I'll just cut to the part where my cousin has found herself needing to hand raise a baby. She won't be able to keep her and thought of me. While we weren't looking to get another bunny because Toast's death was really tough on us, I agreed to take her (if she survives). This will be my first time ever having a bunny from a baby. Kind of exciting because of all the training potential. Also a little scary because of the number of ways I could screw up. So I guess I'm wondering where to go to learn how to litter box train and maybe learn what types of behavior a juvenile bunny will try to get away with. If it matters, I know she is a large breed rabbit, I just can't remember exactly what breed right now.
potential new bunny
- Thread starter erikamc
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RavenousDragon
Well-Known Member
In a lot of ways, their personalities are sort of ingrained, from what I know- a snuggly bunny will be a snuggly bunny no matter how you raise it, for example. Potty training is not too hard, however, you have to be super diligent about it at first. Every poop or pee mess should be put in the litterbox, and definitely give a treat for pottying in the litterbox each time. Sometimes, in my personal experience, a rabbit will simply decide to use one spot as a bathroom, and putting a litterbox there fixes all of the issues. 
Another thing to consider, is spaying. That will, in most cases, reduce aggression, urinating outside the box, and improve health and longevity once she gets old enough. It's not cheap, but well worth it in my opinion (it often doubles their lifespan!).
In terms of nutrition, they should get (again in my experience), unlimited pellets until about 6 months old. Depending on the breed, the amount of pellets will differ, but a general rule after 6 months old is 1 tbs/ 5 lbs of bunny. At this point, you should start to introduce fresh greens (I don't like to do it younger due to the risks of GI upset) very slowly (1 new green/week) and if she has diarrhea, remove them for a short time. She should have unlimited hay (not alfalfa, generally- again if she's a giant breed, this may be different), for her entire life.
Sorry if you know a lot of this already, just figured I'd offer everything I know- which is not much, since all of my buns come from shelters off of the kill list. XD
Another thing to consider, is spaying. That will, in most cases, reduce aggression, urinating outside the box, and improve health and longevity once she gets old enough. It's not cheap, but well worth it in my opinion (it often doubles their lifespan!).
In terms of nutrition, they should get (again in my experience), unlimited pellets until about 6 months old. Depending on the breed, the amount of pellets will differ, but a general rule after 6 months old is 1 tbs/ 5 lbs of bunny. At this point, you should start to introduce fresh greens (I don't like to do it younger due to the risks of GI upset) very slowly (1 new green/week) and if she has diarrhea, remove them for a short time. She should have unlimited hay (not alfalfa, generally- again if she's a giant breed, this may be different), for her entire life.
Sorry if you know a lot of this already, just figured I'd offer everything I know- which is not much, since all of my buns come from shelters off of the kill list. XD
yup definitely will get spayed! I wonder what the minimum age is? I'll have to ask my vet. I hadn't considered that they shouldn't get greens until 6 months, thanks! I guess we'll give litter box training a try, but it might not stick with our crazy schedules.
thanks!
thanks!
The best is too spay once the rabbit is about grown (around 9-10 months for a 'meat rabbit'). It also depends on how unbearable your rabbit's teenage stage is. Aki was really OK, and I could wait until she was fully grown. She just had a phantom pregnancy when she was about 7 months old. The other two were awful and I did Tybalt early because I couldn't stand him anymore (there was urine EVERYWHERE and it goes surprisingly high on the walls when sprayed).
Actually, the thing about greens is mostly a legend. It comes from petshop rabbits, who tend to get diarrhea when they get greens because their parents didn't have access to any so their stomachs don't know how to digest them anymore (like people who don't eat meat can't digest it well after a while because the correct enzymes are not active anymore in their stomachs). Also because they are often in bad shape and tend to keel over and die after the slightest upset.
