Getting an 8 week old baby. HELP!

[Kyoshi]

 

I am aware this may be in the wrong grouping. If so, feel free to move it.

 

I am getting a black baby bunny in 8 weeks. She will be only 8 weeks old!  I want to be a perfect owner, so please help if I’m doing something wrong. I am Getting her either a 29” long x 19” deep x 31” high cage, or an aquarium (no water-duh!), but I do plan to set up a play-pen cage, and eventually let her roam my room once shes litter trained.  As for her cage, I plan to use soft carefresh bedding, and in her litter pan a Small Pet litter called Soft-Sorbent (If you have experience with this, please give me feedback). I am using a basic food specificly designed for bunnies 8-20 weeks old, but towards the last 5 weeks, I will start to move on to timothy pellets( I will add a bit of the food to the original food, slowly moving on so the  baby food becomes smaller and the timothy larger). I will use a mix of timothy and alfalfa in the younger weeks, then move on until she is eating only timothy. I also will give her vitamin droplets in her food or to her mouth, wichever is easiest for me and her. I’ll give her a safe %100 edible hidey home, toys, chew things, and treats. I’m getting an instant shampoo for her, which dosent require bathing, and clean her litter pan once every 2 days. (I am a bit concerened as I know bunnies will go to the bathroom in their litterpan  if there is urine and feces in there, but the Soft-Sorbent is scented like mint, rose, or lavendar) I’m NEVER feeding her lettuce, and am starting a garden of safe veggies and fruit for her. Am I good? Should I change things? Please help guide me in the right direction so I can give Kyoshi the best life ever.

 

UPDATE: If you’ve seen some of my other posts, you know that I plan to use a handmade cube condo instead. Any Suggestions? Check out Homemade Cube Condo? HELP?

[KatnipCrzy]

I would recommend doing some reading at rabbit.org for care and housing ideas.  Also there are some great articles here On BinkyBunny that you can access by clicking on the “bunny info” menu tab.

I would look around at some of the different housing ideas- as you will most likely end up replacing a store-bought cage for something more appropriate for a bunny.  I do not recommend giving vitamins at all.  Vitamins a pretty much gimick for bunnies- as they are grouped by size by the manufacturers “rabbit’guinea pig” “hamster’gernil”- these critters while they might be the same size do NOT have the same nutritional needs at all.  Guinea Pigs need more Vitamin C in their diet.  But bunnies on a good quality pellet, hay and veggies have their dietary needs met.

Just research any product that you buy from the pet store- most of them are really marketed towards the consumer and they are very misleading making it sound like it is healthy for the bunnies but in fact they are loaded in sugar.  So the bunnies (most have a sweet tooth) so adore these yogurt drops, “healhty” seed balls, etc- but they are not healthy for them at all.  There are only a few manufacturers across the board that only make GOOD rabbit products- like Oxbow, American Pet Diner and other small rabbit only type companies.  The other large corporations are selling to the consumer and really do not take into consideration the health of the bunny. 

I am not familiar with the litter you want to use- but I use woodstove pellets or horse stall pellets and they work awesome, are completely safe and super cheap compared to pet store litters.  Many other BB members use them also.

[Deleted User]

hi Kyosho! what a pretty name! I love how you are planning for your rabbit. Ditto what katnip said. The soft-sorbent should help with odor control and it is made for rabbits, but just a warning: little bunnies go to the bathroom A LOT and real littertraining only really starts after spay or neuter which you can have done at around four months of age. You won’t need the instant shampoo, rabbits groom themselves and tend to stay very clean as long as their habitat is maintained properly.

–Are you budgeting for her spay, it can be quite costly but it is the single most important step to ensuring a healthy, enjoyable existence for Kyosho.

[Kyoshi]

Actually, I am budgetting up for EVERYTHING. I have ALOT in mind, and spaying is number 1 on my list ( next to all mandatory suplies of course) as well as pet insurance.

[Deleted User]

That’s fantastic! You will be very happy with your new bunny, and vice versa!!

[Kyoshi]

Thanks alot! As a new bunny owner, I need as much help as I can get!

[Deleted User]

You will like this forum then. I look forward to seeing pictures of kyoshi soon!

[Kyoshi]

I will post some! I’m gonna take lots of pics!

[LoveChaCha]

Welcome

So, as a new bunny owner, WELCOME aboard.

So you aren’t feeding your bun lettuce? A lot of ’em like it.. Just the Romaine and Red Leaf types are loved and appreciated by bunnies.

I would not recommend an aquarium type of cage, but a cage with no wire bottom is nice and comfy for bunny. Just be sure he/she has lotsa room to hop and periscope while it is inside Bedding isn’t necessary on the cage bottom, just in the litter box. However there are some bunnies that like to lounge in their bedding.

