Just brought home oliver! i have some questions!

[MeganH333]

So today i brought home my first house rabbit, His name is oliver, and he is a two year old lop. I took most of his belongings from his owner, including his cage. My first question is: His owner had his cage(which is a huge 3 level NIC cage) set up with his food/water and litter box on the bottom level, his lounge type stuff in the middle, and all his toys on the top. Since i have brought him home, he has only stayed in the middle level. Around dinner time i put food on the bottom level, and he didnt even notice. Later i decided to try moving his food to where he was and he went to town on it. After that i also moved his water up there. What i am wondering is should i also move his litter box up there?

My second question is, has anyone ever used or heard anything about Timothy Complete pellets? If so, is this a good pellet for my bunny?

Last question, i left his cage door open for a while today while i was in the room so if he wanted to come out and explore he could. I even sat on the ground ignoring him. Obvioulsy he didnt come out because he never even left the second level of the cage. Should i try to take him out of the cage, or just let him come out on his own? Is now a good time for this or should i wait to give him this much freedom until later?

Thanks in advance for the answers to all my questions! I just want to make sure i do everything right!

[Lisa_43]

Congrats on your new bunny, you will have to upload some pictures we would love to see them.

I am not an expert the only answer I would give you is if your bunny is new he will be unfamiliar with his surroundings.

I would leave him in his condo so he can get used to it and you, I would maybe sit next to the condo and talk and if he will let you pat him.

The more he hears your voice the more he will get used to you, after a few days maybe open the doors and see if he wants to come out.

The other questions I am sure people that are a lot more knowlegeable will be able to help you.

[Gravehearted]

hi Megan,

Welcome to you and Oliver! How cool that she also sent him with his NIC condo too 🙂
Sounds like he prefers the middle floor (at my house we named them like decks on a cruise ship so I can say silly things like “dinner is now be served on the promenade deck”, he he). I have a litterbox on both the first and second floors. If he seems to not be finding the box on the first floor, i think it’s ok to move it up to the second.

It’s likely going to take him some time to get to know you and feel safe. You did the right thing laying on the floor, it might take him a few days to want to explore. It’s better not to grab at him and let him have some time to adjust. Try talking to him, hand feeding him some veggies and let him adjust. It’s better to start out with only one room.

Adding hay to the box is always a good idea. If he has trouble with litterboxing – add some more and limit his territory until he gets the hang of it. Is he neutered yet? That will help too.

I’m not generally a big fan of Kaytee products since many are high in sugar, but have not studied the nutritional analysis of the timothy complete pellets. according to HRS the below are the ideal pellets for adult bunnies. You should be able to look at the kind you have to see how they compare. If they’re in the right range, then you’re ok. Otherwise, I recommend searching for a different brand. But if he’s on the kaytee ones now and you want to switch, you’ll need to slowly transition him from one pellet to the other over several weeks to ensure not to shock his system. I’m a fan of oxbow pellets, personally.

% PROTEIN (min.) 13-14
% FAT (min.) 3.0
% CRUDE FIBER (max.) 14-16
ENERGY (Calories/lb) 953
% CALCIUM (max.–as fed) 0.6

please keep us updated on how you and Oliver are doing

[JK]

Lucky bunny to have that condo!  All I can tell you is that I have had Edson for 2 months now and he still is a big chicken.  He rarely will come out of his xpen to venture out.  He prefers staying in the pen. Just let your bun come out when he is ready.  He probably really likes his 5 star hotel and feels very secure there!

[Beka27]

i’m very excited for you!  how fun!  and yes… pics are definitely welcome here!  i love the name Oliver… i know you didn’t pick it, but i really love it.  i like "O" names… Oliver, Olivia, Otto…

i would give Oliver some time to get used to everything.  you could move his stuff up to him and then once he becomes more comfortable move it back down to the first floor if you wanted and if he doesn’t mind.  has he been using the litterbox?  i’m assuming that he was littertrained for the first owner…?  even if he’s used to the NIC condo, he needs to get used to it being in a new place.

[JK]

I forgot to ask, why did Oliver’s first owner give him up? He’s lucky to have you!

[osprey]

Posted By gravehearted on 01/06/2008 10:44 PM

Sounds like he prefers the middle floor (at my house we named them like decks on a cruise ship so I can say silly things like "dinner is now be served on the promenade deck", he he). 

