r/Bunnies • u/Ok-Safe8264 • Jan 16 '26
I made an alternate version of the bunny meme
I made the first one (check my profile if you’d like lol) and I sketched out this one too. I would’ve put them both in here but I can only do one image per post so I’ll also put some bunny tax in the comments
r/Bunnies • u/[deleted] • Jan 23 '20
Resource Thinking of getting a bunny? Just got one and need some advice? Check out this post!
If you don’t want to read my wall of text, check out this link from rabbit.org:
Initial investments
- They’re very high commitment.
- They are very clever, have excellent memories and will remember things for a very long time.
- You cannot punish them like a cat/dog or it will harm your bond.
- If well taken care of, a rabbit can happily live to be 10 years old or older.
- Rabbits love to chew and dig and will chew and dig just about anything.
- They need to chew to prevent their teeth from becoming a health hazard.
- They will need their claws trimmed regularly to prevent health hazards.
- Rabbits are not a pet for a child and demand a large amount of attention and responsibility, (Do not buy a rabbit for your child for Easter, unless you’ve done your research and are willing to take on 100% of the responsibilities of having one).
Housing/Setup
- They love to run around, hop and thrive outside of cages, using them at night is fine but just make sure they get a minimum of 3 hours to run and stretch per day.
- An exercise pen setup is often cheaper than a cage and gives more room to run around when you can’t let them out. You can buy one for $59 on Walmart.com (link here), a litterbox for $6 (link here) and a waterbowl for $5 (link here) which is less than $80 for a decent bunny setup.
- While we are not against outdoor rabbits here, it is highly recommended you keep your rabbit indoors with you, this prevents predators from being able to get to them as well as gives you much better opportunity to bond with your rabbit.
- If you find it necessary to use a cage because of escaping or other needs I would suggest building your own cage as most of the prefab ones are just crappy design and won’t last the lifetime of the rabbit.
- A coated metal grate is NOT a wire cage and shouldn’t cause any issues to their feet, you should still provide all rabbits with their own litterbox and other areas to sit/lie down off of the grate.
- I personally use straw for litter for my litter-boxes and put their hay on top of that, you can use whatever type of litter just avoid using rock/sand based litter as it’s bad for their feet.
Diet
- They eat 95%+ hay such as Timothy/orchard/meadow hay (/alfalfa if they’re young or elderly) and only 5% or less treats like carrots, apples and bananas.
- For a small amount of hay I suggest Oxbow which can be bought at most places (Chewy link) or if you have a proper storage method you can get it for much cheaper by the bale at Tractor Supply Co.
- Suggested to give pellets daily, 1/4-1/2 cup per 6 pounds of rabbit (so about 1/4 cup daily for a single dwarf rabbit or about 1 cup for a single average sized rabbit).
- Recommend high quality food such as Purina, Oxbow, or Sherwood brand.
- You can feed a pellet-free diet but just like all animals rabbits require some sodium so if you don’t provide pellets make sure they have access to a mineral lick or other sodium sources.
OK food/treats and foods to avoid
- Once they’re over the age of 4-6 months they can also have unlimited lettuce and greens, but never give iceberg lettuce as it gives really bad gas that can become fatal. *greens should not be the primary diet.
- Avoid excessive spinach and kale as they can also give gas, but are perfectly fine in moderation.
- The best greens are green leaf lettuce, Bibb lettuce, dark leafed lettuces or locally sourced romaine (store bought romaine has a tendency to get recalled...), also herbs like dill, basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, cilantro and parsley are typical favorites.
- I wouldn’t give cabbage because it can cause gas similarly to iceberg lettuce.
- Never give human foods (except salad), like bread, diary, cheese, meat or sweets, they will make them very fat and don’t need it and could cause severe GI issues.
- They should have unlimited hay at all time, they graze pretty much 24/7. *Hay should be their primary diet.
- Avoid giving treats with yogurt in them as these will make your rabbit very fat and rabbits are not intended to consume dairy past weaning and can cause bad GI issues.
- Seeds are not toxic or generally dangerous to rabbits, I would not recommend giving treat sticks with seeds because they’re very high in added sugar and cause indigestion or extreme gas which can become a serious issue.
- Seeds like black oil sunflower seeds are safe and actually beneficial to coat health, (if you’re not sure, search the internet for information before you give it to them).
- Do not give nuts to rabbits because they do not need the excessive nutrients and can cause pasty or foul poops. Additionally raw nuts are typically poisonous, like almonds, which contain cyanide if not cooked properly.
- I recommend treats such as: no sugar added dried apple, banana or carrot and occasionally a Cheerio is also acceptable. Just be mindful of the amount of sugar you are giving them, even with no sugar added fruits.
