Caging/Bunny PROBLEM!

[Bunnyluva09]

Ok, I decided to rescue this adorable male 8 month old mini lop from the pet store. He has been there for several months, and know one is going to buy him because he isn't a baby. I had already made a cage for my other 2 baby girls. So I am going to have 3 rabbits. I am getting him neutered next week and he will be fine. The problem is the baby girls have a different diet ( pellets and alfalfa) than him ( veggies&fruits, pellets, timothy hay). Wouldn't the babies try to eat the veggies, and wouldn't the older one eat the alfalfa? I am making a travel/ extra cage, because I am taking them to my aunts next week, and it is 3L 2W 3 or 2T. I was thinking of turning that into his cage, because he is almost like a free range rabbit, because he has the whole living room, the girls would have the larger cage. There names are Midnight, Magic, and Twilight. Do you think that is a good plan? Please help, I do not know what to do. Oh and after the babies are on the same diet and are spayed I am planning on putting all in the VERY large cage, L4 2W 3T and it has 4 floors. I need to know by Tuesday!

[Silverbeat]

Are your girls spayed? The boy will need to be isolated from them for at least 4 weeks if they are and 6-8 weeks if they aren't. Are you talking in cubes or feet for your measurements? A minimum cage size is four times as long as the length of the rabbit at full stretch, two times as wide as the length of the rabbit at full stretch and as high as the rabbit is tall.
Rabbits will eat whatever they can get, so until their diets are the same you should keep them apart.

[Bunnyluva09]

I am buying my bunny in 2 days. We are keeping him in his C&C cage. I have never had a rabbit, so he will be my starter house rabbit. This july i might get my 2 babies, but I will have to move them in my room, or in the basement. So yah thanks!

[Silverbeat]

Wait why are you buying a rabbit? Are there no adoptable rabbits in your area? I'd bet my life that there are.

[Bunnyluva09]

I looked from march-may for adoptable rabbits and there are none. I cannot drive out of ohio. Actually i want a mini lop, and there are none of those.

[wickedrodent]

I searched for you and found quite a few rabbits for adoption in ohio:

1 yr. holland lop
Free Rabbit with Cage
bunnies need homes
Dutch Rabbit
Floppy Ear Rabbit


Mini lops:
mini lop rabbit
Mini Lop
Mini Lop
2 rabbits

SPAYED mini lop:
mini lop (spayed)

[Silverbeat]

There are also TWO House Rabbit Society rescues in Ohio if you like a little more security than craigslist.
ohiOHrs: homepage
Columbus House Rabbit Society

Also,
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...-adopting.html

[Bunnyluva09]

I can't drive that far to the house rabbit societys. I am also not that interested in those rabbits, only the 1st one. He has been in the pet store for months, and if no one buys him, they are going to set him loose, or give him to a place like petsmart, or put him in a humane society. I don't wan that happening to him I really wanted to adopt a baby black mini lop bunny, but i cannot be that specific because there is no where in ohio, at a shelter with a baby girl mini lop rabbit.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

You are not rescuing when you buy from a pet store. You just put money in their pocket and opened a space for them to fill his cage with baby bunnies from a breeder or pet mill.

Why did you have to have a lop? And if you did, why not just wait til one popped up in a shelter? Or did you even ask HRS if they could do a transport? Or meet you halfway?

Usually rescues are desperate for homes so they will work with you.

[Jennicat]

So if you can't commit to driving that far, how are you going to commit to providing care for this rabbit that you absolutely have to have? Are you going to be able to afford to spay or neuter this rabbit? (Remember, pet stores very rarely sex rabbits correctly). What about if there are babies?

If they give him to the Humane Society, I don't see the problem with that because then you can adopt him, and not put money in the pocket of people who are abusing animals for profit.

[Bunnyluva09]

i'm sorry just leave me alone, i am doing this but later i am adopting a friend for my lop.

[crazywiggy]

I just want to say one thing about your buying a rabbit, then I will drop it.

I love hairy piggies, particularly abbys. And I love tri-colour piggies best of all. I happen to think short haired pink eyed whites are... well...ugly!