Yah, but Gravehearted, how do you know which one is the poop deck?  Oh wait, that’s all of them…

 

 

[Gravehearted]

Posted By osprey on 01/07/2008 11:26 AM

Posted By gravehearted on 01/06/2008 10:44 PM

Sounds like he prefers the middle floor (at my house we named them like decks on a cruise ship so I can say silly things like "dinner is now be served on the promenade deck", he he). 

Yah, but Gravehearted, how do you know which one is the poop deck?  Oh wait, that’s all of them…

 

Osprey – you got us!  the bottom deck is officially known as the poop deck! 😉  The middle deck is the promenade and the top is the observation deck.

[osprey]

Cool!  Our condo has a small 4th floor (just one cube wide and three cubes long).  We could call that the crow’s nest!

 

[MarkBun]

Megan,

Something I learned is that bunnies become more comfortable if they hear your voice often. A story someone related was that he had just picked up a half dozen bunnies to foster and put them into their pens. They were, understandably extremely nervous. He then got a call from his family and wound up talking to them for almost an hour. When he turned around, all the buns were lying around relaxed.

[MeganH333]

ok i am going to try to answer everyones questions! Yes oliver was potty trained  before he came to me. His previous owner even took him to other people houses, and said that usually after leaving stray poos everywhere(marking) he would stick to his litter box. Yesterday i moved his litterbox up to the second floor where he was spending all his time. In the morning i found stray poos all over his cage and a large pile where his litterbox used to be. After that i moved the box back to its original spot, and after work today there was no dropping anywhere else, and he even peed in the box!

The story of how he came to his previous owner is a little sad. I guess his owners before her decided that they didnt want him, and set him free in the woods. She heard about it, and she has lots of bunny experience, so she went to find him. She wasnt really planning on getting a pet at the time because she knew she would graduate college soon and then go to graduate school, so after a couple months of having him and getting him neutered and all set up and potty trained she posted him on craigslist.

So far he has not come out of his cage. A couple times i have been feeding him, and he runs up to me and i pet him on the top of his head for about ten seconds and then he takes off. I hope this isnt pushing things too fast? also i just feel akward going in his cage at all to change his litter or give him food. Is this invading his space? I am trying to be patient but i just cant wait to bond with him!

One last thing, his owner passed on to me an old(1995) addition of the house rabbit society book, and it said that actually just looking at a new rabbit can make them uncomfortable, because they are prey animals and when predators look at them it means they are in trouble. Is this true? Since i read that i have been trying to avoid looking at Oliver, but it is really hard to do.

[MeganH333]

And here are some photos of the little guy!

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[MooBunnay]

I’m glad to hear he is doing well with his litterbox! I do know that sometimes you can frighten bunnies by chasing them, but I don’t think it is likely that you will frighten him too much by looking at him since he should be fairly used to seeing humans by now. If he allows head pets for a few seconds, thats great to give him a few pets, and a good way to start bonding with him. Try petting his head while hand feeding him a treat as well and that will help him get used to you. It is a good idea to go into a bunnies cage a minimal amount of times, but we all have to go into our bunnies cage now and then for food and litterbox changes, so don’t worry about that Other than the necessary times however, it is a good idea to let him come to you, rather than you going into his cage. Try sitting on the floor next to his cage and just hanging out, and if he comes over to sniff you, resist the urge to pet him right away, and instead let him give you a good sniff, and let him get used to being around you. After a couple weeks of that, then start trying to pet him slowly, I’m sure he’ll love the attention. Don’t worry about him not coming out of his cage, right now its his “burrow” and he just needs a bit of time to get used to his new surroundings – it is very normal for a bunny to spend sometime in his cage when moving to a new place. I had one bun that spent almost 2 days in his litterbox when he first came to my house!

It sounds like you are doing a fantastic job, and your instincts with your bunny are very good, and you are very sensitive to his needs, so I can tell you will be a fantastic parent to Oliver

[JK]

Oh he’s so cute!!! Thanks for sharing his story. He’s got a good home now!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi Megan! Oh what a wonderful and sad story of how Oliver was rescued. I am so happy he has found a home with you too and it’s great you came here to share it with us! It sounds like you’ve got a lot of great info too.  I would like to add not changing his pellet food all at once, it shoudl be phased. Mix 1/4 new to 3/4 old for 1 week, 1/2 new with 1/2 old the second week, 3/4 new and 1/4 old the third week and then 100% new the 4th week.  Any sudden changes in diet can cause a bunny not to eat so you want to be careful.  They like a schedule and consistency so you’ll want to establish a pattern and schedule with him, like everyone mentioned sit on the floor, reward him with a treat or pat on the head and give him some time.  I also noticed that the floors are kind of slick in his cage and so that might be why he doesn’t like going up and down the floors too much so you might want to add some inexpensive rage rugs, carpet remenants, sea grass mats or old towels to help give him some traction and to feel comfortable jumping up and down all the levels.  Please ask anything you like and check out BUNNY INFO to help get you started.

[Beka27]

he is so adorable!  i know it’s tough when they’re brand new to your house and you want to play and cuddle with them.  as much as i know to leave a new pet alone to let them get accustomed to their surroundings… it’s not always easy… lol.

that is a heat-warming story about his rescue!  his previous owner is obviously someone who loves rabbits a great deal to take him in even tho she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep him forever.  and how lucky he is to have you now!

it sounds like he was socialized a good bit by her, so i’m guessing it won’t be too long before he’s a full-fledged member of the family!  just follow his lead.  some buns are ready to go sooner than others.  if he’s liking small head pats, keep doing that.  if he comes out and walks up to you, try giving him a small treat like a raisin or a bit of herb.  that will encourage him to trust you and want to be around you.  maybe try to open his cage door and make yourself a nice comfy spot on the floor.  he may want to see what you’re up to and he might venture out on his own.  good luck… and just remember to follow his lead and go at his pace.

[babybunsmum]

he’s sooo sweet!!!  awww!!!  sounds like you’re doing a great job helping him get used to his new home.  and you’ve gotten some great advice here. 

[MarkBun]

Isn’t it funny how they can tell us where their litter box belongs? Mine actually has moved hers to the spot she wants.

As everyone else has said, you seem to be doing everything just fine for the new bun. After he’s had a few days to get accustomed to his new cage, leave the door open and lie down just outside of it and read a book or do some homework – anything that involves the flipping of paper. Even the most skittish of buns have come to me within 5 minutes of me doing that. As said, the hardest thing is NOT petting them the moment they come up to you. I often have a treat in hand while doing this so that once they do get a good noseful of me, I hand them the treat so they associate coming up to me with getting something good. This eventually turns into head rubs instead of treats.

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

MeganH – I just wanted to say that your new bun is adorable and I’m proud of you for committing yourself to giving your new addition proper care!

[BunnyLover13]

Aww bless him! He is soo gorgeous- and i love his colour. I love the first pic of him he looks so cute nibblin at the bars! Good luck with him x Ps. how do you get a picture for your profile thing?

[skunklionshow]

I wonder if the people that release domesticated animals into the wild are the same ones that don’t spay/neuter their pets b/c its "unnatural"?

He’s very handsome.  He looks like a little prisoner in his cage…I think bunnies look exceptionally cute w/ the sad eyes b/h the bars.  Give him time…he’ll come out when he’s ready.  I know he’s just soooo cute that you want to hug & kiss him.  Its very hard to resist a bunny.

[BinkyBunny]

He is just gorgeous, and you seem like a loving attentive caring human companion for him. YEAH!!! Bunnies that meet each other and want to send an nonthreatening message will groom themselves and just hang out near each other. I know of one member that pretended she was washing her face and ran her fingers through her own hair.  As silly as they may sound,amazingly, her bunny ended up coming over to her.  So ya just never know. You also don’t have to pretend, you can actually wash your face and brush your hair – why not get some things done during this process –  (however if face soap is strongly scented, you could turn your bunny off)

Sometimes I will lay my hand near a new bunny, making sure not to lay my hand by a bunnies face otherwise he might think I am requesting to be groomed therefore requesting him to be passive, and some bunnies don’t take that request lightly.

I know it’s so hard to be patient because they are just soooo darn cute. All you want to do is get close. But once a bunny trusts you, you’ll have an incredible bond that will have been worth the wait.

keep us updated.

[Spacehopper]

New bunny is gorgeous!! similar markings to my sister’s house bun Kevin. ENJOY the new addition to your family!

[Author]

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