New rabbit! Please help!

[TrentNthumper]

Hello I just adopted a rabbit and his name is Jonny, to start off I work for A barn and I adopted this bunny because they did not want to have to pay have him neutered. He has a condition with his testicles that is called low hanging testicles syndrome and it took me forever to find an honest Doctor Who would do the procedure of neutering him . After finally finding a vet I want my rabbit to be able to run around my room freely (after bunny proofing my room) I let him out of the cage so he could run around on my bed with me… with the condition he has he seems to be in a lot of pain because his poop and pee and his bedding get stuck around his problem area. I clean him up as best as I can and his surgery is in a couple days. So when he is done getting the procedure I would like to litter train him… he’s not the most loving rabbit but I think he’s just miserable and stressed because of the problem he has! How do I find his favorite snack… I feed him pellets twice a day! Also does anyone have any recommendations for playing with him while he is still not litter trained… I feel bad that he’s in his cage but the second I take him out he pees on everything… I tried to put him in a clothes basket with a towel under him for comfort but he’s a pretty big rabbit and can just jump out of it… he actually hasn’t fully jumped out… he just puts his from paws and head over the side… will he jump out…? I know it’s a lot of questions but I just want my bunny to be happy and like me

[Wick & Fable]

Your concerns are not silly and there’s no one who’s 100% ready for rabbit ownership. It’s wonderful that you adopted him, and asking questions is the necessary step to go from an uninformed owner to a responsible owner. It is also the stepping stone to go from a potentially unhappy rabbit to a very happy rabbit. Welcome to the community, and your questions and posts are welcome!

Since it’s a new environment, he’s most likely peeing and pooping to mark his territory. With his scent everywhere, he’ll feel more safe and secure. By neutering him, this instinctual need to mark territory will go down, so neutering will help, especially since his condition is affecting his every day life in other ways. Free-roaming is good, though the clean-up for an untrained rabbit can be a handful.

I suggest litter training sessions, where you set up a smaller space that you can sit in and watch him like a hawk. Each time he pees/poops outside his designated litter box, make a hiss sound and bring him to the litter box. If he then poops/pees in there, praise him. Also praise him regardless once he’s in there so he learns a positive association with that box. Litter box = safe space.

You can put a screen on top of his litter to prevent him from tracking it everywhere. If he is not on a wire-floor cage and the floor is solid, he actually doesn’t need bedding; you can give him a fleece blanket or something else cozy; just watch that he does not consume it. He may pee on it though since it’s soft; but that’s natural for rabbits too.

Being around him and spending time with him is a great way to create a bond. Learn his body language and establish his behavioral quirks, and this will help strengthen your bond as you realize what he does and does not like

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.

[Sirius&Luna]

It’s great that you rescued this bunny and are trying to improve his life! Hopefully once he’s neutered he’ll be happier. I’m sure as he gets used to you he’ll become more friendly too

Can you try putting puppy pads on the floor? You can normally buy big boxes pretty cheaply, and they make cleaning up accidental pees SO much easier!

Wick has good tips for litter training

Some ideas for playing could be hiding treats or pellets in a paper bag, or stuffing them into a toilet paper tube with some hay, so he has to work to get them out. You can also try giving him willow or apple twigs to chew on.

For a favourite snack – do you give him any fresh greens? Rabbits should get a small portion of greens every day, normally leafy ones, like romaine lettuce, parsley, dill, basil, coriander/cilantro, kale, rocket, carrot tops, celery, spring greens. If you start slowly introducing veg to his diet (just give him a small piece of one, if you haven’t given him any before), then you’ll soon find a favourite! Small pieces of apple, grape, or carrot can also be given as treats, but as they’re quite sugary it’s best to limit them.

I was also wondering if you feed him hay? Hay is a really important part of a bunny diet, and they should always have access to good quality, green grass hay

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