If you are considering or planning to get a rabbit & have not read my other blog posts on rabbits I’d like to suggest reading them before you bring your bunny home. The rabbit posts I have done so far are posts # 18, #21, #24,#27 & #30. You will find a lot of helpful information to help with your bunny, these are helpful even if you already have a bunny rabbit.
Before you bring home your bunny you should make sure you have everything ready & setup. Rabbits can get stressed, so you don’t want to be messing with their new area or them for the first 24 hours or so. They need time to acclimate to their new home & new people without being stressed. Of course you will be giving them food, water, hay, fresh foods, but not picking it up or moving things around in its area the first day or two. The rabbit needs to find where everything is, & if an area isn’t working, lets say its the litter pan, move it when the rabbit is not in their area. Rabbits can be territorial & it is why I recommend a penned play area for them or a safe zone(no electric cords or other inappropriate things to chew on) in your home where they can hop around while you clean or rearrange their main area.
- You will need a cage for your rabbit, it needs to be at least 4 times the size of your rabbit as an adult (they grow very fast). The cage should have a plastic bottom, NOT WIRE as this can hurt their feet leading to leg or hip issues down the road. The cage needs to have room for litter pan, hay basket, bowls, & a box for the rabbit to retreat to or sleep in. I recommend a pen or a hutch with a pen attached as you can close the door on the hutch while you clean one area & put the rabbit in the area your not cleaning then switch. One like this is nice https://amzn.to/4jibyeg or one like this https://amzn.to/3G4UXfv If you have a cat or a dog then you will want one that is fully enclosed, but still have room such as these https://amzn.to/4j6syUL https://amzn.to/4lAkQ7h https://amzn.to/4jyzIBh
- Cage bedding if you plan to use, I used pens for some of the rabbits & I gave them soft baby receiving blankets & they really enjoying them & would put them where they wanted & lay on them. Rabbits tend to get warm so sometimes they just like to lay on the cool concrete floor. https://amzn.to/42bF2on
- Litter box if going to litter box train. I personally recommend it, it makes clean up a lot easier & if access to it most rabbits will hop to a litter box & use it even when out of their cage. Note: they will still leave a few pellets behind when they are excited. Buy a litter box a little bigger than the rabbit will be when fully grown. Higher sides are nice for helping to keep the litter in the box. If you get one with a grate, please remove the grate so rabbit can get to litter & their pellets (they eat some of them as part of their digestion system-perfectly normal for them) https://amzn.to/4j9wh48 https://amzn.to/3E73rSN https://amzn.to/3E73rSN https://amzn.to/3ReHYtX.
- Litter for the litter box; I used hardwood stuff pellets for many of the rabbits & ferrets I fostered. https://amzn.to/3E69cQJ I purchased them at Menards or similar type store when I fostered rabbits. There are litters made for pets litter pans such as these: https://amzn.to/4ihe3MB https://amzn.to/4jrNS6X some are paper & some are wood, they are both fine choices https://amzn.to/4jieeZm
- Water bottle that attaches to the cage, in my experience most rabbits do not know how to drink from a bowl. https://amzn.to/3G6ngdz Wide mouth designs means where you fill it the top is wide for easier cleaning (I recommend having a baby bottle brush for cleaning ). https://amzn.to/4iaqAB This two piece set allows you to have one in their cages area & one in their pen area. https://amzn.to/4ieGv1W Baby bottle brush set https://amzn.to/3Ys6ls0
6. Bowls for pellets & for fresh food at least 1/2 cup size or a rabbit under 5 lbs & 1 cup for a rabbit over 5 lbs. You want to purchase bowls that are heavy crocks or ones that easily attach to the cage. Rabbits like to kick things over. Stainless steel attach type: https://amzn.to/42IKKOA or heavy crock type https://amzn.to/44ojAh7 No plastic as they may chew & digest it. This one would be good for a large rabbit 10 lbs or so https://amzn.to/4cEI0Fu 7. Chew items for rabbits, different rabbits will like different things, so some you may buy they won’t like, you can always donate to a shelter that takes in rabbits or to a rabbit rescue. https://amzn.to/4ihbbPY Try things a few times before you know they don’t like it. https://amzn.to/44oYX4u https://amzn.to/42FPFQd https://amzn.to/4cuDl8J 8. Toys: similar to chew items but many hang on cage & are chewed on. https://amzn.to/43RUuqO Again you may give some items the rabbit won’t play with, try again in a month & donate if the rabbit shows no interest after a few times of offering. This one includes a hut for the bunny to hop thru https://amzn.to/4cNTk2d 9.Pellets (food) Alfalfa based pellets for under 10 months old I recommend the brand called Oxbow it is a higher quality brand https://amzn.to/4j5mcVE For rabbits over 10 months: https://amzn.to/4j9Mt5s 10. Timothy hay (hay is an essential part of a rabbits diet) https://amzn.to/4lsp5BB 11. A box or hut (house)to rest in or to escape for some “rabbit alone time” https://amzn.to/3GjW1fp I recommend not doing a cloth hut till you know the rabbit doesn’t chew cloth. This one is made from wood https://amzn.to/43RVQ4S They will chew on it, so it will need to be replaced at some point. 12. An outdoor pen, I especially think this is important if your rabbit lives in the basement where there is less light. Sunshine is good for all of us, so taking them out on nice days is important, but they also need to be safe. This one is fully enclosed but still need to monitor as anything that has teeth can chew. https://amzn.to/3G82zhl 13. A carrier for Vet visits or in an emergency evacuation situation This one is nice because of the large side opening https://amzn.to/4jdGywi I also like this one because it slides out. https://amzn.to/43LLZO0 14. An indoor pen for your rabbit while you clean cage & a play area if you can’t monitor. Don’t use an open top one if you have a cat or dog that will be in the area when rabbit is in the pen. https://amzn.to/44m2y3a This one has a waterproof mat to protect your floors https://amzn.to/3G4XgyZ 15. A hay basket or hay ball (keeps hay off the floor & clean) https://amzn.to/4ljS4Ye Or a ball https://amzn.to/43RzKQ6
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