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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Am I caring for my mini-lop properly?

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    • Lauryn
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        Hi, 

        Me and my partner recently brought an 8 week old mini-lop called Keith. 

        I have tried to do so much research around this but the internet often gives so much conflicting information. As 2 teachers we are out of the house around 8-9 hours per day but when we are home we give Keith lots of attention. In our absence Keith has the whole conservatory to live in and also has a large cage which is always open with his food, water and litter tray inside. In the conservatory I put things for him to play with each day. He has a tunnel which leads to a small pop up tent, cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes and toilet roll holders cut at the ends and stuffed with Hay and Pellets. 

        My main worries are that when we aren’t here all day I hear that most of that time he will be asleep, but every time I arrive home he is sitting under the table very still – could this be how he sleeps or is he depressed and lonely? As soon as we’re home we let him have free run of the whole house and spend time playing with him and cuddling him when we watch TV. I am debating getting him a friend once he has been neutered at about 5 months old – is this the best way to ensure he doesn’t get lonely?

        Also what veg should I be feeding a baby? We have tried spinach, carrot and green pepper so far which doesn’t seem to have changed his poo at all but I wasn’t sure if any veg is suitable with him still being so young?

        FINALLY (Sorry for the essay) I want to click train him – does anybody have any advice on this? Is it really successful with bunnies?

        Any replies very much appreciate – Thanks


      • Linette
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          Congratulations on your new baby!

          Rabbits are most active morning and evening so that can work well with a work schedule as you can have time in the morning before work and in the evenings.

          I am home all day with my rabbits and mid morning my male goes into his “house” and is not seen again till late afternoon. That is the schedule he made for himself, and the natural tendency of rabbits.

          Thing about feeding rabbits fresh greens and veggies….It is not that fresh greens are bad for babies. They would be eating grass and clover etc if they were in the wild. Rabbits have an ecosystem of bacteria in their guts that help them digest the food they eat. The balance of types of bacteria differs according to the foods the rabbit has been eating. Rabbits eat their mom’s poops when they are young and get “seeded” with the bacteria to digest the diet their mother is on, and which they would be eating as well.

          That is why we do any diet changes slowly, so the bacteria in their guts can adjust to any new foods. If the babies have been with mom, and she is eating greens, they will be able to eat them as well. if they have only had hay or pellets, greens will give them an upset. It’s important to find out what they’ve been eating when you get them so you can adjust properly.

          So, when introducing new foods, start with a little and give their gut bacteria time to sort it out.

          I suggest staying away from fruits or veg with high sugar or starch content in young rabbits though as those can quickly cause trouble. It takes longer for them to develop guts to handle that. Stick to greens and non sweet veggies until they are 6 months at least. Carrots are high in sugar, some people don’t realize just how much.

          Keep lots of hay around. Bunnies under one year can have alphalfa hay, it’s high in protein and good for growth, but also give them timothy, orchard grass, meadow grass etc hay. They can happily while away many hours a day lazily nibbling their hay.


        • Deleted User
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            My 1 year old mini lop, Henry (Keith – COOL name!) takes himself off to bed (under my bed) every day between 9 and 10am and we don’t see him again till mid afternoon, and even then it’s only to eat. Then it’s relax/nap time again till early evening. I reckon Keith’s set up and indulgences are wonderful!!!! I wouldn’t be concerned about him being lonely, especially when he gets you and your partner’s attention every evening. We introduced veggie’s to Henry when he was 3 months old and now his dinner consists of lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, a few thin slices of carrot and parsley. He also gets a little piece of craisin (in exchange for a kiss) and a slice of banana as a treat from my hubby. We don’t do clicker training – Henry has trained US perfectly! But I’ve heard of a few BBer’s that do and with good results. And good for you getting him neutered as soon as he’s old enough – I got caught out and one of Henry’s favourite past times was spraying us, good grief! (I soon fixed that! Snip! ha hah!). It sounds to me that Keith is living the life Lauryn! Cheers.


          • whitney_g1223
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              Hey!
              I am a new mini-lop owner as well! I got Lily the beginning of this month.
              Mon-Fri she is able to run the house as she pleases ( certain places blocked off for her protection )
              She usually isn’t to eager to play until around 9:45 AM. I give her a treat ( some parsley ) at 10AM and she plays
              until about 10:45 AM then off to snooze she goes. She will hop around to her snooze spots through the day but usually doesn’t
              pop back up until around 6PM when she’s ready for something to eat.
              When I first got her she didn’t do much playing at first, she wanted to sniff and explore, which still occurs.
              But now she’s getting into things….. I find something to “hide” every day. Lol
              She doesn’t enjoy cuddles right now, but has started eating her morning treats from my hand. I think she gave me a nice lick the other day,
              as a “Thanks Mom”… but that could just be wishful thinking HA.

              I know every bunny is different, but I don’t think your bunny is depressed. He is just napping, or waiting on Mom and Dad to get home!


            • tanlover14
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                It sounds like you give your bun bun enough interaction so I wouldn’t worry on that front! The important thing is that he has access to you when you’re home and that he DOES get the chance to interact with you. You’re not leaving him in a cage alone so I’m sure he is fine. Buns tend to sleep during that time so I wouldn’t worry – AND – a lot of buns will fit to your schedules. He may become more roused and waiting if you come home at the same time every day! Buns LOVE schedules so it’s very common for them to adjust their schedules to fit yours if it’s consistent.

                I would hold off on vegs until 12 weeks. I agree with Linette though, I would back off any root and other vegetables outside of leafy greens until he’s older and has adjusted to other healthier things like green leaf lettuce, basil, mint, kale, collard greens, etc. You can find a great list here:

                http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

                I would also encourage you to search around on the site I just posted above for other information! House Rabbit Society is the go-to for new bunny owners – it has a lot of really great information and I’ve never been sent wrong by going to them for information! BinkyBunny has great resources in the “Bunny Info” section as well. He should be eating unlimited pellets and unlimited hay as well until 7 months, at 7 months you will want to begin switching him to a timothy based alfalfa (if he is on alfalfa) and limiting as well. Alfalfa is great for growing rabbits – you can get alfalfa based pellets and alfalfa hay at just about any store that sells animal items.

                Another thing to consider – as I see you mentioned getting him a friend – really do your research when it comes to bringing home a new “buddy” for your rabbit. Bonding can be a very complicated process with buns and you will want to make sure you have the time, energy, and patience to take on the task! If not, you may end up with two single buns. Both rabbits will need to be spayed/neutered before any kind of introductions take place. A month after both have been altered, you can begin introductions in what will need to be a neutral territory. They cannot live together until they are successfully bonded. You can check out bonding threads on BinkyBunny if you’re curious – I also have a bonding blog here: http://www.wheekwheekthump.com – It has a lot of bonding articles as well as information and ideas on how I went about bonding my bonded group of six
                /???
                PS – You should post a picture soon! Lops are so adorable! Especially babies! Has his ears lopped yet??

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            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Am I caring for my mini-lop properly?