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[Baby bunnies!]

So I've been looking at bunny cages and stuff when I found out people use puppy pens, here are some questions
What should the flooring be? I've heard they slip on plastic
How high do the walls need to be?
How easy is it for the bunny to escape? (I have a jack russell terrier, a bunny on the loose is NOT good!)
What should the dimensions be? Is rectangle better than square?

Note I'll probably keep the bunny in my room with the door shut tight so the dog wont disturb him/her, I will make sure to inform family members to be VERY careful about this and to make sure Tally (my dog) wont door dash into the room, that is if I do get a bunny

Rabbits are escape artists. They can jump very high, knock things over, slid under things, and fit in small places. I saw my Mini Lop, when she was 15 weeks old, jump directly 4 feet high from a sitting position and she hoped out of the play pen. I was shocked that such a small little babe could jump so high without running to gain speed and momentum. So for a small bunny, the cage should be taller than 5 feet, or 18 inches with a top (like a cage).
Plastic and anything slippery is bad unless there is a load of bedding like wood shavings or hay. They can develop splay legs if you are not careful. Capet is fine as long as the rabbit does not digest it. Wood is good. Wire could work, but probably not going to work with the puppy playpen. Inside rabbits can be potty trained for easy cleaning.

[catcher.]

Dang five feet? That's almost as tall as me
Hmm, sense I don't really feel like attempting to get a bunny out from under my bed I'll look for a cage with a roof instead. (Accidental rhyming :p)

Edit~ I was thinking of getting a Rex or a Mini Rex. I hear they're friendly and incredibly soft and make good starter bunnies. So what size of a cage would you want for one?

Another edit~ Also, I see they have bunny walking harnesses and shtuff, but what I'm wondering is will a bunny be like a dog and be eager to walk, or stand there like a cat (Yeah, I've tried walking a cat, it stood there and did nothing)

[DaniVik]

Dang five feet? That's almost as tall as me
Hmm, sense I don't really feel like attempting to get a bunny out from under my bed I'll look for a cage with a roof instead. (Accidental rhyming :p)

Edit~ I was thinking of getting a Rex or a Mini Rex. I hear they're friendly and incredibly soft and make good starter bunnies. So what size of a cage would you want for one?

Another edit~ Also, I see they have bunny walking harnesses and shtuff, but what I'm wondering is will a bunny be like a dog and be eager to walk, or stand there like a cat (Yeah, I've tried walking a cat, it stood there and did nothing)

For the character I can't help, because I never had one... On cage size: In my opinion a cage can't be too large So I would buy the largest you can find Make sure your rabbit gets time to run around too

Most bunnies do not walk like a dog. One of mine, Jumper, walks with me like a dog, but the other ones don't Most of the time they go wherever they want to go and I have to follow them Rabbits have no need to walk around like a dog, I'm only using harnesses for rabbit show jumping and to let them have some more space (besides their pen) to run around without them running away...


I have brought some pictures from baby bunnies <3
The mother is Pina (mixed breed, father was a mini lop, I think), a rabbit from our rabbit show jumping club and the father was my rabbit, Kovu (lionlop - mix)

We are not sure about the genders, but that's what we think xD
She keeps 3 of the babies and I'm going to get the 4th one <3


Broken Black, gets a mane, buck?


Tort (? not sure), doe?


Tricolor, ?? not sure which gender

I will get this one <3


Tricolor, buck?

I can't wait to get him (or her) <3
I think I will get him on the 15th november <3

[Daisywolf14]

So I've been looking at bunny cages and stuff when I found out people use puppy pens, here are some questions
What should the flooring be? I've heard they slip on plastic
How high do the walls need to be?
How easy is it for the bunny to escape? (I have a jack russell terrier, a bunny on the loose is NOT good!)
What should the dimensions be? Is rectangle better than square?

