Hi Everyone!

[LivvieLilly]

Hi everyone, I’m new to Binky Bunny. My boyfriend and I just got a 2 mo old Holland Lop and named her Lilly. Shes my first ever rabbit, so this is all a new experience to me! I am trying to train her to use her litter box and just recently started only putting bedding in her litter box. Is there any type of blanket I could use so she has something comfy to lay on?

[MoveDiagonally]

Welcome to BB! What a pretty rabbit you have.

During litter training it can be better to not have anything soft by their feet. Sometimes it confuses them and they start peeing on things like blankets and pet beds. Don’t worry though, not having anything soft to lay on right now won’t hurt her at all.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Welcome! I agree with MoveDiagonally, once Lily shows she is litter trained you can then put a blanket in with her and see how she does but most of the time bunnies will just move it over and lay on the floor. I tried being nice the other day for mine and put in a towel for them and I walked in to it bunched up in a corner and them laying on the laminate flooring.

[LivvieLilly]

Ok, thank you! She doesn’t seem to mind not having bedding. She actually seems like shes getting the hang of the litter box. I have the hay hanging over her litter box, are there any other tips that would encourage her to go into the box?

[NewBunnyOwner123]

Spaying! No joke, you say she is 8 weeks right now? Well prepare yourself for the possibility of her losing those habits when hormones make an appearance. They commonly hit full swing 4-6 months most of the time but can come sooner. Getting her spayed at 6 months will help greatly with litterbox habits.

Not all buns lose their litter box habits when hitting puberty. My bun, Sally, never lost hers. But it’s very common and I was just preparing you for when those hormones hit!

[MoveDiagonally]

I agree with NBO! Spaying is important for a bunnies health not just litter habits. Unspayed females have something like an 80% of developing uterine cancer. It’s a bit off though, the recommended age for spaying is 6 months.

For now I would just be consistent. If she pees outside her box soak it up with a paper towel and place it in the litter box. The smell with re-enforce good litter habits.

[LivvieLilly]

Is spaying a nessessity? I have heard it is riskier for a rabbit to undergo a surgery. Do the benefits of the spay outweigh the risk?

[MoveDiagonally]

For a female rabbit spaying is considered very necessary. The risks of surgery when performed by a rabbit savvy vet are quite a bit lower than the risks of cancer for an unspayed rabbit.

You could start looking for a rabbit savvy vet now, if you don’t have one already, and schedule a well visit for her in the near future. This not only a good thing to do when you bring a new bunny home but helps you begin to develop a relationship with a vet and the staff. You can ask questions so you get comfortable with them.

Here’s a good article about finding a rabbit knowledgeable vet:
http://rabbit.org/faq-how-to-find-a-good-rabbit-vet/

[NewBunnyOwner123]

The benefits outweigh the risk ten folds! There is only the tiniest risk of surgery as with ANY surgery animal or human. Would you risk the 80% chance of your bunny contracting reproductive cancer around 3-4 years old? Versus the 1% (IF that) that pass on the operating table. I’m just sayin. And even if they were to pass from surgery, it’s so much less painful than passing away from cancer. The chances of cancer are just way too high to risk it for me, personally.

There are hundreds of bunnies getting spayed everyday. It’s much more common than you think and the risk is very minimal.

For males, it’s not really a necessity but females I deem it NECESSARY if you want them to live out their life fully. Not to mention, females can become aggressive when hormones come into play and are harder to live with…

[LivvieLilly]

Ok thank you! I’ve been reading that article you recommended. I’ve called up a few vets I knew didn’t see bunnies and got a couple of exotics recommended. I’m nervous because the site didn’t recommend any vets in New York! Lol

[MoveDiagonally]

I think there are some members here in NY. You could always make a post titled “Rabbit Vets in NY” and ask people to message you recs. I don’t think they can post recs in the actual forum for liability reasons.

[tanlover14]

Livvie – where do you live in NY? I’m from New York and may be able to help you find a good reliable vet!

I have two females who have both been altered and they got through their surgeries fine. With an experienced rabbit savvy vet, you should be fine with a spay and they typically come out of the surgery fine. Sometimes getting them to eat can be a challenge but it’s much better than your rabbit getting cancer early on in life and having to deal with the pain and emotional stress of all of that (for both of you!). In my mind, if you had an 85% chance of developing uterine cancer by the 4 years of age versus the 1% chance of risk involved in the surgery (for yourself) what would you choose? I would SURE as heck choose the 1% chance.

Btw, Lilly is gorgeous! Welcome to BinkyBunny!

[LivvieLilly]

 

[LivvieLilly]

I live on Long Island

Why is it such a challenge to get them to eat after surgery? Are they just not feeling up to eating?

 

PS: Thank you I think she is so cute, I can’t get enough of her!

[Sarita]

Here’s a list of vets:

http://www.therabbitresource.org/rec_vets.html#page=page-10

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