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Hmm introducing.. Unnamed Christmas Present!

amor2429

Young Bun
So, funny story.. My brothers(14, 18 and 19 Y/Os), decided to play a 'prank' for my christmas present this year... A shaved kit... Haha.
It's hot here, and it has some covers and nice paper shreds for bedding, so she should be warm enough, plus theres a heat lamp if she needs more... Im actually on holidays to my Grandma's at the moment which makes her care a litle harder, as she is in a smaller cage, but she's let out for a few hours to run around the room(like she is now). Crazy little thing.
As soon as i get her home we will organise a wire hutch(1.5mx1.5mx0.5m), on the grass/dirt out the back of the house that can be moved(for fresh grass), but for the next week, she will be fed hand picked grass, rabbit pellets and chaff, a tiny bit of carrot, and leafy greens.
I hope that sounds okay? She has fresh water and because im an anxious type person, check her constantly... In late january, a friend will be moving in with her 2 month old rabbit... Both of them will be house/outside rabbits, so they will probably spend nights outside(no mosquitos in this area), and brought into the airconditioned house at about 7am for the day and put out at 4:30pm for the night... Does that sound okay? I don't know nearly enough about rabbits!
I will attach some photos after i type this essay :p :D
So if you have any suggestions on her care, i would love them.. Should i feed hay or fresh grass?
I didn't know whether to put this in care or chat as it's more an intro of her... so? Sorry if its confusing! haha
Anyways, she is a little female, they dont know what age..but i assume she's quite young, around correct weaning time? whenever that is!(complete noob here, and everyone knows it! haha :) )
Thanks for reading! and photos... :)

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she's cute but she does look VERY young, do you know how old she is?? where do you live if she needed her fur off?? I would keep a very close eye on her as a bun that tiny will be very fragile! baby bunnies aren't actually a good choice for a first bunny!

as she's a baby she shouldn't have ANY fresh greens until she's at least 12-14 weeks, some people wait longer than that. their digestive system is so very fragile at that age. she should only have access to fresh water, hay and a good pellet food (or whatever she was eating when she was weaned as sudden changes could make her very poorly!)

I'm sure some more knowledgeable peeps will pop along shortly.
 
Welcome to the site, and welcome with your new addition :)

On my website there is a lot of info that new owners find very useful (including about diet). It's in my sig under 'Flash's Place'.

You're going to have to be very careful with him/her because of the fact s/he has bald. I would recommend providing an animal safe heat source for her so that she doesn't get cold (like a SnuggleSafe, but nto a hot water bottle). She won't be able to go outside though until she has proper fur grown back and, depending what country you're in, if you're in AUS or anywhere over there, that may be too late for this year and she may have to stay inside permanently until next spring.
 
She's a little darling!! But your brothers were out of order shaving her.:evil:

As she's so tiny and has no fur, I'd keep her indoors until spring...
:wave:
 
Ideally her housing wants to be a 6x2ft hutch with an attached run which is a minimum of 6x6. (or 48sq ft with at least 12sq ft of sheltered "all weather" space). The pen sounds like a good idea to start though, just put a little hut in there so she has somewhere sheltered in case she gets cold/wet/scared.
The wire needs to be galvanised wire mesh - I found out the hard way rabbits can chew through chicken wire!. Oh, and make sure it has wire on the bottom too, so she can't dig out.:)

As she's just a baby she should be very gradually introduced to any new foods like grass of vegetables. I'm not sure what chaff is so no advice on that I'm afraid!
The most important part of a bunny's diet is hay - lots and lots of the stuff! It's important for their teeth and digestive systems.

She can't really be introduced to a friend until she's been neutered at around 6 months, and the other rabbit is neutered too. Otherwise you may find you have a lot of fights on your hands! I'm sure people can give you some advice on bonding closer to the time rather than bombarding you now! It's great that you're already thinking of getting her a friend though, they're very sociable creatures and will definitely benefit from a bunny companion.

