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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum DIET & CARE I’m a new bunny owner, please help!

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    • zeldacw
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        Few days ago, I brought home an abandoned bunny (kind of rescued him from under a truck).  A lady who checks animals at the Petco adoption center did some initial examination said he was all right, but the previous owner didn’t take good care of him, and that he should get neutered ASAP.  (I will do that after getting him fully checked by a rabbit vet soon).  

        I decided to keep him so I did a bunch of research to make sure I take care of him correctly.
        I think he must be nervous/ stressed about the strange new faces and surrounding, so he stayed in his cage mostly.  Although he doesn’t mind getting close to me when he is hungry for food, he is still easily scared and wouldn’t leave his cage.  (I’m planning to build him a bigger condo soon)

        Everyday he just eat and sleep, grooms himself, eat and sleep, grooms himself more, *repeat*…. it’s been 3 days.

        I understand I have to wait patiently until he gets comfortable enough to come out and look around, but I’m getting worried because I learned that rabbits need a lot of exercise daily and he’s getting none. His nails are really long but there’s no way he’d let me trim it. Seeing him grooming himself so much, I’m afraid he may get too much fur in his stomach…

        How long can I leave him alone like this before all of it become a problem to his health ??? 

        I’m not sure if it’s my imagination but it seems like he has gotten bigger since the day I brought him home.

        please help. I’m really worried… 


      • kcomstoc
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          honestly I would probably take him to the vet asap and while he’s there have them trim his nails for you….also is the person sure that’s the bunny is a boy….it can be mistaken easily so maybe a female?


        • LBJ10
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            Since you found him outside underneath a truck, it would be a good idea to take him to a vet just to make sure he is okay. It sounds like he’s been traumatized, so it isn’t unusual for him to just want to stay in his cage. Three days is not that long, especially with a scared bunny. I think you’re doing alright so far, but I do like kcomstoc’s suggestion of having the vet cut his nails while you are there.

            I also have to ask, what kind of floor is the cage sitting on? If you have linoleum, tile, hardwood, or another slippery surface then he might be hesitant to jump out. You could try putting a rug right outside his cage door so he has traction when he jumps in and out.


          • zeldacw
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              At first I didn’t know what to do… so I went to petco with the bunny for some supply, then I saw lots of red stains on the bunny’s blanket, I thought it smelled like urine but I wasn’t sure because it looked like blood, then the cashier said “yeah it’s bleeding” and I freaked out…so they suggested leaving the bunny there and let their adoption center staff check it. II’m not sure if the lady was a vet, but they called her doc. I reluctantly left the bunny there because I had to go to work.  Later the lady called back and it turned out to be red urine…(thanks for almost giving me a heart attack, petco cashier~)  She told me the bunny is a boy and should get neutered ASAP or he would spray all over the place…

              Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve made an appointment but the earliest one is next Monday. I just hope the exam fee plus nail trimming won’t be outrageous…my budget this month wasn’t prepared for a bunny surprise. 

              I will work hard to take good care of him though. I really like the bunny and I’m hoping it’s really a boy. ^__^


            • zeldacw
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                Ah! we have linoleum floor…and there was one time I had to put him on the floor so I can work on his cage, his nails were slipping on the floor and he panicked…he jumped into the cage willingly even before I was done putting the cage wall up.  That experience probably scarred him : (

                so it’s okay to just let him be for a few more days?
                I worry that all the eating and grooming plus the lack of exercise would lead to stomach problem…

                can I put any kind of material rug/ blanket? 

                Is there any material that’s harmful to the rabbit?

                Thank you so much for helping and giving me the suggestion!


              • Kbana
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                  Welcome and kudos to you for bringing him in and providing him with a loving home.
                  It sounds like you already have some of the basic info down so that is awesome.

                  He will be just fine for a few days without coming out of his cage, especially if it is by his choice. Perhaps put some low pile carpet down for him outside his cage and see if he chooses to venture out. Do you have a litter box for him yet? I notice in the pic that you have bedding in the cage. That is not needed as eventually it will make litter training harder. Fleece is a good type of fabric for a bunny since he won’t get caught up in it like some other fabrics with longer fibers. That being said, until he is neutered, he will most likely pee on anything that is soft. He can have a clean cage with nothing on the bottom and then just put bedding/litter in his litter box.

                  Make sure he has plenty of hay and water (mine prefers to drink out of a bowl instead of a bottle) and that should help the fur move through his system. Right now he is stressed and scared so I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes a few days or even a few weeks to start feeling more comfortable.
                  If he is grooming himself that is actually a good sign. Sounds to me like he is just scared and needs some time to adjust. Again, welcome and we will help in any way we can. In the mean time, you can browse the previous threads…just search for the topic you are interested in and you can read about other members’ experiences. Many members here have rescued buns from difficult situations so their info might be helpful to you. Good luck!!


                • LBJ10
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                    If you get a little rug, I would get something low pile so he can’t dig up the fibers easily. I see you added a picture, he’s adorable!


                  • zeldacw
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                      He came out last night!
                      and this morning he was running up and down the ramp (my sister made out of cardboard.)
                      I’m so relieved to see him being active and curious.

                      I expanded his area with a dog pen we just bought. Just temporary setup… ^__^
                      I will try to build him a condo soon (saw some from youtube videos)
                      , so I can save our small living room floor space.

