no bunny, no clue

[nobunnynoclue]

Hello there.

I was looking to get a bunny for my daughter who is OBSESSED with bunnies and rabbits but I had about a year to research it, or so I thought.

Last weekend we found out that a friend of ours who has 2 rabbits was about ready to take one of them to the pound. I said hold up, wait a minute. Let me have her.

So on Saturday, I'll be going to pick her up from their house. But I need to learn as fast as I can, what they need to survive. What kind of food. how much water. what not to feed her, etc.

Here's what I know about her. She's a Holland Lop. under 1 year old. and the biggest complaint from her current owners is #1, she's not affectionate, #2 she won't get potty trained.

So, hit me. What should I read and where. What should I do and not do with this bunny when we bring her home ? Give her attention? leave her alone to adjust? etc, etc, etc..

thanks in advance!!

 

[Kipcha]

Do you know if the rabbit is spayed? Because if not, that would explain both problems the current owner has with her. If she's not, get her spayed. It will prevent reproductive cancers, improve her attitude and just be a better situation for everyone overall. It can be a little expensive though (Depending on where you are, it's about $300 here) so be sure to ask around and see prices, but also be sure to go to a rabbit savvy vet.

The House Rabbit Society website is an excellent site to go to to read about basic rabbit care, so I would recommend going there and having a look around.

When bringing her home, it really depends on how she reacts. If she seems scared and skittish, just leave her alone but if she seems social and curious, I would say you could pet her and such. When Jabberwocky and Peace came to us after a 30 hour journey (Driving time) from Illonois, we thought we would have to just leave them be but not an hour after they got home they were ready to come out and socialise. So it's all personality.

In terms of food, just remember Timothy Hay is definitely the most important thing. Unlimited timothy hay will keep the digestive tract moving, help prevent teeth problems, etc. I would not recommend getting it from a pet store as it can really add up, so see if there are any good barns around that sell good quality timothy hay. No mold, no moisture, and make sure it's a nice, green color.

Then find a good quality timothy pellet. We use Oxbow, but it is more expensive so I know some other people on the forum can recommend different brands.

If she hasn't had veggies, I would be sure to introduce them slowly, but when she gets used to it, try and give her variety. We feed romaine lettuce, parsley, cilantro, spinach, small amounts of kale, carrot tops, etc. They generally get three different types of veggies per day.

Unlimited water, as with any animal, is important. Some rabbits prefer from a bowl and some prefer from a bottle. It's all personal preference here.

For what not to feed, there are plenty of lists that show what is toxic to them...

http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/poisonous.html

Really, just do tonnes of research and post any questions on here!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Amanda gave you very good pointers. I would ask the current owner for some of the pellets she is get at the moment, at least 2 weeks worth. If you do decide to change the type of pellets it needs to be done gradually mixing the new in with the old.

What type of cage are you going to put her in? I suggest you make one out of the NIC panels. This way you can make it big enough so she can move around in it. Also if you can get wood stove pellets to use as litter (it's so much cheaper)

Also I would pick up a couple of wooden toys for her at the pet store. Mine LOVE apple branches. If you know someone who has an apple tree I would request some branches from them. You can buy apple branches, mine don't like the ones from the store.

Also a toilet paper roll filled with hay is a good toy, can be messy though.

Susan

 

[NDrAbBiTs58041]

Im new at this also, but found that confusing. I have read MANY of posts on here that people say banana and grapes are good, but that site say's to stay away from them. I guess Im confused. I just got a bunny too and was wondering about fruit and veggies. Also in the site it says Do not feed grains such as oats, corn, wheat, crackers, Cheerios, bread, crackers, pasta, etc. There is research to suggest that high starch and low fiber diets may be two of the contributing factors to often fatal cases of enterotoxemia. Enterotoxemia can be caused by changes in cecal pH resulting in the overgrowth of certain bacteria that produce dangerous iota toxins that when absorbed into the body ultimately lead to death. Which I took from the site. So I guess im confused becaues I have, again, read people on here say they feed their buns this.

http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/poisonous.html

this is the site!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

The problem with fruit is that it is high in sugar and can cause gastric problems--loose stool. So any fruit should be given in small amounts only.

