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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 WELCOME ! Newbie Bunny Owners!

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    • feeandstevie
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        Hi there, my name is Sharon. I have never  owned a bunny before and to be quite honest really never even thought of them as pets until recently ( silly I know). While searching for a good animal to get my 6 ( almost 7) year old daughter for a kindergarten graduation gift I came across somebody selling bunnies on craigslist. The pictures of the bunnies were so cute I decided to do some research and finally after lots and lots of talking, asking around, and searching on the internet.  I found a feed store that sold rabbits in our small town. We bought a baby albino bunny and put it on hold at the store for 2 days until we could come pick it up with my daughter. She adores her new bunny and so does her brother ( 2 almost 3). I have to say that even though it has only been a week our entire family has become extremely attached to the little guy! We have named him Poppy ( we got him on what would have been my grandfathers birthday and that was my nickname for him ) and although we still have alot to learn I can say without a doubt that I and my 2 kiddos have bunny fever! Had I known how awesome it is to own them I would have had bunnies SO much sooner!!! I am so happy to have found this site also because after reading a few of your forum topics it seems like you have alot of really sweet , nonjudgemental , helpful, knowledgable people on here! Can’t wait to make lots of new friends that share my new found love of bunny ownership!

        Editing because I totally forgot to add pictures haha


      • kcomstoc
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          Welcome to BB glad you joined and congratz on your new bunny I can’t see your pictures though


        • feeandstevie
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            Thanks!! I think I fixed the pictures!


          • Hazel
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              Welcome, Sharon!

              Your bun is very cute, as are your kids! I’m sure they love him very much.

              I noticed a couple of things in your post and pictures that I wanted to comment on, I hope you don’t mind.

              First off, I love that your kids are so into the bunny, that’s great. Generally, rabbits aren’t recommended as pets for young children. They are quite fragile, so I wouldn’t ever leave the bun alone with the kids (or at least not with the youngest). They usually don’t like being held/picked up and often want to be petted only on their terms. They don’t play like a dog or cat would. All this is because they are prey animals, rather than predators. These bunny characteristics often make them seem “boring” to kids and they lose interest. Your kids could very well be totally different, but be prepared for the possibility that he’ll become mostly “your” bunny. Which is great for you of course!

              The other thing is the cage. I know you probably paid a good chunk of money for it at the pet store, so I hate to tell you that those cages really aren’t suitable for even one bun to live in. They are much too small. Also, I can’t quite tell from the picture, does it have a wire bottom? If so, I’d go ahead and take that out, the wire can cause injury to their feet (sore hocks).

              If you look at the habitat section, you’ll find some great examples of suitable rabbit enclosures. Condos built out of NIC cubes as well as x-pens are popular and work great.

              I’m sorry to throw all this at you, it seems like you and your family  love that little bun very much. Would love to see more pictures!


            • IsabellaRobyn
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                Welcome to BB!! What a cute little bun.

                I agree with what Hazel said but no one gets everything perfect first time around!! When I first got Belle I had a cage too small as well that I thought was huge at the time haha! I hope you enjoy finding out everything about your bun as much as I did !


              • Hazel
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                  Posted By IsabellaRobyn on 05/30/2013 05:59 PM
                  no one gets everything perfect first time around!!

                  IsabellaRobyn, you’re definitely right. I’ve made so many mistakes! Owning bunnies is a never ending learning curve.


                • MoveDiagonally
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                    Posted By IsabellaRobyn on 05/30/2013 05:59 PM
                    I agree with what Hazel said but no one gets everything perfect first time around!!  

                    Haha, definintely!  I don’t think most people here have the cages, food bowls, pellets, etc… that we started with.  


                  • feeandstevie
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                      Poppy has free reign of the kiddos room during the day now. We leave his cage door open so he can come and go as he pleases and only gets locked in for the night when it is bedtime for the kiddos. The kiddos arent allowed to hold him without me being there and they know to be careful where the step when he is out. Usually they hang out on the floor and let him run around them. I did find the wire cage bottom thing since then ( these pics were taken on his first day here) and have taken it out. Its a learning curve I figure the kids,I, and poppy can experience together. The kids room is bunny proofed and I am currently in the process of bunny proofing the rest of the house. Found a ton of useful tips on here to help me out!


