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Pip is new to our family...

L

Livi

Alpha Buck
Hello :wave:

We got our first ever rabbit yesterday - never had them before, only cats and dogs (greyhounds).

This is PIP - I believe she is 10/12 weeks
Rabbit.jpg


Never planned to get a rabbit but she caught my eye, looked at me,and I couldnt stop thinking about her!

I must admit I got her from Pets at Home (which I disagree with, always had rescue pets etc in past) but I popped in there to get a new bowl for Kimba (my neurotic battersea cat:love:) and saw her, spoke to the people working there who talked about her like she was a box of cereal 'delivered yesterday, be gone by end of week'....

Anyway couldnt get her out my head, had to go back, asked about her & they offered me to hold her....which I stupidly did :roll: of course I couldnt put her back then - all I could think was, who would buy her etc, which I said & was assured 'they only go to good homes'....yea of course (not!) all I had to fill in was my name & address...hardly re-assuring!

So thats the story - she came home with us yesterday....and our neighbours have lent us their old hutch (which seems plenty big enough for now) until we research etc a bit more & find out more.

I quite like the look of the Mr Snugs hutches, as they are easy to keep clean :!: and I am a bit of a clean freak (obviously I know animals are never gonna be 100% perfectly clean as they arent humans - lol) but I want to try & have a hutch which I can properly disinfect. My only worry is are the mr snugs hutches too small? I was thinking of having one with an interjoining run, with shade (thats obviously fox proof with a wired lining so she cant dig out!).

Anyway sorry for waffling on - thats me (us)! Pip is jointly owned by me (22) and my sister (16)...We love her already & even our parents who vowed not to be 'involved' have fallen for her.

So thats us :wave:
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :wave: You'll find loads of great advise on here and everyones soooo nice :D
Your little Pip is beautiful :love: Heres a few tips:
1) Buns have extremely fragile gastrointestinal systems so her diet needs to be just right. She will need an unlimited supply of good quality hay and this should make up 80-90% of her diet. This can be supplemented with rabbit pellets (NOT the muesli type stuff) which she can have unlimited amounts of as shes young. When she reaches about 6 months she will then be on limited pellets, the general consensus is to feed about an egg cup full per day only. As she is quite young I wouldnt give any veg or grass just yet, wait until she is about 4 months old and then introduce these things very slowly. If you start a veg thread nearer the time people will give you lots of advise on what veggies are best :)

2)When she is between 4 and 6 months you will need to get her spayed. If you dont there is an 80% chance that she will develop uterine cancer, aswell as experience phantom pregnancies and other hormonal behaviour such as territorial marking, digging and aggression.

3) A truly happy bun is a bun that has a companion. Rescues now insist on rehoming buns as a pair or to someone who already has a lone bun. It doesnt surprise me that P@H let you have her as a single bun :roll: The best match for her would be a neutered buck (if you get him from a rescue he'll already be neutered) You will have to wait until she is spayed and then bond them when she has recovered. Bonding can be a very arduous process, the majority of buns dont become friends straight away and will fight. Again theres loads of people on here who can advise on bonding.

4) Buns need LOADS of space and freedom. I wonder if you know that they can be litter trained very easily just like a cat and are very clean animals. infact alot of people, myself included, have buns that live freely in the house as a cat would :love: Of course you need to bun-proof your house in that case to protect wires from getting chewed etc :lol: Either that or a large hutch with a spacious run attached as you mentioned is ideal.

5)Buns dont really enjoy being picked up so dont be surprised if ur buns fight and squirm when you pick them up. I keep lifting my buns to a minimum and only pick them up when I have to. Having said that most buns LOOOOVE a good stroke and nose rubs, mine will snuggle next to me for hours enjoying a stroke.

Cant think of anything else right now but Im sure other will think of other things.
Congratulations on ur first bunbun, they really are the best pets imaginable in my opinion, funny, loving and full of character. She'll become your best friend :love:

xxxxxx
 
:wave: Welcome!

The above posting is all good advice and will save a lot a problems and possible heartache in the future :)

Your bunny is gorgeous :love::love::love:
 
Just to add

that finding a rabbity vet early on is an essential - many vets do not really 'do ' rabbits and much heartache can be prevented by finding one that does while your rabbit is well!!! Be prepared is my motto!

