Looking to buy a rabbit!
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Flossy1978
- Posts: 1395
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:38 pm
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
Pet stores here also sell rabbits.
But try to find one who needs a new home, rather than buy a cute baby from the pet store. Like from that Keltainen Pörssi. Try to find one who has been castrated or spayed already. Will save you roughly 150€! Cause you really want to get the rabbit you choose fixed. Makes life nicer for them and for you.
I don't know if you've ever had them or not. But research a lot before you get one. So many people think they're cute, and they are! But then the rabbit starts to act like a rabbit and they decide they don't like it anymore and ditch it, usually out in the wild.
www.rabbit.org is a good site to read up about them. Granted it's American, but gives the basics.
Then you can go to http://www.binkybunny.com/ Again an American site. And some of the rabbit owners are rather neurotic and over the top, but they can give good advice if you need it.
But try to find one who needs a new home, rather than buy a cute baby from the pet store. Like from that Keltainen Pörssi. Try to find one who has been castrated or spayed already. Will save you roughly 150€! Cause you really want to get the rabbit you choose fixed. Makes life nicer for them and for you.
I don't know if you've ever had them or not. But research a lot before you get one. So many people think they're cute, and they are! But then the rabbit starts to act like a rabbit and they decide they don't like it anymore and ditch it, usually out in the wild.
www.rabbit.org is a good site to read up about them. Granted it's American, but gives the basics.
Then you can go to http://www.binkybunny.com/ Again an American site. And some of the rabbit owners are rather neurotic and over the top, but they can give good advice if you need it.
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
If the OP hasn't had a rabbit before, it might be an idea to get hold of this book Rabbits for Dummies. We have 2 dwarf rabbits, they're a PITA but kind of fun, and cost a lot more to keep than people imagine. So to buy 2 rabbits and the bits to keep them cost us an initial €450. To maintain those rabbits costs around €800 p.a. Take home message - they aren't cheap pets.aisling wrote:Anyone know any Finnish websites where I can buy a dwarf rabbit???
I guess it could be done cheaper, we probably could buy the compressed wood pellets for their toilets in bulk, and we don't have to feed them herbs, but they need some greens and the likes of lettuce gives them stomach trouble, herbs work...
CAPEX: Purchase price €65 per rabbit. Cage + water bottle €130. Sterilization €100. Toilets €50. Harness €15 (x2). Brush €10
OPEX: Compressed wood chips for toilets €250 p.a. Paper bags for toilet disposal (1 per day) €120 p.a. Carrots 1 bag/week €75 p.a. Parsley / herbs €4.50 / week = €150 p.a. (can grow own during summer). Food pellets €8 bag lasts a month or two = €60 p.a. Annual vet inspection €40
Kennelling for 4-6 weeks p.a. during trips abroad €100 (we used to pay for a pet sitter @ €10/day, but that was hitting €400 p.a. and was getting silly.
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
And all luomu of course?sinikala wrote: If the OP hasn't had a rabbit before, it might be an idea to get hold of this book Rabbits for Dummies. We have 2 dwarf rabbits, they're a PITA but kind of fun, and cost a lot more to keep than people imagine. So to buy 2 rabbits and the bits to keep them cost us an initial €450. To maintain those rabbits costs around €800 p.a. Take home message - they aren't cheap pets.
I guess it could be done cheaper, we probably could buy the compressed wood pellets for their toilets in bulk, and we don't have to feed them herbs, but they need some greens and the likes of lettuce gives them stomach trouble, herbs work...
CAPEX: Purchase price €65 per rabbit. Cage + water bottle €130. Sterilization €100. Toilets €50. Harness €15 (x2). Brush €10
OPEX: Compressed wood chips for toilets €250 p.a. Paper bags for toilet disposal (1 per day) €120 p.a. Carrots 1 bag/week €75 p.a. Parsley / herbs €4.50 / week = €150 p.a. (can grow own during summer). Food pellets €8 bag lasts a month or two = €60 p.a. Annual vet inspection €40
Kennelling for 4-6 weeks p.a. during trips abroad €100 (we used to pay for a pet sitter @ €10/day, but that was hitting €400 p.a. and was getting silly.
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Flossy1978
- Posts: 1395
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:38 pm
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
I am sorry, I can't agree on the lettuce thing. It depends on the lettuce and rabbit. You do not give ICEBERG lettuce. But the other lettuces, more leafy type are fine for rabbits. The darker the lettuce, the better. I've never given the ICEBERG or ICEBERG types. They have no nutrition and can cause diahrroea in a rabbit.
