housing for my young dutch

Question
hi. i have never owned a rabbit before, but was given a young dutch as a gift. is it safe for me to house my dutch in a wire cage? im afraid his little feet will get hurt...  also, because i live in an area with extreme high and low temperatures and i know i will not be able to keep him outside, what advice do you have to keep my dutch clean and smelling good while he lives inside? lastly, i heard that i should not feed him alfalfa.. why is that? can i feed him any kind of hay? thank you soo much. i very much appreciate this..
-tara

Answer
I apologize for the delay in responding to you.

You could house him in a wire cage, yes.  To protect his feet, though, you could put in a towel, a carpet square or a piece of plywood so that he can get off the wire when he wants.

If he has a litterbox with a rabbit-safe litter, and you clean the box and the cage at least once a week if not twice, then you shouldn't have issues with smell.  This FAQ has suggestions for safe litters: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html

You can feed him any kind of hay, if he is less than a year old alfalfa.  You can find diet recommendations at http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html

I hope that you and your bunny are very happy together!

Kim