HI Im a new Rabbit owner! Any tips?

[BasilBunny]

Hi Im a new rabbit owner and I am looking for general care tips.

These are the things I am doing right now:

My rabbits are both unspayed female, and they are mother and daughter, one is 2 years and the other is 6 weeks, they are getting along perfectly so far.

They get fed 4 tablespoons of pellets everyday, and they get a hay bundle as big as both of their bodys.

They only have 2 hides at the moment, but I am getting 2 more.

They have 1 tunnel but I am getting one more.

They do not have a cage, they free roam in my room. (also, any tips on how to clean carpet just in case they pee on it?)

They have a bin, filled with kaytee clean and cozy so they can dig or sleep in it.

They get fed a cup of salad everyday and its sprinkled with dill, chamomile, oregano, and basil.

At the moment they have 6 toys. A niteangel willow ball stuffed with hay, a DIY hanging toy on a string, a 4 inch diameter ring made from willow that hangs, a few apple sticks that are bunched together with string, and a DIY cardboard toy. They have a water bottle and a water bowl, they also get 2 treats each everyday (usually either dried banana, oxbow hay hearts, gerber baby puffs, or cranberries with no sugar.)

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome 🙂 . For general tips, check out the “Bunny Info” tab at the top of the page, there is heaps of helpful info to get you started. 🙂

The most important tip I can give is to spay both mom and daughter. Mom could be spayed now, but the daughter will have to wait till she’s at least 12 weeks old. Mom might also run off her daughter around 8 weeks, so keep an eye on them. Spaying ASAP will be your best chance of keeping them together as a happy pair, as it is common for mom and daughter to start fighting when the daughter hits puberty. It would be a good idea to have some back-up housing ready incase you need to separate them and then re-bond (like a couple x-pens would be fine). Spaying is also very important to prevent reproductive cancers, which are very common (>75% by age 4) in unspayed females.

The daughter should also be getting young rabbit alfalfa pellets once she weans, whereas mom shouldn’t be getting alfalfa (and adult pellets), so that might make feeding them a bit tricky. You might want to separate them during pellet time. The baby also is developing her gut flora, so she should not be getting any treats. Salad isn’t really recommended until 12 weeks either. It’s important to encourage her to eat as much hay as possible so she develops a healthy tummy.

10% white vinegar is good for cleaning up pee accidents.

Other than that it sounds like you have a nice set up and will spoil them nicely. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

I will add that there is a chance the daughter isn’t actually a daughter. It is hard to sex baby rabbits and mistakes often happen. If the daughter happens to be a boy and for some reason the mother was not spayed, he would probably try to reproduce with her when he hits puberty. Just something to keep in mind!

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.

[LBJ10]

It sounds like a nice setup! I agree with the others, definitely get mom spayed asap and then get baby done when she is old enough.

[BasilBunny]

I am unable to spay them because 1. My parents wont let me, and 2. i show rabbits for 4h and they cant be spayed or else ill get disqualified.

[Hazel]

Why won’t your parents let you spay them? Are they aware of the cancer rates in unspayed females? They won’t form a bond unless they’re spayed, you can’t keep two intact rabbits together, they will fight.

[BasilBunny]

Because its expensive, and again,  i dont want to spay them because then i cant show them. [edited by moderator DanaNM]

[LBJ10]

How long are you planning to show them? Perhaps you could spay them when you’re done. Obviously, the sooner the better, but waiting a little bit probably won’t hurt. The chances of reproductive cancer starts to climb rapidly at around 4-5 years of age. Keep in mind though that changes in the uterus can occur well before that (~3 years). If you want your bunnies to live long lives, then spaying is a must. There are a few “lucky ones” that live a long time, but this isn’t the norm for unspayed females. Definitely talk to your parents about getting them spayed. Perhaps waiting a little bit will give you enough time to save up for the surgeries yourself?

No one here is judging you for wanting to show your rabbits. It can be a rewarding experience. It’s obvious that they are very well loved and not being treated like livestock. I do urge you to do your research when it comes to showing them though. Conditions vary between organizations and even individual groups within an organization. Make sure they do not require rabbits to be kept in tiny show cages for several days. Those barns are often not air conditioned and the rabbits have to sit inside wire cages right next to each other.

[Author]

Messages