In 13 years of living here I've had 7 rabbits. All have lived to decent older ages. Which depended on the size of the rabbit. Larger the rabbit, shorter the lifespan. The last rabbit to die was less than a month ago and he was almost 9.5 years old. His friend who is almost 9.5 years old is still alive and fine. I have also two other younger ones now. All 7 rabbits have been fed lettuce every single day and all have been fine with it. The darker the lettuce the better for the bun. I do not ever give ICEBERG lettuce or any other type of ICEBERG lettuce, as I've mentioned above. And I've had no problems whatsoever feeding lettuce. Go to all the rabbit websites.
To the poster who just feeds herbs, feed some lettuce. Seriously, your buns will be fine. Herbs themselves can be quite strong depending on the herb. But herbs are also fine to give!!! Would just be cheaper for you if you fed them some lettuce some times.
Rabbits can eat spinach, but not in large amounts. It's not good for their stomachs. But it is alright in smaller portions.
Carrots are alright for rabbits, but carrots are full of sugar, so you shouldn't give huge amounts of it. Especially baby carrots. Giving those is like us eating a block of chocolate. You can try other vegies too. Broccoli is good. The flowery bits in small portions, but the stem parts can be fine in larger portions. They even like Swede. Some celery is alright too. Tomato and cucumber if your bun likes them. Mine looooooooooove brussel sprouts for some reason. Every single rabbit I've had has loved this vegy, I don't know why.
Apart from having all my rabbits spayed or castrated and put down (ill and no chance of survival), I've had few vet visits and I put this down to a very good diet. I am a bit neurotic with making sure my rabbits are fed properly and I think this has paid off. DO NOT EVER feed rabbits the pellets with the colourful crap in it. That's bad and unhealthy for rabbits. Especially stuff with seeds. The seeds are sharp and can catch in their gut leading to a painful death. I pay for expensive Oxbow pellets. A 4.5 kilo bag for about 30€. It has all the nutrition rabbits needs and doesn't have any kind of crap in it. It's this expensive because it's imported from America or Canada. Can't remember which. But Musti ja Miiri and other petstores have their products these days.
Rabbits do not need salt blocks. A rabbit who has a good diet doesn't need one of these salt blocks and they can infact lead to death. The rabbit can become addicted to licking it and not drinking enough water, hence dehydration and death. As well as those stupid colourful honey seed blocks. Not needed and not healthy for a rabbit.
You can give small treats of banana, pear, raisins. apples (no seeds! toxic) etc. Rabbits love these treats and will soon be your bestfriend if you give them. You can give also ruisleipä in small portions and even porridge oats in small portions. Dry the ruisleipä out and it can be used as a good method for grinding down their teeth, which is needed. Koulunäkki is also yummy for buns and good for their teeth.
When summer comes, you can pick stuff from outside for your rabbits. Dandelion leaves and flowers, apple tree branches and leaves, birch tree branches and leaves, and willow branches which the little girls decorate at Easter time as they dress up as witches, are good too. If you give food from outside you should worm your rabbit at least once in Spring, Summer and Autumn. You need to ring your vet to ask for the brand type to buy, because you can't use cat or dog stuff. Wild rabbit/hare naturally carry worms. And if your buns should get fleas (I've never experienced this), DO NOT USE CAT AND DOG PRODUCTS. Again, ring your vet and ask.
You also don't need to buy expensive toilet products. Use the junkmail you hate getting. Lay it in the bottom of the litterbox and place a pile of hay on top. That will save you money. And most rabbits will eat the hay in their litterbox. It's just what they do. It saves on mess too. Roll the litterbox mess up when it's time to clean and put into a paper bag and put into the biojäte bin. It's allowed. If and when your buns are fixed, the litterbox should not smell using this method. It will only smell before the bun is fixed or if you are leaving the litterbox too long between cleanings.
Rabbits need stuff to chew on. And you have to learn to understand they might enjoy chewing on your furniture and electric cables. Be prepared for this. Don't just leave the rabbits stuck in a cage because you don't like what they are doing which is natural for them. You can put wood which has not been painted or treated in any matter, just normal. Like bits of pine which isn't splintering. Buns will chew on that. Toilet rolls filled with hay are fun for them to chew on. Even full rolls of toilet paper are fun. And they like hiding places, so a box with doorways cut out can be fun and good to chew on.
Don't just use soft grass like hay. Buns also need the harder hay to grind down their front teeth. In summer you'll often find the first and the second cut in pet stores. Both are good, but the harder hay is better. The second softer grassier hay is nice to eat, but won't be good with helping with their teeth.
