Springfield Rabbits

Choosing Your Rabbit

When you are thinking about getting yourself a rabbit you should consider many things. The most important being :

Are you able to afford the time it will take to give this new pet all the proper love and attention it will need and deserve?

If you go away on holidays make sure you have someone reliable and capable you can ask to look after your bunny whilst you are away. If you have trouble finding someone we do offer rabbit boarding to people who have bought a rabbit from us.

Rabbits live from between 5 - 10 years so you must be prepared to look after them for this period of time. Alot of rabbits end up in rescue centres due to people getting fed up or their children growing up and loosing interest. Please take this in to account when making your decision.

Companionship

A question that I often get asked is 'will my rabbit get lonely?'

As long as you give your rabbit lots of attention on a daily basis they will should not get lonely as they love human interaction.

However alot of people prefer to have two rabbits living together. If you decide to do this you will need to buy a large enough hutch to accomodate them both.

Keeping 2 does together:

Does get on perfectly well together but you will probably find that between 6-14 mths they will go through a teenage maturing stage where they will be mounting each other to show dominance and they may become a bit fidgity. This is usually over by the time they reach 14 mths and it all will all calm down. If you want to stop this happening altogether you would need to get them both spade.

Keeping a buck and a doe together:

You would definately need to get the buck neutered when he is about 15wks old to prevent him mating the doe. However the doe will mature at around 5-6mths and she will probably start to feel broody and may then pester the buck for a mating. Some does are worse than others but if she is causing a problem you may have to get her spade and then all will be sorted.

You must NEVER keep two bucks together as they will most definately fight!

Outside Rabbit

If you are keeping your rabbit outside you need to make sure you position your hutch in a sheltered spot out of direct sunlight and protected from the wind and rain. During the winter you must keep your rabbit protected from the frost and other ailments by covering the hutch with a warm/waterproof cover. There are further guidelines in our care guide.

House Rabbit

It is becoming increasingly popular to have a house rabbit instead of or aswell as a cat or dog.

If you plan to keep your rabbit indoors you will need to buy an indoor cage with a litter tray. Rabbits can adjust well to indoor life and can even be litter trained. This is often easier with a neutered rabbit.

I suggest the best idea is not to keep them on shavings and straw as this will end up all over your house, but instead to use a 'Vet bed' which is washable. You can obtain these in most pet shops or online.

A rabbit must feel safe, if you give them too much freedom they may become a bit scatty. You must make your house 'rabbit proof' as rabbits will chew anything. You must cover your electric wires or move them out of reach along with any furniture you wouldn't want nibbled.

You can purchase books to give you advice on keeping rabbits and house rabbits. The Fur & Feather Magazine Bookshop sell a variety of books: http://www.furandfeather.co.uk/shop.htm or online with Amazon is a good place to look.

There are also alot of house rabbit websites and forums on the internet which you may find helpful.

Rabbit Supplies

Once you have chosen to get your new bunny you will need to purchase all the correct equipment: