New bunny owner.

[Cinnabun <3]

I have a friend bringing us a baby bunny next Friday or Saturday, and I am very excited. This will be my first ever rabbit, and I am willing to do whatever it is to take care of my new bun. I am quite aware that they are not low maintenance.

I’ve been doing tons of research lately, but I still have quite a few questions I would like answered from experienced rabbit owners (it would be very much appreciated)

I’d also like to mention that this bunny is barely a month old.

 

1. What do I feed it, and how many times a day? And how much? I also heard baby bunnies should be fed alfalfa hay, but is that correct? Keep in mind this bunny is about 2-3 weeks old.

2. Should the litter box be IN the cage or outside of it?

3. What should be covering the bottom of the cage? Newspaper? Grass?

4. Should I keep water in a bowl or those water feeders?

5. Are there any toxic vegetables or fruits I should NOT feed my bun?

6. Are rabbit toys worth buying?

7. Am I able to feed this rabbit grass and dandelion leaves from my own yard? We do not use pesticides.

8. What kind of chew toys should I get? The one from pet stores? Or should I just feed it carrots to chew on?

9. Should I keep it warm somehow? (ie – covering the cage) Or cool?

 

Any crucial information on baby rabbit care would help greatly. I’m sorry for asking so much, but I need all the help I can.

 

 

 

 

[MirBear]

The bunny is WAY to young to be away from its mama. Does you friend own the mother bunny? I’m sorry for ruining this but babies should not be weaned untill about 6 week at the very earliest.

[Cinnabun <3]

Posted By MirBear on 09/23/2010 05:44 PM
The bunny is WAY to young to be away from its mama. Does you friend own the mother bunny? I’m sorry for ruining this but babies should not be weaned untill about 6 week at the very earliest.

 

Oh, the rabbit was found without its mother Is there anything I could do to help?

[Lintini]

Well first, I hope that the rabbit you are getting isn’t 2-3 weeks old because it cannot leave it’s mother at that age. That is way too young. Baby rabbits should not be removed from their mom before 8 weeks.

Young rabbits can be fed an alfalfa based pellet such as Oxbow 15/23 and alfalfa hay is fine too. I give my young rabbits unlimited pellets until around 7 months.

Litterbox skills might not be perfect until the rabbit is spayed/neutered. Females have a very very high rate of developing a reproductive cancer by age 3 if not spayed, they can also be very aggressive if you do not spay. Males if not neutered will spray urine that has a strong odor and both males and females will constantly have the urge to mate. So be prepared to spay/neuter. You will have such a nicer and healthier pet when you do so. When you ask if the litterbox should be inside or out I am confused a little by this – if you say, need to lock him/her up for the night then yes you should keep a litterbox in there. If you are using a x-pen around the cage you could set one out there too. It depends on what your setup is. I use multiple litterboxes to make it easier for them. It’s also good to keep one inside their cage so they have their own zone to be comfortable with to claim as theirs.

Lining of the cage – it depends what type of cage you are making/buying. Some people use tile, some use linoleum, some use outdoor carpet. If you completely bed the cage you can confuse the bun into not using it’s litterbox since it would be like one huge one. Are you thinking of making the grid NIC cages? Take a look in the gallery here on BB for cage ideas and in the Habitats section. There are some great setups to see there.

I use both water bowls and water bottles. I prefer the bowls and so do my buns.

Here is a compiled list of good fruits/veggies and bad ones.  https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144

Rabbit toys are def worth buying. There is nothing worse than a bored bun, cruising for things to destroy in your home. A lot of members buy toys for their rabbits here off BB, I really like the grass mats and willow chews. Cardboard boxes with cutout holes are always a great toy too.

If you are sure there is no pesticides then dadelions and grass is fine.

Any kind of safe wood chew would be great. Make sure the wood isn’t chemically treated or coated. Carrots are sugary and shouldn’t be fed too often. They should be thought of as a treat.

[Cinnabun <3]

Posted By Lintini on 09/23/2010 05:52 PM

Well first, I hope that the rabbit you are getting isn’t 2-3 weeks old because it cannot leave it’s mother at that age. That is way too young. Baby rabbits should not be removed from their mom before 8 weeks.

Young rabbits can be fed an alfalfa based pellet such as Oxbow 15/23 and alfalfa hay is fine too. I give my young rabbits unlimited pellets until around 7 months.

