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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A new/first time owner, a few questions

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    • jayne fine
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        yesterday I adopted my first bunny from a family who had an accidental litter from two mis-sexed rabbits; she’s about a year old and they’re rehoming her now because they’re downsizing from four to two rabbits since they’re moving.  she’s very sweet and definitely been well socialized.

         here’s the situation: I’m a college student, I live in a dorm.  my room is pretty small (small college single sized) so a big cage is for sure a no go.  right now she’s in a sort of small cage (probably about 30 by 17 inches); I’m working on potty training her now so that she can have free roam of the room.  I am not technically allowed to have a rabbit in my dorm but its very easy to hide the week we have room checks (they email us before they happen, you just put the cage under a bed or into a closet or just cover it with a blanket).  I’m working on getting her certified as an emotional support animal (which is really part of the reason I got her; I have depression and animals help the relieve my symptoms), which would legally force the college to let me have her anyways.

         I’m running into 3 main questions:

         the first is about litter box training.  her old owner said she was partially trained already.  her current litter box is one of those tiny corner ones and she’s even managed to pee and poop in that a few times.  tomorrow I’m planning to go and get a mid sized cat litter box/suitable sized tupperware and fill it with shredded newspaper.  it’ll take up a fair amount of room in her cage, but I figure that is maybe better for training her?  she’s been out of her cage basically all day today (door open, me sitting on floor so she can come and go as she wants).  she hasnt peed outside of the cage so far, and she’s only left a few droppings as she ran around.  should I read into this?  or should I assume she istn litter trained until she doesnt so any buisiness outside?

        as for training, I’m curious how to do it in such a small space (her cage vs a more appropriately sized pen)?  I was thinking just keep the bottom of the floor bare plastic, put the paper in the box, and when she goes outside of it move/mop it up to put the scent where she’s supposed to go?  every tutorial I read keeps saying that you pick them up and put them in the box when they go to the bathroom outside, but she doesnt like being picked up and I dont want to have to traumatize her every time she poops anywhere else because there’s not much of a lesson in that.

         the second is about diet.  I have pellets and hay for her from her old home.  the hay is timothy, which I think is appropriate for her age group, yes?  the pellets look like they could be oxbow, they smell fresh so I’m thinking they’re a higher brand than something like kaytee.  how much greens should she get each day and what kind?  I have a small dorm fridge and can go into town and get some vegetables (any ideal staple veggies I can use?), but I dont have space to store a lot and also dont know how much to feed.

        the third question is an actual health question, which I will put in bold because it the most important: she’s a light colored rabbit (I beleive the color is called broken tort) and both her hocks and her front feet are urine stained (yellow, no matter fur) and there’s a little bit of what appears to be urine caked into her bum (around her tail mostly).  I have read a few places that very fat rabbits sometimes cannot reach their butt to clean it properly, and I think I can comfortably call her overweight (I think she got too much pellets and not enough greens in her old home). also, there is not yet anything in her cage to soak up urine.  I’m getting newspaper to put in her litter box tomorrow, and plan to leave the bottom of the cage without a liner until she’s litter trained.  I have read about rabbits having poop caked on them, but this is definitely urine.  could it just be that she peed and it wasnt soaked up?  Also: how can I tell if she has respiratory issues?  she makes clear vocalizations when she runs around, and I’m having trouble being sure they’re always vocalizations and not congestion because like I said this is my first rabbit (and really first prolonged interaction with one).  I’m maybe a little too concerned about respiratory issues because I kept rats for a long time and that’s a very common issue (many have a virus called myco that leads to chronic respiratory infections).

         as of now I live in rural ohio and dont drive, so unless it is an absolute emergency I cant get her to a vet until mid october.  I plan to bring her in for a checkup when I’m home for fall break, though.  I leave october 18th, I think.  I can get an appointment for the day after, probably.  the office knows my family well and used to see my rats, my guess is they will be able to squeeze me in.

         thanks for any help you can give!