                    • tanlover14
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                        Ha, do we ALL make the mistake of buying those horrible pet store cages with our first bunny? I did the same thing! =P

                        We did a lot of research on the best types of food, litter, ect. It just seemed common sense they would go right in those pet store cages! *rolls eyes* Such bunny dummies I felt like when I got my first little boy bunny….

                        Don’t worry, I had never thought of a rabbit being pet either! Until we started researching getting one randomly after we couldn’t have dogs in our condo and my BF is allergic to cats! Once you have one… you never get rid of bunny fever!


                      • feeandstevie
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                          Just read the habitat article on the site and can’t wait to try and make my own bunny condo!  Unfortunatly its going to take a few weeks to get the cash to make one, but it is still going to be cheaper than his cage was!  I bought the cage on craigslist for cheaper than the pet stores though so I am not too mad at myself! I wish pet stores would tell you these things, or I could have found your site BEFORE we got Mr. Poppy haha. Oh well Thanks to all the lovely bun owners who made me feel better by saying you did the same thing!


                        • Hazel
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                            Posted By tanlover14 on 05/31/2013 01:35 PM
                            Ha, do we ALL make the mistake of buying those horrible pet store cages with our first bunny?

                            I had two of them…

                            Sharon: Don’t worry, we all started out just like you. I got my first bunny 13 years ago and I still learn new things all the time. Good choice on building a condo! They’re great, highly customizable. Just be careful with the zip ties, they’ll put your fingers through hell.

                            Pet stores will try to sell you anything, no matter if it’s suitable or not. As long as they make money, they don’t care. Most of the rabbit treats they sell are junk, too. Yoghurt treats, for example. Adult rabbits can’t even digest dairy…

                            Also, we need more pictures!


                          • feeandstevie
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                              I will add more tonight!!  I saw those at the store and was confused!  Luckily I had the common sense to not get them!! How do you guys feel about bunny harnesses  and walking bunnys?


                            • MoveDiagonally
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                                The biggest concern with harnesses is that a scared rabbit will run. A running rabbit restrained by a harness can break it’s own back (they have fragile bones). I’m not a big fan of the harnesses because of the risks involved but I do know some members use them.


                              • Hazel
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                                  Walking them on a harness isn’t recommended. Seems like a great idea, I know, I’ve tried it before, too. Bunnies can startle very easily, it could be a real threat like a loose dog, or it could just be a sound that sets them off. If they panic it’s possible for them to break their own back trying to get away, getting tangled in the harness. If you want to give Poppy some outdoor time, an x-pen would work great. It would have to be covered with a top though, to make sure nothing can get in.


                                • Snowytoshi
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                                    I do not use harnesses because all of my rabbits know how to slip out of them, it doesn’t seem like a risk worth taking.

                                    Also I was wondering if you rabbit gets hay? I only ask because I see none in the pictures and hay should be available 24/7. It aids digestion, prevents their teeth from overgrowing, and keeps them busy.


                                  • feeandstevie
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                                      Okay good! I saw them in the store the other day and thought to myself like the yogurt snacks that it was a bad idea! They aren’t dogs and they are prey for most animals they could come in contact with on a walk , so why would you want to walk it ?! I was hoping I wasn’t alone in thinking it was a dangerous idea!! He does have hay, I promise I will get better pictures tonight, like I said we had JUST gotten him when these pictures were taken, the one of my daughter holding him was taken in the feed store still. I appreciate all of your guys help so much!


                                    • tanlover14
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                                        Sounds like you are doing wonderful by your new little addition!

                                        Hazel… I had you beat! We had THREE of those horrid pet store cages, one for all the Tans! Hahahahha. Terrible things. Now we only have one – for when someone gets sick or injured and shouldn’t be on the move a lot (I would keep it just for these occasions after the condo is built Fee!).

                                        I was always interested in the harnesses but after reading up on them decided it’s too much of a risk. Sigh… I swear.. there are SOO many things out there being sold by PET STORES no-less that are HORRIBLE for buns!


                                      • feeandstevie
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                                          Took some super cute pictures of Poppy taking a nap under my daughters bed. My camera cooperated to an extent haha. Of course Poppy was a great little model but I think towards the end he was like, um okay lady I kind of want to sleep, so I stopped. I will take pictures of his cage ( the too small one still unfortunately) and his food setup and stuff tomorrow!

                                           


                                        • kcomstoc
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                                            AWE she is super cute, just a question…how do you deal with the red eyes? sorry if the question sounds weird, I just could never do it with those red eyes they scare me a little, I feel silly.