Your lovely Pip should also see a vet soon to double check her sex (P@H often get it wrong . . I mean OFTEN!) and she will also need her myxi vaccine if she has not had one.

You will also want to discuss other vaccines and her eventual spay . . .

Sounds all very dramatic I know - but best be prepared!

OIf you post a thread headed 'Wanted: Rabbit vet Recomendations near . . . ' wherever it is you live you should get some good advice. You probably have a vet you see with your cats/dogs etc but you may want to be assured that Pip has a vet who knows LOTS about rabbits!
 
Thank you all so much :wave:

We are very excited but also very cautious not to do to much right now & pester Pip, she has been handled about twice a day....since we had her, just picked up briefly while putting feed in and she snuggles up....I didnt realise they didnt like being held so will try & ease off doing this (although she does really seem to snuggle up....seemed content - but I cant really tell, I am not clued up on bunny body language yet!!).

Currently she has, her water bottle, the Pets at Home Pellets (approx 70ish grammes a day we were told - can anyone confirm?!), Lots of Hay, a mineral block, a dried corn on cob which we bought as she had one in with her @ Pets at Home & we saw her chewing it.... She does seem to have chewed the mineral block quite a bit - is this normal? Possibly a bit of stress due to her move?

Definately plan to get her speyed but heard you are best waiting till they are about 6 months old first? She has a free vet check for Pets @ Home Vets, so will take her next week/during this week & be getting her vacs done then too.....Our local vet where our cat goes was recommended to us by our Bunny neighbours as he was very good with their poorly rabbit & specialises I think....He has been great with our unwell cat too...

Have heard generally bunnies are happier in pairs...Will have to look into this, I did ask about this but Pets @ Home told me providing she got a lot of human attention & interaction she would be ok. I was a bit dubious, but they seemed pretty convincing at the time...:roll:

I had read about the possibility of litter training them...Definately want to try to encourage this, even though ultimately she will be an outdoor bunny, I do still want to bring her indoors etc for a run about inside (although I am getting her a run - but not yet got one as still looking into all the diff types/and cautious until she has her vacs). If she has a double tier hutch - could I try & get her used to a tray?

I have done some research & dont think the mr snugs hutch is roomy enough! So was looking at something like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LARGE-54-DOUB...et_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item4cefde12ff hutch wise? (decided i must have a pvc floor for hygene) Plus obviously she will be given a run around in the house/potentially a stroll round garden with harness - opinions on harnesses, yay or nay?! and also a run around in her pen....

Regarding her pen - Any specific recommendations? I definately plan to have a wire underneath to prevent her digging out just in case (although she wound be left completely unattended anyway). What are opinions on an attatching run to hutch in the summer months? With a shade of course & access back into hutch? (all fox/predator proof too!)

Lastly, regarding bedding etc - I am no animal/mess phobe but I am a bit agaisnt un-necessarry mess/smell as I dont think they appreciate it either (well they dont mind mess, but i dont think they like smells/dirt!).

She currently has sawdust, hay and some straw for bedding - Obviously she eats the hay but bedding & hutch lining wise - anything else I could try? read about vet bed/towels - opinions? I also bought a different style bedding today to possibly replace sawdust...cant think what its called but its kinda like a sawdust substitue that seems to be made from paper....

Sorry everyone for all the questions, theres probably loads of threads about all of this, but in a slight panic at the mo as dont want to mess up....I am trying to learn how to use the search option but so much comes up & theres so many differing opinions/pros/cons to everything I am feeling pretty stuck making a decison..... I guess the best way is trial & error!

Thanks again for all the welcoming replies - look forward to exchanging bunny stories :wave:
 
Hiya, welcome to RU! Sounds like your going to fit right in here! Can I just say, WELL DONE for doing some research! :D

The previous posts are spot on. I'll just add:

* The hutch needs to be at least 6ft long, and preferably 2 tiers. Unless you have a shed you could convert to a bunny palace? A shed would be the best possible solution, as you'll be cozy and dry in their too (think of those horrible winter evenings!) when you're mucking out and spending time with them.

* I say them, definitely get her a husbun! P@H are absolutely useless! I'd like to see any one of their staff shut in a cupboard for the rest of their lives, with no humans to interact with! Adopting a bun from rescue would be ideal, as he'll be neutered and vaccinated already. Many rescues will even take care of the bonding process for you.

