Bunny Information
What to do when I first bring my new pet home? It is very important not to stress you new bunny out when you first bring them home. Even though your bunny has been around activity and a busy setting, it doesn’t mean that a new environment is not going to be stressful for them. Don’t forget that rabbits are a prey animal, their instincts are to run and hide. You don’t want to become the predator in your new bunnies eyes. You want to build a good foundation right from the start of trust, security and acceptance. So, when you first bring your bunny home, it is best to put them in their new home and just let them be for at least 24 hours. Then you can start to pet your bunny while still leaving them in their cage. They will start to feel more comfortable with you and their new environment as time goes on. After a few days and as long as it looks like your new bunny is feeling more comfortable in their new surroundings you can start to pick them up and hold them. You need to take baby steps with your new furry friend, he is just a baby, you have remember this fact and treat them as such. PLEASE don’t give your new bunny the freedom to run around your home for at least 6-8 weeks. Again don’t forget, you don’t want to become the predator in your bunny’s eyes. If you don’t have a proper bond with your bunny and have to start chasing them around the house to catch them, you are now the predator and they are the prey. Be patient, this is only for a few months and you are setting the groundwork for hopefully the next 5-10 years. It is the least you can do for your new furry family member.
What if I want two bunnies? Rabbits do enjoy companionship whether it is their human friend or another rabbit friend. As long as you give your rabbit plenty of attention it will live happily ever after with you or a rabbit friend. If you feel that you want to get two rabbits, the best partnership would be a male and a female with one or both of them fixed. Saying that two females or two males can also get along very well. Two of the same sex rabbits will get along most of the time as long as their personalities are well matched. If you get two dominant rabbits and both want to be boss, whether they are two males or two females, you may have a problem. But again, if you have them both fixed that should resolve any fighting. Both males and females will mount each other, but not to worry it is just a “I am the boss” kind of thing. I personally feel that the best pairing is a neutered male and a female. I recommend that you buy your male first, spend the time with him to bond. Then have him neutered between 3- 5 months. Once he has recovered from his surgery start looking for a partner for him. For them to bond faster I recommend that you bring your male with you when you go to pick up your new bunny. Have them on the same carrier on the ride home and the bond can start immediately.
Where am I going to house my bunny? Make sure that you have a nice comfortable, easy to clean, dry hutch or cage for your rabbit. Rabbits can tolerate the cold of the winter easier than the heat of the summer, as long as they are sheltered from the wind and rain. It is also important to keep your rabbit out of a draft if they are living outside. Also getting a dog exercise pen for indoor or out is a great for them to run and play in.
What about litter training my bunny? Most rabbits like to go in one corner of their cage so it is fairly easy to litter train them. For best results put a litter box at one end of their cage and put wood pellets or shavings in the box, in the rest of the cage put an old towel down. Your bunny has been used to doing his/her business on wood pellets so should naturally hop in the litter box to do it on the wood pellets sooner than on the towel. You can also put their handful of hay in one corner of the box. Don’t forget that your little bunny is a baby so may have accidents now and then.
What am I going to feed my bunny? Your rabbit should be eating 16% Timothy Hay pellets. Most rabbit pellets are made from alfalfa hay and are very rich for a small breed rabbit. For pellets you should feed: 1 TBS of pellets for a small rabbit, ¼ cup for a medium rabbit & ½ cup for a large one, twice a day. Another more accurate way is 1 oz of pellets to every pound of rabbit, so if your rabbit weighs 4 pounds it would get 4 oz of pellets, ½ a cup. Local hay or Timothy hay has great fiber, feed every day. Alfalfa is much richer then local hay and I would not recommend it for your rabbit. It is important not to give your baby rabbit any fresh fruit/veggies for the first 4 to 5 months. Then as an adult only as a treat and small amounts, otherwise to much may give them diarrhea and can be fatal. If your rabbit get loose stools, give raspberry or blackberry leaves this may help. The milk of the dandelion flower stem is a type of antibiotic and the entire plant, roots and all are very good for rabbits. Avoid all parts of the buttercup plant. Pineapple tidbits and oranges a few times a month helps to prevent and cure hairballs. Rabbits also need wood to chew on,(DO NOT USE treated or cedar wood) you can purchase the coloured chew sticks form pet stores or a branch from a fruit tree that grows non pit fruit is just as good.
