aella851 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 just got a lop earred rabbit. male. Scoobes is 4 months old. When is it best for it to get neutered and vaccinated? It is going to be a house rabbit. My two children are 4 and 7 so thought it was a good age to get our first family pet. It does have a cage it a large one. Sure some of you might frown upon me for that. Unsure how to protect the wires to make it bunny proof. Also digging the carpet worrys me. Also trying got a litter tray in cage to encourage it to poop in there. My mum recommended this site as she has pet chickens and thinks its a marvelous site. Also i am using hemel is that how you spell it? and it has its hay it a hay basket which i am illergic to so i dont want to spread it on its bed as well. I know the rabbit needs it in its diet. The rabbit is very afffectionate and already loves a stroke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 He can be neutered as soon as his testicles have descended - which they probably have if he's four months (it will be obvious if you have a look at his bits!). This should help with the litter training as he won't have the urge to spray wee everywhere. He can be vaccinated now too - as a house-bunny, he needs to be done annually against myxi and VHD. Wires: B&Q sell flexible tubing which wires can be fed through. Run as many as you can under the carpet. He will dig carpet - they can be taught "no" but it's often ignored (my bunnies became outdoor buns because they refused to leave the carpets and wallpaper alone!) Try giving him diversions - a litter-tray in the living room he can dig in might help. Get him using his tray by putting soiled litter in it. If he's persistently going in another corner of the cage, move the tray there. Experiment with the litter you use - some buns are fussy! Avoid cat litter though as if he eats it, he'll be in trouble. You may need to provide him with litter trays around the house when you let him out - if he pees in a particular area of the room, put a tray there. After a while you might be able to cut down on the trays. Bedding-wise, when mine lived indoors they slept on a piece of Vetbed (big pet shops sell it, or you can buy it online). They loved it and it's washable. Good luck with him - not all rabbits are cut out to be house pets and my two are happier (and much less stressful now my house isn't being destroyed!) outside, but I hope it works out for you. Post on here if you need help with anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FruitandNutCake Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I had my Bugsy neutered at just over 3 months. He was vaccinated against mixi at the same time, and then VHD 2 weeks later. I got cable tidys from Maplin, but they were only rabbit resistant - not rabbit proof. Didn't take long for Bugsy to chew through them. Bugsy is a wire and carpet chewer, the I got Steffi, and she turned out to be a wallpaper stripper. In the end, they were confined to diningroom which hasn't been decorated - no carpet, wires or carpet. But I want to decorate so I moved the rabbits into a brand new 8x6 shed with attached 9ft x14ft walk in run. Complete with logs, hanging toys, chip bark to dig. They are then let out into the garden when I get home from work after the school run. So they are much happier now - and so am I! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aella851 Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 thanks, i am now going to look in to buying a really nice hutch, not keen on wooden hutches, just think they are harder to sterilise. decided as i am getting chesty (i have astma too). Also the tearing at carpets worrys me alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FruitandNutCake Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 If you look around, you can find plastic type traditional rabit hutches which are easier to clean, or the rablu. I have just put my indoor rabbit cage inside the shed and leave the door to the cage open all the time. I think the RSPCA web site does give the minimum space that a rabbit needs. So a large, secure run is essential. It is still nice to have the bunnies in occasionally, but they are much better suited as outdoor animals, as long as they are not stuck in a hutch all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 If your garden is secure, get a hutch and give him free-range access during the day when you're home to keep an eye on him. Failing that, you'll need a run - one you can move around the garden is better as the ground tends to get mucky pretty quickly under permanent ones. I have the Thistle Hall hutch from Pets at home which is suitable for dwarf lops, and is pretty easy to clean. I would add that if he's going to be an outdoor bunny, he really needs a friend - they're not suited to life alone. Get him neutered and then get him a girlfriend - he'll be a very happy bunny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelicano Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 The best way to keep a wooden hutch clean in my experience is by putting some cheap lino down on the floor - it's so easy to disinfect and dry then. I got some from a carpet shop for about £4, as it was an off cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
