Brand new baby (2 mos old) Lionhead owner

[Kristin McCann]

Hello! I have had several small pets such as male fancy rats, etc. I have never owned a rabbit before & I have some questions! I read online that they need some type of vaccine? I’ve been told by a friend who has a grown Lionhead to not worry about it but I am. Also, I’m trying to potty train him with a litter box. I’ve placed it & training litter w some of his droppings in it in the place I noticed he uses the bathroom but now he’s just going everywhere, all over cage, in his hay bin, etc. & now his lil feet are a little yellow & I had to trim a piece of matted poo out of his tummy fur because I couldn’t get it off/out any other way . Is all of this normal & does anyone have any suggestions for me since I’ve never cared for a rabbit? I have read a lot online but it’s not going as planned as far as litter training. He has become so much calmer since I’ve had him, 7 days now. I hold him here & there on my chest & he will fall asleep when I pet him. I also read that if not groomed regularly he can get an ear infection & get matted? How do I groom him? Do I need to clean his ears? Do I need to bathe him? Do they like water? I live in Pennsylvania so it’s way cold right now & I read their fur is too dense to dry & if left damp he could get cold & then sick. Anything anyone can help me with would be greatly appreciated. I want him to be healthy & happy so I most certainly want to take the best care of him that I can so I need someone experienced to please help me out with some info as everything I’m reading online is all conflicting information. His name’s Chewy, my 15 yr old son named him, he said he looks like Chewbacca from Star Wars-it was just too perfect! I love him SO much & he’s the cutest, sweetest animal ever, he nibbles in my finger, doesn’t hurt me, has licked me & I hand feed him some because my friends Lionhead is good aggressive I think he might need like a little hidey-hole thing? In this picture, he’s actually perched in his litter box lol. Oh yea, I tried the clean, unscented paper bedding but he kept eating it so I’ve replaced it with dustless pine bedding which I also read can cause breathing problems? Ugh! So many conflicting stories out there! Help please! Thanks so much! I’m SO glad I found this forum!

 

[Blue eyes]

First off, welcome to the forum! Your little bun is a cutie!

I had been keeping rabbits for many years before I found this forum and am so glad that I did. I have learned much here and find myself still learning. Rabbits are so misunderstood and, yes, there is tons of conflicting information on the web!

Don't be discouraged on the potty training. Baby rabbits are actually harder to train than fixed, older rabbits. Even babies that do litter train can forget that training once hormones set in. Nevertheless, there are several changes that can be made (just based on your photo) that should help with the potty training.

During the training period, there should be no loose bedding on the cage floor. Loose bedding just screams "I am your potty box." The only place there should be loose bedding or litter is in the litter box itself. The litter box, is too small for your growing rabbit. He barely fits in there now. A litter box should be plenty large -- large enough for him to stretch out completely (when full grown). The difficulty you'll face with the flooring is that it looks like the bottom of your cage is all plastic. That can make for a slippery floor if nothing is on it. You'll need to find something to put down that is not soft (no blankets or fleece) but that is solid and has some traction to prevent injury from slipping. (Their paws are all fur and have no pads.) Certain tub mats or perhaps textured linoleum could do if bunny doesn't chew it. That means you may need to experiment with what will work.

I go over this on my website which I created in response to seeing so much misinformation on the web about rabbit care. Here is the page that discusses potty training and has photos of a litter set-up.

Bathing is a big no-no. Rabbits should not need baths and baths are not recommended. (There is the very rare exception under certain conditions.) I have never had to bathe a rabbit in 30 years of keeping them. Given the right cage set-up, bunny will be able to keep himself clean. (some elderly or obese rabbits may not be able to reach their bottom to properly clean themselves but that wouldn't apply here)

Rabbits groom themselves similarly to cats. Nevertheless, regular brushing or combing is recommended. Lionheads have that mane that other rabbits don't and that mane needs extra attention. You can use a soft bristle brush (no sharp bristles on their thin, delicate skin) or a special comb that I have a photo of on my website (can't recall it's name). You don't need to be brushing him constantly -- just as needed is fine.

Hopefully that answers your immediate questions. The rest of the site should help as well (and save me from typing more!)