Generally, house rabbits should be in and outdoor rabbits should be out. When temperatures are roughly the same indoors and out you can take house bunnies out in the garden or bring outdoor bunnies inside but a sudden change of temperature carries certain health risks for them. All they need is a box of sorts somewhere to sleep in so you may as well have them as 24/7 house bunnies - they won't take up much room if you rabbit proof the house/room they're in. She'll certainly need to stay inside now until spring when the weather starts to warm up.

She does look very young. Bunnies shouldn't leave their mothers until they are 8 weeks so hopefully she's at least 8 weeks :)

Pics are very cute btw!
 
She's a little darling!! But your brothers were out of order shaving her.:evil:

As she's so tiny and has no fur, I'd keep her indoors until spring...
:wave:
yea, my brothers have always hassled all my pets, throwing rocks at my horses, killing my baby chickens, etc... They're getting better, but are still very much boys...something i've had to deal with my whole life, sadly. :(
It's already summer... :) It's probably 25C every day averaged(it can get much hotter though).

Ideally her housing wants to be a 6x2ft hutch with an attached run which is a minimum of 6x6. (or 48sq ft with at least 12sq ft of sheltered "all weather" space). The pen sounds like a good idea to start though, just put a little hut in there so she has somewhere sheltered in case she gets cold/wet/scared.
The wire needs to be galvanised wire mesh - I found out the hard way rabbits can chew through chicken wire!. Oh, and make sure it has wire on the bottom too, so she can't dig out.:)

As she's just a baby she should be very gradually introduced to any new foods like grass of vegetables. I'm not sure what chaff is so no advice on that I'm afraid!
The most important part of a bunny's diet is hay - lots and lots of the stuff! It's important for their teeth and digestive systems.

She can't really be introduced to a friend until she's been neutered at around 6 months, and the other rabbit is neutered too. Otherwise you may find you have a lot of fights on your hands! I'm sure people can give you some advice on bonding closer to the time rather than bombarding you now! It's great that you're already thinking of getting her a friend though, they're very sociable creatures and will definitely benefit from a bunny companion.

Generally, house rabbits should be in and outdoor rabbits should be out. When temperatures are roughly the same indoors and out you can take house bunnies out in the garden or bring outdoor bunnies inside but a sudden change of temperature carries certain health risks for them. All they need is a box of sorts somewhere to sleep in so you may as well have them as 24/7 house bunnies - they won't take up much room if you rabbit proof the house/room they're in. She'll certainly need to stay inside now until spring when the weather starts to warm up.

She does look very young. Bunnies shouldn't leave their mothers until they are 8 weeks so hopefully she's at least 8 weeks :)

Pics are very cute btw!

A BIG MASSIVE THANKYOU! Much more info in this post than any of the 20 or so sites i read about rabbit care... :) THanks so much!

It's a little late, so my reply may be short, but ill keep coming back and rereading this to memorise it! Thanks so much :) I appreciate the time and effort SO MUCH!
Im thinking for the next 2 or 3 weeks, she will be mostly in an empty bedroom(with very short carpet and only one item of furniture) and have her pen in there for bed and stuff, and ill get hay then..as that seems most common?
Chaff is chopped up hay, it's more easily digested and easier to mix with feed like pellets and nuts.
We got some high quality feed from the vet and she was in with her mother before my brothers got her, so i assume she is going thru weaning right now? i dunno..\

She seems to very much LOVE the human cuddles, and running about exploring.. She looks happy and interested...right now she is in her dark hidey pen.. under heaps of paper shreddings with blankets over the cage, but one side is slightly open..ill keep checking the temp overnight just to make sure she's right... :)
 
Why is it funny? That they shaved it? I dont get it?? Anyway, glad you came here - there's fantastic advice on here and

Rabbits dont cope too well with temperature change so if the outside and inside temps are similar that will be fine but if there's a difference, it's not a good idea. And if you are planning on housing your and your friends rabbit together, they will need to be neutered - even if they are the same sex - or their hormones might make it impossible for a successful bonding.

