Totally inexperienced bunny owner; I’ve got a couple questions

[MamaBean]

 Okay, so a bit of a back story; Last night me and my friend (Matthias) took the truck to McDonalds. We went inside to order our food and such, and then proceeded to drive home. As we were walking up the stairs to the house, we noticed a movement and decided to check it out. Lo and behold, there’s a little cottontail in the back of the truck! First thought was ‘how the hell did a rabbit get into the back of a pickuptruck in the middle of the city’, I’m still seriously baffled. I’m 100% sure s/he (We named it Bean) is NOT a wild rabbit, as s/he showed absolutely no fear towards Matthias and I, and when I climed into the back of the truck to offer some lettuce (romaine of course) s/he was sniffing me and climbing all over me and Matthias exploring, and was not hesetant at all to climb onto my lap and eat the lettuce right out of my hand!
It was getting late, so we decided we would bring the poor creature inside for the night at least, s/he’s skin and bones! 
Now a full day later, Bean is happily climbing on me as I type this, trying to eat my hair. 
Anyways, we’ve decided to keep her and I’ve got a few inquieries

One, is that she keeps peeing on things, even my chest!
First thought that comes to mind is that s/he is marking it’s territory, but I don’t think so because s/he’s chosen a few select spots around the house that s/he keeps peeing in. One of them is on my bed! I’m afraid to let poor Bean out for playtime, as I just don’t want to clean up after him/her again and again! The baffling part is, for the first while after we found him/her s/he would only pee in the lid of the container we’re using as a temporay cage. I thought s/he’d decided that was the litterbox!

Secondly, s/he heeps sneezing! I read up and everywhere says it’s the sniffles.. Do these just run their course, or will I have to take my bunny to the vet?

Last, seeing as how we were unprepared to get a rabbit, what kind of cage would you guys recommend? Right now s/he’s sleeping in a plastic tote with no lid, that has some old towels on the bottom. And I won’t be getting paid for a few days, so what do you suggest I feed my lovely new friend until I do?

[Roberta]

Do you know any one with access to hay (horse quality) that is the most important part of their diet or do you have enough cash to buy a small bag from the pet shop. Stock providors also do compressed mini bales for a couple of dollars. Do you know any one with rabbits who could give you enough hay and pellets for a few days ?
Bean will definitely need a trip to the vet as soon as possible for a check up. The peeing could be the result of a uti and early diagnosis and treatment can prevent it from becoming worse.

[Deleted User]

Basically ditto what Roberta has told you.

If you aren’t dealing with a urinary track infection then it may well be marking. But given the circumstances of your finding your new friend think a trip to the vet is definitely a must.

Its rare to find a ready-made cage large enough to keep a rabbit comfortably, and the ones that are tend to be pricey. A lot of people build their own out of storage cubes. You might want to take a look at the habitat section on this forum for lots of excellent (and often inexpensive) ideas. Some people use pens instead of or as well as smaller cages, and I’ve read some of those can be a good price somewhere like Amazon.com

This whole site has lots of excellent information, and you may want to do some reading on the House Rabbit Society’s site, rabbit.org… its a great reference full of trustworthy information.

Best of luck with your new furry one!

[Baxter n Boos Mom]

I ordered my exercise pens on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Black-E-Coat-Exercise-Pen/dp/B000H8YTJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368907652&sr=8-1&keywords=ex+pen

This works great to contain the buns in a certain area – or keep them out of areas where they can chew up cords/furniture/wires etc. My hubby also just built an awesome condo for our 2 buns.,,but it took a while…and the Expen can be set up right away.

[Sarita]

If it’s a baby bunny then peeing on you is just a baby peeing on you – that is pretty typical for baby rabbits unfortunately. They usually aren’t the best at controlling their bladder.

As for sniffles, that’s really just a catch all term for an Upper Respiratory Infection and it may or may not be that…so either way a trip to the vet is a good idea.

Make sure the vet does a fecal test to check for coccidia as well – if she’s been living outside it’s highly possible she has this and it can be easily cured with medication.

I definitely would recommend an x-pen – she may be too small for one just yet if she’s tiny since she’ll be able to get between the slats, but it’s your best bet and easy to clean.

[Author]

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