New bun arrived today!

[sally]

Okay so I have a rabbit already, who my son calls “mouse” , we got another bun today , we are unaware or really not 100% sure on the sex of either to be honest, I was told “mouse” was a girl, and this new one im told that they thinks its a boy, now ive intrduced them, but only while the new bun is in her cage. But mouse has been running around the cage in circles and has done so many binkys today, she’s exhausted lol is ths a good thing? this picture is how things are at the minute, she seems to just be having a nosey, as he new bun in the cage follows mouse as she is running around her lol

 

 

 

 

this is just a clearer pic of new bun : )

[sally]

Just another thing, how do I do this “bonding” ? whats the best time? The cat has been introduced to the new bun already and they were fine its just the rabbits, im pretty convinced the new bun is a girl actually, but she has been a bit of a grump so I havent been able to check for sure, should I just let them out 2gether a few times a week or what? im new to this and dont really want fur flying! lol

[Sarita]

Well, you won’t want to do any bonding at all until both are altered so right now do not let them out together at all. Especially since you aren’t really sure of the other rabbit’s sex. It just takes a second and Mouse could end up pregnant.

[mrmac]

I would definitely wait until both are fixed and you know the for sure the sex of both.

[sally]

Yeh I think its wise to wait untill they are fixed, but is it good that mouse seems happy about this new bun? She is only 7mths i think this new bun is a lot older but i forgot to ask his/her age but i have emailed our aunt so just waiting for her to reply.

What would happen if they are the same sex? fighting or nothing? As i realise if one is male he would still probably try mounting even when fixed, like cats and dogs do lol

[mrmac]

Some same sex pairs work out fine. Some females can be very territorial, some may fight. Even if they’re both females the mounting might still happen.

[RabbitPam]

It’s definitely a good sign that Mouse is happy to have the new bunny in the house. I agree that they shouldn’t be together until after their surgeries, but even if they are the same sex, if one is glad to have the other one around, you’re off to a good start. Bonding can be a very controlled, and successful process, with techniques that you might not expect. Read Beka’s bonding thread for Max and Meadow. She got them together while sitting in a basket on top of her dryer for several supervised sessions. It was really amazing to watch their progress. Now is a good time to research and plan how you’ll proceed since you need to wait a bit until they’re ready. Not being certain about their genders now makes it too risky.

[sally]

Yeh ive been looking up a lot of old threads on here about bonding, Mouse really does seem pleased and keeps running up to the cage for a nosey and sitting on top of it lol Im going to have to spend the night on the sofa though as only one cage has a top,so one bun will be roaming for a while, but im thinking I should let new bun have some exercise now, as mouse has been out for ages, catching her though is a different story, good thing about new bun is s/he is used to being handled, that makes life easier, still no reply on age yet, but i think s/he is at least a year old if not more.

[jerseygirl]

Have a read of the Bonding Guide from this site   https://www.binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/Bondin…fault.aspx

This one is useful too  http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

Once you’re familiar with the methods, the bonding thread stories in the forum will give further tips and personal experience you may relate to.

[sally]

Well I have an age now, s/he is about 3yrs so an older bun, does this mean they will be the boss ? lol

[Sarita]

Sometimes it’s easier to bond a more mature rabbit too. Have you confirmed his/her sex?

[sally]

I havent confirmed the sex yet, but when s/he is wondering around im trying to look under but having trouble, goin to give it another shot later lol

[MarkBun]

As an FYI, even experienced bun sexers make mistakes from time to time.  Best way to sex them is to have them altered and the vet will then deifintely know depending upon what gets snipped off.

[sally]

Well I had a bit of a look today, she let me have a look, I say she bcoz I couldnt really see anything male. Another thing is on backside area she seems very messy, so im feeling I will need to bathe her, what should I use? my partners aunty has said she has bathed her before, but didnt give me much on how to do it. Also, the gave me her stuff in like a small bin, and it has litter in it, I mean proper litter, looks like cat litter to me, so yesterday i put it in the tray and sure enuff she is trained and used it, but i thought you couldnt use proper litter? so today Ive cleaned the cage out properly as it was abit grubby, and ive used the shavings I use in mouse’s tray (not that she uses it these days) i put shavings at the bottom and some straw , the shavings i know arent advised, but on the packet they claim to be fine for rabbits. So thing is , whats the deal with litter? can you use proper litter? She also seems quite fat to me, but that might be just because mouse is still so young so not filled out as much, or just the different breeds i dont know!