It's also a good idea to use a heavy pot with water for a bowl, rather than those bottles with the metal ball. Imagine what it's like for you to have to lick water from one of those? A bowl is a better idea. The heavier the bowl, the better cause you could have a cheeky bugger of a rabbit who wants to tip it over. Those metal balls can often either leak or get stuck and your bun won't be able to get water from it. They don't drink a lot usually, but do need easy access to water. If your bun starts to drink a lot of water and sneezing, you need to take it to the vet. It's often a sign of troubles with the molar teeth. Spurs on them, growing wrong, abcesses, etc.
I am a rabbit fanatic. So if you have any questions to ask..... Just ask
In 13 years of living here I've had 7 rabbits. All have lived to decent older ages. Which depended on the size of the rabbit. Larger the rabbit, shorter the lifespan. The last rabbit to die was less than a month ago and he was almost 9.5 years old. His friend who is almost 9.5 years old is still alive and fine. I have also two other younger ones now. All 7 rabbits have been fed lettuce every single day and all have been fine with it. The darker the lettuce the better for the bun. I do not ever give ICEBERG lettuce or any other type of ICEBERG lettuce, as I've mentioned above. And I've had no problems whatsoever feeding lettuce. Go to all the rabbit websites.
To the poster who just feeds herbs, feed some lettuce. Seriously, your buns will be fine. Herbs themselves can be quite strong depending on the herb. But herbs are also fine to give!!! Would just be cheaper for you if you fed them some lettuce some times.
Rabbits can eat spinach, but not in large amounts. It's not good for their stomachs. But it is alright in smaller portions.
Carrots are alright for rabbits, but carrots are full of sugar, so you shouldn't give huge amounts of it. Especially baby carrots. Giving those is like us eating a block of chocolate. You can try other vegies too. Broccoli is good. The flowery bits in small portions, but the stem parts can be fine in larger portions. They even like Swede. Some celery is alright too. Tomato and cucumber if your bun likes them. Mine looooooooooove brussel sprouts for some reason. Every single rabbit I've had has loved this vegy, I don't know why.
Apart from having all my rabbits spayed or castrated and put down (ill and no chance of survival), I've had few vet visits and I put this down to a very good diet. I am a bit neurotic with making sure my rabbits are fed properly and I think this has paid off. DO NOT EVER feed rabbits the pellets with the colourful crap in it. That's bad and unhealthy for rabbits. Especially stuff with seeds. The seeds are sharp and can catch in their gut leading to a painful death. I pay for expensive Oxbow pellets. A 4.5 kilo bag for about 30€. It has all the nutrition rabbits needs and doesn't have any kind of crap in it. It's this expensive because it's imported from America or Canada. Can't remember which. But Musti ja Miiri and other petstores have their products these days.
Rabbits do not need salt blocks. A rabbit who has a good diet doesn't need one of these salt blocks and they can infact lead to death. The rabbit can become addicted to licking it and not drinking enough water, hence dehydration and death. As well as those stupid colourful honey seed blocks. Not needed and not healthy for a rabbit.
You can give small treats of banana, pear, raisins. apples (no seeds! toxic) etc. Rabbits love these treats and will soon be your bestfriend if you give them. You can give also ruisleipä in small portions and even porridge oats in small portions. Dry the ruisleipä out and it can be used as a good method for grinding down their teeth, which is needed. Koulunäkki is also yummy for buns and good for their teeth.
When summer comes, you can pick stuff from outside for your rabbits. Dandelion leaves and flowers, apple tree branches and leaves, birch tree branches and leaves, and willow branches which the little girls decorate at Easter time as they dress up as witches, are good too. If you give food from outside you should worm your rabbit at least once in Spring, Summer and Autumn. You need to ring your vet to ask for the brand type to buy, because you can't use cat or dog stuff. Wild rabbit/hare naturally carry worms. And if your buns should get fleas (I've never experienced this), DO NOT USE CAT AND DOG PRODUCTS. Again, ring your vet and ask.
You also don't need to buy expensive toilet products. Use the junkmail you hate getting. Lay it in the bottom of the litterbox and place a pile of hay on top. That will save you money. And most rabbits will eat the hay in their litterbox. It's just what they do. It saves on mess too. Roll the litterbox mess up when it's time to clean and put into a paper bag and put into the biojäte bin. It's allowed. If and when your buns are fixed, the litterbox should not smell using this method. It will only smell before the bun is fixed or if you are leaving the litterbox too long between cleanings.