I now have two piggies - both short haired PEWs! They won't win any beauty contests, and yes I would have prefered some nice hairy coloured pigs (from a aesthetic point of view). But when I was ready to adopt, the two most needy were my girls - unwanted, they only had a little time left to find a home or they would have been put to sleep. I honestly could not look those piggies in the face then let them die just because they were not pretty enough. Now I have them, their appearence doesn't matter to me - as indeed it shouldn't. I still love them and do the best I can for them. Being ugly doesn't mean I enjoy them any less.

So, I can understand why you want a certain type of rabbit - but do you honestly believe that it is worth letting another rabbit die, and perpetuation back-yard breeding and overpopulation - purely for good looks?

Anyway, what I actually wanted to talk about what caging....

I'm can't picture the large cage you describe

L4 2W 3T and it has 4 floors

Are these 4 complete floors, or shelves/ lofts? If complete floors be warned that a single grid is not tall enough for a rabbit. At least a good part of their cage would need at least 2 grids of open height so that they can stand up fully on their hind legs.

I'm also not sure if you mean they will be house rabbits (i.e. free range) or not. If they will all be free range, and only caged for short periods or overnight then this sized cage might be okay.
If they are going to spend most of their time in the cage though, it is not very large at all. My 2 piggies have a 2.5 x 4, and it seems small to me - no way would I keep a single rabbit in there, let alone three! If you intend to cage all three together then you should probably be considering a 3x6 at the very smallest.

As for feeding, I would just keep them all separate for the time being.
Your girls should be on the same food as the older rabbit by 6 months old, so not too far off. In the meantime you can worry about getting the male neutered and making sure you have a big enough cage etc. This way, it also means the girls will be a bit bigger and better able to cope with what may be a larger and more boisterous buck!

I am a bit confused though... I understand you are planning to get your pet store male. Do you already have 2 baby girls or are these what you are hoping to get in the future?

[Bunnyluva09]

ok, yeterday i called the pet store store manager. He is the one that has all the kinds of small animals. I was talking to the fish guy before. He said it was a male, 8 months old. I called the manager and he said it was a female and it was PREGNANT! I went there today to look for evidence ( a nest, belly fur pulled out, feeling for kits) and they had her in the back. He said the father was a the mini rex that was albino. So the babies are kinda gonna look different. He said that she was only about 5 months. He said it was actually very high that it would be a false pregnancy. He let us feel for kits, and he let me feel one, but it was on her left , so when i was going home in the car, i forgot to tell him it might be her liver. I am going to check back in a week, and he said she has already been pregnant for about 1-2 weeks. I will check on her, then a week later if she doesn't have a nest or any more kits ( it will be the 4th week) or anything else, I will take her. She might even have kits, but oh well, i can take better care for them than a pet store can. I have already found homes for 2-3 of them besides me becuase i will probably keep 2. And people I know you are going to say that they will probably end up in a shelter, but if she is going to have babies, i can't stop that. It is not like the pet store can find homes for them, and like you guys said it just gives them more space to let babies come in, and they get $. And just to tell you it DEFINATLY isn't a place like PetSmart or those massive breeding facilites, this place is a family owned pet store. They are sometimes not always cared for perfectly, but there is actually no way you can take care of all those animals properly. I really trust this guy and he knows how to pick up rabbits and everything so just stop making comments.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

You can stop it by having her spayed.

Mom and pop pet shops are often worse than the big chains if not as bad as. They sell animals, period.

If he is missexing rabbits and sending them out unneutered, and breeding them in shop, that doesn't make him an expert.

[crazywiggy]

So, they are incapable of sexing rabbits. They allow one to "accidentally" get pregnant. They don't even communicate with eachother, so you get told false info because nobody knows what is going on. And you are still defending them?

And just to tell you it DEFINATLY isn't a place like PetSmart or those massive breeding facilites, this place is a family owned pet store

No, they may not themselves be a Petsmart or a mass breeding facility. But what are the alternatives...

a) They are breeding the rabbits themselves. These people, who do not give them proper care and can't even sex them correctly are breeding???

b) They are buying animals from the same suppliers as the big chain stores - i.e. the mass breeding facilities. Pet stores don't usually visit the breeders to see the animals - they just order them and get them delivered.

c) They are buying from local people - i.e. irresponsible people with "accidental" litters, or back yard breeders who breed unhealthy, mistreated animals for profit.

I'm sorry - but being a family owned store doesn't make them good, responsible, caring or anything else.

They are sometimes not always cared for perfectly, but there is actually no way you can take care of all those animals properly.

