Hello from Scotland!!

[beccabeau]

Hello all!!

I just thought I'd introduce myself- and my bunny, Pip!

I collected 9-week-old Pip (Pippin) from a local breeder on Saturday, and so far he seems to be an awesome roomie!

He loves being out of his cage, runs around like a loon, climbs onto things as much as he can (he likes to sit in up in his hay rack)

(This is safe,right? He seems to really love it! I'm in the process of looking for a new hay rack for him, as this is a DIY job on my part!)

He approaches me when he's out, but doesn't like being stroked or picked up while out of his cage (he is fine with both of these things while inside his cage) He uses his litterbox properly already (which I consider nothing less than a miracle!!) even when he is out of his cage (I've let him out for a couple of hours every night/ morning but he still refuses to be picked up to go back in)


I just have a few things to check over with you seasoned bunny owners, as I'm a complete bunny newbie.

-I'm currently feeding him junior pellets & timothy hay (He also has medium hay in his litter box and in his hidey hole and he eats this too) is this an okay mix? I'm feeding him with an unlimited supply of both at the moment!

- He has a loofah carrot toy/ a jingle ball/ bamboo chew hangers/ a hidey box and toilet roll tubes- is this enough to keep him occupied when he's in his cage? I'm worried about him being bored as I work part time during the week. His cage is 120cm x 59cm, and I think this is fine for him as he's still itty bitty, I realise that I might have to upgrade to a bigger cage or indoor hutch when he gets older/ bigger.

- At what age is my bunny allowed little treats (veg/ limited fruit / store- bought yoghurt drops) it would be nice to be able to persuade him back into his cage, and to trust me, with little treats.

- When am I able to get my bunny vaccinated? He has had neither of his vaccinations, and I live semi-rurally (in Scotland), so I'm reluctant to let him run around outside until he has had these, incase there has been wild rabbits in my garden.

- Similarly, what age is it advisable to have my bunny neutered?

- How often do I have to take trips to the vet? I have a family vet nearby that we take the dogs to, will they be okay for my bunny?

- is there any advice/ wisdom seasoned bunny owners can give me?
I'm happy to take on any tips to make my bunny's settling in period as good as it can be, and his day-to-day living as best for him as I can possibly make it!

Any comments, help or tips would be appreciated!! Thanks so much!

x B (& Pip!)

 

[curiouscarrot]

Hi, and welcome. Pip is lovely. I'm new to bunnies and have adopted mine as adults so don't know answers to your questions, except a vet does need "bunny knowledge" so you'd need to ask your local vet whether he knows bunnies or not.

(you're the second new member from Dunfermline. It's an influx! )

 

[beccabeau]

Awh, thank you! I plan on ringing them next week to see if they are bunny experts. I'm not taking any chances!

Ooh, Bunny fever must have hit Dunfermline recently!
It is infectious!

 

[Pipsqueak]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I have a bunny named Pip too lol. I think it's okay to let him be up there. I think some people give their babies unlimited pellets and others feed them twice a day, but yes you should give him unlimited hay. That sounds like plenty of toys for him, I'm horrible at figuring stuff in my head so I can't think of the dimensions in feet lol. Veggies he can have at 12 or 13 weeks and fruits he can have either 13 or 14 weeks, I'd say yoghurt treats would maybe be about the same time as fruit. I don't know at what point you'd want to get him neutered and get his shots but I'm sure somebody else on here knows. You'll want to look for a bunny savvy vet, ask the vet if they've dealt with rabbits before and ask them a couple questions about bunnies to make sure they know what they're doing.

 

[curiouscarrot]

I've given my bunnies the surname McBunnywhirter, so they are honorary Scots.

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Hi and welcome to RO! Pip is adorable!

Yes, I think him sitting in his hay box if fine, as long as he doesn't trip while coming out of it or something like that.

He'll probably get more used to you as time passes by. I've heard of bunnies that are totally skittish and later on they let their owners pet them and snuggle with them. I don't have that problem with Ash as he was snuggley from the start and he even gives me kisses, but I know online there are a lot of articles on bonding with your bunny. Here is a really great article, its long but its really good: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/bonding-your-bunny-29064/

You should be feeding him unlimited hay forever. And unlimited pellets until He's about 7 months old and it depends on how much he weighs to know how much to feed him. I will say though that I feed my 9-10 pund Ash a cup of pellets per day.

I'm not sure what medium hay is, or if its safe for rabbits, but I put timothy hay in Ash's litter box. I know a lot of bunny owners just like to put plain newspaper in their bunnies litter box and place a bowl of hay next to the litter box as bunnies like to eat as they poop.

It depends on how much time he gets out but I'd say that's enough toys. It also depends on how quickly he uses them up. A good thing you can do is if he uses up all of his other toys you can give him a cardboard box (with no tape or colored printing on it, black printing is fine though) and cut a little door in it and use it as a house for him. My Ash had one of those until he destroyed it a couple days ago and he loves them. He chews n them and sits on the top of them. You can also give your bunny some newspaper or an old phone book to shred apart.

Bunnies usually shouldn't have fruits and veggies until about 12 to 14 weeks old. But when he does get old enough make sure your feeding him bunny safe fruits and veggies. You can search online for bunny safe fruits and bunny safe veggies, you'll get a list with lots of things they can eat.

About vaccinating I'd contact your vet and ask him/her about when he can be vaccinated as there are different kinds of vaccines that have to be vaccinated at different times.

Usually bunnies can be neutered at about 3-5 months, your vet should be able to tell you when the right time to do it is.

I'd say yearly checkups should be fine. Unless he's sick or acting weird than you should probably take him in right away.

To help him feel more comfortable I'd give him a lot of space and maybe a safe place to hid where he feels safe.

Good luck with the new bunny! Bunnies are such fun and this is probably the BEST bunny forum around!

 

[beccabeau]

Thank you so much!!

I will take all of this on board
Thank you for the luck- I might need it!!

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Your welcome!!!

I'm sure you'll be a bunny expert in no time.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Greetings. If you can get alfalfa, I'd give him that till he's six months--more protein and calcium for a growing bun.

 

[MikeScone]

Welcome to RO!

Scotland's one of my favorite places - my first rabbit was named Scone MacBunny because my son wanted a Scottish name for him, and was reserving Hamish for a sheep (I know, didn't make sense to me, either).

I take groups of Boy Scouts from here in central New York state to Scotland in even-numbered years for the Blair Atholl Jamborette. You can see some of my Scottish pictures in our Camera Corner forum:

This thread is for my 2012 trip
This thread is from 2010

 

[PaGal]

Oh My Gosh, Scone is so absolutely adorable in that pic. Now I want a bun just like him, I love that you can see his wrinkles. The girls all just squeeled over him as well!

I am super jealous of anyone that lives in or has been to Scotland.

Since no one else has brought it up, I would suggest using a heavy dish for water for Pip if you don't already. Buns tend to drink more from a bowl than a bottle. It should be heavy though so he does not knock it over and make a mess.

The amount of toys needed depends on the bun as they are all individuals. Some chew more than others, some like toys while others don't. Some are happier with less play than others.