Thank you for linking that thread! Seeing other people experiencing weird molting patterns with their rabbits is very reassuring.

Before coming into my care, Louie was housed in a purple store-bought cage. As far as I know, he was housed in that cage since they bought him. They gave him pellets every day, hay once a week, and veggies every once in a while as a treat. They never let him out of his cage for exercise, and when we came to visit him/take him home, the only thing he had in his cage was a plastic food dish that he was using to wear down his teeth.

When he had his first shed with me, he still mostly lived in his cage. I didn’t want to immediately switch him to some better housing before we bonded more; I was afraid that taking away his one remnant of home would cause him to become skittish or aggressive. I immediately started feeding him veggies every day though, and providing hay 24/7 (which he didn’t really eat until I changed the type of pellets I gave him). His first shed was spent mostly outside of his cage, too; I let him run around my room for a minimum of four hours every day.

Now, he lives in a 23 sqft pen, with a litter box and hiding spot (at first I gave him a cardboard box that he seemed to like, and now I leave his carrier with him, so that he associates his carrier with safety rather than the Vet™ or going somewhere unfamiliar). He’s much healthier now than he was before.

I think his first shed may have been impacted by his change in diet and increase in exercise. This shed may be more of the norm for him… but I kind of hope not, because he’s losing A LOT of hair!