Hey. Bunnies hate being picked up – they are prey animals and being picked up, means that a predator got them. So when he acts like that, he is merely responding to the fact that he thinks that he is about to be eaten. Try not to lift him as much as possible. That will also help him trust you more. Right now, you are the scary (wo)man who picks him up

He has not had it easy. For some reason, he has lost his home, he was being picked up by a predator (your dog), probably saw his life pass him by and now he is living with a stranger. Rabbits do take time to warm up to changes because of their nature. So give him time.

When he chins things, it means he marks them as his territory. He leaves a scent on all these things. That’s what bunnies do. If he is not neutered, he may also mark with urine and poop.

When he thumps, it will most likely mean that he is uncomfortable and nervous. But thumping can mean a lot of things depending on the situation. Perhaps he is afraid of your dog? Perhaps you should let him be in the cage for a few more days until he is settled and has calmed down to all these new and scary changes in his life.

Do you intend to keep him? Because then, I would check if he is in fact neutered. Don’t feed him too many pellets – hay should be his primary diet and then you supplement daily with herbs or veggies and a few pellets.

Do you littertrain him to use a litter box?

Wow- he is one fortunate bunny! If your dog wasn’t a golden retriever, he probably would’ve been dinner. it. It’s great that you have adopted this little bunny and that you are taking the time to learn all about rabbit care. I found my bunny wandering in our back yard- some people in the neighborhood got sick of him and let him go. Like you, I knew nothing about bunnies and hadn’t planned on having one- we are both very lucky to have found Binky Bunny. This site is so informative and the people here are wonderful- very supportive and helpful.

Finding out if he’s neutered is really important- my rabbit, BunBun, started humping and spraying once he got comfortable at our house. It may be why the other people put him outside… not that there’s any excuse for that. So anyway, I read up on it and found that he needed to be fixed. There are links to the House Rabbit Society here, which may be able to help you find a vet who is experienced with rabbits and reasonably priced.

Training your bun to use a litter box will be easier if he’s neutered, but you can start now even if he’s not. I think they are easier to train than cats- and their pee/poop doesn’t smell nearly as bad! Just get a cat litterbox or a big tupperware with low sides (no more than 6 inches high) and fill it with litter, then put a bunch of hay in one corner, or put a hay rack so bunny can reach it while in the box. I just put hay in the box- it’s messier but easier. Bunnies like to poop and eat hay at the same time, so it’s natural that they will go in the litterbox. There’s a list of litters that you can use on this site- definitely don’t use regular gravel/clay kitty litter or any pine or cedar wood shavings- or corn cob litter as some buns will eat it and get impacted. I use Total Comfort litter or CareFresh litter- it’s made of recycled, compressed paper so it’s soft and absorbent.

Timothy hay, along with any grass hay like orchard grass, should be available at all times- that’s the most important part of bun’s diet. Timothy based pellets re best to use- timothy, not alfalfa, will be the 1st ingredient listed on the bag. And just plain pellets are safest- like Oxbow Bunny Basics. Rabbits love the pellet mixes with all the corn and seeds and stuff in it, but it’s bad for them and gives lots of them poopy butt, which means runny, soft poops. Do a search on “poopy butt” here and you will learn all about that fun topic :p. Oh yeah, on the poop subject, rabbits produce regular round poops and a special poop called cecals (there’s a more official name like cecotropes but i can’t remember the spelling). Your bunny will eat the cecals directly from his butt- yummy, I know. They contain important nutrients, so this is a good thing, although it seems gross to us. If bunny eats too much rich food like treats or fruit, he will overproduce these cecals- they look like little clusters of shiny brown grapes and smell quite nasty. So if you find them, that’s what they are!

There is a “safe veggie” list on here- greens are a nice addition to bunny’s diet. Just introduce one at a time, in small amounts at first, and wait 3 days to see if tummy troubles develop before giving him another new veggie. My bunnies love parsley, green/red leaf lettuce, chicory, escarole, cilantro, mustand, turnip, collard and dandelion greens, arugula and watercress. Dandelions and collard greens contain high levels of calcium, so I would limit those. Kale and spinach are often favorites of rabbits, but feed in very small quantities- they contain some chemical/enzyme (??) that can build up in their bodies and make them sick- they’re also high in calcium. Most buns LOVE fruit- it’s like candy to them- but they can’t have too much. A small slice of apple and a 1/2 inch slice of banana (both diced to avoid choking) are plenty for a daily treat, although your bunny will tell you otherwise. I avoid all those storebought treats made supposedly for bunnies- most of them are really unhealthy for our rabbits! Papaya chunks are good nice though- and papaya is supposed to be good for digestion. They also sell papaya/pineapple tablets that some bunnies like too.