Bunnies do not require bathing at all. Unless they are having a poopy butt or a problem. Rabbits are very clean creatures.

Good luck with litter training I read that a lot of bunnies tend to do their business in a certain area. I put the box in the chosen corner, and I put my bunny’s poops into the box. She caught on. Oh! Also, bunnies love to eat hay and do their business, so its a good thing to have a hay rack or just put some hay in the litter box

[Deleted User]

Some young rabbits can get diarrhea from watery greens such as lettuce so it’s good to wait.
But, Brittany, of course you’re right: they love their lettuce, don’t they.

[Kyoshi]

I wasnt planning on feeding lettuce because i heard some are toxic. I feel that its better to avoid it all together than have a fatal accident, ya know?

[Deleted User]

Your rabbit will need fresh greens. Avoid iceberg lettuce but Romaine and some others are favorites and safe.

Here is great link to a safe foods list. Click on “Feeding the House Rabbit”

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Food/Food_main.htm

[LoveChaCha]

Lettuce is yumlicious – just wash it well before giving

[Deleted User]

yes, but better safe than sorry, wait till she’s a bit older.

[Kyoshi]

Thanks for the advice! Any tips on introducing greens to my baby? Should I use a similar process to the food one?

[Deleted User]

Gradual is key. Just offer a leaf of greens and then two. until over a ten-day period you can give her a small bunch.

[Kyoshi]

Ok, well how about the food plan? is that still good?

[Deleted User]

yes, looks fine. By six months, IMO, she should be eating timothy pellets and in measured amounts.

[Deleted User]

I have to log off. remember the most important food is hay. She should learn to eat it sooner than later.

[LoveChaCha]

Free feeding, as she will be needing it.. growing baby but I agree with Petzy and she should be gradually changed to timothy pellets (mix in small amounts of timothy pellets and slowly increase it to switch your bunny over) around 6 months.

The pellet amount as an adult bunny does not seem like a lot, but it is a good amount, as too many pellets can make a bunny fat. That is why hay should be fed unlimited

[Kyoshi]

What is a good measurement? My bunny is a mutt, and i don’t know what breeds she is. All i can say is that she is in a litter with 2-3 black bunies and two grey ones.

[Deleted User]

Here is a link to the House Rabbit Society about pellet amounts.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#pellet

[Beka27]

Welcome! I can’t wait to hear more about her!

[Kyoshi]

Well, what about hay(To Beka27 I can’t wait either!)? Should I do Timothy only, or a mix?

[Deleted User]

she can eat alfalfa as a kit but I’d mix it with timmy to get her used to it. Then the switch to all timothy will be easier.

[Beka27]

You can start with timothy right away, but supplement with handfuls of alfalfa. The bunny doesn’t have to be on a strict alfalfa-only diet. I never even did alfalfa pellets with my younger bunny b/c she had already been on timothy and I saw no point in switching. It’s up to you tho…

[Kyoshi]

I’ve herd that BB uses a mix. Should i avoid that?

[Beka27]

I would maybe just try the basic timothy at first. That’s going to be the basis of a good hay eater. You can always try to expand that later on. There’s no hurry.

[KatnipCrzy]

Not to confuse the issue- but most female bunnies can be spayed around 6 months of age- so with my female bunny, I waited until she was spayed and completely recovered (2 weeks) until starting to change anything with her pellets.  So keep that in mind- it might change your schedule of switching over gradually by a couple of weeks- but the less you change right before and right after the spay surgery- the better.

[Kyoshi]

Can you explain that a little more thouroughly? My Pellets for the start are for bunnies up to 20 weeks of age.

[Deleted User]

I think Katnip is just suggesting not to change anything around the time of the spay because a spay is already stressful on them.

[4Lily]

WELCOME! Can’t wait to see pics! HEHEHE! Before you buy a cage (like what was said before) research, but think of c&c cages, wire cubes that you make into your own pen & you can add on or whatever you like. Just saying that because some bunnies do NOT like change & if she is going to outgrow the one you are getting maybe making one then adding on later might be a good idea! There are some really good posts of pics on here about them. & the cubes are really inexpensive compared to buying cages!

[Kyoshi]

Thanks! If you have experience, please checkout Homemade cube condo? HELP?

[Kyoshi]

Hey Guys? I have a Question. I am trying to find a good insurance company for Kyoshi, But they ones im looking at, Like VPI, are only giving me dog or cat quotes. HELP!

[Sarita]

Here’s the Exotic section

http://www.petinsurance.com/Plans-And-Cove…-Pets.aspx

[Kyoshi]

Thanks Sarita! I can’t get a quote though.

[bunnymum16]

you have to call them for rabbit insurance.it won’t show online.

[Kyoshi]

Oh Thanks!

[Author]

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