Any Rabbit advice ?

mrcol1000

I think judging by the road that goes past my house drivers of cars kill more wild rabbits than myxomatosis

loulou123

Myxi is a horrible thing, one of my own pet rabbits had to be PTS after catching it when i was a child (this was before you could rountinely get them vaccinated from it.) i lived in a area surrounded by farm land and some years it seemed that every rabbit you saw was suffering from it.

Good on you, for taking it to the vets as at least this way it didnt suffer unnecessarily.

clutterydrawer

It's spread by biting insects so now it's been released there's no getting rid of it sadly. interestingly a side effect of the introduction of myxomatosis was the extintion of at least two insect species - just an example of how humans mess things up when they start thinking they can play about with nature.

rhodders

Hello! :hello:

We have recently adopted an 8 week old bunny and I'm a bit clueless as to what (well, how much) straw/hay I should put on the floor of the hutch.....

I have lined the floor with newspaper and covered the newspaper with wood shavings. Do I then put a mix of straw and hay on top of this? And how thick should this layer be? Anybody use any cheaper alternatives?

Thanks

helping_hubby

Hi,

Get your bunny a litter tray - we line the litter trays with newspaper, and then pile hay on top. Rabbits like to eat and poop at the same time They litter train very easily, and this will help keep the rest of their hutch cleaner.

We've lined our hutch/playhouse with lino. It makes it's easier to keep clean. Then we supply lots of hay. I wouldn't bother with straw.

Is your rabbit living indoors or outdoors? Do you need anymore advice?

There are people on here who can help, but for some good reading material, make your way over to http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=34 This forum has loads of stickies on rabbit care.

Then there;s this forum where you can ask questions. http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=28

Some important things to think about right now are vaccinations (Myxi and VHD jabs), and neutering your bunny.

xJayJayx

don't use straw! It can do more harm than good as it is very sharp compared to hay. Hay should be enough for your bun and that way he will have plenty to grind his teeth down on.
My bun absolutely hates newspaper he throws it out of his cage haha i've even caught him running out of his cage with it in his mouth between his legs! Newspaper is a good idea for outdoor buns though.
If you haven't got a litter tray, or are not planning on training him, then make sure you put a bulk of shavings in the place he goes to the toilet in just to absorb the most urine. Bunnies usually go to the toilet in the same place which makes it very easy to train them.

Spearmint

We don't put anything on the floor of our rabbits hutches

They are all litter trained and use corner trays with wooden cat litter in them, we put a handful of shredded paper from the shredder in the bedroom sections but more in the winter with a bit of straw underneath, hay goes into a wire ball and hung from the cage door for them to eat

amy104

Shavings should be avoided as can cause respitory problems. There are plenty of alternatives though:

Auboise is a type of horse bedding made from Hemp. It has a low amount of dust, is very absorbant and good at concealing odours. On occasions it can be a little rough.
Ecobed is chopped cardboard. Again it has a low amount of dust. Liquid drains easily from the top leaving it clean and dry.
Finacard is similar to Ecobed but shreaded rather than chopped.
Carefresh is made from virgin wood pulp fibre and has been specifically designed to control odors and offer a cleaner healthier environment. It has been sanitised to kill off any bacteria. Unfortunately this it can be on the expensive side.
Megazorb is another horse bedding similar to Carefresh. It is available to buy in large sacks so can work out cheaper. It is clean and light with low dust.
Vetbed allows water to pass though so that the top remains dry. It can be washed frequently at high temperatures.
Hay layered on top of newspaper is a simple and easy method. Rabbits seem to like to munch and poo so can be encouraged to use litter trays using this method.

amy104

Totally agree cutlerdrawer - I can't believe man created such an awful disease. I spend hundreds every year vacinating my pet rabbits against this (I have 6!) and its worth every penny.

rachiee

Get alot of mixy rabbits in my area, its a sin a few are left blind and wondering around the roads and in among livestocks feet. I think theres much better ways to kill rabbits that to do this, thing is its everywere now and it probably will be for a long long time