Help with new bunny

[Raynne]

Hi everyone,

We recently got a new Holland Lop and she doesn’t seem to be adapting too well to our house. I was messaging the breeder and we were misled on her age. She was only 6 weeks when we got her (and is just over seven weeks now). I’m very new to rabbits and I can’t find a lot online specific to our situation.

1.) She seems down/lonely. She’s mobile, but not nearly as active as our other rabbit and is very easily startled. We have her in a quieter room with several  hides in her enclosure, and I gave her a blanket to cuddle with, but I’m not sure what else we can do to make things easier for her. Would handling her/cuddling be good or bad?

2.) Eating/pooping – She doesn’t seem to be eating very much. I’m offering her Timothy hay and pellets. She is pooping and her poops, while small, are consistent. The breeder (who I’m not sure how much to trust at this point) says baby Holland Lops have very small poops so it’s fine, but I’d like any other input

3.) Drinking/peeing – She *does* drink quite a bit, and pees quite a bit. She doesn’t use her litter box consistently (I’m thinking this may be age related?) and sometimes sits in her own urine. She also puts her feet and ears into her water dish. I’m not sure if this is an age issue that she might grow out of or a bigger concern?

4.) Vet? – I haven’t taken her to the vet yet because the nearest rabbit vet is almost an hour away. I’m concerned her general stress is already so high that the trip might not make things better, especially if this *is* more age related than health. She does eat/drink/eliminate – just… not entirely how I would expect based on my other rabbit (our other bun is almost 4 months old, we got her at 9 weeks, and is ridiculously outgoing and comfortable).

I’d love some thoughts on if this seems really concerning or normal for her age, and what we might do to help her settle in better.

Thanks!

[DanaNM]

It sounds like she was removed from her mother a bit early (the general recommendation is for them to stay with mom and littermates till 8 weeks, although some breeders do it earlier), so she is probably experiencing some stress from the change.

Since breeding discussion isn’t allowed on this forum, many of us here don’t have much experience with baby rabbits. Hopefully some others will chime in!

Keeping her eating is important, do you know what type of food the breeder was giving? Is she in the same room as your other bunny? That might be a comfort to her. If she has never had timothy hay, she might not know what to do with it. She might eat alfalfa more readily if that’s what she had before.

Since she is a baby, her litter box habits might not be great at first. You might want to put down some puppy pee pads just so she’s not standing in her pee if she misses her box.

I think that at this age, hand feeding and some handling would be good, so long as she isn’t terrified (see how her breathing rate changes and if her eyes get wide). Babies tend to tolerate (and even like) being held when they are very young. If she seems to like it, then I would hold her and pet her. If she seems scared (runs from your hands), then I wouldn’t force it. But hand feeding could help form the bond with her!

 

. . . 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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