# Thinking of getting ahouse rabbit??



## mimi g (Mar 10, 2009)

Hi guys im new here.....

I just wondered if any of you have or have had a house rabbit and if you can give me any info on them?
how tame can they get? how easy to toilet train? do they smell? will they chew everything in site!
I have read mixed reviews on net and my friend has one that is lovely he can jump on the sofa now for cuddles and most of the time goes in his litter tray!

is their a breed that is better or a sex? i heard male rabbits can spray!

also do they need injectiosn etc...my mum has some new puppies that still need their jabs. Would it be best to wait until they have had them before looking into getting one...I dont live in the same house but I am the puppy sitter! LOL 
i would actually love a dog or cat but my OH wont let me until we have bought our own place...I looking for the nearest tamest thing that I can cuddle really! 

x


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## scosha37 (Feb 24, 2008)

Hi...
I have a house rabbit but had loads before there very easy to train to use the litter box i have a corner one for mines he get out most of the day just eats poos and sleeps ...well sometimes..he like to sleep when he is out follows me around he is a fantastic little guy he is not smelly as i keep him clean his cage i mean he dosent chew because hes bizy playing around my feet or around my coffee table..:thumbup:

As in breed up to you really i had all differnt types of rabbits through the years so no pref ..he is a dwarf X from a pet shop i got him at 6 weeks old..

I attached some piccy of him chilling at my feet....

they love Company they thrive on it ... human or there own kind..

All about pets - Caring for your rabbit


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

mimi g said:


> Hi guys im new here.....
> 
> I just wondered if any of you have or have had a house rabbit and if you can give me any info on them?
> how tame can they get? how easy to toilet train? do they smell? will they chew everything in site!
> ...


My buns moved outside last year but were house bunnies to start with. In my experience bucks are tidier as long as they are neutered, females if un-neutered will spray just as much as bucks!  its not nice!

Makesure your bun is no younger than 8 weeks old, they should not be rehomed before that all good breeders will rehome at 8 weeks. Or you could rescue a bun thats already neutered and vacc'd which to be honest saves you alot of hassle and mess!! I found litter training mine easy, they like to go in the same spot, they will poo everywhere to start with the trick is to work out where they like to go best (usually a corner) and pop the litter tray there, if they poo then pick it up and pop it in the litter tray they soon catch on 

They do need vacc's yes they need myxi every 6 months and vhd annually. They will chew!! Give them plenty of toys and rabbit proof all wires! Remember not all bunnies are cuddly, my joey is the soppiest bun i have met whereas dreamer doesnt like cuddles he likes everything on his terms! If you go to a rescue they will be able to advise you on the temprements of the buns they have.

There are lots here www.rabbitrehome.org.uk if you are still serious


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## kellyrich (Jan 8, 2009)

Hi there i have 3 house buns and i would recommend it to anybody who is willing to commit time and love for them and is not going to lose interest after a while!

I havent noticed that mine smell and nobody has commented when they have walked in but i clean them out just about every day! 

One of mine loves to chew wires and is a little bugger for it but we have managed to hide most of them that he hasnt alrerady got through!

I couldnt say if there is a better breed i think it is just the individual rabbit really! I have a dwarf lop who we got at 5 months old and he is not loving at all, he is loving towards the other buns but not people and doesnt really like being stroked neither!! 
I have a french lop who we got when she was 18 months old and she doesnt like being picked up but she will lie there and let you stroke her 24 hours a day, a right soppy thing and veyr loving!! 

Now we have a continental giant who is only 9 weeks old (only had him since Sunday) and he is very loving and loves cuddles doesnt mind being picked up and jumps on my lap all the time! But i wouldnt recommend a giant as a first rabbit! Im fairly new to rabbits to have looked into giants as much as i can as i couldnt resist one!

I just think (from my experience so far, which isnt that much!) that the younger the better then you can train them better and you can handle them everyday from a young age so that they get used to it, unless you rescue an older one that is already used to being handled etc then that would be better as you would be rehoming a lovely rescue bun that needs a loving home!! 

