I’m new to buns and BinkyBunny!

[AnnaNutBread]

Hi everyone!  My name is Anna and I live in the SF Bay area (Go Giants!)  I just wanted to introduce myself and my bun because I’m a new bunny owner and I could use all the help I can get!

My neighbor bought a mini lop from the local petstore and realized that they were a lot more work then he thought, so he asked if I wanted him or else he was going to drop the bun off at the animal shelter.  Oh of course, I will take him in!

I then realized that the bun left it’s mom way too early (6 weeks), so I’ve been researching like crazy and I have had help from Rabbit House Society.  Now my buns is on Oxbow alfalfa pellets, timothy hay, and alfalfa hay.  Let me know if I’m missing anything!  I almost broke my neck yesterday trying to break off an stick from the apple tree in my neighbor’s yard.    

I called the local ‘clinic’ to try and set up an appointment for the bun to get neutered, but we’re still waiting for those testicles to drop, which would be the end of December since he will then be 4 months old.  (Dec. 28th)

The bun (has no name yet) has been really mellow, but would randomly jump back and forth super fast and once in a while jump into the air, what a little acrobat!  I give him supervised play area, but I have realized that he will actually go into his open cage when he needs to do his litter business, did he teach himself how to litterbox?!  *crosses fingers*  He has just yesterday (!!) started licking my face (nose, eyebrows, forehead) and my boyfriend’s (way to make me feel special).

Do you bunny slaves actually have meet ups?  Would love to get together and chat it up, while talking about how we got into this mess 

[lmais]

Welcome to BB! He’s adorable ? check out the other threads and the bunny info section. He’s a bit young now but he’s also going to need veggies (about 1/2 cup to 1 cup per day) I don’t have a link but I’m sure someone can provide you one with a list of safe veggies.

The one thing I will tell you is its worth it to buy the apple sticks at a pet store. If you are feeding them to him from the tree then you need to boil them well and let them dry before you give them to him. If they aren’t boiled there’s all kinds of bugs and bacteria in there and it won’t be good for the little one.

It was so nice of you to take him in ? but of course, with that face, how could you not?!

Even though he’s too young to be neutered I would recommend taking him for a checkup at the vet just to make sure all is well ?. I got Ruby from a pet store and they said she had been dewormed.. To make a long story short she wasn’t and ended up getting a really bad eye infection but I caught it early so all was okay. Buns try hiding any injuries or sickness they may be feeling so it’s worth it to get a once over to begin with!

As far as I know there’s no kind of meet up since everyone is a little all over the place, but I think it’s a great idea (even an online chat or something that’s live rather than the forum).

Welcome again! And hope you find a name for the little one soon!

[CinnabunMom]

What an adorable face!!! Welcome to BB and thank you for taking in this little bunny.
Like lmais said, a bit young for veggies yet. I’d hold off until he’s 12 weeks old.
Get him neutered as soon as you can, and his litter habits will be stellar, but it never hurts to start encouraging him to use his potty now. And yes, a checkup is always recommended when its a pet store bun.
That little face needs a name! Hope you come up with one soon.

[FrankieFlash]

Welcome. He is adorable. Although, he might not be a he. At that age it can be very hard to tell so I just wanted to give you a heads up. I thought my little bunjamin was a girl for the first month I had him. Now he has to live with pink carrier lol. It was very nice of you to take this bun in though. And I love responsible pet slaves who do their research. And we love to help the willing to learn here on BB.

Imais already mentions apple twig thing so I’m going to go with her expertise since I’ve always bought that kinda stuff from Online pet stores. My issue is you never know who sprays chemicals and fertilizers on their lawn and the wind can blow those chemicals on trees so to me it’s not worth the risk of making them sick.

I agree with getting him a check-up. It will also help even if he’s 100% healthy for your vet to see him healthy and get used to his “norms”. But you with rabbits it’s really hard to know when they are sick so you have to be very vigilant. But don’t worry, that comes with time learning and getting to know your bun. I was really worried when I got Bunjamin I wouldn’t catch something but so far it’s just come naturally *knocks on wood*.

