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Minilopbun

Minilopbun

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Feb 7, 2015
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Location
New York, USA
Hi everyone. On Wednesday, I'm picking up a 9 week old mini lop from a breeder. I'm so excited but also so nervous! I have some questions:
1. I'm picking between a male and female -which do you think will make a better pet? (I know it depends on the bunny, but has anyone noticed differences between the two?)
2. They are being fed a pellet that is alfalfa based and all the rabbits that the breeder has eats that. So, Im thinking I should stick to an alfalfa based pellet too. When he/she gets older, I'll provide Timothy hay instead of alfalfa hay, but is it a bad idea to still give the alfalfa pellets? It'll be in small quantities when he gets older.
3. How long should I wait before giving vegetables/fruit?
4. Is traveling a really bad idea? Not anytime soon, but I would like to bring him/her to my boyfriends house eventually. The drive is only 10 mins but I'm not sure how bunnies handle being in a car. Also, I'll have to take him/her home with me when my semester at college is finished. That's a 2 hour ride. What do you think?

Sorry, so many questions! But I want to make sure I keep my bunny as happy as possible!
 
Minilopbun said:
Hi everyone. On Wednesday, I'm picking up a 9 week old mini lop from a breeder. I'm so excited but also so nervous! I have some questions:
1. I'm picking between a male and female -which do you think will make a better pet? (I know it depends on the bunny, but has anyone noticed differences between the two?)
Choice is yours. You won't be able to determine the personality of a baby as that often changes with hormones. But your baby will need to be fixed in a couple months. Have your priced the costs of neuters or spays in your area? It may be more than you realize.

2. They are being fed a pellet that is alfalfa based and all the rabbits that the breeder has eats that. So, Im thinking I should stick to an alfalfa based pellet too. When he/she gets older, I'll provide Timothy hay instead of alfalfa hay, but is it a bad idea to still give the alfalfa pellets? It'll be in small quantities when he gets older.
Absolutely keep feeding the same pellet at first. Once your rabbit reaches 6 months of age, begin transitioning to a timothy-based diet. Alfalfa is far too rich for adults. (Breeding rabbits have different needs, so that may be why the breeder does that. It is not recommended for adults.) You may consider feeding a mix of timothy hay and alfalfa hay from now on. Doing so can help prevent difficulties transitioning to solely timothy hay when older.

3. How long should I wait before giving vegetables/fruit?
Since the baby has not yet been getting any greens, then it is recommended to wait until at least 12 weeks of age. Think in terms of greens moreso then veggies or fruits. Fruits are totally treats. Greens are recommended.

4. Is traveling a really bad idea? Not anytime soon, but I would like to bring him/her to my boyfriends house eventually. The drive is only 10 mins but I'm not sure how bunnies handle being in a car. Also, I'll have to take him/her home with me when my semester at college is finished. That's a 2 hour ride. What do you think?
It is best to avoid unnecessary travel with your rabbit. It is stressful. Moving to a new location is also stressful. I wouldn't recommend bringing bunny on social visits. The one time car ride home is unavoidable.


Sorry, so many questions! But I want to make sure I keep my bunny as happy as possible!
Click to expand...



Might I suggest that you might like to browse through a website I created that goes over how to keep rabbits indoors. There are also links for traveling with a bunny, preparing for a bunny, etc.
 
Thank you, I went to the website it was helpful particularly the litter section. I bought paper pellets I think and put an unscented absorbent bedding on top. I know it'll be difficult to litter train a baby but hopefully he will mostly pee in the box until he/she is fixed.

I have checked costs for spay/neuter already. There are 2 local vets that have rabbit specialists.

About the pellets - Thank you I didn't know there were different needs between rabbits that are being bred and house rabbits. I'll make sure to switch over to Timothy based pellets in a couple of months. Will the mix of alfalfa hay and Timothy hay now make that transition easier later?

I won't bring my bunny on any unnecessary car rides. I didn't realize this can cause much stress.
 
If you get them used to car rides now they shouldn't cause stress. All of my tans head out to their first shows (2-3 hours away normally) when they're around 10 or 12 weeks old. We keep ours in proper carrying cages so they they don't pee or poop on themselves while traveling unlike a if they were in a normal plastic carrier. The carrying cages also allows us to put in cups for food and water and we often give them hay in their cages to keep them busy.

I would say it depends on the rabbit.
 
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Oh, that's good to hear! I guess I'll see how he/she does on the ride home and go from there.
Thanks so much :)
 
Yes, depends on the rabbit. Some are sticklers for routine and hate environment changes, some are cruisy and just go with the flow. How to tell is whether your bunny will happily eat and drink while travelling - if they munch away not bothered by the car movement, that's a good sign. If they just hunch down grumpily and won't eat anything, then keep the rides to a minimum. :p

To your pellet question: Yes, mixing the old and new pellets to do a gradual transition is always recommended, to avoid upheaving sudden changes in the bunny's gut flora that may lead to stasis. Same goes for any new veggies or fruits, always introduce it very slowly and gradually, a bit at a time.
 
Thank you for that! I'll be sure to check how he/she reacts when I bring him/her home on Wednesday! I'll bring pellets with me and see if he eats them :)
 
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