Hello!
I'm new to the community, so I apologize if there is any redundancy in my post. I'm not a bunny owner yet, but the boyfriend and I are planning to get one. We are very fond of Flemish Giants, so we are catering our preparations to that breed, a buck for sure. We want to have plenty of time to organize and prepare for both the expected and unexpected, and naturally we have a gazillion questions!!! Any help would be super appreciated.
We want to purchase our bunny from a breeder. Would it be best to call a couple months in advance? Will they think we are crazy?
Litter box training: how long does this process usually take? It seems that there are a few methods, one including a water mister seems like it could be rather cruel for the bunny. I have read that the younger ones have a lot of difficulty in ironing this down until alteration.
Alteration: there seems to be some conflicting information online about when it's best to fix, or in our case neuter, the bunny. Is there a safe timeline? I've also heard some horror stories about bad experiences, too. In addition, it seems like the bunny will still feel the need to not always obey the rules of the box and just feel free to conduct his business anywhere it feels. Any clarification would be great.
Since we'll have quite a big bunny on our hands, we dislike the idea of caging. We want the bunny to have a very open lifestyle, where it can freely roam the house. Our latest idea is to transform a portion of our unfinished basement into a fenced off "bunny playpen." (This will take a lot of work, another reason why we are waiting several months.) This idea would likely place the litter box in the basement, but we have several concerns about this. Would Thumper be safe hopping up and down the stairs to get to the litter box? Is it even likely he will want to make the trip down there when he has to go? Will it literally confuse the crap out of him to have two liter boxes? Also, another huge concern; while we will have plenty of time to dedicate to the bunny, we both hold full time jobs. (We will have lots of cardboard toys and such to keep him entertained.) Is it safe to leave him down there until we get home? Will he hate us? If all goes as planned, the playpen should be a pretty cool place for him, and we will want to switch it up to keep him curious. The basement is very cool in the summer time, but occasionally gets a little nippy in the winter. From what I've researched, Flemish Giants don't mind the cold. Is there a temperature range that we should be mindful of in the winter?
I'm really interested to hear your feedback! Thank you! Out of all the online forums, this one seems the most valuable and friendly!