Those jumps are called Binkies. And they are awesome. I still get a big cheesy grin on my face when my bun or any bun does them really. It means they are happy.

I would slowly start trying to convert his whole cage from a litter box to an actual litter box. I remember how much work cleaning a whole cage is and it sounds like he would pick up the concept well. Just remember to only put litter in the litter box, not the floor of the cage. That’s confusing to them. I made that mistake for months before I found BB.

Any more questions, feel free to ask. And once again, welcome!

[lmais]

Also for the litter training I found Ruby picked it up much quicker once I changed the bedding in her cage from paper to blankets. I lined it all with fleece and that seemed to help her tell the difference between litter space and living space

[AnnaNutBread]

Thank you to everyone who gave me such invaluable information!

This buns is going in for a checkup in the next following week, I have gotten great referrals for rabbit vets in my neighborhood, so we’re going to see if he(she) is healthy.

And I did not know about those apple sticks, he was having such a great time chomping on those, but I have taken them away. I went to Petsmart right after seeing the replies, so I bought him a few toys and a few sticks. Unfortunately he is currently ignoring them.

I also bought him a cat litter box and filled it with bedding litter and fresh timothy, alfalfa, and a few food pellets in it. I put him in twice, but he has jumped out twice. He’s still jumping into his cage during supervised play time to just nibble on his hay, drink water, and do his business. I guess I shouldn’t complain about that!

I’ve also been “walking” him outside with a harness/leash on.  He doesn’t struggle at all, I basically follow him wherever he wants to go.  Do any of your bunnies in the end successfully can be led out for walks?  

Any other tips/feedback would be great, I love the plethora of information on this forum/site and I have my work cut out for me! Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

And what’s with this face of disapproval?  Does he not enjoy the X-Factor?

[CinnabunMom]

Ah yes. The disapproving rabbit face. Such a pretty color.

[lmais]

Lol of course, disapproval all around when a bunny is not impressed! I can’t get over how sweet he (she) is, good thing you’re far away from Montreal or I’d have to take him (her) home with me!!! He looks so fuzzy I just want to mush my face in him

[AnnaNutBread]

I just made an appointment for a thorough checkup for the bun, but unfortunately the vet that I was referred to is booked weeks in advance, but our appointment is on the 24th, right after Thanksgiving.

Hopefully everything will check out fine and we’ll be good to go.

Also I was wondering do you guys know what is a good sod for the bunny?  We’re thinking of building an outdoor enclosure for the bun, but we’re stuck on which sod would be safe.

[lmais]

Would you be abe to keep him inside? Its much less stressful for them with less noise, and healthier because they aren’t exposed to the elements and bugs/bacteria/predators etc.

As for bedding, I just use blankets, I found much cheaper that way plus it really helped with her litter training because she could tell the difference between what’s for living and where she should do her thing. I bought some fleece at a local craft store and my bun loves it. I just switch the material every 2-3 weeks to wash it.

[AnnaNutBread]

Oh yes of course he’ll be inside!  We have given him my craft room (*tears*)  

I’ll definitely try out this blanket idea!  I don’t mind him doing his business in his cage, but I would love for him to use his litter box, so it’ll be easier for me to clean.  Do you suggest a cleaning solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water?

Recently he’s been starting to nip, not me though, but my boyfriend.  It’s more like an accidental nip, but I would love this habit to cease. 

[lmais]

A lot of people use the 50/50 vinegar and water, for accidents outside of the box I use the nature’s miracle cleaner that BB sells, I found that the vinegar solution wasn’t really effective with Ruby. Her litter box I just clean with water and a wet sponge once in a while, that way the urine smell goes away but it doesn’t smell like soap or cleaner either.

