Purchasing Your First Rabbit

So you want to buy a rabbit and you've never had one before or its been a long time since you've had one. Well here is some advice for you to help you on your way to rabbit ownership.

Research

The first step to getting your rabbit is research. Many people get a pet before they know anything about them. Many times this results in the animal being cared for incorrectly or the animal winds up in a pound, rescue or being dumped somewhere if another owner can't be found.

A rabbit is a long term commitment. They can live up to 5, 8, even 10 years of age. Ask yourself if you want to commit to caring for a rabbit for this length of time.

Things you should know are:

What you want the rabbit for
What breed you want
What it needs to live in
What it needs to eat
What other equipment will be needed
How to care for it
Grooming needed
Exercise needed
Keeping it healthy
Costs involved

Lets look at each of these a little closer.

Why do you want a rabbit?

There are many reasons people want to get a rabbit. They might want a pet. They may have gone to a rabbit show and want to try their hand at showing. Maybe they like rabbit meat and want to raise rabbits for food. Kids want to join 4-H and a rabbit is a small enough animal for them to raise. Some people use rabbits for therapy animals. If you would like to know some things you can do with rabbits go to my What can I do with rabbits? page.

Knowing the reason why you want to get a rabbit will help in making good choices in choosing a breed, what finances will be involved, what equipment you will need and other things that will be important to owning your new pet.

For instance: You want to show rabbits. A friend of yours took you to a show with her and now you're hooked. You will definitely need a purebred rabbit, but the breed will be up to your preferences and the care you will need to give it. An Angora will need much more grooming than a Netherland Dwarf.

You will also need more equipment than a typical pet owner. Grooming equipment, carrying cages, a grooming table, special foods, gas money for all the running to shows and food for the trips, etc.

You will probably end up breeding your favorite breed so you will need to learn about what to look for in a show rabbit, how to breed and raise young, the finances involved in raising rabbits and so on.

What type of rabbit would you like?

So, you have thought about what you want to do with your rabbit, now you need to find the right breed for your choice.

There are 47 recognized breeds of rabbits in America and many non-recognized breeds as well as many, many mixed breed rabbits. That can be alot of rabbits to choose from.

Here is a look at the uses for different types of rabbits to help you out.

Show:

Any of the recognized breeds from the ARBA list. The purebred rabbit you choose will probably be more of a preference than anything else. Take a look at breeds page.

Unrecognized breeds like the lionhead also have their own clubs, so if you are interested in showing an unrecognized breed, be aware they can be shown at their own shows, but cannot win best of anything at an ARBA sanctioned event.

Showing at county fairs is another way to show an animal. Some county fairs even let you show mixed breed rabbits too.

4-H is the same way. If you are a youth and are interested in showing this is a good place to start. You can also show in showmanship classes where you are judged on how well you check over your rabbit. Most 4-H shows will accept recognized and unrecognized breeds and maybe even some mixed.

Meat:

Rabbits that make good meat rabbits are large & giant rabbits like Californians, New Zealands, Paliminos, Satins, Flemish Giants, etc. Sometimes mixed breeds can be good for meat as well. A Califonian and New Zealand cross can give better meat quality than the breed it was bred with.

Fur:

Angora wool is used for making clothing and other articles. This can be a good way to make some extra money. Angoras, giant angoras, french angoras, and English angoras are good breeds for wool. The wool is taken from the rabbit without having to kill it.

Rex fur is also very soft. This could be good for making linings in boots, gloves, hats, coats, etc.

Agility:

Any breed of rabbit purebred or mixed can make a good agility rabbit. Although it can be hard on the giant breeds because of their size and bone structure. Really long eared lops like the English Lop may have trouble doing agility as well.

Pet:

If you just want a lovable pet, a purebred or a mixed breed will do for this category. If you get a mixed breed, it will be helpful to know what breeds it is mixed with to see how big your rabbit might get.

Therapy:

For a theraphy rabbit you might want a small breed that people and children can handle. Dwarf rabbits like the Holland Lop would make great therapy rabbits. Also the type of rabbit you get should be gentle and managable. A Tan, for instance, can have an attitude, so this may not be the best rabbit for the job.

What does your rabbit need?

You've figured out what you want to do with your rabbit and the breed of rabbit you want. Now what?

Well, at the very least your rabbit will need:

A home to live in
Food to eat
Something to eat out of and drink out of
Grooming equipment
Something to play with

Housing:

A rabbit's home should be a cage or hutch. Rabbits cannot be left to have the run of the house or the yard. There are many things that can be dangerous for your rabbit. Dogs, wild animals, weather, electrical cords, children, etc. are just a few.

A rabbit's home should be big enough for the rabbit to lie down in and move around in. The size of your rabbit's home will depend on the size of the rabbit. For housing sizes see my page on building rabbit cages. You do not have to build your own cage unless you want to. There are many good cages for sale.

Where you put your rabbit's home is up to you. Indoors or outdoors is just fine with the rabbit. Indoors he will get lots of attention and protection. Outdoors he will need protection from animals and the weather. If you put your rabbit outside, make sure that his hutch has a nest box so that he can go in out of the cold, wind and precipitation. Never put a hutch in direct sunlight. This will make it very hot for your rabbit during the warm months. Having shade and a place out of the weather like a grove of trees, a shed, garage, etc. helps.