Please think about their housing needs carefully.

Wishing you all the best.
 
Sorry my quote thingy isnt working so i gotta manually do this lols SORRY!

she's cute but she does look VERY young, do you know how old she is?? where do you live if she needed her fur off?? I would keep a very close eye on her as a bun that tiny will be very fragile! baby bunnies aren't actually a good choice for a first bunny!

as she's a baby she shouldn't have ANY fresh greens until she's at least 12-14 weeks, some people wait longer than that. their digestive system is so very fragile at that age. she should only have access to fresh water, hay and a good pellet food (or whatever she was eating when she was weaned as sudden changes could make her very poorly!)

I'm sure some more knowledgeable peeps will pop along shortly.
i have no idea how old she is... my brothers just decided to buy her on a whim for a christmas prank on me, their sister. :( :p
i live in australia but i assume they dont shave them here? my brothers just did it for a prank...
i think thats a reason that i joind this forum, to get more help... because my brother said he would eat her if i didn't want her... i just need to learn quickly all i can about bunnies and remember it well so she can get to best care :)
Okay. ill take the lettuce away... and get some hay... :) thanks so much!
 
Sorry my quote thingy isnt working so i gotta manually do this lols SORRY!


i have no idea how old she is... my brothers just decided to buy her on a whim for a christmas prank on me, their sister. :( :p
i live in australia but i assume they dont shave them here? my brothers just did it for a prank...
i think thats a reason that i joind this forum, to get more help... because my brother said he would eat her if i didn't want her... i just need to learn quickly all i can about bunnies and remember it well so she can get to best care :)
Okay. ill take the lettuce away... and get some hay... :) thanks so much!

It's sad that a rabbit can be viewed as a prank, but how lucky that she has come into your care because it's totally clear that you want to get it right for him/her. We'll help you all we can. x
 
Welcome to the site, and welcome with your new addition

On my website there is a lot of info that new owners find very useful (including about diet). It's in my sig under 'Flash's Place'.

You're going to have to be very careful with him/her because of the fact s/he has bald. I would recommend providing an animal safe heat source for her so that she doesn't get cold (like a SnuggleSafe, but nto a hot water bottle). She won't be able to go outside though until she has proper fur grown back and, depending what country you're in, if you're in AUS or anywhere over there, that may be too late for this year and she may have to stay inside permanently until next spring.

thanks sooo much! i will read your website later on... :)
I do have a heat lamp but its pretty hott tonight and she has covers on part of her cage, she seems to be pretty warm to the touch and the temp is about estimating... 25C right now...?
It's summer now...so would that change when she can go out?
 
thanks sooo much! i will read your website later on... :)
I do have a heat lamp but its pretty hott tonight and she has covers on part of her cage, she seems to be pretty warm to the touch and the temp is about estimating... 25C right now...?
It's summer now...so would that change when she can go out?

I suspect that she won't be able to go out until spring because by the time her fur has regrown it will likely be too cool to put her outside.

I'm not sure about using a heat lamp with her, to be honest. She needs to be able to choose to get warm if she wants to and move away from it if she wants to.
 
Why is it funny? That they shaved it? I dont get it?? Anyway, glad you came here - there's fantastic advice on here and

Rabbits dont cope too well with temperature change so if the outside and inside temps are similar that will be fine but if there's a difference, it's not a good idea. And if you are planning on housing your and your friends rabbit together, they will need to be neutered - even if they are the same sex - or their hormones might make it impossible for a successful bonding.

Please think about their housing needs carefully.

Wishing you all the best.
It's very difficult..with my brothers.. i think it was a little funny, before i knew what health implications it might have on her...now i just feel bad... I had NO idea they did it, until i got her though... Is there any way i can make a rug for her or something?
The inside and outside temps are very similar due to the housing styles in my area..maybe a 3` difference?
Thanks so much! I plan on nuetering her.. how old does she look?
 