Water helps rabbits to digest their pellets, so they must have plenty of fresh, clean water. Make sure that your rabbit’s water is not frozen in the winter and in the summer it is a great idea to put ice cubes in the water to keep your rabbit cool.
Some healthy foods to feed your ADULT rabbit (not babies)
Wild and herbal plant food: dandelion, clover, blackberry leaves, parsley
Fruits and Vegetables: beet greens, carrots & tops, bananas, apples
Dry Foods: cheerios, rolled oats, shredded wheat
Do not feed your rabbit
Foods to avoid: iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, celery, candy, nuts, dried fruits
Playing with my bunny? If you understand rabbit behavior, then you have a great start in understanding your new pet. Rabbits are one of the most common preyed on animals, their instincts are to run and hide. Don't give your rabbit too much freedom to soon, if you have to chase it to catch it, it teaches your rabbit a bad pattern of running from you. It is important to handle your rabbit daily, be confident and hold them firm, making them feel safe. Never hit your rabbit, rabbits never forget and will hold a grudge. Rabbits are very smart, love to play and are fast learners, so it is very important to give they chew toys, tunnels, even hide treats for them to have to hunt for. Toilet or paper towel rolls, cardboard box or small pieces of wood (caution-some trees are poisonous like cedar and no treated wood) are some inexpensive item that you can use. There are so many items that you can order online as well to help stimulate your rabbit. Again, rabbits are very social and intelligent animals. A bored rabbit can get into undesirable behavior. Of course, the best activity for your rabbit is to hop around your room or outside on the grass, dog exercise pens are great for this activity. Never leave a rabbit unsupervised; in the house they will chew on things and outside there is the risk of it running away. Rabbits are marvelous escape artists if given the chance.
Should I be worried if? My rabbit has red urine? No, the red urine varies from light to dark and from rabbit to rabbit depending on the diet. The red urine is caused by rich foods, high in protein that some rabbits react to. If the red urine has small flicks in it, it may be blood then you should contact your vet.
If my rabbit is eating it's droppings? This behavior is also quite normal. If your rabbit is getting a large amount of fresh food, you will see more of the soft and clump together droppings. The rabbit will eat a small amount of these droppings to maintain a proper balance of microorganisms in the digestive system.
You should be worried if you rabbits behavior changes. If it stops eating or drinking or is just sitting in the corner of its cage not wanting to move around. It is very important to find an experienced veterinarian that specializes in small animals.
Do
So with all this information the bottom line is to enjoy your bunny! Play with your bunny, scratch its' forehead and rubbed under its chin. Once your rabbit becomes comfortable being handled and develops a sense of trust with you, they love to be stroked and petted. Have fun and enjoy! :)
What if I want two bunnies? Rabbits do enjoy companionship whether it is their human friend or another rabbit friend. As long as you give your rabbit plenty of attention it will live happily ever after with you or a rabbit friend. If you feel that you want to get two rabbits, the best partnership would be a male and a female with one or both of them fixed. Saying that two females or two males can also get along very well. Two of the same sex rabbits will get along most of the time as long as their personalities are well matched. If you get two dominant rabbits and both want to be boss, whether they are two males or two females, you may have a problem. But again, if you have them both fixed that should resolve any fighting. Both males and females will mount each other, but not to worry it is just a “I am the boss” kind of thing. I personally feel that the best pairing is a neutered male and a female. I recommend that you buy your male first, spend the time with him to bond. Then have him neutered between 3- 5 months. Once he has recovered from his surgery start looking for a partner for him. For them to bond faster I recommend that you bring your male with you when you go to pick up your new bunny. Have them on the same carrier on the ride home and the bond can start immediately.
Where am I going to house my bunny? Make sure that you have a nice comfortable, easy to clean, dry hutch or cage for your rabbit. Rabbits can tolerate the cold of the winter easier than the heat of the summer, as long as they are sheltered from the wind and rain. It is also important to keep your rabbit out of a draft if they are living outside. Also getting a dog exercise pen for indoor or out is a great for them to run and play in.
What about litter training my bunny? Most rabbits like to go in one corner of their cage so it is fairly easy to litter train them. For best results put a litter box at one end of their cage and put wood pellets or shavings in the box, in the rest of the cage put an old towel down. Your bunny has been used to doing his/her business on wood pellets so should naturally hop in the litter box to do it on the wood pellets sooner than on the towel. You can also put their handful of hay in one corner of the box. Don’t forget that your little bunny is a baby so may have accidents now and then.