Litterbox skills might not be perfect until the rabbit is spayed/neutered. Females have a very very high rate of developing a reproductive cancer by age 3 if not spayed, they can also be very aggressive if you do not spay. Males if not neutered will spray urine that has a strong odor and both males and females will constantly have the urge to mate. So be prepared to spay/neuter. You will have such a nicer and healthier pet when you do so. When you ask if the litterbox should be inside or out I am confused a little by this – if you say, need to lock him/her up for the night then yes you should keep a litterbox in there. If you are using a x-pen around the cage you could set one out there too. It depends on what your setup is. I use multiple litterboxes to make it easier for them. It’s also good to keep one inside their cage so they have their own zone to be comfortable with to claim as theirs.

Lining of the cage – it depends what type of cage you are making/buying. Some people use tile, some use linoleum, some use outdoor carpet. If you completely bed the cage you can confuse the bun into not using it’s litterbox since it would be like one huge one. Are you thinking of making the grid NIC cages? Take a look in the gallery here on BB for cage ideas and in the Habitats section. There are some great setups to see there.

I use both water bowls and water bottles. I prefer the bowls and so do my buns.

Here is a compiled list of good fruits/veggies and bad ones.  https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144

Rabbit toys are def worth buying. There is nothing worse than a bored bun, cruising for things to destroy in your home. A lot of members buy toys for their rabbits here off BB, I really like the grass mats and willow chews. Cardboard boxes with cutout holes are always a great toy too.

If you are sure there is no pesticides then dadelions and grass is fine.

Any kind of safe wood chew would be great. Make sure the wood isn’t chemically treated or coated. Carrots are sugary and shouldn’t be fed too often. They should be thought of as a treat.

 

thank you for your help. i am also being told now that this bunny is not 2 weeks old but about a month old. it still seems too young, but is there anything i can do? its an orphaned domestic rabbit and its mom was either killed or lost

should i feed it a special milk formula? and also, its eyes are open. i dont know if that makes a difference or not.

[Lintini]

Why is the person who is taking care of it now not keeping it for you until it is ready to go to a new home? I think it is in your best interest and the baby bunny’s to stay where it is now. I don’t understand why that person would give you a 4 week old rabbit when you have no idea how to care for it. I mean, you’re here asking questions, that’s great, don’t get me wrong. But it just seems strange and unfair. I wouldn’t want that type of responsibility being a new rabbit owner.

If you still do end up getting it, won’t person taking care of it guide you on how to care for him/her ? Sorry I have no experience taking care of a baby that young.

[Cinnabun <3]

should have known better than to ask here. you totally made me feel bad, thanks. ill just let the bunny die then… if that makes everyone happy.

 

[Lis]

We’re not trying to insult you, we’re trying to help you. Please don’t be rude to us, as we aren’t trying to be rude to you. We’re just trying to look out for the bunny.
If s/he really is that young, try Kitten Milk Replacer. My neighbors found some baby domestic rabbits in their backyard and raised them with KMR plus cecals from my bridge bunny (since you don’t already have a rabbit, just use KMR).

[BinkyBunny]

I am sorry that you feel attacked, but I think that members are showing care and concern, not only for the bunny, but for you as well. This situation can be challenging even for experienced bunny owners., and with this being your first bunny, no one wants to see you deal with a loss.   So I understand why members are questioning and being “protective” of what the future may bring for you– As a young bunny’s tummy is very sensitive and hasn’t fully developed the digestive bacteria needed.  I also understand that this baby is orphaned and for whatever reason, the person giving you this bunny must not have the experience needed to give you guidance — otherwise you wouldn’t be put in this situation in the first place.  So I hope you will understand that everyone’s intentions truly are caring.    At this point,  I think  the best thing I can do if is give you a link  that may help, and I encourage other members, who have had to foster or care for orphaned bunnies that were under 8 weeks old, to please reply. 

In the meantime, here is an excellent link about how to care for orphaned domestic baby bunnies. 

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html   It’s an excellent resource and discusses how much should be fed  at 4 – 6 weeks,(and even at earlier weeks if you do find out the baby is only 2 – 3 weeks)  and how to wean off formula at 8 weeks.   

