MANY Questions

[Kiko]

I got my first rabbit yesterday, she/he is a 7 week Netherland Dwarf. I saw that was very young for it to be away from its mom, but she/he was a gift from my BF, and he adopted her from a breeder in my town. So I guess the breeder felt she was okay to go?

I am unsure of the gender I guess the BF diden't ask....sometimes wonder about him. Either way a vet trip is already in order. As is with all new new pets

She seems healthy, and she/he pigging out on her timothy hay so she/hes got an appetite.

Until I build her permanent home she is in a large guinea pig cage (super pet XL)

I am lining her cage with aspen shavings and using carefresh in her litter box. (it would usually be the other way around but my budget was tight this week so I got the small bag of carefresh instead and the big bag of aspen).

I bought a bunny harness but it is too big, I assume she'll grow into it, so for now I am using a ferret harness. I don't usually use harnesses at all, but my room is not pet proof right now, my rats and hamster all get exercise time in an large playpen i bought from Martin cages.

I am trying to be on the careful side so I stuck to all the brands I trust for my Rats/guinea pigs.
I am using kaytee timothy hay but it's a bit messy so I will switch to Oxbow Western timothy hay which my guinea pigs loved, I am using Mazuri Rabbit food cause I know that's a decent rat food brand.

I am little crazy with my pets, until I feel comfortable as I can about them to keep them healthy I ask a million questions. I am little rushed this week also because my rat Peaches is pregnant with an accidental litter, so these next 2 weeks I am tight on my normal pet budget.

So My questions are Whats the best pellet/timothy hay for bunnies?

Should I use vitamin supplements in their water like I do for guinea pigs?

Is the Yesterdays news Litter i use for my rats/hamsters okay for them? because I saw in the store they had a special kind for rabbits.

Since she/he is under 3 months old is it alright to feed her Veggies, if it is should I introduce them slowly?

What age should i get her/him fixed?

I knew some basic bunny care, but If i had known my BF was gonna get me a bunny I would have learned these things sooner.
Sorry for all the questions, but it's better then not asking and not knowing at all right?

 

[Myia09]

My only thought is he shouldn't be on aspen shavings at all. I know it causes respitory problems, but rabbits eyes are really sensative and they can cause eye problems if they get into the eyes. I know this because I use aspen in my other animal cages and my poor dwarf got it in his eye.
I use C&C cages and I line it with a fleece blanket, have a corner with cool tile, and then for the litter box I use cat litter that is the biodegradable pellets.

I buy a big bag of timothy hay for $5 at a feed store. It is about 3 of the large kaytee bags of hay. If you don't want to buy from a feed, def use oxbow. I heard many problems with kaytee not being fresh or the right cut.
I use Purina Advanced Nutrition Rabbit, and nothing else. Again, I buy it at a feed store.
I do know mazuri is a great chinchilla feed, but not sure on the rabbit.
If it is a female, get her fixed asap because it can cause huge health problems..I heard 3-4 months is a good age but I might be wrong. Males I heard is 6-8 months.

As for the other questions I will wait till a senior member replies

 

[kirbyultra]

Kiko wrote:

So My questions are Whats the best pellet/timothy hay for bunnies?

Should I use vitamin supplements in their water like I do for guinea pigs?

Is the Yesterdays news Litter i use for my rats/hamsters okay for them? because I saw in the store they had a special kind for rabbits.

Since she/he is under 3 months old is it alright to feed her Veggies, if it is should I introduce them slowly?

What age should i get her/him fixed?

I knew some basic bunny care, but If i had known my BF was gonna get me a bunny I would have learned these things sooner.
Sorry for all the questions, but it's better then not asking and not knowing at all right?

Hi :wave:A lot of people will have their own opinions about the best pellet. There are many, many out there and each one fits a different budget and a different bunny. Some bunnies like a certain brand while others will turn their nose from it. Oxbow is a good brand if you can get your hands on it but to some they can find a similar quality pellet at a cheaper price. It should be high in fiber without junk in it like "colorful" bits and pieces in it. Other brands are Kaytee, American Pet Diner, Purina, Martin, and others I'm sure I am forgetting right now... I will only say this - at 7 weeks old she should be fed an alfalfa based pellet if you can get your hands on it. Baby/young buns need the extra oomf in their diet to grow.

Same with hay. As long as you find a high fiber, clean, fresh looking and smelling timothy hay, I think it's ok...Oxbow, Kaytee are often found in Petcoin small packages. I found it highly uneconomical to buy small bags of hay because a bunny can go through SO much hay so quickly. Sometimes bu ying online is cheaper in large quantities. Sometimes you can find a smaller pet store that is willing to help you order a custom sizeif they don't carry a large box of it.There are just so many brands out there. Some people do just fine buying really inexpensive hay by the bale from local farmers (although I will let others comment on that as I don't buy from a farmer directly). Hay fit for a horse is fit for a bun if you plan on going that route. Timothy, oat, orchard, brome are good grass hays to feed a rabbit. Alfalfa hay is also appropriate for a bunny of that age.

