Making Sure I'm Ready

[AzWabbit]

Okay as I described in my intro thread I will be getting a baby lionhead bunny this Thursday night! So I want to make sure I'm completely prepared for her.

So this is what I have so far:

Large cage 40" L X 18" W X 20" H
Hay
Pellets
Petco's version of Carefresh Bedding
Bunny Treats
Food dish (one that attaches to the cage)
Water bottle 32 oz.
Crinkle Tunnel
A maze ball (toy)

So here's my question.. Do I need anything else? Or should I consider anything else so I can make her feel more comfortable in her new home.

I also plan on getting a litter box with a grid in the next day or two

 

[MikeScone]

AzWabbit wrote:

Hay

Since it's a baby bun, I'd get some alfalfa hay for her. The Orchard Grass is fine, but it's a grass hay and babies need the added protein in alfalfa, too. Some variety in hay is great - rabbits like to have different sorts of hay to graze.

You can put one hay in a hay rack and stuff the other into a toilet paper tube. She can enjoy tearing the tube apart to get at the hay. Nutrition and a toy, all in one...

 

[AzWabbit]

MikeScone wrote:

AzWabbit wrote:

Hay

Since it's a baby bun, I'd get some alfalfa hay for her. The Orchard Grass is fine, but it's a grass hay and babies need the added protein in alfalfa, too. Some variety in hay is great - rabbits like to have different sorts of hay to graze.

You can put one hay in a hay rack and stuff the other into a toilet paper tube. She can enjoy tearing the tube apart to get at the hay. Nutrition and a toy, all in one...

Okay, I was debating on going to the feed store tomorrow and buying a bale of hay and putting it in a rubbermaid bin(what would fit), or maybe asking if there was a way I could buy what has fallen off the bales etc (so I dont waste a bale of hay) so I'll ask about the alfalfa as well.

Any particular greens I should look into buying that would be really good for her? Some that would give her that extra bit of protein?

Thanks for the response

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

AzWabbit wrote:

MikeScone wrote:

AzWabbit wrote:

Hay

Since it's a baby bun, I'd get some alfalfa hay for her. The Orchard Grass is fine, but it's a grass hay and babies need the added protein in alfalfa, too. Some variety in hay is great - rabbits like to have different sorts of hay to graze.

You can put one hay in a hay rack and stuff the other into a toilet paper tube. She can enjoy tearing the tube apart to get at the hay. Nutrition and a toy, all in one...

Okay, I was debating on going to the feed store tomorrow and buying a bale of hay and putting it in a rubbermaid bin(what would fit), or maybe asking if there was a way I could buy what has fallen off the bales etc (so I dont waste a bale of hay) so I'll ask about the alfalfa as well.

Any particular greens I should look into buying that would be really good for her? Some that would give her that extra bit of protein?

Thanks for the response

Buying a whole bale of alfalfa might not be a good idea. A single rabbit is not going to eat a ton of hay, so you would end up with a lot left over after you switch to grass hay. I bale around here lasts about 8-10 weeks with 4 rabbits. Unless you can share the bale with someone or have a place that might take it (horses, a shelter, rabbit or small animal friends etc), then stick to the bags. I would get the biggest bag you can to save a bit of money. Getting smaller amounts from the end of a bale could work just make sure it is good hay and not gone bod to really dusty.
If you wanted to buy a bale of grass hay (timothy, orchard grass, brome hay etc), then that is fine as you will be feeding it and it doesn't really go bad if stored properly. Buying a bale does save tons on money, but you need a place to store it and be able to use the whole bale.

I would avoid veggies at least until the rabbit is about 3 months old unless you know 100% that they have been given and what has been given. Too much change in a short time (moving, new pellets, young age) can cause problems, so you don't want to add new stuff right away. Young rabbits also have sensitive GI tracts, so veggies can be a bad thing.