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

I use a soft cheap cat brush from the Dollar General. It works well with my medium length haired bunnies maybe it can work for your lionhead. As for the vaccines, in America, they do not need them as that virus is not around here. So your all good there. When bunny is old enough I would recommend getting him fixed, or you may get VERY frustrated with his litter box habits as males LOVE to spray urine everywhere.

 

[Kristin McCann]

Omg, you’re such a lifesaver! Thanks so very much for responding so quickly! The cage we got him is only temporary until next month he will then have a larger bi-level cage. I will figure out/experiment with different linings as you said. The litter box is also only for temporary purpose until next month when he gets the bigger cage we plan on getting a bigger litter box for him as well. I’m this 1st cage, there just wasn’t enough room. He’s an inside bunny & I plan on hopefully potty training him so he can roam around a safe area free of anything he might try to chew up such as electricical wires & the such. I have ordered a pop-up kinda play yard for him as well. I would love to have him halter trained so I can walk him a little bit outside when it warms up. Does any of this sound strange or do people do this? Also, how do I make sure his ears do not get infected 8 does he need that shot for some kind of virus, I think it was to prevent a specific type of virus for bunnies? I need to get something to brush him with, his baby fur is sooo soft Ibwas thinking maybe a brush for a human baby? Thanks again so very much for your help, time & that link! I’ll be headed over that way after sending this! Thanks

First off, welcome to the forum! Your little bun is a cutie!

I had been keeping rabbits for many years before I found this forum and am so glad that I did. I have learned much here and find myself still learning. Rabbits are so misunderstood and, yes, there is tons of conflicting information on the web!

Don't be discouraged on the potty training. Baby rabbits are actually harder to train than fixed, older rabbits. Even babies that do litter train can forget that training once hormones set in. Nevertheless, there are several changes that can be made (just based on your photo) that should help with the potty training.

During the training period, there should be no loose bedding on the cage floor. Loose bedding just screams "I am your potty box." The only place there should be loose bedding or litter is in the litter box itself. The litter box, is too small for your growing rabbit. He barely fits in there now. A litter box should be plenty large -- large enough for him to stretch out completely (when full grown). The difficulty you'll face with the flooring is that it looks like the bottom of your cage is all plastic. That can make for a slippery floor if nothing is on it. You'll need to find something to put down that is not soft (no blankets or fleece) but that is solid and has some traction to prevent injury from slipping. (Their paws are all fur and have no pads.) Certain tub mats or perhaps textured linoleum could do if bunny doesn't chew it. That means you may need to experiment with what will work.

I go over this on my website which I created in response to seeing so much misinformation on the web about rabbit care. Here is the page that discusses potty training and has photos of a litter set-up.

Bathing is a big no-no. Rabbits should not need baths and baths are not recommended. (There is the very rare exception under certain conditions.) I have never had to bathe a rabbit in 30 years of keeping them. Given the right cage set-up, bunny will be able to keep himself clean. (some elderly or obese rabbits may not be able to reach their bottom to properly clean themselves but that wouldn't apply here)

Rabbits groom themselves similarly to cats. Nevertheless, regular brushing or combing is recommended. Lionheads have that mane that other rabbits don't and that mane needs extra attention. You can use a soft bristle brush (no sharp bristles on their thin, delicate skin) or a special comb that I have a photo of on my website (can't recall it's name). You don't need to be brushing him constantly -- just as needed is fine.

Hopefully that answers your immediate questions. The rest of the site should help as well (and save me from typing more!)

 

[SableSteel]

Hello

I read online that they need some type of vaccine?

I see you're in pennsylvania. The rabbit vaccines you'll be hearing about online (RHD, etc) are not licensed for use in the USA. (those viral diseases - myxomatosis and RHD - are also very very rare in the US compared to in the UK or australia) The only rabbit vaccine available in the US is for pasteurella, but I wouldn't recommend it personally for your case. If you only have one rabbit who isn't coming into contact with other rabbits, the chances of getting pasteurella go down significantly and doses are only sold for large herds of rabbits so it is often a bit expensive for just doing one rabbit. Still, the vaccine is called BunnyVac if you want to look into it.