                                          • feeandstevie
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                                              Aww don’t feel silly! Everybody is entitled to their opinion! To be 100% honest the red eyes creeped me out when we saw him first too. Now however  I don’t even notice them. I was afraid my daughter and son might be scared of him at first also , but they both didn’t even notice or care. Now my daughter proudly tells people her bunny has red eyes because he is so full of love ( she came up with that one all by herself haha). He has such a sweet and loving character too that after 5 seconds in the room with him its impossible to be creeped out! Plus we can always pretend we are in Monthy Python and the Holy Grail.


                                            • kcomstoc
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                                                lol AWE that’s so adorable (your daughter is a thinker ) that is so true about monty python lol I love that movie, to be honest I have never seen a red eyed bunny in person so maybe I would change my mind if I could.


                                              • feeandstevie
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                                                  They look dark in certain lighting, and our bunnies eyes look kind of blue in certain spots too. I saw an albino guinea pig at Petsmart the other day too, which I thought looked pretty neat too. I thought about naming the bunny Monty as a joke, but my kids didn’t like that name too much haha!!


                                                • kcomstoc
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                                                    that’s too bad, blue is my favorite color I wish my bunny had blue eyes (he has brown) but it doesn’t change the fact that I love him you bunny’s eyes didn’t look creepy to me when you can see her eyes


                                                  • feeandstevie
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                                                      Your little bunny is SOOOO cute!! I love her coloring especially on the top of her head!! TOO CUTE!!! How old is she? Also here are pictures of the new cage setup until I can get a condo going! Soon I will be bombarding you guys with questions in the habitat forum!! hahaha


                                                    • kcomstoc
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                                                        My bunny is a boy LOL it’s ok his name is Caleb he is approx. 9 months old (the lady I got him from said he was 4 months) and I’ve had him for 5 months. I still have to build a condo myself. I’m waiting until I move in August so he’ll have more space and I can actually have space for the condo to be. I feel a little guilty about it though because his cage is just the minimum size at the moment. Thank you by the way for saying my bunny is cute I’m sure he would say thank you even though he looks so grumpy all the time (because of the “mustache”)


                                                      • bunnygirl
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                                                          I think you have very caring children feeandstevie! A new generation of animal lovers!

                                                          Yep, I currently have a pet store cage for Apollo. But my grids to build his condo have just arrived, now I’m waiting for my parents to take me to the hardwear store! I knew about xpens and condos before, it was just my parents took some convincing! but hey-ho, that’s how things go sometimes. Apollo gets plenty of out time. 2-4 hours a day mostly. Apart from when we’re cooking. Then he must go back into his cage. The thought of anything happening while we’re carrying hot food around and he’s under our feet just makes me shudder!


                                                        • feeandstevie
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                                                            Thank you bunnygirl!!! I love my babies! They are animal lovers just like me!!


                                                          • tanlover14
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                                                              His house looks adorable! I used those pet store cages for a few months until all mine were bonded and we finally got the condo built! Haha!

                                                              In the bottom of the cage I noticed you had put down a blanket. If the litter habits start to go, don’t worry about putting anything down on the bottom. The plastic is fine on their little feet and with all that fur they never really need blankets (although I keep a towel in with my guys for them to play with and snuggle into if they prefer). Just thought I’d add it in case you started having litter problems. Sometimes they’ll think anything sound and squishy is fine to pee all over!


                                                            • feeandstevie
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                                                                oh my goodness THANK YOU! I worried about his feet becoming too cold because the bottom is metal. Oh AND the stupid water bottle has a tendency to leak sometimes and I didn’t want him getting his little feet all wet. He actually just bunches it up though defeating the purpose of the whole thing! haha, good to know I can just skip it since I been painstakingly fixing it every time I go in there to check up on him which is several times a day!


                                                              • feeandstevie
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                                                                  Thats Okay! The same thing happened to me and I had no clue either haha. Poppy is a boy too ( tell your little guy sorry for the confusion! haha) Grumpy can be pretty darn adorable sometimes! Look at grumpy cat!!


                                                                • kcomstoc
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                                                                    he’s sleeping so I’m taking that as “that’s ok feeandstevie” lol is that a youtube video? if so you should def look at sad cat diary it’s hilarious


                                                                  • feeandstevie
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                                                                      Grumpy cat is a meme! She is like an internet sensation!! Lol


                                                                    • kcomstoc
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                                                                        oh, lol guess I’m not up to date on things even though I should be I’m 20 which kind of makes it weirder


                                                                      • tanlover14
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                                                                          His feet will be fine! =P Hahaha, although you can throw a small hand towel in there anyways for his to play with. My buns love scrunching up their towels and if they have an accident on them then it goes straight in the wash really easily.


