Choosing a Rabbit

"Bunnies... OMGEEEE!!!!" This is what I hear every time when customers come by to pick up a new bunny to take back to join their family. They are usually getting one for the little people in the family. They may even be getting it as a "starter pet". When researching rabbits before I got them, many of the sites that I went to were adamant about the fact that rabbits are NOT "started pets". Well, we all have to start somewhere, right? What makes a county fair gold fish a starter pet? Why is a dog not a starter pet? If you forget to feed the fish or don't clean it's tank, it will die. Period. A life is a life. One is not more important over the other. And let me tell you, in my experience, gold fish are a lot harder to keep up than a dog. But maybe that's just me. The most important thing you can do before taking on the task of caring for another life is to do research. And congratulations! That's exactly what you are doing by reading this post! Digital high five to you! This post will go over some of the basics to choosing a rabbit and how to set up for one. I, in no way, will advocate one breed over another or one set up over another. My experience is with several set ups and breeds and I wish to share this knowledge with you. That is all.

Does size matter?

So to get on with it, here are the categories for pet (domesticated) rabbits:

1. small (under 6 lbs)
2. medium (6-9lbs)
3. large (9-11lbs)
4. giant (11+ lbs)

You probably thought that I was going to list several individual breeds and give you the wikipedia version of each. No. Go to wikipedia if you want that. What's important in this case is choosing a SIZE that best fits your circumstances. If you live in a 300 sq ft tiny house, why on earth would you get a 12 pound (or more) rabbit?!? Crazy Head!

Things to look for...

Once you get what size you want, you can start looking at breeds. Breeders will tell you which one they like, or which ones they think is best. The reality is, if you are looking for a pet for your family, your best bet is to go and visit the animal. Hold it, pet it, interact with it. Rabbits all have different personalities just like dogs, cats, or humans. You want to look to see how the bunny or adult rabbit reacts to you, your children if you have any, and ask questions about it. How does it behave? How is it's parents? How does it react to being picked up, held, and pet? Take a look at the health of the rabbit. Does it have a wet nose (this is a bad sign)? Is it super skinny or super fat? Both extremes are bad for the rabbit's health. Examine it's teeth. Are they healthy or do they look rotted? Is there a vet that the breeders can recommend? All of these are important things to look at. Here at Farmer Awad Urban Farm, we encourage customers to come and look at our litters. We want them to get acquainted with the rabbits so they have a good idea of what to look forward to and what to expect. Bunnies are so small and cute when you first get them. But ours are large breed rabbits and can get to be a good size. If you want to know what size your little fuzzy wuzzy bunny will grow to be, ask to see mom or dad. We like to make sure that our customers know what to prepare for. Which brings us to our next topic: A home for a bunny.

Home for a bunny...

Just as with any new pet, you want to make sure you have the proper supplies BEFORE you bring them home. You don't want to purchase the new bunny and make a stop at War-Market on your way home hoping that they have rabbit supplies in stock. So here are some things to consider when deciding on whether or not to get a rabbit.

Will you have a
A. Free Ranger?
This type of rabbit keeping entails having a section of the house that the rabbit can call home. They should have enough room to run, hop, and roam. This area should be blocked of from the rest of the house, whether this is a separate bedroom or an area contained by baby gates. You will want to set up a "safe zone" that your rabbit can hide in like a cardboard box. Remember that rabbits are by nature a prey animal. They like to run and hide. You will want to have a feeding area for hay, food, treats, and water, a place for a few toys, and a litter box. Rabbits are easily litter trained with helps with bunny berry clean up. Keep this area free of anything you don't want chewed. Cords, carpet, paper, even furniture are not safe from the ever growing bunny chompers.

B. A cage to house the rabbit when you are unavailable?
Maybe you don't have the space to dedicate to your rabbit. Not to worry. There are many rabbit cages out on the market. Depending on the size of your rabbit will determine the size of your cage. Your grown rabbit should be able to sit up on it's hind legs with out touching the top of the cage. It should also have plenty of room to flop like a mop. A relaxed bunny likes to stretch out. It should also have room for a litter box. There are litter boxes made especially for rabbits and other small animals. These are great for cages. Now just because you have a cage doesn't mean that this is where bunny can stay for the rest of her life. Rabbits like to run, and jump, and sniff around. They need exercise! So let her out everyday for lots of exercise. But supervise her!! No cord is safe when a rabbit is out and about.

Along with a home for bunny, you should have a supply of timothy hay, pellets, a food and water dish (or water bottle) and something to entertain bunny. I keep empty toilet paper tubes and untreated wooden blocks for my rabbits to chew on. No need to buy the super expensive stuff. Some grooming supplies is always a good idea, such as a brush and nail clippers. And you will want to look into some basic bunny first aid, although, if you aren't sure what's going on, take your rabbit to the vet RIGHT AWAY! Bunny illnesses come on suddenly and can kill quickly.

This should get you started in the right direction for now. Remember that getting a pet is a big step. You are choosing to welcome another life into your own. That is a huge responsibility! But it's also a huge reward to both you and your rabbit.