My lady bun, Nelli, thumps at me too, and still runs from me like I might kill and eat her at any moment. And I’ve had her for over 2 years now. Some rabbits are just shy- others are affectionate, just like people vary, so do buns. I strongly suggest getting your bunny a wife once you get used to him- most bunnies love to have company and there are so many beautiful rabbits to adopt. They snuggle and play and groom each other- it’s just adorable to watch.
Well now that I’ve gone and written you a book, welcome to Binky Bunny! I think you will be amazed at how much fun having a rabbit can be- they are really fascinating little creatures and very lovable.

Welcome! What a neat story!

Many rabbits are like that-do not like being held. From personal experience I can tell you that that can change. With lots of handling that is positive (i.e. short handling sessions of just a minute or so followed by a treat), and lots of time. Bunnies do not trust people quickly the way dogs do, they are more like cats in that respect. He may also be very hesitant about being picked up given that he was recently picked up by a scary large predator (though a well meaning dog!). So give him time. But trust me, rabbits can come around to trust you after some time, and will more often then not enjoy some physical contact (which may be petting and not holding)-but they aren’t the cuddly childhood pets we thought they’d be!

The best way to make friends is just sit on the floor (Watch TV or read a book) and let him approach you. Also know how your bunny likes to be pet. Most rabbits love being pet on the face (nose and cheeks and ears) in a gentle motion and have no use for someone who pets their body/back/bum. So try a little nose rub when he lets you-you’ll know he likes it if he stretches out with his nose on the ground.

This is a fantastic site for any rabbit owner and will help you understand him http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

Glad you brought him to the vet-that’s the best thing to do when you get a new pet-found in the yard or not And buying timothy hay is perfect-that’s often the thing us bunny owners do wrong first (buy alfalfa)-timothy is perfect.

But im worried he may had a cold or something

rabbits don’t get colds but they can get sick. However the fact that this only happens after holding him, and he’s had a vet visit-likely rules this out. They breath quickly if they are scared or frightened so I’d say just slow down on handling until he settles in.

He’ll also likely need to be neutered soon. There is a host of naughty rabbit behavior as well as health issues, that are fixed or reduced if the rabbit is fixed. Better litter habits and happier calmer, healthier bunny is what you can almost always expect from a neuter.

He also is rubbing his chin on things, and when ever I let him run free he sometimes make a big loud KICK and then run around for a min, stop and freeze and sorta twitches his ears.

‘chinning’ things is exactly the same as when cats chin things-“This is mine”-it’s classic behavior of an unfixed rabbit, but almost any rabbit will do this a little; and most rabbits do it a lot in a new enviornment. And just like when a cat does it-there’s nothing to worry about and you can just let them do it (i.e. they aren’t making it smell noticably to you or ruining anything-so its fine to let him do that).
The loud kick is what we call a ‘foot flick’ and typically that means ‘the middle finger’ -its usually done after a bunny has been picked up and it’s the bunny saying ‘DONT do that again’ Don’t let it hurt your feelings, but try to use it to figure out what your bunny does (he wont’ do it) and doesn’t (he will do it) like.

Hope this helps! You did a super thing taking him in and your doing great-looking for more information and trying to befriend him! Please keep us posted on your new addition! Oh-and we would LOVE to see pictures

You’ve got lots of great advice, so I’ll just say – great job taking in this little fella! And I second the call for pics

Ah wow he’s beautiful!!! Dang nice bathroom too!!! *jealous*

You will build him a hutch that’s terrific, it’s for inside though right? Please keep him indoors and safe so he won’t be lost again. I used to keep my guinea pigs outside and I lost one to raccoons It was terrible. Not to mention ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas! And the obvious harsh weather conditions in different areas.