Buns don't need vitamin c supplements like GPs. No salt licks either. If you can get them a good pellet and some hay and they eat enough, supplements are not necessary.

I have heard different things about when to intro fresh veggies. I started at 14 weeks and only 1 tiny leaf of lettuce for a while. Rabbit.org has guidelines on when to start veggies and how much. Whenever you do it, just remember to go slow and intro only 1 veggie at a time to see how the bun's digestive tract reacts to it.

Girls can be fixed typically a little older than boys because the procedure is slightly more invasive. 5-6 months is ok, but you may want to consultyour vet. Some vets are only comfortable spaying a baby bun at an older age while some are comfortable doing it younger.

I think some people use Yesterday's News, the non-rabbit kind, and they are fine. I don't personally use Yesterday's News. I find it a bit expensive

7 week old Nethie must be tiny! 7 weeks is just 1 week shy of what I think is normally accepted as ok to separate from mom. I'd just watch her closely and make sure she is acting normal, eating and pooping normally. Bunny proof your home if you let her run. She's so small, she'll get in all sorts of places Congrats on your bunny. Do you have pix of her posted anywhere?

The lagomorph library on the forum has great info and links for reading about rabbit care. Rabbit.org also has great info as well on house rabbit care. The Nutrition and Behavior section of the forum always has an interesting topic if rabbit care up for discussion. I have learned TONS on the forum from the mods and members!


Oh, I just realized you're in LI! I'm in NYC, so we are not so far.

 

[elrohwen]

My first suggestion would be to only put litter in the litter box and not on the floor of the cage. It's really not necessary for buns and it can often confuse them during litter training. Plus it's expensive! I would just use Yesterday's News in the litter box only if you already use that. It's a great brand. I actually buy it for cats, because they sell it in much larger bags for less money and it's the same stuff. Wood stove pellets from a home improvement store are even cheaper! You can get a 40lb bag for $3-6. You can put a towel or fleece blanket down in the bottom of the cage to provide traction and a soft spot to lay on (though most buns actually seem to prefer to lay on the cold plastic)

In my opinion, the best pellet for buns is Oxbow. They have an alfalfa based one for young buns (15/23) and a timothy based one for adult buns (Bunny Basics T). But there are other decent ones as well.

Males can be neutered at 3-4 months and females spayed around 6 months. Your vet will probably tell you what they feel comfortable doing.

For playtime, can you let him out in the playpen you use for your rats and hamsters? Harnesses are ok, but I think it's really best for the bun to be able to run and binky without a harness on. Plus, they should really get 4 hours of play time per day and it would be hard to do that when you're holding onto the leash. Can you bunny proof your room and let him run around there? That would be even easier.

For veggies, you can probably start introduction around 3-4 months. Start with one item and feed very small quantities for a week to see how her system handles it. By 8 months my bun is eating 2.5 cups per day, but I know some buns are not able to handle that amount.

 

[Kiko]

Wow thanks for all the help!
I diden't know that about aspen, I thought that was only ceder and pine
either way I am going back next week to get my normal carefresh, I don't usually use aspen on the cage bottoms anyway.

I trust the oxbow brand very much, it makes probably the best rat food.
But when I went to the store the back said not to feed to bunnies under a year. I'll look online for the one that is safe for them.

As for free ranging I wish I could fully pet proof my room, but the room has many things to be chewed by pets that would be bad for them and me, so my sis is gonna give me a bunch of those storage panels that I see you guys using so I can make her a much bigger pen that I use for my rats and Hamster. For now I have her on an extended leash (3 leashed attached to each other xD) It's just long enough that she can't get under my furniture.I can't let her play in the rat pen because the rats are there most of the time lol.

Thats part of the reason none of my pets fully free range as all my furniture is solid wood....rats like to chew xD
OH and heres a link to her picture :3
http://s742.photobucket.com/albums/xx65/kikonthecobb/?action=view&current=blah065.jpg

I figure once I have the pen made up she can run in that all day, but she has to sleep in her cage, at night just for her safety. I have 6 cats and and all pets are caged at night to keep stealthy cats at bay.

I am home all day for the most part so all pets get over 5 hours supervised play time pretty much everyday

I get almost all my food and such from petfooddirect so i'll check their. I got stuff from the store this time because it was just easier, I was already there and I needed the stuff bunny couldent wait a week for shipping to eat lol.

As for the veggies. I tried giving her a small sliver of baby carrot and she ignored it....is that bad? Shes eating her pellets and hay, and drinking fine. But I figured she would love some carrot.
She has engegy and seems to love zooming across my bed, then snuggle on my lap for 2 mins then start zooming again, I love animal personalitys haha.
She took a bunch of hay made a little nest in her hidebox and sleeps in the litter box, so I think shes just getting accustomed to the new home.
When I get new pets I like to handle them in short intervels to let them get used to me and my room.
How long should she be around for? I think she'll be my first long lived pet aside from my cats, rats sadly don't live more then 3 1/2 years and most of my guiniea pigs lived to be about 5-7 years.

