Title edit: Fat bunny & new friend question

Well we have finally descended back into our house with a crash (literally - having driven thousands of miles around Europe, we got shunted up the back on a roundabout coming off the M25!) I was a bit shocked to discover how overweight Harry seems to have got.

Last time I saw him a couple of months ago, he was looking absolutely fine, so I wonder if he's been comfort eating in the past few weeks since Miss Daisy died? Perhaps he's not running around as much either with no one to play with

So anyway, he really needs to go on a diet, but I've never had to put a bunny on a diet before so I'm not sure how to go about it. Obviously I hope that once I find him a new girlfriend he will do more exercise, but in the meantime, should I cut out his pellets totally or just limit them? If I need to cut them out, do I need to do that gradually as well? What vegetables are best for a slimline bunny diet?

Thanks in advance! Alison x

my vet advised to cut out the pellets all together and feed hay and veg cabage spinage carrots ect and to weigh them each week not easey if you dont know what wheight bun should be mone should be 21/2lb hes a nethie hes 31/4 lb right now and has lossed 1/4 lb he was over weight when i got him

i would cut all of his pellets out, i would limit him to a certain amount! it can be stressful changing their food, so i would do it gradually.

i would feed him less pellets and lots more hay! not too many veggies just carrots and cabbage!

i would agree that getting him a mate would help him to slim down as they will run around together!

sophie

I would cut down the pellets he has, he should always have a supply of hay
My rabbits Honey and Rosie share a double decker hutch. When Honey was getting too fat I divided the hutch up at night time, gave Rosie her normal pellets and gave Honey a small handful, they both have hay all time so I assume Honey munched on that during the night. I'd let them out together during the day and I get their pellets and put them inside a plastic ball with holes in. The bunnies toss and roll the ball around to get the pellets out which is basically using energy while eating it at the same time! You can buy proper food dispensers like this but I just used a ball from a children's ball pit, made some holes in it and sort of funnel the pellets with my hand to get them into the ball on a morning

Thanks all, I shall cut down his pellets and see how we go. I've bought some excel lite and I'm mixing those in with his normal excel a bit as well.

Anyway, my next dilemma is his girlfriend! I have 2 new bunnies currently reserved and I hope to go and see them tomorrow. I have also just heard of a giant lop available (you may recall I've been looking for a big bunny to become Harry's new girlie), but she isn't spayed yet although she is due to be done very soon.

So, my question is this - given that I'm also getting 2 more bunnies hopefully next week, will it rock the boat if I rehome an adult female who has *only just* been spayed? Would I be better off finding one who has already been done for a while?

Or what are the chances of me being able to bond Harry to the other pair I'm getting, and having a happy threesome? They are all neutered, but not ideal as 2 of them will be boys. Harry has lived happily alongside 2 other boy bunnies in the past, but the other 2 are a male-female pairing so I'm not sure about how they'd take it.

I'm really just thinking out loud here, so any thoughts out loud in return would be much appreciated!

Thanks! Alison x