      • Roberta
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          OK…. First the cage is way too small.. Your bunny needs to be able to hop at least 3 times her out strecthed length and to be able to stand upright without her ears touching the top of the cage. The smallest cage I would consider would be 46″ but you can expand the area with Xpens that can be folded up and put away.
          Litter training is much easier with a bunny that is spayed or neutered, that might be something you want to consider once you have established yourself with a vet you trust. Usually you pick up the stray poops and pop them in the litter box and mop up any pee accidents with a tissue and put that in the litter tray. If she has been previously kept in a small cage and they have not been maintaining it that could be why she is stained… Check that she does not have urine scald and you can clean the area with a pure cornstarch… Rub it in like dry shampoo and brush it away… In extreme circumstances you can give a butt bath in an inch or so of water just addressing the bottom. Don’t use soap just fresh tepid water.
          This is a good guide to diet https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/2/PID/940/Default.aspx on the home page under bunny care. Rule of thumb is 80% hay, 15% leafy greens and 5% clean quality pellets. Hopefull someone might have some good ideas to reducing her weight as I have a chubbabubba of my own, exercise will help though.
          The vocalizations could simply be honking… They do it when they are happy or horny. If it is only when she is zooming or binkying I would say happy and horny. Check her nose and eyes for any discharge and listen to her breathing when she is sitting still, if you are not hearing congestion or wheezing you should be OK till you get to the vet as planned. Look for a bunny savvy vet near your school though in case of any future emergencies, a bunny with bloat, stasis or FBS can go down hill very quickly and requires immediate treatment.


        • Roberta
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            Oh and we love to see photo’s.


          • tobyluv
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              That is a small cage for a rabbit. A 2 foot by 4 foot cage is the minimum size recommended for a medium size rabbit. It sounds like you wouldn’t be able to have the size needed in your dorm room. Is there not a possibility that you could have dorm checks at other times when you aren’t notified first? Unless you can get her certified as a support animal, it seems possible that you could get into trouble for having her.

              You didn’t mention if she was spayed. It is easier to litter box train a rabbit if they have been spayed or neutered. Newspaper is one of the materials that can be used in a litter box, but it can stay wet for a while, which would make the yellow, urine stained feet even worse. There are better options.

              There is a section here on Binky Bunny that is loaded with good information about rabbit care and the costs associated with rabbits: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx. You will find links to lists of good veggies. A medium size rabbit should get at least 2 cups of assorted greens a day.

              Edited to add – I see that Roberta mentioned a lot of what I just posted.  I didn’t see her post before I started typing.

              Here is some info about which litters to use and which to avoid:

