[azanerd]

I have a new rabbit and have yet bought any supplies other than rabbit food, cage, and a water feeder. I'm wondering what supplies are essential for my rabbit, like minerals and suppliments, medicines. I know they need hairball medicine, but I've yet to buy any. I'm wondering what all I need to buy and what particular brands anyone has had the best results from.

[simoneaugie]

Mine loved Timothy hay. In fact, I was told to always have it available for them, like water.

Where, generally do you live? I have supplies that need to be given away.

[rebeltequila]

Flea powder, wormer, you should have it vaccinated, ear mite treatment depending on hair length a brush they love a mineral salt block give them grass everyday alone with vegetables always have water avalible and warm dry hay or straw (if they eat some hay that ok)

[mysteryperson123]

I used to keep rabbits and I have a bit of advice, do not use a run on grass/mud. When we had a rabbit named Daisy she dug tunnels under the earth and ended up escaping. We always managed to get her back though. She had a friend, a wild rabbit, we named him Bracken, after she died Bracken would still come to our garden waiting for her.

[azanerd]

I used to keep rabbits and I have a bit of advice, do not use a run on grass/mud. When we had a rabbit named Daisy she dug tunnels under the earth and ended up escaping. We always managed to get her back though. She had a friend, a wild rabbit, we named him Bracken, after she died Bracken would still come to our garden waiting for her.

That was too sad... I'm so sorry for Bracken

[mysteryperson123]

Daisy lived to be around three. She got a lump on her neck and died. We used to have to go out and chase Daisy until we managed to catch her. Even after we moved out of the house we still used to see him when we passed by, sitting there, waiting for Daisy to come out and see him.

[froggy7]

There is a group called the House Rabbit Society. They may be a good resource for you.

Here's links to their FAQs and some other useful information:
House Rabbits 101: Resources for New Bunny Owners
FAQs about Rabbits and Rabbit Care

[Alty]

Rabbits are wonderful pets, congratulations.

I have three rabbits, here's some advice that I think is essential in order to have a happy healthy pet.

First, if your rabbit isn't fixed you should look in to that at around 6 months of age. Male rabbits can become aggressive if they are not neutered, female rabbits live longer if they are spayed. You might have to look around for a vet that can do this, not all vets know how to spay/neuter a rabbit.

Timothy hay is very important, it helps the rabbit digest it's food. Always have timothy hay on hand.

Rabbits can be litter box trained, it's actually very easy. Most pet stores have littler boxes especially for rabbits, and the litter as well. Just place the litter box in the cage with your rabbit, put some of his feces into the box and wait. It sometimes takes some time, but they are very smart animals and will learn.

The more you handle your rabbit the tamer it will be. Remember that a rabbits ears are very sensitive, you should never pick your rabbit up by the ears. Always place one hand under the front paws and one hand on it's behind, hold tight but don't squeeze.

Rabbits are very curious and tenacious, if you allow your rabbit the run of your house make sure that everything is safe. Rabbits will chew on anything, many have been known to die because they chewed through electrical cords.

The above poster posted a site, this is a great place to start.

Sorry for all the info, can you tell I love rabbits? :)

Good Luck.

[kellylouise12]

I have a new rabbit and have yet bought any supplies other than rabbit food, cage, and a water feeder. I'm wondering what supplies are essential for my rabbit, like minerals and suppliments, medicines. I know they need hairball medicine, but i've yet to buy any. I'm wondering what all i need to buy and what particular brands anyone has had the best results from.

You do not need hairball medecine atull your rabbit is not a cat you will kill it you can get vitamin blocks or liquid form that you put in its water you also need a out door run on grass cat proof and dog proof etc and hay or staw and sawdust for the floor in the hutch to soak up wee and stuff rabbits also love having stuff to throw around so some toys would be nice for it if you can get hairball stuff for rabbits I have never heard of it atull but hope you and your rabbit have fun thanks from kelly

[Alty]

The above poster is absolutely correct. One thing to remember, rabbits do not have a gag reflex, they physically cannot vomit, therefore a hair ball remover is not only dangerous but unnecessary. Rabbits are very different from any other animal you have ever owned, they have very specific medical and physical needs.

One thing that I didn't mention before. Rabbits need entertainment, they love to dig, love to chew and love to hop and run. One thing that my rabbits absolutely love and which is almost free. Take you empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, stuff them with timothy hay and put them in the cage. The roll is not at all harmful to rabbits, and he will have a great time playing with that, trying to get the hay out. They need to have activity if they are to be happy, healthy pets.

[azanerd]

The reason I thought they needed hairball medicine is because when I first got the rabbit I went to websites that explained how to take care of them and they said that rabbits don't have the ability to couch up their hairballs like cats can, therefor it remains in their stomach and can make them sick, I've seen hair ball remedies for rabbits in online rabbit supplies stores, I haven't bought any yet, I tried to find some at a local pet store but they didn't keep medical supplies there. But now I'm confused because they say it's dangerous not to give the rabbit hair ball medicine and you all are saying it's dangerous to give it some. I think you know what you're talking about since you have rabbits, but since mine has been coughing lately which sounds the way cats do when they're coughing up hairballs, I think I'll need to speak to an actual rabbit vet about that.

