New to Being a Bunny Family

[DeeNice76]

Hello everyone!  We live in Brooklyn, New York.  We are a family that is new to owning a bunny.  In fact, this is our first family pet.  Her name is Misty-Rose and she is two months old.  She is a Holland Lop.  My children are 9, 8, 4, and 2.  Any suggestions for us?

[bullrider76543]

First thing I need to sugest is do not let the 2 & 4 year old near your bun without supervision! too many accidents can happen easily. Set a rule not to pick up Misty-Rose as they do not like to be picked up. Research research research!!! I would suggest getting a book called Rabbits for Dumbies, no I am not saying you are dumb, I have this book and it was very helpfull understanding our bunnies. keep an eye out for posts on here and if you have any more questions please ask! Welcome to the bunny family!!!

[CinnabunMom]

Welcome to BB! We’d love to see pics of the bun! I agree with Bullrider, watch the kids. Bunnies are soft and fluffy and fun but young kids don’t know there is a line between petting and getting out of hand, though I’m sure you’ve thought of that. Best advice I can give for a new bunny owner: let the bun warm up to you. Let the bun decide on her terms when she wants to be pet and loved and snuggled. And if your bun isn’t overly affectionate (some buns are very aloof), don’t wonder what you’re doing wrong. Just be a good bunny parent.

[Mimzy]

I agree with both previous posts! & pictures please
Bunnies can be pretty fragile so just be careful of little ones.
Make sure she’s got things to chew on, you can even use cardboard (make sure there’s no printing on it, tear it off if there is) also the cardboard toilet paper or paper towel rolls once you’re out is fine for her to chew on.

Browse around the forum & take notes welcome to BB!

[Alexandra]

Welcome!

I agree with all of the above comments. You’re going to want to find a good litter and be sure to change frequently to avoid odor. I’ve been through many and found carefresh to be the best for me. http://www.carefresh.com/, it is available in most pet stores. And of course, research, however even after years of being a rabbit owner, I still find Binky Bunny to be an invaluable resource!

[LoveChaCha]

I agree with bullrider. I too read the book “Bunnies for Dummies” when I was preparing to bring home my rabbit. It includes a lot of good tips.

Also, establish a good exotic vet for your rabbit, as when they become teenagers, you will need a vet to do a routine spay or neuter

http://www.rabbit.org/vets/index.html

[tanlover14]

Agree with everyone else, and welcome to BB and being new to a bunny family!!!

Do lots of research and make sure your children know the responsibilities of owning a bunny and just how fragile they really are — even some of our friends are ignorant to how a bunny should be handled and if they can’t do it right then they definitely should not be allowed near the bun. They are really REALLY fragile creatures and should definitely be handled as such!

[Bella and Lola's Human]

Hi there!

My advice would be to start to liter train your bunny (not as hard as it sounds!) that way once she has developed good liter habits you will have the option of letting her out of her cage to play (something that I think is crucial to bunny happiness and also helps you to interact with your bunny).

Find a liter that works for you. I can personally recommend Equine Pine/ Equine Fresh, its intended for horses but works great for bunnies and is cheap cheap cheap! But there are lots of liters to choose from. Place a large handful of hay in the liter box to entice her in there. Although she may have a few accidents bunnies really seem to catch on quickly to the liter box idea.

Welcome to the site and being a bunny owner!

[bunnyfriend]

Hi welcome to BB

My advice is to read up a lot on rabbit diets, health care, living areas, ect. Rabbits are so different from other animals and a lot of people think they are more like hamsters or other rodents (rabbits aren’t rodents). Also I would highly suggest that you get your rabbit spayed when she’s 6 months old, unspayed rabbits have an 80-85% chance of developing uterine cancer at an early age and spaying rabbits generally helps with their behavior, they’re more likely to make better companions. Also, try not to pick up your rabbit unless it is absolutely necessary. Most rabbits hate being held, even if they appear to be enjoying it, they think they’re about to be eaten. It can really cause distrust and an “unfriendly” rabbit, also can be dangerous. Your bunny will enjoy pets and attention from your kids when she’s on the ground feeling safe. 

Binky Bunny has a lot of great info, especially if you have questions. Also House Rabbit Society (rabbit.org) is great. Good luck!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Welcome to BB. You got some great advice already. Stick around and you`ll be a bunny pro in no time!

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