              What To Use In Your Rabbit’s Litter Box

                   Remember that rabbits may sit in their litter boxes for extended periods, and that they nibble on everything, so it’s important to choose the right litter.
                   Do not use cedar or pine shavings. These contain dangerous aromatic oils that have been found to cause liver damage and respiratory problems. Don’t use CatWorks, a litter made from oat hulls, which when ingested has caused fatal zinc poisoning.  Swheat Scoop Litter should not be used since rabbits will often ingest it.  It is comprised of wheat, is very high in carbohydrates, and can cause obesity, excessive cecal production, diarrhea and other health issues.  Don’t use clay litter. The dust causes respiratory problems, and if ingested, it is harmful to the digestive tract. Don’t use any clumping litters–if nibbled on, they are likely to cause obstructions in the intestinal tract.  Also avoid corn cob litter.  If eaten, it can cause a lethal intestinal blockage.
                   Recommended litters:
                   1. Newspaper, shredded or cut-up. It’s inexpensive and readily available, but it offers no odor control.  If the newspaper is cut into larger pieces, urine may puddle at first until it is absorbed into the paper, which could cause your rabbit to have damp feet.  It can be composted.
                   2. Paper pulp litter. It has low dust, good absorbency, and no hazards, though it also offers little odor control. It can be flushed or composted. Brands include Carefresh, Yesterday’s News, Cellu-Dri, and Eco Fresh.
                   3. Oat, alfalfa and wheat straw based pellets.  Low dust, good absorbency, and no hazards, although they can cause bloating if too much is ingested. They can be flushed or composted. Brands include Critter Country, Cat Country, and Oxbow Eco-Straw (has been discontinued, but you might still be able to find it).
                   4. Compressed sawdust (pine) pellets. Unlike pine shavings, these are safe, since they have no dangerous aromatic oils. They are economical, highly absorbent, and have good odor control. They may be composted. Brands include All Pet Pine, Feline Pine and Exquisicat.
                   5. Aspen bark, pellets or shredded. Highly absorbent, with good odor control. Pellets are economical , because it only takes a thin layer in the litter box.  They may be composted. These larger pellets are good for long haired rabbits, since they don’t get stuck in their fur as easily as the small particle litters. Brands include Aspen Fresh, Gentle Touch and Aspen Supreme.
                   6. Straw or hay. Straw can be dusty and is not very absorbent, but has no hazards, unless it becomes moldy. Any of the grass hays can be used. Be sure to clean frequently, as your rabbit will also be eating the hay.  It may be composted.
                   7.  Wood stove pellets.  These are compressed pine or hardwood pellets.  Make sure that the pellets are plain and that they don’t contain accelerants.  These are very economical.  They come in large bags and are inexpensive.  They can be found in home supply or tractor supply stores.
                   8.  Horse stall pellets.  They are compressed sawdust (pine), also very economical.  Found in feed stores, home supply stores,  or tractor supply stores.  One brand is Equine Pine.
                  
                   If you change to a new litter, your rabbit may hesitate to use it. Mix some of the new with the old, or put some of the dirty litter into the new litter. Daily cleaning of the dirty areas is best. Regularly dump out the whole contents of the box, and thoroughly clean with an organic cleaner or a natural cleaner, such as vinegar.
                   Many of these litters are available in pet supply stores, grocery stores, or discount stores. Litter, food and other rabbit supplies can be ordered online from drsfostersmith.com, wag.com,  bunnybytes.com, petfooddirect.com,  or various other pet supply catalogs and websites.


            • litheandgraphic
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                First of all, welcome to the forums! And welcome to the world of bunnies. Now…

                As tobyluv mentioned, you want to be very careful about having her in your dorm until/if you can get her registered as a service animal. I lived in a dorm for a couple years only up until this June when we snagged an awesome pet-friendly apartment, so I know what you mean that they have to notify you before they do a room-check, but still: be exceptionally careful. I don’t mind telling you that I don’t think it’s a great idea that you snuck her in, but now that you have her there and don’t seem keen on boarding her anywhere, the best advice I can tell you is to try and hide her in a closet if possible (the RAs aren’t allowed to open them) when the room checks are scheduled, and just… be extremely cautious.

                Additionally… if worse comes to worst, try and have a back-up plan formed. Maybe a friend that lives off-campus can take care of her for a while or something, just in case you get caught and she doesn’t get registered as a service animal and you have no other options, it’s good to have a plan B, for her sake.

                Now that that’s been said…

                As tobyluv said, getting her spayed (if she’s not already) will be a top priority. Spaying will not only make her behavior and attitude better, including litterbox training, but it will also greatly reduce her chance of developing reproductive cancers. The sooner you get this done, the better. As Roberta suggested, look for your nearest rabbit-savvy vet. Checking out the House Rabbit link below will help you find one closest to you. An emergency vet is also a good thing to have on file, even if they are not exotic specfic.

                As has already been said, her cage is way too small. If you can really get her to eventually free-roam the room, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have her sleep there at night, but I recommend instead looking into getting an x-pen, even a smaller one – you’ll want to get one at least 36″ high though – that you can use to house her in at night, when you’re not there, etc. And… until she gets registered, you can keep the very small cage just for temporarily hiding her, I suppose.

