New baby bunny : (

Yesterday my friend and I got 2 rabbits. She got a female to bond with her male and I got a male fir my female. Baby's both 8 weeks minilops from same litter. None of the rabbits are neutered although my female is booked in nxt week and I plan on keeping rabbits apart until bothe she and the baby have been done and recovered then try and bond them. We came home together I went to my house to settle my bunny and when I went to hers to see her new hutch she just had both rabbits out on the grass. 16 week male kept going on top of the baby and I got him off and said should I put him back but she said to leave them to get on with it! She thinks they will be fine and isn't too concerned about pregnancy as she thinks it will be quite cute. I have tried to advise her but I'm probably coming across as a busybody. The baby went mad and I had to put it back as I was running around crazy. This morning it was huddled and wouldn't be picked up just stamping her feet at everyone. We both have daughters who the rabbits belong to and my daughter is really upset about her friends bun. Want to tell her the little female will be fine but I'm not sure. What do you all think? Will it be ok if left for a while or is it really traumatized?

popcorn77 said:

Yesterday my friend and I got 2 rabbits. She got a female to bond with her male and I got a male fir my female. Baby's both 8 weeks minilops from same litter. None of the rabbits are neutered although my female is booked in nxt week and I plan on keeping rabbits apart until bothe she and the baby have been done and recovered then try and bond them. We came home together I went to my house to settle my bunny and when I went to hers to see her new hutch she just had both rabbits out on the grass. 16 week male kept going on top of the baby and I got him off and said should I put him back but she said to leave them to get on with it! She thinks they will be fine and isn't too concerned about pregnancy as she thinks it will be quite cute. I have tried to advise her but I'm probably coming across as a busybody. The baby went mad and I had to put it back as I was running around crazy. This morning it was huddled and wouldn't be picked up just stamping her feet at everyone. We both have daughters who the rabbits belong to and my daughter is really upset about her friends bun. Want to tell her the little female will be fine but I'm not sure. What do you all think? Will it be ok if left for a while or is it really traumatized?

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Oh bless you Is the bunny eating and does it seem otherwise well? If so she will hopefully recover if given time but your friend may well have jeopardised any future bonding. Neutering is so important, especially for females, as I'm sure you know already.

It might be a good idea to get her checked out by a vet but as it's not your bunny all you can do is make suggestions Poor bun-bun. I would certainly try to educate your friend on rabbits' needs, could you maybe print put some reading material for her?

I feel for you, I've been in a similar position a few times and it sucks xxx

At 8 weeks I don't believe she'd become pregnant. Slightly too young but I would be worried about the behavioural influence on the rabbit.

I'm not sure what to recommend so hope someone else will reply with some information and suggestions for you

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thanks guys. I thin she has been eating. The little girl gave her some grass while i was there. She wouldnt let us pick her up but i brought my old pen round and put it round her hutch so she can play out without being handled. Poor little thing. Its so hard when you know better but dont want to fall out with people although my daughter told her daughter that she read a female can bite a boys willy off if it doesn't want to mate!! Poor little girl looked horrified lol but maybe they need a shock. Another thing it has never eaten grass before but they are giving it loads. The breeder said no greens till 6 months but when i got my first rabbit who is now 16 weeks the pet shop said it was ok and she loves her greens and her bottom is clean etc. Im not giving any to the baby yet as he is only 8 weeks. He seems to be sleeping loads is that normal? Also not eating much but then i might be comparing to my older greedy bun who scoffs her nuggets straight away. He has had loads of poos though. He came out for a play and binked about then fell asleep on the beanbag. Hope he is ok. (I also realize since joining the forum i have committed the worst sins of getting bun from pets at home and one from a breeder but please don't hold it against me)

popcorn77 said:

