New rabbit owners!

[Zeelove]

We are going to look at a rabbit next week and even though i had a rabbit as a child, I'm very new to being a rabbit owner.

Do they need to get neutered? I know my rabbit as a child wasn't neutered.

[LoislovesStewie]

Please don't get one rabbit, they need the company of their own kind, two rabbits together are very happy, one by itself is very miserable. It is usual to castrate a buck because both err wise they are at it like, well rabbits. They also need a large enough hutch and outdoor run, lots of hay to eat and of course plenty of fresh water. I've kept buns for over 50 years and find that in many cases they are ill treated by neglect, so please look on the RSPCA website for really good info.Hope you don't mind me giving all this info but I do feel strongly about bunnies welfare.

[LoislovesStewie]

Not err : otherwise ( autocorrect gone silly)

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

2 rabbits either young litter mates or an older bonded pair. Get them vaccinated and castrated. If they can't roam free in the garden/yard/house they will need a huge house like a shed with a very large run attached. I foster rabbits whilst they are waiting adoption I would recommend adopting a pair of rabbits as they will already be neutered and vacinnated and already be friends so you won't have to deal with the bonding process.

[booellesmum]

Think really carefully about getting a rabbit.
You need 2 and they do need to be neutered, especially girls as prone to uterine cancer I believe.
They live a long time so are a huge commitment.
The cages they sell in pet shops are not big enough - rspca recommend something more like a small shed.
Don't forget to factor in yearly boosters and vets bills.
Rabbits are notorious for being really ill before they show any symptoms as they are prey animals.
Personally having had lots of different pets I find rabbits are the hardest.
Cats are a lot easier and so are guinea pigs (although guineas still need decent cage/exercise)
If you do get bunnies though can we see pics (they are very cute!)

[Hamandcheesebaguette]

I wouldn't recommend a rabbit as a pet to be honest. I found my bunny harder work than the dogs! They really do need to run around like a dog would and they can get all sorts of illnesses that you don't spot until it's costing you £4000!

[AdidasGirl]

I have giant house rabbits but had little ones as a child.
Please don't just get one.
My giants live in the house with my dog and can come and go into the garden as they please.Plus we have always walked them and taken them out and about and to the pub etc.They are huge though.
One will be so lonely and depressed.
Make sure they have their jabs and mine are insured too.

[Zeelove]

Will defo look into getting two. We had our rag doll neutered but neutering a rabbit didn't even cross my mind until I read it.

I'll do more research this week.

[AdidasGirl]

Look into insurance too.Its cheap as chips and go through Quidco and get cashback.
One of my giants had to have an op.
The final bill came in at just over £1000.
Insurance covered everything with only a small excess.Dealt with the vets direct too.

[bunnygeek]

Have a read here:
rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/

I don't think about how much I've spent on my rabbits in the last 8 years. I had one put to sleep 2 weeks ago and am very much in mourning, the other (his sister) is now almost 12 years old and a bit arthritic so we're at the vets quite regularly for check ups!

They are a long term and expensive pet, but so rewarding when you get it right. Personally I can't imagine life without rabbits. I don't find them "hard", maybe "tricky" is a better word and you have to be ok with hay literally being everywhere in your life/hair/clothing/bags.

I keep mine as free-range house rabbits (she doesn't range far, arthritis! And old carpet as she has accidents) and she has a huge shed and 10ft roofed aviary in the garden for nice days (which cost about £1k in total to get custom made). Hutches are useless and should be forgotten - they were invented in the 1800s for keeping rabbits to eat (so they were never in there long) and the design hasn't changed!

Have a read on the Rabbit Welfare link above.

[StayingAtTamaras]

Yes yes yes get them spayed/neutered and make sure you get two!

It makes them a lot friendlier and calmer, easier to litter train and pretty much gets rid of any risk of reproductive cancers in female rabbits ( 80% of rabbits will get uterine or ovarian cancer by aged 5 without being spayed ).

My cage free house rabbit was already litter trained and really affectionate bordering on needy and then she hit puberty and was a completely aggressive nightmare but spaying sorted that out!

[Passthecake30]

We have 2 girls, they live in the shed with a huge run attached (which they have for an hour in the morning and 6 hours in the evening). They aren't cuddly pets but are very curious and give me nose bumps if they are after something! They are fairly cheap to board when we go on holiday (£6.50 a day for them both). We got them as we work all day and the kids were asking for pets, but there's a limit to what the kids can do. The rabbits are litter trained so cleaning them takes a couple of minutes (to swop out their trays).

Can I ask which insurers people use? I've not found anything reasonably priced...

[bunnygeek]

I use PetPlan for insurance.