# Harnesses??? QUESTION!!?



## bunnyÃ¢â¢Â¥ (Aug 20, 2010)

I am not sure what topic this goes under...but I have heard of people using harnesses on their bunnies. Does anyone here use one?? Can you please send me a link of what harness you use?? If I get a bunny, I plan on buying a harness aswell. I can't shop online, so please only give me info on harnesses from large petstores such as petcetera, petsmart etc. Also let me know, what harness to use for a small bunny such as a dwarf bunny, and what to use on a large bunny. 



Only give me info if you have actually used one.

Thanks


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## butsy (Aug 20, 2010)

butsy has a haresse, she doesnt minde at all !! i have heard of rabbits who hate wearing one tho,so be careful! also make sure it is tight enough so they dont get out of it outside !! heres a pic of butsy wearing hers


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## Yield (Aug 20, 2010)

Most rabbits don't like the ones that are "specially made" for rabbits. 

In my opinion, they're very hard to get on, and probably not too comfortable. 

They're like a jacket and it makes the rabbit feel like they're being held down. 

(All my rabbits hate that kind, yet like Butsy, some reabbits clearly don't mind XD)

Buuut! Most people agree that the "H" harnesses meant for cats are the best (And I'd have to agree!).





Easy to get on, and usually one size fits all. I bought a black one, and it fits both my 4 lb dutch and my 11 lb flemish giant. 

I heard the following are NO-NO's:





(connected on top and bottom)




(combined all at the top)

Good luck!


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Aug 20, 2010)

I prefer an H style harness. It have a strap that goes around the neck and one the goes around the chest with a piece connecting them along the back. When laid out it looks like an H. 
Hagen makes a good one that you can get at Zellers or Walmart as well as some pet stores. A kitten or small size will fit most rabbits, but a medium may be needed for larger ones. For really big rabbits, a dog harness should fit. The ones that is like the H harness but with a strap on the bottom will work. As far as I can tell, Petsmart does not have the H harnesses for cats, but does have the rabbit and ferret ones. I don't know about Petcetera, but I don't think they would either. Petland does, but they are expensive (about $20 for a small harness and leash set). The ones are Zellers and Walmart are about $6-8, but don't have a leash. 
For a leash, try to get a 6-8ft one. The ones that come with the harnesses are usually 4ft, so you could use 2 to give enough space for the rabbit to roam a bit. Some people use the stretchy leash. A thin piece of rope with a light clip will also work and should be cheap. 

I am a member of the Canadian Rabbit Hopping Club and we only use H harnesses. They are safer than other types are easily avaliable. There is talk of starting a club in Edmonton (we are in Calgary), so you might want to join when they get it going.


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## bunnyÃ¢â¢Â¥ (Aug 20, 2010)

*Yield wrote: *


> Most rabbits don't like the ones that are "specially made" for rabbits.
> 
> In my opinion, they're very hard to get on, and probably not too comfortable.
> 
> ...


So from what everyone is saying I think I should get an H harness. Is that what it is called? And what size shouldI get? Does it matter what size you get? Someone said you can get them at walmar/zellers...where else can you get them? And does the leash come with them? I want to makesure I purchase the right thing.


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Aug 20, 2010)

*bunnyâ¥ wrote: *


> So from what everyone is saying I think I should get an H harness. Is that what it is called? And what size shouldI get? Does it matter what size you get? Someone said you can get them at walmar/zellers...where else can you get them? And does the leash come with them? I want to make sure I purchase the right thing.


The size depends on the rabbit. A small/kitten size will fir most rabbits up to about 6 pounds. The medium would be for rabbits that don't fir the kitten one well. A large would really only be good for rabbits 10 pounds and up, but it can depend on the rabbit. A small or medimum would be best, but you need to get the one that fits the rabbit. It is no use getting a medium one when you end up getting a Netherland dwarf rabbit. 
The size does mater. A dwarf will only fir in a small harness as the larger ones are too big and it could slip out. My lionhead has a kitten size where the neck strap is at the smallest length. My Giant Angora would barely fit in a kitten harness, so she has a bigger one. While you might be able to make a harness a bit smaller, you can't make it bigger. 

Most pet store will have H harnesses, but you should look in the cat section. The car ones are usually cheaper than the rabbit ones and tend to have a better selection. Higher end pet stores have different brands, so you should take the actual size into account if you go to these stores. 

For leashes, some harnesses do come with one while others are just the harness. I believe Walmart has small 4ft leashes that you can buy separate form the harness. Any pet store will have a light 4-6ft leash. You can also look at a dollar store for a lightweight leash too. The prices can range from $1 to $10 depending on the store. I have gotten some for $1.50 at a dollar store that are the same as the pet store ones that cost $6-7. 

Wait until you have the rabbit before you get the harness. You might think you want a dwarf, but could end up getting a Flemish Giant. You can even try taking the rabbit to a pet store to try on a harness for the fit.


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## bunnyÃ¢â¢Â¥ (Aug 20, 2010)

*Korr_and_Sophie wrote: *


> *bunnyâ¥ wrote: *
> 
> 
> > So from what everyone is saying I think I should get an H harness. Is that what it is called? And what size shouldI get? Does it matter what size you get? Someone said you can get them at walmar/zellers...where else can you get them? And does the leash come with them? I want to make sure I purchase the right thing.
> ...



Wow thank-you for all of the advice. 

What are the nessacry things to get before you buy the bunny. Besides the cage?


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## butsy (Aug 21, 2010)

chew toys, lots of hay, pellets, veggies, a bunny bed and lots of love


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## Yield (Aug 21, 2010)

bunnyâ¥ wrote:


> *Korr_and_Sophie wrote: *
> 
> 
> > *bunnyâ¥ wrote: *
> ...



