Prepping my home

[ChinchillaCarly]

Hi everyone! So I have 4 weeks to prep my home for the bun, he’ll be 8 weeks old at that point. I am getting a list built so that I am prepared when he arrives… it’s been a while since I have had a rabbit, and this is my first time with one so young, so I may be outdated in my thinking so if I am missing something or something could be better, just let me know!

litter box

exercise pen

recycle paper litter

cozy nook bed

lots of chewy toys

carpet square

bowl for water and food

alfalfa pellets

alfalfa hay (switching to timothy hay and pellets when he hits 6 months if that is still correct)

harness and leash (though I wont let him outside til he is 6 months, if that is something I need to worry about)

carrier

fresh bun safe veggies

Is there anything else I am missing??

thank you in advance

[DanaNM]

Hi there, congrats on your new bun! You seem very well prepared!

Bunnies shouldn’t have fresh veggies until 16 weeks, so you can hold off on that. At that point, you can introduce 1 at a time (about 1 new per week) to slowly adjust his tummy.

You can also usually give timothy hay (or a mix with alfalfa) as long as he’s getting alfalfa pellets.

Keep an eye on his chewing habits before giving him the carpet square and bed unsupervised… some buns like to eat these things! Grass or paper mats are safer alternatives for chewers.

You also might like to have some white vinegar on hand to help clean up any accidents.

It’s also always a good idea to have a vet lined up (sometimes if you wait till the bun is sick, it is hard to get in with a vet as they usually need longer appointments for new patients), and to put together a bunny-first aid kit. Mine has simethicone (baby gas drops), a baby thermometer, critical care, syringes for syringe feeding, and syringes for giving medicine.

Can’t wait to see pics of him

. . . 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.  

[Kiki]

white vinegar, white vinegar and more white vinegar, also something to safety proof your cords

[Wick & Fable]

Mentally, have an ever-adapting and curious mind about what your rabbit reveals he/she needs (Maybe he/she is a particularly “bad” digger and you’ll need to get some tiles to lay down. Maybe there are a couple corners he/she likes in the pen to do business, so you’ll need another litter box, etc.). Also, keep in mind your rabbit will be ever growing for the next year plus, so if you have a smaller box/pen, you will need to upgrade as time goes on!

Grooming tools would be helpful. You don’t need to start nail clipping and brushing right away necessarily, but having them and maybe just getting your rabbit used to the tools and their sounds/sensations may be good. This includes nail clippers (usually the small cat ones) and a brush/comb (keeping in mind you want one that will be effective, but not harm the rabbit’s skin).

I am bias towards reducing pet-related waste, so I recommend thinking about buying some rabbit-task-specific towels (I use small, kitchen square ones) and a laundry bag to store dirty ones (I use a cloth-diaper bag; meant for cloth baby diapers, so very odor-blocking and antibacterial), so you’re not constantly going through paper towels. It’s also helpful at first, when your rabbit is growing up and may feel that urge to mark…everywhere due to emerging hormones and being in a new environment! Also, depending on your living situation/preferences, perhaps a designated trashcan specifically for rabbit hay/litter/poop/pee items, so it’s consolidated in one spot. Some people don’t care though. I also recommend baby diaper pads (washable), which I use in lieu of the disposable puppy pee pads – they are helpful for lining your carrier (also need to get this!) for trips or places accidents may happen frequently. I put one in front of Wick’s litter boxes, in the case that he pees over the box while in it or he gets lazy and just pees near the box, rather than in it!

A small dust pan/brush, or a large one would be good for sweeping, as hay and litter (if you do not have a litter screen) will get everywhere as a general reality of life! It can be loud and unruly to get a vacuum out every time, so a quick dust pan works.

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.

[Kiki]

Yes! I use my old kitchen or bathroom hand towels! i never thought of the baby diaper pads though, I am gonna do that when I run out!

[ChinchillaCarly]

thank you everyone for your great advice!

[Author]

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