Just got a new bunny :)

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Hello all, I hope everyone and their pets are doing well. Just joined the forum in order to learn more about raising bunnies as we just bought one for my 4 and 5 year olds. It's a very cute all black small bunny, I'm sure it will be bigger once it becomes an adult, we were told it's still young.

We plan to let it loose in the apartment but tonight have him in a cage in the family room mainly for its own protection because we're afraid we might step over him walking around in the dark if it just roams the apartment during the night and it's still very small.

I gave him hay, pellets and a slice of apple. Seems to have eaten a little bit of each and drinking water. He seems friendly for a baby, has been hopping around the room and sniffing everything and everyone.

I'm trying to figure out how to make a litter for him, so any advice on that will be highly appreciated! I'm also thinking of making a bed for him, should I make it myself using an old pillow or do they only like sleeping on hay? I'm very clueless lol

Anyways, will try to add our bunny to the registry once I get some pictures taken tomorrow :)

Good night everyone
 
Do you know this bunny's age? It is important to get a close approximation because proper diet and care depends on age.
It is also important to know if this bunny has been used to eating greens and veggies yet.

If bunny is less than 12 weeks of age and you do not know whether or not it had been receiving greens, then it should not be fed any greens or fruits at all - yet. Young bunnies have extremely delicate digestive systems. The bacterial balance in their gut can easily become imbalanced causing severe issues.

If he's over 12 weeks of age, then greens can be very slowly introduced. Skip all fruits for now as those are considered treats. Those should not be offered until bunny is on a steady diet that includes daily greens.

If you want him to be free roam, then that is something best done very gradually. Giving him too much space too soon can cause lots of behavior problems. It is best to leave him completely confined in his cage for a minimum of 48 hours. During this time he should not be pet or bothered at all. This helps him to acclimate the quickest. It also helps to establish his cage as his territory. This is critical for having a free roaming bunny. He needs a space that he knows is his alone. It also becomes his safe-haven, his retreat. This is established by keeping him confined for at least the first 48 hours.

THis is also a great time to get him used to a litter box. A very popular option among us here on RO is the wood pellets (not shaving). I detail how to litter train here.

After those first couple days, his cage door can be open and an exercise pen be placed around that area. This allows him a limited roaming area. This is so he can learn to return to his litter box as needed. Providing too much space too soon just results in potty accidents. Potty accidents sets back training by weeks. It is best to be patient and only expand roaming area over a long period of time (weeks).

Don't worry about having a bed during the potty training stage. It will likely just be peed on. The cage floor should be solid for now so as not to confuse bunny as to where to go. The soft bedding/litter topped with hay will entice him to go in there and potty.
 
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Hi BlueEyes, thanks so much for the advice :) I've been reading up on how to make the litter and will probably be getting more supplies this week.

I don't really know how old this bunny is. Maybe you guys can help me figure that out from the pics lol. He doesn't seem to be an infant, but he is smaller than an adult bunny, so I would guess he's something like a toddler. I'm not sure how many weeks that would be, though.

My mom actually bought him so I have little info. Here's a picture of his cage. I plan to modify it as I learn more about how his space should be. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get my children not to touch him for the first couple of days he's here, but doing my best to keep him safe and return him to his cage once they've pet him for a bit.

The cage has water, hay, some pellets and a litter container. He hasn't really been pooping in it but there is already some pee in it so he seems to prefer peeing in there rather than in the old towel I'm using for his bedding.

One question I have is about wood pellets, I read that they were bad so I had discussed this with my mom but when she talked to the pet shop owner he said that the wood pellets he sells are non toxic, that they aren't treated with anything. So my mom did get a bag and I used them on the litter. Are wood pellets always a problem or can some of them be all natural as this guy claimed?

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I think you may be confusing wood pellets with wood shavings. Both pine and cedar shavings should be avoided. Aspen is considered safe. But I wouldn't use any shavings. They just make a mess and aren't that great at odor absorption. What I see in the photo outside the blue container is wood shavings.

What you want is wood pellets. These are the ones used for wood pellet stoves or for horse bedding. Another alternative are the paper pellets (like unscented Yesterday's News cat litter OR the Petco version of the same).

One side note - do not trust pet store employees. They are just as likely to be wrong as right.

As for age, perhaps a vet could make an estimation. Rabbits are considered adults by 7 months of age.

The litter box should be triple the size you currently have in there. Of course, that also means larger housing (which I understand you are working on). He should be eating his body size in hay every day. The hay should be refreshed every day -- don't wait until it is low or gone. A larger hay rack would be better.

Sounds like you are on your way to providing a nice bunny home.
 
Oops my bad, haha. I meant wood shavings. Yeah I'm a little skeptical about what the pet shop person told my mom. I can smell this strong odor on the wood shavings, but he said they had no chemicals. I wish I understood more about wood to know if he's correct about it being all natural.

