Bringing bunny home

[bunnyluv96]

I am bringing my new bunny home in less than a week, and was wondering if there is anything I should do when I first bring him home to help him settle in and feel comfortable. Any tips for helping a bunny get accustomed to his new home and getting him to be used to me? Anything I should do for health reasons? I read that I should bring home some food he's beren eating from the breeder and feed that a couple days? Thanks!

 

[elrohwen]

The best thing to do is let your bunny settle in without interacting with him too much for the first day or two. He'll probably be pretty nervous, so take it slow and let him be if he seems scared. After a day or two, you can let him out to run around a bit. Lay on the floor while he explores and let him climb on you and check you out. You can also hold a treat (probably just one of his pellets) and see if he'll take it from your hand.

This library article has some more great information for how to bond with your bunny: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=33995&forum_id=17

 

[kirbyultra]

Flashy's "bonding with your bunny" article that elrohwen linked is fabulous. There is also a popularly cited article which you can find online called "Winning over a shy rabbit" which contains some good information if you have difficulty getting your bunny to interact with you.

In response to your question, definitely try to bring some of his existing food with you so that you (A) know what he's been eating and can continue to feed it if the food is healthy for the bun and (B) have some of it to gradually wean him off if you feel like you want to change his diet for any reason. It can be stressful for a bunny to suddenly change 100% of everything he eats and cause an upset, or it's possible he might refuse to eat something you offer him if he is unfamiliar with it.

I'm not sure if the breeder went over bunny housing basics, but some things we always tell first-time adopters at our rescue are flooring, hidey box, and litterbox/hay box. There should be proper flooring in their living space. If you have a slippery floor (linoleum or hardwood flooring), you might consider getting a a cheap all-cotton rug from a store to lay in there so the bunny has something he can comfortably gain traction on. Bunnies don't usually like to walk on hardwood floor because they simply slip around on their furry paws. Long-term slippy slidey movements can cause splayed legs If you plan to give the bunny run of the house, but he seems hesitant to go anywhere, check out whether it's because of lack of floor traction

If you can find any old cardboard box that is big enough for your bunny to sit in, use it! Cut 2 holes in it big enough for bunny to hop in and out and it will be a very comforting spot for him to sit and sleep in. Bunnies in the wild burrow in the ground to sleep/hang outand feel safe from predators. House rabbits need a dark place to do the same. When my buns are in their "hiding place", I don't bother them because that's when I know they don't want to be bothered. Some people make the mistake of giving bunny a "hiding place" and then they go and lift the box up, poke and prod at the bunny, and the bunny freaks out and gets scared of their human because of it.

Get a big (as big as you can find) cat litter box, throw a half-inch thick pile of newspapers in there and then toss your bunny's hay in there. He'll eat there and learn to his business there too! Some bunnies will even use their litter box as their happy place and take a nap there. It's quite a sight to see!

 

[bunnyluv96]

O.k. thanks! It will be tough to leave him alone. I've waited eight long weeks to get him and am very excited to finally bring him home! But if it's best for him I will do that. I have a solid plastic bottom cage, and got some bedding I put in the bottom. It's fluffy, I think it might be recycled newspaper. I got it from a pet store. It seems soft and I put a good layer in there. I got him a litter box with some litter in it, the bunny-safe kind, and a little burrow made of woven hay for him. I think I have everything he needs, I got him some toys and a little woven hay bed with an old cotton towel in it. I tried to make it as nice as possible for him. I will also read the article for tips too. I went and saw him at the breeder's a couple of weeks ago, and he seemed very playful and curious, not timid at all. But I'd still hate to be over anxious and scare him. And I didnt' even think about messing with his hidey hole, but that makes sense. Not really a hidey hole if people invade it ! Thanks for all the help!

 

[elrohwen]

Actually, I would remove all of the bedding from his cage. You may be able to put down a towel or a fleece blanket, as long as he doesn't eat it or pee on it. I buy fleece by the yard and cut it up into blankets to line the bottom of my bun's cage. Then I just throw it in the wash every week or so and put in a clean one.

The problem with bedding is that the bunny doesn't understand the difference between bedding in the cage and bedding in the litter box. It's like having 10 toilets sitting out - how would you know which one you were supposed to use? Having litter only in the litter box sends a much clearer message. Also make sure there's hay in the litter box and that it's a large enough size for him (corner boxes are too small).

Also, it's sooo much cheaper to just put a thin layer of litter in a litter box instead of cleaning bedding out of a whole cage every few days.

Is the bedding you bought CareFresh? This makes a nice bunny litter, though I find it's a bit expensive. You can definitely use this in the litter box as well since you don't need it on the cage floor. What kind of litter did you buy? I like Yesterday's News a lot - I think it does a great job. However, wood stove pellets or pelleted horse stall bedding also do a good job and are far cheaper. I'm sure you'll figure out what works best for you guys, but I wnated to throw out some options

I can't wait to see pics of your little guy! I brought home my own baby bunny just about a year ago and I remember being so excited.

 

[bunnyluv96]

Yes, I bought carefresh bedding. Hmm didn't think about him getting confused about where to do his business, just thought it'd be soft and fluffy for him. I bought some kind of litter called kay-kob. It loooked like litter and I thought it would be good because it's all natural. I might have to think about changing that up before he comes home..maybe get him something else soft to line the bottom of the cage. It is plastic and solid but might be slippery for him. Thanks for the feedback! :bunnydance:

 

[elrohwen]

One of my buns doesn't like the slippery cage floor, but the other one is perfectly fine with it. You can definitely put a towel or some fleece down, just watch to make sure he doesn't pee on that too - it is absorbant, so he might decide it's a good place to pee. He also might decide to eat it, so just keep an eye on him.

Also, corn cob bedding isn't one of the "rabbit safe" litters, so if that's what kay-cob is I would return it. Just use the carefresh in the litter box or get some Yesterday's News or wood stove pellets. Those will be much safer for him.

 

[bunnyluv96]

Oh..well darn. It said safe on the package, even has a picture of a bunny I don't know if I can take it back b/c I opened it and put some in his pan. But he's not coming home till the end of the week so it isn't soiled or anything. Maybe I'll call the pet store and ask them. Any idea why it isn't safe? Thanks for all the help.

 

[elrohwen]

I'll have to do some more research on it. I believe it's because bunnies are known to eat their litter on occasion and corn is not healthy for them. You're better off with paper based litters (CareFresh or Yesterday's News) or wood pellets (wood stove pellets, horse stall bedding, etc). Aspen shavings are safe, but they don't seem to absorb very well.

 

[elrohwen]

This link explains that corn cob litter is bad for bunnies as they can't digest corn and it can cause blockages: http://www.ontariorabbits.org/diet/behavinfo5.html

Though I do disagree with this website where it says clay litters are ok - I would stick to things that are safe for a bunny to eat and I wouldn't trust clay.

 

[bunnyluv96]

Thanks for the link- I had no idea!