Need help – I am a sudden Bunny Mom

[SunshineBunny]

So, my family and I were out near a local lake taking photos and saw a professional photographer dump the bunny they were using as a prop on the side of the road.  Well, we couldn’t just leave it there.

Our intention was to find a bunny rescue immediately(before kids could fall in love).  Well, apparently that was instant!  LOL  So, we are keeping *it*. 

I am an experienced cat Mama and we have 2 of the sweetest orange tabbies ever, so we’ve got integration to work on as well.

 

Let me tell you where I am, and maybe you can help me know what to do next.

Vet appointment scheduled for Saturday.  Large indoor cage, rabbit pellets, water bottle, a chew toy that came with the cage, a hay feeding thingy and lots of love and patience.

It needs a name, but I can’t tell what sex it is for sure, so holding off on that.  I will be the main caretaker and my 9, 11, and 17yo and husband will be right there with me.

Someone told me it’s a harlequin bunny, whatever that is.  It’s very cute, sweet and timid. 

I think it’s been held frequently, b/c it seems to really like it.  Well, not being held, but it likes to sit on my chest and snuggle while I sit on the floor.  It just climbs right into my lap and nudges me with it’s nose until I pet it.

It feels very bony to me and it has devoured every single morsel we’ve give it.  We are giving a little at a time, while googling furiously to know what to do!!  Aghh!  How could someone be SO CRUEL to this sweet sweet baby and just dump it!

Things I need to know fairly quickly:

1) How to integrate with the cats?  My cats are lap cats, both boys.  They absolutely adore each other. 

2) Litter training

3) How much/how to supervise time outside of cage?  Will it go back in the cage if it needs to potty?

4) How do you know the difference between fear and relaxed?  I don’t want to misread cues.

I’m in love.. but really nervous.  It’s not like I decided to adopt a bunny on purpose, so no time to research it and know these things first.  But I think I’ve done enough research to know we can be a great forever home for this sweet bunny.  I suspect it is pretty young, probably bought for Easter photo sessions.

 

Sorry to overload on my first post!!

 

[Deleted User]

Bless you for taking it in!!! Its how most of my furry family arrived (including the two cats) so I know the feeling of not being sure you are doing it right.

I’ve found the article below extremely helpful, as is everything else on the site (may I also recommend their search feature, works a treat): http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

Although I read it years after it could have made a difference according to the article on the site above (same site different article) I introduced the cats to my rabbit very well. Hope so since they are meeting two new ones, … we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

I’m no expert but am trying to learn fast for the sake of my two new little ones. I’ve found the HRS site a treasured resource, the resources link on this forum site fantastic, along with many of the past threads (this site also has an excellent search feature), and of course the help and advice from so many fabulous members! I’ll let some of the more experienced ones address your specific questions, better to hear it from someone who knows what they are talking about, rather then just repeating what they read.

Best of Luck!

[peppypoo]

Welcome to the forum, and thank you so much for taking in the poor bunny! Easter is really a horrible time for so many bunnies .

1. Many of our members have both rabbits and cats, and for the most part they seem to coexist just fine. I think most people find that the rabbits and cats ignore each other most of the time, but occasionally they will have a friendly relationship. Be sure to introduce slowly and under supervision. I’m sure other members can give you better advice on this, as I’ve never actually had cats haha.

2. Litter training comes pretty naturally to most bunnies – in the wild, they dedicate one particular area to do their business.  However, in the process of reliably litter training a house rabbit, spaying/neutering can make all the difference (not to mention that there are significant health benefits to have the procedure done).  The key is to work with them to make them realize that their one designated area is inside the litter box. It’s not so much training the bunny to poop/pee in the box as it is a back-and-forth process to come to an arrangement. Here’s a good guide to litter training: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/5/PID/940/Default.aspx

3. Start with a smaller area, and slowly increase the area that the bunny is allowed to explore if all goes well. One very important thing – be sure to bunny-proof! Cables need to be hidden or protected; corrugated plastic tubing is a popular option (available at most home improvement stores). Once litter training is secure, bunnies do know to go back to their area to use the litter box.