I honestly can NOT believe you have just said this!!!
So it is okay that they CHOOSE to buy in MORE animals, and breed more animals, when they can not even take care of the animals they already have???
Failure to give proper care is neglect - some would say abuse. These people are doing this deliberately.

If they can not care for them properly they should not have them!

(This is on top of the fact that they shouldn't be breeding and selling animals anyway)

It is not like the pet store can find homes for them, and like you guys said it just gives them more space to let babies come in, and they get $.

I think you are missing the point - any time you take even a single animal from a pet store you are allowing and encouraging them to get more in to replace it. Whether that rabbit is male or female, pregnant or not, if you buy her the store will order in at least one more rabbit to replace it. That means another rabbit in crap conditions, forced to have another litter. That means maybe an extra 4 or 5 babies born into an already full world. That means maybe 4-5 bunnies KILLED because they are not enough homes.

And if they can not find homes for them why the hell are they buying and breeding them??? That is not just cruel and inconsiderate - it is downright stupid!

And please consider my previous post about caging. If you take on a pregnant rabbit what happens if you can't find homes for the litter? A 2x4 cage is barely big enough for a single rabbit (it certainly doesn't meet the minimum cage size suggested by the RSPCA) let alone more. Can you afford to get every single one of those rabbits neutered?

[Bunnyluva09]

Hey you know what you guys? My rabbit isn't pregnant and it was a false pregnancy. There are no babies, OK! I am picking her up tommorrow and I PROMISE all of you that I WILL adopt a rabbit for her. I love animals, and they mean the whole world to me ( I have 2 finches, a budgie, 1 cat, 1 hamster, 2 goldfish, petsittting a chameleon, and a bunny). I take care of all my pets fine and well, and I have plenty of time to bond and care for each one of them. This Pet store does not buy from the same place as PetSmart, they buy from a rabbitry. They do not ship there animals. I love animals and I agree, that it is NOT OKAY to buy more animals when you can't take care of the ones you already have. And all you people talking about my cage, screw you. This is the biggest rabbit cage, bigger than what you have. It is 4 GRIDS long, 2 GRIDS deep, and 3 GRIDS high! I has a 1x2 jump and a 4x2 upper level and a 1x2 loft! It also has the bottom floor which is 4x2. I have rabbit-proofed my living room and she will be able to have about 3 hours a day of exercise by herself, about 2 hours outside in her 9x6 and time to spend with me and watch t.v.

Oh yah, this store can correctly sex an animal, I was just talking to the fish guy.

[crazywiggy]

Bunnyluva - I don't know why you are getting so angry and offensive. People here are trying to educate you yes but also to help you.

We can't stop you buying a pet store bunny and supporting / funding animal abuse, overpopulation and death. But you should at least be aware of the facts - and know what you are doing.

This Pet store does not buy from the same place as PetSmart, they buy from a rabbitry.

You do know what a rabbitry is right? It is place that breeds rabbits. It doesn't have to be nice, or responsible, or caring, just breed rabbits.

As a child my first rabbit came from a local breeder - a "rabbitry". Each rabbit was singly housed (except mums with litters) in a 3 foot hutch.The hutches were all crammed into this shed three high. These rabbits never saw proper daylight, never came out to play, never ate veggies or got cuddled... They just lived in a tiny box and bred until they died.

The point is - when buying through a pet store you do not know the conditions of the breeders facility, so you could be supporting abuse. And since responsible / caring breeders only ever sell direct to new homes, the only ones who supply the pet stores are the uncaring / irresponsible ones.

And all you people talking about my cage, screw you.

You commented in your first post you have a "very large cage". It isn't. I'm the one who mentioned the cage, so I am the one you have just deliberately and childishly insulted.

If you want to give your pets the proper environment and provide for their needs, then your cage is not big enough for 3 rabbits. Personally I would not keep a single rabbit in a 2x4 cage.

This is the biggest rabbit cage, bigger than what you have.

My guinea pig cage holds only 2 piggies, yet has more floor space than your cage (2x5).
I assume that in most of the cage the rabbits have more than one grid height to stand up in? If so then that's good.

However, the minimum sized cage for 3 guinea pigs is 10.5 sq feet (or a 2x4). Recomended is a 2x5. Rabbits are much bigger and more active than guinea pigs, so require more space.
The RSPCA gives a minimum cage size (for one rabbit) as 2x6x2 feet - that is 12 sq feet of floor space. And this is with access to a run as well!

