New bun mama

[koalasoom]

Hi all!

I hope you're all well. i'm due to adopt my new baby bunny in 2 weeks time. He's a mini lop, currently 6 weeks of age. My partner and I are super excited. we're currently bunny proofing the flat. Our plan is to keep our baby indoors, initially in a pen and then slowly transition into free roaming. I do have a few concerns which I'd really appreciate some help with.

1. Both my partner and I work full time, but we intend to spend all our off work time, at home with the bunny. As mentioned, we will be letting him free roam and with plenty of enrichment. I am hoping to bond with with him for a month before i resume my full time work in August and then spend all my free time with him thereafter. Is this okay or should we be getting a friend for him to spend time with?

2. Our bunny curently lives a 4.5 hour drive away from us. Whats the best way for us to commute with him. We will be driving it there and back and I wonder whether we should use a pet carrier or a box? One of the sellers who takes her buns to shows etc mentioned a dark box with ventilation holes, but that seems a bit odd to me. I don't want our bun to dislike us from the get go,

3. Finally, we will have everything set up for him at home (play pen with a litter tray, hidey house, play toys and a bed along with hay, pellets and water. Is there anything you bun parents would suggest. Any other essentials or any tips on how to best bond with our bunny in the beginning?


Excited to hear from you!

Thank you

 

[koalasoom]

This is him!

 

[BunBun71]

He's adorable.

 

[Mac189]

Welcome! What a beautiful baby bun! You seem extremely well planned and I'm certain you'll make a great bunny mom!
I have to make the 12-hour drives with my buns between WA and MT every few months, once they get used to it it's not a big deal at all, so 4.5 hours should be just fine. I typically use a dog kennel with a litterbox in the back plus hay, towels on the ground to prevent any sliding and a comfort stuffed animal (you could let mom or siblings play with it right before you leave for a comforting scent). Water should be available, but I doubt the little guy will want any with all the excitement. Don't use a hanging bottle for the trip (which seems like an awesome idea in theory), it'll drip a TON! I also typically have a towel over the kennel too for added comfort.

As for getting a friend for your little hopper, I'd wait til he's sexually mature and neutered so you can see which bunnies he seems to get along with. He may LOVE being a solo bunny! If not, there's an awesome rescue in Gig Harbour, and the Whatcom Humane Society in Bellingham also has great buns (that's where I found one of mine). They will come spayed and neutered with a safe place to return to if the bunnies don't get along.

Way to go! You are in for an amazing experience! What do you want to name him?

 

[Blue eyes]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Congrats on your new bunny-to-be.

1. Indoor rabbits are almost always just fine as single rabbits. They will adopt you as their family. And since they tend to be resting and lazy during the day, being away for work is not a big deal.

2. The following link shows how to use a hard-sided carrier for a rabbit. The hard-sided ones don't need a towel over them because that would just restrict airflow. Having a folded towel inside is a good idea.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Transport/Car/Car.htm
3. When you first bring him home, litter training will be a good idea. To that end, you will probably need to remove beds because soft things like beds or blankets are tempting places to potty. Another tip is that you want to be sure to continue feeding the exact same brand & type of pellets he has been used to. You can change it later on, but not when he's first getting used to his new home. Diet changes are not advised until he's settled in (a week or so).
You may like to take a peek at the following page that is specifically about what to do the day you bring bunny home.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bringing-your-rabbit-home.html
And for tips on bonding with him (these last 2 links are from my website)...
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html

 

[ichabodny]

Thanks for posting this! I'm new here too and waiting on a list for a litter coming up with mini lops as well and just learning how to prepare. I have guinea pigs; rabbits seem similar in some things. I was wanting to know about a second one as well and got some answers to your post. Congrats on your little one!

 

[koalasoom]

Thanks for posting this! I'm new here too and waiting on a list for a litter coming up with mini lops as well and just learning how to prepare. I have guinea pigs; rabbits seem similar in some things. I was wanting to know about a second one as well and got some answers to your post. Congrats on your little one!

Pleasure! It's so important for us to learn from each other. Most of the research I've managed to do has been thanks to Qs that other people have posted, mostly under youtube videos, which people have then thankfully replied to. We're all in this together

He's adorable.

Isn't he just! I wish I was deserving of credit for that but alas

Welcome! What a beautiful baby bun! You seem extremely well planned and I'm certain you'll make a great bunny mom!
I have to make the 12-hour drives with my buns between WA and MT every few months, once they get used to it it's not a big deal at all, so 4.5 hours should be just fine. I typically use a dog kennel with a litterbox in the back plus hay, towels on the ground to prevent any sliding and a comfort stuffed animal (you could let mom or siblings play with it right before you leave for a comforting scent). Water should be available, but I doubt the little guy will want any with all the excitement. Don't use a hanging bottle for the trip (which seems like an awesome idea in theory), it'll drip a TON! I also typically have a towel over the kennel too for added comfort.