* Don't feed corn on the cob!! Can cause blockages and are potentially lethal!! Told you P@H are bloody useless. :roll: Don't feel bad about not knowing though - I didn't til I found RU. Hay is the most important part of her diet, and it'd be nice for her to have some different varieties for enrichment. www.thehayexperts.co.uk do a 'hay sample pack'. Just introduce them slowly, and take notes as to her preferences.

* Go for it with the littertraining! I'd get 2 for the hutch, and put one in each corner (of the bottom tier). Put a little soiled litter in them, and gently nudge her into one when you see her having a pee (look of concentration, braced legs, bottom in air, tinkling sound) and she'll get the idea. It may take a while, and spaying will definitely help. Make sure there's some cheap hay in the trays too, as buns like to nom and poo at the same time. Don't clean them too often at first, until she's got the hang of it. Make sure the rest of the hutch is always scrupulously clean though - flies are bad news for bunnies apart from anything else. Have you heard of 'rear guard'? This needs applying every 10 weeks to prevent flystrike.

* As for bedding, I'd say go for hay or megazorb, and straw in winter. I personally use woodshavings, but some people believe they cause respiratory problems. It's also a good idea to line the hutch with lino, as bunny pee rots wood. It'll be easier to clean anyway.

* RE harnesses. There are mixed views, and I confess to using them myself in the past. I wouldn't recommend it though, as being a prey animal, most rabbits hate to be confined in that way. They may cause themselves serious injury trying to get free. As large a run as you can afford is better, or even supervised free-range time in a secure, bunny-friendly garden. With a run, it's best to have one with a removable lid, so as to keep predators from your buns. If you go the shed route an attached aviary is ideal. You're spot on with the wire underneath too!

*Does she have any toys at all? Buns need toys for stimulation. Tunnels and hide aways are particular favourites (not surprisingly!) but little toys she can pick up and throw, and wooden chew blocks will keep her from destroying her hutch.

* If your girlie is enjoying cuddles, don't feel like you have to stop. Everybun is different! A good way to tell if she's genuinely enjoying it is to sit on the floor and let her come to you. If she jumps on your lap and allows you to stroke her, that's always a good sign! It's great to do this anyway while you're 'getting to know her' as she'll grow in confidence around you. Hand feed her pellets to encourage your bond.

*HAVE FUN!! Buns are amazing creatures, and I can tell you now, you're about to go doo-lally with the love of 'em! :D
 
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Livi said:
Thank you all so much :wave:

We are very excited but also very cautious not to do to much right now & pester Pip, she has been handled about twice a day....since we had her, just picked up briefly while putting feed in and she snuggles up....I didnt realise they didnt like being held so will try & ease off doing this (although she does really seem to snuggle up....seemed content - but I cant really tell, I am not clued up on bunny body language yet!!).

Currently she has, her water bottle, the Pets at Home Pellets (approx 70ish grammes a day we were told - can anyone confirm?!), Lots of Hay, a mineral block, a dried corn on cob which we bought as she had one in with her @ Pets at Home & we saw her chewing it.... She does seem to have chewed the mineral block quite a bit - is this normal? Possibly a bit of stress due to her move?

Definately plan to get her speyed but heard you are best waiting till they are about 6 months old first? She has a free vet check for Pets @ Home Vets, so will take her next week/during this week & be getting her vacs done then too.....Our local vet where our cat goes was recommended to us by our Bunny neighbours as he was very good with their poorly rabbit & specialises I think....He has been great with our unwell cat too...

Have heard generally bunnies are happier in pairs...Will have to look into this, I did ask about this but Pets @ Home told me providing she got a lot of human attention & interaction she would be ok. I was a bit dubious, but they seemed pretty convincing at the time...:roll:

I had read about the possibility of litter training them...Definately want to try to encourage this, even though ultimately she will be an outdoor bunny, I do still want to bring her indoors etc for a run about inside (although I am getting her a run - but not yet got one as still looking into all the diff types/and cautious until she has her vacs). If she has a double tier hutch - could I try & get her used to a tray?

I have done some research & dont think the mr snugs hutch is roomy enough! So was looking at something like this cgi.ebay.co.uk/LARGE-54-DOUBLE-Rabbit-guinea-pig-Ferret-hutch-065-/330441822975?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item4cefde12ff[/ hutch wise? (decided i must have a pvc floor for hygene) Plus obviously she will be given a run around in the house/potentially a stroll round garden with harness - opinions on harnesses, yay or nay?! and also a run around in her pen....

