New member and owner questions ?

[BuntonandBenny]

Hi,
I’m new to the forum and new to bunny ownership . I have 2 buns , a boy and girl who are 14 weeks old. I have some questions if anyone would mind helping me out?

1) What age should I be looking at neutering Benny? I had him checked at the vets around 2 weeks ago and the vet set bring him back when he’s 19weeks , but I’ve read bunnies can be fertile from 12 weeks? Should I go back?

2) Although my bunnies were socialised from birth and handled daily from birth , they both HATE being picked up. I don’t carry them around, even just lifting them up (hand under front paws and other hand under bum) , they just scramble to get away and do this huffy silent squeak type sound . I only give them a quick check over then put them down to get them used to being handled. I do this once every couple of days – is this ok or should I do it more often?

[Sirius&Luna]

Hi!

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new arrivals!

Firstly, young bunnies should be separated, as while all baby bunnies get along happily, at around the age that hormones kick in (which can be anywhere from 8 weeks to 6 months), they are very likely to start fighting. This is doubly important for male/female pairs, as they can start breeding from 12 weeks. You need to separate them until they’re both old enough to be spayed and neutered.

Most vets will neuter bunnies from around 4 months, depending on their size, weight, and whether the testicles have dropped. Generally, if a bunny is over one kilo, most vets will feel comfortable neutering.

Make sure that your vet is rabbit savvy – if they tell you to fast the rabbit before the op, that’s a big sign that they don’t know bunnies, as bunnies should never be fasted before ops.

A female can normally be spayed around 5-6 months. It’s really important to spay the female as well, as rabbits have very high rates of uterine cancer in unspayed females.

Second questions – Most rabbits hate being picked up. If they don’t like it, insisting on carrying on is only going to make them not trust you. It is important that you’re able to pick them up in emergencies, and it sounds like you’re able to do that, so I would leave it there, and from now on only pick them up when you really have to (a nail trim, to get them out of danger quickly, etc). Most rabbits prefer to socialise with you if you sit on the floor with them, then they’ll come over for pets and attention.

[Brittnie]

I have a few questions….I have an 8 week old lion head bunny named Duke. I’m new to the bunny stuff. I’ve been reading about how much they do not like any change, potty training, and what toys they like.
Question 1. What toys should I use to keep him from being bored? He’s got several but never plays with them or seems interested.
2. He was using his litter box and now all the sudden he’s not. I haven’t changed ANYTHING Bc I read they don’t like litter change or food change etc. he’s just going everywhere in his cage.
3. How come he ALWAYS pees and poops on me when I pick him up or put
him in my bed? He doesn’t go in the
house except for the occasional poop
slip.
4. Also are you suppose to vaccinate bunnies? I keep gdggjng different answers from people and things I’ve read online
Thanks!!

[Sirius&Luna]

HI Brittnie

You’ll probably get more answers if you make your own topic – there’s a ‘new topic’ button in the corner of the page.

I’ll give you quick answers here now:
1. Most bunnies like toys that involve food or chewing, or hiding. So toilet roll tubes stuffed with hay and pellets (and treats when he’s older), willow tunnels or sticks, and cardboard boxes with two entrances cut into them.
2. It’s hard to litter train unneutered baby bunnies. I assume you’ve only just got him since he’s 8 weeks old, so it will take a bit of persistence anyway, but it probably won’t be perfect until he’s neutered. Bunnies also poop and pee to mark their territory, so he might be marking territory in his new home. in the BUNNY INFO section, you’ll find a section on litter training that you might find useful.
3. Same as above really. Bunnies love to pee on soft things, and often even litter trained bunnies will persist in peeing on beds and sofas.
4. Vaccinations depend on where you live. In the US, you don’t need vaccinations. In the UK, Europe and Canada (I think!) you do. The best bet is to take your new bunny to a rabbit savvy vet for a check up, and they’ll let you know whether they need vaccinations where you live. You can find lists of rabbit specialist vets at the House Rabbit Society in the US, and the RWAF in the UK. If you’re in another country, a member may be able to help.

[Sirius&Luna]

Also to add – for both of you, it’s really worthwhile checking out the whole of the Bunny Info section, as it has loads of great info for new bunny owners!

The most important thing for bunnies that most people don’t know is diet and space. 90% of their diet should be hay, and they need much more space to run around than a pet store cage

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