Info for my new bunny please?

Aw, that's great that you might be getting a bunny, they make great, loving pets :) My rabbit has a cage with a grey plastic bottom and green metal top, they are detachable. I will put in a link of what kind of cage I am talking of. You can get a metal one with a wire bottom so that the droppings fall through, however I do not like them because they are not very attractive and it's not as comfortable for the rabbit to step on a gridded wire surface. If you are getting a rabbit for breeding purposes and not as a house rabbit/pet, then that would be more a reasonable option though. I do not use bedding, I think it's a waste of money.

It is great for the bunny to be out of the cage (my little guy likes to be out and about all evening while we are home) as much as possible. That being said, not all bunnies are the same outside their cage. The bunny will most likely want to chew all of your furniture, and unless he is litter trained (which is possible, I have litter trained a previous bunny), he will probably leave little presents around the house. Starting off I would say watch him closely and see what his behaviors are. If you change the litter regularly, they don't cause much smell. I would put a litter box in the cage and put litter in the box (buy a odor control litter, try to not use newspaper because the ink stains their feet and rabbits clean themselves constantly... not great if they are constantly ingesting ink). He may learn that he likes going in his box better than the bottom of his cage floor, which is great for less mess :)

I know you didn't ask about their diet, but society (even many vets and rabbit books) do not always have the correct information on certain foods. Carrots, broccoli, fruit, and light colored greens (such as cabbage) are fine to feed in moderation, but rabbits have sensitive stomachs and those foods can cause bloating and gas bubbles. I am an experienced rabbit owner and it has happened to my bunnies in the past. Not only is it painful for bunny, but if it is not taken care of soon enough they can die. In order to prevent that though, only feed your bunnies a few of those things in a small piece about 2 times a week, 3 at the most. Basically feed those foods cautiously as treats:)

The BEST greens to feed your rabbit are:

- dandelion greens (try not to use ones from your backyard as there are pesticides on them or at least in the air)

- clover (stems and flowers)

- dark colored lettuce

- mustard greens

- parley

- raspberry leaves

- collard greens

- bok choy

- cilantro

And add spinach and kale to the sparingly fed food list too :) As a treat, I give my rabbit basil or mint and he loves it, he gets very energized and does lots of binkies :) Other good treats are: a few slices of banana, an apple slice or two, or about 3 raisins.They should always have unlimited amount of hay. They should have pellets, but the quantity would depend on the bunny's size (I'm sure you could find it online or in a rabbit handbook). And organic is always best, but if you cannot get that, just try to be as natural as possible. The "treats" that they sell in pet stores for rabbits are very unhealthy, especially if they are colorful.

Anyway, I hope all this information is helpful and helps you determine weather you will get a rabbit:) They are such adorable pets:)

i always recommend holland lops or mini rexes, mini rexes require less grooming then hollands but holland lops are smaller (not by much tho) 3-4 hours a day sounds great. yes, if you do not like smelly animals i would not get a rabbit, unless you clean there litter box about 3-4 times a day. i do not use bedding, i like to use hutches where the bottom is tin mesh wire just big enough for the droppings to fall threw. bedding just makes a mess.

EDIT: ok, Taley, if you think rabbits don't smell then i don't think your sniffer is working like it should.

I think a netherland dwarf would be perfect because they are really small and no rabbits don't smell at all. You can actually litter train them. 3-4 is a perfect amount of time for your bunny to run around. When I had rabbits, I used pine bedding but some bedding they can be allergic to but I'm not sure which ones. Good luck with you new bunny!

Get a holland lop! i have one, they are cute, cuddly, and so fun to watch! They love to jump and run around! My holland lop is "fixed", that makes them have less odor. Their pee is what smells, clean their litter box twice a day and you wont notice a smell! They will need exercise once a day for a few hours (hide your chords or ANYTHING they can chew on because believe me they will!)