Pudgy bunny exercise tips…

[EveryPossibleWorld]

Well, Ringo is becoming a bit chubby…. he only eats salads (no pellets) w/ the occasional bit of fruit/carrot. He is only a about 1/2 pound heavier than I would like him to be but I want to nip this in the bud before it becomes an issue. Anyone have any suggestions for toys, exercise routines, etc… I can put him on. As much as I love having more of him to love I want to be able to love him for as long as possible! Silly fat rabbit! Thanx guys!

[Sarita]

What are you basing his weight on? It doesn’t sound like anything he eats is going to cause weight gain.

[EveryPossibleWorld]

He goes to the vet once a month for a nail trim (since he doesn’t enjoy being picked up — and I do not enjoy being clawed) and he has gained a 1/2 lb since we moved to our new apt w/ hardwood floors (in August). We have as much of it covered w/ rugs as possible but he hates running on the wood. He used to do bunny 500’s around our old living room and now he doesn’t run nearly as much and I believe this has caused his slight weight gain.

He is a mini rex and weighs in at 4 lbs 8 oz. Is that weight okay?

I mainly worry because he suffered from sore hocks and while they are looking great now (he still has pink pads but is finally regrowing hair a bit) I know that obesity can be rough on their lil feet.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Honestly just on breed and weight there is no way for us to say if that’s an ok weight at all. It sounds fine. And if your vet isn’t concerned I wouldn’t be either.

Also it’s better imho for them to have some extra weight. Then if they get sick they have something…it’s harder for an already trim animal to lose a bit of weight during illness…So I don’t mind a little chub. Also if your bunny is less then 2 years old he may just be filling out and growing and I really wouldn’t worry about a 1/2 pound gain at all

If you want to exercise him more just for health and not weight loss-try tunnels and boxes for exploration, and things to throw. The neater the enviornment-the more it changes, the more they’ll do. Have you noticed that he checks everything out after you clean his cage/pen? If you move everything around he’ll spend more time doing that, and maneuvering and bouncing etc

[LittlePuffyTail]

Two words: Cottontail Cottage. My buns love zooming up and down the levels and running in and out of it. Check out the BB store.

[RabbitPam]

It’s a good idea to provide him with a form of exercise, like a cottontail cottage, but I think he sounds quite normal. I had a mini rex and when he weighed 5.5 lbs. my vet called him a “lean mean bunny machine.” He gained weight a lot in his first couple of years. Was never particularly fat.

I also had the problem of an apartment that wasn’t carpeted, and it did effect his ability to run around, since he hated tile and wood, so throw rugs and runners can be very helpful. A large, inexpensive area rug or carpet remnant or lining a hallway might please all of you. Just remember that the frequent, insane (and adorable) binkies are a baby bunny’s province, and they tend to calm down as they mature. It’s just their grown up natures to binky less often.

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