 This next link is from the HRS and they say 6 weeks for weaning but they also give instructions about what you would feed a 1 month old: http://www.rabbit.org/care/orphan.html  

[Beka27]

How does the person in possession of the bunny know his/her age if he/she was found orphaned? Has the bunny been examined by a rabbit vet and that is how the age estimate was determined? If the bunny hasn’t been examined by a rabbit vet, that is going to be your first stop. The vet will be able to give a very educated guess on age, whether or not formula is required, perform a parasite test, and give exact diet recommendations to ensure the baby is as healthy as he/she can be.

The concern is that at such a young age, baby bunny digestive tracts are not fully “up and running”, even tho they are eating solid foods. This is why we are concerned.

Also, transportation can be stressful, so if this person were willing to keep the bunny until at least 6 weeks, to get him/her a little bit stronger, that would be ideal.

Please don’t go away angry. We really want to help. :o)

[Deleted User]

Sometimes our members here get very passionate too when hearing of kits separated from their rabbit mopthers so soon, it strikes a nerve and it was never meant to judge or attack you. If you are getting the young baby bun, you might want to get help from a vet to ensure he/she is growing healthy.

[MirBear]

I cant understaand how you’d feel attacked, because frankly, nothing that the other members have written is saying that you cant. Their saying your friend should basically look after the bunny for a few more weeks at least or take it somewhere where they have expirence with this type thing.. Either way i do not think it called for the comment you said. That was extreamly rude. You cane to us for help and you got help.. alot of it. if you choose to follow it or not is really up to you, but i think the information given here could possibly be the desision on whether it lives or passes.
im not sure you understand but this rabbit is WAY WAY to young to be away from its mom, you could take it to a humane socioty or possibly find a breeder and ask if any doe’s could foster it for a bit?? We all get very upset when we here of a very young kit being sold or whatever the situation is, it makes us feel helpless so when we get a chance to help with this and basicaly show someone what not to do we kind of jump for the oppertunity. The survival rate of a kit that age is much lower than any other age, because it still needs its mom. that the other members are touching at, i’m sorry you feel attacked but please belive me when i say, your friend shouldn’t be putting you in this situation.. It’s almost like setting someone up for failure type thing, not saying that this kit is going to die.. because there have been members who have rescued babies at a young age and they have survived.. but even some of the expirenced rabbit owners have lost bunnies.. if someone gave you a 3 week old puppy what would you do? Thats what im thinking, because bunnies are like puppies and neeed there mom’s just as much if not more, especially with their sensitive digestions..

another new member bought two, 2 month old bunnies, and one still ended up passing at no fault of hers. its getting them past that baby stage.

[Kax0r]

Posted By Cinnabun <3 on 09/23/2010 05:35 PM

 

2. Should the litter box be IN the cage or outside of it? In the cage, ideally, as it is a more safe spot for a rabbit.

3. What should be covering the bottom of the cage? Newspaper? Grass?  Anything soft will do, it’s also possible to get cheap carpeting or small rugs to cover the area/

4. Should I keep water in a bowl or those water feeders? I have personally always used a bowl.

5. Are there any toxic vegetables or fruits I should NOT feed my bun?  http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html <toxic plants list. Generally do not feed them strong foods such as onion, garlic, or broccoli. Whatever makes you burp, don't feed it to them- they have no way of de-gassing themselves.

6. Are rabbit toys worth buying? Absolutely. Hard chew-toys are nessecary to grind down the bun’s teeth to a normal length.

7. Am I able to feed this rabbit grass and dandelion leaves from my own yard? We do not use pesticides.    Dandilions, yes. Grass, personally not sure.

8. What kind of chew toys should I get? The one from pet stores? Or should I just feed it carrots to chew on? Anything wood or wicker is a winner in my blind bunny’s book.

9. Should I keep it warm somehow? (ie – covering the cage) Or cool?  Just keep the indoor temperature reasonable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BinkyBunny]

Just FYI: Though dandelion greens are fine(as long as they are in an area that they can’t be urinated on by other animals and pesticides haven’t been used) In YOUR case, right now, your bunny is too young to start feeding greens at the moment. You will want to start introducing greens at around 3 months.

[nugget]

Posted By MirBear on 09/25/2010 05:56 AM 
……. this rabbit is WAY WAY to young to be away from its mom, you could take it to a humane socioty or possibly find a breeder and ask if any doe’s could foster it for a bit?? …..

I think that sounds like a great idea! I would think that would definitely be worth looking into. That way the bunny would get the proper nutrition it needs at that age (nursing and cecals).

 

[Author]

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