It's very difficult..with my brothers.. i think it was a little funny, before i knew what health implications it might have on her...now i just feel bad... I had NO idea they did it, until i got her though... Is there any way i can make a rug for her or something?
The inside and outside temps are very similar due to the housing styles in my area..maybe a 3` difference?
Thanks so much! I plan on nuetering her.. how old does she look?

She will be at risk of being sunburnt and suchlike, which is why she can't go outside.

She looks, to me, about 6 weeks old (so very early to be separated from mum and go through all the stress she has been through). A boy can be neutered when his bits drop at roughly 12 weeks or so, and a girlie can be spayed later at roughly 5-6 months depending on your vet.
 
I suspect that she won't be able to go out until spring because by the time her fur has regrown it will likely be too cool to put her outside.

I'm not sure about using a heat lamp with her, to be honest. She needs to be able to choose to get warm if she wants to and move away from it if she wants to.
I see! okay that makes sense... it might be better for her being clipped out for summer anyways... i hope she's okay...
okay, ill just monitor her tonight and if she gets to cold ill put her into the bathroom with a heatlamp in a corner with some towels or something... it's safe in there(very minimal, no chemicals, nothing to chew on etc)... or ill figure out something..i doubt she will get too cold though..

now... she has been having good poos and quite a few pees so she seems perfectly fine in that aspect, but i assume like any other bub, things can go downhill quickly?
 
Just a small thought here.Im suggesting that shes kept indoors as shes so young and has been shaved!!
Not to mention the fact that your baby cant be vaccinated against mxyomitosis.(sp).
The Austrailian goverment dont allow the vaccine sadly.
Keep her indoors.Shes at less risk then.xxx
 
It's very difficult..with my brothers.. i think it was a little funny, before i knew what health implications it might have on her...now i just feel bad... I had NO idea they did it, until i got her though... Is there any way i can make a rug for her or something?
The inside and outside temps are very similar due to the housing styles in my area..maybe a 3` difference?
Thanks so much! I plan on nuetering her.. how old does she look?

At least she has you to look out for her now. :) Keep her away from those meanies tho!! :thumb:

Her fur will still need to grow back before she goes outside and by that time, there may be a temp difference - maybe you can re-assess that when it grows back?

I have no idea how old she looks - i've not got any experience with young bunnies at all. Sorry!!

You are doing the right thing by coming on and asking for advice - that's fantastic!! She's going to be one happy, well cared for bunny!! She's an absolute stunner too!! :love::love:
 
I see! okay that makes sense... it might be better for her being clipped out for summer anyways... i hope she's okay...
okay, ill just monitor her tonight and if she gets to cold ill put her into the bathroom with a heatlamp in a corner with some towels or something... it's safe in there(very minimal, no chemicals, nothing to chew on etc)... or ill figure out something..i doubt she will get too cold though..

now... she has been having good poos and quite a few pees so she seems perfectly fine in that aspect, but i assume like any other bub, things can go downhill quickly?

Yes, she can go downhill exceptionally quickly, but so far so good. Get her some hay ASAP and whatever pellet feed she has been eating and hopefully she will stay fine :) Keep her stress to a minimum too so don't make any changes to her environment unless you have to.
 
She will be at risk of being sunburnt and suchlike, which is why she can't go outside.

She looks, to me, about 6 weeks old (so very early to be separated from mum and go through all the stress she has been through). A boy can be neutered when his bits drop at roughly 12 weeks or so, and a girlie can be spayed later at roughly 5-6 months depending on your vet.

Hmm i thought about that, which is why i thought maybe outside time at night.. Im not sure.. it seems like she'll be an INSIDE ONLY bunny for a while!
okay, she seems to be doing pretty well, and has good appettite etc, i hope she will be okay...:)
 
You mentioned chopped up hay, just a note that generally, unless they have dental problems already, long strands of hay are the best. They enjoy them more and they are better for wearing down the back teeth. :)

I hope she doesn't end up with any lasting problems. :) sounds like you are doing a good job with her so far. :)
 
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