thanks guys. I thin she has been eating. The little girl gave her some grass while i was there. She wouldnt let us pick her up but i brought my old pen round and put it round her hutch so she can play out without being handled. Poor little thing. Its so hard when you know better but dont want to fall out with people although my daughter told her daughter that she read a female can bite a boys willy off if it doesn't want to mate!! Poor little girl looked horrified lol but maybe they need a shock. Another thing it has never eaten grass before but they are giving it loads. The breeder said no greens till 6 months but when i got my first rabbit who is now 16 weeks the pet shop said it was ok and she loves her greens and her bottom is clean etc. Im not giving any to the baby yet as he is only 8 weeks. He seems to be sleeping loads is that normal? Also not eating much but then i might be comparing to my older greedy bun who scoffs her nuggets straight away. He has had loads of poos though. He came out for a play and binked about then fell asleep on the beanbag. Hope he is ok. (I also realize since joining the forum i have committed the worst sins of getting bun from pets at home and one from a breeder but please don't hold it against me)

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Lol it's possible she could nip it off I suppose! :shock:

I think grass is fine at 8 weeks but must be introduced slowly so as not to upset the bun's tum. Upset tummies=mucky bum=flies. It's the worst time of year for flystrike. I would ignore anything pet shops tell you for life! Also breeders, the best place to get info is from sites like this one or the RWAF, anywhere welfare- rather than profit-oriented.

Rabbits are crepuscular (most active at dawn and dusk) so tend to sleep /laze about for much of the day, especially in warmer weather as they're not adept at controlling their body temperature. Just make sure she always has fresh water and some respite from the heat.

As for buying from p@h and breeders - I'm not judging. I think that's how most of us started out. If it makes you feel better, those bunnies are almost certainly FAR better off with you than they would be otherwise as most people don't realise what complex animals they are, and they either end up inappropriately cared for or in rescues It sounds like you have their best interests at heart though and are prepared to learn. Wish there were more like you!

tonibun said:

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Agree

Ah thank you! Little man is running round the living room like crazy haha. Older girl is in the outdoor run, is it ok to swap them over sometimes or will smelling other rabbits upset them? Also even though i cant begin bonding for a few months can they see each other? not in physical contact but in runs next to each other so they can look but not touch? Been reading up on bonding and totally scared to be honest, thinking of chickening out and letting them see each other but not bond them or is that cruel? Once bonded they will be in a shed and im scared they will fight and i wont see it to stop it. House bunnys are not an option as partner will not be convinced. Im also annoyed at pets at home selling me the wrong size cage and hutch because i can't afford any more atm especially as i have spays and neuters to pay for grrr.

No, that's a great idea, it will get them used to each other's scents and also used to sharing a territory. You'll find that everyone has their own ideas about bonding but personally, I always get them used to each other for as long as possible first. I've never had a problem this way.

Bonding can be daunting but so worth it. They'll both have a far better quality of life, and once you see them all lovey-dovey it will melt your heart Mutual grooming is also great preventative health care! Some prefer to ask a rescue to do the bonding for them so that could be an option. If you decide to do it yourself, just make sure you introduce them on neutral territory (somewhere neither of them have been, and small). A bathroom would be ideal. You'll need to supervise them in the initial stages but once they've bonded you can safely leave them. I won't go into great detail here but there's loads of awesome advice on the behaviour and bonding section of this forum.

P@H are rotten for selling inadequate accommodation. The bigger the better, especially when keeping more than one rabbit. Their natural territories are something like 30 acres each!

Don't worry, it will all get easier with time and you can always ask when you're not sure of something. The members of this forum are LOVELY and the most knowledgeable I've met.

