New bunny 😍 I’m so in love !

[Yahzi]

Hi, I’m new here. 3 days ago my son and I adopted a 9 week old Mini Rex. We’re not sure if it’s a boy or a girl, but will soon have a vet check up. We think it’s a boy 😉 He is the sweetest thing in the whole world. We took him from people who had 2 other rabbits his age, in the same cage. Your forums are really helping me with info, thank you! We are a first time bunny owners and have no other pets.

So I have a couple questions. Bunnies don’t like to be picked up? Maybe it’s too soon. He does for a few seconds then scratches away. So, I laid on the floor and he hopped on my back and tried to eat my shirt 😂 he licks my son’s legs and will already come up to us, but doesn’t stay long.

We let him explore the house and leave his cage door open when I can really keep an eye on him. I have wood floors and he doesn’t seem to mind, but we’ve built cardboard obstacle course over towels and he really digs that.

Second question, is it normal he doesn’t want leafy greens right now? Is he too young? I bought him the house and mats made of hay and he loves those.

Overall, he’s amazing. So entertaining and adorable. We’re working on litter training although he doesn’t seem to have many accidents yet. We love him so much. My heart ❤️❤️❤️

[Yahzi]

Just to clarify, we do give him Timothy Hay Plus. I bought the kind with carrots and one with marigold. I also have the Kaytee fiesta gourmet rabbit food, I give him a bit of that a day, but he doesn’t finish it. He loves the hay 😍

[prince dorian the bun]

Congrats on your bunny @Yahzi!! At 9 weeks old he still needs a young bun diet, so alfalfa hay (or a mix with timothy/orchard grass) and unlimited pellets. I think it may be a bit early to start on greens, hopefully someone else can address that for you better. You want to get their digestion all set up and also get them into eating hay, it should be 80% of their diet. When you do start greens start small and something like romaine is a good starter. Also regarding the Kaytee fiesta gourmet rabbit food, is that the food with a bunch of things in it other than pellets? I don’t believe that is very good for buns if it is, I would try something like oxbow pellets for young rabbits. There may be other reputable brands too, but you want something that is pretty much just hay and for your bun at his age some alfalfa as well, as it’s high in calcium for bone growth.

Oh and your question, yep most bunnies generally don’t like to be picked. I think they tolerate it more when they are younger, but they are prey animals and just feel safer with their feet on the ground.

[Yahzi]

Thank you so much for your reply. I’ll look into getting other pellets 😊 we only want what’s best for him. I know he is just getting used to us but does anyone know if it’s normal that he nips/bites at us? He’s come up and bit my big toe before LOL and today I was on the floor playing with him and he wanted me to pet him then he started smelling my hand and licking my finger. Then he bit down on my finger. Is that normal? It didn’t draw blood but it made me pull back! Those little teeth are sharp 😂

[HipHopBunny]

Hi @Yahzi

I am so happy for you in finding the perfect bun! He sounds wonderful. 🙂 In regards to nipping – it is perfectly normal. And it does hurt sometimes 😆 but they do it all of the time to other buns, but to rabbits, it doesn’t hurt, for they have all of that fur to protect them. They typically nip saying ‘move out of my way, hoomin!’ or to let you know they did not like that.

Just checking – do you plan on getting him neutered? Bunnies can get hormonal, and overall not fun to be around once they reach puberty. Neutering/ spaying takes away the sharp edges and leaves you with the lovable bun you know. 🙂

It sounds as though you guys are forming a bond already. I am sure you will all be the best of friends! He scored a lucky card with landing a home with you 😉 One fun activity I like to do with my buns is playing some soft piano, and they LOVE it. 🙂

 

[MichiganRabbits]

I also just adopted a rabbit (his name is Baylor). He also nips at me occasionally, but can be sweet as well. Getting your bun neutered is a great idea as it reduces hormonal behavior and can help with litter training too! I agree that the pellets with other things in it besides pellets is not the healthiest choice and I recommend Oxbow Pellets. My bun loves soft piano music too! I played it for a while and he flopped over and fell asleep😂

[pinkiemarie]

I always just lie on the floor by my bunnies wherever they’re hanging out and they ask me for pets, nuzzle me, stand in my back. Meet him where he’s comfortable and he’ll appreciate you all the more! Since you love your little one so much are you eventually getting him a friend? No pressure but buns are so happy in a bonded pair!

[prince dorian the bun]

@Yahzi – the house rabbit society has great resource on diet, https://rabbit.org/FAQ-diet/ hope that helps you, they have more on young bunnies and greens too.

[DanaNM]

Congrats on the new bunny!

Most bunnies don’t like being picked up, and don’t learn to like it with more handling, so it’s best to only pick up when absolutely needed for nail trims, etc.

Unneutered boys will also nip more… usually when they are getting ready to mount.

If he nips hard enough that it bothers you, you can try making a kind of squeal noise (similar to a bunny scream…). It’s a horrible sound to hear from a bunny but it communicates to bun that he hurt you. When buns nip each other it’s through a lot of fur so often they barely feel it.

Usually greens are introduced at 12 weeks, so it is a bit early. Introduce new things slowly, no more than 1 new food a week, to make sure his tum doesn’t get upset. At this point it’s important to build good hay eating habits as well.

. . . 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.  

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