Newbie

[brandyz]

I am brand new to this rabbit world. We just added a baby lionhead to our zoo. I am a trying to do all the research I can since I know pretty much nothing about rabbits.

We bought him from a pet store (I know...) a little over a week ago. We were told he was about 8 wks old but I have no actual idea since they could not give me a dob. He is a friendly little guy however I think he might have charged me when I was cleaning his cage the other day. Also he nipped my daughter yesterday when she was holding him but I think it was more of an I don't want to be held right now nip.

We had him out in a play pen thing in our living room for a good part of the afternoon yesterday and he enjoyed that. HOwever there was a bit of urine on the side of the fence and a ways out. Is he too young to spray? We have other pets that were sniffing at him so I was wondering if he didn't try to spray them? I really have no clue. We plan on getting him neutered but the vet won't do it until he is 6 months old.

Any and all advice would be awesome since like I said we are brand new to bunnies. He actually belongs to my 12 year old daughter and resides in her room We are trying to litter box train him and it seems to be going so so.

In addtion to this bunny we have 2 chihuahuas, 2 cats, 1 senegal parrot and 1 uromastyx (who is my 10 year old sons)

 

[Imbrium]

not until 6 mos? that seems pretty old - most vets will neuter as soon as the bunny's testicles have descended. makes me wonder a little if the vet is truly rabbit-savvy.

I've got girls, so I don't know about the spraying... though I think that doesn't happen until puberty, which doesn't normally happen until at least 3 mos of age.

litter box habits are often hit-and-miss with unfixed babies... if you're using bedding in the cage, I would stop doing that as it often makes them think the whole cage is a litter box. time and patience will help a lot with training him.

anyway, welcome to RO!

here are my favorite bunny info sites:
http://www.rabbit.org/index.html
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#babies
http://www.3bunnies.org/feeding.htm
http://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx

feel free to ask any questions you've got - we're always happy to answer them!

 

[agnesthelion]

Welcome!

Is that him in your avatar? I'm squinting trying to see closer but I think I see a pretty good saddle and double mane so if that is the case he might be older than 8 weeks. Do you have more pics you could post?

I have a double mane lionhead as well that I've had since 7 weeks old. I might be able to compare and give a bit of an age estimate.

I agree with Jennifer. 6months seems awfully old to neuter a buck. My vet spayed Agnes at 5months old. Bucks can be neutered even sooner. I would ask some questions to your vet to see if they are truly knowlegable in rabbits. Here is a great link to questions you should ask:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html#good-questions

spraying can happen as soon as they begin sexual maturity which can happen in little breeds fairly early, So he may be spraying! Another reason to see if you can get a neuter to happen sooner than later

Lionheads are great rabbits. Agnes is a joy. She has been so much fun. Rabbits are great pets but they require patience and time and they can be high maintenance. If you put in the work, I think the payback is awesome. I have two buns that I love having in my life.

Ask any other questions you may have! Lots of bunny gurus here

 

[berni74]

hello, i am new to these forums and i am interested in chatting to other people about there rabbits. i have two rabbits that i am in the middle of bonding, they are male and female called bev and bubbles. they are both rescue rabbits and i lost my last rabbit nearly 3 weeks ago. i had only had him 4 months and it broke my heart having to have put to sleep . bubbles is the new addition to the family but bev is taking her time with him. i lost my first rabbit thumper in may and he was 6 yrs old and was my baby and all my rabbits are in door rabbits. rabbits will always be part of my life.

 

[berni74]

hi, i have just had a look at you photos of your rabbits and they are so cute.

 

[agnesthelion]

berni74 wrote:

hello, i am new to these forums and i am interested in chatting to other people about there rabbits. i have two rabbits that i am in the middle of bonding, they are male and female called bev and bubbles. they are both rescue rabbits and i lost my last rabbit nearly 3 weeks ago. i had only had him 4 months and it broke my heart having to have put to sleep . bubbles is the new addition to the family but bev is taking her time with him. i lost my first rabbit thumper in may and he was 6 yrs old and was my baby and all my rabbits are in door rabbits. rabbits will always be part of my life.

Welcome!

Imdont want to hijack this thread but I'm in the middle of bonding too. So let us know of your bonding experience or visit my threads, I'd love to swap notes

 

[brandyz]

I actually pm you. I looked thru my pics of him and I don't have any great ones but I do have a really good video of him. However I can't seem to get anything to post. I am not so great with forums.

 

[Imbrium]

if you click "post reply" rather than using quick reply, there are some options for embedding pics and vids... the insert image button is second from the right on the top toolbar. if you use photobucket (not sure which other upload sites work but that one definitely does), you can either copy/paste the bottom link ("img code") directly into the thread or copy the second link ("direct link"), click the insert img button on the forum and paste the link into the box that comes up.

for videos, you can click the "youtube" icon if you have something uploaded there and paste the url for the youtube vid in the box that pops up and it'll embed the video into the thread. there are also buttons for WMP, realplayer and quicktime, though I've never tried to use those.

failing that, you can just put the link to where something is uploaded and we can click the link to go view it.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:wave:

 

[MrBunBunandMe]

It's a new environment, new owners, new faces, many other animals, the holding. Keep it away from the other animals for a while. Your bun could be frightened and that's why it's spraying around the cage to distinguish it's own territory. Bond with it (alone) away from other pets, do this as a family for a few minutes. Let it get to know and sniff you all. Treats are also a great way to bond

 

[berni74]

my first rabbit was a male neatherland dwarf and i had him neutered at 6 months but he never sprayed anywhere. i litter trained him when i first got him at 12 weeks old by watching where he kept weeing and pooing. rabbits normally pick one place, so then i put the litter tray in that corner with some of his droppings in. it did not take long for him to use the tray. i have rescue rabbits now and i always make sure they have been neutered or spayed as i dont intend to breed and it can lengthen there life span.:biggrin: