Hi Introducing Cadbury & me…

[cadburybunz]

 Hello everyone,

I’m new here (obviously) My name is Sarah, I’m 27 years old, mother to 2 girls, wife to a soldier, we are currently stationed at Fort Campbell, KY. I’m currently studying online to be a veterinary technician. Just starting my studying. Other than our bunny (I promise I’m getting there…) we have 2 dogs a 7 year old pug (Shorty), a 5 year old boxer (Sasha), a 4 year old cat (who’s my baby girl!…named lilly) 2 fish tanks, (1 72 gallon bow front with african chiclids (sp?) and a 15 gallon tower tank that has mollies and platys in it, which I’m currently NOT happy with because it has a serious case of ick, and a gerbil named patrick. 

Now, on to the bunny… His name is Cadbury, he’s an 8 month old Flemish Giant, we just adopted him today!! I have been stalking your site lately because I’ve been wanting to adopted a flemmie FOREVER. He’s an absolute DOLL baby, and I LOVE him dearly!!! I adopted him from a lady who saved him from being breed and used for meat, but she simply had no place to really keep him, other than her barn, and she knew that was no place for him. I have plans of getting him Neutered ASAP, and he has a check up vet appointment on Thursday, so the vet can get to know him, and hopefully we can set up something for a neuter at that point. 

I do have a few concerns about him. He seems to drink a TON of water, and he’s almost eatten a half a bowl of pellet since I brought him home, about 3 hours ago. He’s eatting some hay, but not as much as the pellet. I have green leaf lettuce, and parsley for him, but I want to give that to him for meals, so I haven’t put it in his cage yet, as I want him to kind of be on a “schedule” like our other pets. Is this water drinking and pellet eatting normal? or is it something I should definitely have a talk with the vet about? 

 

Thanks a bunch! can’t wait to meet you all!!! 

[bunnyfriend]

Hi, welcome! Congratulations on the new bunny It is great that he was saved!

Since Cadbury is 8 months old, it is now time to start limiting his pellets. Do you know how much he weighs? Generally the amount of pellets given each day is 1/4-1/2 cup per 6 lbs body weight but also depends on metabolism and how much veggies they are given. You can give less pellets if you give more veggies, ect. but you have to be careful to make sure he gets enough vitamins and nutrients by providing a variety of safe veggies. He also needs at least 2 cups chopped veggies every day and more if he is over 6 lbs. I would strongly suggest that you take him to a rabbit savvy vet for a check up, then you will know his weight and the vet can give you a diet plan. You will also have a baseline for him them and find out if he is healthy. Also, since he is 8 months old he is definitely ready to be neutered. Neutering will eliminate spraying, reduce bad behaviors and aggressiveness, and will make it much much easier to litter train (can be almost impossible if not altered). Altered rabbits generally make better pets, just something to think about The eating and drinking is definitely normal. Bunnies need a LOT of water, are you using a water dish or bottle? Reducing the pellets to the amount the vet will most likely make him eat more hay, which is so so important. What kind of cage do you have him in and how big is it? Is he going to get exercise time outside of the cage?

I look forward to seeing pics of Cadbury! …hint hint ;P

[emkvet]

Yes! Pictures please! And welcome =)

[cadburybunz]

Hi! Thanks for all the GREAT info! He has an exercise pen for a “cage area” and he will have run of the living/dinning area, and kitchen when we are home, which I’m home almost ALL day. I’m definitely going to get him neutered, I’ve read nothing but good on neutering. If I had to guess I would venture to say he weighs close to 10 lbs at the moment.

I was trying to upload a few pictures that I snapped today as when we first brought him home, as we where setting up his pen, but they where to big, so I’m working on shrinking them.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!

[cadburybunz]

 Here are the pictures I have (for now) of Cadbury, his pen has more “creature comforts” now than in the picture, we where still setting it up when I snapped the picture with my phone. I will get more of him soon, I’m kind of leaving him to his own for now so he can settle in, and get comfortable.  It’s hard to not want to play with those BIG ol’ ears!!!

[cadburybunz]

 

 

*sorry… still getting use to the forum. LOL 

[bunnyfriend]

 AHHHH those ears are so cute! He’s adorable. I love bigger bunnies! (I have a large white bunny with huge ears myself  who happens to have the same xpen lol). Enjoy getting to know him!!! Sounds like you’re going to take care of him well.