Have you tried introducing a litterbox yet with yummy hay in it? Welcome to BB too btw!

Welcome & congratulations on your new pet I guess!

For someone who’s never had a bunny but went out and got timothy hay, pellets and a big cage, you did great!!! These rabbits with this colouring are known as Ruby/Red Eyed Whites or REW’s and they’re pretty special. He seems to have some grey on his ears too. He’s looks in great condition.

So the vet has confirmed it is a male?

Hi, and welcome, and congrats to you and your dog for rescuing this non-wild abandoned bunny.
My only advice in addition to all the great replies above is to just read the BinkyBunny website from cover to cover. Most things bunny are very thoroughly covered in the information sections, and much info. is in the forums as well. Particularly the posts that are “pinned” to the tops. So cruise through the green banner headings and the Forum sections, and enjoy your new baby. (And yes, the bunny has been picked up by a natural predator, your well-meaning dog, so being picked up is a definite fear response. Plus my own bunny just plain never liked it, so I live around that trait. She’s happy otherwise.)
Pix please!

Welcome to BB! I’m guessing someone let it loose because he was getting into destructo stage with his hormones starting up. I agree for someone who’s never had a bunny, you’re doing a great job! Rabbits don’t do well to change but just give him time. It took about a month until mine got used to us. I recommend getting him fixed also. I’d probably shop around for prices or go to a local humane society and see where they get their rabbits fixed. It can be expensive but well worth it. Make sure any electrical cords are either covered or put away because alot of rabbits like to chew cords. Oh and keep any remotes away from him; I’ve learned that the hard way and went through 3 remotes haha!
This site is very useful and if u have any question don’t hesitate to ask! Good luck!! Your rabbit is very pretty!

The rabbit looks like he is made of china. I would just name him Shy altogether. I love ruby-eyed white bunnies but this one is stunning. The ears have this faint lilac hue to them, how gorgeous. — Those rabbits that you come across acidentally often turn out to be the best.

I just watched your video. What a GORGEOUS REW! He looks very healthy to me. I can understand you’re not being able to resist him. Good doggie.

How adorable.  HE has large ears.    A nice cute fellow. 

YEs the wires.    When bunnies makes burrows they chew the roots out of the way.   They can’t help it that wires remind them of tree roots. 

You can get cord covers.    I found t sling tubing at radio shack.  My Cotton is older now so he isn’t as interested in chewing wires anymore.  They are still covered and out of his reach.    Ruby is never been much for chewing.  So wires are safe around her.

Rabbits make good housepets.   They can be litterbox trained as you have found out already.   Cotton has free run of the living room.   I made him a run to put at the door of his cage when we go out.   We never know when the electricity will pop off and it scares him badly.   So for his safety I put the run out for him to move around and chew his toys.

Ruby has run of the bedroom.   AT dinner time I put her in her cage.   Cotton is still loose and getting petted for a few hours til his bedtime.  Then I bet Ruby out  and she lets me hold her.   She was handled since birth so she is  very ok with being held plus her personality is a very calm type.

Cotton.   He hates being held.   He tolerates it for a short and will actually tooth purr til he gets restless and wants down.

I had him trained to let me pick him up.   HE would just sit still for me when I said the words pick you up and once I picked him up I gave him a treat petted for a few n  put him down.     However  since I have to treat his lip every few days he runs from me now.  I hate that.   It ruined his training.

Also  houserabbitsociety is a good place to check out as well.   Personally I think BB is better though. 

I am so glad you found us.   I found BB about 3 years ago or was it 2.   The people here have been a great help-

You might try putting down some floor mats for traction and protecting your nice trim with some chewable. He might like a hidey box too, He’s beautiful and congratulations.

Hi I just wanted to ask if your vet checked to see if he has a microchip in him? That would reveal his owner and the contact information to get him returned. If he doesn’t, it is possible that he escaped, or worse, put outside to fend for himself. It sounds like you’ve got your first bunny, and boy do we love bunnies here

Hey Isabelle thats a great idea.   I have mine microchipped and never even crossed my mind with this bun that the dog brought home.

Sort of like the show   Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.    A bunny  

By the way mine are 4 n 3 years old soon so they are trained.  You may have some challenges ahead but they are trainable and grow out of stuff usually