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- This topic has 9sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 9 months ago by
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Hi all!
I have owned just about every other kind of animal, but this is my first bunny and she is proving to be an entirely new game! Challenging, but exciting–but I think I need some experienced advice!
Ella was purchased from a pet store and we were told she was 6 weeks old. Too young, I’m aware, but we didn’t choose the wean time. She is now almost 8 weeks old, and has the following set up:
An exercise pen with 3 boxes with blankies to hide in (she loves these), the cage she was kept in her first week home (now left open), a litter pan, toys, etc.
We tried first leaving the litter pan in her cage and placing her hay inside, as suggested. She did use the litter pan, but she also used the cage and the blanket – basically…everywhere.
When we let her out into the pen, she spent an entire night covering every surface with doodles, and that never let up–only returning to the pan to eat occasionally. We moved the litter pan outside the cage, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference at all.
What’s interesting is she never potties in her sleepy boxes, but she would inside the cage (outside the litter pan) when locked away.
The eventual goal is to have her litter trained, and I was told that she will eventually pick a corner where the box can be left, but she’s not picking anywhere! haha!
We have been trying to quickly clean up any messes outside the box, adding the poops to her litter box to give smelly hints. We also tried changing the litter daily and then every other day (thought maybe it was too often), but no luck. This little bunny is pwning me!
So my questions are:
1) Is it alright to allow her to “free roam” her exercise area, or should she still be confined in her cage at 8 weeks with allowed free time?
2) Is she too young to expect any sort of training to be going on?
3) Any advice in general? I’m sure you get a lot of litter training questions, so your patience and replies are very much appreciated!!
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Thank you, Northern!!
That is exactly what I needed to know
I am very okay with letting my baby be a baby and cleaning up for as long as it takes–as long as I know there will be an end in sight! haha There are stages of development to be found for my dogs, cats, bird…but not much on mah bunneh! I have a feeling I’m in for a big learning experience!
And as requested
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The marking in her right ear is a “G” written in Sharpie…hahaha! We’re pretty sure that’s a “G for Girl”, written either by the pet store or the breeder, but we didn’t notice it until we got home, so couldn’t ask. In any case we decided G was indeed for girl and hence…Ella! (If we’re wrong and we have a cross-dressing bunneh, it’ll be Elliot!
) Glad you both think she’s a cutie
I don’t think these pictures do her cuteness justice, it’s almost painful at times! But then…I might be a little biased 
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