Rabbits need stuff to chew on. And you have to learn to understand they might enjoy chewing on your furniture and electric cables. Be prepared for this. Don't just leave the rabbits stuck in a cage because you don't like what they are doing which is natural for them. You can put wood which has not been painted or treated in any matter, just normal. Like bits of pine which isn't splintering. Buns will chew on that. Toilet rolls filled with hay are fun for them to chew on. Even full rolls of toilet paper are fun. And they like hiding places, so a box with doorways cut out can be fun and good to chew on.
Don't just use soft grass like hay. Buns also need the harder hay to grind down their front teeth. In summer you'll often find the first and the second cut in pet stores. Both are good, but the harder hay is better. The second softer grassier hay is nice to eat, but won't be good with helping with their teeth.
It's also a good idea to use a heavy pot with water for a bowl, rather than those bottles with the metal ball. Imagine what it's like for you to have to lick water from one of those? A bowl is a better idea. The heavier the bowl, the better cause you could have a cheeky bugger of a rabbit who wants to tip it over. Those metal balls can often either leak or get stuck and your bun won't be able to get water from it. They don't drink a lot usually, but do need easy access to water. If your bun starts to drink a lot of water and sneezing, you need to take it to the vet. It's often a sign of troubles with the molar teeth. Spurs on them, growing wrong, abcesses, etc.
I am a rabbit fanatic. So if you have any questions to ask..... Just ask
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
Bunny will look quite... energized after eating light night snack of computer's power cable. Fuses will be blown and bangs will be heard. Mark my words.Flossy1978 wrote:Rabbits need stuff to chew on. And you have to learn to understand they might enjoy chewing on your furniture and electric cables. Be prepared for this. Don't just leave the rabbits stuck in a cage because you don't like what they are doing which is natural for them.
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Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
wow, thanks for all the time you guys put into helping me out.I really Appreciate it.
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
It depends entirely on the rabbit, our 5 year old netherlands dwarf has a very delicate stomach, it likes leafy greens, but they almost all give it the runs.Flossy1978 wrote:I am sorry, I can't agree on the lettuce thing. It depends on the lettuce and rabbit. You do not give ICEBERG lettuce. But the other lettuces, more leafy type are fine for rabbits. The darker the lettuce, the better. I've never given the ICEBERG or ICEBERG types. They have no nutrition and can cause diahrroea in a rabbit.
To the poster who just feeds herbs, feed some lettuce. Seriously, your buns will be fine. Herbs themselves can be quite strong depending on the herb. But herbs are also fine to give!!! Would just be cheaper for you if you fed them some lettuce some times.
Our 3 year old dwarf lop copes far better with leafy greens, but we have to feed it directly so the netherlands dwarf doesn't get at it. Neither of them will touch spinach, but they both like parsley, sage & oregano, which are all far drier than lettuce, I suspect it's the water content which is the issue - as basil acts like lettuce for the netherlands dwarf. Dandelions & birch leaves ... same result as lettuce... liquid poo.
And it's not just our experience - Facts About Dwarf Rabbits
we're also not the only ones who recommend herbs - What Should I Feed my Bunny?Most rabbits like lettuce and cabbage but for a dwarf rabbit these foods need to be avoided because they can damage their sensitive stomachs.
They like celery, especially the green leaves, they get the offcuts of our celery so that costs nothing.Fresh, moist greens are about as important as hay in maintaining a healthy intestine. Try broccoli, dark leaf lettuces, kale, parsley, carrots (with tops!), endive, escarole, dill, basil, mint, cilantro, culantro, spinach, tomato, celery (cut up into 1" pieces, to avoid problems with the tough strings getting stuck on the molars!). Almost any green, leafy vegetable that's good for you (including fresh-grown garden herbs such as tarragon and various mints, with the exception of Pennyroyal) are good for a rabbit. Experiment and see which types your rabbit likes best! Rabbits love fresh, fragrant herbs fresh from the garden.
Of course they like most fruit, but the vet (who has 2 dwarf rabbits herself) suggests a more spartan diet, primarily hay for dwarves. Carrots are fine. For variety we tried US Oxbow pellets, they weren't interested, they prefer local hay. Dried ryebread, sure they like it, but it results in the same as with humans - rabbits don't really eat grains in the wild.
In our experience it takes a lot of trial end error to find out what's best for the rabbits - our two are quite different, and as most of what I've read says, the smaller the rabbit, the more delicate the stomach.