                      Thank you so much for the advice regarding bedding. ! The first thing I did with the new cage was spread the entire bag of bedding because the only pet I had before was a hamster and that’s what he needed… now I know! I did get him a litter box. hopefully training won’t be too hard. I’m taking him to a vet on Tuesday. I’ll ask the doctor if he’s in OK condition for neutering.

                      Thanks again!


                    • zeldacw
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                        Thanks fir the advice!

                        I’m considering using fleece, and hopefully the bunny won’t chew on it.  If that fails, I’ll look for other options…

                        He looks like a loaf of bread in that pic…^__^


                      • LongEaredLions
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                          Wow-thank you for rescuing him, he is gorgeous!
                          If he does chew on the fleece, I find that pulling it so it is taught stops any chewing.
                          Good luck and welcome!


                        • Linette
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                            You can buy mats made of woven sea grass or jute. Not dyed just natural. They make good floor coverings, and if the bunny chews them, no harm. They sell some here at the Binky Bunny store. If they are out of stock you might be able to find them locally.

                            Mine will chew ANYTHING..any sort of mat etc, so I have to be careful.

                            Another good thing is to keep healthy chews in the areas your bun hangs out. mine has certain places he takes naps etc so I keep bunches of hay stuffed in toilet paper tubes, or wrapped tight round the middle with paper there. Also twists of brown bags, and tree branches for him to chew on. It helps keep him from eating rug


                          • zeldacw
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                              thanks for the advice! I was afraid to intimidate him…but I’ll try that because he’s been chewing on towels.^^


                            • zeldacw
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                                oh! okay! thanks for the advice !

                                I’ll have to find some safe branches for him to chew on…^__^


                              • Beka27
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                                  Such a cutie!!! I’m glad he’s getting more comfortable!


                                • Sarita
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                                    Oh, he’s adorable! So glad he’s settling in now.


                                  • BunnyLady1989
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                                      I’m glad to see he is getting more familiar with the surroundings. I think he is going to do fine and be a very happy boy it looks like he already has a fun setup! For Lulu’s area I have the same thing. The actual pen is arranged to square off a corner in our basement, and so her area is about 6 feet long and 3feet wide. With mine I have it not connected,hence the rectangular shape, and luckily she is small enough and can’t push it to get out or collapse it.


                                    • bunnytowne
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                                        About tree things to chew.  Not all outside trees are good for them to chew.  Some can be toxic.  Check the diet section.  Apple sticks and willow tree twigs are good.  We have willow trees here in florida so we stop and pick some when we go by that way. Cotton loves them. 

                                        Litter box   do NOT use cat litter.  Feline pine is safe to use the litter is shaped like pellets just no odorous kinds like cedar odor or pine odors. Feline pine does not have odor.  

                                        You will have a wonderful companion in this little bunny.  Being rescued he will appreciate.  That was a big scary world out there. 


                                      • zeldacw
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                                          Thanks for all the help! I highly appreciate everyone’s reply ^___^
                                          my bunny has pretty much settled in and became rather comfortable. 
                                          unfortunately the floor is too slippery, so he would only dare walk as far as the towels/ blankets I laid out. 

                                          my mother noticed one side of his mouth is bigger than the other though (as if swollen)… 

                                          (why didn’t we notice that BEFORE visiting the vet … )

                                          It’s not very noticeable so the vet didn’t catch that…
                                          I did some research and the only matching one is middle ear infection that causes facial muscle problem.
                                          I could only keep watch for now, and hopefully he’ll be fine.
                                          So far he eat/ drinks/ poops/ pees all fine except he often scratch behind his ear and seem to be having an itch on his rear end that he couldn’t reach so he keep chasing his tail running in circle…


                                        • Bam
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                                            Congratulations to your new bunny, he is beautiful!

                                            Sometimes bunnies get mites, but hopefully your vet would’ve picked up on that. It may be though that the infestation was very low-grade when you saw the vet, so you should check the places where he scratches himself for dandruff-like skin-flakes. These mites are easily dealt with and not really dangerous, but they are extremely common in bunnies that have been under stress.

                                            Don’t let him chew towels. It’s actually somewhat better if he chews fleece, the long fibers in towels may cause stomach-problems. But twigs are of course the better option. My buns are particularly crazy about apple-twigs.

                                            I think the BB forums is the best place for a bunny-owner. I’m so happy I found this place, I’ve gotten so much help and good advice here from all the members, many of whom are very, very experienced. I hope you will like it here too. This is a place full of unlimited bunny-love!


                                          • zeldacw
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                                              thank you so much for the advice ^__^ !

                                              I bought him several chew toys, but he rarely chew on those…(and recently I set up a condor for him, he put all his toys into his hiding box, and I don’t ever see him play with those : (

                                              I’ll try to buy some apple twigs ASAP.

                                              good news~ now he doesn’t chew the towel as much!

                                              and yes, this website is really helpful. I’m so glad that I found this place ^ ^


                                            • Samicles
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                                                Oh I’ve got the same cage you do. And you should start bonding with your bunny so he’s not so scared of you. You can try holding a piece of vegetable or fruit in your hands and let him eat it out of your hand so he can associate you with being good.

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                                            Forum DIET & CARE I’m a new bunny owner, please help!