How much does it cost to keep a rabbit?
Rabbits are relatively inexpensive to keep - that is of course unless you want to have more than 5 or 6. Costs to consider are:
Cage or Hutch: $40 - $50 and up
Food; rabbit pellets: 25lb bag $6-7 50lb bag $10-13
Food bowl / Water Bowl: $2 - $3 each
Water Bottle: $3 - $5
Hay: $3 - $4 a bale
Other Things you might need:
Grooming Carpets : $1 - $3
Brushes : $3 - $5 and up
Harness and Leash : $3 - $10
Where can you buy rabbits?
Rabbit Breeders - There are many people throughout the country who raise rabbits as a hobby and have baby rabbits for sale at times throughout the year. Whether you're looking for a purebred rabbit with a pedigree or a mixed breed, finding a responsible breeder is often the best way to buy a rabbit. Try searching on the Yahoo groups (http://www.groups.yahoo.com) for a rabbit classified group or a group for breeders in the area you live.
Rabbit's from breeders generally cost about 25 dollars or more for a purebred rabbit and often less for a mixed breed. If looking for a really good show quality rabbit, the price could go up to 50 dollars or more.
Rescued Rabbits - You may want to adopt a rabbit from an animal shelter
Pet Stores - There are often rabbits for sale in pet stores, however it may not be a good idea to buy a rabbit from a store if the employees do not know where the rabbits are from. Our first two rabbits were from a pet store. They were completely healthy looking and had clean surroundings. Nevertheless, when they were about a year old they both developed cancer and we had to have them put to sleep :( . They might have orginially been bred for labratory use and some how wound up in the petstore but there was no way you could have known that as the pet store could not give that information.
What type of rabbit should I buy?
There are currently 47 different rabbit breeds recognized in the United States and each have their own unusual qualities. In general, sometimes medium sized rabbits are the calmest and make the best lap bunnies. Dwarf breeds like the Netherland Dwarf, the smallest breed of rabbit, may be more high strung. Breeds like the Tan, English Spot, Rhinelander, and the Belgian Hare may not be as calm but may be the most active and playful. While smaller long haired breeds such as the American Fuzzy Lop or the Jersey Wooly will not require much grooming, Angora breeds such as the English Angora or Satin Angora will require much higher maintinance to keep their coat in good condition. Very large breeds such as the Flemish Giant, often refered to as gentle giants, also have good reports of being calm and making very good pets.
If you are interested in breeding rabbits, there are breeds that will be easier to raise than others. In general, if you want to raise rabbits with particular coat pattern such as the Harlequin, Dutch, and English Spot, you may have some difficulty in producing baby rabbits with perfect markings. Another concern to be aware of is that rabbit breeds with the dwarf gene such as the Netherland Dwarf, Jersey Wooly, and Holland Lop may produce a peanut in each litter (a peanut is a baby rabbit who soon dies because he cannot grow).
For a complete picture list of the rabbit breeds you can visit the American Rabbit Breeder's Association's website (ARBA). Each picture will lead to that breed's club website and from there you should be able to locate breeders who raise the rabbit you are interested in. Most breeders love to talk about the breed that they raise and should be happy to tell you all about the general temperament and specific care information you will need to know.
How old should the rabbit be?
Rabbits can be sold when they are 8 weeks old and over. A rabbit younger than 6 weeks old should still be drinking his mother's milk. Between the time of 6 weeks and 8 weeks the rabbit should be getting weaned and becoming accustomed to being without its mother. An adult rabbit (usually 6 months old and up) will also make a good pet as long as the person who owned him before you handled him a lot as a baby so that he is friendly and cuddley now.
Should I buy a male or a female?
In rabbits, a male is called a buck and a female is called a doe. Bucks and does both make good pets although both may have their undesireable sides.
The undesirable sides may be:
Does may be territorial or more protective especially of intruders in their cage. They may be more picky or skittish when being handled.
Bucks may be more messy and may spray to mark their territory when they're in new surroundings or when they smell the scent of another rabbit.
Please note that these are just general statements and that every rabbit is different. There are many cuddley and friendly does in the world and clean and neat bucks :)
Can I keep 2 rabbits together in a cage?
2 Does: You can keep two does together in the same cage. 2 sisters who have lived together all of their life may work out the best. If the rabbits are not sisters, introduce them when they are young. Watch them carefully so that they don't fight. Make sure that the cage is large enough so that they can both have their own separate spots incase they become territorial when they get older.
2 Bucks: Two bucks should not be kept together in the same cage. Even if the 2 bucks have lived together since they were babies, you'll need to separate them when they grow up because of their mating instinct.
I have noticed that rabbits don't really seem to be lonely for another rabbit in their cage. I think they do like it though if they have a next door neighbor that they can sniff or look at through the wire.
Rabbit Pens
You will need a rabbit pen that is large enough for the size of your rabbit and
gives him lots of room to move around in. Also keep in mind that rabbits love sitting in high places, so unless a wooden or plastic box is provided, a second level or loft to jump up on ensures much enjoyment for the rabbit. Cages with wire bottoms are usually the easiest to clean but some solid resting places, such as cardboard from cereal boxes, wood, or a towel should be provided so that the rabbit won't have to be on the wire at all times.
Rabbits can live indoors or outdoors all year round. If it is an option, it is advisable to keep your rabbit indoors as rabbits who live outside can be bothered by parasites such as green flies that land on the rabbit's fur to lay their eggs. House rabbits can be trained to use a litter box and make very social pets, although you will need to bunny-proof all the areas in your house that the rabbit is allowed to roam while he is out of his cage.
Indoor Rabbit Pens: Indoor rabbit pens are usually available in pet stores. Stackable cages with wire bottoms and removable trays are quite popular with breeders and are usually available from vendors at rabbit shows.
Outdoor Rabbit Pens: For an outdoor rabbit pen, the preferable style may be one that is elevated off of the ground for better safety from wild animals and the kind with a wire floor for easy cleaning. Wire bottom cages with a removable tray under them are quite popular. If you are building your own cage, some things I would recommend are large doors for easy access to the inside and protection such as metal roof edging for any wood edges that the rabbit might be able to chew. 1 inch X 1/2 inch is the ideal measurement for the wire used for the sides and floor. PBC pipes make good legs for the pen. In addition, it is important that the rabbits are protected from the wind, rain, or snow so you may want to incorporate an enclosed section or make a wooden cover protection for the sides while also keeping in mind good ventilation during hot weather.
A three apartment rabbit pen
Food and Water Bowls
You will need a food dish and water bottle or water dish. Water bottles are good because they prevent your rabbit from spilling it's water and they fit on the outside of the pen so they don't take up any space inside. The downside however is that they are harder to clean and if your rabbit lives outside, in the winter you many need to unfreeze them 2 or more times a day. Water dishes are good because they are easy to clean and when the water freezes in the winter all you need to do is bang the bowl on something hard and the ice usually falls right out. If you are going to use water bowls in the winter, it is best to use plastic or metal ones rather than a ceramic dish because it could break when the ice forms in it.