For the blankets I was those in the washing machine with a soap that is eco friendly, safe for babies and pets. I can’t recall the brand but I’m sure a similar product is fine.. I think the one I use is “ecosense”? I could be wrong though. The only thing I make sure not to do is if I put the blankets in the dryer I don’t put in dryer sheets because they can leave a bit of residue and I’m scared of what chemicals might be transferred to the material from the scent.

[lmais]

Also for the outdoor enclosure make sure that there is a cover for it because predator animals can be really persistent, even if you’re there with him

[Sam&Rex]

YOUR BUNNY IS SO ADORABLE!!!

He/She is very luck to have such a good bunny slave! Sounds like you two are off to a great start

I’m not sure about how many people on this site take their bunns for walks, but I know Rex loves the outdoors! The only thing I can’t seem to get him to do is follow me, we usually just go wherever he wants to go (which is usually under bushes, through prickles and any other places that human slaves have difficulty getting to!). If you’re using a harness make sure that it’s an H or shoulder harness, not a figure 8 harness or one that only connects the neck and body straps with just one strap. Jacket type harnesses work pretty well too, or so I’ve heard. Different harnesses put pressure on different areas, and if a bun tries to bolt a bad harness can lead to a broken back  or worse…

Let us know when you decide on a name! A bunny that adorable shouldn’t be nameless for long!

[AnnaNutBread]

Thanks Imais!

I’ll check out the vinegar solution first and then if that’s not effective, I’ll check out yours!

And great tip about the washing machine, I’ve never thought of the soap, so good point.  I have some grocery shopping to do 

[AnnaNutBread]

Hey Sam!

Definitely trying to be a good bunny slave.  All we do is research like crazy.  And we have the top rabbit vet in the Bay Area and we cross reference everything.  A little obsessive at this point 

Our bun is on a jacket kind of harness, he mostly just hops around with it and I follow around.  Not much of a direct walk, but I want him to get some outdoor time.

I have pretty much settled on the name Butters, but the boyfriend says that’s some character’s name off Southpark and is not a fan of that character?  But hello!  Our bun looks like a butterball!  But we’ve been calling him Mr. Buns for awhile now.

Do you have any name suggestions for us?

And here’s a picture to get the Tuesday cuteness going!

[lmais]

I can’t handle the cuteness. Look at that face!!! (just a little bit of disapproval there) I agree, butters would have been perfect! What if you name him after his personality rather than his color? Mine’s name is Ruby but I usually just call her princess or lady cause she’s really spoiled and grooms herself ALL the time.

[AnnaNutBread]

Great great idea!  We will just have to wait for his personality to show through because each day with him is a bit different.  Yesterday was an off day

 

I’ll keep thinking of names and hopefully we’ll get one soon!  Do any of you do holiday pictures with your bun?  Am I getting way too into this?!

[lmais]

haha no you’re not getting too into this! unfortunately i dont yet, she was spayed just before last christmas and I didn’t want the pictures with her little tummy all bandaged, so maybe this year…. as for halloween she would kill me if i tried to put a costume on her lol.
I do have a ridiculous amount of pictures of her in general though haha

[AnnaNutBread]

Your Ruby is too adorable! And what an adorable name. Alright then, we’re getting holiday pictures done! Our local mom and pops pet store has a Santa Claus that comes in at the end of November and we have already signed up for a time slot for that day. We’re getting ridiculous up in here!

[lmais]

D’aww thanks Your little one is super cute too (not too sure what to call him for now haha, i can’t get over the disapproval, but his ears are just too much). I really need to find a place around here that will do something like that with pets without charging and arm and a leg for it

[tanlover14]

Welcome to BB! — And Oh.My.God, your bun is absolutely ADORABLE! And I LOVE the name Butters!

If you want to get more involved, you should head over to the November Chat and the November Picture Thread! All we do is talk about ourselves and our buns and it’s great!

[jerseygirl]

Welcome : ) He’s a darling! I gotta say- thanks for stepping up and taking him.

For meeting other rabbit owners, how about checking out what events your local rabbit rescues have on?