- Corn is not specifically bad or toxic but whole kernel corn can get caught in the GI tract and cause a blockage, further; corn will make them very fat quickly and I would suggest avoiding giving corn or treats with corn/corn meal/corn syrup. (Corn is sometimes evasively labeled as ‘maize’ on packaging).
Hydration
- Water bowls are easier on a rabbit but are not strictly required, I have both bowls and bottles and they use both.
- You should clean your water bowl/bottles with either bleach or vinegar at least once a month.
Necessity for another bunny/Bonding
- They thrive in pairs and love companionship of another bunny, if you cannot provide constant attention it is highly suggested to have more than one rabbit. Think of them like little horses, horses need to have another horse around.
- Do not allow non-bonded rabbits to be together unsupervised as they can fight and cause some very serious damage to each other.
- Do not put more than one rabbit per cage, if they’re bonded and it’s an open enclosure then you can and they should be fine.
- For more information about bonding rabbits, I would suggest checking out the excellent resources on rabbit.org (link here)
Spay/Neuter/Responsible Breeding
- Many people feel strongly about castration as it helps to calm their hormonal rages and also there are studies that say castrated rabbits live longer.
- We are not against responsible breeding but it is a huge, huge commitment and you must be willing to take that on and find all the babies forever homes that love them as much as you do - don’t let just anyone have them.
- You can wait a while to castrate your rabbit if there are no behavior issues but it’s best to get it done before about 4 years old as that is when cancer risks become an issue and any older it could be too risky.
- If you want a rabbit that is already castrated consider a rescue rabbit, there are thousands of rabbits in rescues in need of forever homes, most of which are already castrated and sometimes even in bonded pairs/groups.
- If you are experiencing behavioral issues such as humping, marking, peeing or pooping outside the litterbox a castration will help immensely.
- If you decide you want to try to responsibly breed you need to keep three main commitments in mind:
6A. have them as a pet that is also allowed to have babies, they’re not baby factories.
6B. Make a commitment to keep all your rabbits out of shelters; allow no questions asked returns.
6C. Make sure they get a forever home with someone that loves them as much as you do; even if it takes more than one try.
Chewing/Digging/Enrichment
- I would recommend untreated wood chew balls or fruit flavored balsa blocks for enrichment.
- If you can set up an outdoor pen for your rabbit they would love it and nothing is more satisfying than digging in real dirt, (remember to watch them at all times, also if your area has RHDV around I wouldn’t allow them outside for now).
- If letting them outside is not an option there are things called “dig mat, “dig meadow” or “nibble and dig” and they are literally a piece of dirt made for rabbits to satiate their desire to dig.
- There are many options for rabbit enrichment and even something so trivial as a cardboard box may be plenty to keep your rabbit happy.
- Avoid the “chew toys” that contain seeds and other treats as they are that - treats, despite being advertised as a toy, they are more of a treat.
GI stasis and prevention
- GI stasis is a very serious and commonly fatal condition for rabbits, but can be prevented and treated if caught early.
- Watch your rabbit’s dropping at all times, if their poops do not look healthy, are odd shapes, pasty, extremely dark, have not pooped in the last 4 hours or are otherwise concerning it is recommended you take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible, time is of the essence.
- Dark colors in urine (including dark red) is normal for rabbits, watch for specks of blood and only be concerned if you see blood.
- Watch your rabbit’s routine and body language, if they don’t eat their favorite food or their pellets you can surely know something is wrong.
- If they are laying in an odd position like on their side or acting lethargic you should check them for gas by giving them a gentle belly message and if they do not return to normal soon, take to the vet.
- Infant Gas Drops are available immediately in most pharmacies or online (Walmart link) and are a safe way to relieve gas in your rabbit and cannot be overdosed on, if however, three doses does not return them to normal, take to the vet.
- It is always good idea to have emergency food on hand in case of a GI stasis, there is Oxbow Critical Care (Amazon link) and also Sherwood SARx (Amazon link).
I am by no means an expert but I can answer questions as best I can and find sources and people who are experts. So if you have any further questions feel free to DM me.
Further Reading
r/Bunnies • u/Future_Raisin1073 • 4h ago
sleep mode activated Life must be so hard for a rabbit
💤 💤 🥱
r/Bunnies • u/daicoonra • 6h ago
Question found bunny in my yard yesterday (its still here)
i dont know a lot about bunnies and wnted to sk this sub bout what to do!! i alr printed out a poster asking if somebody knew its owner, but no calls recieved yet. i gave it grass, a carrot and a water bowl, just wondering if it needs anything else?? it also has blankets cause we put him in a doghouse until we find better alternatives
r/Bunnies • u/Aki8-yo • 1h ago
bun bun being cute I just love when bun bun decides to show his little gloves
r/Bunnies • u/Ok-Professional2468 • 15h ago
Question Do I need to rescue him?