                I’m with tobyluv on the newspaper-as-litter situation. I’d recommend looking into paper-based litters instead such as CareFresh Ultra / Complete or Yesterday’s News. These are common brands that can be found at basically any pet store.

                Once she gets comfortable with her small area (her cage) and feels that she knows it’s hers, then you can do as Roberta suggested and keep cleaning up after her and putting the remnants in the litterbox until she gets the hint. This may not really catch on until she’s spayed, though. The other prime thing to do is to put fresh Timothy hay – and yes, you’re correct, Timothy hay is what she needs now – in and around the litterbox, to encourage her to go inside it. Rabbits like to munch while they do the do.

                You’ll want your pellets to be Timothy hay based also. It should be the first ingredient listed on the back of the bag. Oxbow is a really great choice, but there are other good options available as well. You just want to be sure that the fiber content is 20%+, the protein content is below 15%, and the fat content is below 2%. You also want to stay very far away from any pellets that use alfalfa meal or have weird, colorful mix-ins. This is all junk.

                As for the urine issues: you want to keep a close eye on this. Because she’s now being housed with someone who knows to watch for this, and because you’ll be sure to keep the base of her cage clean and dry and to clean her litterbox often enough for that to also be clean and dry, and if she doesn’t have urine scalding (it doesn’t sound like she does), then eventually her stained fur will shed and her feet will go back to normal. This may also have been the same issue with her rear end – just her environment not being clean enough before. But make sure to keep a watchful eye on the situation.

                The thing that’s concerning you about her respiratory issues does sound like, as Roberta mentioned, she’s probably just amorous if unspayed or she’s just “honking” or “buzzing”, which means she’s content. You’ll want to be concerned if it turns into heavy, raspy breathing, or if she begins sneezing a lot, and/or if you notice any discharge from her eyes or nose.

                It’s very good that you’re getting her a check-up. Right now, it sounds like she’s doing fine, and mid-October should be fine for a check-up.

                As tobyluv said, 2 cups of fresh greens is good. You want at least 3 different veggies. The most common ones are romaine, green leaf, red leaf, parsley, and cilantro, but you can check out others in the BB veggie list linked below.

                Good luck to you and welcome again to the forum!

                Helpful Links:

                Vet listings: http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
                Dietary info: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx
                HRS site: http://www.rabbit.org
                BinkyBunny info pages: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx
                The Language of Lagomorphs: http://language.rabbitspeak.com


              • jayne fine
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                  I talked to my psychologist today and she said she’d write a letter once I figured out who to adress it to, then I just have to register her. I’m going to figure all that out tonight or tomorrow depending on if my work gets done early enough.

                  she is not spayed yet, no. It’s something I know I need to do, small animals going under anesthesia just makes me very nervous. I’ll talk to my vet about it when I get home to help me feel a little more comfortable. I have the month of january off in addition to a two week holiday break at the end of december. I know I’ll come around to spaying her by then and thats when I’ll do it, probably at the beginning of the break.

                  yeah, I know the cage WAY too small. I have it setup with a fair sized litter box (still maybe a bit small for her, she hasnt hopped into it yet and I’m worried its a little tall but she’ll take to it eventually) and a hay rack made out of a small plastic crate and a food/water bowl thats one of those plastic two-part ones for cats. The past two days I’ve been in my room a lot so she has the run of it. unfortunately she poops everywhere, but they’re easy to pick up so no real harm done. so far she hasnt shown any destructive behavior, which is a relief.

                  I’ll build her a NIC cage once she’s legal and I dont have to hide her.

                  also, exciting news today: she seems to have really settled in an just pancakes out and lets people rub her. there’s no places she doesnt want touched, except she’s really not about being picked up. I’d like to work on that a little bit, I think we both have to get more comforable with it. I’m used to handling young dwarf rabbits, and she’s not a small bunny, so she’s a little more intimidating. she was also following me around my room earlier which was very cute.