Also, I’m trying to potty train him with a litter box. I’ve placed it & training litter w some of his droppings in it in the place I noticed he uses the bathroom but now he’s just going everywhere, all over cage, in his hay bin, etc. & now his lil feet are a little yellow & I had to trim a piece of matted poo out of his tummy fur because I couldn’t get it off/out any other way . Is all of this normal & does anyone have any suggestions for me since I’ve never cared for a rabbit?

Baby rabbits are a pain and a half to litter box train, and when he reaches sexual maturity he's likely to forget his training as well. I personally don't try to litterbox train too seriously until they're old enough to develop a habit of going in one corner, and just resign myself to regularly cleaning their whole cage until then. However, your litterbox also looks too small, and that might contribute to the problem. One thing that's different, in my opinion, about litterbox training rabbits compared to, for example, cats, is that it's significantly easier to just place the litterbox where they decide their potty spot is, rather than trying to retrain them to go potty somewhere else. (Also note: most of my cage floor is wire, except the resting mats, so I don't have to worry about poop getting stuck to their fur or yellow feet as much. A thick (12-14 ga, GAW) wire is okay on their feet. Hardware cloth and thinner wire isn't as good. A rabbit's tolerance to wire tends to have a large genetic component as well, and while mini rex and flemish giants can be rather prone to sore hocks on it, lionheads have very thick feet fur and are usually okay. Unlike dogs and cats, they don't have paw pads - a thick layer of fur protects their feet and distributes their weight so a healthy rabbit shouldn't be able to feel the wire under them. It only becomes a problem if that protective layer of fur might get worn away and expose the skin beneath, such as when the wire is too thin or the fur is genetically less resilient. )

I also read that if not groomed regularly he can get an ear infection & get matted? How do I groom him? Do I need to clean his ears? Do I need to bathe him? Do they like water? I live in Pennsylvania so it’s way cold right now & I read their fur is too dense to dry & if left damp he could get cold & then sick.

Please, please, please, do never bathe your rabbit. Especially don't get water in his ears. Lionheads have pretty standard ears and aren't particularly prone to ear infections. Ear mites are a bit more common, keep an eye that they stay clean and if you see something, take him to the vet. What you read about his fur if left damp, can get them sick is entirely true, even if the stress of the rapid temperature change doesn't get to him first. Rabbits usually groom themselves, they tend to stay rather clean - HOWEVER lionheads, especially if they're not from a breeder who selectively breeds for a strong, low maintenance coat can be prone to matting on their manes. The mane can be shaved, unlike the normal fur of a rabbit, if that gets too bad (don't shave it yourself though, take it to a professional). I'd be sure to try to catch any mats or felting before they got too bad in that mane.

I need someone experienced to please help me out with some info as everything I’m reading online is all conflicting information.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there, and many people who think that their way of keeping rabbits is the only right way. Because they are kept as both livestock and pets there are research into ways to best keep them by two largely different demographics. Both ways can end up with happy, healthy rabbits. There are many ways to house a rabbit, feed a rabbit and care for a rabbit and I'd be wary of anybody who told you otherwise.

I’ve replaced it with dustless pine bedding which I also read can cause breathing problems?

Heat treated pine bedding is okay, and most pine bedding sold for animals is heat treated. The breathing problems tend to come when you get untreated pine (the stuff that really smells like a pine forest) and cedar bedding. Never use cedar bedding.

Good luck with him,
-SableSteel

 

[JBun]

So a few things.

Like was mentioned, no vaccines in the US for rabbits. The vaccines you might be reading about are in Europe and I believe Canada imported it as well when they had an outbreak last year. There was a viral case in your state last year, but it was isolated with no other occurrences. You can read about it in the link below if you want, and there are also some recommendations listed.
https://rabbit.org/vhd/

I would really suggest changing the litter box now. It doesn't really matter if it takes up a large portion of the cage. Once you add hay to it he'll be spending a majority of his time in there eating anyways. And it really could make a difference in his litter training. It's not with all rabbits, but with some once you get the litter box set up where the rabbit likes being in there, it can really influence how well the litter training goes. I would suggest a rectangular cat litter box or some sort of plastic household bin, and I would get a size that will fit well at one end of the cage to cover the entire width of the cage at that end. I would use wood pellets for the litter and top it with hay to keep the surface softer for his little feet. Then I would put a pile of grass hay for him to munch on, in a corner he doesn't usually pee in. You basically always want him to have hay. I refresh my rabbits hay twice a day, some others do it more often.