You're going to need either a heavy bowl for water or a water bottle that hangs down. 

You'll probably need some toys or cardboard boxes/paper towel rolls and such to let the bun chew on. 

A litter box if you want to litter box train the bun. Um, litter if you get a litter box. A lot of people use Equine Fresh or Yesterday's news.

Pellets (the more plain looking, the better. i get ZuPreem Nature's Promise)... Timothy hay, it's a MUST. Rabbits need hay at ALL times. 

Some people don't give their rabbits veggies, but I recommend some. I give my rabbits romaine lettuce, bok choy, curly parsley, normal parsley, all colors of bell peppers, endive, escarole, sometimes spinach, sometimes broccoli (can give them gas. I give them very little with only the stem/leaves)... sometimes I'll give them some pieces of carrot, apple, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, peaches... but not all the time,they're very high in sugar.

I recommend getting an exercise pen, or building one with NIC cubes (those storage cubes.. you can get them at Target for pretty cheap, but you have to be careful because some of the NIC cubes' holes are big enough for my buns to fit though) if your bun isn't going to have full run of the house, or if you need a space where she/he can have lots of room to move around even if you aren't watching, etc. 

I've probably forgotten stuff, buuuttt someone else will come along


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Aug 21, 2010)

The basic supplies for a rabbit are a large cage, food and water dishes (or a water bottle), litter box and rabbit safe litter (paper or wood pellets), fleece blanket or other bedding, hay, pellets, toys, cleaning supplies, nail clippers (cat ones will work), a brush, carrier to bring it home and to the vet. An x-pen is a good idea unless you can completely bunny proof a room. 

I believe G&E Pharmacy in Edmonton has some good rabbit products and decent prices from what I have heard. It would be a good place to check out to see what they have. The UFA is good for litter, get the horse stall bedding or wood stove pellets as they are the same and cost about $6.50 for a 40 pound bag. Walmart and Zellers can be good for some toys, litter boxes and a few other things. 

For pellets, try to get what the rabbit is used to. Most breeders will give a small amount of transition food. You can ask what brand they feed and where they get it. Shelters tend to use what ever they get, so see if you can determine what is used at that time. You can switch to a brand you want to use, but do it slowly. I would wait to buy the food until you have a rabbit lined up, but hopefully buy it before you actually get the rabbit. 

Buying hay by the bale is cheaper, but can be difficult to store of you don't have a lot of space. A bale can cost $4-10 and weights about 50-65 pounds. A bag from a pet store can be about 5 pounds can cost $10 or more.


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## Dulmit (Aug 23, 2010)

I use one of these. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751407

They make a smaller one for very small dogs and it fits my 5lb bunny. I like them because my guys hate me trying to put things around the neck or over their head.


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## Suz (Aug 23, 2010)

I just bought one for Muppet this past weekend. It's an H style harness made for cats "one size fits all". I got it at Fleet Farm, which is a cross betweent The Home Depot and a Farm Supply store. But I'm sure you can get them anywhere.

Muppet is just a baby Flemish Giant, and I figured she would freak out when I put it on her, but she didn't care about it at all. I snapped it on her and got a nice long 6' leash with it and she hopped all around the house exploring everything outside yesterday.

I seem to have a very easy going rabbit though. The rabbit I had in high school flipped out any time I tried to put it on him. He would frantically try to get away and get it off him. 

Good luck! Doesn't hurt to try.


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## HerbyBear (Aug 23, 2010)

I recently bought a harness like Butsy's but my Herby really hates it. Especially due to the fact that it is way too big on him (he's very wittle and it was the only size). He'll just sit there and not move when it's on. Then he tries to bite it off. So for my bun, he did not like that type (probably cause it was so big). I'm gonna try and sell it and buy a generic H -style kitten harness. May I ask why it should only have a connecting piece along the back and none along the chest/stomache? Thanks


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## elsievcooper (Mar 15, 2020)

HerbyBear said:


> I recently bought a harness like Butsy's but my Herby really hates it. Especially due to the fact that it is way too big on him (he's very wittle and it was the only size). He'll just sit there and not move when it's on. Then he tries to bite it off. So for my bun, he did not like that type (probably cause it was so big). I'm gonna try and sell it and buy a generic H -style kitten harness. May I ask why it should only have a connecting piece along the back and none along the chest/stomache? Thanks  to be fair I would get a cat harness because that do have the bit across the chest if that’s what your worried about


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## bunnylove2024 (Mar 19, 2020)

all my rabbits are liking there harnesses, I have a dog kind(5 different colors) and one cat one. the car one fits my polish and the rest adjust form dutch to 7 1/2-month-old lop. Both types are from Walmart!





they dont sell the second one anymore.


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## Blue eyes (Mar 19, 2020)

This is a 10-year old thread with some invalid info (lack of photos). @Korr_and_Sophie did agility jumping with their rabbits and so her knowledge on harnesses is very good. 

Here are a couple other good threads on harnessing:
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f14/harnesses-76866/ 


http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f14/questions-about-collars-harnesses-78859/


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## bunnylove2024 (Mar 19, 2020)

i do agility with one of my rabbits and she is the one I use the cat harness on, they are fast though(as you probably know) so she isn't normally on a leash but the harness is on when we do training. 


Blue eyes said:


> This is a 10-year old thread with some invalid info (lack of photos). @Korr_and_Sophie did agility jumping with their rabbits and so her knowledge on harnesses is very good.
> 
> Here are a couple other good threads on harnessing:
> http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f14/harnesses-76866/
> ...


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