In the wild, rabbits eat grass as soon as they go outside of the burrow (around 3-4 weeks), obviously. My rabbits all ate vegetables from the day I got them and I never had any problem or even one soft poo. BUT none of mine came from petshops, their parents were eating greens and grass (it goes into the nutriments absorbed in the mother womb and in the milk which 'prepares' the stomach for it) so they were all nibbling on their parents food anyway. And of course, I introduced vegetables one by once over the course of 3 days for each of them to be on the safe side even if I felt it wasn't necessary.
With a hand-reared rabbit, I don't know. You might indeed need to be cautious as they tend to have guts problems (some people feed them cecotrophes from healthy rabbits to help them develop the correct bacteria before weaning them, but I don't have any experience with that kind of problem). I would wait after you get her to check she is adjusting to the change OK. Once she seems well adapted, if her stomach seems fine, I would try with a small piece of chicory first, which is easy to digest, and go from there depending on the result.
Honestly, there is nothing much to do concerning the 'training' area, as you can't really 'train' a rabbit. For the litter box, you just put the poos the rabbit drops around inside of it, clean everything that's outside of the box with vinegar and pray that the rabbit will get it. In my experience, girls are a lot cleaner and more reliable than boys (surprise, here...). Generally, peeing in the box comes pretty quickly, at least once the rabbit is spayed. Poos might be harder, but it's also a less dire issue considering that it's a lot less disgusting ^^.
Aki got it after a few days even if she was so tiny I had to put a small cushion to help her go inside the box and was always very clean (she's kind of a neat freak). Tybalt, on the other hand, is a real pig - he barely washes himself and I think he will ALWAYS drop some pellets around (he does his business in the box when he thinks about it... but sometimes, he reckons it's just too much effort).
Actually, the thing about greens is mostly a legend. It comes from petshop rabbits, who tend to get diarrhea when they get greens because their parents didn't have access to any so their stomachs don't know how to digest them anymore (like people who don't eat meat can't digest it well after a while because the correct enzymes are not active anymore in their stomachs). Also because they are often in bad shape and tend to keel over and die after the slightest upset.
In the wild, rabbits eat grass as soon as they go outside of the burrow (around 3-4 weeks), obviously. My rabbits all ate vegetables from the day I got them and I never had any problem or even one soft poo. BUT none of mine came from petshops, their parents were eating greens and grass (it goes into the nutriments absorbed in the mother womb and in the milk which 'prepares' the stomach for it) so they were all nibbling on their parents food anyway. And of course, I introduced vegetables one by once over the course of 3 days for each of them to be on the safe side even if I felt it wasn't necessary.
With a hand-reared rabbit, I don't know. You might indeed need to be cautious as they tend to have guts problems (some people feed them cecotrophes from healthy rabbits to help them develop the correct bacteria before weaning them, but I don't have any experience with that kind of problem). I would wait after you get her to check she is adjusting to the change OK. Once she seems well adapted, if her stomach seems fine, I would try with a small piece of chicory first, which is easy to digest, and go from there depending on the result.
Honestly, there is nothing much to do concerning the 'training' area, as you can't really 'train' a rabbit. For the litter box, you just put the poos the rabbit drops around inside of it, clean everything that's outside of the box with vinegar and pray that the rabbit will get it. In my experience, girls are a lot cleaner and more reliable than boys (surprise, here...). Generally, peeing in the box comes pretty quickly, at least once the rabbit is spayed. Poos might be harder, but it's also a less dire issue considering that it's a lot less disgusting ^^.
Aki got it after a few days even if she was so tiny I had to put a small cushion to help her go inside the box and was always very clean (she's kind of a neat freak). Tybalt, on the other hand, is a real pig - he barely washes himself and I think he will ALWAYS drop some pellets around (he does his business in the box when he thinks about it... but sometimes, he reckons it's just too much effort).
RavenousDragon
Well-Known Member
thought I had responded to this! guess I never hit "submit". good to know I can give her greens. Her mom is well fed, but seeing as she is now being had raised it's sort of a moot point. i found out her breed dad is an American Blue, mom is a Satin/Mini Lop mix (my cousin is as confused as I about why the lady she got them from felt the need to add some mini lop to her blood line). so far she is still doing well, hopefully that continues
