It’s not surprising that many people get the itch (or should I say the twitch?) to own a pet rabbit at some point. Bunnies are quiet, gentle and relatively easy to train, making them ideal indoor pets. They are also insatiably cute and plush.
If you’ve decided to welcome a rabbit into the house this spring, here’s a handy shopping list of the basics:
A Spacious Cage
Rabbits need to move freely about and stretch fully, whether that’s in their cage, or during playtime. Our cage is very similar to the one from Midwest Wabbitat (shown below); this style comes in several different sizes, so choose the one relative to your bunny’s size.
The ½” grid coated mesh floor is engineered to comfortably support your bunny’s hocks and allow waste to fall through. If you prefer, you can also take the grate out. Seasoned rabbit owners have had good success with both types, so if you’re unsure, talk to a reputable breeder or vet.
A Vitamin Fortified Food
I buy the Vitakraft brand for our bunny because it’s a highly digestible feed, vitamin-fortified and very affordable. Just for fun, we also like giving the occasional carrot treat.
Hay and Veggies
Your bunny should always have access to a high-fiber grass; timothy hay is popular and easy to find. Fresh veggies are also loved by rabbits; they can eat up to 15% fresh.
Sturdy Food Dishes
Bunnies like to chew so buy durable ceramic food and water dishes. You can also mount a water bottle on the wall of your hutch or cage.
Enrichment Opportunities
A rabbit naturally wants to hop and stand up and run. Besides giving him a roomy cage and safe play areas, you can enrich his environment with hiding places, platforms, chew toys, treat balls or items to forage (like leaves of lettuce). Grooming and playing with your rabbit also provide enjoyment for you both.
You can make platforms yourself or buy an inexpensive one for $15 like the Yuepet model below.
You can get more bang for your buck by getting rabbit toys that double as treats. I love this set which includes 13 different chew toys in cute little shapes.
Also, rabbits do well in pairs or groups, so consider getting a companion for your solo bunny.
A Beauty Kit
Grooming is not absolutely essential but brushing a rabbit’s fur is quite nice and will provide some additional enrichment time. An older, responsible child can learn to help with this. This Ware kit is just $8.60 right now.
And that’s a wrap! Let me know if I forgot something that you think is important for rabbit owners.
I had a bunny as a kid. These are some cool items for bunnies.
These are the types of blogs that make people think it’s okay to get a fluffy bunny on a whim because it’s “easy” and the quality of life of the animal suffers drastically.
The minimum recommended requirement for a rabbit is 12sqft of floor space. (Generally 4x larger than your rabbits size). The rabbit should be able to stretch out entirely in all directions and stand up without its ears touching the top of the cage. Also, the wire is not good for their feet and hocks, even coated. If you have two rabbits, even though the human suffices as a good companion, you would need double the cage space.
When you take in to account food dishes, enclosed box/house for sleeping, litter box, etc none of the Midwest cages are recommended for rabbits.
Rabbits also NEED fresh fruits/veggies in their diet as commercially made food does not contain the nutrients they require.They also need chew sticks/blocks.
Please consider editing your blog to the proper recommended information so people don’t think they can get a barely big enough cage, a bag of commercial food and leave their rabbit in it all of the time. This is a recipe for depressed rabbits.
Hi Kirstyn, and thanks for sharing your opinions. Nothing in my posts encourages people to get a bunny (or any pet) on a whim. Those are your words. My post is specifically targeted at someone who’s already made the decision (and there are plenty of articles on the web that can help a person with that aspect of weighing the pros and cons of owning a rabbit). And if you’ll re-read my post carefully I think you missed some important elements which were already covered. You stressed the importance of a roomy living space and a balanced diet and things to chew on, and I concur!
As to what’s needed, people have different opinions on what is essential. Our rabbit does not use a litterbox, nor does she like an enclosed sleeping space or box. When it comes to pets, there’s never a one-size-fits-all approach.
I remember having bunnies when I was little. They are so adorable! I love seeing the wild ones in the mountains where we live.
We had bunnies growing up, too! And a wild mountain rabbit is a beautiful sight!
I’ve never had a pet bunny before since I didn’t know enough about it and hadn’t got the time to care for something small. Thanks for this informative post though! Very helpful!
My daughter always wanted a bunny. I wish I knew what to do back then. This information is very helpful and who knows, maybe now we can do it!
This is a great list! My middle child has been begging for a pet rabbit for a while. Much to think about.