Introducing Onyx

[NVKitty]

Hello,
I signed up for this forum today in search of advice. On New Years Eve, a black bunny adopted me. I saw him running across my front yard. I live in the middle of the desert of Northern Nevada. Nothing but wild Mustang Horses, Coyotes, and rattlesnakes out here. We also have Eagles and Hawks the size of large dogs. So this black bunny was in eminent danger. It took me two days to finally catch it. He or she is quite friendly, not a wild rabbit. I suspect it escaped from a nearby bunny slaughter farm, and I have no intention of trying to track down his owners. Like I said, I’m in the middle of a desert….finding where he came from would be impossible.

So, I rushed out and bought him a big wire cage (for now), water bottle, Timothy Hay, pellets, and a variety of veggies. I had an indoor flop earred bunny back in my 20’s, so I do have some rabbit knowledge and experience.

I’m keeping him inside my house because outside is simply too dangerous. We also have tons of very large and deadly scorpions and black widows. My concern is that his/her pee is like Baileys…like coffee with cream color. I imagine this bunny might have been kinda dehydrated from running around the desert before showing up in my yard, but it’s been 5 days now and he/she is still peeing a coffee & cream color. And yes, it’s been drinking LARGE amounts of water since I captured it.

He/she doesn’t like Kale or Celery. I’ve been giving it Timothy Hay, Pellets, one apple wedge a day, and one cut up carrot a day so far. I’m going to try spinach or collard greens, I just need to make it to the market.

Any advice? Thank you in advance.

Kathi

[Wick & Fable]

It sounds like calcium pee, which occurs when the rabbit has excess calcium it’s expelling through urine. Is it cloudy and white, and dries with a white powder sometimes?

Do you think the rabbit is older or younger than 6mo? That will change diet. Are the pellets Timothy or Alfalfa? This will majorly change calcium intake. Additionally, it’s good he doesn’t like kale, since that’s a calcium rich veggie. Take a look at the proper diet information in the bunny info section of this website. Veggie list is included.

For diet, cut out the carrot entirely. You’re definitely familiar with rabbit care, so keeping hay is vital, but an entire carrot and apple slice is too much sugar.

Do you have access to a rabbit vet? Do you see testicles around his butt?

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.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hi Kathi
You make your place sound like heaven and hell rolled into one !!!! Lol.
Lucky bunny to have come across your yard. Animals know where a safe haven is found
Sounds as if you’re doing everything right.
Im with Wick, although your bun is chomping up the carrot, s/he should only be having a teeny bit per day if none at all. Just like us with sweets

Do you have any photos ??

[tobyluv]

Hi and welcome to Binky Bunny! Most rabbits prefer drinking water from a bowl instead of from a bottle. Sometimes a bottle can fool you since they are prone to dripping and you think the rabbit is getting more water than he really is. If you use a bowl, find a heavy, crockery one that can’t be turned over.

I know that spinach is high in oxalic acids, so it should be given sparingly. Here are the links to 2 articles about veggies/greens for rabbits, and which are better.

https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx

http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

You really have to watch the sugar content of foods that you give to rabbits. That includes fruit and veggies like carrots which have a high sugar content. No more than one small piece of carrot should be given in a day, and any other fruits you try should be given only in small pieces. Also, this rabbit may have not been fed veggies or fruit before, so you have to go very slowly and only introduce one new veggie every few days or once a week.

The BUNNY INFO link at the top of the page not only has diet information, but also has information on housing, litter training, bunny proofing rooms, etc., so it’s very helpful.

You didn’t mention if his poop looks good and normal. Since he was loose outside for a few days, it would be a good idea to take him to a rabbit savvy vet and have him checked out. They can check for internal and external parasites, check the ears, check gut sounds, etc. anything needed to determine the health of the rabbit.

Thank you for saving him and taking him in. A domestic rabbit usually doesn’t last long outside on its own.

[NVKitty]

Hi Wick,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply.

The pellets I’m feeding him/her is Kaytee FortiDiet Pro Health Pellets. On the long list of ingredients it says sun Cured Timothy Hay Grass and Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal. Along with 50 other things, but these are the two Hay type ingredients. I also leave a big pile of Timothy Hay inside the cage for him everyday.

