New bunny owner...help!

[Nibbler]

Hello, I literally just came into possession of one lucky bunny. Twice the poor thing was supposed to be snake chow but the snake wasn't interested. So Nibbler is missing a part of his/her ear. The kid who rescued Nibs babied the heck out of him/her so he/she is very sweet! I have no experience with rabbits, I have had hamsters before but obviously the two are different. I need to know what I need to buy nutrition wise, bedding wise (I have carefresh right now), we have a cage but It's one of those pet store ones (it was given with Nibbler ) and a water bottle? What else do we need? Please and Thank you!

 

[HiddlesKenway]

Hay and good quality pellets. All hay is good for buns but alfalfa is best for anyone under six months, nursing kits and when there is protein lacking in the diet.

You can give bunny treats of all sorts, these are the main of what I use: Celery, banana, apple, pear, banana chips, cucumber, carrots, and more but can't think right now.

You can also feed herbs like these ones and a few more: Basil, mint, thyme, coriander and sage.

 

[Azerane]

I would mainly be pushing a good quality grass hay right now, timothy is most common, though it depends on your location. Drink bottle, maybe a bowl for water as well unless you're sure Nibbler knows how to use the drink bottle. Get some good quality rabbit pellets, grass hay based pellets rather than alfalfa pellets are best, make sure the fiber content is nice and high (around 20%). If Nibbler wasn't eating pellets before, or was eating a different brand, you will want to introduce the pellets slowly. Any sudden diet changes or food introductions for rabbits can easily cause stomach upsets and lead to gastric stasis. So start small, like a teaspoon of pellets, or even if introducing greens like fresh herbs or romain lettuce, a teaspoon sized piece of leaf to begin with until you know how they're going to handle it. If 24 hours later you haven't noticed any bad side effects (soft squishy poo, lack of poo or eating hay, sitting in uncomfortable positions, gas) then you can slightly increase the amount given until you're feeding the regular amount. For a rabbit of about 5 pounds in weight, the recommended daily amount of pellets is 1/4 - 1/2 cup per day.

All fruits and most vegetables like carrot etc, are considered treat only, and the most given should be about 1 tsp of treats a day. Leafy greens (herbs and lettuce etc) can be a larger part of the diet.

In regards to bedding, technically you don't need it, many rabbits will push it aside, but you can use it. I would recommend not using it and simply putting a litter tray in the cage with litter and toilet train Nibbler. If you want to give him something soft to lie on elsewhere, you can use a fleece blanket

You'll also need toys, toilet paper/paper towel tubes, old copies of the white pages with the covers ripped off, cardboard boxes, plastic baby keys, plastic balls etc. I would also either recommend either adding a hidey box inside the cage, or if there's not room, draping a towel over one end of it so that Nibbler has a secure place to hide if he/she feels threatened

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Playtime outside of the cage will also have to be considered. Which means rabbit proofing the area. Watch for electrical cords and other hazards. You'll likely want to consider building a new, bigger cage. Most people on here build them out of the storage grids. But food, hay, water dish would be the primary concern, do what you can now, then make decisions on what to buy from there. A lot of stuff can be DIY and you'll save a lot of money

 

[Nibbler]

Thank you all so much! So so much! I really do appreciate it! We also have a bearded dragon so there is always fresh greens and fruits in the house. Lol we fed our beardie this morning and Nibs was on hind legs smelling the kale and mustard greens. My husband gave him a little bowl and he about went crazy! We are going shopping for hay, pellets, toys and a hide box today after work. I feel sorry for the kid who had to give Nibs up though, the kid was really attached: (. The father bought Nibbler in saying he/she only had one purpose... food; /.

Also, how do you sex a rabbit?

 

[PaGal]

You want to limit cruciferous veggies as they can cause gas. When a bun gets gas, the pain of it can cause them to stop eating and when they stop eating the gut slows or stops. It is called GI stasis. Some buns seem to have cast iron stomachs while others have pretty touchy systems. Until you get to know your bun I would take it very slow and easy when it comes to feeding veggies and fruits.

Rabbits are good at hiding pain so you will learn to keep an eye on your buns poo and behavior closely to catch any issues quickly.

I have had beardies in the past. Love them.

 

[Nibbler]

Our beardie is our baby lol. I felt bad though because Nibs was on hind legs smelling it when we fed JuJu (our beardie ). He didn't have any food because the time I received him, all pet stores were closed. We figured it was better he get a little breakfast than nothing.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Need to start out doing some reading--one of our first books was "Rabbits for Dummies" and it was a good resource. Cruciferous veggies--cauliflower, brocoli, brussel sprouts just to mention a few. Also limit fruit and carrots as they have a high sugar content and can cause digestion problems.

 

[PaGal]

I'm not trying to be harsh or that. Back in the day I would have done the same as you, just trying to give out some info that's good to have right away. I know if you become a frequent visitor here you can learn more than you ever thought possible.

I have had two Smaug and Pazooozu.

BTw we all love seeing pics and the sooner the better

 

[Nibbler]

I'm not trying to be harsh or that. Back in the day I would have done the same as you, just trying to give out some info that's good to have right away. I know if you become a frequent visitor here you can learn more than you ever thought possible. W e had two Smaug and Pazooozu.

BTw we all love seeing pics and the sooner the better

Oh no, you're good! I'm sorry I came off short I was trying to type quickly lol. I hadn't screened it before hitting submit. I ended up buying Nibs a bag of meadow hay and organic Timothy pellets by Oxbow. Definitely hungry! He/she ate most of the bowl when I filled it. We also bought a slicker brush, chew sticks (wood), an igloo, and a blankie. Nibs will definitely need a bigger cage here soon.

Cute names for beardies. I'll post my two pics of Nibs: )

 

[Azerane]

Aww, he's adorable I love the colour of his fur, so cute

 

[kmaben]

Carefresh is a good litter but I found it expensive. Stove wood pellets (horse stall bedding) are a cheap alternative and can be found at any farm supply type store. Stay away from the commercial ceder and pine beddings as they contain Fenayl which is dangerous for a rabbits sensitive respiratory track. The wood stove pellets are pine but they're kiln dried so the fenayl isnt present.

 

[Nibbler]

Carefresh is a good litter but I found it expensive. Stove wood pellets (horse stall bedding) are a cheap alternative and can be found at any farm supply type store. Stay away from the commercial ceder and pine beddings as they contain Fenayl which is dangerous for a rabbits sensitive respiratory track. The wood stove pellets are pine but they're kiln dried so the fenayl isnt present.

Thanks for the advice: ), we'll probably check out the Jax around here to see what they have.

Azerane - Thank you: ). Lol I cuddled Nibs in the blanket we bought. Happiest bun ever!