As for getting a friend for your little hopper, I'd wait til he's sexually mature and neutered so you can see which bunnies he seems to get along with. He may LOVE being a solo bunny! If not, there's an awesome rescue in Gig Harbour, and the Whatcom Humane Society in Bellingham also has great buns (that's where I found one of mine). They will come spayed and neutered with a safe place to return to if the bunnies don't get along.

Way to go! You are in for an amazing experience! What do you want to name him?

Thank you for your time and thorough response; I really appreciate it. This is very helpful and I feel very reassured. I think that's exactly what we'll do. it seems irresponsible of me to get 2 bunnies when I've not yet mastered taking care of one! I love the idea of the soft toy, yasss...I will definitely do this! I actually live in the UK but thank you for that info, hopefully someone reading can benefit and check out those rescues. I've looked up some nearby rescues to where I'm located so if it comes to it and we're ready to take care of another bun, we'll definitely pay a visit.

We actually haven't decided on a name yet. We thought we'd see what works once we meet him. any ideas are welcome! I'm thinking a single syllable name so that it's easier for him to recognise his name.

Hello and welcome to the forum! Congrats on your new bunny-to-be.

1. Indoor rabbits are almost always just fine as single rabbits. They will adopt you as their family. And since they tend to be resting and lazy during the day, being away for work is not a big deal.

2. The following link shows how to use a hard-sided carrier for a rabbit. The hard-sided ones don't need a towel over them because that would just restrict airflow. Having a folded towel inside is a good idea.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Transport/Car/Car.htm
3. When you first bring him home, litter training will be a good idea. To that end, you will probably need to remove beds because soft things like beds or blankets are tempting places to potty. Another tip is that you want to be sure to continue feeding the exact same brand & type of pellets he has been used to. You can change it later on, but not when he's first getting used to his new home. Diet changes are not advised until he's settled in (a week or so).
You may like to take a peek at the following page that is specifically about what to do the day you bring bunny home.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bringing-your-rabbit-home.html
And for tips on bonding with him (these last 2 links are from my website)...
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html

Thank you for the warm welcome and the information. Amazing! All this info is extremely useful and helps me feel so much better.

I've just ordered a pet carrier as pictured in the link you provided. I'm hoping to layer it with a vetbed to provide some cushioning at the bottom. Hopefully this is comfortable for him.Thank you so much for the links, I will check these out now!

In terms of litter training-the person selling him to me has told me that he is litter trained, although I'm not sure what this means, as surely when they are in a new environment, they will find a new spot for this, no? Would you think it's better for me to start off with a litter box in the pen layered with hay and pellets and then observe to see where he goes? Also, considering he will still be adjusting to his new home, for the play pen flooring, I was thinking of laying down a shower curtain to begin with, just while we're training him. Is this okay?

apologies for the questions and thank you for all the input!

 

[koalasoom]

You may like to take a peek at the following page that is specifically about what to do the day you bring bunny home.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bringing-your-rabbit-home.html
And for tips on bonding with him (these last 2 links are from my website)...
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html

I am loving the content on your website-Feeling so educated right now. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Blue eyes]

In terms of litter training-the person selling him to me has told me that he is litter trained, although I'm not sure what this means, as surely when they are in a new environment, they will find a new spot for this, no? Would you think it's better for me to start off with a litter box in the pen layered with hay and pellets and then observe to see where he goes? Also, considering he will still be adjusting to his new home, for the play pen flooring, I was thinking of laying down a shower curtain to begin with, just while we're training him. Is this okay?

apologies for the questions and thank you for all the input!

If you want to put something waterproof down, I would consider a plastic tarp over a shower curtain. The shower curtain is more likely to tear from bunny's nails. The tarp will be more sturdy.

You are right to question the "litter training" of an 8 week old. Moving to a new home will always require adjustments. Some young ones will get the hang of training rather quickly. Others won't. But even those that do may forget that training when hormones kick in. Once neutered, they train more readily and consistently.

On a side note, rabbits from rescues are already fixed. Fixed rabbits are typically recommended especially for first-time bunny owners. Starting with a baby is not ideal. Many a member on here have had the idea that it's best to start with a baby despite the advice of those more experienced. In the end, they admitted that, if they could do it over, they would've gone with a rescued, fixed rabbit over a baby. Just some food for thought. (There is more on that subject on my website.)

I would agree with you that it would be a good idea to have a litter box already set up in his new space. See what he does. It can always be moved if he keeps going elsewhere.

 

[Mac189]

I'm so excited for you! Sorry, wrong Kent! Best of luck with your furry friend!

 

[zkeaton]

i get my bunny on wednesday for my birthday!

 

[Diane R]

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/ownership/new-to-rabbits/

 

[koalasoom]

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/ownership/new-to-rabbits/

Thank you Diane!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

congrats

 

[koalasoom]

congrats

Thank you Nancy!