As for the litterbox, the combination of hay and paper is nice and cheap, but does nothing for smell, the owner might not be able to smell it, but guests will think your place stinks. Compressed woodchip pellets cost, but are by far the best solution, they absorb far more liquid than hay or paper (we started out with paper as that's what we put in the cats' litter box- it was useless). With woodchip pellets there is less to evaporate and less smell enters the air of the apartment. Ours have their toilet changed daily (twice if I can smell anything).
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Flossy1978
- Posts: 1395
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:38 pm
Re: Looking to buy a rabbit!
Yes, I wrote it depends on the lettuce and the rabbit 
I've had dwarf rabbits and never had the problems you are describing with the lettuce. You must have some sensitive rabbits. I still have one dwarf rabbit who is 9.5 years old and who has never had stomach problems with anything he's been fed. Ok, he has bad front teeth I have to cut, but that has nothing to do with diet. And my two other new dwarf rabbits have no problems.
In fully bred rabbits there can often be problems with digestive things. All my rabbits but one have been fully bred.
I had a Lop who was fully bred from prize winning parents who couldn't eat any vegies, ruisleipä or koulunäkki. Or she'd get what we call sludegbutt in the rabbit world. Toothpaste like poop. But she could eat lettuce. So she lived on Oxbow pellets, hay and lettuce/herbs. She couldn't have any solid vegies or treats. It was to do with an imbalance of sugar/yeast in her gut. She weighed about 3kilos, so quite a bigger bun.
There use to be a Finnish rabbit board and they all advocated dried ruisleipä and koulunäkki in small portions. The site no longer exists. I don't know what happened to it. Maybe it has changed names. It was a very good site with forums for all kinds of matters.
I've asked my friends who come over if they can smell anything bad. I change my litterboxes every second day. They said they can smell there are rabbits here, but not pee or poop smell, just that there are animals.
I don't use Oxbow Hay products. They don't even look fresh. I only use the pellets.
And it's true, rabbits' diets should be mainly hay. But what's the point of having a pet rabbit if you can't spoil it rotten? In a healthy manner that is. They have no other use. They aren't like cats who can be used to catch rodents, or dogs who are used to protect your home and self. So what else then? But to looooooooooove on, enjoy and give a really wonderful life to.
Most evenings my buns get lettuce/herbs. They always have pellets in their bowls and plenty of water and hay. I don't give vegies every night. I also don't give those other treats everyday. In summer I feed them mostly stuff from outside. They love three leaf clovers (only white clover, purple flowered clover is bad for their stomachs) and everything else, but not grass, funny that.
I've had dwarf rabbits and never had the problems you are describing with the lettuce. You must have some sensitive rabbits. I still have one dwarf rabbit who is 9.5 years old and who has never had stomach problems with anything he's been fed. Ok, he has bad front teeth I have to cut, but that has nothing to do with diet. And my two other new dwarf rabbits have no problems.
In fully bred rabbits there can often be problems with digestive things. All my rabbits but one have been fully bred.
I had a Lop who was fully bred from prize winning parents who couldn't eat any vegies, ruisleipä or koulunäkki. Or she'd get what we call sludegbutt in the rabbit world. Toothpaste like poop. But she could eat lettuce. So she lived on Oxbow pellets, hay and lettuce/herbs. She couldn't have any solid vegies or treats. It was to do with an imbalance of sugar/yeast in her gut. She weighed about 3kilos, so quite a bigger bun.
There use to be a Finnish rabbit board and they all advocated dried ruisleipä and koulunäkki in small portions. The site no longer exists. I don't know what happened to it. Maybe it has changed names. It was a very good site with forums for all kinds of matters.
I've asked my friends who come over if they can smell anything bad. I change my litterboxes every second day. They said they can smell there are rabbits here, but not pee or poop smell, just that there are animals.
I don't use Oxbow Hay products. They don't even look fresh. I only use the pellets.
And it's true, rabbits' diets should be mainly hay. But what's the point of having a pet rabbit if you can't spoil it rotten? In a healthy manner that is. They have no other use. They aren't like cats who can be used to catch rodents, or dogs who are used to protect your home and self. So what else then? But to looooooooooove on, enjoy and give a really wonderful life to.
Most evenings my buns get lettuce/herbs. They always have pellets in their bowls and plenty of water and hay. I don't give vegies every night. I also don't give those other treats everyday. In summer I feed them mostly stuff from outside. They love three leaf clovers (only white clover, purple flowered clover is bad for their stomachs) and everything else, but not grass, funny that.