 

[bunniekrissy]

I'm pretty sure aspen is safe, but shavings in general don't work that well for absorbing and preventing odor. I prefer pelleted wood litter.

 

[Fancy77]

WOW she is so beautiful!!! love her coloring and her big ears...soooo cute!!!!

 

[Orchid]

elrohwen wrote:

I would just use Yesterday's News in the litter box only if you already use that. It's a great brand. I actually buy it for cats, because they sell it in much larger bags for less money and it's the same stuff.

Agreed....I have used it time and time again. With small buns the 30 something pound bag at 16 bucks here could last me up to two months I think....larger rabbits I would not know..

Wood stove pellets from a home improvement store are even cheaper! You can get a 40lb bag for $3-6.

That is awesome!! Didnt know that ...I think I might need to look into that in the near future...

As to a nueter...my memory says when the testies drop, they can be done...and I believe pertaining to size, vet and what not, spay for a femal, 6 months and up...

Sick buns will not be up for that..

 

[elrohwen]

The Oxbow Bunny Basics T pellets are technically for adult bunnies, but I don't think they would be at all harmful for a baby bun. Just feed unlimited quantities like you would with an alfalfa pellet and try to get her alfalfa hay rather than timmy. Or see if you can find the 15/23 for baby buns because that would be good too Either way, you would need to switch over to the timmy based pellets around 6-9 months anyway. Basically the alfalfa just has added calories that baby buns need, but I think as long as you're feeding either alfalfa pellets or alfalfa hay, you don't necessarily need to feed both together.

For veggies, I would start with something leafy and green, like romaine or parsley. Carrots are a good treat, but they have a lot of sugar that can be rough on a young bunny's digestive system. And, for what it's worth, my bun won't touch carrot either. In fact, he will only eat veggies that are in the lettuce family. Haha. So don't worry if she's picky! Just try one new veggie per week in small amounts and you'll learn what she likes and what agrees with her digestive system.

And she's totally adorable by the way Depending on her size, she can live 8-12 years. Bunnies definitely take some time to develop a relationship with, but it's totally worth it You sound like you're really doing your research and are giving her a great home.

 

[kirbyultra]

The back of the bag said not for bunnies under a year?? Are you sure you got the right bag? Oxbow makes 2 kinds of Bunny pellets. One is called Bunny Basics T and the other one is Bunny Basics 15/23. The T is for adult rabbits, it's a timothy based pellet. 15/23 is an alfalfa based pellet. The packaging of the two look exactly the same except for the words on the bag. 15/23 is for baby rabbits. My Toby eats that right now. My older one, Kirby, eats Bunny Basics T.

At 7 weeks I wouldn't rush into giving her any carrots. It's very sweet and a baby bun's digestive system is a delicate thing. Too much sugar is not necessarily a good thing. For veggies, if you're going to try, maybe wait a few more weeks and try a dark green like romaine or kale. Check rabbit.org for a list of rabbit-safe vegetables

Bunnies can live many years with good care and healthy lifestyle. I hear they live like 10-15 years :bunnydance:

 

[kirbyultra]

elrohwe - Wow did we just say the same exact thing? LOL

 

[Kiko]

Well, I am going to the petstore today while I am there I will pick up some Oxbow and add a small bit of it to her normal food. I don't wanna rush the food change, because she went from the breeder food to the Mazuri food and now to the oxbow so I'll take it slow.
I gave her a little piece of romaine lettuce and she Seemed to like it much better then the carrot hah.
I am gonna stick with the yesterdays news litter because I already get it every month for my rats, hamster and cats.
Her cage is directly next to the rat cage, they can't get to each other but will that bother her do you think?

 

[elrohwen]

kirbyultra wrote:

elrohwe - Wow did we just say the same exact thing? LOL

Haha, great bunny minds think alike? inkbouce:

 

[kirbyultra]

elrohwen wrote:

kirbyultra wrote:

elrohwe - Wow did we just say the same exact thing? LOL

Haha, great bunny minds think alike? inkbouce:

:highfive:

 

[Kiko]

Well, it's been over a week and I have gotten many new things for lil Cydney.
Who I am pretty sure is a boy now.
He has a vets appointment this weekend for a checkup, and to make a fixing appointment when he's old enough.
He's a kisser hah, he cant stop giving kisses to my hands and anyones face that gets close enough.
I have him on Oxbow Alfalfa based, and oxbow timothy hay.
heres my favorite of the little boy
http://s742.photobucket.com/albums/xx65/kikonthecobb/?action=view&current=Various011.jpg
And all of his pics are there.

 

[crystal]

Sydney is very cute. that is a great close up photo!

hope the vet appointment goes well. let us know if Sydney is a girl or a boy after the vet

 

[Zyzra]

Well it looks like everyone's answered everything already lol. But very cute bunny, seems like hes got a great personality too. Keep us updated and welcome to the forum!