Note I'll probably keep the bunny in my room with the door shut tight so the dog wont disturb him/her, I will make sure to inform family members to be VERY careful about this and to make sure Tally (my dog) wont door dash into the room, that is if I do get a bunny

Rabbits are escape artists. They can jump very high, knock things over, slid under things, and fit in small places. I saw my Mini Lop, when she was 15 weeks old, jump directly 4 feet high from a sitting position and she hoped out of the play pen. I was shocked that such a small little babe could jump so high without running to gain speed and momentum. So for a small bunny, the cage should be taller than 5 feet, or 18 inches with a top (like a cage).
Plastic and anything slippery is bad unless there is a load of bedding like wood shavings or hay. They can develop splay legs if you are not careful. Capet is fine as long as the rabbit does not digest it. Wood is good. Wire could work, but probably not going to work with the puppy playpen. Inside rabbits can be potty trained for easy cleaning.

I can say this is true! My first rabbit summertime lived outside in a hutch and attaced to the hutch door was a playpen so she could run around more, it worked great for awhile until she figured out she could jump on the hutch roof from the playpen and escape! So I had to take down the playpen, but now I have a great new 4 pen hutch and a stacker.

[Daisywolf14]

Dang five feet? That's almost as tall as me
Hmm, sense I don't really feel like attempting to get a bunny out from under my bed I'll look for a cage with a roof instead. (Accidental rhyming :p)

Edit~ I was thinking of getting a Rex or a Mini Rex. I hear they're friendly and incredibly soft and make good starter bunnies. So what size of a cage would you want for one?

Another edit~ Also, I see they have bunny walking harnesses and shtuff, but what I'm wondering is will a bunny be like a dog and be eager to walk, or stand there like a cat (Yeah, I've tried walking a cat, it stood there and did nothing)

For the character I can't help, because I never had one... On cage size: In my opinion a cage can't be too large So I would buy the largest you can find Make sure your rabbit gets time to run around too

Most bunnies do not walk like a dog. One of mine, Jumper, walks with me like a dog, but the other ones don't Most of the time they go wherever they want to go and I have to follow them Rabbits have no need to walk around like a dog, I'm only using harnesses for rabbit show jumping and to let them have some more space (besides their pen) to run around without them running away...


I have brought some pictures from baby bunnies <3
The mother is Pina (mixed breed, father was a mini lop, I think), a rabbit from our rabbit show jumping club and the father was my rabbit, Kovu (lionlop - mix)

We are not sure about the genders, but that's what we think xD
She keeps 3 of the babies and I'm going to get the 4th one <3


Broken Black, gets a mane, buck?


Tort (? not sure), doe?


Tricolor, ?? not sure which gender

I will get this one <3


Tricolor, buck?

I can't wait to get him (or her) <3
I think I will get him on the 15th november <3

Buck= dot doe= line that has helped me sex my rabbits and I got them all right ,
LOVE THAT TRI I would do anything to get a holland in that color XD

[thunderofthedrum]

Dang five feet? That's almost as tall as me
Hmm, sense I don't really feel like attempting to get a bunny out from under my bed I'll look for a cage with a roof instead. (Accidental rhyming :p)

Edit~ I was thinking of getting a Rex or a Mini Rex. I hear they're friendly and incredibly soft and make good starter bunnies. So what size of a cage would you want for one?

Another edit~ Also, I see they have bunny walking harnesses and shtuff, but what I'm wondering is will a bunny be like a dog and be eager to walk, or stand there like a cat (Yeah, I've tried walking a cat, it stood there and did nothing)

I don't know that 5 ft would be for sure necessary - my bunny's pen is about 30" tall and it's always worked fine. She's never gotten out (and I've had her for 6 years). Sure I know she can jump that high onto the bed, the couch, etc, but she's never jump straight up and over that 30". But yes, you'd have to be aware that it's a possibility that 3-4' may not contain them.

As for your bed, you can block it off. c&c (also often called NIC; I don't know what the most popular term is right now) panels are fantastic and it's what I have always used to make pens. You can also just attach several of them (just 1 panel high, about 14") and have it go around your bed to keep the bunny out from under it. Just be aware that they can squeeze through surprisingly small openings so even if there's just like a 3" gap somewhere a bunny can still wriggle through there if it really wants to.

