First time Bunny Mom!

[ArvadaLanee]

Hello, all. I am a first time Bunny “Mom.” Last Friday, my 16 year old son gave me a bunny rabbit as an early Christmas gift. I know pets are not always considered good gifts, and so does my son, but I am a huge animal lover, and I fully intend to give my new bunny baby the best life possible for as long as my precious baby lives. I love animals, and enjoy learning as much as I can about their behavior, and doing my best to make them happy, or as my boyfriend likes to say, I enjoy “coddling” them.

I decided to name my new baby, Happy. I think Happy is a good name for a bunny, and I hope to help my bunny fully live up to his/her name. Happy came to us from a farm where my son has been working. Happy was one of many rabbits, kept in smallish cages outdoors. This fall, Happy was one of the bunnies used in the petting zoo. This means Happy has been exposed to a wide variety of animals, from dogs to emus, as well as children. He/she has been “out of work,” for a while, so I don’t know how much this experience has affected him/her, but I am hoping it will help him/her feel comfortable in our home, with the other pets, and people. The farmer told my son that Happy is a 2 year old, male, Dutch rabbit. I don’t know if I believe this. I have been reading a little about rabbit breeds, but I still haven’t been able to make a guess yet. I also read an article, written by a veterinarian, that had pictures, all about how to sex a rabbit. I won’t get into all the graphic details, but I am pretty sure, Happy is actually a LADY rabbit. Of course, I could be wrong! Happy will be going to the veterinarian after Christmas, and then we will find out for sure. Another thing I plan to find out from the vet, is whether or not Happy is fixed. If she is not fixed, I will find out if she can be fixed now.

As a first time rabbit Mom, I am sure I have a lot to learn, and already I am full of questions. I am hoping this forum will be a good place to get advice, and hear stories from other rabbit parents. My boyfriend and I have also been reading articles online, ordering supplies, and shopping at our local pet stores. (Our housework is being severely neglected these past few days!) Haha

From what we have read so far, I would guess that Happy is already feeling quite comfortable here in her new home. She has already been licking us, learned to get off and on the couch, comes when she is called every once in a while, allowed herself to be petted, runs in circles around us and the kitties, done the “binky” hop, and flops herself sideways in her favorite spots to just hang out near us.

Thanks to all for reading our story. Please feel free to give me any advice, suggestions, or guesses on breed, sex, or age! I look forward to hearing from you!

[LBJ10]

Hi! Welcome to BB! I’m sure you’ll find lot’s of great advice here. You bunny sounds adorable and I happen to think Happy is a wonderful name. Reminds me of one of my favorite movies.

It looks like you tried to attach a picture. I went in to see if I could fix it, but the HTML code just has ….. yep, that doesn’t help me. LOL If you need help figuring out how to post a picture, let me know.

[ArvadaLanee]

Hmmm…I am trying again to post the picture. Maybe I didn’t copy it correctly the first time. Hopefully it works this time, otherwise, I may need advice on what I am doing wrong here.

Thanks for the welcome! I have been browsing around the site, and I feel like I am learning more already. I am really enjoying learning all there is to know about bunnies. They are such interesting animals.

[LBJ10]

Yep, the HTML code just says , so something isn’t copying right. Are you copying this from an image hosting site like Photobucket?

[tobyluv]

I wouldn’t think that owners of petting zoos would want the expense of spay/neuter surgery on their rabbits or the time involved in going to the vet, but I guess some may do so. Still, it seems likely to me that Happy is not spayed or neutered. If Happy is a 2 year old male, as you were told, and he hasn’t been neutered, his testicles should be very evident. They would look something like pink lima beans. So if you don’t see testicles, Happy probably is a female. Two years old is certainly not too old to be spayed or neutered if Happy needs the surgery.

[ArvadaLanee]

Posted By LBJ10 on 12/16/2015 2:28 PM
Yep, the HTML code just says , so something isn’t copying right. Are you copying this from an image hosting site like Photobucket?

Yes. I am using the site tinypic.com. I have never had an issue using it before, but maybe I could try a different one. It’s strange, because when I hit paste, a lot more shows up.

[ArvadaLanee]

Posted By tobyluv on 12/16/2015 2:38 PM
I wouldn’t think that owners of petting zoos would want the expense of spay/neuter surgery on their rabbits or the time involved in going to the vet, but I guess some may do so. Still, it seems likely to me that Happy is not spayed or neutered. If Happy is a 2 year old male, as you were told, and he hasn’t been neutered, his testicles should be very evident. They would look something like pink lima beans. So if you don’t see testicles, Happy probably is a female. Two years old is certainly not too old to be spayed or neutered if Happy needs the surgery.

I was thinking the same thing, that Happy is most likely an unspayed female. Since the farmer probably didn’t have the sex right, I have no idea if the age is correct. I still haven’t got around to looking up whether or not there is a good way to tell the age on a bunny. Hopefully, the vet will know. As long as the vet says she is healthy enough to be spayed, she will be. I want to litter box train her.

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