Regarding her pen - Any specific recommendations? I definately plan to have a wire underneath to prevent her digging out just in case (although she wound be left completely unattended anyway). What are opinions on an attatching run to hutch in the summer months? With a shade of course & access back into hutch? (all fox/predator proof too!)

Lastly, regarding bedding etc - I am no animal/mess phobe but I am a bit agaisnt un-necessarry mess/smell as I dont think they appreciate it either (well they dont mind mess, but i dont think they like smells/dirt!).

She currently has sawdust, hay and some straw for bedding - Obviously she eats the hay but bedding & hutch lining wise - anything else I could try? read about vet bed/towels - opinions? I also bought a different style bedding today to possibly replace sawdust...cant think what its called but its kinda like a sawdust substitue that seems to be made from paper....

Sorry everyone for all the questions, theres probably loads of threads about all of this, but in a slight panic at the mo as dont want to mess up....I am trying to learn how to use the search option but so much comes up & theres so many differing opinions/pros/cons to everything I am feeling pretty stuck making a decison..... I guess the best way is trial & error!

Thanks again for all the welcoming replies - look forward to exchanging bunny stories :wave:
Click to expand...

:wave: I would have a look at the hayexperts.co.uk for hays and toys etc (they are all bunny safe) they also sell megazorb (the wood pulp litter your referring to) it is very good.

I wouldn't bother with the mineral stone or the corn, certainly not for a young rabbit, there have been cases of blocked intestines. Stick to good quality hay and a good quality mix or pellet with some fresh veggies introduced very gradually. Maybe start with a few sprigs of basil or flat leaf parsely or a spring green leaf washed and chopped for her. All fresh food should ideally be washed and can be fed wet.

Litter training is a long process which requires patience, you need to establish which corner (usually a corner) she prefers and position the tray there. When she soils around the hutch poop and wee put the soiled hay or poop in the tray - when she smells it and goes in the tray offer a reward - fenugreek crunchies are good from the hayexperts or maybe a small piece of apple. On litter training you need to try and clean out the litter tray at a set time I think and in the meantime (the hours in between) religiously and frequently put the poop and wee'd hay in the tray - eventually she will get it but, it does require time and patience - you should never ever reprimand her for not using it, it's pointless and will just create a circle of fear.

Pets at home do a playpen -www.petsathome.com/shop/small-pet-play-pen-for-rabbits-and-guinea-pigs I have four of these and can connect them altogether - the only thing is they come with individual nets for the top so I had to buy a large section of netting to cover the whole lot for when I join them altogether. They are really handy for fencing off area's or even to add security to the hutch area at night.

You've found a really good place for information, your new bunny is lovely and I am sure she will be really loved. Fate brought you together, lots of happy binkies to come I ams sure.:love:
 
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All great advise above re. housing. It sounds like you'll do the very best by her :D
Definatly dont get her spayed until she is around 6 months old, unless you notice hormonal behaviour before then. You'll know it when shes hormonal, she might be very...erm, amorous...and you probably wont beable to get her off your arm :roll::lol:
As shes not running around outside just yet Id give her a week or so to settle in before you take her for her check up and jabs.
Just thought Id mention a few ailments for you to read about on the net. Buns can deteriorate extremely quickly when they're poorly so its important to know what to look out for. A very common and potentially deadly illness buns can get is Gastrointestinal Stasis. As you will read about, the first signs you get that this is occuring is your bun not eating or not pooping. It is absolutely imperative to get them to a vet straight away as a matter of emergency if this occurs.
Its also useful to learn about, E.Cuniculi, Flystrike, Teeth problems, Inner ear infections, Pasteurella (im sure people will add more if Ive forgotten about anything obvious.)
God willing you will NEVER have to deal with any of these illnesses in your bun, but unfortunatly buns are very fragile so its well worth learning about these things, what to look out for and possible ways of avoiding them :D
How is the lovely Pip settling in today?
By the way we are going to need to see loads more piccys when you've got her all set up in her fab new home ;)
xxx
 
Thanks for the posts everyone 

Think I will be removing the corn on the cob pretty quickly – I am at work now, so cant but will do when I get in. Concerned about the mineral stone too – Will get rid of that.

