New rabbit owner

[Kikibonds79]

Hi I’m new to this site also first time having a rabbit long story on how I got the bunny. It’s my neighbors rabbit her second one. My grandfather told me to go check on it due to not having any food. I went over poor thing was scared in the corner white fur was yellow due to peeing. My heart just broke seeing him like that I told her can I play with him she gave me a bird cage to take him home in poor thing was scared. I was lost on what to do second day I told myself this cage is not going to work I got him 1 house for outside thinking it would work boy was I wrong as I learn about how sensitive they are about being spooked I panicked getting another cage to have inside. My cat is very curious the table I had my rabbit on didn’t work my cat managed to pull the towel and drop the cage. Poor thing was scared he was ok. I went shopping to buy a dresser to keep his cage safe from my cat chewy. I’m still learning about my rabbit Hops  so far he is a male grunter who loves to play. I’m reading each label of treat to make sure he is healthy at first I was like if it had a picture of a rabbit it’s good for him boy was I wrong thanks to asking questions to workers at pet smart to help me understand what I need to do to help my bunny stay healthy. I have a aggressive grunter who has a unique behavior who sprays everywhere. I’m just worried about finding the right vet to get him fix his is getting use to me but I have a hard time holding him each time I put him back in his cage. I let him out 4 times a day to run around for an hour each time. When he bites his cage I get up even at 3am to let him run around I cover the sofas and my bed so he don’t pee on them. I’m here to learn more on what I can do to make my rabbit live a better life learn on his behavior what I can do to treat it. He was doing good peeing in his litter box now he pees in the corner any advice on what I can do.?

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome! And thank you for rescuing this bunny! He looks very clean and happy. 🙂

If you check out the “Rabbit Info” tab at the top of the page, there is tons of info on housing, diet, litter training, bunny proofing, etc. Petsmart employees often aren’t very informed on good rabbit care (but they will try to sell you a lot of things!). The most important things for now are to make sure he’s getting lots of grass hay (timothy is the most common), it’s the most important thing in his diet. I wouldn’t do any treats for a while as they can encourage buns not to eat hay. Then you can slowly introduce a high quality pellet, and gradually introduce some greens. Things like fruits and carrots should be treated as a treat and only fed in very small amounts occasionally (a short piece of carrot is like a snickers bar for a bunny). Do you know how old he is? Rabbits under 6 months or so should get young rabbit pellets, but after that they can transition to an adult formula.

Getting him neutered will help a lot with the spraying and grunting. If you search for “exotics vets” you can usually find someone who works with rabbits. You can also start litter training now though, by putting a litter box in the corner of his cage where he seems to toilet the most (most bunnies will pick a corner). Then fill the box with bedding and hay, and remove all the bedding from the rest of the cage. Anytime he pees outside the box, mop it up with a paper towel and put it in the box. His box habits might not be great until he’s neutered, but they will start to form!

As far as handling, I would recommend setting up his cage so you don’t have to pick him up to let him out for play time. Most rabbits hate being picked up, so if you have to do it multiple times per day he will start to learn to fear you and hands. I think he and your cat will get used to each other with time, but perhaps when he’s out for playtime you can put the cat in another room for now. You can have a squirt bottle to deter the cat if he gets to close or aggressive towards the bun.

Most cages you can buy at a pet store are too small for bunnies to be in, so an inexpensive solution is to attach an x-pen (wire puppy play pen) to the cage so he has a “front yard” to play in all the time. I like to use a sheet of vinyl flooring from the hardware store to protect the carpet. Then you can open it up for exercise in an even larger area. If you need to keep his space a bit smaller till he’s neutered, that’s OK.

Welcome again and congrats on the new bunny. 🙂 Does he have a name yet?

. . . 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.  

[Kikibonds79]

Thanks for all the information I’m loving this form I’m reading so much about Rabbits. I named him Hops I feed him the Timothy hay along with fresh Roman lettuce daily I’ll give him a carrot once a week his not into it as much. I don’t know how old he is very playfully and love watching tv with me. I’m just scared to get him fix because I never put him in a moving car and don’t want him to get spooked. My neighbor ended up getting a cute grey rabbit he was running outside under the car I had to rescue him lots of cats around. The other day I asked her about her rabbit she said the cat ended up with it killing it. My anger boils about it because animal depend on us to feed them and take care of them. I’m also dealing with 3 of her female cats due anytime with kittens also with two beautiful orange tabby cats she don’t feed. I also have a black older cat looks awful I’m trying to feed him looks sick. I just have a heart for animals I can’t turn my back on them

[DanaNM]

That’s so frustrating. I know there are a few other members here who’ve had experiences with neighbors not taking care of their animals.

I wouldn’t worry about the car ride. He might be too happy during the car ride, but most rabbits handle it well. You can start by getting him acclimated to his carrier. If you leave it out all the time and feed him pellets or a treat in it, he will start to see it as a fun place to hang out.

. . . 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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