Newbie Rabbit Owner!

[Mae]

About a month ago, a group of rabbits mysteriously appeared around my area; one blue female and her weaned kits. Keep in mind that it’s not an unusual occurrence for people to dump their unwanted animals at my neighbourhood. However, what people fail to understand is that my neighbourhood holds an abundance of stray felines, small rabbits proved to be an easy target for them; as result, only the mother and one kit survived.

One five o’clock morning (21st of May, to be exact), the remaining kit was seen huddling against the potted plants on my front porch, thin and dehydrated. He was quite friendly… didn’t attempt to run away, nor did he panic when I picked him up – in fact, he comfortably settled in my arms.

And that’s how I became a first time rabbit owner. I decided to name the little guy Alm. He’s about three months old, is non-destructive and well behaved; doesn’t chew on anything (besides his hay and pellets), is litter trained, and seems to be use to handling — which really leads me to believe that he was dumped by his previous owner.

Its been almost two weeks since I took in Alm — he’s settled in quite nicely. However, I hope to learn more about raising a rabbit from others on here.

[Luna]

Hi! Alm is adorable with those big ears sitting on that cute little head! Applause for you for saving that little guy .

[Azerane]

Welcome to the forum Such a shame to hear about the other bunnies, but it’s so great that you could take this little one in. He’s a real cutie.

[sarahthegemini]

Aw what a cutie! It’s great that you took him in. You’ll learn tons here!

[LittlePuffyTail]

He’s super cute! Thank you for saving him? What about Mama, is she still around?

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

What a gorgeous little bun! Oh dear the ears, I’m dying of *squee!* here I really can’t believe people do things like that to animals, thank you very much for taking care of him! With all the cats around, I hope he’s living inside the house? Rabbits can die of fright when an inquisitive cat hangs around their cage.

As a first-time and unplanned rabbit owner you may find out some surprising things about rabbits. They’re so different from the image the media portrays: they’re usually displayed as calm and easy-going cuddlebugs, like some sort of living teddy bear. If you haven’t already, you’ll probably find out soon that most rabbits are actually quite active and have a huge personality. Most of them hate being picked up so much that they may turn agressive. They’ll want cuddles, but only when they choose to and only when they feel up to it. Rabbits are prey animals and the best approach to bond with them is to let them take the initiative in coming to you. A rabbit which is handled against its will may scratch and bite fiercely. Imagine the nasty surprise many people get when they buy a “sweet cuddly rabbit” for their young kids!

No, I’m not trying to give rabbits a bad rep, because they’re awesome animals and they make great companions for adults when you’ve bonded. The bonding itself takes time and quite a bit of patience because rabbits have a fearful and headstrong nature, but it’s so worth it!
Luckily there’s much info about for new rabbit owners, so take your time to read up and feel free to ask questions!
I found these websites really helpful in understanding rabbit behaviour and preparing for rabbit care:

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
http://myhouserabbit.com/new-to-rabbits/
and of course: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx

[Author]

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