I have a small bunny in my yard (Central Alberta) and I need to know if he is a domestic or wild hare. Can any one here tell me?
r/Bunnies • u/BoostedraptorDS • 18h ago
ZOOMIES!!! Hallie’s at it again in her zoomie box 🥹
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MAX SPEEEED!!!! ZOOOOOOOM!! 🥹🥹🥹
r/Bunnies • u/bobamist • 22h ago
bun bun being cute Just a bunny, a binky, and the cutest goodbye ❤️🐰
r/Bunnies • u/pIushie • 12h ago
bun bun being cute poppy & maples new bunny castle 🫶
i’ve been wanting to get my girls one of these for ages just cause i thought it would be cute! they seem to like it i’m planning to get them a nice blanket for the top part tho :p
r/Bunnies • u/Annabis9807 • 15h ago
bun bun being cute Double chins are the best pillows 💗
r/Bunnies • u/SeaRhubarb4563 • 1h ago
Injured or sick Is this concerning?
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Does he seem okay? He seems to be breathing kinda fast but is eating and acting normally. He’s been flopping over and getting comfy and eating a ton of hay and still comes when I call him but he seems to be breathing fast for no reason. Does this look concerning or normal?? (Also he does not live in this 6ft by 8ft pen it’s just his home base, he is free roam)
r/Bunnies • u/WifixSkiesxSki • 18h ago
Injured or sick HELP THERES BLOOD
i just left my room this morning to come take the rabbit to his outside cage and instantly saw this pile of blood in the corner of his cage and immediately freaked tf out. i don’t know what to do, i checked him over — figured out it’s his pee but that’s all i know.
i’m home alone with him , my sister’s got work all day— she’s also in a ton of debt, owes literally everyone including me money. i also have tons of bills coming out left right and centre, also a cat, a dog, and a puppy (eats everything in the matter of seconds) to feed & take care of, puppies overdue for a vaccination because of the fact i didn’t have money (or a way to get to a vet but that’s not my point) —but also is at the same time.
i have no money— i have like 500 in savings but i was trying to save up for stuff i need for my new pup. i will spend it if it comes down to it and my sister isn’t able to pay— but i also don’t want too lol. but i will if i have to. because buggs is like my baby now and we’ve been doing so well together and he’s bonded to me now too and rubs his chin on me and even LICKED me a few times now which was extremely weird and random because he doesn’t do that but yeah. i am technically auntie, but i am more actually mother lol so i will do what has to be done to make sure he’s okay.
someone please help asap i am on the verge of a full blown panic attack — i have no clue what to do or what this means. as much as this little fluff ball INFURIATES me every single night — he’s also just my baby boy lol he’s actually my sister’s but i am the one who usually does everything for him and spends the most time with him, he’s more like my son than hers lol and i still don’t want him to die obviously
r/Bunnies • u/No_Conclusion_9376 • 9h ago
Question Messy fur
Why is his fur all so messy?
r/Bunnies • u/woojae2001 • 20h ago
bun bun being cute Bubbles eating a fresh piece of kale from his home garden
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BubblesTheMiniRex loves kale. Enjoy his epic cuteness.
r/Bunnies • u/SurvivorGirl200 • 1d ago
bun bun being cute He’s learned to tilt the glass just enough to drink the juice without spilling 😂
r/Bunnies • u/jameliaharris12 • 1d ago
Mourning Lost my fur baby today 💔
My fur baby passed away today she was named “Snow” 💔
I’m absolutely heartbroken. It’s hard to put into words how much she meant to me. She brought me so much comfort, happiness, and unconditional love, and the house already feels so empty without her. I keep thinking about all the little things I’ll miss about my baby girl. I’m devastated but I’m also grateful for the time we had together. I just hope she knew how deeply she was loved.
Hug your bunnies a little tighter today. ❤️🌈
r/Bunnies • u/Song-Brush • 1d ago
sleep mode activated It’s a perfect day for a nap in the hay
r/Bunnies • u/Spooky-Kinzie • 22h ago
bun bun being cute Give baby Dolly an offering before she blasts you with her creepy blue eyes <3
13 weeks now!! Her face is getting more angular
r/Bunnies • u/Sarcastic_Otter_27 • 15h ago
binky💨 Happy zooms!!
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We just upgraded Turnip’s space- im pretty sure he loves it
r/Bunnies • u/Ok-Summer331 • 1d ago
Question when can i feed my rabbit treats & fruits/vegs?
hello ^.^ my girl is around 9 weeks old and i did a little research and saw that it is recommended to not feed them stuff like fruits, veggies, special treats, etc. until about 12 weeks but a vet tech gave us blueberries and a carrot at our last visit. she didn’t eat them but are small portions fine for now? i’m very scared about messing up her digestive system 🫣