Rabbits

M25

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking of getting a rabbit and i was wondering if they are easy to keep? I'm looking at hutches and rabbits at the moment but they are expensive. Does anyone know where I might find them cheaper? I'm from waterford so it can't be too far to travel to get them. Are guinea pigs good company for a rabbit?

Any help would be much appreciated!

morganafay

Do you mean the hutches or rabbits are too expensive? If it's the rabbits then I'd look for a breeder, much cheaper usually than pet shops, but make sure the rabbits are in good conditions.

Zooplus.ie is good for hutches and quite cheap, but most of the hutches there are a bit small for rabbits tbh, the biggest ones are

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_hutches/natura/126750

and
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_hutches/natura/126751

Though they recommend for a rabbit that the hutch should be at least 6'X2' and they should have a 6'X4' run for at least 4 hours a day. You might get away with smaller if you choose a small rabbit like a netherland dwarf, or lionhead (a bit bigger than a netherland dwarf).

Obviously most hutches are much smaller than that, but if you have a big run it might make up for it, if the run was joined to the hutch.

There's also a 7'X4' ish run on zooplus for only €70, which is meant to be good. Search for Trixie natura run.

Rabbits really do need the exercise of going in a run, and can't just be kept in a hutch like pet shops might say.

You could also think of getting a small shed for the rabbit, and attach a run, it could work out cheaper. Rabbits seem like a cheap pet at first, but actually they need a lot of stuff. I have spent a ridiculous amount on mine :rolleyes:

Guinea pigs shouldn't really be kept with rabbits for a few reasons, they need different foods, they won't really communicate with each other, and the rabbit could hurt the guinea pig. Rabbits do like company though. Two female rabbits raised together might be friends, or you can get them neutered if they start to fight. A neutered male and neutered female is a good pairing too. But obviously, they would need quite a lot of space for two.


For one of my lionhead rabbits I have a hutch with a run attached. He mostly sits out in the run, so I cover over the run when it rains. His hutch is too small really (though he is small and it has two storeys) but the run kinda makes up for it because he can be out there all day.

My other rabbits have a shed and runs though. a 6'X4' shed would be great for a pair of rabbits, and you can get them cheap enough, and could attach a run.

I know that having a big hutch and run for them would be expensive, but it would make having the rabbit as a pet much more enjoyable because you could watch it running around and know it was happy. And having two rabbits would be great, because they would be happier and keep each other company, so you'd have to spend less time with it.

Cherry Blossom

Do you have any other pets? (Dogs or Cats) If not you can get an indoor cage a lot cheaper than a hutch and let them run around the house for a bit. Do your research on your breeds if your going to do this as some will always do there toilet business in the same spot and sometimes it's just a matter of sticking a litter tray (with newspaper or shavings, not cat litter) in the spot. If you were going to do this Netherland Dwarfs and some other small breeds are the worst for leaving messes everywhere from personal experience .

Apart from initial costs rabbits really should have regular vacinations if they are going to live outdoors as they may come into contact with wildlife. Males will almost certainly need neutered as they may become very agressive as they mature. Also make sure any outside dwelling is cat/dog proof and 'dig' proof as they will try to tunnell their way out.

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs should never be kept together, a rabbit can very easily break a guinea pigs leg with a well aimed kick, they can also have a fair bite to them as well if they feel like it.

If your looking for an economy, low-maintanance pet though I wouldn't really reccommend them, there's a reason why Dublin airport is over-run with ones that have been dumped there :rolleyes:. I'd go for a hamster or a couple of female gerbils

Personally I'd never buy any animal from a pet shop, and if your looking for 'free' rescues have small animals from time to time or check the re-homing thread on here.

morganafay

My lionheads are all litter trained It was easy to teach them and it makes it a lot more easier to clean everyday, instead of them being on dirty bedding for a few days.

Yeah rabbits do need a lot of care and a lot of space, but what about guinea pigs? You could get two females or two males, and you can get a 4'X2' indoor cage on zooplus.co.uk for €40, that's big enough for two. Or you could get a similar sized hutch for cheap enough on zooplus too. They'd be a better pet if you had them indoors though, cos they'd be more friendly and easier to care for. They're really interesting pets, but get them from a breeder, not a pet shop, otehrwise they probably won't be tame. They're easy to tame though and lovely pets, really funny and all have different characters. If you are thinking about getting some then I can give you loads of info, I have 5! You have to have two together or they'll be lonely

Gerbils are meant to be lovely too and can live in pairs, or a pair of dwarf hamsters. Things like rats need a huge cage, which would be expensive. But hamster or gerbil cages can be gotten quite cheap.

Rabbitandcavy

Hi,
You got some good advice there Just want to say rabbits are an expensive pet to keep, especially when you are first getting it and need to buy all the supplies so be prepared to spend a few hundred originally.

They also are not as easy to care for as people think.

You might also like to join http://www.irishrabbits.proboards.com

Sigma Force

Under no circumstances and no matter what some vets and pet shops say rabbits and guineas should never be kept together.

Rabbits should be kept in bonded pairs, there are rabbits in rescues sometimes looking for good homes that are already bonded and some are already spayed/neutered. Some rescues that take in rabbits and may or may not have some at the mo. are cottagerescue.ie and limerick animal welfare.

Rabbits must have vaccinations against VHD and Myxomatosis wether living indoors or outdoors and spaying/neutering between 5 months ish and 3 yrs ish is important.

There is lots of info. on my website (link is below this post) there's a rabbit care page and the rest is dedicated to guinea pig care, it's a step by step website.

The initial set up isn't cheap, day to day care isn't expensive though and there is now rabbit health insurance, at least I think allianz are still doing it.

Don't consider getting either rabbits of guineas unless you have a really experience small animal vet that has experience in dealing with both rabbits or guineas and really knows there stuff, it's not worth the heartache if there is an emergency and you can't get treatment as when they do become ill it's generally an emergency.

They do make great house pets though, but lots of people get them thinking they will be cheap but kept properly they can cost. High quality food is important like Burgess but they only need a bit each day, hay is the main part of their diet.

I won't bore you with details there's lots of info. on my site and links to other handy pages as well for rabbits and guineas.

Guineas don't need vaccinations and as long as they have lots of handling and floor time you can get away with a 4 foot cage for a pair but need to be kept in in winter.