New rabbit owner.. Need your help/opinions please!

[cale04]

Hey everyone!

Me and my girlfriend just picked up a male, 4 month old Mini-rex 2 days ago and im very happy. However; I AM a little nervous as to how I should take care of him.anic:anic:
I DO NOT want to be a bad owner due to a lack knowledge...

I know the basics as to changing his water, providing new food, vegetables, pellets ect... Ive read different things from different sites in regards to food portions. But im wondering; how much do YOU feed your rabbit?

Also, how did you create a bond with your rabbit? Is there anything I can do in order to make him feel more comfortable with leaving his cage?

And my last question is: he seems to be cleaning himself.. ALOT. Is this normal behavior or is a nervous reaction to something I am doing?

Thank you in advance

 

[Cookiesandcream]

New rabbits can be very overwhelmed in a new environment so just give him some time to settle in, I wouldn't be giving him a huge amount of space so it isn't too overwhelming, let him out into an xpen that you can sit in too and just let him explore with you there, if he doesn't want to come out don't make him, he will warm up to you but it needs to be on his terms. It took our bunny about a week to really start exploring

As for feeding since he is only 4 months old I would be giving him unlimited pellets and hay (of course) and you can start giving him small amounts of vegies, just go slow so you don't upset his stomach

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Rabbits constantly clean and groom themselves, perfectly normal
You can bond with them by earning their trust. Healthy treats are a good way for then to associate you with nice things. For instance, each morning, I give Sophie a treat when I open her cage door and I also give her a treat when it's time for her to go back into her cage. I spend a lot of time talking and singing to her and just being by her. I let her come to me, I never grab her, unless it's vet time!

 

[PaGal]

The ideal thing would be to feed your bun what it was used to eating. Sudden changes in their diet can cause GI issues. Any time you want to introduce a new food to a bun you should start out with a tiny amount and watch closely for any signs of GI upset. Only introduce one new item at a time so if there is a problem such as gas then you will know what caused it.

Being four months I would feed unlimited pellets and unlimited hay. I would recommend getting to know your bun a bit first before introducing anything new so you will know what is and what isn't normal behavior for your bun.

To bond spend time near your bun just sitting. You can talk to your bun, sing or even read out loud so that it gets used to your voice. Keep some pellets with you and if your bun comes up to you reward it with a pellet. With my one bun I would even hold a handful of hay for him to nibble from. Keep in mind a rabbit is a prey animal so it can take some time for them to learn to trust you but the thing you have on your side at least from my experience is that buns seem to be even more curious than cats.

Grooming a lot is normal.

 

[cale04]

Thank you so much everyone! I will definitely take your advice! I did not know i could give him unlimited pellets so i will start to do so immediately.

One more question I have is in regards to the ''cozzy'' stuff you see at pet stores. They make this stuff thats meant to be placed in your bunny's cage so he snuggle himself in to it? Is it safe for them? If so, is there anything i can use that is homemade ?

 

[Channahs]

A lot of people put small sofa sized fleece blankets in for their buns to enjoy. Jovi never chose to lay on those that we gave her though, she preferred the flat floor, but each rabbit is different with their own personality. Some like baskets, or dog/cat beds and some don't If the cage size permits, a hidey box with at least two exits/entries might be something your bun will enjoy as well. It's all trial and error though. Either way it's so much fun getting to know and bonding with your bun.

 

[pani]

I have fleece throw blankets for my bunnies to lie on.

 

[cale04]

great info! Thank you very much i will try it!
I gave him a towel and he just peed on it and moved it away so i will try something different. Thanks a bunch

 

[Channahs]

Haha! I hear you. That's all that Jovi ever did was pee on what we put in her space. I have a new baby English Lop (2 days now) and I'm learning his likes too. I put a towel in for him, he pee'd on it.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I always go into the room with some Cilantro. A couple of ours will walk on their back legs for it and they all come right to me when I call. Bribery always works with a bunny and they do so love to get YOU trained.