Baby Parenting Guide

How to take care of baby bunnies?

I am planning on getting a baby bunny, but i have NO idea how to take care of bunnies. Can someone give me some tips and facts? Also, what kind of cage should I buy? (I have to keep it outside because they smell)

Public Response to How to take care of baby bunnies?

1. Look at this site: http://www.rabbit.org/ Unless the weather is perfect all year round where you live, you will need to take it inside. Rabbits can easily die of heat stroke or exposure. If you can't do this, consider a different pet.
2. Easiest way is to make rabbit stew.Its the best
3. If you can't deal with animal smells you are not ready to be an animal owner. Why do you have to have a "baby"? In seventeen years of doing animal adoptions I have found the LESS experience and knowledge of animal care goes hand in hand with wanting "babies". Bunnies ABSOLUTELY cannot live outside!!! To house them like that is to make them sitting ducks for predators. You cannot properly care for them, socialize them, or give them a life of any quality if they are outside.
4. Visit the rabbit.org site someone else posted and keep it inside. Rabbits have ZERO smell if you keep their cage & litter box clean (less than a cat certainly). X-pens are ideal indoor housing. Setup ideas are here: http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/adoption/pen_living.html
5. Rabbits do not smell. There is no good reason to keep a rabbit outdoors and a giant list of reasons why not to. Predators, weather changes, heat and cold, the fact they're social and would feel much happier and healthier if they were kept with the family. Rabbits need at least two hours of time outside of their cage every single day. Are you going to be able to do that while housing it outdoors? They need a very strict diet that requires feedings several times a day. Some rabbits will not old hay, some rabbits will not eat old pellets. Old can be anything from a few hours to a day. Vegetables have to be extremely fresh, if you won't eat it, it can be harmful to them. Please read about rabbits before you get one. Obviously you do not know very much about them. Rabbits are social and do better in pairs if you cannot be with them at all times. They must be spayed/neutered between 4-6 months. The bonding process, if you so choose to get a second rabbit, can take months and two rabbits must be houses separately before they are fixed. Young rabbits need a diet of unlimited alfalfa pellets and unlimited alfalfa hay. Older rabbits need a diet of 1/8 of a cup of timothy pellets per five pounds, 1-2 cups of vegetables, 1 tablespoon of fruit and unlimited grass hay. Pellets cannot be fed unlimited when they are older, they are too high in calories, fat, calcium and are one of the leading causes in many illnesses rabbits can get. Rabbits can live 8-12 years, they are not a short-term pet. They need yearly medical check ups, and depending on where you live, they may need vaccinations. They need to have nail clippings once every month. Rabbits must be watched very carefully and checked over at least once a week for common problems. Check the eyes, the nose, the ears, and the body for any discharge, lumps, or cuts. Anything small could be a major problem, they are prey animals and do not show illness until it's very bad. You cannot go away for a weekend without getting someone to check on the rabbit. They need food several times a day and you will need someone to check up at least twice a day if you decide to leave. If they are without food for even a few hours, they can get life threatening complications. You will have to litter train with a paper-based litter, not clay based. Their respiratory systems are sensitive to dust. Place the box in the corner the rabbit pees in and place hay in the box to encourage the rabbit to sit in there. It must be kept clean, at least changed every other day and washed out at least once a week. The cage itself will need minor cleanings daily, with thorough cleanings weekly and even more thorough cleanings monthly. Rabbits are not huggable, they do not like being picked up. Even if you spend every day since you first get it picking it up it will not guarantee that your rabbit will ever allow you to hold it. Many will sit in your lap or beside you. You will need a cage that you rabbit can get in and out of on its own. The cage must be large enough that your rabbit can stretch out twice its adult length will still leaving room for the litter box, a hiding spot, food bowls, hay, and toys. Most commercial cages are not big enough for this, so you may want to consider building your own.
6. go to www.hsus.org this should tell you about everything about housing, breeding, and caring for rabbits. Good Luck!