[AnnaNutBread]

Thank you to everyone for the warm welcomes!  I am so grateful for all of your insight and for knowing that the job of a bunny slave is serious business. 

Talking about serious business, the last of my concerns is gone!  The bun has started to use the litterbox *binks*

We also have an appointment with the vet on the 28th, do any of you have suggestions on what questions or concerns I should ask her?

Happy Friday everyone and I leave you with this:

[AnnaNutBread]

OH yes we did!  Christmas pictures have been taken =)

 

[HippyHop]

  first, WELCOME to BB!! im still a newcomer here but oh goodness the help has been just awesome. I remember the first post was me asking WTH were binkies! lol when he runs like a crazed idiot and jumps flips mid air its called bunny 500s or zoomies (usually followed by a binky finish lol)

OH MY gosh what a handsome bun. I too like the name Butters but the first time i saw his/her face i just wanted to yell “squishy!!” love the pic with santa too.

what kind of cage do u have? we’re currently using a childs play enclosure connected to a single starter cage but are buidling a grid cage after Christmas. check out the cages/homes section of BB for great ideas. we are doing this one with just a bit of change. 

dont hesitate to ask questions as im sure someone will help! maybe once your buns is fixed you can get him/her a bunnypal.

[AnnaNutBread]

Not going to lie, I cried a little bit when he came back from the vet yesterday, the goop they put on his eyes got all over his fur around his eyes and he looked so sad.

He ate 2 Oxbow veggie treats, parsley, and 2 apple leaves, so the appetite is back.  He licked me a little bit and then flopped over for a nap, so I’m hoping he’ll get his energy back soon

[AnnaNutBread]

We currently have a cage that was pretty big for him in the beginning, but is now getting small.

Our vet told us not to worry about it and he can just use that cage as his ‘den’, since he has taken over the entire hallway when we’re home.  I have got to check out these enclosures!  Maybe that’ll convince my boyfriend to clean out the guest bedroom   But he already refused the idea of me using that room as my craft room, but I have a feeling he loves the bunz a lot better than me (the bunz doesn’t talk back)

[tanlover14]

The bunz doesn’t talk back! hHahahaha. I feel the same way with my boyfriend. And don’t worry, I cried when my girl and boy came back from their neuter/spay (they went on the same day). So I feel your pain! He gobbled up all his food and gave me bunny butt and she just sat in the corner looking absolutely miserable. Which made me even more miserable. It was horrible! But my buns are sooooo much happier without all those hormones running around. It’s soooo worth the torture! For them and us!

[AnnaNutBread]

Ohgood!  The vet actually told me he’s not really a Holland lop, but must have some Netherland dwarf in there, I just know he’s super cute =)

Oh Mr. Bunz has been eating like crazy, doing binkies and flopping over for naps.  I can hear my boyfriend cooing to him in the early morning and late at night.  He’s whispering sweet nothings into that bunz’ ears!  I’ve been replaced!  

But on another note, I bought the bunz the Oxbow woven Timothy hay rug thing, have any other owners tried that out?                        

[tanlover14]

Yes. They destroyed it in about 2 days… BUT on a good note, there’s three of them so hopefully Mr. Bunz will be able to keep it for longer. I prefer the timothy hay hidey house. Took them about a full month, maybe a little more to destroy that one. And they thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

[AnnaNutBread]

Thanks for your advice!

I went to the shop yesterday and picked out the Oxbow Bungalow thing, I hope it’s what you meant by hidey house 

And what do you guys think about this?

[tanlover14]

That’s EXACTLY what I meant! I never knew the name they put on it! Our buns LOVE it and love to destroy it, all of them! So I hope your little guy stays entertained!

[HippyHop]

oh that looks neat! ive been looking for a “den” for Hip. hes currently using a cardbox box that hes tearing apart. btw- got our willow ball, mat mat and surprise treat bag from BB online yesterday. He LOVES it. anyone else have a bun that likes to scratch walls? we put a piece of cardboard and the straw mat over the one spot on the wall that Hippy insists is his scratching post

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