New Bunny Owner

[RedDaybreak]

Hello everyone!

I got a new bunny Last Saturday from a girl who wasn’t treating them the best. She’s a full black lop, though I’m not sure what kind, and I have done a lot of research but still have questions. 

1. For the first few days I had her, she was quiet and I left her alone. Her poops were solid and there seemed to be a lot of cecals, so I changed her diet a bit, adding a lot more hay into it, and less pellets. However, the previous owner only gave me the rabbit, not her food, no care instructions or anything else, so I went off of what I could find. She mentioned she did not give her rabbits greens, and what I read said after 3 weeks or so on her new diet, I should introduce them, so that is my plan! Is that what you guys recommend? I therefore wasnt able to wean her like suggested. Could this have a negative impact? Is there something I can do? Again, the previous owner was just trying to get rid of my sweet girl and so I took her in instead. 

2. I’m home most of the day, except for mondays, when I’m gone from 9 till 7. Every other day, I feed her at 4:30, and check her water then too. Is it a bad thing to not be able to keep a strict schedule just that one day of the week? 

3. Starlight does not like me yet. She tolerates me, and will sniff me, but if I try to hold her to groom her, or check her bum for stuff, she kicks and fights me so much that I get terrified I’m going to hurt her. How can I pick her up just for a bit if she doesn’t like it. My worst fear is hurting her. 

4. She is a momma bunny (though I do not have the babies, I just wanted to save the momma.) I have heard that health issues can arise after having a litter. Is there stuff to check for? I’m planning on getting her spayed, but not sure if I should wait till I have a bit more trust, or get it done right away. Advice on this? 

Anything you can say to help me out would be amazing! This is my first bunny, and I already can’t live without her, so I want to make sure she is healthy and happy!

[FloppyBunny]

I don’t know about your fourth question, but for the others…

1. When I got my current bunny, I was in the same situation for the food. I didn’t have his old one and he hadn’t eaten vegetables yet (he was only 10 weeks old). I gave him the food that I had and waited a few weeks before feeding vegetables, while only giving one new one at a time and seeing if everything was ok. As a baby, he wasn’t picky at all with food, I could buy any brand and he would eat it (though I weaned him off the old one first), but as an adult, he became very picky and only tolerated the most expensive brand my petshop sells. After a while, I was able to get a sample of the feed given to rabbits raised for meat, and he LOVES it (which I’m glad because his old food had weird ingredients). It’s now much cheaper ($2/month), so check a feed store if you have one nearby.

2. I never have a constant schedule, and my rabbit doesn’t care, however I think you are asking about feeding time? My rabbit has food 24/7, but he’s never eaten more than he’s hungry for (which I know isn’t the case for all rabbits). If I were you, I would leave the rabbit food while I’m at work, and feed her on the normal schedule when I’m at home.

3. Most rabbits don’t like to be picked up. All the rabbits on youtube that love being held are the exception. Mine tolerates it for a couple minutes, but that is a fairly new development. It took him a long time to trust me touching him everywhere, and I met him at 4 weeks old (he was still with his mom), and adopted him at 10 weeks. He’s now 3.5 years old. Touching his legs, lifting tail, etc. are the areas that he wouldn’t tolerate until after about two years, so don’t feel bad. Don’t pick her up unless it’s absolutely necessary. Unless she’s an angora or rolled around in the mud, they can groom themselves. If you need to cut her nails, if she won’t let you pick her up, you can try making a rabbit burrito. You place her on a towel/blanket, and you fold it so she looks like a burrito. Then just get the paw you need out. She can’t get out as easily. Try to get someone to help you. I always hold my rabbit while someone else to cuts the nails. You just got her, it’s normal for her to be scared. Rabbits take a long time to trust you, and even after more than 3 years with my rabbit, each year he trusts me a little more.

[RedDaybreak]

Thanks! That’s a relief. She’s a Holland, (based on what I can tell) and she seems to be able to groom herself, so I haven’t tried to groom her yet. Hopefully by the time she sheds, she’ll tolerate me trying to groom a little better, instead of trying her best to scratch me to death. lol. 

[FloppyBunny]

My rabbit is a Holland lop + Rex mix. The only time he needs grooming (other than nails) are when he’s shedding or if he gets dirty with mud. Your rabbit might never like being picked up, but that’s normal. Avoid picking her up so she doesn’t feel scared to be near you, and just sit on the floor. She’ll probably come see you because they are curious. After a while, she’ll trust you more. For nails, mine still hates it, so it’s always a bit of a struggle. They like feeling in control.

[Bam]

Thank you for rescuing Starlight! 

Here is a link to a really good article about picking up your rabbit: Pick a bunny up

It explains why they don’t like it and how to gradually try and make it a lot less stressful for them. It’s really good if you can pick your bun up, you’ll need to for nail-clipping etc. But don’t expect results over night!

Bunnies often need some time to warm up to their human, esp if they haven’t been treated right by their previous owners. Try and be “harmless” – sit with her on the floor (her level), you can f ex read a book or listen to music (but be careful, buns love to chew electrical cords esp thin ones). Don’t stare at her (predators stare at their prey before they lunge). 

The diet changes you’ve made are excellent. Waiting three weeks before slowly introducing greens is great too, after three weeks on a diet that has lots of hay, the tummy has developed a GI flora that much better enables it to handle new food items.  

[Author]

Messages