Pine shavings are fine if they are kiln dried to help remove the harmful oils they normally would have. But I wouldn't suggest using pine shavings. I think you will find they will drive you nuts getting tracked everywhere and getting stuck in his fluffy fur. If he doesn't have problems hopping on the plastic surface of the cage bottom, I wouldn't put anything on it, as rabbits are less inclined to pee on a hard surface. But if you think it's proving too slippery for him you could try sheets of newspaper. The problem you might find with putting anything absorbent or soft down is that he'll then want to pee on it. If even with a new litter box set up and if you have the bottom of the cage just the plain plastic, and he still is peeing out of the litter box, you may just want to make the whole cage a giant litter box with the wood pellet litter, then once he's been used to that for a few weeks you could try attaching the playpen on the outside of the cage and allowing him some time in it to see how his litter habits are. Then eventually you may be able to work down to a normal size litter box instead of using the whole cage, once he gets used to the idea of the wood pellets being the place where he should pee. But as others have said, his litter habits may not really improve until he is fully matured and/or neutered. All rabbits are different in how they respond to litter training. Some will train well young then get worse as they get hormonal. Some will have bad litter habits until they get spayed/neutered. Some will have perfect litter habits from the start. Then some are just plain pigs their whole lives(I think I have a few of those ).

With the poop stuck in his fur, that could just be because being a baby he got distracted and missed eating one of his cecals. If he isn't currently getting free fed a grass hay like timothy, then once you start giving him that and he starts eating it, that should help improve any further mushy poop issues. But if it continues to happen then you may need to make some alterations to his diet.

There's nothing you really need to do for the ears except making sure they don't ever get water in them(which usually isn't a problem for indoor rabbits). Usually there aren't any ear problems for most rabbits. Lop eared rabbits can be more susceptible to developing ear infections because it's harder for them to keep their ears cleaned out than uppy eared rabbits. It's not a bad idea to do a basic inspection of his ears every now and then. Maybe just shine a flashlight and make sure you can't see a build up of wax or crusty material. I check my rabbits ears, along with a whole basic health check, when I trim their nails.

You may not need a vet now but if you don't already have one picked out I would suggest doing some research to find the best rabbit vet near you. There are some more common health issues that can occur with rabbits. If you ever end up having an emergency with your bun, trying to figure out what vet to go to is the last thing you want to have to deal with in that situation. You can look on this list, but even then I would research the vets that are recommended.
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

 

[SableSteel]

I would love to have him halter trained so I can walk him a little bit outside when it warms up. Does any of this sound strange or do people do this?... I need to get something to brush him with, his baby fur is sooo soft Ibwas thinking maybe a brush for a human baby?

I have most of my rabbits harness trained, as I do rabbit hopping (a sport based off of horse show jumping) with them. You need to make sure you have the right harness though and be very careful. Rabbits are fragile things, and if they panic on harness they can easily injure themselves. I would try to talk to a local rabbit hopping group about fitting a harness and training them if you were seriously interested in walking them in a halter. (Here is the national club, you might find a more local one by contacting them https://sites.google.com/site/americanhoppingassociation/home )

The normal fur coat on a rabbit shouldn't require too much grooming, except when its molting. I've seen people use softer wire slicker brushes then, but I personally just never brush them. My breed tends to have a very thin and low maintenance coat that molts out on its own. I only have one rabbit I ever groom, and he's an old man who can't quite reach his rump to groom it any more - I usually *gently* use a furminator for dogs/cats to go over him.