 

[nobunnynoclue]

She's not spayed. And I don't plan on breeding her so she'll be getting spayed next month.

Thanks for the info on the food. I looked up timothy hay and it seems easy enough to get. but the pellets is another matter. Do I want timothy hay pellets ? Or do I want rabbit pellet food ? seems like two different things.

They said that there is this hard material that is hard to find which rabbits can chew on. I forget what that is. If anybody has a clue what I might be talking about, please lemme know. lol! I guess I will ask them on saturday.

For toys, I will buy a couple cuz I have no idea what they may be giving me.

Anyways. I'm gonna go rabbit supply hunting now. thanks!

 

[nobunnynoclue]

also, at what age are rabbits considered adults ? I am seeing pellets for adults and for young. This rabbit is 9 months old.

 

[NDrAbBiTs58041]

ok, I found a different site that explains it better but thankx.

Also what about cheerios, oats and that sort of thing again according to that site they are no good but I have read posts on here that people are giving their buns them. Again, is it just in moderation? Not that its BAD but could be if given alot? Is maybe thats what they are saying or NO Bananas,grapes,oats and cheerios AT ALL?

 

[Seraphina]

Really, we probably shouldn't be giving our rabbits any grains at all but they love them as much as we do, so really it's just a treat. I do a tiny piece of banana or grape as a treat usually once around once a week so just don't go crazy on the 'bad' stuff.

As for the pellets, rabbit pellets and timothy hay pellets are the same just Most rabbit pellets come in alfalfa hay instead. you just have to check the ingredients.

But about personality, ya know.. when i brought my first rabbit home, she wasn't really affectionate or loving either. lol, she still isn't really. She isn't mean but she doesn't greet me at the door, or hop on the couch to cuddle and see what i'm doing. She has more important rabbit things to do. So don't be discouraged if the rabbit isn't cuddly.. they're still fun to play with and watch when they do their excersise... or remodeling of your home

Have fun!

 

[nobunnynoclue]

they sound like cats!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi Timothy pellets, not the ones with all the seeds and colourful stuff in them. I use Oxbow, more expensive but one of the better pellets.

I give mine treats (all in moderation) Buttercup gets sunflower seeds quite frequently. He is going to be 13 in August (God Willing) and i think he isunderweight as he doesn't eat as much as he did so I feel he needs to eat what he wants and he wants sunflower seeds.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of yur new bunny when you her.

Susan

 

[nobunnynoclue]

thanks guys. I found a site online binkybunny dot com. they have such cute stuff. can anyone recommend an online store for buying bunny supplies, toys, and food ?

 

[Kipcha]

Honestly, I don't buy anything online for the bunnies, I just get it from local pet stores or I make them on my own. Really, bunny toys are extremely easy and they generally find the baby toys I get from the dollar store the most entertaining XD

It seems like the more I spend on a toy, the less they play with it!

However, my highest recommendation for mental stimulation would be to start rabbit agility with her, but you would have to build a bond with her (And she would have to be healed from her spay) before you could really start, but it is great for people/bunny bonding.

 

[Seraphina]

nobunnynoclue wrote:

they sound like cats!

mine Are like cats. lol

and it's true, the more you spend on a toy, the less interested they are in it. i too don't buy things online for my rabbits. the things they enjoy the most are cardboard boxes and taking them out to grassy places on a leash. Sera gets so excited she nearly leaps out of my arms. And then try and take her home!

 

[NDrAbBiTs58041]

I tired the whole cardboard paper towel roll thing with hay in it. Holy total freak out! Thumper loved it. At first she just rolled it around like, what in the worl is this, picked it up with her teeth and carried it back to her cage. It was soooo funny! Reminded me of a cat or a dog with a toy. It was priceless!

 

[hillrise]

Most breeds of rabbits are considered to be adults about 6 months old, some of the larger breeds until 8 months, and giants make not be adults until a year or more.

