Newbie With Questions

[Moon Bunny]

My girlfriend and I just bought our first rabbit yesterday.His (or her, we're not sure yet, but I'll get to that) name is Bonsai. :3 We were told he's a mini rex, but I have my doubts about this. He looks almost exactly like an english spot, just not show quality. (None definate spots like the book says they're supposed to have.) Plus I always assumed all rex breeds, no matter the species, had sort of wavy fur. And he doesn't really. (Any comments/answers on this one?)

Anyways, one the the questions I had is are turnup greens good for rabbits? I bought some today along with some celery, which I've read is good for them. I'm just not sure about the greens.

Another question I have is head butting. Our bunny likes to head butt our arms and hand softly, exspecially when he was first checking us out. What does this mean?

Also, we bought Bonsai a bird toy, but he doesn't seem to be playing with it/chewing on it. Granted we just got him yesterday and he might just not be sure about everything yet... But is anyone else having problems getting their bun to play with their toys? I wouldn't be concerned if I didn't get it for the purpose of him shaving his teeth down on it by chewing the wood.

Anyway, thats all! I'd appreciate any extra advice.

(P.S. Yes, he's scedualed to get "fixed" next month. :3 )

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

First of all welcome to the forum!:wave2

You can get Dalmatian rexes which look like English spots but with rex fur so he or she could be one of them.

About the greens, here is a list I use of safe greens, veggies, fruits and herbs:

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/safefoods.htm

Rabbits head butt to say hi, or they might push your hand away is they are sick of being stroked.

Rabbits like different types of toys, some are chewers, shredders etc so he may not want to play with hisbird toy, however I'd give him a bit of time as he might not know what it's for! Here is a good section on toys for you to try out:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12433&forum_id=17

 

[naturestee]

Hi! I love your bun's name. It's on my list of future boy animal names.

Turnip greens are fine, but I wouldn't be changing his diet yet. Too much change too quickly can upset his stomach. For now, keep him on regular pellets and hay. You could probably start adding a veggies in a week or two once he's settled in, as long as you start with only one type and in small amounts.

You can read more about feeding your rabbit in the Bunny 101 thread here:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12046&forum_id=17

And the Veggie thread in Bunny 101 is here:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=13618&forum_id=17

FYI this is my favorite basic site on how to feed your rabbit.
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html

It's very rare to have rexes with wavy fur. Most have short, thick, straight fur that looks and feels like velvet.

As for toys, I noticed with Mocha (the only bun I had as a baby) that she didn't start chewing much until she was a little older. She liked to play with things but didn't see a need to chew, probably because her teeth were growing the same as she was. Try small throw toys like plastic cat toys with jingle bells or hard plastic baby keys. Toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay are popular, as are sheets of paper or a phone book for shredding. There's lots more ideas in the Bunny 101 thread that Bunnys_rule63 posted.

Oh, and here's a great site on bunny language:
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

 

[JimD]

Welcome to the forum Moon Bunny!

#1) Rex fur is very plush and velvety and grows straight out.

#2) You've already gotten the OK about the turnip greens being safe. A lot of owners will wait until the bunnie is about 6 months old before introducing veggies, however some have introduced them at a early age in small amounts with no ill effects. In any event I would let the little guy get accustomed to his new home before making any diet changes.

#3) My bunnies headbutt if they want attention or if they think I'm invading their territory. If they initiate it, it's usually a good thing and they just want someone to pay attention to them. If I initiate it...say by removing their food bowl....I take it as a warning and keep a watchful eye when returning the bowl to it's owner.

#4) A few of my bunnies play with their toys regularly, but some of them seem uninterested UNTIL I MOVE IT. If I move their toy they have to put it back in it's rightful place.....even if they don't play with it.

 

[Spring]

Welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of rabbits! I hope you like it here, lots of friendly, bunny crazy people!

:welcome1:wave2:toastingbuns

 

[allison]

I used to have a mini rex bunny named Angel. Her hair was short, straight, and very soft. She hardly ever had molting hair sticking up like Dusty does.

 

[Jess_sully]

Welcome to the forum I seriouslly doubt that Bonsai is an english spot, because purebred spots are barely ever sold in petstores or available at rescues. Many rescues simply label spotted rabbits as english spots, even if they don't have the right body shape (full arch). If he's an english spot, you should be able to see a fair ammount of sunlight beneath him when he's sitting or standing normally. He's probably a broken mini rex

As for the rest of the questions, they've already been answered! But, good luck with your new little man/lady. This is a great place to learn more about bunnies!

 

[Moon Bunny]

Thank you all so much for all the links and information. :3 I really appreciate it and it's all been extremely informitive. I think Bonsai is gonna be a much happier bun for it, lol.

 

[jordiwes]

Moon Bunny wrote:

Another question I have is head butting. Our bunny likes to head butt our arms and hand softly, exspecially when he was first checking us out. What does this mean?

Sounds like you have a very friendly bunny!

Wesley likes to headbutt everything! (I call him bulldozer).

He likes to have a clear path to his bed and his food and if anything or anyone is in his way, he'll try and shove you away with his head.