Yes, the urine does tend to want to dry up on the edges overnight, making white colored rings. I clean his/her cage every single time it pees throughly because it stinks really bad. Lol. Forgot how bad bunny poo & pee stinks.

I think this bunny is younger, although he’s quite large. He’s yawned a few times and his teeth are really white and clean and in good shape. He’s pure black other than the tips of his toes which are white. I cannot tell if it’s a male or female yet because I haven’t tried to look. Although I believe this rabbit is not a wild rabbit, I don’t think it’s ever been handled very much. The bunny lets me pick him up and move him around, but isn’t super cooperative. He protests and kicks sometimes. Like I said, I don’t know where he or she came from. Out where I live, I’m surrounded by 20 acre properties. People raise all kinds of animals out here for eating. I think this bunny escaped from someone’s farm.

I will get my roommate to help me turn the bunny over tonight after he gets home from work to see if I see any testicles.

I will stop giving it carrots and the apple slice immediately. I have gone online to several other sites in search of veggies or fruit ideas, and knew that carrots and apples contain some sugar….so I’ve only given the bunny those things is extreme moderation. It will not eat the Kale, which you said is high in calcium, so I will stop attempting to give him that, and this morning I tried to give it small slices of celery. Won’t touch it.

The bunny eats the Timothy Hay a lot and is drinking a ton of water.

Thanks,
Kathi

[NVKitty]

Hello,

I laughed out loud when I read your comment about “heaven and hell”. You’re exactly right! This place isn’t for the faint of heart. Very rugged terrain. Nothing but sagebrush, cactus and desert sand. And of course the predators I’ve mentioned.

And you’re also correct in saying this bunny lucked out finding me out here. The properties are 20+ acres big. 90% of folks out here have farms and raise their own meat. I do not!!! So, this bunny was very lucky not to stumble onto one of those properties.

This bunny is pure black other than the tips of its toes which are white. He/she stuck out big time against the sandy ground where I live. The hawks, Eagles and coyotes fortunately didn’t find it before I did.

I will immediately discontinue the carrots and Apple wedges. I was only given him/her very small amounts of those, once a day. Mostly it’s eating Timothy Hay and the Pellets which are made from Timothy Hay and Alfalfa Meal.

I have tried multiple times, unsuccessfully, to post photos of him/her. I use an iPad, and every time I’ve tried to upload a photo I get a ‘!” Icon. So I’ve given up on that.

Thank you Vienna Blue for your reply. I look forward to hearing any advice you may have.

Kathi

[NVKitty]

Hello, and thanks for your reply,

I bought the large water bottle, but like you, was unsure if this bunny had ever used one so I put a heavy Ramekin ceramic bowl in the cage filled with fresh cold water. He consumes two bowls a day, and so far has not touched the water bottle. I keep the bottle attached to the side of the cage though, as a backup water source.

Thank you for the links regarding veggies and diet, I will visit them as soon as I’m done replying.

This bunny’s poop is large round bunny poops. And he/she poops A LOT in a 24 hr. period. The poop is darker colored, but looks like normal bunny poop.

I had an indoor house rabbit back in my 20’s, (30+ years ago), that was cage trained. It played with my indoor cats I had at the time. It had free range of my home. So I know about the safeguards that must be in place should this bunny be allowed to roam free inside the house. I have three indoor only cats that currently are not very happy about this bunny being here. So the bunny will have to be confined until everything settles down around here. And even then, I’m unsure if I will ever be able to allow this bunny free range of my home. He/She pees on everything.

I do have an exotic animal vet…I have parakeets, too. So yes, this bunny will be seen by my vet soon. I just had to take my cat in two days ago, and was slammed with a $325.00 charge for that, I will get this bunny in ASAP.

The bunny doesn’t scratch itself at all. I’ve examined his ears, eyes, nose, and saw his teeth. He’s super soft. Here in Nevada, we don’t have fleas or ticks. I think I’m safe to say the rabbit doesn’t have any parasites. But, as I said, I will get him into my vet soon.

Thanks for so the links, and advice….
Kathi

[jerseygirl]

Adding photo for NVKitty. Here is the beautiful Onyx ! Sleepy baby.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Thanks Jersey. Oh! She’s beauuutiful
That’s a relieved look on her face right there…..

((( do we have a name yet ? )))) a unisex name like Fred or Billie or Star….?

[Vienna Blue in France]

Just seen the thread title…… d’Oh !!!!!!!!