I'm glad your bunnies have you to look after them. Good luck, and enjoy them! Rabbits are completely nuts, puzzling at times, always adorable and often hilarious. They like to worry us but we wouldn't swap 'em :lol: :thumb:

You are so helpful!! (especially Eyeroll)Yes feel really bad about the cages situation but have spent loads and have no means to improve things right now although i make sure they have a good run around during the day. Getting a shed soon but unable to totally dedicate it to them as we have other things to go in. Popcorn the girl lives in a hutch in the garden while little boy Pumpkin is in an indoor cage (was told suitable for 2 rabbits!! no way!) Thinking of putting cage in shed with hutch so they can have company at night but hope Pumpkin will be warm enough it also means i can put a pen around his cage during the day when hubbys bike isn't in there so he can have a bit more space. Shop marketed the hutch as suitable for 2 rabbits and it does look big but then again my Popcorn is still quite small (dutch). It is the heather hutch from pets at home x

Oh dear, that is rather small. Could you maybe attach it to a large run? If you or OH are handy it's pretty cheap to build one. Maybe you could tell him, it's build a huge run or have them in the house :lol:

The one thing I would worry about with being shut in the shed in the summer is that they tend to get very hot for rabbits. A few people on this forum use them but they are fully adapted for bunnies. I'm not that experienced with keeping buns outside as I like mine free range. If you're looking for housing ideas on a budget it might be a good idea to start a thread in the housing section so someone more experienced could advise you x

I will have a think I do want what's best for them. How could you adapt a shed? Would leaving the door open all day with frozen bottles be ok for the rabbits. It is a sheltered spot with trees as its where I have the hutch now and it gets mostly shade. We do put the rabbit in a run 200 by 100 most of the day and a run around the house on rainy days. Obviously alternating with the baby now. Good news my friends female rabbit is fine and she has separated them. She is still going to breed and sell the babies. She is determined to so I suggested using the.money for spay/neuter and she thought that a good idea so at least only one litter, although I realize its still not good. Baby boy went in girl buns run today, girl was running up and down the hutch not very happy haha

She'll have to wait until they are around 2 years old if she insists on breeding to prevent potential pregnancy and birth problems with mum.
I really wish she wouldn't - obviously there are already so many in rehoming centers and so many already living in less than suitable conditions.

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It doesn't matter where you got your babies from, the fact is, you're on here asking questions and learning so they can have an awesome life with you.

There's LOADS of ideas for sheds and other housing in the housing section, some people are really creative and use things like tunnels and catflaps.

Meanwhile, rabbits get bored quite easily so maybe you and your daughter could make toys for the bunnies? Lots of people give theirs things like loo roll tubes stuffed with hay, or hide pellets under hay in egg boxes. I know a few people give them baby toys like plastic blocks and keys to lob around. They may also like a cuddly toy to groom and keep them company.

Good luck! We also love pictures on here, so please feel free to share!

I'd

Ooh yes, do post some pictures!

It's such a shame your friend is hell bent on breeding them. It is a big risk to the does health especially when not fully mature. It isn't as easy as putting bunnies together, the doe will need a lot of care and non pedigree bunnies don't sell for much, are hard to shift and she may end up paying more for vet's bills and any she does sell may end up abused, neglected or in rescues

I dunno about sheds personally but as dizzy said there's some awesome ideas in the housing section x

popcorn77 said:

thanks guys. I thin she has been eating. The little girl gave her some grass while i was there. She wouldnt let us pick her up but i brought my old pen round and put it round her hutch so she can play out without being handled. Poor little thing. Its so hard when you know better but dont want to fall out with people although my daughter told her daughter that she read a female can bite a boys willy off if it doesn't want to mate!! Poor little girl looked horrified lol but maybe they need a shock. Another thing it has never eaten grass before but they are giving it loads. The breeder said no greens till 6 months but when i got my first rabbit who is now 16 weeks the pet shop said it was ok and she loves her greens and her bottom is clean etc. Im not giving any to the baby yet as he is only 8 weeks. He seems to be sleeping loads is that normal? Also not eating much but then i might be comparing to my older greedy bun who scoffs her nuggets straight away. He has had loads of poos though. He came out for a play and binked about then fell asleep on the beanbag. Hope he is ok. (I also realize since joining the forum i have committed the worst sins of getting bun from pets at home and one from a breeder but please don't hold it against me)

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This worries me a lot

Young rabbits can get bloat, which can be fatal, through eating too much grass if they aren't used to it. It's way too rich for their digestive systems.

You're doing all your can, it's a difficult situation I can see ...