Bunnysitter needs help

zapsmom · Jul 29, 2006

Hi, I am bunnysitting a 1yr old bunny for my friend who has gone out of the country for the month. The bunny actually belongs to her 8yr old daughter. I don't know what kind of bun it is but its not very big. Only a little bit bigger than my biggest piggy. Its very friendly, but they keep him in a storebought cage that isn't even equivalent to a 1x2 c&c cage. I don't really know alot about bunnies but I know that that is way too small. I have the bun here at my house and have been letting it out for floor time and set up a temporary cage for him thats bigger. I know that my friends love Casper alot and would want the best for him but I just don't think that they did enough research bfore they got him. They had been let him go outside but that pen wasn't very big either. When they saw my gp c&c cage that I made they got some grids and made a bigger pen for him. I know that they have a bunch of grids left and I'm planning on making him a bigger cage before they get home. But I need some advice on what goes on the floor of the cage, can I use coroplast and fleece like the gps or do I use something else.
Toys... Any cheap suggestions. I have some pine cones that I've sterilized for the gps would he like them.
Any other suggestions would be totally apreciated.

bunnyluv17 · Jul 29, 2006

You can use coroplast for the bottom of the cage, but since some rabbits will chew it, I would reccomend having the coroplast rim on the outside of the cage. Rabbits love to have upper levels to jump onto, so I hope you plan to add at least one upper level to the cage.

I would be careful with fleece or any fabric since it can be very harmful if injested. Newspaper would work. Is the rabbit littertrained?

Rabbits love toys! And luckily they can't tell the difference between a cheap or expensive toy.
Some things that come to mind include pinecones, cardboard boxes, untreated baskets (easily found at thrift stores and yard sales), hard plastic baby toys that make noise (also found at thrift stores/yard sales), toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay, a towel to dig and bunch around (only if he does not try to eat any of it), tunnels, untreated apple tree branches, caps off of laundry detergent (washed thoroughly), big paper bags, small paper bags stuffed with hay, a box filled with shredded paper or hay to dig in, an old phonebook to shred, etc...

If you haven't visited it already, I would reccomend looking over the information at House Rabbit Society Rabbit Care Guide as well as pointing this site out to your friend.

C&K · Jul 30, 2006

Newspaper is going to get pretty gross, pretty quick. I know with my pigs, it hardly lasts a single day.

I would suggest a loose bedding, like yesterdays news, carefresh, or Aspen Shavings.

Is the rabbit female? Do you think you could convince them to alter it? Generally I have heard that altered rabbits and buns are pretty easy to house train, then they could let it have run of a room inside. Also, it is very important for the health of a female, and tends to make either sex more friendly.

I am not a rabbit person, but from everything I heard, having a rabbit fixed is a great idea.

bunnyluv17 · Jul 30, 2006

Well, the reason I asked if the rabbit was littertrained is because rabbits who use a litter box will only need bedding in the litterbox. I use wood stove pellets and hay in my rabbit's litterbox and then have newspaper over the rest of the cage. Neutering/spaying (besides providing lots of health and behavioral benefits) will make it so much easier to littertrain a rabbit.

C&K said:
Newspaper is going to get pretty gross, pretty quick. I know with my pigs, it hardly lasts a single day.

I would suggest a loose bedding, like yesterdays news, carefresh, or Aspen Shavings.

bunnydude · Jul 30, 2006

If the rabbit is littertrained, the wood stove pellets work wonders. They absorb the urine like you wouldn't believe. Perhaps once the owners get back in the country, you could suggest they give the rabbit a larger enclosure. As you've pointed out, it is way to small - even for the smallest of rabbits.

Matt (slave to two rabbits)

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Bunnysitter needs help

zapsmom

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C&K

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bunnyluv17

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bunnydude

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