 

[Kristin McCann]

Ok, I didn’t know there was such a thing as “hopping” but yes, when it’s nice & warm out this spring, I would love to be able to just have him out walking just a bit, if possible. Do I just google “rabbit hopping” near me? I know they’re very fragile & this is why I’m trying to find experienced handlers to consult with before I do anything lol.
Also, I found this online & am wanting to know if this should be done or not-
“Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5-weeks-old, but if they're older it's still important to get them vaccinated. Your rabbits will need regular booster vaccinations throughout their life to maintain immunity. Speak to your vet about when your rabbits will need a booster.”
Will he need to go to a vet for vaccinations and/or regular check ups? I just got a pop-up play yard in today, I’m going to attach some pictures when I’m done to see if u think this is ok for him. Like I said, we only got the smaller cage due to cost & advice from the petstore we bought him from. There is a bi-level cage we’re getting on the 1st-my husband & I are paid disability once a month-well, my husband is a medically retired vet but we’re still only paid once a month. Oh yea, did I tell u he’s pooping in his hay he eats? I’ve already replaced the pine shavings with an absorbable dish drying mat, put a pile of shavings in the corner he predominantly uses, took out the litter box. So far, he seems to like that padding & hasn’t tried to eat it at all, I’ve been keeping an eye on him all day with that lol. Anyways, thanks so very much again for the advice & the time you have taken to help me out so I can be the best rabbit owner I can be for Chewy

I have most of my rabbits harness trained, as I do rabbit hopping (a sport based off of horse show jumping) with them. You need to make sure you have the right harness though and be very careful. Rabbits are fragile things, and if they panic on harness they can easily injure themselves. I would try to talk to a local rabbit hopping group about fitting a harness and training them if you were seriously interested in walking them in a halter. (Here is the national club, you might find a more local one by contacting them https://sites.google.com/site/americanhoppingassociation/home )

The normal fur coat on a rabbit shouldn't require too much grooming, except when its molting. I've seen people use softer wire slicker brushes then, but I personally just never brush them. My breed tends to have a very thin and low maintenance coat that molts out on its own. I only have one rabbit I ever groom, and he's an old man who can't quite reach his rump to groom it any more - I usually *gently* use a furminator for dogs/cats to go over him.

 

[JBun]

There are no vaccinations normally required for rabbits in the US. The only vaccine out there in the US for rabbits is one for a particular bacteria(primarily for respiratory), and this is not really a mainstream vaccine. It is mostly something some breeders use and is somewhat experimental.

The quote about vaccinations is likely not from a US website, and if it is then this person doesn't know what they are talking about.

 

[Blue eyes]

Rabbit agility, I believe, is another term I've heard to google. It isn't hugely popular in the US so it may not be all that easy to find nearby.

He's pottying in his hay because they like to eat/graze while they are going potty. I'd suggest picking up a plastic storage container from the dollar store or Wal-Mart --look for something at least...oh, say... 10" x 12" for now. Put the pine bedding (safe if it is kiln-dried) in the box and top it with hay. Then add fresh hay on top twice per day. Then you can do away with the hay feeder.

The pop up pen may work ok for now but I wouldn't trust it long term. It would be short work for him to chew right through it.

I'd also suggest finding a cardboard box - any plain box - and cut a couple bunny-sized openings in it. It should be large enough for bunny to fit inside. He'll like to have a hidey and boxes are free.

 

[Blue eyes]

Not all rabbits take well to a harness. Unless they are being trained for agility, they tend to just take a couple hops, eat grass, take a hop, eat grass, etc. It isn't like they get their exercise that way. And they can't be taken just anywhere like a dog. Because they eat grass, they should only be on grass that you know has no pesticides, weed-killer or fertilizer. That means no parks, no neighbor's yards, etc. At your rabbit's young age, suddenly eating fresh grass would be considered a diet change and could cause tummy issues. (Though in PA, I doubt there's fresh grass around in mid winter) Then there's also the possibility of fleas, ticks, mites, or other parasites.

If you do decide to try to use a harness, I would absolutely agree with Sable Steel to have experienced rabbit agility people teach you which harnesses, how to fit it safely, and how to use it.

For outside exercise, I prefer to keep them in my yard on concrete in an exercise pen and always under a watchful eye (look out for birds of prey!). This is how I do outside time:

 

[Kristin McCann]

There are no vaccinations normally required for rabbits in the US. The only vaccine out there in the US for rabbits is one for a particular bacteria(primarily for respiratory), and this is not really a mainstream vaccine. It is mostly something some breeders use and is somewhat experimental.