As far as the oats, etc. grains go: rabbits can eat them, but the refined ones can spell trouble. And anything made with yeast is bad news because rabbits can't pass gas or burp. Grains are really just domesticated grasses, so not much different from what they eat in the wild. The other problem can come from grains that swell when moistened, which can also cause bloat. Dry grains should be given in moderation.

 

[Flashy]

Good luck picking up your new bunny today.

I volunteer with the RSPCA In England and have an information pack I give out to anyone adopting. It has a lot of useful info in and may be of use to you. There is an online version on my website (the link is in my sig) which may be of use to you

 

[NDrAbBiTs58041]

hillrise wrote:

Most breeds of rabbits are considered to be adults about 6 months old, some of the larger breeds until 8 months, and giants make not be adults until a year or more.

As far as the oats, etc. grains go: rabbits can eat them, but the refined ones can spell trouble. And anything made with yeast is bad news because rabbits can't pass gas or burp. Grains are really just domesticated grasses, so not much different from what they eat in the wild. The other problem can come from grains that swell when moistened, which can also cause bloat. Dry grains should be given in moderation.

Don't know if this was directed to what I posted or not but I was just wondering cause I got it off of a site that said that grains, outs, bread, cheerios ect, ect was not good for them. However is oats sonsidered a MOISTEN grain? Again I read on here that people feed there buns Oats specially after giving kitts to put on weight. Being new I didn't know what was good foods to feed and what to stay away from. Thankx for varifying though. Any info helps! So, these ARE ok to feed but mostly as a treat or sparingly is what your saying then? Its just confusing cause one site says not to and posts on here say that they feed their buns these so I was just making sure what I should do. Thankx again Hillrise!!

 

[MiniLopHop]

I feed my lops steel cut oats, about a teaspoon, on their pellets because they need to gain weight. Oats are good if you have very thin rabbits for some reason to give them a little extra boost, but then they should stop once the rabbit is normal weight again. I think of them more like a dietary medicine for the ill. If you are going to use oats, get the least processed oats you can, not the instant kind. Rabbits tend to get fat so be careful feeding grains. It's much easier to prevent obesity than to correct it later.

 

[Wabbitdad12]

I would like to welcome you to Rabbits Online, my name is Dave and I am a moderator on the forum. So if I can be of any help please let me know. This is a terrific website for rabbits and their slaves, not only is it very active but also friendly. I am so glad you’re here and I know you will enjoy it.

Many bunnies’ recommend their slaves to this site so we may learn of others methods to keeping our furry masters happy.

If you everhave a sick bunny, please post in The Infirmary and include your rabbit's age, breed and health history as well diet and output details leading up to the problem.

Here are somelinks I thought you might find interesting:

*For reference the Library section

*To brag or tell everyone about the antics of your bunny or just to talk about your day here is where to start a Bunny Blog, you can also look back at it later and remember when you had a life before your bunny.

*Now all the bunny’s like talk to each other when we mere slaves aren’t around in the Bunny Chat is the spot to be.

*The House Rabbit Society has a lot of good information on what veggies are safe for bunny’s, etc.

*Here is a link to learn what your furry master is trying to say to you How to Understand Your Bunny's Language

*Rabbits Online also has regional forums , this a good way to find a vet in your area that has experience with rabbits and to find out from other nearby of good sources of rabbit supplies.

The Let Your Hare Down section is for anything non-bunny related.

Here is a link tothat will help you and your bunny to connect, How to Bond with Your Bunny.

Now every forum has rules and ours can be found with this link Rabbits Online Forum Rules. This gives guidelines on what is acceptable, what is not and how we hope everyone will treat each other.

Everyone on this forum loves to see pictures of each other’s bunnies. So if you would like to post a picture this link will help you do that, Upload Photo's to Photo Gallery. Then in the post, you click on the "G" in the tool bar to insert your photo. Many people also use Photobucket. You just copy the img file and paste it into the post.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and I am glad you have joined rabbits online; I look forward to seeing you around.