Any Rabbit advice ?

Wicked_witch

If he's eating and preening then yep, he is :-)

UKTigerlily

Could you get a companion for him? rabbits should be kept in pairs & he should accept a female one (Both will need to be neutered at about six months)

bizywizy

re eating plants - our Hugo also eats anything an absolutely everything - therefore only hanging baskets for us now.

Ours isnt a burrower but he is a planner so even if you think oh they havent got in behind there or up there - he surprises us.

He didnt used to bother going upstairs so was fine to roam around with doors open. then at 3 years old decided I can do the stairs and wanted to investigate. bizarre -

He has dug a couple of holes in his lifetime but nothing major - some bunnies are diggers and others arent bothered.

When out and about they will go around working out a safe route to safety and then will go hell for leather around the garden - its hilarious. an when they start binkying too - its lovely.

You are so lucky having a baby bunny to play with.

Re harnesses - Hugo didnt like it - he screamed and went mental - not a sound you want to ever hear. but not all of htem protest so much xxx.

I had rabbits for dummies. book.

thatgirlsam

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Could you get a companion for him? rabbits should be kept in pairs & he should accept a female one (Both will need to be neutered at about six months)

he is the result of a woman getting a pair !

he will very much be a part of our family , i am not planning on getting another at the moment

UKTigerlily

thatgirlsam wrote: »

he is the result of a woman getting a pair !

he will very much be a part of our family , i am not planning on getting another at the moment

Aww please consider in the future tho they should be kept in pairs, human company doesn't replace that of their own kind x (Pics pls!)

bizywizy

when I first got mine the thought of 2 was not on the cards. Now I would consider it but then I think its like kids. You have one and think another is a good idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dont think my bunny even though no bunny company does too bad. He is sat watching me right now. wiggling his ears.

OH I am so excited for you - hope Peter is a licker. its so lovely when they lick you.

Hugo growls too and flicks his feet (like sticking 2 fingers up at you)

also they do a little clicky grind thing which is like a purr Ive been told.

thatgirlsam

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Aww please consider in the future tho they should be kept in pairs, human company doesn't replace that of their own kind x (Pics pls!)

i will consider in the future, i promise !

i will try and post some pics up tomorrow

Wicked_witch

I'm torn about the pair thing, because there is no doubt it is better for them, but it means you have to be super unselfish and accept that your loving bunny will suddenly not be bothered about you at all ;-)

I started off with one female, then got a second within weeks, so they were both still young enough to hit it off as a same sex pair. After the first female died, I kept the singleton alone for a while but she was so obviously unhappy and bored that I got a male and put them together after he was neutered. It took 3 weeks of intros before she would accept him,but after that they were inseperable.

Sadly, the female died 3 weeks ago and so Kit has come indoors for good now, so that he can have human company (my dog also loves him). I can't financially or emotionally afford to get attached to any more bunnies.

amy104

Hi and welcome to the world of bunnies. I have 8 at present and possibly one more on the way.

I always recomend spaying and neutering bunnies. It has huge behavioural benefits, they are more laid back and friendly and far easier to litter train. It also helps prevent cancer in the females. Males can be done as soon as the plums drop which can be 12 weeks onwards. Females aren't usually done till later at around six months.

If you are open to the idea later on pairs are always better. Once you've seen two bunnies snuggled together you'll never look back. And for the record it is a myth that they lose their bond with you if you get another one. I have 4 pairs of bunnies and they are much more confident, social and outgoing than they ever were as singletons.

The main thing new owners always get wrong is feeding. An adult rabbit should have no more commercial feed that 1 tablespoon. Sounds like you are starving them but 80/90% of their diet should be hay. They need the fibre to keep their gut healthy and it helps wear down the teeth so prevent dental problems. Hay should be unlimited. As a baby you can feed more pellets, ideally a junior one which has more protein whilst they are growing, but they hay is the most important bit so if your baby bun wont eat his hay, try reducing his pellets. When feeding veg make sure its introduced gradually, some buns tolerate more than others so they need to be introduced slowly.

You will need to book a visit to your vet for vaccinations to protect him against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD).

I don't like woodchips or shavings for rabbits as they have been known to cause respitory problems so you might like to consider an alternative such as megazorb or auboise.

Its great you have a bunnyproof garden but you'll still need to supervise him incase of predators.

In regards to hutch covers buy a clear shower curtain from ikea for 89p. Its cheap, waterproof and clear so lets daylight through.

I'm a member of the rabbit welfare association and there are lots of really helpful leaflets on their website you can download.

Goodluck.

~Chameleon~

Reading through the thread I noticed nobody had mentioned hay, until I got to the last post from Amy104

As she said, hay is the most important part of a rabbits diet, and they should have a constant supply. The volume of hay they eat every day exceeds their body size!

Also, it's advisable to feed a complete pellet food such as Burgess Excel so they receive all nutrients. It's common for bunnies to pick out favourite bits from a muesli type mix.

On the subject of wood shavings/sawdust please ensure it doesn't come from pine or cedar wood as this is toxic to bunnies via the smell/fumes when it's soaked in urine.