Thanks for all advice so far, im a bit worried that new bun hasnt had much of a run around yet, this might also be an age thing, as mouse is 7months so she is raring to go, and also is comfy here now after 2months, i hope it is anyway!

[jerseygirl]

Hi Sally, with litters, some cat types are ok – like clay but they can be dusty. Crystal type can be toxic if they eat it, and definately don’t use clumping types. Shavings are also ok provided it is aspen. Pine and cedar shavings are thought to be unsafe longterm. You can get kiln dried shavings that may be safer. Pet product manufacturers will put anything on a packet to make a sale. Are you putting it just in litter box or over entire cage floor. If the new bunny seems to know about litter box, continue to put litter just in there.

On the sexing – sometimes males hide there bits – lol. So because you didn’t find them is not guarantee that the bun is a she. Also, sometime the testicle is undescended. You may have a she but you may still have a male nuetered or not… Best he/she have a vet check. They can also assess what’s going on with the poopy butt and check there’s nothing that could be passed onto Mouse. (It’s officially – this IS her name!)

You can try a dry bath first. Use cornstarch and a fine tooth comb and try work anything out that way.  For a butt wash, you can hold the butt under a running tap luke warm water. that alone should loosen stuff up for it to come out. Not sure if shampoo should be used – I think most pet shampoos are unsuitable. Ensure you dry the fur off – use a hair dryer on a cool setting so not to overheat bun or burn sensitive skin. You must ensure they are dry though.

He/she is a lop breed and they do look stockier and ‘fatter’ than Mouses breed.

 

[sally]

Yes it does seem that “mouse” is now her name, and you’ll never guess what my 3yr old would like to call the new bun……Dog!!!! what goes on in his head i dont know lol he wanted to call the cat, just cat, can you imagine we would’ve had, mouse, cat & dog! blimey lol

I think ill give s/he a bit of a bum wash 2moro, I dont think s/he can reach or something! Also, I will be (fingers crossed) getting vets sorted next week, funds permitting! When i called they said it was £64.50, which i guess is around $125 i think (not great with currency lol ) they treat all animals so I guess they know what they are doing!

 

Oh and the shavings are in litter box only

[RabbitPam]

What I like is that if you told someone you have Cat, Dog and Mouse, they will never expect to see rabbits.
I like the name Mouse, but work on alternatives for Dog for a while before it settles in?

Definitely use Aspen if you’re sticking with shavings, but you can try out good rabbit litters in small quantities to see what she’ll use that you like best. Pellets, ie. Yesterday’s News, Aspen Pellets, and many like untreated wood stove or Feline Pine (NOT pine or cedar shavings as Jersey said) are what my bun prefers. For softer, the Aspen shavings, or CareFresh is good.

You can also give a quick butt bath by holding her front end up in the sink, wetting her butt with the faucet, taking a washcloth with mild soap (I use unscented baby natural soap that I need for my allergies, and it’s better for bunnies) and wipe her butt, then rinse. Towel dry and low heat hair blower for excess moisture. She will try to clean herself of the wet parts, and that will finish the cleaning job. Just have the litter and cage clean for her when you put her back.

How about Poodle for a name?

[jerseygirl]

Hehe Poodle! We had a member here that had a bird called Dog-Dog. Named by her toddler of course. I think it’s a cute trio. Cat, Dog, Mouse

[sally]

LOL I do try and ask him what he wants to call the new rabbit, and he says dog! I wanted to call “mouse” Binky, becasue she doesnt half fly lol but no, he wasnt having it! Hopefully I’ll convince him of a new name for the other rabbit lol well i gave new one a bum wash, and had a good look, and i think he could be male, I dunno, will have to get them to a vet soon, becasue at the moment the rotation system of letting them out is doing my head in! : )

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