Bringing Thatcher Home – Car Treats

[Timberlee Fields]

Thatcher is finally coming home on Saturday. I have a water bottle in the freezer and have been sleeping in the towel I got to line the carrier. (We’re in Louisiana and the truck has no AC).

We just got home from the grocery store and I got him some Kale, Broccoli & a Banana. Hes still too young for veggies but I though this may comfort him during the 2-hour drive home. Is it okay to give these to him? The kale will go to waste if he cannot eat it but we will eat the others. He’s a 4 month old 6lb Flemmie btw. (: Thanks in advance. (:

[Deleted User]

Lovely to see how much you are looking forward to and how much care you are taking in preparing for your new baby.

I’m no expert on baby rabbits but I really suggest you take a look at the link I’m posting below: both at the actual page I’m posting, and the FAQs on the same site that does have advice specifically for younger rabbits. Please read the article on this page, you’ll find out a lot about diet, and how to introduce new foods into your rabbits daily routine, after that there are helpful lists of suggested greens, fruits and vegetables. http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

You can’t go wrong putting plenty of hay on the towel in his carrier. Mine were more then an hour’s drive from home and while I did keep the carrier on my lap and they did occasionally come take a look at my friend driving they mainly ate the whole trip back. Wonderful how relaxing really tasty hay can be.

Good luck and do let us know how it goes when you get him safe home!

[Beka27]

I would just put a handful of hay in the carrier… But chances are he won’t eat. Bunnies won’t usually eat in the car.

[Dobby]

My two are very hesitant to move much when in the car, so don’t be too concerned if he’s not interested in hay or much of anything during the ride. I always put hay in the carrier but I’ve never seen either of them eat any of it while we’re driving somewhere.

[Timberlee Fields]

Can I give him these in small amounts at home then? I really don’t want the kale to go to waste if he can have a bit at a time. It’s a small amount.

[MoveDiagonally]

The article GreyDove posted explains the introduction of fresh foods:

From: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetab…bbit-diet/

IMPORTANT: Before introducing any fresh foods to a rabbit it is best if he has been eating grass hay for a minimum of 2 weeks. The grass hay will help to get his GI tract motility and flora in good working order so that he will be able to accept new foods more easily.When introducing new fresh foods to any rabbit’s diet it is best to go slowly to allow the gastrointestinal tract and all its important microorganisms to adjust. Introduce one new food every three days and keep a watch on the stools. It is rare for a rabbit that has been on a hay diet first, to have any problems using this method, but if you note softer stools that persist over a couple of days, then you might want to remove that food from your bunny’s diet. Keep a list as you go of the foods that your rabbit has successfully eaten; you will then have a handy shopping list when you go to the store!

On the HRS Diet page:

From: http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

12 weeks–introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under 1/2 oz.)

I really would recommend checking out both articles. 

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