im a new mom of two 3 month old bunnies

[chiapuffsmom]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Nina. My partner and I adopted two baby bunnies from his co-worker’s rabbits who had a litter three months ago. We have had the bunnies for 3 days now. They are netherland dwarf and lion head mix. I have never had a bunny before and all the research I have done online has honestly just over whelmed me and confused me even more. 

The thing that prompted me to look for an online forum tonight is that I noticed one of the bunnies (Puff) has put on noticeable weight and is heavier than his/her brother or sister Chia. (I say his or her brother or sister because we do not know their genders and are planning on taking them to the vet this week to have them sexed and their nails cut). I have been feeding them a mix of the oxbow adult and young rabbit pellets in addition to unlimited oxbow alfalfa hay. When it comes to pellet feeding for rabbits I have read that they should have anything from unlimited access to food to rationed portions 2-3 times a day. Obviously Puff is more of a fast active eater than Chia. Am I feeding them too much should I halve their food? But i fear in that case that Chia will not get enough bc Puff will eat it all. I basically put a little scoop of the pellets in their bowl 3-4 times a day. I also read that alfalfa hay should be mixed with timothy hay even though they are that young but then other websites say they should only eat alfalfa. 

I honestly just don’t want to instill bad eating habits in them while they’re this young and I also don’t want to make them sick particularly Puff and give him/her diabetes from over feeding.

Any advice is sincerely appreciated. 

On a side note. When I interacted with the bunnies two times before we brought them home we were able to hold them and cuddle them for a long period of time. Even the day of brining them home we held them in the house of my partner’s co-worker for a half an hour they never moved. Since brining them home i can’t hold them for more than 6 seconds and they’re clawing their way out of my arms. Is this just them adjusting or is there something i should be doing to help them bond to me? I tried letting them out and laying out with food in my hands but it still doesn’t seem to help much. 

They are great bunnies though very energetic for the most part and although they poop all over the cage they only pee in their litter box so I have to say I’m a proud mama even when i let them out for an hour or two they never peed on my carpet! 

wow i really rambled if anyone made it to the end of this post you’re a saint.

THANK YOU

[Hazel]

Welcome to BB!

Congrats on your new buns! Since they are already three months old, you should separate them at this point. They are able to produce a litter at this age, and since you aren’t sure of their genders, you might end up with an oops litter of you leave them together. They could also start getting hormonal and become aggressive with each other. Generally, babies should have unlimited pellets, as long as they still eat a reasonable amount of hay. If they snub the hay, cut back on the pellets. They should have a source of alfalfa while they’re growing, it doesn’t matter if it’s alfalfa pellets or hay, so what you’re feeding them is fine. Once you’ve separated them, it will be easy to keep an eye on how much hay and pellets each one is eating and you can adjust their feedings accordingly.

They were likely scared when you brought them home and that’s probably why you were able to hold them. Now that they’re more comfortable, they let you know they aren’t into that. Most bunnies hate to be picked up and cuddled, it’s a natural part of prey species behavior. You did the right thing by laying on the floor and letting them come to you, it just takes time and patience. Interactions should be on their terms, don’t force it on them. Just hang out with them on the floor and they will eventually become curious and come over to you.

We also need pictures!

[Luna]

Hi! Until you get them sexed, separate Puff and Chia immediately lest there could be a pregnancy in the mix. As for diet, as juveniles (less than 6 months old) they should have unlimited hay (any type) and unlimited pellets. As adults (6+months old), they should have unlimited non-alfalfa hay and a restricted portion of pellets. Most buns don’t like being picked up because they are prey animals. Luna has only let me pick her up when she is sick or scared. For now, I would not pick them up unless you have to – I would just focus on bonding right now.

Bonding tips: Spend as much time with your buns as you can. It doesn’t have to be physical contact – ie. sitting next to their cage and talking to them, laying down on the floor when they are out. Let them come to you to be petted until they feel more comfortable, and stop if they hop away.

[Author]

Messages