Food:

There are many types of rabbit foods available. Rabbit pellets are the preffered method of feeding for many rabbit owners. Your rabbit gets most, if not all, of his nutrients from these. Some rabbit owners mix their pellets with other foods like oats, oatmeal, fruits & veggies, etc. Hay is also very good for your rabbit and should be given at least twice a week if not every day. Longer haired breeds need it to help with fur blockage.

Which feed should you get? The brand is up to you. You may only have one or two choices available in your area. Whichever brand you use, make sure it is dust free, not crushed into powder, moldy or smells bad. The darker green the pellets the better. It is also good if the feed has a protein content of 16%.

Other factors may be whether you want to use a show feed or a mixed feed (seeds and other items) or you are feeding pregnant or nursing does and their young.

Besides hay and pellets, fruits like apples and strawberries are good for your rabbit. Just don't feed them too much. Our rabbits like Cheerios. Avoid sugary cereals and treats and NO chocolate. Keep lettuce to a minimum or don't feed at all. I understand this can give a rabbit diarrhea if given too much at once. Rabbits under 6 months of age should not be given any fresh greens at all because of this. Yogurt is also good to give your rabbits and gives them good bacteria for their stomachs.

Search the Internet for foods you can an cannot feed your rabbit. There are some foods you should not let your rabbit eat at all.

Food containers:

What to put your feed in is as diverse as the types of foods out there. You can use crocks, plastic bowls, metal bowls, ez-crocks that lock to the side of the cage,

J feeders, hay racks and so on. The type you use would depend on your preference and the amount of feed for your rabbit.

Young rabbits under 6 months of age should be free fed. This means they get as much as they want. Older rabbits should be fed set amounts so they don't get overweight. You can also tell if your rabbit isn't feeling well by the amount it eats.

J feeders are good for free feeding and moms with babies. Ez crocks are great for rabbits that toss their dishes around. Hay racks are a blessing in that they hold the hay instead of it being tossed around the pen.

Check around and do some investigating.

Water:

Give your rabbit fresh water daily, especially in the summer. You may need to change it a couple of times a day. If you live in really cold areas in the winter you may want to buy your rabbit a heated dish or rabbit bottle.

Water can be given in bowls or bottles. Rabbits should have at least a 16 oz. bottle. This is good for Dwarf and small breeds. 32 oz. would be good for large and giant breeds. The bowls should be large enough to give the rabbits water for a day. You may have to fill them up more than once. Especially on a hot day.

Vitamins or supplements:

Aquavite and Aqualyte are great vitamin supplements to give your rabbits. They help with coats, breeding, kindling and stress.

Medicines:

Some medications you may want to have on hand are Terramycin powder, Terramycin eye ointment, antibiotic ointments, and Vet Rx. These can help when your rabbit is sick. Of course you should take your rabbit to the vet if there is a serious problem.

Grooming:

For grooming your rabbit you might want to have on hand:

Toenail clippers. These can be people toenail clippers, dog nail clippers or rabbit toenail clippers.
A soft bristle brush. A cat brush works well
A slicker brush, especially for long hair breeds.
Clean wire cutters. These are for rabbits with malclusion due to breeding or an accident. Rabbits teeth are always growing. We have had rabbits that had teeth that grew too long because of an accident or them chewing on their cages and they broke or messed them up. Thankfully the problems righted themselves, but there were a few times we had to clip teeth.
A grooming table with a non-slip surface like carpet or rubber shelf paper helps too. If you show rabbits this comes in handy. An easy to make grooming table would be to get a wooden TV tray and cover it with shelf paper or a carpet square.

Bedding:

If you have an indoor rabbit or a rabbit you are trying to litter train or the bottom of your cage is solid, bedding may be needed. Pine shavings, woody pet, or some other absorbant bedding, like straw, work well. I have heard from several people that pine shavings can cause respiratory problems, but so far we haven't had any problems ourselves. Do not use cat litter. The dust can cause breathing problems and it isn't good for the rabbits.

Toys:

Rabbits love to play with objects and need to chew. Wooden bird toys, apple tree sticks, pet wood blocks, wicker balls, and cat balls (no catnip!) are great toys for rabbits. The toy should be large enough so the rabbit can't swallow it.

Make sure that your rabbit has something safe to chew. Wood with additives or protectants can poison your rabbit.

Exercise

Finally rabbits like to exercise. To let your get out of its cage and run, you can do several things.

1. Buy your rabbit a harness and leash then take him for a walk. The harnesses we use are small dog ones (dwarf breeds) and are shaped like an H. The size you use will depend on the size of your rabbit. There are also rabbit harnesses for sale at pet stores or online shops. You want to make sure your rabbit cannot slip out or get choked by the harness. Do not use dog or cat collars.

If you choose to use a harness and leash you must first get the rabbit used to wearing it before you take it for a walk. Rabbits are not dogs. They will not automatically follow you unless they have been trained too. To get a rabbit used to wearing a harness, put it on him and let him hop around in it for a while. Then remove it and do it again.

When the rabbit is comfortable with the harness, put the leash on. You need to stand still and let the rabbit explore around you. When you want to go, walk slowly letting the rabbit get the idea that you want him to follow you. If the rabbit does not follow at first, stand still until he comes your way or the way you want him to go. He may struggle against the leash, but be patient, he will get it. Keep this up and soon your rabbit will understand that he has to go your way, not his.

2. Buy or build an exercise pen. Never leave your rabbit alone in his exercise pen. If there is no top to it, the rabbit may escape. Animals can also scare or try to break in and get your rabbit.