                  I still dont have a name for her, I’m trying to find the right one. I”ll see if I can get some pictures up soon, I’d like to share how cute she is.


                • Flopsie
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                    Please make sure you bunny proof the room. It’s probably not a huge deal if the room is damaged since dorms usually get trashed lol but make sure she can’t chew wires or cables. It can be fatal

                    Also bit sure if you’ll have roommates. If you do make sure the doors are closed if your bun is allowed to free roam. It’s difficult for roommates because what is important to you may not be for them.


                  • litheandgraphic
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                      Please do post photos ASAP!! We love photos!!

                      It sounds like you’ve got a good plan in place for getting her officially registered with the school, which is great to hear. I second the things Flopsie brought up, but it seems like you’re pretty vigilant.

                      About picking her up — bunnies don’t really like being picked up too much, for the most part. Obviously you will need to do this on occasion, but the less you do it, the better.

                      I can understand your nervousness about putting a rabbit under anaesthesia, but a good exotics vet should be able to do it easily. Definitely check with your vet and see what they say. Good luck and keep us posted!


                    • jayne fine
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                        my room is a divided double, so there’s a false wall between my roommate’s room (the outside room with a door to the hall) and my room. I have the large lid of a rubbermaid over my doorway that she can’t get around that I’m using as a gate. she can’t get into the hallway because my room opens into my roommate’s, not into the hall. also, my roommate calls her ‘our rabbit,’ so I’m not too worried about her not caring about her as much as me.

                        I checked the outlets the first time before I let her out. I dont think any of the outlets are low enough for her to even reach them. all the chords go up from the outlets except the fridge which I pushed all the way up against the wall with the cable behind it so that she cant get to it.

                        question: when rabbits have pee accidents, how much do they pee? she leaves little spots around but I feel like they might be from marking? she poops everywhere which is unfortunate. her cage is really too small to fit a proper litter box so I’m just going to put litter in the whole thing and spot clean where she pees. I’m going to look into keeping her legally tomorrow, once she is I want to get her into a bigger cage ASAP.

                        I think I might pick up some storage cubes when I got to walmart tomorrow to make a pen around her cage for her to run; once I build a bigger cage I’ll use them to make that. I would like to use her whole cage as a litter box, for now, so that she goes back into the cage to go to the bathroom. once she’s more reliable in the pen I can let her out in the whole room. I’m hoping this might help her realize where she should go the the bathroom, and also help me out from cleaning her poo off the floor as well as save my carpet from little pee stains. additionally I’ve been having trouble getting her to go back into her cage; she doesnt like being pciked up so I’m not pushing it and she’s too smart to keep falling for the lure her in with food trick.

                        also: I’m worried about her health; I do that with all the animals I have. she feels like she may actually be too thin instead of fat. she’s very fluffy and has both a dewlap under her chin and a little fluffy ring of fur/fat around her back hocks, but when I run my hands against her body (pressing hard as I’m stroking her), I can feel the line of her spine and the jut of her back leg and also her ribs. her abdomen is a little more puffy, maybe this is just where rabbits carry their weight? I’m also still worried about the respiratory thing. I’m definitely oversensitive to it because of my rats (I’ve never gotten a new rat that didnt need a round of baytril for a little cold right after coming home for a petstore). she isnt sneezing, she doesnt seem snotty, but there is sometimes a little bit of eye boogie in the corner of her eyes. she’s still active/seeks attention/very curious about visitors, but I dont think her breathing seems labored to me.


                      • litheandgraphic
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                          Sounds good, and again, it sounds like you’re being responsible and vigilant.

