Hey, all. This is about my second or third account on here because I've, for some reason, deleted my other accounts. Anyway, I own two rabbits, a mini rex and, best I can tell, a rex. I need a couple of suggestions on some stuff.

My main problem is they are O-B-E-S-E. Marge, the rex, is 9.4 pounds and Essie, the mini rex, is 5.2. Their fat is just rolls on them. I know a large part of the reason is they don't get enough exercise. I can't let them out all day, and they don't run when they're out anyway. The other problem is diet. My family feeds my rabbits a LOT of junk food. Lots of bananas, almonds, and apples. I recently ran across that almonds are bad for rabbits, but the vet didn't seem concerned. I tried cutting all junk food out for a while, but my family couldn't stick with the plan. I feed them a lot of pellets. These pellets come in a 25 pound bag for 8 dollars and I'm beginning to question how healthy they are for them. I want to try http://store.binkybunny.com/bunny-basics-t-adult-rabbit-food--5-lbs-or-10-lbs-p62.aspx but we once had a friend who told us you can't change a rabbit's pellets after it eats it for years because it will die. She claims it is what killed her rabbits. Will it hurt my rabbit to change their pellets? What is the recommended portion of pellets to give my rabbits each day? I usually fill it until the bowl is full.

Is there an alternative method to cleaning potties? I hate pulling out all the bags, toilet paper, vinegar, etc every two days to clean their potties.  Plus they fight me every step of the way on it. I have corner potties. Does anyone have any potty cleaning tips to make it a little better of a chore.

Essie keeps her cage dirty. Poop everywhere, no matter how often I clean it, and as a result she has sore hocks, which didn't start until her cage got really dirty.  Any suggestions?

They stay in the living room and that room gets very loud. They are next to the tv, people talk very loud, and just general noises. Do you think it would be better to move them to my room. As it is right now, I don't really have room, but if I strain my brain, I think I could create some. I just don't know if all the noise is bad for them.

Welcome, even though you're not new

First of all, you will HAVE to get your family to stop feeding them junk food, or any effort from you regarding their diet will be for nothing. What kind of food are you feeding them now? If it has seeds, nuts, funny colored stuff in it, it's no good, that's like feeding them candy. The Oxbow you found in the BB store is what rabbits should eat, just plain pellets. And no, they won't die just because you change their food, as long as you do it slowly. Over a 10 day period, slowly increase the amount of new food mixed in with the old, and watch for any signs of tummy upsets, like diarrhea. The amount of pellets recommended is 1/4 to 1/2 cup for every 6 lbs of rabbit weight. Since you want them to lose weight I would go with 1/4 cup, at least until they reach their ideal weight. Do they get unlimited hay? Hay should be their main diet and it's very important for them to have!

Do they get any veggies? Ideal would be 2 cups of chopped veggies per day, again for every 6 lbs of body weight. Here's the BB list of approved veggies to feed your bunnies: http://www.binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx

What kind of cage are they in right now? The corner litterboxes are often too small, a bigger one filled with a good litter might improve litter habits. What litter are you using? Wood pellets are a cheap choice and do a great job.

About the sore hocks, is there a wire bottom in their cage? If so, that probably has something to do with it.

Also, how about some pictures of you bunnies?

"What do you mean you forgot the eggnog?!?!?!?"

 "Om nom nom nom"

Thanks everyone! Sorry it has been so long since I replied.  Yes, those were photos from last Christmas. I keep their nails regularly trimmed. The photos were actually right before the nail trim.

Weight can cause sore hocks? 

Things are going well with my family agreeing not to give them treats. If we can keep this up.  I have decided to use the Oxbow pellets and Oxbow hay, so I'm hopeful there will be much improvement after that.  I really want to get the potties off of Binky Bunny also, but am still unsure if they will kick them around and turn them over, also.  

Oh, and I would love to set up xpen instead of cages, but they aren't  bonded (nearly lost my sanity trying), so that is a lot if space. 

Weight can cause sore hocks?