I have only had 2 of the Mini Rex breed. One was my brother's and died within a year (all of them were killed by something will in hutches outside) and she was very nice, though she did not like being held. She tolerated being picked up but carried or held was NOT her favorite. She was otherwise pretty nice though. My bunny that I've had for 6 years now is also a Mini Rex and she has quite the personality, I adore her. However, I can't really compare because I don't have experience with other breeds.

My rabbit has a cage that's 2' by 4' (I PMed you a lengthy message regarding this and other things but haven't heard back) and does have a roof, it's the typical plastic bottom, wire sides and top. Now, regarding plastic - I think it would have to be pretty slick to risk them splaying out. My bunny has never done this. Also, she's only had this cage for about 6 months; before that she always had a c&c pen with a second level to hop up to and it was directly on tile or wood flooring, depending on where I was living at the time. In the pen/cage I don't think it's a big deal. For free time and getting to run around, grass/ground outside or carpet inside seems to be best for traction and zipping about. My rabbit is now in a cage because she is on carpet (to avoid potential damage to it) but she gets to run around in my room every day and also has a pen outside.

As for walking - simply put, no, a bunny will not walk like a dog. Imagine them in motion; they hop away really fast and then stop, and then hop some and stop. The hopping is very quick movement and then they are still. They do not really keep up a steady little trot like a dog or cat might. Yes there are harnesses and they SHOULD have a leash that's stretchy/elastic so that when the rabbit suddenly decides to hop really quick, the leash won't yank on them so bad. I wouldn't count on using such a thing - I've had them for my bunny but it still just didn't allow her enough room to run about before the leash pulled on her and unless you work really hard with training there will be no way to control the direction in which the bunny goes. Think of it as simply a way to let your bunny be outside in the grass without running away, not so much for actual walking with it really.

Lastly, your comment regarding softness. Heck yes they are soft! Kenna is my little snuggle bunny and people are always amazed at how soft she is. xD

Kenna 01 02 03

Here are a couple examples of using the panels I mentioned. I like them because it's so easy to customize, to expand them if you buy more, or build up to higher levels, etc. They are also relatively inexpensive - a box of them costs about 20-30 dollars. Then if you want to really have fun, you can make a second or even third level, you can build a floor for it if you want, make it cute with little fleece blankies and the litterbox and a hidey house and everything. Also, making a floor and/or levels will help to keep it in the correct shape (likely a rectangle). If you just attach a bunch of panels they can shift around (particularly if they are just zip tied together as I usually do) and it will become a pen and an oval. My bunny used to push and pull the panels when she was bored and I'd come home to find it in bizarre shapes when I was living at home for a while and there wasn't any other levels.

x - x - x

This one:
x
Is TOO SMALL though. Only two panels long and two high?! Two panels high is fine if the cage is only one level. But those levels are way too short and close together; that poor bunny probably has to jump in a very unnatural way to squeeze through the opening to the next level and the level itself is so small to sit on that it seems practically useless to me.

[Baby bunnies!]

Dang five feet? That's almost as tall as me
Hmm, sense I don't really feel like attempting to get a bunny out from under my bed I'll look for a cage with a roof instead. (Accidental rhyming :p)

Edit~ I was thinking of getting a Rex or a Mini Rex. I hear they're friendly and incredibly soft and make good starter bunnies. So what size of a cage would you want for one?

Another edit~ Also, I see they have bunny walking harnesses and shtuff, but what I'm wondering is will a bunny be like a dog and be eager to walk, or stand there like a cat (Yeah, I've tried walking a cat, it stood there and did nothing)

Yep, it is tall.

These are the bare minimum required:
3-5 lbs / 360 sq. in (that is a 20″x18″cage)
6-8 lbs / 576 sq. in (that is a 24″x24″cage)
9-11 lbs / 720 sq. in (that is a 30″x24″cage)

I usually suggest the 'next size up' from what the rabbit actually is just for comfortable space.


