First time bunny owner. Any help appreciated.

[odyssey~]

.

just an FYI, i'd highly recommend covering those ramps with a towel or fleece to protect your rabbits paws so they don't get stuck, and it can also cause sore hocks

to OP-
Freya is so cute! she seems to love being pet and she looks so happy! I'd agree with the JBun, using a different litter would probably be better keep up the good work!

 

[Space Monkey]

I forgot to ask; what did those people do to her ear? It's tagged or something. Is this permanent?

 

[JBun]

It's a tattoo. Show rabbits have to have a tattoo ID so you can tell them apart from other rabbits of the same breed and color.

 

[JBun]

Sometimes if a permanent tattoo isn't done, a sharpie might be used to put an ID mark. If it looks like small dots, it's a tattoo. If it's a smooth line, it's probably sharpie. If so, you could try some rubbing alcohol on a q tip, to see if it will rub off. Though she may not be too happy to have you doing that. My rabbits hate me checking their ears.

 

[Space Monkey]

Sometimes if a permanent tattoo isn't done, a sharpie might be used to put an ID mark. If it looks like small dots, it's a tattoo. If it's a smooth line, it's probably sharpie. If so, you could try some rubbing alcohol on a q tip, to see if it will rub off. Though she may not be too happy to have you doing that. My rabbits hate me checking their ears.

Ah, it's small dots. It looks like a jailhouse tattoo. Darn. I guess it gives her another element of uniqueness.

I'm grateful that they sold her to me and I don't want to trash on the people, but I have a hard time respecting people who breed any animal for profit and/or use them as show things which involves a lot of poking and prodding and traveling and gawking, not to mention poor living conditions. Even show dogs are often kept in tiny cages and hardly interacted with unless it's to train to make the human money, which if it's bad at results in punishment. As I said earlier, I believe she and the other for sale rabbits were essentially punished. Their cages weren't as tidy and they didn't have individual fans blowing on them to stay cool in the summer heat in a hot barn. That permanent tattoos are the rotten cherry on top I guess.

Sadly these people told me that most of the rabbits they sell are sold to schools, which typically involve small cages, crappy food, and interaction that's mostly the same poking and prodding as being in the shows. Nobody goes to a fair looking to buy a rabbit, so if other people bought rabbits on a whim like I did I hope they did their research, but having lived with humans for 31 years now, I can't say I'm inclined to believe they did.

Would that we could save them all I suppose.

 

[ArtistChibi]

Show breeders for rabbits differ a massive amounts compared to show dog breeders. Because of rabbits' fragile selves, leaving them in the same conditions as breeders do dogs creates more health problems and greatly lowers their life expectancy. Fortunately, breeders on this site are highly respectable people.

 

[JBun]

If it's a new tattoo, some of the ink that isn't absorbed, may come off with the rubbing alcohol. Though if it is new, it will also probably sting and she may react to that. But the tattoo isn't going to bother her or cause any sorts of issues. If you're fine with it the way it is, I would just leave it.

You have to keep in mind that though your rabbit may not have been treated very well, there are a lot of breeders/show owners, that really love and care for their rabbits really well. Maybe not to the same level of well kept pet rabbit standards, but there are also plenty of pet rabbit owners out there that take far less better care of their rabbits, and are many times much more neglectful. The serious breeders/show owners aren't in it for the money. I would venture to guess they spend a lot more than they ever make. You just happened on one of the crappy breeders, but lucky for your little bun that you did.

Everyone is at a different level and learning curve. I'm a much better rabbit owner than I was 20 years ago. But it was a process. All we can do is be an example, give our rabbits the best life possible, and share our experiences and knowledge to help inspire others to learn and improve as well.

 

[SirLawrence]

It's great to see another bunny dad on here doing great research and trying to give your new little one the best life!

WARNING: She WILL steal your heart. I got Lawrence by "accident", and he is my bff now! I'm 41 and male, and this little white bunny has me wrapped around his little finger!

 

[Freedom]

Right now she's bonding with my oldest. She's doing a good job of keeping poop mostly isolated to one area of the cage. I removed the bottle because, even though it was only a secondary water source, I read that it can collect bacteria and make her sick. I also removed the hay rack and put the hay down where she likes to eat it and poop.

So so sweet.

I agree. Remove the bedding in the cage and get her a dedicated litter box.

 

[Space Monkey]

I'm reading a lot about GI Stasis. Will every rabbit experience GI Stasis at some point? It's scaring me and making me paranoid. Freya only ate a few of her pellets this morning, instead opting for exploration. She seems to have devoured a great deal of hay overnight. I'm finding myself checking her water and pellet bowls a lot to make sure it's being consumed. Do I need to be this paranoid about GI Stasis?

 

[odyssey~]

I'm reading a lot about GI Stasis. Will every rabbit experience GI Stasis at some point? It's scaring me and making me paranoid. Freya only ate a few of her pellets this morning, instead opting for exploration. She seems to have devoured a great deal of hay overnight. I'm finding myself checking her water and pellet bowls a lot to make sure it's being consumed. Do I need to be this paranoid about GI Stasis?