The quote about vaccinations is likely not from a US website, and if it is then this person doesn't know what they are talking about.

I use a soft cheap cat brush from the Dollar General. It works well with my medium length haired bunnies maybe it can work for your lionhead. As for the vaccines, in America, they do not need them as that virus is not around here. So your all good there. When bunny is old enough I would recommend getting him fixed, or you may get VERY frustrated with his litter box habits as males LOVE to spray urine everywhere.

Oh no! Thanks for the tip!! How old should he be to get fixed? Thanks so much for your response!

 

[Kristin McCann]

Hello


I see you're in pennsylvania. The rabbit vaccines you'll be hearing about online (RHD, etc) are not licensed for use in the USA. (those viral diseases - myxomatosis and RHD - are also very very rare in the US compared to in the UK or australia) The only rabbit vaccine available in the US is for pasteurella, but I wouldn't recommend it personally for your case. If you only have one rabbit who isn't coming into contact with other rabbits, the chances of getting pasteurella go down significantly and doses are only sold for large herds of rabbits so it is often a bit expensive for just doing one rabbit. Still, the vaccine is called BunnyVac if you want to look into it.


Baby rabbits are a pain and a half to litter box train, and when he reaches sexual maturity he's likely to forget his training as well. I personally don't try to litterbox train too seriously until they're old enough to develop a habit of going in one corner, and just resign myself to regularly cleaning their whole cage until then. However, your litterbox also looks too small, and that might contribute to the problem. One thing that's different, in my opinion, about litterbox training rabbits compared to, for example, cats, is that it's significantly easier to just place the litterbox where they decide their potty spot is, rather than trying to retrain them to go potty somewhere else. (Also note: most of my cage floor is wire, except the resting mats, so I don't have to worry about poop getting stuck to their fur or yellow feet as much. A thick (12-14 ga, GAW) wire is okay on their feet. Hardware cloth and thinner wire isn't as good. A rabbit's tolerance to wire tends to have a large genetic component as well, and while mini rex and flemish giants can be rather prone to sore hocks on it, lionheads have very thick feet fur and are usually okay. Unlike dogs and cats, they don't have paw pads - a thick layer of fur protects their feet and distributes their weight so a healthy rabbit shouldn't be able to feel the wire under them. It only becomes a problem if that protective layer of fur might get worn away and expose the skin beneath, such as when the wire is too thin or the fur is genetically less resilient. )


Please, please, please, do never bathe your rabbit. Especially don't get water in his ears. Lionheads have pretty standard ears and aren't particularly prone to ear infections. Ear mites are a bit more common, keep an eye that they stay clean and if you see something, take him to the vet. What you read about his fur if left damp, can get them sick is entirely true, even if the stress of the rapid temperature change doesn't get to him first. Rabbits usually groom themselves, they tend to stay rather clean - HOWEVER lionheads, especially if they're not from a breeder who selectively breeds for a strong, low maintenance coat can be prone to matting on their manes. The mane can be shaved, unlike the normal fur of a rabbit, if that gets too bad (don't shave it yourself though, take it to a professional). I'd be sure to try to catch any mats or felting before they got too bad in that mane.


There is a lot of conflicting information out there, and many people who think that their way of keeping rabbits is the only right way. Because they are kept as both livestock and pets there are research into ways to best keep them by two largely different demographics. Both ways can end up with happy, healthy rabbits. There are many ways to house a rabbit, feed a rabbit and care for a rabbit and I'd be wary of anybody who told you otherwise.


Heat treated pine bedding is okay, and most pine bedding sold for animals is heat treated. The breathing problems tend to come when you get untreated pine (the stuff that really smells like a pine forest) and cedar bedding. Never use cedar bedding.

Good luck with him,
-SableSteel

Thanks so much for your help & information!

 

[Kristin McCann]

So a few things.

