Your bunny's setup:

A good rule of thumb is for your cage to be at least 4 times the size of your bunny in any direction. I highly recommend using an xxxl dog kennel or a dog excercise pen to allow for adequate space. 

You'll need food and water bowls. Please do not use a water bottle. This will not allow your bunny to consume enough water and the suction from a bottle can/will break your bunny's jaw.  

You will need a litterbox for your bunny. A good spot to place the box is in a corner of your setup. You will need to provide 24/7 access to hay in the litterbox.

You will also need some safe chew toys for your bunny and a few hidey houses. Cardboard boxes are great for hidey houses.

What should I buy to prepare for my bunny?

1. You need a cage/setup. (unless you choose to completely free roam. In this case, you will need to bunny proof your house. I highly recommend Lennon The Bunny on Youtube for this!)

2. You will need alfalfa based pellets (or timothy based if your bunny is over 6 months old). You'll also need alfalfa hay (or timothy/another kind of grass hay, if they are over 6 months old).

3. Food and water bowls. 

4. Litter box (I recommend a cat litter box). You will need to get paper or wood based litter.

5. A grooming brush and nail clippers.

6. Lastly, you will need some chew toys.

Bringing my bunny home/bonding with them:

Once you have your bunny set up in his/her area, I suggest messing with them very little on the first day. Bunnies are high stress animals, so it is very important you allow them to settle in.

After the first day, try to pet and hold your bunny so they will get used to you.

Lay on the floor and get on the bunny's level. They will see you as safe and be more inlined to come check you out.

I have found that bribery of dried fruit or leafy green lettuce works best to slowly gain your bunny's trust. Oxbow brand bunny treats also work. DO NOT feed iceberg lettuce. (It is bad for them.)

Remember bunnies are natural prey animals so it can take patience to gain their trust. But, with persistence, you will develop a bond with your bunny.

What should I feed my bunny?

6 months or younger:

Alfalfa based pellets. Make sure you don't get the "colorful" pellets at pet stores. (This does not provide any nutritional value to your bunny. You want just plain pellets.) Allow your bunny to have unlimited access to these pellets.

Alfalfa hay. Your bunny will need 24/7 access to hay as this will make up 80% of their diet.

You can also occasionally introduce them to vegetables and fruit around 3-4 months of age.

6 months or older:

Timothy based pellets. Make sure you don't get the "colorful" pellets at pet stores. (This does not provide any nutritional value to your bunny. You want just plain pellets.) You will need to feed 1/4 a cup of pellets everyday per 5lbs of body weight.

Timothy or other grass hay. I recommend buying the compressed bales in the horse aisle at TSC (Tractor Supply Company) , or buying from a local farmer. (This will save you money and last far longer than the hay you can buy from the bunny aisle.)

You will need to provide your bunny with 1 cup of vegetables per 5lbs of body weight 4-7 times a week, and no more than 2 tablespoons of fruit 1-2 times a week.

What do I do if my bunny isn't using or suddenly stops using the litter box?

During the first few days (up to 2 weeks after bringing your bunny home), it is possible they will not use their litter box right away. Bunnies are natural scent markers, this is natural for them and it is what they want to do.

If this occurs, simply make sure you have their food and water bowls near the litter box and their hay in the litter box (bunnies often do their "business" while eating. ) 

If this does not work, sweep up any "poop" messes and put them in the litterbox, and wipe up any "pee" messes with a paper towel and place it in their litter box. Don't forget to clean up where the pee was with a bunny safe deoderizer (I reccomend white vinegar). Eventually, your bunny will get the idea again and use their litter box. Sometimes, you may have to condense down how much space your bunny has access to during this time.

If your bunny suddenly stops using the litter box, follow the same directions stated above. If this does not work, it is possible your bunny's "hormones" have kicked in and they will need to be spayed/neutered soon.

Why should my bunny never have access to corn in any forms?

Corn is very dangerous and potentially even fatial to some bunnies.

It can lead to blockages in their digestive sytem causin "GI stasis". (Please do your own research on GI stasis.) GI stasis is very harmful to bunnies and often times leads to death.

When picking out a pellet/food to feed your bunny, make sure to read the ingredients as it usually has corn of some form in it.

Never under any circumstances is it okay to feed your bunny whole corn, corn on the cob, the cob from corn, or even the husk or corn stalk. 

How do I groom my bunny?

Bunnies are naturally clean animals and groom themselves just like a cat would.

However, it is still important that you regularly brush your bunny's fur as they go through shedding cycles a few times a year. Since bunnies can not "vomit", if they ingest this fur it can be incredibly harmful to them.

Regular nail clipping is also important. The nails grow super fast and can snag on different items or even curl into your bunnies paw. I recommend clipping their nails every 6-8 weeks.

Random bunny facts:

Bunnies will be more active around Dawn and Dusk, this is because they're Crepuscular.

Bunnies have 28 teeth that never stop growing, this is why they need 24/7 access to fresh hay and need plenty of good wood chew toys.

A domesticated bunny can live as long as 10-12 years.

Bunnies cannot sweat. They release heat over their body surface, especially the ears.

Bunnies can't vomit, this is why its important to keep them brushed so they dont get hairballs, and to avoid feeding them any food they shouldn't have.