Help with new bunny

[Bunny Newbie]

Our family acquired a bunny from someone who could not keep him anymore.
We know nothing about bunnies but am determined to give him a good home.
They told us he was liter box trained and he didn’t use a cage. So we were okay
With that since we figured he would poop in his liter box. Yea…he doesn’t. I’ve been
Keeping him in our sun room and he pees and poops everywhere..a lot is in the same area. I never
Knew a bunny could poop so much :/ so, should I get him a cage? How can I get him to
Go in his litter box and not all over my floor? What is a normal day for a house bunny?
I mean, how can we keep him happy an healthy? How do we trim his nails? (They are pretty long)
Does e need shots? Will he ever stop running and hiding from us? How can we tell if he is happy, mad, etc?
As you can tell we are totally new to this and we weren’t planning on having a bunny, it just happened.
Also does anyone know what kind he is? I’m having a hard time attaching picture. He is pretty big. White w/red eyes.

[mia]

Since you just got him, you need to confine him to a smaller area and then work to let him have a larger area. This may also help with the litter issues. It may not be that he isn’t litter trained, but that he is in a new, and possibly large, area. Also, if he’s using the bathroom in the same area, just put a litter box in that area and see if that helps.

As for how you keep him happy, it really depends on his personality. Just get the basics down for now, a good diet and letting him adjust to his new home. Observe and gradually you will know what he likes and doesn’t like. I bought mine a ton of toys only to find out a cardboard box was the best for them (in addition to willow for one bun).

Go to the resource section of this forum and read all the articles; it’s very helpful. Also make sure to go to the vet and get a checkup.

[Valkyrie]

If he isn’t used to a cage I wouldn’t get him one. But he does need to be contained until he is comfortable in his new home so I would recommend an exercise pen. It is not unusual for rabbits to “forget” their litter habits when they go to a new home due to the stress and a new environment. He will learn them again! And definitely check the resource section and read old posts.

[LBJ10]

I agree with the posts above. Plus he could be marking his territory in the new place. Claiming it as his makes him feel better in a strange environment. Confine him using an exercise pen, get more than one litter box, and work on getting him comfortable using his litter box in that space.
It’s going to take time for him to warm up to you. Try sitting on the floor with him and let him come check you out. Offer him treats and good things.
Nails can be tricky, especially if you aren’t familiar with bunnies. You could take him to the vet (he should go anyway for a wellness check) and have the vet show you how to do it.
You will know he is feeling happy and safe when you see him binky, flop, and lounge about.

[Author]

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