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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.
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Thank you for rescuing them.
Hmm, I don’t see a picture, but I recommend reading the “Bunny Info” tab at the top of the page to get the basic bunny info. Since you won’t be keeping them long term, the most important things are diet, health, and safety.
In order to post pics, you have to upload the attachment, and then click “insert” to insert it into the post.
Are they living together? Know if they are spayed or neutered?
Main things are to make sure they have unlimited hay at all times (a grass hay, like timothy, orchard, or oat), and clean drinking water. Do you know what their diet was before? It’s important not to change up pellets or veggies too quickly, as this can upset their tummy.
The other very important thing with bunnies is to make sure they are eating and pooping frequently. A bunny that won’t eat and/or hasn’t pooped in 6-12 hours is often a very sick bunny and needs to see a vet right away.
So, as they settle in, monitor their poop and make sure they are eating lots of hay. If you have the same pellets they ate before, you can give them a small amount, but if it’s a new pellet, start with only about a tsp or so per day to let them adjust to it.
How big is the cage? Are you able to allow them exercise outside the cage for several hours per day?
Depending on how long you plan to keep them we can offer some suggestions for housing that would be more suitable (and affordable). The cheapest option is often to attach an x-pen or temp fencing made of NIC cube grids to the front of the cage, so they have a bigger play area (like a front yard for the cage).
Bunnies are really very active, and are not really cage pets, contrary to popular belief.
The other misconception is that bunnies can be happy on wire bottom cages. These do tend to hurt their feet, so if the cage you have is wire bottom, you can put some cardbord, paper mat, grass mats, or fleece blankets down so they have a comfy spot to rest.
Another common misconception is that bunnies can live in pine shavings. These are actually dangerous to bunnies, as there is a compound in the pine that accumulates in their bodies and is harmful. Safe things to put in the litter box are : just straight hay (many ppl do this, but you go through hay very quickly), pine pellets (like those sold for horses or wood stoves, or as feline pine. they are treated differently than shavings so are safe), or carefresh bedding.
I don’t want to overwhelm you, but feel free to keep asking questions!
. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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Thank you so much for your in depth answer, I appreciate it so much! I have tried to upload the photo again, thank you for the tip. I didn’t press ‘Insert” the first time!
They are living together and I don’t know if there are spayed or neutered. I am guessing no, and I will have to look at them to see if they are the same sex.
I got the half eaten bags of pellets and hay that they were eating and their poops look well formed and more has certainly accumulated since they have arrived! I will continue to keep an eye on them. How often do you clean the cage typically?
The cage they are in is this one: https://www.petsmart.ca/small-pet/c…41475.html
I know it super small, especially for two of them. I won’t be able to let them out for several hours a day, but I can certainly try for 1-2 hours. We’ve just gotten a new foster dog that we are integrating into the household and that is taking a lot of my attention and time presently.
The room they are being kept in has potential for me to expand the space they have available. I like the idea of a ‘front yard.’ I think I could get my hands on a used X pen. It’s carpet that surrounds the cage, what kind of ‘flooring’ could I use to protect the carpet from urine?
The bedding they are using is Carefresh.
Thank you again for taking the time to write all that out! I have been reading through the website to pick up as much information as I can.
I definitely want to give them opportunity to explore and have the opportunity to stretch their legs. I will look into what I can rig up for them.
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