspayed females have a huge risk of cancer (the bun I’m planning to adopt had a tumour- luckily they caught it in time and gave her an emergency spay) and unneutered males are known for a nasty habit of spraying amongst other unpleasant behaviours (which female rabbits can exhibit as well).

 

Gosh, sorry for the essay! I hope this helps answer some of your questions though! 😀

[LBJ10]

I definitely recommend adopting if you can. Baby bunnies are cute and all. But baby bunnies are also like a box of chocolates. 😉 Plus, there is the stress (on you) and cost of spaying/neutering when they get older. There isn’t a rabbit rescue where I live, but our local humane society has a few rabbits on a regular basis. Most are only a year or two old, already fixed and their personalities known. The modest adoption fee is a pretty good deal considering you won’t have to pay for the surgery later.

Bunnies make excellent pets. However, they are very different from cats and dogs. They are smart though, much smarter than people give them credit for. They can be litter trained, clicker trained, and they can even figure out food puzzles designed for dogs. They are loving and show affection in their own way. Be honored when they ask (err, demand) you for pets. It is a joy to see them happy, energetic and running around with their antics.

Keep in mind though, they are not easy pets. They have special diets and their litter boxes need to be cleaned. They can be destructive, but that’s only because they are doing what bunnies do. They require bunny-proofing and mental stimulation. Oh, and the vet bills. Bunnies require a bunny savvy vet, which is typically an exotic vet. Exotic vet care tends to be more expensive and bunnies often need a vet for all sorts of reasons… most of which are hard to predict.

I love all animals and I’ve had many different pets over the years. Bunnies are one of my favorites though. Not that my other pets weren’t loved (I loved my dog very much and still miss her every day). But bunnies… there is just something so special about them.

[prince dorian the bun]

A lot of good advice already said, but just thought I would share my experience as a new bun owner. Previously I have had cats, and I would say they are definitely more destructive (though it can vary between the cat and the bun, Dorian is actually pretty chill most of the time). They aren’t quite as engaging in playing as a cat or especially a dog, not that you can’t play with them and some people do teach them tricks. I just find it is more effort and some buns can seem pretty aloof as far as affection. Most won’t want to be picked up or stuck on your lap, people do both those things and some rabbits may end up liking it (or most likely just tolerating it)… but they are prey animals and not having their feet on the ground makes them feel pretty unsafe. That said personally I have no regrets, I am also able to hang out with him pretty much all day and make sure he has a lot of company (bunnies are very social animals) and also stimulation so he is less likely to be destructive a he has plenty of non-destructive outlets for his natural behaviors (chewing, digging, aggressively remodeling and running about). I am also tolerant that right now my couch requires stepping over a fence to sit on as some one can not be trusted on it, and have just bought several back up charger cables since it only takes him a second to bite through one. As for Vet, I didn’t find it more expensive, but even though I live in an urban area I was amazed how far I need to go to find one who specializes in rabbits. Like any pet you are going to have to feed it a heathy diet, make sure it has water to drink, room to exercise, safe place to sleep, but you will also have to brush regularly and trim nails. If you or your partner/roommates are allergic to hay or not sure, find out because hay is 80% of their diet, and that combo is not really going to work out.

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