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Rabbit Cages
I'm really interested in getting a dwarf rabbit. I bought a book about the care and keeping of pet rabbits, and it said that it was ideal to keep the door to the cage open eventually, so that the rabbit was free to come and go and wander about the house as it pleased. My question is, is this really necessary? My mom isn't a fan of pets wandering about the house, and I haven't totally convinced her that a rabbit is a good idea. Of course I would let my bunny out to be with me when I was around the house, but would it be a problem if I kept him/her in the cage with the door shut at other times?
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No you do not have to do that. The whole point is to let them get daily exercise. You can let them roam around the room, house, fenced yard, bathroom, or porch. Where there is a confined area. The do need a good size cage. Most bunnies are very lovable and attention starved so it will need attention daily maybe more than once. I breed mini rex's and I own a show dwarf bunny. They are all very sweet. Make sure you get a bunny while it is a baby so it grows with you and while it is a baby suffocate it with love and attention or it will NOT be sweet. Dwarf breeds especially because being a small breed they are more defensive. Also do not do not do not! Get a bunny from the petshop. They normally are not very sweet or they are mixed breeds. I would suggest finding a breeder to buy from. Bunnies range from 15-25 dollars any bunny above that price with no pedigree or quality is not worth more. You can find a ton of bunnies of all breeds on craigslist.org Just choose your area and it will show all the ads in that area. By the way, you can liter train your bunnies. Make sure there are no cords where the bunny is hopping. I hope I helped you. Please send me a message if you have any more questions about your bunny. I am an expert Haha :)
Sincerely, Baylee
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Well, if you are going to keep it in a cage for long periods of the day, the cage has to be pretty large. I suggest getting a small rabbit and a big cage. It should have enough room to hold a litter box, a food bowl, and of course a rabbit, and there should be enough space for the bunny to do at least five hops, and tall enough for him to jump. But honestly, most bunnies will become pretty listless (or psychotic) from boredom, and their true wonderful personality won't be able to come out.
My bunny has a very small cage (1 foot by 4 feet by 1 foot) where he eats, does his bathroom business, and there's just enough room for him to stretch out to sleep if he chooses. The cage is on the floor and is open 24/7. He has the run of my bedroom, and sometimes he'll go and hop around the house, although I found that he goes in only into two other rooms.
If keeping him in one room isn't an option, you can get a small cage and a dog pen, or water ever those things are called. Although putting one of those up is pretty space consuming and a bit of an eye sore. But I really highly suggest dedicating a room to your bunny, like a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or hallway.
Now, onto your questions =P
Is it necessary for your bunny to be able to wander around the house?
-> Well, if want to bond with your bunny, I would say yes, it is necessary. If they are kept in cages (even if they are let out on a daily basis for an few hours) they become pretty antisocial and miserable. I know this from first hand experience; I kept my bunny in his cage (with daily "walks" of course) for my first two years of keeping him. This past year, I moved him to my room and where he now lives with his cage door open. He turned into a completely different bunny. He developed a pretty distinguished personality, and best of all, he bonded with me. He'll groom me, and I wake up to bunny kisses each morning.
For your last question:
It really depends on how long you plan to keep him locked up for. I would say that no longer than 8-9 hours a day, so while you sleep he can be locked up, and let him out in the morning.
But to be honest here, If you're going to keep him locked up for long periods of time (over 8-9 hours), I don't think you should get a bunny. It just won't be fair for him, or even for you, because both deserve better: he deserves a better life than sitting in a cage, and you deserve a happy pet that's capable of loving you (miserable bunnies don't really do that, they're too depressed).
~Maria, 17
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Not at all. Its perfectly fine to have a rabbit kept in a cage for a large portion of the day, juts as long as they have enough socialization and exercise out of the cage per day.
You could also restrict it to your room only (as opposed to the whole house) , once it is able to be trusted to use the litter box, and known to not chew your furniture
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