Hi from Tasmania, Aus.

[shooni]

Hi All, I am a stay at home mum from Tassie as title suggests. I have recently become ill and can no longer pursue my normal activities/life (time to SLLOOOWWW DOWN!! my docs words ha ha) anyways my family knew I needed a companion to help me through the bad days and gave me a beautiful red British Giant kit (currently 12 wks old). It was love at first site, 'Wilbur Wabbit' is growing like a weed, I have only had him for 2 weeks and he has settled in well. As I am a complete novice my experience being with birds,I have always wanted a rabbit (top of the bucket list ) I have many many many questions and have researched heaps but all sites contradict each other,so I'm here to get from those that know 'Rabbit People' :woohoo
Cheers shooni

 

[Blue eyes]

Hello and welcome to the forum (and to the world of rabbits!)

 

[GK44]

Hi and welcome! So nice to hear that you have your bunny! I hope you post pictures.

 

[shooni]

Thankyou both for the welcome. Hmmm pics you say.... that may be beyond my IT knowledge,perhaps I'll ask one of the kids for help. ha ha I'm clueless

cheers

 

[Tauntz]

Hi & :welcome1 to you & Wilbur Wabbit!
So glad you found us! RO is a great place for first time bunny moms/dads! I know from personal experience as I too am a first time bunny mom to two Jersey wooly sisters. This is our online bunny home! Everyone here is so friendly & helpful! We have many RO members with lots of bunny experience who share their knowledge & experience with those of us less knowledgeable & new to buns. Hope you & Wilbur will hop on in & make yourselves at home here at RO! Nice to meet another bird person as well!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

[shooni]

Thankyou all for your warm welcome, I will definetely be needing advice:nerves1
Wilbur Wabbit is growing sooo quick and very curious,he loves:heartbeat: the cat and follows her everywhere (as do I cause I don't trust her yet!).
I have found the feeding of what/which type of hay to feed him very confusing as there is so many different types.And what to give him to keep his teeth down (birds don't have teeth:roflmao or need I worry at this young age (13 wks), But he is growing so I must be doing something right.
Thankyou all again

cheers shooni

 

[shooni]

Hi again, I have arrested one of my kids to help post a pic so here goes!:thumbup My little man 'Wilbur Wabbit'

cheers shooni

 

[shooni]

:yes: now your all in trouble cause I know how to post pics! Prepare to be inundated with Wilbur pics:laugh: (just joshin')

cheers shooni

 

[Bville]

He is so cute! Welcome Wilbur!:welcome1

 

[Chrisdoc]

Oh, he's so handsome. Don't worry, we love loads of pics so feel free

 

[lovelops]

What a cutie! I'm so glad you were able to post photos and welcome to the group. Give Wilbur some nose rubs for me and post when you can!

About teeth, I found a stone in the pet store that I've put in my bunnies cage for them to chew on. Also apple wood, willow etc good woods for bunnies to chew on to keep the teeth down would be a good start. Hay, like Timothy, alfalfa while he is young, etc is fine to have him start on. They have Timothy and Alfalfa hay mixes as well. Start trying out
some of these and see what works for Wilbur! There are also toys at the pet store for rabbits that also work to help
wear down the teeth. You can check and see what your local store has in stock!

Cheers!
Vanessa

 

[shooni]

Thankyou all for the warm welcome.
I will go in search of the products you have mentioned for his teeth,thankyou lovelops.

cheers shooni

 

[Azerane]

Agreed, no need to worry about quantity of pictures on here

Welcome to the forum, I believe once he's full grown, your cat may have trouble escaping from Wilbur, not the other way around

You won't be able to find Timothy hay as we don't have it in this country. Meadow hay is considered the best as it is a grass hay (like Timothy). However it is very seasonal (might be different down in Tassie) so can be hard to get at certain times of the year. Since he is young, you can give him Lucerne (the same as alfalfa) but he will need to be switched to a different hay at around 6 months or so. If you can't get meadow, oaten hay is the next best thing. Make sure whatever hay you get, that there's a good amount of green in it, and it doesn't look or smell mouldy/musty. It should look and smell fresh. If it's brown and old looking, don't get it. If you go to a fodder store, and you tell them you want hay for your rabbit, they often know what to give you anyway

Make sure he always has hay available to eat, eating hay will help to keep his teeth worn down, but providing other things to chew on does help. You can use apple of willow twigs/branches as mentioned, but you have to make sure they haven't been sprayed with pesticides. Plain cardboard boxes are also a favourite for hours of chewing and mess-making.

Also, just wondering what type of hay you've currently got for him that I can see in the picture of him in his adorable litter box (that I'm sure he's bound to out-grow)

 

[shooni]

Azerane, Hmmm outgrow his litterbox you say! That is already an xtra largehwell:

the hay is just what I could get from the pet store,but I not sure it real great for him. He picks at it but doesn't eat a lot of it,hence my concern.
I have found some Oxbow Hays on ebay from Oxbow Australia I thought I'd buy him. The breeder I got him from really stressed to me about him having the right nutrition whilst he growing and I'm trying to source the products he recommended but it not easy down here in Tassie.
I make sure he gets fresh green grass daily and his pellets & fresh water. I have tried him on some bok choy,celery,carrot tops,parsley & cos lettuce, just a wee bit twice a week.
He has a cardboard box he plays in (and yes 'chews'!),we took him outside today on his lead and he played in the shrubs,very hard to keep up to a bounding bunny (my son had to take over for me:roflmao He even threw a tantrum when it was time to come in

cheers shooni

 

[Azerane]

He is adorable!!! Bandit throws a tantrum when he has to come in from walks outside too

Actually, now that you mention it, I believe you can get oxbow timothy, but it can be quite expensive given that it's brought in from overseas. I buy oxbow pellets, but given the amount of hay Bandit goes through, buying their hay would get very pricey, very quick. Quite a few vet clinics (at least here) will get oxbow products in if asked. The one across the road from me actually keeps regular stock of a few of their products.

I say he's going to outgrow it, because at 12 weeks old, Bandit weighed about 1.2kg, and now at just over a year old, he weighs 2.9kg. And your boy is a giant breed, so he's got some growing to do You'll probably just have to move the hay so that it sits against the side of the box, and isn't taking up space in it

 

[selbert]

Hi and welcome! Oh my gosh he is adorable! Yay I can't wait for more pictures! I love the name Wilbur wabbit haha

Selina
:brownbunny

 

[selbert]

I didn't see these pictures! My buns love walks but it's a nightmare trying to get them to come back in! I tried walking both at the same time *face palm* THAT was a disaster!

 

[shooni]

Well that's reasuring,I'm not the only one with a rabbit that throws a tantrum cause he gotta come inside after playtime (sounds like my kids at 2-3yrs of age:laugh

Well, Wilbur Wabbit of to vet Friday for a checkup and vacc. 'Nervous Nana' here
but I'm confident he as healthy as! :highfive: Thankyou all for being so welcoming and helpful.:big kiss:

cheers shooni

 

[Chrisdoc]

He is such a handsome boy. Of the fresh stuff you mentioned, I might suggest adding fresh herbs which bunnies seem to love; basil, coriander, dill, rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme and you could try growing them if you have space as it's quite easy and considerably cheaper than buying. He will certainly grow quickly, love his harness he seems to like it.