Your 2x4 cage is only 10.5. It is not big enough even for one rabbit according to the RSPCA.
It is barely big enough for three piggies according to this site - let alone three rabbits.

Incidentally, be warned that whilst rabbits are social animals they do tend to like their own space more than piggies do. Where I work we at one point had female bunnies in pairs in a cage about that size - and we still had problems with them squabbling. No way could we have fitted a buck in there as well - there simply isn't enough space for them all.

Anyway, please stop being so aggressive and rude. We care about animals - that is why we wanted to stop you buying a pet store bunny. I wanted you to realise a 2x4x3 cage is not big enough to house three rabbits because that is the truth. If you care about animals then please at least consider what we are telling you. I'm sure you do care about and look after your pets - great! And well done for saying you will adopt your future rabbits. But please don't the hump with me just for telling you the facts straight.

[Bunnyluva09]

OK YOU KNOW WHAT I GUESS I AM SORRY WHATEVER. I AM GETTING 1 RABBIT OKAY! I JUST COUNTED AND SHE HAS 18+ SQ FEET OF SPACE! THE UPPER LEVEL IS AS BIG AS THE BOTTOM BUT IT HAS A 12"X12" HOLE TO JUMP INTO. SHE CAN COME OUT TO PLAY WHEN EVER SHE WANTS AND PLAYS OUTSIDE IN HER PEN WITH MY SUPERVISION. SHE IS ONLY 5 MONTHS. THE GRIDS ARE 14" SO MY CAGE IS ALMOST 5 FEET LONG, 3 FEET TALL AND ALMOST 3 FEET DEEP! SO PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT IT IS TOO SMALL. I WILL TRY TO TAKE A PICTURE OF IT TODAY. MOST PEOPLE HAVE A 3X2X3 CAGE AND THEY WORK FINE. YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY, EVEROONES ELSES CAGE ON HERE( GO TO PHOTOGALLERY) ARE USUALLY 2X3X3. MINE IS 4X2X3 AND HAS AN 4X2 UPPER LEVEL AS BIG AS THE FLOOR. I AM SORRY I AM BUYING FROM A PET STORE, PLEASE DON'T THINK I AM TRYING TO BE MEAN TO ANIMALS OR THAT I HATE THEM OR ANYTHING, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T. i LOVE ANIMALS AND I SPEND MOST OF MY DAY CARING AND BEING WITH THEM. I HAVE 2 FINCHES, A BUDGIE, A HAMSTER, A CAT, PETSITTING A CHAMELEON AND A BUNNY. PLEASE I AM SORRY BUT PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT AND MY CAGE IS VERY LARGE FOR A RABBIT THAT HAS A RABBIT-PROOFED LVING ROOM TO HERSELF, PLUS EXERCISE OUTSIDE AND SOMETIMES ON HER SAFE COMFORTABLE AND PROTECTIVE RABBIT HARNESS. SO PLEASE EVERYONE I AM SORRY I AM PICKING MY RABBIT UP IN ABOUT 3 HOURS AND I AM SORRY AND I DON'T WANT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS BUT I JUST WANT THIS BUNNY, OK AND NO BUNNIES SHOULD DIE AT A SHELTER, PEOPLE SHOULD ADOPT OR RESCUE FROM A SHELTER BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO BUY FROM A BREEDER OR PET STORE. PET STORES SHOULD NOT BUY MORE ANIMALS IF THEY CANNOT TAKE CARE OF THE ONES THEY ALREADY HAVE. SHE IS A VERY LUCKY BUNNY WITH A VERY LARGE CAGE AND RABBIT-PROOFED HOME AND GETS A WONDERFUL DIET, TOYS, PLAYHOUSES, AND A LOVING, SO PLEASE STOP CRITIZING ME AND I AM JUST SORRY FOR BUYING FROM A PET STORE, AND JUST TO TELL YOU I GET EVERYONES POINT ABOUT BUYING FROM PET STORES, SO I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ANIMAL FROM THERE AGAIN ( PROBABLY) OK!

[rabbitsncavyluv]

You just don't get it, do you.

[Bunnyluva09]

what is there too get, i can't resist it i am sorry