                          I think your idea of just putting litter in the bottom of the cage for now is probably going to be best for the time being until you can get her a legitimate set-up and a litterbox. Tip: definitely use the same litter material you go with for the bottom of the cage when you get the litterbox set up. Also, it may take some time for her to become fully litterbox trained, especially before you get her spayed, and even after it still may take some time. Don’t lose hope. She’ll get there eventually.

                          Yep, sounds to me like she’s marking with the urinating. Nothing to worry about. Just annoying. xP

                          Worrying about her health is a good thing, responsible pet owner! You will want to keep your eye on her and make sure she doesn’t develop a sneeze. If the eye stuff doesn’t clear up on its own in the next two weeks, then you may want to consider running a round of Bactrim or Baytril, but you can ask your vet about that when you take her to get a check-up. You can also ask about her weight. It sounds like she may just be a tiny bit underweight, but nothing to get seriously concerned about just yet.

                          About her not going into her cage, you may want to find different treats that she’d be interested in (healthy ones!) and switch it up in a rotation so that her interest outweighs her desire to stay out.


                        • jayne fine
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                            what can I use as treats? the only mentions I’ve seen have been dried fruits which I know are high in sugar and not good to feed in large amounts


                          • Flopsie
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                              treats in general should be given sporadically and in limited quantities. Like a grape for instance is a great treat but should be given in limited quantities (e.g., like 1 only lol)

                              House Rabbit society webpage

                              http://rabbit.org/what-to-feed-your-rabbit/

                              at the botton, fruits section you can take that as a reference for treats since fruits are high in sugar content, they should be viewed as such.

                              try to avoid if possible the “treats” section in the pet store, those are usually not that great for your bun (e.g., yogurt drops, etc.)


                            • Megabunny
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                                I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I was buying (people) papaya pills to prevent hair balls, but recently learned they aren’t nearly strong enough to help. But I still give my guy one a day for a treat and he LOVES them. He’s actually started bugging me for them, the mooch!   SORRY   DARN THOSE MULTIPLE POSTS! SOMEONE PLEASE DELETE!

                                Oh, but I will add that the pooping is territorial marking, too


                              • Megabunny
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                                  I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I was buying (people) papaya pills to prevent hair balls, but recently learned they aren’t nearly strong enough to help. But I still give my guy one a day for a treat and he LOVES them. He’s actually started bugging me for them, the mooch!


                                • Megabunny
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                                    I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I was buying (people) papaya pills to prevent hair balls, but recently learned they aren’t nearly strong enough to help. But I still give my guy one a day for a treat and he LOVES them. He’s actually started bugging me for them, the mooch!


                                  • Megabunny
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                                      I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I was buying (people) papaya pills to prevent hair balls, but recently learned they aren’t nearly strong enough to help. But I still give my guy one a day for a treat and he LOVES them. He’s actually started bugging me for them, the mooch!  SORRY  STUPID MULTIPLE POSTS! My bad!


                                    • jayne fine
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                                        just thought I’d update:

                                        I just got her a largish dog crate (23 by 36 inches), the biggest cage I can fit in my room, and some better hay than the stuff she was eating. I also got a carrying case which now I’m really worried is too small but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it (its really only for bringing her home on breaks/ maybe if I decide to try taking her outside, we’ll see).

                                        I’ve gotten her butt cleaned up, the cornstarch did the trick. I also got a cat brush because she sheds A LOT.

                                        I’m looking into trying to get a shelf for her because there’s room in the crate and it’ll give her a bit more space to spread out. I’m thinking about trying a critternation shelf and because its only about an inch too short for the width of the cage, it’s only 17″ long though and I’m not sure if that’s even enough space for it to make sense to get it.

                                        I’ve also been trying to give her as much greens as possible during the day. I’ve gotten up to like 2 large pieces of lettuce or kale a day if not a little more. are those ok foods for that? what is good to mix it up with?

                                        she’s also really warmed up, all she wants is to be pet. she’s also getting a lot of visitors as people I know find out I have a bunny.