 

[AzWabbit]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:
Buying a whole bale of alfalfa might not be a good idea. A single rabbit is not going to eat a ton of hay, so you would end up with a lot left over after you switch to grass hay. I bale around here lasts about 8-10 weeks with 4 rabbits. Unless you can share the bale with someone or have a place that might take it (horses, a shelter, rabbit or small animal friends etc), then stick to the bags. I would get the biggest bag you can to save a bit of money. Getting smaller amounts from the end of a bale could work just make sure it is good hay and not gone bod to really dusty.
If you wanted to buy a bale of grass hay (timothy, orchard grass, brome hay etc), then that is fine as you will be feeding it and it doesn't really go bad if stored properly. Buying a bale does save tons on money, but you need a place to store it and be able to use the whole bale.

I would avoid veggies at least until the rabbit is about 3 months old unless you know 100% that they have been given and what has been given. Too much change in a short time (moving, new pellets, young age) can cause problems, so you don't want to add new stuff right away. Young rabbits also have sensitive GI tracts, so veggies can be a bad thing.

Thank you for letting me know about the veggies, I never knew about that so I'm glad to know that ahead of time. I have family that lives by cattle and horses so maybe I need to think out of the box and ask my parent's neighbors if they would be okay with me buying some hay from their stock. As you can see I am trying to save just a little ^_~ which can be expected.

Or maybe I'll do some comparison shopping and see who has the best deals on timothy hay/alfalfa.

I dont mean to seem naive I just want to make sure I have my bases covered before my new bun comes home. So I really do appreciate the help I'm getting from you all.

 

[missyscove]

You might not be able to use a whole bale, but it still might be more cost effective to buy one, if you have the space to store it.
My feed store also sells trash bags with about 2 flakes of hay in them for $5 or so dollars, definitely a better deal on better quality hay than what you could buy in a pet store.

Also consider asking the breeder (or whomever you're getting her from) either what sort of pellets they feed or if you can have/buy some of them to transition her over onto a new pellet. That way you'll have less GI upset.

 

[AzWabbit]

missyscove wrote:

You might not be able to use a whole bale, but it still might be more cost effective to buy one, if you have the space to store it.
My feed store also sells trash bags with about 2 flakes of hay in them for $5 or so dollars, definitely a better deal on better quality hay than what you could buy in a pet store.

Also consider asking the breeder (or whomever you're getting her from) either what sort of pellets they feed or if you can have/buy some of them to transition her over onto a new pellet. That way you'll have less GI upset.

Thanks for the response.

As for the space I was thinking of taking one of those large plastic bins and storing it there. I noticed that buying a bale is cheaper than buying the bags thus why I considered it

I have been keeping close contact with the breeder and I am asking her tons of questions but I'm afraid that I'm starting to pester her, which obviously I'd hate to do.

She will be giving me some hay and a bag of the food she has been feeding the baby as well, so that will help but I'll make sure to ask her what kind it is so I can buy the same brand just encase its different. I rather keep her on the diet she's used to, and I saved my receipt I can return the other food. ^^

 

[maxysmummy]

sounds good although the cage may end up a bit small as she grows.

alsoooo be careful with pellets, as sooo many brands are just junk food for bunnies.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat: Saw the hay like everyone else and had the same reaction. For the first six months, alfalfa is best for a growing bunnies because of higher protein and calcium. After that, the calcium can cause bladder sludge and stones as the growth demands lessen and it passes through the urine. We buy online and get our hay in fifty pound bales as we have ten rabbits, 8 of whom are very large. Free shipping makes it much cheaper than the 3 pound packs from Petsmart.