Is there anything which she can nibble/knaw at? I do plan to get her a chewable tunnel thing (seen a few of those) but need to get her proper hutch first.

The P@H playpen looks good – like the way you can add to it 

Have to have a browse on hay experts too – her P@H hay does look pretty bland….

I hadn’t heard of rear guard but had been told about fly strike – and am going to get a specially fitted net for her hutch. Will have to look at getting some rear guard too.

Ive got a new bedding which I am trying (it’s the sawdust alternative from P@H), the sawdust I really dislike and she has become really discoloured on her white paws, despite me cleaning her hutch regularly. Lino sounds good – although I havent got Pip her own proper hutch yet, and have seen some come PVC lined which I definitely think is worth it – cant stand wee soaked wood – yuk – not very hygienic either.

She doesn’t really have any toys yet, except a ball which she seems to push/roll around – I am getting her some toys, but probably not for a week or so as I need to get her accommodation sorted & then build on it :)

Will look into getting Pip a mate, but want to get her spayed and recovered first and then find her a husband.

Will have a read up on all the bunny health probs they are prone to, and make sure I am well clued up on all these just in case!

Thanks all – She is a bit cute :love:lol. I will try & get more pics soon – but because she isn’t in her own personal hutch yet the pics would be a bit boring….Ill get some more when I can 

She does seem to like human attention, and always comes over to the front of the hutch when I walk outside, so I guess I havent put her off humans too much yet….lol…No I havent been pestering her – just handling her quite a bit (well a few times a day), as we put her in the garage in a cage at night and then transfer her again in the morning.

Is there anything I can do regarding her discoloured legs….I mean I know its cosmetic I guess but I hate to think she is wee stained, is it wee? A friend told me it could actually be caused by the sawdust too? So yet another reason I wanna ditch the sawdust!

Pip is getting very playful, curious & energetic….But I still haven’t got her a run yet (only got her on Saturday)…Well my neighbour has a run which they have offered me use of, however I am cautious about letting her have a run about in the garden until she has had her vaccinations. Would this be ok?

I am thinking of letting her have a run about in the bathroom this evening, as it’s the only place that is ‘bunny proof’ at the moment….Would this be better than letting her have a run about outside? The only thing is she seems very interested in her surroundings outside & I think she wants to explore, feel really cruel not letting her but I am cautious she doesn’t come to any harm.

I will be booking her vacs appointment for about midweek next week as I would prefer she is really settled before she gets taken to n fro the vets etc as I don’t want to scare her...

Thanks so much for all the help - really do appreciate it :wave:
 
Hi :wave:

For some awesome and completely bunny safe toys, chewables and treats have a look on www.hayexperts.com. I LOVE that website, could spend an absolute fortune on there and feel totally reassured that everythings safe for my buns, I dont trust petshops atall now :roll:

With regards to letting her out in the garden it depends where you live? i.e. are you in the countryside where there are lots of wild rabbits around? If so Id say dont risk it until shes vaccinated. But if you live in say a town or a city and there's no fields or wild buns nearby Id say letting her out for an hour or two a day wouldnt do any harm. This is just my opinion though, I could be wrong. Id suggest researching the levels of myxi in your area first, maybe call your vet and ask how many cases theyve had in.

Im glad shes turning out to be a snuggle bun and is settling in well :love:
 
Livi said:
Thanks for the posts everyone 

Think I will be removing the corn on the cob pretty quickly – I am at work now, so cant but will do when I get in. Concerned about the mineral stone too – Will get rid of that. - Definately remove them she doesn't need them and they aren't worth the risk especially on a young baby

Is there anything which she can nibble/knaw at? I do plan to get her a chewable tunnel thing (seen a few of those) but need to get her proper hutch first.The P@H playpen looks good – like the way you can add to it  Temporarily a good home made toy is a small toilet roll cardboard tube stuffed with hay, she can throw it and pull the hay out, if she nibbles the cardboard keep an eye on her though she shouldn't have more than one every few days as a babe

Have to have a browse on hay experts too – her P@H hay does look pretty bland….

I hadn’t heard of rear guard but had been told about fly strike – and am going to get a specially fitted net for her hutch. Will have to look at getting some rear guard too. Can you check this in terms of her age, I would go with daily checking and just use some damp kitchen roll and then dry her to remove the staining it will take a few goes but, it will come off, I would avoid soaking her too much at her age.

