Bunny Shopping List

To help you get ready for the arrival of your new bunny friend, here is a shopping list of all necessary goods that your bunny will need in his/her new home. Please take a moment to read through the list to make sure that you are bunny ready.

Creating the Perfect Housing for your New Bunny!

X-pen

We strongly recommend using exercise pens even if you plan to give your bun full range of your home. It is a must for every bunny to have their own safe place in your home, especially when they are left home alone unsupervised. It is also a great place to house their litter box, water, food and hidey box. To keep your bunny from jumping over the edge of the pen, we recommend that the pen should be at least 32 inches to 36 inches tall. These can be purchased on-line or at your local pet supply store.

Flooring

Bunny safe flooring is a must for every rabbit. All floor coverings should be washable and prevent your bunny from slipping as he/she hops around. We found pre-cut linoleum, which can be purchased at home and garden centers with a sheet on top works well. You can even add indoor outdoor carpet under the sheet for extra comfort, providing your bunny does not chew on it.

Litter Box

A Litter Box lined with Newspaper and/or Carefresh and then topped with fresh Hay
Depending on the size of your rabbit, we recommend a medium-sized cat litter box that will provide enough room for your bunny to eat on one side of the box and poop and pee on the other. If you have a bonded pair, we suggest that you get a concrete mixing box that can be found at home and garden centers. Remember, the bigger the box, the better. Besides eating and pooping in the box you may find your bunny relaxing in the comfy hay.

Please use only Rabbit-Safe Litter
The best kind of litter is made from recycled newspapers or paper products. You can use your recycled newspaper to line the bottom of the box and then top with fresh hay. You can also layer newspaper on the bottom followed with pulped paper, such as CareFresh Litter and then top with a generous layer of hay.

If you are planning to have a free range bunny you should plan to have at least two litter boxes; one for inside of your rabbit’s “home base,” and at least one for outside of it. Plan to clean them everyday or every other day. Remember that rabbits are very clean animals and if their litter box is extremely dirty, they may start to pee outside their box. To keep their box clean and not smelling like urine, simply rinse with white vinegar as needed. You will also need a broom and a dust pan for hay clean up and/or accidents.

Food and Water Bowls

Heavy crocks for food and water are a must. Rabbits are known to play with their bowls by picking up and flipping them. To avoid this, you will need to buy two heavy crocks, a small one for pellets and a large one for water. A bunny sucks up their water while drinking. With that being said, we find that rabbits will drink more water out of a crock rather than a water bottle. A rabbit weighing five pounds will drink as much water as a dog weighing 25 pounds! Bunnies should be given fresh clean water daily in a clean crock. One way to look at it is if you would not drink the water from that crock, then neither should your rabbit.

Toys!

Toys will keep your bunny happy.
Bored bunnies may get into mischief! It is important to keep your bunny entertained.
Some of the best toys you can make yourself like:
Take a cardboard from a paper-towel roll, cut out glue lines and stuff it with some Timothy Hay. Make sure to cut the glue strips out to make it glue free.
Take a phone book and tear the covers off. It will provide hours of fun for the bunny who loves to tear paper and dig.
Grass mats make an excellent choice. They also help to wear down those forever growing teeth.
Make sure that, if the toys are made of plastic, they are made of a very hard plastic. Bunnies can chew through and ingest the softer plastics. Baby toys made of hard plastic, such as baby keys or balls are fun for the bunnies to toss around.

Hidey Boxes

Every bunny needs a hidey box.
Rabbits enjoy having their own space where they can feel safe and secure. You do not need to invest a lot of money on a fancy box when a cardboard box from Costco will work out just as well....and the best part is, you can change them out as often as needed at no extra cost.

Pet Carrier

You will want a hard-sided, top and front opening (non-collapsible) carrier to bring your rabbit to the veterinarian and any other place you may travel. What size you ask? Your rabbit should be able to turn around while inside. If they can't, your carrier is too small. Keep it someplace easily accessible in case of emergency. And don’t forget to put a nice soft towel or small blanket in it for comfort! The padding will also keep your bunny from slipping from side to side while you are driving. It will also help absorb the urine in case your bunny pees.

Bunny Safe Bedding and Blankets

Ask your family and friends for their old towels and sheets. You can also buy some from a thrift store, garage sale, dollar store and even Target or Walmart. Look for fleece blankets as well...bunnies love to snuggle in them as well as keeping a sick bunny warm. Be sure to wash the towels and blankets before you use them for your rabbit! You will need small towels for the bottom of the pet carrier so that your bunny does not slide around while you are driving. You will also use towels in your bunny's new living environment. We place ours under the potty box, under their hidey box in the cooler seasons and under the ice packs during the warmer weather to soak up the water as the ice melts.

Food

Veggies, Pellets and Hay- To keep your bunny healthy you will want to buy good quality rabbit pellets, made of either alfalfa (for younger to older rabbits) or timothy, with no added treats or snacks. We love the Oxbow brand.

Hay- Your rabbit must have an unlimited supply of Timothy, Orchard, Meadow or 3-way, or other fresh hays! Vets always recommend Timothy but we love to put a mixture of each. Hay must make up a major part of your rabbit’s diet, and must be fresh and high quality. Click here to find out why hay is a must for your bunny's diet!

Fresh Veggies- Your bunny should get a fresh veggie salad every day. Click here to see what veggies are bunny safe.

Grooming Supplies

Comb or Brush: Small rabbit safe brush or a fine toothed comb. Rabbits need regular grooming, especially when he or she is shedding, to keep them from ingesting too much fur and getting a blockage.

Nail care: You will need a nail clipper and styptic powder.

Fleas: You will need to go to a rabbit savvy Vet if your rabbit has a flea problem. Our vet recommends revolution (kitten strength) for fleas. Frontline is deadly to rabbits.

Ice Packs for Summertime

Ice packs and frozen water bottles are a must for use during the hot weather.