Hello! I just joined as we just got a black and white Dutch bunny. My last bunny (english) I got from a neighbor in 4th grade and it lived till I was a senior in college!! He was super tame and friendly and I have wanted my kids to have this experience with a rabbit. Upon hearing one of our pet rats died a neighbor offered us a rabbit that her relatives had and were looking to get rid of. without any details my husband said we would take it. We never met the owners but got the bunny 3 weeks ago. The cage was terrible, it had nails so long the toes were twisted, the cage was caked in poop and pee and the poor thing was scared to death to come out of the cage. She is about 3-4 yrs but has hardly been out of the cage during this time
Over the last 3 weeks we have been working with her and trying to take it very slowly. She has really come around and will come out of the cage on her own and come up to us to be pet the last few days! Her old cage was one of those Super Pet cages with plastic on the bottom, they had wood shavings on the bottom, a litter box and a hut and food bowl on the ground so the poor thing had almost nowhere to stand. Nothing to chew on, no mineral/salt lick, waterbottle was green with algae, and the hut was soaked with pee on the bottom inch. I am unable to feel her ribs and her food was the type with treats. Pretty much opposite of how I feel she should be cared for!I cleaned the cage immediately but we did keep her in there for the first couple weeks as she seemed to be terribly agoraphobic (though we left the door open whenever we were home so she could come out and explore on her own and get exercise). She started coming out on her own and we began transitioning her to a new cage, an XL dog crate that we built a shelf in the middle and lined with indoor/outdoor carpet, hut, hay manger, etc. For a few days we put the old cage with her in it in the new cage for adjustment purposes. I leave the door open on the cage almost all day if I am home (which I usually am in and out but I dont work) for her to go in and out as she pleases. She will go to in the new cage on her own and seemed to like it and be comfortable in it. I put the old cage outside and she spent the first night in the new cage 2 nights ago. In the am, she had pooped and peed in the litter box (and around the cage too). But the rest of the day she did not go to the bathroom at all till late at night! THis seriously stressed me out! I gave her alfalfa and had her run around a lot last night but still nothing. she was eating/drinking fine. I finally set up her old cage and put her in it. She did poop and pee in there but also had somewhat of a tantrum in it, biting on the bars, digging in the litter box, dumping it out, pushing her head against the top bars trying to get out and as soon as I opened the door a bit she busted out and went back in the new cage. So I take it that she wants to be in the new cage but she wont go to the bathroom in it!! I went to bed last night and my husband stayed up and said she pooped all over the floor when she was out playing which she has never done at ALL in the last 3 weeks. Is it common for rabbits to not use the bathroom due to changing cages? Even if it is a good stressor, she might still be stressed? I am in the process of cleaning out the old cage and setting it up in case she wants to go back in it. I want to get her to a vet at some point but want to wait a bit if possible because we are just really getting to a point where she is taming down and getting to trust us.
Thanks for reading if you go this far, sorry so long!! It has been 16yrs since I have had a rabbit, and I got that one as a baby and my experience has been totally different with this one Any input appreciated!! Heather (and Oreo)