Yeah the wood shavings are a huge mess lol. Will definitely switch to pellets. I didn't know he should be eating that much hay, thanks for the info. He gets his plate refilled throughout the day but I thought I was kind of overfeeding him! :)

I'm looking for a playpen to switch his home to. Seems like it might be better so he can move around more. After looking at some pictures of baby bunnies and adults, I'm thinking he's around 7-10 weeks but I could be wrong as I don't really know his breed or how big he will get as an adult. In fact, I don't even know "his" gender lol. Will see a vet at some point to figure that out and talk about spaying if it happens to be female because I read it's better for their health.
 
Here's a picture of his new setup. I replaced the litter and the towel for cleaning :) I'm more and more thinking of not using the shavings anymore. I just don't like their smell. I'm not much of a wood person but I have my doubts that plain wood smells this strong.

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OK, so I haven't read everything that you've been told so I might repeat things. I think you said that cage was temporary. That's good, because it is not at all appropriate for a bunny, it's a lot too small and it looks like the rabbit can't get out of it on it's own (I may be wrong about that, it's what I gather from the photos). Especially since your bunny will probably get pretty big - he's clearly not a dwarf, considering the size of his ears.
Also, where is the hay? He should have a big pile at all time, it's absolutely vital that he eats at least his own body in hay everyday or you'll have tooth and guts problems on your hands soon.
For general care, I advise you to read the house rabbit society website which contains all the basic infos about diet, housing and health:
http://rabbit.org/category/care/diet/

My next point might not please you, but I think you should be warned : giving a bunny to a 4 and a 5 years old is a terrible idea. Rabbits don't like being handled (you probably can't see it yet, considering you've got a baby - babies are friendly, he might still be in a few months, but it's not a given at all and none of the rabbits I've had has ever liked to be handled, some tolerate it and others not at all), they are fragile and temperamental, not very affectionate, they bite and scratch, and strive with very patient and quiet people - they are the last animal I would chose for a young child. A lot of responsible rabbit breeders refuse to sell to families with children younger than 8.

Of course, it's done now, and you might be aware of this but please be very cautious. I advise you to never leave your children with the rabbit without supervision and to teach them now to NEVER carry the rabbit while standing, ever. They could kill him (it's unfortunately a very frequent accident - if the rabbit struggles he can break his back / fall and break his limbs / get hugged too strongly and have his internal organs crushed and I regularly talk online to parents of traumatized children who unwittingly killed their beloved pet which is really heart-breaking) or get injured themselves (I still have a scar from the palm of my hand to my elbow from the time I put my really friendly dwarf lop in a pet carrier - it bled a lot).
If your children are really calm and respectful of animals, it will be fine, but teach them to drag their feet while walking when the bunny is out, to pet him only sitting down and to stop touching him if he grunts (if you don't desist, they bite).
You mention letting him lose in the appartment. That's great. A rabbit should have at least 5 hours outside of their cage everyday, but you have to bunny-proof big time first. Rabbits eat EVERYTHING and are quick about it. Protect all electrical cords with hard plastic protection, don't leave shoes / books / clothes where he can get to them. He will eat some of your stuffs anyway, they always find a way to get to something you overlooked (I lost an incredible number of things, from bedding to headphones, shoes, papers, a pillow, the soft antenna of a clock-radio... to mine despite my best efforts)

The last point that comes to mind is that you are right : if it's a girl, spay even if she doesn't develop any problematic behavior (the cancer / mastitis / infection risks are so high, the sad outcome is almost garantied without it). And if your cute little bunny becomes a monster from hell in a few months, don't panic. It's not unusual : spaying / neutering will fix it. Not all bunnies are born equal when it comes to hormones - some stay exactly the same through puberty while others become territorial, bite and spray urine everywhere while trying to masturbate on everything that moves (or not). I had both cases and desexing always worked immediately for me.
 
Hi Aki, thanks for the advice. Yeah I figured this bunny wasn't a dwarf, I guess it's a good thing it will get bigger because right now it scares me that the kids might injure him while petting him. It's good to know he will get stronger :)

I am unfamiliar with bunnies really. This was more an idea of my mom's and son but hopefully we'll make the best of it. I will consider spaying even if it's a male if he develops aggressive behavior, and will spay no matter what if it's a female.

Regarding hay, I tend to give him food throughout the day since he is in the family room, so he doesn't really run out. I think he was having pellets as his breakfast when I took the picture, right after i cleaned his plate of older food. But if I were planning to go out or couldn't pay attention to his plate for a few hours then I'd give him a large amount of hay all at once.

I guess we'll wait and see what happens as he grows up. He does get out of the cage every so often while someone's able to supervise him, although another member of the forum (above) said to keep him in the cage a bit more during the first few days so I was trying to do that. I also keep him there while the children are running around for its own protection. Will probably be moving him onto a pet playpen as he transitions toward roaming the apt.
 
Here's a picture of "him" outside the cage :) Seems to like going inside a lot even if the door is open. I guess he got used to the cage at the pet store.

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Many rabbits still enjoy being in their cages- it's like their bedroom. Just like us, they like to spend time in the bedroom, just not most of the day. Mine are always in their cages when they are sleeping- it's where they feel safe. It sounds like you are doing all the right things- just make sure 'he's' always got lots of hay all the time!! He's a cutie!
 
