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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum THE LOUNGE Not sure where to post this…

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    • Peter's Mummy :)
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        I want to order a Walk-N-Vest for my bunny. We’re both to all of this. New to eachother, and I’m new to bunnies. I did a ton of research before I got him though. I didn’t just get him out of the blue one day because I thought a bunny was a piece of a cake.

         

        But, yeah. I want to get him one, but I don’t know what size to get. Has anyone used one of these or owns one? My bunny is a Dutch, so does anyone know what size to get him, if any at all? Or does anyone know of any other harness and leases to get? I really want to get him because it’s getting nice out and I love being outside and I bet Peter would too.

        Thanks!!!

        Here are some pictures so you guys can help me determine what size to get:

        I think the one with the sunglasses is adorable! LOL

         

            Edit:

         

         

         

         


      • leyley904
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          Oops, I don’t see the pictures. Is anyone seeing them besides me?


        • Peter's Mummy :)
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            Ah sorry! I don’t think I even put them up! haha


          • Minty
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              Firstly, you should make sure your bunny will even tolerate a harness. Some bunnies will freak out as soon as they feel a harness confining them, others don’t even care. Luckily my boys fall into the latter category.

              Now, I have no experience with the harness you’re wanting but I went for a cat harness instead of the mesh harnesses marketed for small animals. Simply because I worry about over heating and I feel like they constrict the bunny more. Some people may think they are more safe, but if you have a properly fitted cat harness then it can work just as well. I personally use the ‘Come With Me Kitty’ brand harness. This has worked excellent for me and it comes with the bungee leash.

              So I would go buy a harness and bring it home to try out… but keep the receipt just in case you need to return it if your bunny ends up not liking it. Also be aware that if you don’t have your own yard to ‘walk’ him in that there is a high likelihood that grass or plants will be treated with chemicals. There is also the risk of having cats, dogs, and even birds attack your rabbit while outside. So be very careful.

              Good luck!


            • Karla
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                I have tried teaching 4 bunnies to use a harness, but it has never worked (and I have never been persistent), as they all freaked out and panicked. Karl was the only one we spent some time trying to teach him to love it, and what we did was just leave it in the cage so he could smell it, and after a while just put it loosely on top of him and give him treats at the same time – he would completely freak out once we tried to close it, so we never got to that point.

                My Dutch girl however apparently loves her harness. Her previous owners used to take her out in the garden in a harness and according to them, she loves getting it on and will get excited just by seeing the harness because it meant some time out of her cage. I just let her out in the garden without a harness, so I have never used it, but at least now you know that it is all just a matter of making it into a positive experience.

                She has this type: http://www.lamp-post.co.uk/prodimages/trixie/6263.jpg


              • Peter's Mummy :)
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                  Good morning all!
                  Thanks for the tips! I’m going to Petsmart this afternoon after work. I might bring Peter along with me and see if I can slowly try something on him for sizes, or hold it up to him and see if it fits. Lol, I don’t know if they allow bunnies in pet stores, but they allow dogs, so why not?
                  I hope that he likes it and he will allow me to put it on him. I wanted to get him a pink harness last night, but my boyfriend didn’t like that idea too much. Haha, tough guys wear pink! LOL


                • Sarita
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                    Just be careful if there are dogs around…you don’t want to spook Peter or let some dog get too curious.


                  • Peter's Mummy :)
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                      Dogs aren’t allowed on my street, so I’m fien there. But we have a lot of cats, especially at my house because I feed all of the neighbor’s cats. Haha, probably shouldn’t though! But the cats are well behaved and go away easily when I shoo them away. But I wont bring him out for long periods of time at first and he wont be out of my sight when he is outside. I will always be right there next to him when he’s outside.


                    • Minty
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                        I think she means at Petsmart.
                        Also, he might act like he is fine with the harness at the store if he is a bit scared. My rabbit are always much more submissive and let me handle them when they are somewhere unfamiliar (and this is usually because they are unsure or a little scared.) But he might fight it more at home. Also, if you’re going to take him to Petsmart maybe try going at a quieter time so the commotion doesn’t stress him out. I know it will depend on your rabbit’s individual personality. I know my Frankie would be fine with going on trips but Sully hates travelling.


                      • Beka27
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                          I would recommend not using a harness. If your space is bunny-proofed, it’s not necessary for him to be tethered. And harnesses can injure rabbits, sometimes even resulting in broken bones.


                        • Peter's Mummy :)
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                            Haha oh right..Petsmart….

                            Thanks Beka. My place outside isn’t really bunny proof though. We have kids and cats on my street, but I want him to be able to sit outside with me on Sundays for a little bit as safe as possible. If it doesn’t work out, and soemthing goes wrong, obviously I’ll keep him indoors all the time.