What am I going to feed my bunny? Your rabbit should be eating 16% Timothy Hay pellets. Most rabbit pellets are made from alfalfa hay and are very rich for a small breed rabbit. For pellets you should feed: 1 TBS of pellets for a small rabbit, ¼ cup for a medium rabbit & ½ cup for a large one, twice a day. Another more accurate way is 1 oz of pellets to every pound of rabbit, so if your rabbit weighs 4 pounds it would get 4 oz of pellets, ½ a cup. Local hay or Timothy hay has great fiber, feed every day. Alfalfa is much richer then local hay and I would not recommend it for your rabbit. It is important not to give your baby rabbit any fresh fruit/veggies for the first 4 to 5 months. Then as an adult only as a treat and small amounts, otherwise to much may give them diarrhea and can be fatal. If your rabbit get loose stools, give raspberry or blackberry leaves this may help. The milk of the dandelion flower stem is a type of antibiotic and the entire plant, roots and all are very good for rabbits. Avoid all parts of the buttercup plant. Pineapple tidbits and oranges a few times a month helps to prevent and cure hairballs. Rabbits also need wood to chew on,(DO NOT USE treated or cedar wood) you can purchase the coloured chew sticks form pet stores or a branch from a fruit tree that grows non pit fruit is just as good.
Water helps rabbits to digest their pellets, so they must have plenty of fresh, clean water. Make sure that your rabbit’s water is not frozen in the winter and in the summer it is a great idea to put ice cubes in the water to keep your rabbit cool.
Some healthy foods to feed your ADULT rabbit (not babies)
Wild and herbal plant food: dandelion, clover, blackberry leaves, parsley
Fruits and Vegetables: beet greens, carrots & tops, bananas, apples
Dry Foods: cheerios, rolled oats, shredded wheat
Do not feed your rabbit
Foods to avoid: iceberg lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, celery, candy, nuts, dried fruits
Playing with my bunny? If you understand rabbit behavior, then you have a great start in understanding your new pet. Rabbits are one of the most common preyed on animals, their instincts are to run and hide. Don't give your rabbit too much freedom to soon, if you have to chase it to catch it, it teaches your rabbit a bad pattern of running from you. It is important to handle your rabbit daily, be confident and hold them firm, making them feel safe. Never hit your rabbit, rabbits never forget and will hold a grudge. Rabbits are very smart, love to play and are fast learners, so it is very important to give they chew toys, tunnels, even hide treats for them to have to hunt for. Toilet or paper towel rolls, cardboard box or small pieces of wood (caution-some trees are poisonous like cedar and no treated wood) are some inexpensive item that you can use. There are so many items that you can order online as well to help stimulate your rabbit. Again, rabbits are very social and intelligent animals. A bored rabbit can get into undesirable behavior. Of course, the best activity for your rabbit is to hop around your room or outside on the grass, dog exercise pens are great for this activity. Never leave a rabbit unsupervised; in the house they will chew on things and outside there is the risk of it running away. Rabbits are marvelous escape artists if given the chance.
Should I be worried if? My rabbit has red urine? No, the red urine varies from light to dark and from rabbit to rabbit depending on the diet. The red urine is caused by rich foods, high in protein that some rabbits react to. If the red urine has small flicks in it, it may be blood then you should contact your vet.
If my rabbit is eating it's droppings? This behavior is also quite normal. If your rabbit is getting a large amount of fresh food, you will see more of the soft and clump together droppings. The rabbit will eat a small amount of these droppings to maintain a proper balance of microorganisms in the digestive system.
You should be worried if you rabbits behavior changes. If it stops eating or drinking or is just sitting in the corner of its cage not wanting to move around. It is very important to find an experienced veterinarian that specializes in small animals.
Do
- handle and play with daily
- make sure there is fresh food and water daily
- check that your rabbit looks healthy
- ask your parents if you think anything is wrong
- keep the cage clean
- love your bunny :)
- pick your bunny up by the ears
- feed to many treats
- give your bunny a bath
- let your bunny get over heat
- let your bunny out of it's cage unsupervised
So with all this information the bottom line is to enjoy your bunny! Play with your bunny, scratch its' forehead and rubbed under its chin. Once your rabbit becomes comfortable being handled and develops a sense of trust with you, they love to be stroked and petted. Have fun and enjoy! :)