So we are getting rabbits. This is a statement that I have heard multiple times, standing right on the Buchheit sales floor. It happens after a child has made eye contact with one of these cute little critters, and then hit mom and dad with those big puppy dog eyes.
Now growing up my grandpa always had them so I never had to ask for one at the store. When I was old enough to raise them myself he gave me my starter pair and three cages. If you’re anything like me at the age of 10, I asked, “Grandpa what’s this other cage for?” Grandpa, looking down at me smiling, said “you’re going to need some where to ween them babies”. After I grew up and moved out on my own, I decided to keep this heritage going and teach my kiddos how to raise rabbits. And I’m going to help you too.
I had rabbits in a box in my utility room for about a month while I built cages. Having to find them after they jumped out and were loose in the house, making a wonderful trail of rabbit poop everywhere they went, I learned a valuable lesson. Before you purchase a rabbit or multiple rabbits, get your cages. If your kids are like mine and that’s the only rabbit in the whole world they want, see if the store will hold it for a while so you can get set up before you bring it home. I don’t know about other stores, but we at Buchheit have no problem holding them for a few days, which is extremely helpful, believe me.
You might find yourself asking “what kind of cage do I need?”. Well, there are four main questions that Buchheit Team Members are going to ask:
- What are you going to be doing?
- How many rabbits are you getting? Just one for a family companion or a pair to start raising your own?
- Will they be inside the house or shed, or outside?
- What breed of rabbit are you taking home?
Dwarf rabbits which are very small at maturity. They can be as small as 1.5-3 pounds. Standard rabbits that can range from 8-12 lbs. as adults. Both need a minimum of a 2 ft x 2 ft pen. Then, there are the heavy weights. The giant breeds can reach weights of 14-22 lbs. plus, and be 2.5-3 ft long. They require a little larger living space.
If you’re going to be keeping rabbits inside your house or a building, for the sake of your walls and floors, no matter what cage you get – purchase splash guards. Why? Because when rabbits tinkle it doesn’t go straight down like you would assume, it shoots straight out behind them.
You can go two routes with cages, build your own or purchase a premade. If you’re only getting one rabbit and you’re keeping it outside, a wood framed prebuilt hutch with a roof and nest box is perfect. They’re decorative, easy to move, and very low maintenance. I prefer to just buy a premade 2 ft x 2 ft wire cage kit. It costs about the same and isn’t as time consuming as building you own. It comes with a frame that makes it stackable, a dropping pan, a feeder, water bottle, and the tools to put it together. All you will need to purchase separately is the splash guards.
Hope you’re as lucky as I am and have children who love raising rabbits. I hope this helps you out, and if you need any more information please come see me or any of my teammates at your local Buchheit’s.
