I got a bunny for Christmas (help?)!

[ashleigheperry]

I recently rescued a middle-aged bunny from my sister (well, he was a Christmas present from her), who runs a teeny tiny rabbit rescue out of our parents' house. He's probably about five, though we aren't really sure, and he came from a situation in which he was neglected. He's a dwarf and his nails were over an inch long. Though she did preliminary clipping so he can move I'll have to work on getting them down to a more reasonable length. He wasn't using his back legs much when he came to her, which made her consider that he might have arthritis. He's improved in personality and movement incredibly over just a week, but now I've brought him home and I'm not exactly sure how to proceed.

His cage set up is a large ferret cage with a bunny-safe platform that opens into a 4ft. by 6ft. exercise pen that he is free to explore when we're at home. For the first couple days, I've just let him be in his smaller enclosure, only bugging him to give him food and water. I've been sitting next to the cage and talking to him. What's the next step? Should I keep the large run set up and give him constant access to that before I work on bonding with him?

I want to establish a good foundation for our relationship and his mental and physical health.

 

[lovelops]

What a beautiful bunny. I think I have posted a few times about the two rescues from my pic that I have now. I took them out the first day to run around me and just sat quietly and worked on building the time up both with them and without so they could explore the small spaces that I set up as their 'free range' areas. Lady it's the kitchen which she likes and Brooke it's the bathroom and Hall way after my two original Agouti's are done getting some leg stretching time. Other wise I have X pens on the porch for Brooke and it's working out well. Brooke was outgoing and loves people so I could pick her up the first day no problems. Lady, as I keep mentioning, will not let me hold her or pick her up. I'm working on that. She has jumped in my lap a few times and I've been able to take photos, but for the most part I'm going to work up to winning her trust.

 

[kisha.princess]

He is soo cute!
Since he is a rescue, I would recommend going to the vet. They can cut his nails, clip his teeth(if needed) they can check his overall health and check him for arthritis. It's usually between 50-100 dollars depending if they give him shots or anything. Also I would suggest going to Petsmart the store or online and they have things like vitamins that you mix with food and water. They are for joint health which should help with his legs

As for the introduction to his new home you should buy him fruit (kiwi bananas and strawberries are princess's favorite) and go to walmart and get yogies. They're yogurt chips that you can give to your bunny daily. I would recommend feeding him those out of your hand an petting him after he eats them. Then after a few days pick him up and hold him. That's what I did with mine! luck to you!

 

[ashleigheperry]

Thanks for your swift replies! I agree - he is so adorable. A small portion of the fur on his face was matted and was clipped by my sister, so he looks a bit scruffy but he's super soft and a bit rounder than he should be, haha. He's already eaten some of his pellet food out of my hand and will come sniff me and mark his surroundings when I took him out today for free roaming in the apartment. We aren't bunny-proofed enough to let him roam completely freely, so some areas were sectioned off. The introduction with the cat is going even better than I expected. They were both calm and curious with no negative reactions whatsoever. I had given them the other's scent on the first day to make sure they weren't too surprised by each other. The bun really doesn't pay the cat much mind but will touch noses with her, and she is very interested but is staying relaxed, with no "hunting" body language. I've very proud of them both.

He is quite shaky when I pick him up, though he'll let me do so with no problem, and was an angel when I cleaned his eyes. He didn't squirm at all or make any angry noises. I hope to bring him to the vet sometime next week when my next paycheck clears!

 

[Aubrisita]

Aw, he is adorable, congrats. It sounds like things are going smoothly. I hand fed Stache when I first got him too. I also just spent time talking to him in a soft voice. Welcome to RO, I have found everyone to br super helpful.

 

[Imbrium]

As for the introduction to his new home you should buy him fruit (kiwi bananas and strawberries are princess's favorite) and go to walmart and get yogies. They're yogurt chips that you can give to your bunny daily. I would recommend feeding him those out of your hand an petting him after he eats them. Then after a few days pick him up and hold him. That's what I did with mine! luck to you!

Yogies (and nearly all other commercial treats) are actually quite unhealthy for rabbits. They're lactose-intolerant and even the kind of yogies that don't have yogurt are pretty much pure sugar. Fruit is ok in moderation (no more than 1 tsp per 2 lbs body weight daily, less if it's dried fruit because that's more concentrated) and is by far the best treat to offer. Up to 1 tbsp non-leafy green veggies per 2 lbs body weight per day can be given as well (though if you give carrots, you don't want to give the maximum amount of both fruit and carrots).

I would sit with him in his attached run or a small room and bring a book to read, a laptop/cell phone to play around on, a craft project to do, something like that. Basically, ignore the bunny and let him come to you when he's ready . You can offer a little treat if he approaches you; if you reach out to pet him and he darts off then I'd wait a while to try to pet him again.

 

[MikeScone]

He is quite shaky when I pick him up, though he'll let me do so with no problem...

That could be a symptom of nervousness, but some rabbits will tremble or vibrate even when they're perfectly calm. If the trembling is in time with his nose twitching, it's probably just normal for him. Most buns don't really enjoy being picked up, so be prepared for a change when he finally settles in. My Natasha Rabbitova was a real cuddle bun when she first came to live with me, but once she got over her nervousness and decided that this was her forever home, she became much more independent. She'll still tolerate my holding her, but she makes it clear after a few minutes that she's had enough.

The apparent rear-leg weakness could be arthritis, as you suggested, but if you don't know what situation he was rescued from it's also quite possible he was kept in such a small cage all his life that he just never got the opportunity to develop his hind leg strength. Since you say he's improving in mobility, it sounds more like that to me. My first rabbit, Scone MacBunny, did develop arthritis as he got older, and the symptoms got worse over time, not better (until the vet had me start giving him Adequan injections, which made a huge difference for his last year or so). If he continues to improve as he exercises in his out-of-cage time I'd say he's doing OK and nothing to worry about (obviously you're going to want a vet checkup, anyway).

Good luck, and welcome to RO!

 

[lovelops]

Yogies (and nearly all other commercial treats) are actually quite unhealthy for rabbits. They're lactose-intolerant and even the kind of yogies that don't have yogurt are pretty much pure sugar.

Yeah but they are soo good! My dogs love 'em! :jumpforjoy:It's the only thing at times that will stop them from a barking fit! Next you are going to tell me cigarettes are bad along with drinking and driving! JK :bouquet:

 

[MikeScone]

Yeah but they are soo good! My dogs love 'em!

I don't doubt it, but you have to be careful drawing parallels between dogs and rabbits. Dogs are carnivores, so dairy products aren't a problem for them.

Rabbits are herbivores and dairy products, and especially things with sugar in them like yogurt treats, are bad for them. They love them, because rabbits have sweet tooths a mile wide, but eating throws off the balance of bacteria in their digestive system.

 

[ashleigheperry]

The only treats I'm giving him at the moment are herbs (mostly lavender with a bit of hibiscus and mint) with a tiny amount of steel cut oats mixed in. He goes crazy for it!