[AbbyGirl]

Welcome! He’s absolutely gorgeous! =)

[cadburybunz]

Thanks all! I love him to death!!! He seems very laid back for a bunny, or at least the bunnies I’ve been around. He’s really settling well, already been out of his cage and wandered around, he loves to come up to you when your on the couch and ask for scratches, and sniff you feet LOL

We had to make some changes to his pen today, as we woke up to a RIVER running across my livingroom (thank goodness for hard floors!!) and a MASSIVE amount of LARGE sized pellets! LOL so we bought a 6 ft long rubber runner, and then I placed some puppy training pads down to hopefully catch any run off until he’s litter trained, which I know won’t be completely possible until after he’s neutered, and that’s ok, we will just work on it now, and prep for accidents.

[bunnyfriend]

Sounds like you’re on the right tract for litter training. Have you tried soaking up the pee with a paper towel and putting some of that paper towel in the litter box? That really helps. Hahah a regular litter box doesn’t work for my bunny either, simply not big enough, I bought a low storage bin haha but that was the answer to his poor litter box habits. The puppy training pads helped me, just make sure he doesn’t eat them.

[cadburybunz]

yeah, I’m not sure the litter box we currently have for him is going to work. I did soak up some on a papertowel and put it in the pan! I read about litter training… SEVERAL times, because with a rabbit who’s mostly likely going to tip the scales at 20 lbs, litter training is a MUST! LOL

He’s not much of a chewer, he’s actually quite “tidey” about his cage, the only thing he really messes with is his blanket in his crate. he “fluffs” it everytime he goes to lay down, but other than that he’s very clean with everything, he’s definitely doing MUCH better since I put his poo’s and pee in the litter pan, I also put his water bottle over the pan, and situated his pellet bowl so he doesn’t have a choice but to sit in the litter pan to eat. Since then I’ve only found a few stray poo’s outside the pan.

[bullrider76543]

Welcome to the forum. Nice to see another military family.

[piperknitsRN]

Welcome. Your Flemmie is gorgeous… I *sooooooo* want a Flemmie. But, I have a Holland Lop and just adopted a New Zealand white… pretty sure that’s my limit. But maybe next time around…

[cadburybunz]

Thank you! When I told my husband I wanted a rabbit, he wanted me to get a *SMALL* rabbit, and he wanted it in a cage, in our girls bedroom… so naturally I did the exact opposite! LOL (just kidding!) When I found this lady who had rescued Cadbury from being sold for meat, I knew he was meant for me. his story made me cry, and I when i told my husband about him, his first question…errrr…reaction was “A Flemish WHAT?” lol… but you know what… on the way home from picking Cadbury up Saturday he says “That is one COOL rabbit!” LOL

[Sam and Lady's Human]

You actually don’t want to really limit a flemmies food until closer to a year, as they keep growing until around 12-18 months where as small-medium buns stop growing at 6 months. He will eat a lot and drink a lot, it’s comparable to having a small dog with addition to about 4 bales of hay a year (I think thats what the other Flemmie here on BB, Abby, goes though). My flemmie is about 12 weeks old and a moose, I’m seriously worried about when she really gets big hah.

[cadburybunz]

Oh cool! Thanks… I’ve been trying to find a website that has some information solely on the needs of flemmies and their diet, but I haven’t found much… he eats his pellets like crazy… tonight he actually finished his salad mix (he didn’t last night, or this morning) He’s really not much for the hay yet… so I’m working on him to get more hay in him. His pellet bowl is empty right now, and instead of filling it back tonight, I have added extra hay for tonight, and I’m hoping if he gets the munchies that he will eat more hay, I know he eats some… but I know not nearly enough, but he’s DEFINITELY NOT having any issues peeing or pooing! LOL

[AbbyGirl]

If you do find info on the needs specifically of a Flemish Giant it’s going to be based a breeding or meat rabbit diet. I would follow the house rabbit diets. That’s what I do for Abby and she does just fine. It would be 1/4 – 1/2 cup of pellets and a min of 2 cups veggies for every 6lbs of body weight.
Here’s the link. http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html

[Author]

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