My rescued buns – Bunykins

[Beeslee]

Hi everyone!
I wanted everyone to meet my new bun that I rescued just last week. I think she is called an English Spot but I’m not sure (see Avitar for her pic). Bunykins was out in the middle of nowhere when I found her because someone did not want her and threw her out in the woods in upstate NY. I was walking my friends dog when out she hopped right up to me!! At first I thought is was a skunk and screamed but then I relized it was a bunny! She would not have made it another day in the woods because there are foxes, hawks and coyotes. Lucky me for finding her and shame on the person who did this boooooo hissss on the person!! Well after a few days in the country it was time to move to the big city. She took the 3 1/2 hr ride ride to Boston very well and got settled in really quick. She is such a friendly and lovable bun but likes to stomp her feet a lot espcially when I’m on the phone LOL. She loves her chin and head petted and loves to roam my bedroom where she lives. She even jumped on my bed the other day! She is almost 99 % potty trained except for an accident last night. She loves my cat but Minxzie seems to not know what she is yet so she is very shy of the buns. We have a vet appt on Tuesday to have a check up and to see if she has been fixed. I do hope she is a she what I saw on the web with pictures I could say she is a she but you never know. I’ll know more on Tuesday!
I’ve never owned a rabbit before so if anyone has any advice etc to give please let me know.  Many thanks!

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[JK]

Oh wow aren’t you a bunny angel!!! You have come to the right place. Welcome!  Please read some of the links above under Bunny Info.  Everything you want to know about diet, housing, litterbox training is right there. And of course anything else you can ask right here.  It really is just appalling that people dump their animals.  There are no strong enough words for that.  So glad you found her or rather she found you!  Lucky bunny! She is so cute from what I can see.  Let us know how it goes.

[Beeslee]

Here is a pic of her bigger. I just figured out how to size it so the system will take it. She was having fun playing with the newspaper with my cat Minxzie.

[JK]

Oh she is precious!  She looks young but then I am certainly not an expert. Now how someone could dump a friendly sweet little bun is beyond words! Fate!

[JK]

What are you feeding her?

[Beeslee]

Unlimited amts of tim Hay. Once a day(that I split up) she gets a mixture of 1+ cup of mixed greens like parsley, carrot tops, drk green lettuce, watercress, flat peapod and a 1 sm mini carrot. I created a weeks worth in tuperware containers so it is easy to pull from the fridge to give.
She also gets 1/2 c of pre mixed pellets from the pet store and at night for dessert she gets one big fat juicy strawberry which I hang from her cage. Also on some days I give her some lavender with flowers that I have growing on my deck. She has been doing very well with this food and been keeping an eye on her poos to make sure there are no changes. She’s like a poo machine LOL!! Oh almost forgot lots and lots of fresh water :<) also.

Yes I agree it is fate.  My bf says I can’t go to my friends house anymore bc every time I come home I have a new pet.  Last time I came back with my furball Minxzie!  I was going to adopt Bunykins out when I got back to Boston but now I will never.  She has my heart for being such a love bug of a bunny!

[LittlePuffyTail]

So glad you found each other. She is very cute! And welcome to Binky Bunny!

[JK]

Sounds basically like a great diet but what is this pre mixed pellet?  Not sure I like the sound of that.  You should be giving her timothy based pellets. Also watch the carrots.  They should only get a sliver 3-4 times a week because of the high sugar content.

PELLETS: 1/4 to 1/2 cup pellets per 6 lbs. 

              

Recommended Nutrional Value: (Compare these against yours) Fiber 18% minimum (20 -25% best) Fat 1 – 2% max, Protein 12 – 14% max (long-haired breeds,angoras, need higher) Calcium 1% max

Avoid pellets with nuts and dried fruit.  That’s like feeding snicker bars on your salad everyday.  Stick with pellets that are Timothy based.  Some alfalfa based pellets do have a high fiber content, but most are still  too high in calories, protein, and calcium for many adult rabbits. 
PELLET TIP: A rabbit’s system is meant for foraging.  Instead of putting your bunny’s pellets in a bowl that can quickly be consumed, spread his pellets out all over his pen or cage, either throw all over, or hide in specific place.   This way he can’t consume everything at once and it will add a bit of exercise and entertainment.