Ive got a new bedding which I am trying (it’s the sawdust alternative from P@H), the sawdust I really dislike and she has become really discoloured on her white paws, despite me cleaning her hutch regularly. Lino sounds good – although I havent got Pip her own proper hutch yet, and have seen some come PVC lined which I definitely think is worth it – cant stand wee soaked wood – yuk – not very hygienic either. I would get the Megazorb from the Hayexperts, it's huge bag so will last you ages and it really works to eliminate the odours and keep bunny dry, I clean mine out everyday but, I probably could go to every other day in non warm weather if I had to. I would just use lots of hay for her sleeping area, while she is litter training it may help to just have hay in the bed area and litter tray so she can associate the two areas - she may go to toilet in her bed area (nerves) etc I would just put it in her litter tray in the morning and fresh hay aswell and then clean her out before bedtime so she is on clean fresh hay at night

She doesn’t really have any toys yet, except a ball which she seems to push/roll around – I am getting her some toys, but probably not for a week or so as I need to get her accommodation sorted & then build on it :) The best ones I think are the willow toys or grass ones, mine love the grass mats they are edible but, they really have to nibble them to get bits off I also have treat balls which I put burgess excel apple bits in and they have to roll them around to get the treats out - I got mine in the Range. Mine generally prefer the grassy/willow things although my doe has a little cylinder thing with a bell inside which she loves to throw around and bang on her bowl to get my attention - it's like she is ringing the bell for the maid!:roll:

Will look into getting Pip a mate, but want to get her spayed and recovered first and then find her a husband.

Will have a read up on all the bunny health probs they are prone to, and make sure I am well clued up on all these just in case!

Thanks all – She is a bit cute :love:lol. I will try & get more pics soon – but because she isn’t in her own personal hutch yet the pics would be a bit boring….Ill get some more when I can 

She does seem to like human attention, and always comes over to the front of the hutch when I walk outside, so I guess I havent put her off humans too much yet….lol…No I havent been pestering her – just handling her quite a bit (well a few times a day), as we put her in the garage in a cage at night and then transfer her again in the morning. I think this is fine in the summer months but, you have to avoid extreme changes of temperature in the colder months as it can do more harm than good, better to have a good cover and lots of warm cosy hay to snuggle in.

Is there anything I can do regarding her discoloured legs….I mean I know its cosmetic I guess but I hate to think she is wee stained, is it wee? A friend told me it could actually be caused by the sawdust too? So yet another reason I wanna ditch the sawdust! Gently wipe them everyday with some damp kitchen roll and gently dry and use a soft brush to brush gently. Get her off the sawdust asap - I would suggest it is possibly that from the breeder which has caused it, most of the PAH bunnies are from breeders who have so many they are probably on sawdust in tiny hutches so sat in it a lot.

Pip is getting very playful, curious & energetic….But I still haven’t got her a run yet (only got her on Saturday)…Well my neighbour has a run which they have offered me use of, however I am cautious about letting her have a run about in the garden until she has had her vaccinations. Would this be ok?

I am thinking of letting her have a run about in the bathroom this evening, as it’s the only place that is ‘bunny proof’ at the moment….Would this be better than letting her have a run about outside? The only thing is she seems very interested in her surroundings outside & I think she wants to explore, feel really cruel not letting her but I am cautious she doesn’t come to any harm.

I will be booking her vacs appointment for about midweek next week as I would prefer she is really settled before she gets taken to n fro the vets etc as I don’t want to scare her...

Thanks so much for all the help - really do appreciate it :wave:
Click to expand...

I would let her have short periods of exercise in the run under supervision eg, 20 mins a few times a day, if its really warm she will want to be out to relax and stay cool, in a covered secure run with you keeping an eye on her she will be fine - the only thing to watch is how much grass she is eating, as a baby you don't want her overdoing it to soon she may get an upset tummy

I think your going to be great and she is a lucky little girl. Look forward to hearing updates. x
 
Thanks again everyone :love: so helpful! Glad I found this place...

Well hay experts definitely seems the place to shop!

Don’t live in the countryside, but not the city city – is suburb the right word?! Lol.
We do have lots of foxes about – but I never see wild rabbits around the local roads, only on the grass banks about 10 mins drive away on the verge of the motor way etc….