Dexie, my french lop will use her litter tray when she feels like it but Barney my dwarf lop he uses it all the time and i am just training Dave at the moment!


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## mimi g (Mar 10, 2009)

Thanks guys really helpful....

Lol love the name dave for a pet but that is what the OH is called so I cant use it now! :crying:

I will have a look at the rescues and see if there are any that are used to being loved - I would really love a cuddly one!
The plan is to keep it in an indoor cage when I am out but when I am in then can have the run of the lounge/kitchen!

I have 2 African Pygmy hedgehogs and they are soo sweet but they do not really crave human attention all that much, more they tolerate it! I wanted something that was the next step up really.....think I must be getting broody because I want something to mother and OH isnt keen on cats and wont let us have a dog yet! 

Any advise on food and housing would be great to!
I have heard without the right diet they can get teeth probs! x


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## kellyrich (Jan 8, 2009)

Hi Mine are kept in a cage at night and when we are at work but at all other times they have free run of the house!

I feed them all on hay, which should be 80-90% of their diet apparently, a few fresh greens and some excel pellets. The odd carrots now and again but not too many of these!

Now then housing, we have two big cages but also we have things called NIC cubes which were recommended on another forum site and nearly everybody on there uses them. They are absolutely great!! They are from B&Q and they are just wire mesh storage things that you fix together and you can make your own cage, any stlye you want and different floors and you can change it round when you want! They really are good and they dont look bad neither!!

Any more questions just ask away!! Im just in the middle of trying to take some pics of my new bun as i have pics of my other two but not him but hes running about everywhere litle bugger!!


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## mimi g (Mar 10, 2009)

oh fab thats great!!!! Ill check out these nic cubes they sound fun for me and the wabbit!

cant wait to see pics of dave! x


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## kellyrich (Jan 8, 2009)

Here are a couple of my pics of our NIC cage things, not very good pics but you can sort of get the idea! Ours are big with 3 floors for them to run around!


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## mimi g (Mar 10, 2009)

kellyrich said:


> Here are a couple of my pics of our NIC cage things, not very good pics but you can sort of get the idea! Ours are big with 3 floors for them to run around!


wow wow and wow - its a rubix cube for rabbits to live in!! do you not bother with a substrate on the floor then just in the litter tray! My friend who has one he doesnt even have a cage he is closed in the kitchen when they are put and they just make sure he has food, water a comfy bed and litter tray! Dont think my OH would like that though! 
For my hogs I have a litter tray with sawdust..they always use it, paper as a substrate and fleece blanket as a bedding with igloo...would I be able to do the same with a litter trained rabbit! x


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## kellyrich (Jan 8, 2009)

mimi g said:


> wow wow and wow - its a rubix cube for rabbits to live in!! do you not bother with a substrate on the floor then just in the litter tray! My friend who has one he doesnt even have a cage he is closed in the kitchen when they are put and they just make sure he has food, water a comfy bed and litter tray! Dont think my OH would like that though!
> For my hogs I have a litter tray with sawdust..they always use it, paper as a substrate and fleece blanket as a bedding with igloo...would I be able to do the same with a litter trained rabbit! x


Sorry to sound dumb but what is a substrate?

We have the NIC things but then inside there is also a cage where i put there food bowls and their litter tray so its really big inside there! I used to just leave mine in my kitchen/conservatory but then decided to get the NIC things as they are tidier!!

Oh i think you mean like a litter liner thing do you? I have the litter trays lined with a cat litter tray liner if thats what you mean, then litter and hay in there also!

So yes you would be able to do just what you do for your hogs x


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## toddy (Jan 24, 2009)

substrate is what you use to put on the floor of the cagei.e paper sawdust etc etc


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## Pets Paws (Dec 6, 2008)

What a great idea, I have these for the boys toys, think I will have to borrow them for the new buns  

I am considering having the soon to be rabbits in the house in the evenings and winter but putting them outside during the day, as we have a couple of foxes that come around at night as they live just 2 gardens up


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