[Beeslee]

Thank you for your advice. Since I am a new bun owner I’m not sure what’s right or wrong. So any advice it greatly appreciated.

I’ll have to cut down on the baby carrots bc I was giving her 1 per day. Is a strawberry ok to give every night or should I cut back on that also?

I’m feeding Bunykins food that’s called Kaytee Fiesta for Rabbit. Can you recommend another brand of food that I should look for if this is not good? Want to make sure I feed her right. I have Petco and Petsmart here near where I live in the city. Also my buns does not eat all of her pellets that I give her is that ok? She maybe eats about 1/2 or more of the 1/2 cup I give her. She eats all of the vege’s and lots of the hay though.

KAYTEE® FIESTA®
Nutritionally Fortified Gourmet Food food helps small pets thrive! Packed with a fortified mix of vegetables, high fiber hay, healthful whole grains, and fruit, Fiesta contains essential nutrients for healthy small animals. Balanced Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids aid in development of shiny coats. Powerful antioxidants boost immune systems to fight disease. Loaded with essential fiber, Fiesta balances fun food and powerful nutrition.

Ingredients
Sun-cured Timothy Grass Hay, Sun-cured Alfalfa Meal, Oats, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Oat Hulls, Ground Oats, Ground Wheat, Ground Corn, Sunflower, Wheat, Barley, Oat Groats, Shelled Peanuts, Safflower, Ground Flax Seed, Dehydrated Carrots, Dried Papaya, Raisins, Dried Bananas, Pumpkin Seed, Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes, Dehydrated Apples, Dried Cane Molasses, Dicalcium Phosphate, Soy Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Dried A. oryzae Fermentation Extract (source of protease), Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Artificial Color.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min.)……15.0%
Crude Fat (min.)………….5.0%
Crude Fiber (min.)………12.0%
Crude Fiber (max.)……..16.0%
Moisture (max.)………….12.0%

Calcium (min.)…………….0.6%
Calcium (max.)……………1.1%
Phosphorus (min.)………. 0.4%
Salt (min.)…………………0.25%
Salt (max.)………………..0.75%
Vitamin A (min.)…….5000 IU/lb

[JK]

Ooooh that stuff is unhealthy for your bun. It has a lot of added ingredients that are not good for your rabbit.  It is disturbing these companies get away with selling this crap. Get Oxbow Bunny Basics/T which is an excellent timothy based pellet with no added ingredients. Here’s a link so you can see what it is.  Many pet stores carry it so it should be easy to find. I would not give your rabbit a strawberry a day.  In fact they recommend 1/4 of a medium strawberry.  I would alternate with maybe a sprig of parsley or something green. 

http://www.oxbowhay.com/Shop/showProduct.sp?PRODUCT_NO=44

[MooBunnay]

Hello Bunykins! Welcome to BinkyBunny!

Thank you so much for rescuing this adorable bunny! You are so right that she wouldn’t have ever survived in the woods. Your bunny is so lucky to have found you – you are doing a fantastic job so far. The diet you are giving her is great for a new bunny parent – knowltons4 is right that there are much healthier pellets out there, I use Oxbow, you can look on http://www.oxbowhay.com to see if you can find some distributors.

It is great that you know to feed her the unlimited timothy hay, that is the part that most new rabbit owners do not know, and it is the most important part of a bunny’s diet – so GOOD JOB!! You are also right to get her to a vet, having your bunny fixed is very important. I think you are off to a fantastic start – you are doing a great job

[Deleted User]

Oh you are such a sweetie for rescuing bunny from the woods .. yes she definitely looks like an English Spot to me … I have one two … such lovely markings … she is a gorgeous bun … and they appears to have such a lovely nature about them.

Yes, your doing well with her dietary requirements, but do watch out for food stuffs with a high sugar content .. carrots, apples, any fruit, raisins … give very sparingly and loads of good quality hay and of course those good pellets are essential in bun’s diet.