4. Here’s a great resource on reading bunny body language: http://language.rabbitspeak.com/. When you see your bunny laying on it’s side, don’t be alarmed! It just means that your bunny is comfortable and secure in it’s surroundings. Also, bunnies don’t actually close their eyes when they sleep most of the time, but they actually nap during most of the daytime hours and are most active in the morning and evening.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions about food, housing, or anything else that comes to mind! Also, the “BUNNY INFO” link up on near the top of the page has some great starter information.  Would love to see pictures of the little harlequin as well .

[jerseygirl]

I just want to say Welcome and thank you!

So, my family and I were out near a local lake taking photos and saw a professional photographer dump the bunny they were using as a prop on the side of the road.

Did you happen to note the name of the photography company? Or be able to find out?
Pretty sure this is a reportable offence. Paying a fine might make them think different when next Easter rolls around.

Someone told me it’s a harlequin bunny, whatever that is. It’s very cute, sweet and timid.

Harlequin is a rabbit breed but its also a colour pattern that can occur in other breeds also. The actual breed will have very defined markings and they average to grow to about 8-10 lbs. In other breeds and crosses that get the Harli pattern it can be a bit more higglety-piggelty.
Harli’s often get one side of the face shaded and one not. They’ll also have stripes or bands of black on the body. There’s Japanese harlequin -orange/black and Magpie harlequin – white/black. Sometimes the black is more grey tones.
They’re pretty handsome looking rabbits. : )

[NewBunnyOwner123]

 omg this is just terrible! I cannot believe someone would just dump that poor creature like that! and I agree with Jersey that if you saw who did it, to report that company! It’s so saddening that this happens and I wonder how many don’t get rescued from being dumped. I’m so glad you stepped in and rescued him/her 

 

Ohhh HarlequinsI love them. I actually recently got a harlequin bunny from a breeder a couple months ago. 

 

Here is a pic for an idea: 

 

The bands vary in thickness

 

And the famous face split that harlequins usually have. 

 

But Harley is a full breed harlequin to give you an “idea” because the breeder did say he was faulty so he isn’t “perfect” for show… although, I think he is perfect for me.

 

And a great big welcome to BB!  Buns sure have a way of capturing your heart quite quickly! Would love to see some pics of your new family member! 

 

 

[Bwbedard]

My rabbits love cats, they seem to treat them like other rabbits. My mother’s rabbit will swat at the rabbits trying to play. At first I was worried thinking the rabbits would bolt but they realize he is trying to play and they join in the fun pulling binking around the cat showing off how fast they are. It seems like the cat thinks the rabbits are cats and the rabbits think the cat is a rabbit.

It helps that my mom’s cat is fat and lazy

[Roberta]

Thank you for rescuing the little bun… If its not possible to identify the photographer to report him wait and see if the pictures come out in any ads and then ring the company that is advertising and let them know the rabbit was dumped immediately after the shoot. This will hopefully disuade them from using the photographer and the advertising agency again and the lost business will hoepfully cause the culprits to rethink their behavior. The advertising agency may not be aware that the photographer did this either.
My cats also love the rabbits and vice a versa. I monitored them for a long time initially but now have no concerns as my cats are very gentle with the buns unfortunately the same cannot be said for the buns with the cats. Many a long fluffy tail has been chewed.

[Emmie]

Oh my gosh, I would absolutely go into a fit of rage if I ever witnessed anything like this. I don’t understand people who do these things! Thank you for taking your bun in!! Believe me, you will not regret it. They are the sweetest little darlings to have and they have the biggest personality I have ever witnessed an animal have! I wish there were more people in the world like you and I’ll be praying God blesses you for the good deed you have done.