 

[AzWabbit]

Just got back from my shopping trip ^_^

So I went out and bought timothy hay with alfalfa!
A different water bottle, this one attaches to the cage and has a lid at the top that flips open making it easier to do water changes etc.
Litter box with a grid
Super Pet Critter Litter
Farmers Market Bunny Basket http://www.waremfginc.com/sa-detaildisplay.aspx?itemno=03164
Treat-K-Bob that came with a couple chews
Salt Savors (I guess they are salt licks for bunnies?) the clerk suggested them and they fit on the Ka-bob thing I bought http://www.superpetusa.com/product-list/mini-salt-savors-flavors-4-pack.htm

 

[Yield]

AzWabbit wrote:

Just got back from my shopping trip ^_^

So I went out and bought timothy hay with alfalfa!
A different water bottle, this one attaches to the cage and has a lid at the top that flips open making it easier to do water changes etc.
Litter box with a grid
Super Pet Critter Litter
Farmers Market Bunny Basket http://www.waremfginc.com/sa-detaildisplay.aspx?itemno=03164
Treat-K-Bob that came with a couple chews
Salt Savors (I guess they are salt licks for bunnies?) the clerk suggested them and they fit on the Ka-bob thing I bought http://www.superpetusa.com/product-list/mini-salt-savors-flavors-4-pack.htm

[align=center]Here is my tip for you.. never completely trust people in the pet store, lol. Most of them have no idea how to truly take care of a rabbit. Salt licks are not good for buns I have heard. They don't need extra salt like other animals. =]

 

[AzWabbit]

:banghead Darnit, I feel so foolish. I'm just trying to get everything that would be good for her lol and seeing that these salts savors have other minerals in them such as calcium I thought it could help and listened to the person at petsmart. Whoops, I guess I wont do that again.. Well at least I got the other things taken care of.

 

[Yield]

AzWabbit wrote:

:banghead Darnit, I feel so foolish. I'm just trying to get everything that would be good for her lol and seeing that these salts savors have other minerals in them such as calcium I thought it could help and listened to the person at petsmart. Whoops, I guess I wont do that again.. Well at least I got the other things taken care of.

Oh, don't feel foolish! Everyone makes mistakes and you were just doing what you thought wwas best for your bun. Bunnies don't need extra calcium, I'm pretty sure, because they're prone to bladdder sludge and stones. We have been giving my bun extra calcium stuff cause his leg is broken. But otherwise I think it's not reccomended =]

 

[maxysmummy]

AzWabbit wrote:

:banghead Darnit, I feel so foolish. I'm just trying to get everything that would be good for her lol and seeing that these salts savors have other minerals in them such as calcium I thought it could help and listened to the person at petsmart. Whoops, I guess I wont do that again.. Well at least I got the other things taken care of.

dont feel foolish, just remember 99.9% of people who work in pet shops have no idea about the proper care of rabbits.

if you wanna ask questions, just ask here

also, i've found the best things for rabbits are cardboard boxes/tubes. so ask your family not to chuck out the cardboard tube inside the toilet paper, and find lots of fun shaped boxes and just chuck them in the cage. you can even stuff the cardboard tube with pellets and hay and stuff to make it more fun

also, phone books are good

 

[AzWabbit]

Maybe I trusted this woman because she said she owned a lop eared rabbit. Of course she could of told me that to try and get me to buy more..I dont know.

Thankfully I saved my receipt so I should be good, infact I will be returning a few items tomorrow morning.

However tonight I was able to accomplish getting most of the cage completed, and ready for the new bun which I get Thursday night!!

So I need to return one of the water bottles I got (I got a different one today that I want to keep)
The food dish that connects to the cage, it will be to far up for the little girl right now. So I need to get a replacement.
I also want to return the salt lick things
and the
orchard grass

I'm so excited and cant wait! So setting up for the new baby makes it more real that she'll be here soon ^^

 

[maxysmummy]

IMO dont cover the entire floor with litter/bedding. will make everything 100 times harder for you to clean up and 100 times harder to toilet train your little man.

if you want to put something down i'd suggest an old towel orrr a fleece blanket.

