First bunny!

[PigsHamsHedgieBun]

I just adopted a female rabbit from someone I know. This rabbit has not been cared for well at all. She's been kept in a tiny cage, fed bad food, and hasn't been played with or anything.

This girl offered me the rabbit so I took her in. Unfortunately this little bunny will have to stay as a single bunny because the deal with my parents was that I was allowed to adopt this rabbit but I couldn't take in anymore animals (if you couldn't tell from my username, I have guinea pigs, hamsters, a hedgehog, and now a bunny).

I'm planning to get her a new large cage soon and also get her spayed. She's super territorial and if I try to reach into the cage (to give food, water, hay, *anything*) she'll lunge and 'growl' at me. Little bunny gets very upset if I try to touch her toys and she also guards the door if she knows I'm going to try to clean up her poops or give her water. I'm going to have to take her out of the cage just to spot clean and replace her food. Outside of the cage, she's very shy.

Anyways, sorry for the long post. She's about 2 years old and a cute brown and white bunny. I tried to weigh her but the scale scared her. I'm really excited to get to know this little bun and learn more about rabbits. If you guys know what breed she is, let me know. Thanks!

The cage that she's in in the pictures is very temporary. That's the mess of a cage that she's been living in her whole life, and I don't have a better one right now. It's a plexiglass aquarium, pretty much, that the girl's dad built. I replaced the front end with storage grids to help air flow and also so I have a door in.

 

[MikeScone]

Welcome to RO, and welcome to the world of people owned by rabbits!

It takes a while for a rabbit to get used to new people, so give your new bunny time. She's a Dutch rabbit, from the markings, which are quite distinctive - see the Dutch Rabbit page in our "What Breed is My bunny?" key for more information.

As you've recognized, the first priority is to get your new bunny a larger cage. Many of the folks on RO have built their own enclosures using wire cube kits (the trademark is Nice Idea Cubes or NIC, but you'll find them under many names). Others, like myself, started with a largish cage from a pet shop and enlarged it further. We have some good threads in the Housing and Environment forum which might give you some ideas.

As you get to know the bunny I'm sure you'll discover the wonderful personalities and intelligence rabbits have. If you have more questions, please feel free to post them - and everyone here always likes to see pictures.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Welcome to the forum. She's a Dutch, and, they are usually very social. Mostly bad parenting I would guess. You need to read up on Bunny behavior and let her know that you are the "Alpha". Once she's accepted that and gotten more familiar with her surroundings you can start working with her. Most bunnies don't like to be picked up and held but will tolerate it--a few are cuddle bunnies but they are the exception. We've had some that were very timid and now are friendly to the point of being pesty--just takes time and patience and a good understanding of rabbit behavior and habits. Good luck.

 

[PigsHamsHedgieBun]

We're planning on using large dog crates for her cage. My uncle has two crates that he's going to give to us and we're planning to connect the two crates and install a second level in one for her to jump up on. Is this a good idea?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[whatever4andnomore]

What a pretty little Dutch girl she is! I am sure in time, she will warm up to her surroundings and get to know you. Just keep being patient and working with her.