Just got a new baby bunny, any reccomendations for the first few days?

[rita1234]

Hello everyone,



I just got a new baby bunny! She's 2 1/2 to 3 months old, and she's a sweetie. She's a minilop, and she's all black. She seems pretty frightened right now, which is totally understandable as I got her last night.

I've been trying to keep my house (relatively) quiet, with our family it's sort of challenging but she's outside of her hut now. She keeps darting inside her hut, and I was wondering if that's normal/okay for the first couple days? She's pooping in her litter box (such a smart girl:innocent) and when I went to check on her yesterday she was eating. I haven't seen her drink, but I think she's still grooming and taking care of herself so I know she's not in shock.

We're trying to keep away our other pets for now and I'm not touching her or anything like that, I know you're supposed to leave them alone for the first couple days. Are there any other things you do with your bunnies to introduce them and make them feel safe? She loves eating timothy hay out of my hand and she's played with her toys a little bit, is there anything I should do to keep her happy and healthy?

Thanks!:big wink:

 

[LakeCondo]

It sounds like you're doing all the right things. Just keep doing them & slowly introduce more things. What kinds of other pets do you have [breeds, size, age, temperament]?

 

[rita1234]

I have a medium sized goldendoodle, she is not allowed near her right now and I'm trying to keep her barking to a minimum. We also have a cat, but I'm pretty sure he's not interested or has no idea that the bunny exists. Thanks!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:wave: Welcome to the Forum. Continue your interaction so she gets used to you being there and you'll have to get her used to being handled, so start small but keep it frequent.

 

[rita1234]

Thank you for the info, I wanted to make sure I wasn't just bothering her by sitting by her cage and talking to her. I've let her sniff my hands a couple times but I haven't really tried to pet her yet and I DEFINITELY won't be picking her up any time soon. I just wanted to make sure it was a good idea to interact with her at this point

 

[LakeCondo]

Has your dog had obedience training? It makes the dog know that you're in charge of her. When you introduce them, she should be on a leash. If she approaches the rabbit slowly & quietly, praise her. If she acts up, say no & jerk the leash. Keep doing this until she settles down.
Even with a good result, don't assume that the rabbit is safe with her.