One piece of advise I would give to a new bunny owner is to say it can be overwhelming at times. I have recently adopted an older 2nd bun with some health issues and there have been times I have wondered if it was the right thing to do, but I always come on here and absolutely every single BB member has been supportive of anything I’ve gone through with my two. If you find the pressure getting to you, pop on here and post about your issues. I have yet to see anyone’s issue go unanswered and from the day I have been here, I have found the best source of bun info on the whole net.

I am currently trying to litter train my adopted bun and it’s been a slow process for me. My other bun picked it up straight away, so all buns are different but from chatting with other bun owners, most pick this up very quickly. I’m sure you’ve read about it, but buns don’t really need bedding so avoid using anything in her/his cage but the litter tray and litter. The bunny info page on this site is a goldmine of info about litter training also.

It’s great that you have booked a vet appointment! This will help you sex and age the bun and maybe discuss neutering? Neutering really is the key to getting your bun litter trained. With Thane, his litter habits were terrible until he was neutered. Now he’s about 95% perfect, he leaves a pellet or two in his cage from time to time, but nothing like his pre-neuter self.

If there’s anything you need advice on, just let us know

[Ella K.]

That is so kind of you! I’m glad there are compassionate people out there who are willing to research to make sure they take good care of their bunny Easter is such a rough time for buns

I know I’m repeating most of this, but I thought I’d give it a go

Anyhow, I’ve never introduced a rabbit to a cat before. I’ve heard that it is usually pretty easy, but I can’t say from personal experience.

It sounds crazy, but I would suggest going to http://www.rabbit.org and reading the ENTIRE “Care” section. They provide really good info. You could also call up your local House Rabbit Society with any questions. Even if you live far away, they are happy to answer any questions.

Another great resource is a Youtube channel called 101Rabbits, which is actually run by a member, Mocha200 here on BinkyBunny.

https://www.youtube.com/user/101rabbits

She is the only source I trust, I would suggest watching most of her videos.

For litterbox training, my biggest tip would be to make sure that you feed near the litterbox. I have positioned my hay rack right above my litterbox so Bean HAS to be in it while he eats. Also, getting the bunny spayed/neutered will make a HUGE difference. Poor litterbox habbits are hormonally driven by the urge to mark territory, and fixing your rabbit will alleviate this urge. You could talk to your exotics vet about the benefits if fixing your rabbit. ( Make sure you find a rabbit-savy vet. The House Rabbit Society has a list on their site ) When you start with the litter training, he won’t know to go back to his litterbox in the cage. I would start off by purchasing at least 4 CAT litter boxes and placing them all around his roaming area, especially near corners. You can slowly eliminate the unused ones.

As for supervision, start off small and bunny proof any space your bun has access to. Block off any areas with baby gates. Get cable covers, corner protectors, etc. At first, watch him/her very carefully to observe any undesirable habits. For example, when I fist got Bean, I noticed that he had a tendency to chew on a certain chair leg, so I covered it up. After you’ve found a restricted area for him to run around and completely bunny proofed it, you don’t have to stare it him/her all the time I have Bean in a bunny proofed area, free roaming when I’m home, and I know that he’s safe.

For reading body language, I refer you to this site which has made me feel like I can talk to my bunny! Its the best!

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

As the others said, I would prepare yourself for a big adventure! A lot of people underestimate the amount of care that bunnies need, so I would come to this situation with a lot of patience. I bet you will make a wonderful bunny parent!

You didn’t mention in in your post, but I’d suggest getting an expen or NIC cage for housing. They are both inexpensive. Your bunny will quickly outgrow his/her cage, and you can give him/her lots of space with those options. There is a whole section on Binky Bunny for it!

[RabbitPam]

Forgive me if this has already been suggested, but if you start at the Home page of Binkybunny.com and check out the various information sections, you’ll find a lot of advice on how to start life with a bunny, diet, maintenance, habitats, what to expect at different ages, how to handle your bunny, even shopping lists of healthy foods to buy. It really is very well researched and I think if you take a few hours to read through, as well as look at the photos in the galleries, you’ll find a lot of your questions (and ones you haven’t thought of yet) are answered.

This is a very lucky bunny to have you!

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