Like was mentioned, no vaccines in the US for rabbits. The vaccines you might be reading about are in Europe and I believe Canada imported it as well when they had an outbreak last year. There was a viral case in your state last year, but it was isolated with no other occurrences. You can read about it in the link below if you want, and there are also some recommendations listed.
https://rabbit.org/vhd/

I would really suggest changing the litter box now. It doesn't really matter if it takes up a large portion of the cage. Once you add hay to it he'll be spending a majority of his time in there eating anyways. And it really could make a difference in his litter training. It's not with all rabbits, but with some once you get the litter box set up where the rabbit likes being in there, it can really influence how well the litter training goes. I would suggest a rectangular cat litter box or some sort of plastic household bin, and I would get a size that will fit well at one end of the cage to cover the entire width of the cage at that end. I would use wood pellets for the litter and top it with hay to keep the surface softer for his little feet. Then I would put a pile of grass hay for him to munch on, in a corner he doesn't usually pee in. You basically always want him to have hay. I refresh my rabbits hay twice a day, some others do it more often.

Pine shavings are fine if they are kiln dried to help remove the harmful oils they normally would have. But I wouldn't suggest using pine shavings. I think you will find they will drive you nuts getting tracked everywhere and getting stuck in his fluffy fur. If he doesn't have problems hopping on the plastic surface of the cage bottom, I wouldn't put anything on it, as rabbits are less inclined to pee on a hard surface. But if you think it's proving too slippery for him you could try sheets of newspaper. The problem you might find with putting anything absorbent or soft down is that he'll then want to pee on it. If even with a new litter box set up and if you have the bottom of the cage just the plain plastic, and he still is peeing out of the litter box, you may just want to make the whole cage a giant litter box with the wood pellet litter, then once he's been used to that for a few weeks you could try attaching the playpen on the outside of the cage and allowing him some time in it to see how his litter habits are. Then eventually you may be able to work down to a normal size litter box instead of using the whole cage, once he gets used to the idea of the wood pellets being the place where he should pee. But as others have said, his litter habits may not really improve until he is fully matured and/or neutered. All rabbits are different in how they respond to litter training. Some will train well young then get worse as they get hormonal. Some will have bad litter habits until they get spayed/neutered. Some will have perfect litter habits from the start. Then some are just plain pigs their whole lives(I think I have a few of those ).

With the poop stuck in his fur, that could just be because being a baby he got distracted and missed eating one of his cecals. If he isn't currently getting free fed a grass hay like timothy, then once you start giving him that and he starts eating it, that should help improve any further mushy poop issues. But if it continues to happen then you may need to make some alterations to his diet.

There's nothing you really need to do for the ears except making sure they don't ever get water in them(which usually isn't a problem for indoor rabbits). Usually there aren't any ear problems for most rabbits. Lop eared rabbits can be more susceptible to developing ear infections because it's harder for them to keep their ears cleaned out than uppy eared rabbits. It's not a bad idea to do a basic inspection of his ears every now and then. Maybe just shine a flashlight and make sure you can't see a build up of wax or crusty material. I check my rabbits ears, along with a whole basic health check, when I trim their nails.

You may not need a vet now but if you don't already have one picked out I would suggest doing some research to find the best rabbit vet near you. There are some more common health issues that can occur with rabbits. If you ever end up having an emergency with your bun, trying to figure out what vet to go to is the last thing you want to have to deal with in that situation. You can look on this list, but even then I would research the vets that are recommended.
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

Thank you so much i will definitely try the litter suggestion! We’re about to buy him a bi-level cage here on the 1st, more room & all. Again, thank u!

 

[Kristin McCann]

There are no vaccinations normally required for rabbits in the US. The only vaccine out there in the US for rabbits is one for a particular bacteria(primarily for respiratory), and this is not really a mainstream vaccine. It is mostly something some breeders use and is somewhat experimental.

The quote about vaccinations is likely not from a US website, and if it is then this person doesn't know what they are talking about.

Ok, great! Thanks so very much for your help!

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

Bucks can be neutered as young as 4 months old. Make sure to find a good rabbit-savvy vet to do it!