                                                                        • feeandstevie
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                                                                            That is ok kcomstoc, I am just an internet junkie! Poppy seems much happier now that I haven’t gone all OCD on his towel!! Thank you for the tip tanlover!! haha


                                                                          • kcomstoc
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                                                                              I did look it up though and it was cute


                                                                            • SweetMiniSatin
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                                                                                Welcome! Your bunny is adorable by the way! I also have a ruby eyed white. (That’s what that coloration is called instead of albino.) C:


                                                                              • tanlover14
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                                                                                  You’re welcome. My Tans LOVE LOVE LOVE their towels. So much easier to clean than a blanket! And when I need to wash it I just throw another one I don’t care about in there. We have about 2-3 that we switch back and forth in between washings. But I also have 4 bonded ones in with the towels, hahah! So I have a need for a few more than you I suppose


                                                                                • Emandme
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                                                                                    Poppy is such a cutie! I love the picture of him snoozing under the bed. Your kids are watching and learning so much from their mom who’s doing things right by her new furry baby. I know my son is now a total bun lover. LOL

                                                                                    I just want to throw in with everyone else regarding the too small cage. Yes, I did buy one as well, though I doubt Bunneh ever spent more than a few days in it after his neutering surgery. Even then he was wild to get out of it and I just can’t say no for long!

                                                                                    I don’t even know why I bought the stupid thing, I just felt so awful putting him in something so small. Needless to say, I also did a TON of research after I got Bunneh and I am the better for it. Pet stores drive me nuts, because most of them have no clue. Its definitely a pet peeve of mine now.


                                                                                  • feeandstevie
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                                                                                      I love the name “ruby eyed white”!! Totally using that instead of albino! It sounds so luxurious and exotic! Thanks sweet!! We have so so many towels we don’t really care about so poppy will have a plethora of them! Quick question, given poppy doesn’t have any accidents on it ( so far we have been seriously blessed in that department! ::knock on wood:: haha) how often should we wash it? I haven’t noticed an abundance of hair or anything on it as of yet. Also another question regarding grooming. How often should we brush poppy? The cage thing makes me sad!! I can’t imagine the poor little thing being in their for more time than he is! I knew it was much much too small for him to be in for any large period of time, I even asked the person in the pet store if it was necessary because he was going to basically have free roam of the kiddos room and he said they like to have their own little space to go… which is true I guess. I will be much happier when he has his condo!! He is growing so quick! I agree with you on the pet store thing Em!!


                                                                                    • jerseygirl
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                                                                                        What a sweet bunny! I love the pictures of him under the bed. <3

                                                                                        Now my daughter proudly tells people her bunny has red eyes because he is so full of love ( she came up with that one all by herself haha).

                                                                                        That is so precious!


                                                                                      • feeandstevie
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                                                                                          aww thanks!!! I thought it was super cute too!! Since he is still so little and full of energy its hard to get pictures of him! The only time i can do that is when he is sleepy and his favorite places to nap are under the kids beds! If the kids are in there watching movies he sometimes lays next to them too, still trying to get a picture of THAT!!! haha


                                                                                        • tanlover14
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                                                                                            I would say just wash it when you feel it should be. I usually wash mine every week-2 weeks. As long as he’s not having accidents on it you’re fine

                                                                                            Is he really shedding yet? Usually when they’re so young they don’t shed much. And then one day with go into a HUGE shed. And boy will you know it. Hair everywhere! I would brush him every once in awhile to get him used to it though. Then it won’t be so difficult when you NEED to do it


                                                                                          • feeandstevie
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                                                                                              Ok!! I am going to leave him out tonight He will probably sleep under one of the kiddos beds, we had to move around everything because we had out of town family come and we put him in a different room, we opened up the cage to give him exercise but he refused to leave! Poor little guy, the second he was put into the kids room though and the cage opened up he was one happy camper!!! Figure he deserves a night out since he had a whole day with no exercise!


                                                                                            • Julezypie
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                                                                                                Love, love, love the picture f Poppy under the bed. Looks like he has a good, loving home!

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                                                                                            Forum THE LOUNGE WELCOME ! Newbie Bunny Owners!