                                      • Tessie
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                                          Hey, I hadn’t seen this thread before!
                                          Good to hear she’s settling in

                                          But 36 inches by 23 inches is still far too small for a bunny, that’s just under 3 ft by 2 ft, and the absolute minimum is 4ft by 2ft.

                                          Make sure lettuce isn’t iceberg lettuce, and there is some debate about the right amount of kale to feed, but generally, yes, those veggies sound fine.


                                        • litheandgraphic
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                                            Posted By Megabunny on 9/16/2014 11:18 AM

                                            I don’t know if this is a good idea or not, but I was buying (people) papaya pills to prevent hair balls, but recently learned they aren’t nearly strong enough to help. But I still give my guy one a day for a treat and he LOVES them. He’s actually started bugging me for them, the mooch!  SORRY  STUPID MULTIPLE POSTS! My bad!

                                            I think the House Rabbit Society did some research and they do statistically help, but they’re not like some miracle thing that some people make them out to be — they’re more like drinking a probiotic or eating a yogurt is for us; it helps to maintain the enzymes in the stomach and to keep everything running smoothly as well as preventing gas bloat by proxy, but it’s not like it magically eats all the fur or something, heheheh. I give Theodore one every other day, they’re healthy treats that are low in sugar. And you can eat them too! Which is a plus.

                                            I concur with Tessie, that cage is still a little too small. :/ For now, if it’s just for her to sleep in and stay safe at night, then it should be okay, but it’s still not ideal, unfortunately. Maybe you could attach a small x-pen (36″ high at least) to the front of the crate? Also, for the shelf, make sure it’s not too high – the crate doesn’t sound too tall, so it should be fine – and that there’s a ramp of some kind or some step for her to use to get up so she doesn’t hurt herself getting up and down. Putting something soft under the shelf would not be a bad idea, either.

                                            As far as veggies go, I tend to avoid kale because of its high calcium content, but it’s not terrible. I just wouldn’t go for it every day. As Tessie said, you want to avoid iceberg lettuce, and go for dark, leafy greens. You say you’re up to two pieces of lettuce per day, which is great for introducing them to the bun, but you will want to work your way up to 2 cups every day of at least 3 different greens. Check this list for recommended greens! As an example, I give Theodore 2 cups of a cilantro, romaine, green leaf lettuce, and red leaf lettuce mixture every morning.

                                            You also want to keep your high-fiber plain Timothy hay pellets down to 1/4 cup – 1/8 cup per day. Too many pellets isn’t great for the diet.


                                          • jayne fine
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                                              yeah I dont give her much pellets. the cage is really the absolute maximum I can fit in my room. I may be able to get it closer to 22 by 40 inches later in the year, but really for now that’s the best I can do. I plan to eventually let her free range during the day, but for now this cage will have to do. she’s not very active so its not so bad; even when she is allowed to run around she really just lays next to me and wants to be pet. I give her as much out time as I can, which is usually for at least 3 hours a day, but she poops everywhere (hasnt peed to my knowledge yet, but I’m not completely sure on that) and I cant really justify letting her poop everywhere all the time. we’re working on the litter training though.


                                            • Flopsie
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                                                Cheap greens you can get are romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, flat parsley, cilantro.

                                                In terms of litter training the best thing you can do is get her spayed. If she isn’t, This will help immensely. After spaying my bun she was litter trained immediately. Before that she would poop everywhere. Literally she would run around and poop would be dropping as she ran.


                                              • Megabunny
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                                                  FLR: I gave my rabbits Papaya pills for 20 years thinking I was helping them, but someone fairly recently on here, like a FL, I think, burst my bubble and told me they have found the level of enzyme in the human pills isn’t anywhere near that of a rabbit’s stomach pH and so our papaya strength does nothing. I still like them for a treat…for Gus…not me ha ha

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                                              Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A new/first time owner, a few questions