 

[Kristin McCann]

Ok, I didn’t know there was such a thing as “hopping” but yes, when it’s nice & warm out this spring, I would love to be able to just have him out walking just a bit, if possible. Do I just google “rabbit hopping” near me? I know they’re very fragile & this is why I’m trying to find experienced handlers to consult with before I do anything lol.
Also, I found this online & am wanting to know if this should be done or not-
“Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5-weeks-old, but if they're older it's still important to get them vaccinated. Your rabbits will need regular booster vaccinations throughout their life to maintain immunity. Speak to your vet about when your rabbits will need a booster.”
Will he need to go to a vet for vaccinations and/or regular check ups? I just got a pop-up play yard in today, I’m going to attach a picture when I’m done. Is this ok? Like I said, we only got the smaller cage due to cost & advice from the petstore we bought him from. There is a bi-level cage we’re getting on the 1st-my husband & I are paid disability once a month-well, my husband is a medically retired vet but we’re still only paid once a month.
Thanks so very much again for the advice & the time you have taken to help me out so I can be the best rabbit owner I can be for Chewy

I have most of my rabbits harness trained, as I do rabbit hopping (a sport based off of horse show jumping) with them. You need to make sure you have the right harness though and be very careful. Rabbits are fragile things, and if they panic on harness they can easily injure themselves. I would try to talk to a local rabbit hopping group about fitting a harness and training them if you were seriously interested in walking them in a halter. (Here is the national club, you might find a more local one by contacting them https://sites.google.com/site/americanhoppingassociation/home )

The normal fur coat on a rabbit shouldn't require too much grooming, except when its molting. I've seen people use softer wire slicker brushes then, but I personally just never brush them. My breed tends to have a very thin and low maintenance coat that molts out on its own. I only have one rabbit I ever groom, and he's an old man who can't quite reach his rump to groom it any more - I usually *gently* use a furminator for dogs/cats to go over him.

Not all rabbits take well to a harness. Unless they are being trained for agility, they tend to just take a couple hops, eat grass, take a hop, eat grass, etc. It isn't like they get their exercise that way. And they can't be taken just anywhere like a dog. Because they eat grass, they should only be on grass that you know has no pesticides, weed-killer or fertilizer. That means no parks, no neighbor's yards, etc. At your rabbit's young age, suddenly eating fresh grass would be considered a diet change and could cause tummy issues. (Though in PA, I doubt there's fresh grass around in mid winter) Then there's also the possibility of fleas, ticks, mites, or other parasites.

If you do decide to try to use a harness, I would absolutely agree with Sable Steel to have experienced rabbit agility people teach you which harnesses, how to fit it safely, and how to use it.

For outside exercise, I prefer to keep them in my yard on concrete in an exercise pen and always under a watchful eye (look out for birds of prey!). This is how I do outside time:

View attachment 39527

Great! Thanks so much for this! I can’t wait to have him outside in the spring! I of course will stay out with him as I love to sit out in our deck!

 

[Kristin McCann]

Rabbit agility, I believe, is another term I've heard to google. It isn't hugely popular in the US so it may not be all that easy to find nearby.

He's pottying in his hay because they like to eat/graze while they are going potty. I'd suggest picking up a plastic storage container from the dollar store or Wal-Mart --look for something at least...oh, say... 10" x 12" for now. Put the pine bedding (safe if it is kiln-dried) in the box and top it with hay. Then add fresh hay on top twice per day. Then you can do away with the hay feeder.

The pop up pen may work ok for now but I wouldn't trust it long term. It would be short work for him to chew right through it.

I'd also suggest finding a cardboard box - any plain box - and cut a couple bunny-sized openings in it. It should be large enough for bunny to fit inside. He'll like to have a hidey and boxes are free.
View attachment 39526

Oh, the pop up pen is just to get him out of that small cage for a bit so he can roam around a little more. I stay in the room with him while he is in it & keep a close eye on him. He really seem to enjoy it so far! Thanks again for the information!

 

[Kristin McCann]

Bucks can be neutered as young as 4 months old. Make sure to find a good rabbit-savvy vet to do it!

Thank you! I most certainly will find him a great vet! We do have one for our dog, I may just talk to them about how they are with bunnies & they’re not a good fit, I will find one for him! Thank you!