Something you need to know about Rex rabbits is that they have very thin fur pads. So a solid floor or wire with EZ mats and or carpet squares filling the majority of the cage so that the rabbit won't develop sore hocks. (Sore hocks are when the feet pads' skin breaks and bleeds. Bare Hocks are just if the fur rubbed off and has left a bare spot, be careful that it don't turn into Sore hocks. Then there is Callused Hocks, where calluses form on the foot, this isn't bad, it is actually another form of protection for the bun.) Also just about anything can ruin their fur (if you wanted to show it, this mattered a lot, if not then it doesn't matter.)
They can be very sweet though.

[Daisywolf14]

Here is a good site for cages they have house rabbit cages too. But just as BB said watch the feet on Rex, you can also buy bath mats to stick in there cage.
I was recently at there wear house for a show and they have big cages for one pet bunny with a drop tray for easy cleaning, let your bunny out a lot to run around since it will be a pet.

[thunderofthedrum]

Dang five feet? That's almost as tall as me
Hmm, sense I don't really feel like attempting to get a bunny out from under my bed I'll look for a cage with a roof instead. (Accidental rhyming :p)

Edit~ I was thinking of getting a Rex or a Mini Rex. I hear they're friendly and incredibly soft and make good starter bunnies. So what size of a cage would you want for one?

Another edit~ Also, I see they have bunny walking harnesses and shtuff, but what I'm wondering is will a bunny be like a dog and be eager to walk, or stand there like a cat (Yeah, I've tried walking a cat, it stood there and did nothing)

Yep, it is tall.

These are the bare minimum required:
3-5 lbs / 360 sq. in (that is a 20″x18″cage)
6-8 lbs / 576 sq. in (that is a 24″x24″cage)
9-11 lbs / 720 sq. in (that is a 30″x24″cage)

I usually suggest the 'next size up' from what the rabbit actually is just for comfortable space.


Something you need to know about Rex rabbits is that they have very thin fur pads. So a solid floor or wire with EZ mats and or carpet squares filling the majority of the cage so that the rabbit won't develop sore hocks. (Sore hocks are when the feet pads' skin breaks and bleeds. Bare Hocks are just if the fur rubbed off and has left a bare spot, be careful that it don't turn into Sore hocks. Then there is Callused Hocks, where calluses form on the foot, this isn't bad, it is actually another form of protection for the bun.) Also just about anything can ruin their fur (if you wanted to show it, this mattered a lot, if not then it doesn't matter.)
They can be very sweet though.

Holy cow, I didn't realize cages so small would even be considered acceptable? My rabbit is about 6 pounds and I can't imagine her in even the 30x24 cage dimensions. That's barely enough space to make a single hop and no room at all if she were to be excited or if she accidentally made a mess.

And of course, no matter the cage size, it's important to let it out to run around every day for at least an hour, spend time with it, and spice things up now and then with new areas to explore or objects to investigate. Let it learn to take new things in stride to be a well-adjusted animal so it can better handle unexpected things in the future.

To the rabbit owners in here: What veggies do you typically give your rabbits? I love the rabbit.org list but some things on it I'm unfamiliar with or wouldn't know where to find. For example, beet greens, ecarole, chicory, raspberry leaves, borage leaves, etc. I've given her: parsley, spinach, mustard greens, carrot tops, kale, red and green lettuce, romaine lettuce, spring greens, mint, basil, cilantro, and bok choy from their list. She's also had carrots, broccoli, celery, and she's been offered but wasn't so sure about bell pepper, zucchini, and brussel sprouts. She also gets to eat a couple roses now and then off of my mother's rose bushes. As for fruit, she has had (and loves): apple, banana, pear, kiwi, papaya, mango, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. And dried fruit. And chips and cereal. She's a naughty bunny. xD

I've also read on several websites that apple wood is fine for bunnies to chew on but I haven't seen an apple tree in my life. Do you give your bunnies wood and, if so, what kinds?

[catcher.]

Thank you everybody for your tips/suggestions/info ^-^
Even though I know what I'll need I'll still be researching them till I get one (never can be to prepared)