Probably, yes, they will have GI stasis once in their life.
Freya's probably just getting more used to her surroundings and chose to explore rather than eat.
I'm extremely paranoid myself too!

 

[SirLawrence]

I'm reading a lot about GI Stasis. Will every rabbit experience GI Stasis at some point? It's scaring me and making me paranoid. Freya only ate a few of her pellets this morning, instead opting for exploration. She seems to have devoured a great deal of hay overnight. I'm finding myself checking her water and pellet bowls a lot to make sure it's being consumed. Do I need to be this paranoid about GI Stasis?

I was. The only way to not be paranoid about GI Stasis is to not own a rabbit, imo.

That said, you've obviously done your research about the warning signs, and the only way you'll be less paranoid is by getting to know your rabbit. You'll learn her habits, moods, attitudes, etc, and you'll be able to for a "normal" for your bun. "Normal" isn't a term I use much anymore after having rabbits. Every individual is an individual, god bless 'em! They hold grudges, have mood swings, and have full-blown personalities.

So until you really get to know little Freya, you'll probably find yourself paranoid, or at least vigilant. It may help to find a rabbit-savvy vet or rabbit rescue you can communicate with if you have questions. Aside from that, this forum is a great resource; there are users with vet backgrounds, users that have been breeding rabbits for decades, foster parents and rescuers. I haven't noticed much bad info or advice on the forums since I've been here.

 

[Space Monkey]

I'm up for the challenge. GIS is so freaking scary. I'm going to get some Critical Care and other supplies to be ready just in case.

Today I inserted a litter box. It's makeshift for now until I can find something more permanent than cardboard with the right dimensions.

 

[Space Monkey]

I just put her back. It's a hit already. She knows just what to do.

 

[Space Monkey]

We have litter box poops! I'm so freaking proud of her.

 

[Dandy&Tuli4693]

Ao

Thank you! I'll certainly take time to digest all of this.

Right away I'll say: She is at the 1/8-1/4 cup of pellets. She's eating a lot of them. I need to try to "spice up" the hay for her though. She's not that big of a fan yet.

And right away I'll ask: is the cage really too small? Keep in mind she's a Mini Satin and won't get much bigger than she is now. Here she is in relation to her cage and the pen:

Eating her pellets like a dork:

View attachment 56627

Coming out to say hi:








When trying to get bunnys to eat their hay or other foods that are necessary try adding dry herbs like dried strawberry leaf, chamomile or peppermint
I have a insanely picky 5 month old lionhead and he does not like any greens or herbs fresh except collard greens, otherwise I use everything dried and he loves it.

I agree with these owners definitely wait to interact and if you want her to potty train easier then definitely get her spayed

And sooner or later try getting a different bedding like wood stove pellets or care fresh

 

[Dandy&Tuli4693]

When trying to get bunnys to eat their hay or other foods that are necessary try adding dry herbs like dried strawberry leaf, chamomile or peppermint
I have a insanely picky 5 month old lionhead and he does not like any greens or herbs fresh except collard greens, otherwise I use everything dried and he loves it.

I agree with these owners definitely wait to interact and if you want her to potty train easier then definitely get her spayed

And sooner or later try getting a different bedding like wood stove pellets or care fresh

 

[Dandy&Tuli4693]

I can say that I probably shouldn't have gotten a rabbit at 9 but she was litterbox trained had unlimited love and was free rome 24/7

She still could've been groomed alot better and cleaned more but after all that she is now a senior and we have a fantastic bond and she has much better care now and has never had any health problems

I am relieved cause we didnt give her hay very often when I was little but I still have my love bun and she is doing better than ever with tons of fresh orchard grass and greens

I wish you luck and as long as you groom her and keep her hay fresh then chances are gi stasis wont be a problem until she old and has trouble doing normal bunny stuff

 

[Space Monkey]

Is there any health difference between the Timothy Hay and the Orchard Hay? Are they both just as good? I bought both and mixed them up. You can tell the difference between the two with the naked eye. Freya prefers to take the Timothy Hay pieces and spread them out in her litter box to poop and pee on, and the Orchard Hay she prefers to eat. Knowing her preference, could I just buy Orchard Hay?

 

[odyssey~]

Is there any health difference between the Timothy Hay and the Orchard Hay? Are they both just as good? I bought both and mixed them up. You can tell the difference between the two with the naked eye. Freya prefers to take the Timothy Hay pieces and spread them out in her litter box to poop and pee on, and the Orchard Hay she prefers to eat. Knowing her preference, could I just buy Orchard Hay?

Orchard hay is generally speaking softer than timothy hay no matter when it's cut in the season. personally i only feed orchard grass as a "treat hay" meaning I give a handful once or twice a week while timothy is always accessible. it's up to you- most rabbit owners with allergies to timothy feed orchard

also, i recommend looking for a farm near you that sells hay so you can get it for less!