New bunny owner :)

[Danielle]

We recently got two bunnies. They are sisters. Jellybean and Anne Shirley. They are about 2 1/2 months old. My 13 year old daughter is the reason we got them. She’s been asking for a very long time but I wanted to make sure she was responsible enough. They aren’t really free range in the house because we have a cat and he looks at them like they are a meal. Lol but they are indoor outdoor I guess. My husband and I built them a huge enclosure on the back porch so they can run and play. And they get to run around my daughters room with the door closed. They are holland lops. And we just love them to pieces. Right now they are just on pellets and alfalfa hay and water. That’s what the rabitry said to keep them on until they were 6 months old. I’m nervous about their diet after that. Any and all advice is super appreciated. I want to make sure they are healthy and happy. Thanks

[Deleted User]

For starters, don’t have them together. They will be approaching sexual maturity soon, which will lead to them fighting. So keep them separated until 2 months after they have been spayed. Also, at 2.5 months their sex is still sometimes a mystery because a males testicles might not have dropped yet. So keeping them apart until they are fixed and you can properly bond them is crucial. Girls especially are very territorial.
As for Hollands, I have 2 boys, you need to be aware of their teeth amd ears. Because their ears down because of a cartilage defect, they can get dental and ear problems easily.
Their new and still babies, so if they are cautious and not super loving or cuddly for a long time, don’t panic, they’re trying to get used to you. So try not to chase them to pat them or pick them up and cuddle because they’ll start seeing you as a predator. And also, picking up a bunny in general cam be dangerous if not done properly.

[ThorBunny]

Congrats on your new buns! It sounds like they have a very loving home

Their diet sounds good, most recommend keeping rabbits on a hay and pellet diet until they are at least 3 months of age before slowly introducing vegetables. When you do introduce vegetables, do it slowly: one new veggie a week to make sure they tolerate it well (no change in poops or behavior).

Unfortunately, A&B is right, you will have to separate them soon

by 3 months, rabbits begin to be hormonal and you could risk a nasty fight that would make them hate eachother permanently. On another thought, young rabbits are commonly mis-sexed even by experts, so if one is a male you could end up with an oops litter! After they are spayed and a month has passed they can be re-bonded. Check out the bonding section of this forum for tips!

Again, welcome to rabbit ownership They really are very rewarding pets. My rabbit brings me a lot of joy <3

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