Hi !!!!

[Zombie]

Hi Everyone !!!

My dear Delilah is my second bunny. A year ago my husband surprised me with a Holland lop, who sadly, due to a pet sitter, passed away over the summer (stuck her cage outside on an extremely hot day!!!).

Fast forward to three weeks ago. I fell in love with my dear Delilah and brought her home from a local breeder. She is a Flemish giant and is about 9-10 weeks old. She is my baby. I don’t know her EXACT weight but she easily weighs 6 pounds, if not more and is growing rapidly!

I’m a stay home mom and work from home running a small online business, so Delilah is rarely left alone unless I need to run to the store. I have three kids, and she adores all of them. She has a pretty large rabbit hutch in our dinning room, but its only a matter of time before she out grows it as she is already growing like crazy! The first couple of days she stayed in her cage and was allowed out to get treats from us. She has always been friendly from day one. Within that week, we had a litter box set up in our dining room and gated her off in there allowing her full access of that room and then put her back in her cage at bedtime. Now that we are three weeks in, she has been using her box 90% of the time (if not the box, it may be a few droppings in her cage or a few near it, but never anywhere else.

For the past three days she has had most access to the house (its 1000sq ft) minus the bedrooms. She has done AMAZING. She still retreats to her cage to lounge around, but she can come and go from there as she pleases. Shes very territorial of her cage (she doesn’t mind me reaching in there to change her litter, feed her, tidy things up) but she runs immediately to her cage if anyone else goes near it to investigate their intentions. Shes figured out her treats are in the fridge, so whenever the fridge gets opened, shes immediately right there trying to push her way in to get to the bottom drawer that we keep filled with her yummies (kale, broccoli, carrots, roman lettuce, parsley, etc).

I’ve done as much research as possible on her breed, but still feel like maybe im not doing things right. Im in love with her and want only the best for her. She eats the pellets the vet recommended (no added nuts or dried fruits or veggies in it, just pellets) and 2 cups of fresh veggies per 6 pounds per day and small treats of fresh fruit. When shes ready for her fruit snacks, she crawls on my lap and sits there impatiently waiting for me to give them to her

So far, minimal chewing on things, but Im sure she will find something she has to chew eventually (trying to bunny proof the house as much as possible). I have some cardboard that I plan on building her a bunny maze or play house. She LOVES running and hoping down the hall as fast as she can. My husband says its her Happy Hop. She gets up on the couch all on her own. If I fall asleep on the couch, usually I wake up to her nuzzled up to me under my chin. She also enjoys spreading out on the dining room rug or under the Christmas tree. We bought a hardness and leash to eventually leash train her. She allowed me to put it on her once but I have yet to attempt anything else.

I know here in the near future she is going to outgrow her cage, so I’m not sure if at that point I should just not even have a cage, or if I should buy one of the large dog crates and turn it into a cage with free access or what. Any tips for when that time comes (with her speed of growth since we got her, she will easily be too big in a month).

We also plan on spaying her once shes a bit older (the vet said to wait until at least 6 months or so). She wont be around other rabbits, but from what Ive read, fixed bunnies tent to live longer (at least that’s what ive read).

Im just SOOOO in love with Delilah. She has the most amazing personality and loves people. The fact that shes ok with my almost 2 year old is amazing ! Ive taught him to be careful and he will sit on the floor and feed her small bits of veggies throughout the day. Shes tried to give him kisses but it tickles and he doesn’t like that  Im super curious how big she will end up getting, Her mom was HUGE, and I just look at her and cant imagine her being bigger, but I know its going to happen.

Ive been trying to get some good pictures of her, but so far, no such luck! Heres what I do have so far of her

 

[Little Lion Head]

Zombie, Deliah is just beautiful!! I responded to your other thread about the dog crate, but I think you’re right; there’s really no need for the cage if she’s free roam. I think she’ll still have “her area” wherever you keep her litter box and water. Welcome!

[Zombie]

Thank you ! I absolutely adore her. Shes my baby. Im thinking this next week of seeing how she does if I remove the cage (really its just the top sitting on the floor at this point with her stuff in there). She has complete free roam now. She has done amazing with her litter box. She pretty much taken ownership of the kitchen/dining room, so Im pretty sure if I remove the cage, she will be ok if I leave all of her stuff exactly where its out just minus the cage top. I did make her a fleece blanket today to put in there, so Im hoping after she takes ownership of the blanket, it will make taking the cage away less stressful. I just don’t see the point in the cage if she is free roam as it is and can retreat back into her spot (she also has claimed under the table as well as “her spot”). lol.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Big Welcome! I’m so sorry to hear about your other bunny that passed away. But congrats on your new bunny, she is just beautiful!

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