[Sirius&Luna]

What a beautiful and lucky bun

My bunnies only like celery sometimes… and even then it’s always the veg they leave in the bowl till last! Most types of lettuce go down well though, so perhaps some romaine lettuce could be the next thing to try. You often have to offer a bunny the same vegetable (not the same piece obviously!) a few days in a row before they decide to try it!

[NVKitty]

Thanks so much Jersey Girl for posting Onyx’s picture. I’ve taken a lot of photos of him/her….still haven’t figured out what sex it is. I’m allowing him/her to kinda chill for awhile before I go poking around it’s body.

Wick advised me to stop freely feeding the Kaytee Timothy Hay Pellets because he/she was eating TONS of them. So I’ve stopped that. I’m only giving my bunny a little less than 1/2 cup a day now. It’s a pretty large bunny. Maybe 5 or 6 pounds?? As heavy as one of my cats that weighs 7 lbs. I’m supplying endless Timothy Hay, which Onyx loves! I’ve stopped giving him/her a carrot and apple wedge once a day after hearing about the high sugar content.

My bunny will not eat Kale or Celery so far. So, this weekend I’m going back into town (a 90 mile trip for me) to gather more veggies for him/her.

Onyx’s pee is still a murky cream color….I’m hoping that will improve after reducing the amount of pellets I was giving him/her, and with all the water it’s been drinking. The pee has improved a lot since Jan 31st when I first captured him/her. The pee was dark brown/reddish the first couple days, now it’s a much lighter cream/tan color. The bunny is drinking TONS of water from a bowl in its cage. It hasn’t figured out how to use the water bottle on the side of the cage.

So, so far it’s touch & go. My cats are still overly curious, and one is kinda showing aggression toward the bunny. But I’m sure with more time, things will settle down. I hope….

Thanks Vienna Blue for the sweet comments about Onyx…I’ve yet to determine what sex he/she is. To be determined! Lol

Kathi

[Luna]

Onyx is so beautiful! He/she looks so comfortable being inside away from the heat; probably glad to be out of reach of the hawks too .

[NVKitty]

Thank you Sirius & Luna,

This bunny indeed lucked out when he found me. It couldn’t have been roaming around too long or one of the many predators in my area would have surely got him/her. I’m happy I was sitting in my office when it went running across my yard New Years Eve.

I will get some romaine lettuce tomorrow when I make my weekly trip into town. Hopefully eventually he/she will eat it.

I’ve lived out here in the desert for over 10 years after moving here from the much bigger town of Reno, NV. So, I’ve been feeding wild jackrabbits and cottontails out here for the past 10 years. Anything my new indoor bunny won’t eat, goes outside for the wild bunnies. So nothing is going to waste around here.

Kathi

[NVKitty]

Hi Luna,

Onyx is a happy bunny, for sure. I’ve fallen head over heels in love with him/her.

He/she is a very laid back bunny with a super sweet disposition. I’ve put some toys in the enclosure that it loves to toss around.

It’s not hot outside here currently. The desert, believe it or not, gets incredibly cold in the winter and at night. During the summer we get temps upwards of 117 degrees. In the winter, like now, our daytime highs are anywhere from 20’s to 50’s, with frigid nighttime temps in the single digits.

So this bunny will now be able to enjoy climate control being inside my home.

Thanks for the nice comments about my new bunny Onyx. My father used to always tell me that everything happens for a reason. I believe Onyx finding me was meant to be.

Kathi

[NVKitty]

Update on Onyx the homeless bunny…

Onyx is an un neutered male bunny. My roommate helped me check its sex last night. Although he’s super friendly and sweet, he didn’t like me messing around near his rear end.

His pee doesn’t look as cloudy today as it has been. So I think I’m on the right track with that. I got some collard greens for him today, and he’s finally eating the celery I’ve been trying to get him to eat. I think cutting back on the pellets is helping to force him to eat more nutritious foods. He continues to power down the Timothy Hay, and his poop looks great!

I’m totally in love with him. He is so darn cute!

[Deleted User]

Hay eating is great! Celery isn’t all that enticing to my bunny. I don’t feed it to her because it’s got a high water content so it really isn’t all that nutritious compared to other greens. Things like spinach, red leaf lettuce, basil, parsley, and arugula are a big hit with Ophelia!

[Author]

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