[Alty]

Here is a great site about Rabbits and "hairballs" this will explain what you need to know. Also, don't trust pet stores when it comes to Rabbit tips, they don't know what they are talking about, most of these employees have little or no experience with rabbits and will give you the same advice they would for a cat. Rabbits are not cats, nor are they rodents, these little animals have a very uniques digestive system and unique needs in order to stay healthy. Check out the link, it will help answer some of your questions.

Rabbit Hairballs: Fact or Ficition - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Feel free to PM me if you have questions about you new bunny. :)

[azanerd]

Thank you so much for the link Altenweg, it helped a lot. I have another question. Once I get the hang of this, would it be best to get another rabbit? On one web site I read that they are social creatures and are happiest with another rabbit around. And if so, would two females get along better than a male and a female or does that not matter? Mine is female.

[Alty]

The sex of the rabbits isn't that important, whether they are fixed is. Firstly, an unaltered rabbit will be more aggressive, males and females alike, so putting two unaltered rabbits in a cage together can be troublesome, especially if they are of the opposite sex. The term "they breed like rabbits" is very accurate, and there are enough unwanted homeless rabbits already, in fact, there are studies that show that rabbits are the animal most given up to shelters, above dogs and cats.

Also, an unspayed female is more than likely to develop uterine cancer, most unaltered females die before they are 3 years of age, so that's another good reason to have your rabbits spayed or neutered, not to mention that unaltered rabbits will spray, it stinks and stains.

Two altered rabbits can live very happily together, and it is true, rabbits are social creatures and are much happier if they have a friend. You will have to buy another cage and introduce them slowly, if you're interested I can post or PM some info on how to socialize your rabbit with another rabbit.

And here's where I try and save a bunny, if you do decide to adopt another rabbit, please consider a shelter rabbit, most shelters charge a minimal fee (ours charges $25.00 for a spayed/neutered rabbit) and you would be saving a life. Many shelter rabbits are euthanized or returned over and over again (our Thumper was a two time resident in the shelter before he found his forever home with us).

I'm so happy that you are enjoying your rabbit and are thinking of adopting another. Rabbits are wonderful animals, if you know how to care for them. It takes a bit of patience, allot of love and time, but it's worth it in the end.

Would you be willing to post a picture of your bunny, I'd love to see her. Of course you know that my avatar is Cotton, my little lionhead dwarf, and the only pet store bunny I have. Here's a picture of my little trouble make Thumper.



He actually has huge brown eyes, but always looks like a demon bunny in a picture. :)

[azanerd]

Thumper is beautiful :) I know that it is better to get them from animal shelters, I would have gotten mine from one, but it was given to me by someone else who bought it from a breeder. My next one will definitely come from a shelter though :) and thank you, I'd appreciate it if you did post on how to socialize them with each other. And I'm sorry but I don't have any way to get a picture on my computer right now, but if I happen to have someone over with a cell phone, then I'll get one up for you to see :)

[Alty]

Before you introduce a new bunny to your present bunny, you should consider having a
Few 'dates'. (Really, bring your bunny to a shelterand arrange some contact with potential bunnies).

Not all bunny dates are love at first sight, so it's important to have an idea of what to expect. First, you shouldn't be surprised if one bunny mounts the other bunny. This is
More of a sign of dominance than anything else. It's the bunny saying, “I want to be top dog.” So, don't be surprised if your little girl mounts the boy she's meeting; she's just
Setting some ground rules for what she expects from him.

If the boy mounts the girl, and she doesn't react, that's a good sign that the bonding should go fairly smoothly. If she runs away when he tries to mount her, don't worry. The way to know you're going to have to take time and have patience with the bonding is if the girl turns around and tries to attack or becomes in any way aggressive when the boy
Tries to mount her.

Another common reaction upon first introductions is one the chase. (One bunny chases the other). This is perfectly fine, if the chased bunny doesn't turn around and fight back.
If the chased bunny does fight back, separate the two bunnies and realize the bonding process is going to have to move more slowly than you had hoped for.

In fact, don't be surprised if there are fights during the bonding process. It's not the end. It just means you should be prepared to take things slow. There's bound to be some scrapes between bunnies, and this is normal. You can stop a fight by yelling “no” or by making a loud noise.

There's a LOT more to talk about to really understand bunny bonding... but this will get you started.

I'll post more in the near future. :)

[azanerd]

Thank you :)

[Alty]

You are more than welcome. Here's a picture of my bunny Kilala;



She's my latest rescue bunny. :)

[azanerd]

She's so pretty :) and I love the name, I think it's from Inuyasha? :D
Someone in my family found a young wild rabbit, they might be giving it to me if they can't handle it, So if you know anything about taming them, that would be helpful :) I've already looked things up about it, but I've went to the wrong websites about these things before.

[Alty]

Wild rabbits are usually hares, although in the same family they are very different from domesticated rabbits and wild rabbits. For instance, rabbits burrow, they live underground, hares do not. First you should make sure that it's actually a rabbit, not a hare. Hares usually have bigger ears and feet, and grow bigger than rabbits.

If it is a wild rabbit then you shouldn't have much of a problem taming it, it depends on the age of the rabbit. The younger they are, the easier to tame. Just handle him/her allot, start potty training immediately, and make sure that he/she has the necessary supplies and a place to safely run around and play.

If it's a hare, I have no idea what to do. I would assume that it wouldn't differ too much, but I don't know if they need anything special in order to be healthy and happy.

Good luck. :)