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Forum HABITATS AND TOYS To-buy list for bunny (first-time pet)

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    • kbun
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        Hi, 

        I’m finally getting a bunny after many years of wanting one. I’ve done some research on Amazon, other sites and this forum, and have come up with some items I am thinking of. Would greatly appreciate any feedback:

        1) X-Pen (4 x 4 feet and 42″ tall) — I’m not very tall (5 feet), but I also don’t want to worry too much about the bunny jumping out. Should I go for the 48″? 
        http://www.chewy.com/dog/midwest-bl…n/dp/45382

        2) Linoleum + towel on floor (to buy at hardware store, I presume)

        3) Litter pan – is this too small? I am adopting my bunny and think it will be medium-sized
        http://www.amazon.com/Ware-Plastic-…rds=rabbit

        4) Carrier – is this too big? 
        http://www.amazon.com/Petmate-24-In…_res_rtr_1

        5) Crock – I read about ceramic ones but seems like these would work – hope not too hard to unscrew?
        http://www.petsmart.com/gsi/webstor…U=36-14341

        6) Water bottle – any other suggestions for “better” ones?
        http://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Corpora…bit+bottle

        7) Hay rack (TBD; I think the shelter said they can provide)

        Anything else obvious I am missing?

        Thank you for any advice!


      • Flabebe
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        235 posts Send Private Message

          Sounds like youre prepared!
          I would say because of your height you could go with either the 36 to 42 inches height in the xpen!
          And the hayrack is fine, but a lot of buns dont do too well with them? Some people use flat dishes and I use a hay box (a box I cut holes out of so she can eat the hay and I can stuff it full)
          And the crock seems fine, you could even use one for the water dish if you wanted. I personally use a ceremic bowl, but gravity wayer feeders are also a great option
          You could buy fleece from a fabric store and old bed sheets from a thrift store for softness if you want there are a myriad of options and it will take experimenting with your bun to figure out what works best!

          The only thing youre missing are toys but there are great suggestions on here I also recomend LELs toytorials thread just look through some old posts, but at the end of the day itall depends on your buns personality and interests!


        • Flopsie
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          388 posts Send Private Message

            I think that is a great start but I also recommend you not go crazy and only get the essentials. This is because every bunny is different and you might find that your bun doesn’t conform to what the internet says. For example a lot of people have luck with fleece or towels but I cannot use them because my bun well go into destructo mode and eat the materials. Also I bought a hay rack and she didn’t care for it.

            Try to see what your bun likes and buy things that she will like otherwise you’ll find yourself stuck with a ton of unused stuff. Trust me I have like a bajillion wood blocks that I can use as a door stopper or a paperweight since the Flopster wants nothing to do with it lol

            Also if your bun isn’t spayed/neutered save money up for that. This will go much further in terms of investment. Not only better for the bun and your health but it will make a huge difference in litter training.


          • litheandgraphic
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              I definitely second what Flopsie and Flabebe said about just getting the basics! I’m like you, where I was almost overprepared before I adopted Theodore. But it’s probably a bit more efficient, financially especially, to wait and see just what your bun particularly likes before you get too many specific things. Lucky for me, all the random stuff I bought for Theodore eventually became interesting to him, but this doesn’t always happen.

              I also second looking into water bowls as opposed to bottles and trays, baskets, and litterboxes as opposed to hay racks; in general these seem to be more effective.


            • Sindri
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                My first rabbit didn’t like hay racks and water bottles. I use ceramic bowls that are heavy and don’t tip over. Also I would recommend putting the hay in things like litter boxes that is what I do. I have a small cat litter box and 2 of these Marshall Pet Products Small Animal High Back Lock On Litter Pan I bought off Amazon. The link didn’t work. Anyway I put in some of their bedding then cover it with hay. Its a good way to littler train as well because they are eating and going to the bathroom in the same box.

                I hope that helps! 


              • LongEaredLions
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                4482 posts Send Private Message

                  Welcome to the forums!
                  Generally, we recommend the tallest pen possible, although not too many small/medium bunnies will jump the 42″ ones.
                  Linoleum is fine. I would not use the towel while litter training, but if your bunny does well with training, and doesn’t chew soft material, you can give them the towel.
                  I would definitely opt for a larger, non-grated litter pan. Cat litter boxes work well.
                  The carrier should be fine.
                  As for the crocks and water bottles, I find it easiest to use ceramic bowls for both water and food. Most bunnies prefer a water bowl anyways!
                  Toys are a necessity, but you don’t have to buy them at a pet store for them to be good toys. Baby, cat, and homemade toys are great. I do have a homemade toy thread if you want to check that out. (thanks Flabebe!)
                  Something else you will most definitely need is a vet fund. You never know what will come up, and you will also need to pay for spaying/neutering.

                  How exciting for you-a new bunny! Don’t forget to share pics with us!


                • kbun
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                  62 posts Send Private Message

                    Thanks for all the amazing feedback and advice! I did a few hours more of research yesterday (productivity greatly decreased at work), and I am thinking of building a NIC condo instead, basically this one:
                    http://www.rabbitcondo.com/

                    I’ve read about the pros/cons, but I like the idea of the bunny having more interactivity different levels, etc.) and also being a little more space efficient. Quick question for anyone who has looked into this condo – it says to use plywood and I have heard that you need to get untreated wood (in case of pesticides) – is this something I should ask for at Home Depot?