                          • Beka27
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                              He has to be in an enclosed pen if he’s outdoors. A harness will not protect him from predators.


                            • Deleted User
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                                Tethering is more risky for a rabbit than for a dog or even a cat because of the spook factor in rabbits. You cannot predict what is going to startle your bunny and when. If you are just getting to know your rabbut, and I do believe he is new, I would first set him up in a pen outdoors under supervision so he can get used to outdoor noises. Later on, when you do try the harness on him, he will be much calmer.


                              • Moonlight_Wolf
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                                  I tried a harness once but I just didn’t like it.

                                  Since bunnies are so poofy (well at least Fern is) I found that the harness would easily come off if it was tugged even a little bit. Also bunnies can injure themselves if they tug against the lead.

                                  One time I went outside with a harness on Fern and I basically had to run after her because I did not want the leash to tug on her too much. It was kind of cute, she was running and binkying everywhere.

                                  Harnesses work for some, but not others, Fern was fine in the harness, it did not bother her, but I felt unsafe using a harness. Now I just let them outside in my spare x-pen.


                                • Peter's Mummy :)
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                                    Gotcha. Thanks guys!


                                  • leyley904
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                                      I put a harness on Beans twice. I have no clue why I did the second time, after the first experience…
                                      He went behind the bush. 1 second… 2 second…. Thats all. What happens? He chewed through the leash. That quick; and was off! I was chasing him all around…. by the street!!!!! 
                                      The second time I had a much better leash/harness. MUCH sturdier, and I went to the confined backyard. But, I still have no clue how I had the courage to do it again (thinking back.)
                                      It went fine that time, but he didn’t seem to be noticing much change in environment… he just groomed himself.
                                      This is kinda mean, but it was so funny when he would jump while on the elastic leash. He would jump up and forward, but in mid jump would reach maximum stretch on the leash and just kinda be pulled backwards (still mid jump) and land right were he started…. he got so frustrated!


                                    • Peter's Mummy :)
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                                        Haha aww, that’s so cute! Well, I mean cute and funny, but not in a mean kinda way.
                                        Well, tomorrow, after my half day of work, little brother’s 5th grade graduation, and looking at some cars, I’m going to Petsmart to get Peter a harness and try it on when I get home to see if he likes it and I’m going to get him so stuff that he would like/need. And redecorate his/our room so it’s more “Peter-friendly-proof”.
                                        Tonight however, he had a little accident. His first one since I had him, he pooped on my couch. I don’t know why he decided to “do his business” today on the couch? Any ideas? Maybe he just really had to go? When you gotta go, you gotta go, you know? Lol. Or was that his way of marking his territory in a sense?


                                      • Monkeybun
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                                          If he isn’t neutered, you should get on that, will help with the marking Un-altered buns seem to mark more than altered ones, they tend to be a little more territorial. Neutering will help, and make his litterbox habits much better


                                        • Karla
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                                            Beds and couches are favourite places to mark…they smell of you! So, since he is not neutered, he has a strong need to mark his territory and since you are making HIS territory smell of you, then he needs to pee there.

                                            Clean it with vinegar to remove the smell, so he doesn’t feel the need to re-mark again. And keep him off the couch until he is neutered, so that it doesn’t become a bad habit. Rabbits are so quick to pick up a habit! And it takes ages to “un-learn” a bad behaviour…ask anyone in here who has had a rabbit that picked a pee spot!


                                          • KatnipCrzy
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                                              There have been many bunnies that have broken legs or backs when on a harness- as long as you are aware of the risk and can afford vet care in case of an injury, then you could try it.  But if you are not prepared to deal with the consequences of an accident- I would either pen him outside with you or leave him in the house where it is safe.


                                            • Peter's Mummy :)
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                                                I got one last night. I put it on him loosely and he did great! At first he was kind of like, woah! what is this?! But he didn’t fight it, scratch or anything. But of course, he was nipping at the material. I left it on him for 5 minutes. No leash or anything. He was just hanging out on the couch with it on. I did it 3 times for 5 minutes each time and he did great all 3 times! I want him to get used to it before I put the leash on it so he knows it wont hurt him and so he gets used to it. When I do put the leash on it, probably not for a couple of days, just so he can be used to it, I’ll just walk him around inside my house. He wont be outside until I get a pen for him.
                                                Also last night, I got a cardboard box and used my paper shredder and shredded some paper for him, and he loved it! It’s his new favorite thing. I got him a little bed at Petsmart too, and he loves that as well. I put it in his cage and he slept in it all night! It was sooo cute I’m so happy that he loves everything I got/did for him! So far so good, so far: Phase 1 complete.

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                                            Forum THE LOUNGE Not sure where to post this…