Thanks so much RavenousDragon :) Yeah it definitely seems like he considers the cage to be his room. I'm glad he's liking it. I was wondering about litter training though. How can I make it more likely that he'll pee in a certain place? I feel bad that he may be sleeping on a wet surface until I switch his towel/bedding for a dry one. Any treats/veggies you guys would recommend for a baby/toddler bunny? Also any idea what breed he is? No preference on breeds for me, just curious to find out more about him :) hugs
 
In terms of potty training, he might not take to it until he's older (and neutered!- depending on the individual). I would soak up his urine before you change the towel with a paper towel and put it in the box where he's supposed to pee. And change the towel as SOON as you notice he's peed on it-theoretically right after he's peed (which is pretty much impossible). Also I would pick up his feces and place them in the box too. Let the box get a little stinky and he should pick it up. It can take a little longer for younger buns, so be patient!

I would start with parsley as a first veggie (I have no actual reason for this except that it SEEMS to be easier on their GI tract to me). But start with just a little tiny piece and watch his poop very carefully the next day. If he has normal poop for a few days, you can increase the amount slowly (every 3-4 days). If not, go back to only pellets and hay for a few days and try again. If it's normal and you are feeding him a decent amount (probably about 1 cup at his size/age) you can start to add variety, but again, very slowly. Any soft poop and none of that specific vegetable for a while. I would introduce only 1 per week maximum.

I'm horrible at breeds, so I can't help you on that last one.

Keep up with the adorable pictures! He's SUPER cute!!!
 
I feel bad that he may be sleeping on a wet surface until I switch his towel/bedding for a dry one. Any treats/veggies you guys would recommend for a baby/toddler bunny? Also any idea what breed he is? No preference on breeds for me, just curious to find out more about him :) hugs

Haven't been here for a bit.

Your new litter box is a much better size! I would strongly encourage you to switch away from the shavings. It isn't about the pine being 'natural.' Natural pine IS the problem -- at least in shavings form. It emits harmful phenols -- that is the strong odor you smell and it isn't good for bunny.

Wood pellets would be better. They work better, are safe for bunny, are cheap.

As for litter training, that will be more difficult if you keep the towel in there. They like to pee where it is soft. If the cage floor is solid (no towel) then he will go in the litter box to get on the soft litter. Take a look here for specific detail on litter training.

If bunny is under 12 weeks of age, then don't offer him any greens, fruits or anything other than his pellets and his hay. Younger buns should only get greens if their momma was on greens during and after pregnancy. In that case, their gut would be adjusted. But if that is unknown, then it is recommended to wait until 12 weeks of age.

The only "treat" he can get now is hand-offered pellets.

And yes, as Ravenous said, he needs more hay. Not little bits throughout the day. Give him LOTS! They like to pick through it and choose particular pieces. You can put hay directly in his litter box on top of the litter. Fill half the box with hay -- yes, that much. He needs his body size in hay every day. The more the better. It is impossible for a rabbit to eat too much hay.

Oh... I just saw that your cage looks like it has a wire bottom. If you remove the towel as recommended, then put something solid in its place -- ceramic tile squares might work, or a piece of wood with vinyl stick tiles.
 
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Thanks guys/ladies for the suggestions :) I've been trying to pick up his poop often from anywhere in his cage but the litter so that he knows it's the place to go.

I added more hay to his litter too. I was reluctant to place that much in the litter because I figured he wouldn't want it near his excrement but I guess these little guys have different priorities from us humans lol. I made a little divider using cardboard so that it wouldn't mix as much with his waste because I noticed that he doesn't seem to have as much interest in the hay that's been soaked.

Today I gave him a tiny celery leaf, just to see if he was interested and he seemed to enjoy it. Other than that he's only had hay and pellets.

Thanks so much for the compliments RavenousDragon, the bunny appreciates them, hehe. Here are some more pictures :)

By the way guys, I'm somewhat concerned over something. The bunny is still small so I try to avoid holding him but I did notice that he has this strange sharp kind of bony growth in at least one of his shoulders. There is hair in there, so it's difficult to see. He definitely already had it when we bought him. I hope it's nothing serious. I think this would be a prepubescent bunny so I'm hoping it isn't anything malignant. Will take him to a vet.

Hi BlueEyes, yeah this cage doesn't have a solid floor. What I did to it so that bunny would sleep comfortable was to place a large plastic lid on one edge of the cage (green plastic in the pictures) and then the towel on top. That way he doesn't have to feel the metal wires. He seems to really enjoy that spot. I think he considers that his bed because it's where he tends to stretch and nap :)

But I will consider getting rid of the towel in favor of a solid floor if after a while he doesn't stop peeing on it. I like the towel setup because it's cozier but might have to go back to it once he's potty trained.

Will not be buying the shavings again once they run out. I think the salesperson was either confused or told us something inaccurate :\

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Looks like some good improvements!

The amount of hay I see in the litter box-- that amount can be placed in there twice per day. Don't wait until it is gone. Adding more will encourage him to eat more hay! We want our rabbits eating lots and lots and lots of hay!
 

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