                    Also for more background, I am adopting a bunny from a local shelter so he’s been neutered, and I am getting VIP rabbit insurance (unless people have any advice against that).

                    Great advice on the not-getting-too-much stuff before I get to know him better. I also will get the ceramic bowl for food and water and a tray for litterboxes.


                  • litheandgraphic
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                    608 posts Send Private Message

                      Of course! That’s what we’re here for! By the way, I thought it might be useful for you to also have a checklist of items to get in case of distress situations. I made a post about this on my blog, which is linked below, which goes into further detail about each item, but for now, I’ll just list them here. I’ve found that having them on hand at all times can greatly reduce the stress of a situation, and it can help your bun stay happy and healthy! I highly recommend you pick these things up before you adopt — seriously, I can’t tell you how much having these things has helped me recently.

                      – Simethicone (baby gas drops)
                      – Papaya tablets
                      – SnuggleSafe (or similar product)
                      – Oxbow Critical Care
                      – Metacam (Meloxicam)*
                      – Baytril or Bactrim*

                      * Seek rabbit-savvy vet advice before using. Locating your nearest rabbit-savvy vet is also definitely on the must-do list!

                      So glad to hear you’re adopting from a shelter. It always makes me happy to hear that. I’m assuming when you wrote “VIP” you meant “VPI”? Unless you’re going to be getting special treatment insurance somewhere, heheh…

                      People have varying different opinions on pet insurance in general. Many people find that it can be a great waste of money, because the insurance won’t cover enough of their bill to make it worthwhile, or they never use it, or the vet won’t accept it, or the insurance won’t pay because of this reason or that reason, etc. Another popular option is starting a personal savings fund, which is just a pile of money they continuously add to weekly or monthly so that they have a good cushion for out-of-pocket expenses.

                      You may also want to consider looking into PetAssure, a pet insurance alternative that offers an automatic discount at participating vets, and CareCredit, which is a credit line for vet (and medical) expenses.

                      I’ve personally opted for the savings fund option, so I can’t personally speak to the above services, but you still may want to check them out.

                      Good luck!

                      Helpful Links:
                      More info (blog post): http://funny-looking-rabbit.tumblr.com/post/97845693884/bunny-distress-situation-checklist
                      PetAssure: http://www.petassure.com
                      CareCredit: http://www.carecredit.com


                    • kbun
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                        Thanks again for the additional help!

                        I did mean VPI insurance I like the idea of VPI vs. PetAssure because I wanted to protect against a more high-expenses event. Also the premium I pay per year is only around $120 (think I get some sort of corporate rate) which seems worth it.

                        Will add those ’emergency’ items above to my immediate shopping list – which is getting longer and longer

                        Making progress in building my NIC condo. I bought the wood from Home Depot and had the nice guy there cut it all up for me (think he went above and beyond his all of duty, obviously I had no idea what I was doing). Picking up the grids this week and then will put it all together this week with the goal of picking up an adopted bunny this weekend or next!


                      • Sarita
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                          You won’t be able to get the bactrim or baytril – those are things that only a vet can dispense and they will only dispense them if there is a need. They are antibiotics.

                          Metacam is a prescription anti- inflammatory and your vet won’t dispense that either without a need.

                          Papaya tablets – those are good for treats – not necessarily a medical need but consider those for a treat.

                          The thing with Pet Insurance is that you must pay your bill in full and then you will get reimbursed if that particular treatment is covered…I’ve never had it myself…some people swear by it though. It will not cover the cost of spay/neuter though.


                        • kbun
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                            Everyone, and particularly Sarita and funny-looking-rabbit, thanks for the much-needed advice. I was kicking myself yesterday as I hadn’t gotten the medicines you suggested yet. 

                            Had to run out at midnight to get simethicone as my bunny had gas, and he improved immediately! Would have certainly saved a lot of stress and alleviated his discomfort if I had some of the stuff on hand as you had wisely suggested..other new bunny parents hopefully will be smarter about it. Finding a vet who will see rabbits after-hours was not as easy as I thought.

                            Also immediately buying the other stuff you had suggested (Snuggle Safe, Critter Care etc) – no putting that off! 


                          • lws84
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                              Awesome that you got a rabbit! They can be fabulous pets. My advice would be really watch your bun to figure out what is going to work best for you (and bun!). I got mine a little trough-like feeder and he had a water bowl, but he played with both (digging in the trough and over-turning/playing with the water bowl despite his other toys; sometimes he pooped in his water also) so I got him a bottle and he transitioned to that really well. As for food, I used a hanging hay pen that was made out of wood I could stuff hay in and he would both chew on it and eat his hay. When he was little, he loved his “carrot” wood blocks, and tossed them around, but around a year old he didn’t play with them as much and preferred wicker toys. One of his absolutely favorite treats were wild berry yogurt treats. Bunnies can be VERY fussy eaters – mine would never eat anything “soft”. Bananas and strawberries and lettuce were all out of the question unless they were dried. He only liked crunchy things. I also would buy him a mixed pellet food that had little white beans in it. Every day I would have an empty bowl with little white beans because he would not eat them. You probably already know this, but bunnies need a constant supply of hay (non alfalfa), so be sure there’s always a little in whatever container you choose to get.

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                          Forum HABITATS AND TOYS To-buy list for bunny (first-time pet)