New Bunny owner!! I need help!

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MICHI_28

Newbie Bunny Owner ^~^
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
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Location
Canton, OH
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sooo yes, my fiance just bought me a mini lop bunny 3 days ago from a breeder in Ohio, shes 3 months old. When I first met her she was pretty quiet but after the last two days i let her roam my bunny proof room a bit and shes all giddy and happy. I just got her a new cage because i didnt have a good one and felt so horrible its 16 x 30 medium sized, its all i could afford atm. I have two sepreate questions!!

Question #1 - since she is 3 months old should she start eating leafy greens? All i have fed her so far is Timothy Hay, and pellets no treats.

Quetion#2 - how long does it usually take for a rabbit to like you? I bought her toys and everything today and im hoping that will let her know that im harmless ._.


BTW: her name is Primrose <3 "Prim" for short
 
Hi & :welcome1 to you & Primrose!
1. I think it is usually recommended that you keep the smaller buns on hay & pellets until they are 6 months old. Alfalfa is another good hay for young growing bunnies until about their first birthday. Alfalfa in pellets is also fine for a young, growing bunny. Alfalfa gives young bunnies more of the vitamin/nutrients a young bunny needs for growing. I'm still learning as a first time bunny mom so please watch for our more experienced members to give better info than my poor memory. I defer to those with more knowledge & experience.

2. It varies with the person & their bunny. It helps if you can get down on the floor and relax next to their cage & ignore the bunny. From my personal experience: I have an xpen for my two bunny girls. That is THEIR cage/area. After about a week, of simply leaving them alone except for food/water & litter pan cleaning, I opened the opening of their xpen & laid a big comfy bed pillow on the floor in front of that opening & stretched out. I had the opening blocked by me & my pillow. I watched tv & ignored the bunnies. As they grew comfortable with me lying in front of their xpen they finally felt comfortable enough to come and start nosing me. It wasn't long before they allowed me to rub their head. Both my bunny girls now while not big snuggle bunnies do put up with it & once out & snuggled don't seem to mind! lol You might also want to have some pellets to put on the floor beside you &/or to have in your hand to "bribe" the bunny! lol I'm sure others more knowledgeable & experienced will be here shortly to provide better answers & insight but maybe this will help until they arrive!

Primrose is so adorable! :inlove:
 
That's a beautiful bunny! Most bunny owners use a puppy pen or NIC grids to construct their bunnies' digs. 16x30 is a bit small, especially as Primrose grows bigger, but as long as you let her out to roam and exercise for the better part of the day, it'll do for now.

I would not introduce leafy greens as a part of daily diet till 4-5 months, though if you want you can give her a small leaf or two every now and then. I recommend a few stalks of cilantro/coriander, it's good for tummies and most every bun will go nuts for it. As she is a growing bunny, she'll need alfalfa in her diet. Are you feeding alfalfa-based pellets? The standard recommendation is that growing buns get alfalfa hay, as timothy is low in nutrients, but if you are feeding a good alfalfa pellet and you feel the bun can maintain a healthy weight on that, it's all good.

As for getting bunny to like you, just use common sense. Rabbits are instinctive prey animals and get scared of loud noises, fast movements, and people chasing and rushing to grab them like a predator would. Just try doing your own thing around Primrose a lot, being nearby in a passive way. Sitting by the cage and talking or reading calmly to her to get her used to your voice, smell and presence. If she comes to you, slowly introduce her to your hand, and offer a gentle pat. But by far the most powerful tool in your "Come Here And Love Me" arsenal will be - food bribery! This can be pellets or veggies, and very occasionally, little bits of fruit like banana, tomato or apples. Feeding your bunny by hand is a great way to bond. But how long it will take to develop that bond depends on you and your bunny. For me it took a couple weeks with one of my boys, but nearly 3 months with the other, more snubby one.
 
All these adorable new bunnies! Congrats on becoming a new bunny parent, Prim is too cute! Welcome to RO.

I can't give much advice on diet I am afraid. As for getting her used to you, I can really only reiterate what has been said. I used to lay on the floor and read while Stache was out and about. I also used to hand feed his favorite treat and sit by his cage and talk quietly to him. It didn't take long for him to warm up to me. Good luck, bunnies are wonderful. :)
 
yeah i know the cage is small but shes usually out unless i have work or sleeping of couse -3- . as for the alfalfa based foods no i dont use any but i guess switchinh my timothy hay to alfalfa hay would be harmless right ?? :O
 
but i guess switchinh my timothy hay to alfalfa hay would be harmless right ?? :O

Do it slowly and gradually, mixing it alfalfa in with the hay you're using now until you can phase out the timothy completely. Alfalfa can sometimes cause a calcium overload if introduced too quickly, so keep an eye on her pees and hold back on the alfalfa a little if her pee starts looking very chalky/sludgey.
 
Very cute. Our vet says veggies start at 4 months, slowly and alfalfa til 6 months and then transition to regular hay/grass. Unlimited pellet and hay til six months on the smaller breeds also. Just need to be patient and let her get to know you--some are very affectionate from the get go and some need to be cultivated.
 
Primrose is solo adorable!

I wouldn't worry about only being able to afford a smaller cage for now - that's what my lion lop has started in with plenty of exercise time out of his cage. Advice I was given is as long as they have room to stretch out full length it's good as a bedroom. Gandalf has reached the point that he needs a new cage but I've been able to save up for a few months to get one.

As for knowing when your bunny likes you sometimes the bonding process is quick, sometimes it's slow. My experience with Gandalf is that we bonded quite quickly because he is so loving. To start with I would sit on the floor while he hopped around and if he came close give him a pellet or two first putting it on the floor then giving it from my hand followed by stroking him. He was soon hopping onto my knee to ask for cuddles and pellets any now will jump up onto the sofa next to me for ear scratching time when he has done a few laps of the room and investigated whatever new box he has out. Sometimes it takes more patience though but I'm sure you and the gorgeous Prim will be inseparable before too long!

With greens I started with a few herbs, parsley and coriander I think, and just tiny bits a day at about 3 1/2 to 4 months then slowly introduced more herbs and leafy greens as he grew older. I found they were great hand feeding treats when I wanted to check out his teeth or cut his claws. He always seems to forgive me if he gets some parsley :bouquet:
 

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