Two ambiguous rabbits

[Mr CastIron]

I woke up in the morning and decided to throw away the bin contents into the large municipal bin outdoor. After opening my house door I heard strange noises, I looked around but I could not indentify anything that could be the main cause for the sound.

I looked below down to where my foot is and realised a cardboard box which punched/penetrated holes through. Recklessly and emergently I took the box into my home guessing that a creature could be still living inside it (It was rather cold outside).

I looked through one of the holes found on the side of the box but I could not recognize what was inside. So I decided to open up the box. I found two black&white coloured medium-sized rabbits, they were shivering because of the bad weather conditions they were in while they were outside.

Now I need advice on feeding these poor rabbits. I’ve read a few articles and online encyclopedias about rabbits and their digestion but could not find any promising or relevant information.

I want to know what I could feed my ‘new welcome rabbits’ with and where I can obtain grass, or timothy hay in general (supposing that I could attain these from a pet shop- I have no idea).

I appreciate all your support on my case.

 

My Best Regards.

Mustafa Castiron

[MarkBun]

Mustafa,

That is a tragic story and yet a holiday miracle at the same time.

You should be able to get timothy hay and pellets at a local pet shop. You can also feed them various greens – I do not know of a vegetable that is dangerous to them except iceberg lettuce although too many fruits could be bad. If you’re going to give them a litter box, make sure not to use standard cat litter as that could be dangerous.

If you have a spare towel you won’t mind throwing away later, you could include that with them. 

I am not sure where you are but there could be a bunny shelter near you.  There is a lot here online to read about the care and raising of rabbits (if you’re planning on keeping them) but any questions you have we’ll be happy to answer them.

 

[Mr CastIron]

Hello markusdark,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

I wonder if you can advice me on any rabbit cages and their usual sizes.

[Deleted User]

Hi Mustafa, I found my first rabbit abandoned on the street. Did not know thing one about bunnies. It was late on a Sunday night, I went online for information and ran to an all night market that had a large pet section for hay, litter and a dish pan for a litter box. It was “temporary” and we had Fu for 7 years. As markusdark said, there is a lot of great information, for cage sizes check out the cool habitats link.

We had unhooked some chicken wire from my garden, and used a large flattened cardboard as a base as a quick fix, in it I put a cardboard box for the rabbit to hide in and the litter box. It worked great for weeks until I got a proper cage. Good luck and we will be happy to help with advice and support.

[Sarita]

Oh my, I’m so glad you rescued these poor rabbits.

You should be able to find some timothy hay and some pellets at a local pet store to get you started. They can also eat fresh vegetables including romaine lettuce, cilantro, parsley, collard greens – those are easy to obtain and will get you started feeding them until you can get everything you need together for them.

If you can obtain a puppy or x-pen that would be a good place to keep them and easy to obtain. Usually the cages in pet stores are not adequate – they are too small and they usually have wire bottoms which are not good for rabbit’s feet.

[JK]

You are so awesome to rescue these rabbits!  You are a good no fantastic person!!!!  Here’s a great link to what you need initially  http://saveabunny.com/?q=newrabbitshoppinglist.  Binky Bunny is an unbelievable website with many experienced people to help.  Good luck.

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh my Mustafa, welcome to Binky Bunny, how tragic and yet what a kind person you are to take them in from the cold. There are many rabbit rescue organizations with great info, the link you were provided with is just one of many, and depending on where you live they can also get you in touch with rabbit savvy veterinarians and care info (Binky Bunny too!).

A few other organizations;

The House Rabbit Society

The Rabbit Haven

House Rabbit Network

Save A Bunny

House Rabbit Resource Network

The Bunny Bunch

Rabbit Welfare Association – UK

Rabbit Rehome – UK

Vancouver Rabbit Rescue & Advocacy – Canada

All of these wonderufl organizations provide plenty of info and Binky Bunny can also help you get started (These are all under BUNNY INFO at the top fo the page):

Diet

Veggie/Fruit list

Cool Habitats

Bunny Proofing

As for a cage, I too would suggest an X-Pen or NIC condo made with Neat Idea Cube, Organize-It cube panels found at Target, Walmart or even Bed Bath & Beyond.  They are wire storage cubes and under the Cool Habitats section you can see the many designs by our members.  A dog kennel also works well too, make sure you get a large one so you place shelves in it.  As with any cage, you will not want wire flooring that will hurt their feet, so be sure to cover it with old towels, rag rugs found at a discount store like Walmart, Big Lots or IKEA. Be sure to purchase a litterbox large enough for them and bunny-safe litter like Yesterday’s News, Care Fresh or Aspen Supreme.  Do not use pine or cedar shavings, they emit phenols that can damage the liver and/or kidneys, not to mention the dust that gets inhaled.

Buy a good quality pelleted food without all the junk in it like seeds and colorful bits.  They actually do more harm than good.  I would stick with a timothy based pellet. Minimum 18% fiber, Maximum 1-2% fat, protein 12-14% & maximum 1% calcium.  American Pet Diner and Oxbow are excellent brands. Often your local rabbit rescue will have a store where you can buy these things and you can also help the shelter bunnies out too.

Hay is sold in pet stores but you may find that your rabbits will eat quite a lot of it.  The usual kind fed to rabbits is called timothy hay.  The alfalfa hay is high in calories and calcium so is usally given to very young rabbits. Oat hay and meadow hay are also good for an adult rabbit. If you find you are spending a lot on hay from your local pet store you can purchase a bale of hay from your local feed supply store. This works great if you have the storage for it. Otherwise your local bunny rescue may also sell flakes of hay as well.  Binky Bunny has a great store where all sorts of goodies including hay is sold (U.S. only).

I am hoping that both of these rabbits are either the same sex or one or both of them is fixed, if not, you may find yourself contending with a liiter of kits. So, you just might want to book that appointment with the rabbit savvy vet sooner than later for peace of mind.  How big are they?

[Scarlet_Rose]

I also wanted to add check them over for any mites, fleas sores etc, or if they are not eating, drinking or pooing. This will definately be something of urgency and will need immediate attention and contact a vet ASAP, otherwise try to get them in as soon as your are able for a check-up. The thing with rabbits when under stress is that they can run a bout with GI stasis as they are very sensitive creatures. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask!

[wendyzski]

How wonderful that you took those poor little souls in from the cold.

If you tell us where you are located, we may be able to give you more specific info on resources in your area.

[BinkyBunny]

Welcome Y0L! Wow, what a story. How lucky for them you found them. You have received great advice to get started. Let us know if you have any specific questions along the way. Keep us updated!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

That is wonderful you took them in!!! Welcome to Binkybunny!!!
Yes keep us updated-and any questions at all we’d love to help!

[JK]

Mustafa!  I’m dying to know how you are doing with the bunnies!  Hope you come back and give us an update!

[babybunsmum]

Posted By knowltons4 on 01/02/2008 8:40 AM

Mustafa!  I’m dying to know how you are doing with the bunnies!  Hope you come back and give us an update!

same here!  hope all is well with the poor dears

[Gravehearted]

oo sending lots of good thoughts, I am so glad that you found the bunnies and hope they are doing ok

[Author]

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