Think I’ll have a word with my neighbour this eve and see if we can loan the run for a little while on Thursday….Then Thursday eve I will have a proper sit down & ordering fest for Pips bits n bobs & finally decide on a hutch too! I feel guilty I havent done so yet – although having said that she does seem very content as she is so I don’t feel like she is desperate for a new hutch right now.

The temporary toy of tube&hay sounds fab – think she will love it & it will entertain her :)

One final question – How do I actually know for definite she is happy/enjoying something? I mean other than the obvious, i.e. she doesn’t struggle etc & yesterday contently lay stretched out on my lap with no intention of trying to get away!
 
Well we took a chance (well my sister did – I am at work) and borrowed next doors most portable run to let Pip have a stretch out….She seems to be enjoying it and has gained a friend!

Our cat Kimba, who is normally a right fretter and worried by other cats has really taken a shine to Pip.

Obviously I wouldn’t trust them loose together, but there is no malice in Kimbas behaviour – she is very curious (& has stolen some of Pips food) and I think she is enjoying the company, because she is quite lonely and isolated except for us (because she is bullied by a local cat & so now sees all other cats as a threat).

Kimba waiting for Pip to come out to play
KimmyPip1.jpg


Kimba strolling & getting impatient – ‘Come on Pip’
Kimmy1.jpg


Pip making an appearance
Pip1.jpg


Both just relaxing
KimPipLayingdown.jpg
 
:love: Awww yes watch kitty ! At the very least wait a long time till Pip is a big bunny - the run is fine for a baby bun quite good as long as you keep an eye on it, it can be dug out of or dug into or indeed moved by a fox. Nice to let her stretch her legs on grass though and there is shade area which is good. You will need a much bigger one for her though she is going to want to run and jump (binky) with joy. :D Edited to add, ring your sister and get her to put the toilet roll tube stuffed with hay in, ideally she should always have access to her hay and some food as a baby.
 
Yes we will :) Kimba wont be getting her paws too close to Pip – she can only look at her through the bars…..Altho she did steal some of Pips food yesterday (but Pip was in cage, I was just putting it into the bowl on the outside table & she jumped up n helped herself!!):love:

Have called sister & told her about the toy – she was very impressed with the idea & is on the case now.

I cant wait to see her start running & jumping about – its all so exciting, I still stand in amazement watching her eat!:love:
 
Another toy idea: I save any small boxes i.e. the sort cereal bars come in and also stuff them with hay but put a couple of treats or herbs/pellets at the bottom :D

I read somewhere that large cotton reels are ok too (ensuring no cotton is left on though) and also balls designed for dogs to catch i.e. tennis ball sized.
 
Livi said:
Yes we will :) Kimba wont be getting her paws too close to Pip – she can only look at her through the bars…..Altho she did steal some of Pips food yesterday (but Pip was in cage, I was just putting it into the bowl on the outside table & she jumped up n helped herself!!):love:

Have called sister & told her about the toy – she was very impressed with the idea & is on the case now.

I cant wait to see her start running & jumping about – its all so exciting, I still stand in amazement watching her eat!:love:
Click to expand...

:lol: Awww yes you have lots of funny times to come, I honestly think the more you put in the more you get out, they are actually really responsive pets contrary to some peoples opinion - I can't get my head round the 'it's just a rabbit' but, I will play with my dog/cat idea-they are different certainly but, they still have a personality and can interact just as good as a cat - maybe thats why I can't get my head around people eating them and having others as pets - anyway that's another story and not a nice one - you have lots of fun to come, she may be a bit of madam when the hormones kick in but, lots of TLC and understanding and she will be fine, I adopted a doe who was a bit defensive at first and after a lot of work/speying and time with her interacting and training she is soooo soppy now, she is a completely different rabbit although she does still have a little bit of spirit in terms of her area, if I move things around when cleaning and don't put them back right she lets me know :lol:
 
Fluffers said:
Another toy idea: I save any small boxes i.e. the sort cereal bars come in and also stuff them with hay but put a couple of treats or herbs/pellets at the bottom :D

I read somewhere that large cotton reels are ok too (ensuring no cotton is left on though) and also balls designed for dogs to catch i.e. tennis ball sized.
Click to expand...


I totally agree with the box idea, my Pip loves carlsberg boxes he shrds them, hides in them, jumps on them, moves them - hours of fun!! :lol:
 
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