Hugs Girls Again for saving bun.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome to binkybunny and what a cute rabbit!!! Can’t wait to see more pictures! LOL I can see your boyfriend not wanting you to go back to your friends house and rescue more animals LOL

Your doing great on the food!! The only thing I’d change is the pellets, just pick a kind that are timothy hay based and have no colored bits and seeds in them -I know they look healthier (I totally did the same thing, and I”m sure most of us did-they do LOOK healthy) but they are kind of junky so it’s best to go with a plain pellet. Everything else sounds good-and you already know about watching the poo for changes so your miles ahead!!

[COOKIE'N FLUFF MOMMA]

Welcome!  Kaytee brand also makes a timothy based pellet (Timothy complete) you can buy at petsmart.  that is what i feed my buns.      Congrats on being a new bunny slave. She sure is pretty!

[Aina067]

Hi Bunykins!!

welcome to BinkyBunny 

my, I am SO glad that you rescued that cute little bunny!! *hugs* to you!! she would not have survived much longer…I don’t get those kind of ppl who just dump bunnies in the woods or who knows where…

you’re really doing a great job on what you are feeding her, except for those fiesta pellets!! they ARE junk food. either go with the plain timothy based pellets from oxbow or the Kaytee brand. also sparingly fruits, and carrots, cuz of the high sugar content.

bunykins looks totally cute in her pictures, she’s very lucky to have hopped to you, for you to rescue her. what a story. most often bunnies are hard to catch……its like you were made to find each other!! how cool is that!!

*hugs* to you, and bunykins

 

[Beeslee]

*BIG smiles* you guys are so great for all the tips and hints. I talked to someone at the petstore tonight who gave me some of the same advice you are giving me regarding feeding my buns. Yes the food I was feeding her is junky it’s like me having a chocolate bar for supper every night…hmmm that might not be bad for me LOL! He directed me to Kaytee Timothy Complete to feed her from now on. Yes it does look boring this food but it does smell yummy! Also got some freshscent(? looks like paper) for her litter box and also bought a hay rack that I can hang near the box. She poos in the box and pees but she likes to drop her poos all around her box also. Only dropped her poo once outside of the box and did a little pee also but nothing since then. Been putting her poos into the box and tore a piece of paper that she peed on and placed that in the box. Hopefully soon she will 100% litter box trained. I will also stop the strawberry treats every night. Is it alright every other night? I give her all kinds of greens mixed up (see above) and I read somewhere that I should give more than a cup a day. So confusing that sometimes there is to much information on the web that’s it hard to figure out whats right and wrong. I also wanted to ask why does my buns dig in her food bowl and how can I stop this. She flings the food all over the place. Looks like someone got married in my room LOL! I’ll have to see if she stops with this new food if not time to craft something along the cage. Also did a little cleanup..of…um her scent glands….*blush* below. Boy did that nearly knocked me over. Phew skunky! She did have one side ok and I cleaned the other side. She still smells kinda skunky to me still. Is she releasing something and that’s why I get this smell? Hmmm or do I have a boy on my hand????? Well I’ll guess I’ll find out tomorrow and will let you all know.

Bunny hugs to you all!!

[Beeslee]

A quick update on B. She is def a she! Doc says it looks like she had baby buns before bc her nipples look a little bigger than a buns who do not (they still looked small to me). Also her teeth in the back are looking a little overgrown. Not sure if she has been fixed and won’t be able to tell until she is under and shaved. They will do teeth also at that time when I take her in. Need to call a few hospitals to see when they can do it. Still not sure how old she is now. My real concern right now would be if she is pregnant again. Doc says she feels nothing at the moment. How do people find out if there buns is prege?? Blood test? Wait till she shows?? Hmmmm B was soooooo friendly with the doc, no kicking, trying to escape nothing. What a good girl she was. Now I have to figure out when I’ll take her in for the spay. I’ll be on vaca on the 28th. Does anyone know how long it takes to recover from a spay operation and how much nursing I will need to do to make sure she is all set? Hate to have it done before I leave and somthing happens.

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