Just Joined Up & Am Completely Nervous That I’m Doing This Bunny Thing All Wrong

[Kayti Mack]

Hi guys! I’m brand new here! I just signed up tonight because my roommate spurred me to. He owns 3 sugar gliders and is constantly on the forums for them, and since I’m a new bunny owner it only seemed right to do the same myself.

I have no clue what type of bunny we own or how old the baby is. We bought it at the pet store and supposedly you can’t tell a baby’s gender until they reach a certain age? So we don’t know that either. I’m completely clueless, and I want to make sure our new baby is happy and healthy. 

Rabbit Info: 

1. Rabbit names: No name yet. Our bunny was purchased and brought home last Friday evening…and we were told we couldn’t find out the sex just yet because of its age. We have two names picked out already though…either Sesha or Bronn Hammershard.
2. Rabbit Age: No Clue. Has to be a baby.
3. How long has your bunny been with you? : 3 days.
4. Spayed/Neutered? : Most likely not.
5. Rabbit Personality Traits (Calm, Diva, Naughty, Feisty, Sweet etc) : Still getting to know one another.

Me Info:

1. Are you new to rabbits or have you been a bunny slave for a long while now? : Brand spanking new.
2. What made you choose to have a rabbit companion in your life? : I’ve always been curious about bunnies and have really loved looking at them, but it took my boyfriend and I going to the pet store and him picking up the one rabbit that stole his heart [it nibbled his chin] to get us hooked. I’ve been nervous since the day we bought it.
3. Anything else that you’d like to share – hobbies, interests, talents. : I run a local tabletop gaming store, and manage two performing troupes. I enjoy spending my free time with my pets and doing nerdy stuff. I also enjoy watching terrible movies and can shove a 5 penny nail into my nose.

[Hazel]

A good way to start would be to take your bunny to a RABBIT SAVVY vet in your area. There’s a sticky about how to find one at the top of the “House Rabbit Q and A” part of this forum. Call them first and ask them rabbit specific questions, here’s a list: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html

Just because they see exotics doesn’t mean they are rabbit savvy (hard lesson I learned personally). The vet should be able to give you an idea about the age and find out the gender.

What are you feeding it right now? How is the bunny housed? Also, we love pictures

[CinnabunMom]

Welcome to BB! There is tons of info around this site and everyone here is always willing to give advice. We love pictures, like Hazel said!

[FrankieFlash]

Welcome! Lets see, I did the pet store not sure what exactly age/gender you have too. A vet will give you an idea. But if the testicles haven’t descended i’m not sure they can tell either. My guys dropped at around 4 months so depending on age it could be a while. Pretty much that’s the only difference visible for sexing. If you didn’t want to wait that long to name him/her you could go with gender neutral name. Bunjamin got called “Bun Bun” for a couple weeks.

Of course we like pictures *nose bump*

OoO another good resource to check out that helped me a lot to understand “bunny language” is http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
Once I read that like 3 times over and started following the advice it wasn’t too long before Bunjamin started asking for pets and all that cool stuff.

Oh and about all the nerdy stuff… Feel at home. There’s a bunch of gamers here too. I’m a PC gamer myself

[peppypoo]

“and can shove a 5 penny nail into my nose.” LOL that’s quite the talent. I’m a total nerd too, there are plenty of us here!

Welcome to the forums! First things first – it’s a good idea to establish good diet and care. Under the “BUNNY INFO” link at the top of the page you’ll find a bunch of great information including guidelines on food, housing, and toys for a happy healthy bunny. A lot of “bunny stuff” that pet stores (especially the big chain ones) try to sell you are really more in their moneymaking interests than the bunny’s interests…there are usually cheaper/better alternatives out there that might not be specifically marketed for bunnies. Feel free to ask any specific questions you have, and to post pictures if you have any!

[Elrohwen]

Welcome! You’ll find tons of info on this site.

It absolutely is possible to tell bunny gender from a very young age, but it can be difficult and requires skill. Your vet may be able to tell, or at least venture a guess. If you search online you’ll find more info and you can try it yourself if you want.

Definitely post pics!

[FuzzieL0ve]

Welcome to Binky Bunny, and the rabbit owners community!!

Since it is your first time with a rabbit, here are my general tips I have gathered from here and from past experience:

•  Spend as much time as you can on the floor with your rabbit

These first few weeks will play out very slowly, in order to bond with your rabbit, sit on the floor of its playroom/pen with a book or a magazine. You could even watch television or play games on an iPad. Ignoring the rabbit will perk its curiosity and it will come to check you out.

• Give it treats or snacks

When you’re on the floor with your rabbit and it comes to sniff you, slowly offer a treat. I use clover, blades of grass, and lettuce! This way, your bun will associate you with good things!

• Do your research!!

Try to knowledge yourself as much as you can to rabbits right now. It will help you better understand your bun’s behavior  and what you can do to make it’s life as happy as you can!

That’s all I can say off the top of my head right now. I’m currently bonding with my new bun too so we can go through this bonding stage together .

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome!! I think you’ve got some really good info already, so I’ll just say ‘welcome!’ and let us know any questions you have! What type of habitat are you considering for your bunny? They’ll sell you a cage with all the bells and whistles in a pet store, but they are much too small for even the smallest bunnies. I’d suggest checking out the habitat section for ideas

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