 

[AzWabbit]

maxysmummy wrote:

IMO dont cover the entire floor with litter/bedding. will make everything 100 times harder for you to clean up and 100 times harder to toilet train your little man.

if you want to put something down i'd suggest an old towel orrr a fleece blanket.

Really? Towel or blanket? I've heard such horror stories of bunnies chewing up the blanket/towel and causing it to bundle up in their tummies and could be fatal O.O Maybe I'm over nervous lol. But yeah I can see your point about how it may be harder to train my little girl once she's home. Is there any way to discourage her from going in another corner? Like putting her food and water in one corner, her bed in another and the liter box in one that way it coaxes her to go potty in the litter box?

Thanks again for the response!

 

[maxysmummy]

AzWabbit wrote:

maxysmummy wrote:

IMO dont cover the entire floor with litter/bedding. will make everything 100 times harder for you to clean up and 100 times harder to toilet train your little man.

if you want to put something down i'd suggest an old towel orrr a fleece blanket.

Really? Towel or blanket? I've heard such horror stories of bunnies chewing up the blanket/towel and causing it to bundle up in their tummies and could be fatal O.O Maybe I'm over nervous lol. But yeah I can see your point about how it may be harder to train my little girl once she's home. Is there any way to discourage her from going in another corner? Like putting her food and water in one corner, her bed in another and the liter box in one that way it coaxes her to go potty in the litter box?

Thanks again for the response!

a lot of people have sucess with putting hay next to or above the litter box as arabbits apparently like to eat while they crap... but my rabbits seem to be litter trained fine even if the hay is on the other side of the hutch.

best way to toilet train, would be to do the following -

- remove all the litter from the cage other than in the litter tray (leaving just plastic flooring) and putting your bunny inside (shutting the cage so she can't leave)
- watch her for a few minutes/hours/whatever untill she pees. when she does pee, soak it up with a tissue and place the tissue in the litter box and move the litter box on top of the area she just peed in
- watch her untill the next time she pees, likely it will be in the litter box, if not, wipe up the whoopsie with a tissue and place in the litter box again. BUT this time you dont move the litter box. leave it where it was and spray the mistake with a vinegar/water solution.

repeat the above step until she only uses the litter box.

it shouldnt take more than a few hours/days.

once shes fine with the litter box, you can put carboard/fleece/towelling down o the floor (or even leave it as it is if you like). but make sure its not kitty litter otherwise she will be mega confused and could start peeing everywhere again


oh also i forgot to add, whenever she poos outside the box pick them all up and put them in the box

 

[funnybunnymummy]

:yeahthat:

I've had success with using more than one litter box and slowly narrowing it down to one. But in such a small cage that could be difficult.

Fleece is ideal for rabbits because if they do chew it, the fibres don't ball up in their stomachs. However, so long as the rabbit is getting sufficienthay (or other long stemmy fibres)and water, you'd be surprised at what will pass through a rabbit no trouble. (Drywall? Carpet fibres? Packing tape? Vinylbaseboard?Oh yeah. :rollseyes )

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[jfinner1]

OMG where did you get that litter box??? That's exactly the type I have been looking for for my one bun (He's a digger, only had him 2 weeks) and I haven't been able to find one!! Please please please tell me where you got it and the brand and stuff so I have a better idea where to look!! :biggrin::biggrin:

Setup looks good btw. About the same as what I have for my bunnies, though I have a wooden hidey house instead of the tube. My buns both have fleece blankets in their cages, and they love them, they dig them, toss them, hide under them. I bought a normal sized fleece throw at Walmart, looks exactly like this one, except it's blue. I ripped out the thread around the outside just to be safe, and cut it in half to make it more manageable, and it works perfect.

Also, don't feel bad if you make some mistakes. I was pretty clueless when I got my first rabbit, and I didn't have this awesome site to ask advice on... I don't even want to think about some of the mistakes I made!! And the people here are very nice, so if you ever have a question, no matter how silly it may seem, don't be afraid to ask. :biggrin: