Meet Meeko ~ First Time Bunny Owner!

[meekobunny]

Hi, everyone! I thought I would introduce myself on this forum. I joined awhile ago, but I haven’t had the time to actually post something. Anyway I’d like you all to meet my little holland lop boy Meeko. He’s only 9 weeks old, so I just got him not to long ago. He’s my first bunny, so I’m a new bunny owner. Meeko also has two doggy siblings named Matt & Mavis. He loves to climb on top of them and cuddle with them. Both of my dogs have been clicker trained since I got them at 8 weeks old, so they know not to chase, bite or pounce on him. Meeko currently lives in a puppy xpen, but I’m building him a really large NIC cage. I’ve been feeding him alpha based pellets & timothy hay by Oxbow. I hope that’s good? I also wanted to mix in some orchard grass, but I wasn’t sure? If you guys have any suggestions on treats & food please share. I’m kind of stuck on what else to give him. What age should they be given fruits & veggies by the way?

(from left to right: Matt, Meeko, Mavis)

[Deleted User]

How cute! I’ve heard that timothy hay pellets may be better for Health, but that may just be a rumor. Regardless, I think it’s so awesome he gets along with your dogs! Good luck

[Deleted User]

This is so cute, I’m dying! Congratulations

[meekobunny]

That’s what I thought too, but someone told me bunnies younger then 6 months must have alpha in their diet? And thank you! My dogs are super sweet & gentle with him. Especially Matt. (:  

[meekobunny]

Haha. Thank you!! 

[MoveDiagonally]

Oh, that little face. Adorable!

Most of us trust the HRS’s diet and veggie guide. If you would like to check out their articles about it you can find them here:
http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/
http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

Hope they help .

[MoveDiagonally]

And of course, Welcome to BB! (I forgot that part XD )

[meekobunny]

Thank you so much! I will definitely check that out. 

[Deleted User]

Hi! Love your avatar & your pic’s! Your Meeko looks so snuggable – jealous! My Henry has 3 dog companions and I can assure you, my Henry is now ‘top dog’, ha hah! My Henry is free range 24/7, same as my dogs (not that I think this matters, but my dogs are all small breeds) and his food (pellets and veggies) is sitting right next to my dog’s food under the breakfast bar – with only his hay (to try and keep the mess controlled) and his water bottle (Henry loses hair constantly so don’t use a bowl) in his little house.
I fed Henry Oxbow young rabbit food till just recently and though he’s not a year old yet (which some suggest?) the bag I bought the other day was the ‘adult’ cause it should last till after he turns one and some say this is all good. The hay, gosh I had the hardest time getting Henry to eat it at all! It turned out I was over feeding the pellets, so cut him down to 1/4 cup daily when he hit the ‘6 month’ mark. I tried all the different types of hay to encourage his eating – so whatever Meeko is eating (Timothy) stick with it! When I went to get a bunny food refill, I actually went to buy Timothy, and it had sold out (bugga!) so grabbed 2 bag’s, orchard and botanical – wish ME luck! Lol! The veggies? I’ve heard you should wait till a certain age, but cause I have read many different opinions, I can’t make any suggestions, but my Henry now gets to indulge on a salad/veggie feast every night (1 – 2 cups daily) of kale, cabbage, red or butter lettuce, parsley, and whatever I have leftover – broccoli, cauliflower, carrot ends, pumpkin, ‘sweet’ potato (hates zucchini – dam! I hate throwing the ends out, lol!) and tomato ends – so my scraps, except the ‘NO NO’s’! like white potato’s.
For dessert, my hubby (sucker) eats a banana on his way home from work and saves Henry a bit each night. He also gets a ‘bit’ of apple and mango (again when my hubby has it), actually we ‘try’ most fruits (as long as it isn’t on the NO NO list) but only one a day, cause anything sugary isn’t good for bunnies (more for US! Lol!) and can cause probs later on (even carrots are high in sugar – who knew?). So take care with the sweets. Lovely to meet you, Meeko, Matt and Mavis. Cheers.

[Sindri]

Welcome! All of your pets are gorgeous. Glad the bunny is enjoying the dogs company.

[mijOok]

Welcome! Meeko is super adorable (along with Matt and Mavis)!! His solo pic in the middle is definitely a “I hear something I like… can I haveeee?!” face that will probably get away with anything naughty he might do

I got my bun, Simba, when he was 3 months old (first time bunny owner as well) and I pretty much followed the HRS diet and veggie guide that MoveDiagonally already linked. But as it is a guideline, different people can follow/deviate according to each’s availability to certain things and situations. I started Simba on the Oxbow adult pellets without alfalfa before he hit the suggested 6 months since he was finishing up the original alfalfa based pellets I got from his previous owner close to 5 months. The only suggestion I would like to add is just with any switch or addition of food to just introduce slowly and one at a time so that you could be sure his little tummy won’t be upset from it. I bought his new pellets when I still had about a week’s worth of his old pellets so I could mix in 3/4 old pellets, 1/4 new pellets and gradually increase the new pellet portion to switch out. I currently give Simba the Oxbow Essentials Adult pellets mixed with Supreme Science Selective Rabbit Food.

I think giving different types of hay is okay where the most important thing is that bunnies have to have unlimited amounts of hay available, plus they like the variety and it offers different nutrients and different levels of wearing down their teeth. Timothy Hay is usually a staple, but there are also picky bunnies who will only eat certain ones lol. Luckily for me, Simba is a little glutton and he even thinks his pellets are treats lol but specifically treats I have are the Oxbow timothy and veggie treats that I will give 1-2 here and there. Also since I took him off alfalfa pellets early, I have some Vitakraft Alfalfa Slims that I will offer half a stick for his breakfast because he absolutely goes crazy for it and will stay crazy until I give it to him For his veggies, herbs like Basil is also in his mind a treat since I think he smells it as I’m rinsing it off -he would be standing on his hind legs by the edge of where I have him blocked off with “that face” lol the other veggies don’t have as strong of an aroma I suppose. As much as I would like to let Simba indulge, I really don’t give him anything that needs to be given in very limited portions as I’m a worrywart of what amt would become too much or cause problems in the future… he’s never been a wild bunny so I assume what he has never had is what he won’t know is missing (like human foods I wish I was never introduced to haha)

Anyway, hope all goes well with Meeko and welcome again to the world of bunny slaves!

[meekobunny]

Haha. Thank you! Not sure what dogs you have, but I’ve heard most of the toy breeds are the safest with bunnies (not including terriers). I’m assuming because they’re not big, and they’re prey drive isn’t as strong. My dogs are pretty small too, they’re herders though. One of the smallest of the herding breeds. Both are 14 inches at the shoulders. 

That’s so funny! Henry’s top dog! I would love to have all my animals free range soon. At the moment Matt is the only one. Mavis is currently too young, and so is Meeko. Plus I haven’t fully bunny proofed the entire house yet. And of course Meeko would have a whole room to himself. haha. I hate locking him in his xpen! I feel so bad when he climbs on the cage door. 

Yeah, I was told to feed the young rabbit food until 6 months, and then switch over. Does the switch have to be gradually? I’m actually in the middle of switching his food from blue bonnet feed to oxbow right now. Were almost done with the switch. He loves the oxbow though! He’ll sometimes leave a little bluebonnet feed left in his bowel, and wait for when I refill it. I feed him unlimited pellets right now. Is that ok? Or should I be feeding less.  

Thank you for the info! I can’t wait to introduce fruits in veggies in a couple months. I actually have already printed out everything he’s aloud to eat on my fridge. I just wasn’t sure on when to start introducing them.

[meekobunny]

Thank you! Haha, I did have hay in my hand that he was trying get.  I was actually wondering if the switch had to be done gradually. Right now he’s eating bluebonnet & oxbow. In one more week he’ll be switched completely to the young bunny food. And then at 5-6 months I’ll switch him to the adult pellets. Meeko doesn’t seem to be picky either, so hopefully he stays that way! Haha. 

Thank you again, and I’m so happy to finally be a bunny slave. Ha! I’ve been wanting a bunny for such a long time. I never knew how affectionate & sweet these little critters are though! Meeko is such a character! 

[meekobunny]

Thank you, Sindriona! It’s so sweet watching them cuddle. 

[LopLove]

Oh my god THOSE FEET! Love them! I forgot how big baby bunny feet are. XD Welcome to the community!

[meekobunny]

HAHA! Thank you. He does have huge feet!

Here are some more recent photos:

[BunnyLady1989]

Aww love him! I love those lop faces and feet

[meekobunny]

haha, Thank you!

[Author]

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