Things, that now experienced bunny owners got wrong when acquiring their first bunny.

[KMazzy]

When I first got Jaffy from a rescue I WRONGLY assumed that his previous owner (who was giving him up as she was moving abroad) had suitable housing for him, but the poor boy came with this:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?379450-Cage-Advice-Please

He also hadn't really had much hay, and had wood shavings for the bottom of his cage.

After a week of frantic research and bunnyproofing I managed to remove the cage and use the base as a litter tray and let him free range 24/7. I was using megazorb in the litter tray but now just use newspaper and baled hay. (I live in a flat and we have communal recycling so I sneak in and take all the newspapers from there!)

I used to just shove about a handful of hay in his treatball but now I realise just how much hay he can eat. Poor boy must've been starved to start with.

He had to temporarily go back in the cage for a few hours a day while I was bonding him with Ren and she was out of her run, and he was HIGHLY UNIMPRESSED!

I'm sure there are still things I do wrong but I have spent a LOT of time reading RU. Next thing for me to get to grips with is foraging and making toys. I bought them a lovely seagrass house but it just caused trouble as they both used it as a toilet and had a fur pulling fight over it

 

[GrahamL]

Neither of my buns ever had hay when I was younger.

Frisky had potato peelings warmed up in the winter to help her

 

[Tracybeakerisland]

NOT knowing it was possible to have a rescue rabbit, buying a young rabbit only to end up spending a small fortune in vets fees for intensive care, treatment and investigations [ had a malformed gut which did not show on the outside] only to have the poor thing look like she was recovering and then she died in the vets hands. My poor vet was heart broken as he spent a long weekend doing frequent checks but on further investigation he was impressed she had lived for as long as she did.

After that I found out there was such a thing as rescue rabbits! Gakk given all my other pets had been rescues that should have dawned on me but no, did not even twig the RSPCA might rescue buns.:roll: You live and *hopefully*learn.

 

[Rupert & Tia]

The pllet bag said that a dutch rabbit needed 100grams of pellets per day... so i measured out 100grams of pellets into each bowl (advised to keep seperate bowls as they were newly bonded)...

What did rupert do?!!? Sat and ate every single pellet in his first couple of hours of being here!

 

[Fluffs]

Only just found RU in July

...... And she's 4

I love her so much and I really hope she has a better life now.
I feel so bad thinking back to when we first got her, no hay, hated cleaning her out, she nipped me once, and I didn't even feel it, but refused to go near her.

I actually forgot I had her.

I guess it's all about what we are doing now since we discovered the correct care..... But I still wish I could go back in time.

 

[haffyj]

Oh i have done a few things over the years i can tell you!!!

1. Years ago wheni was about 14 and worked in a pet shop i always ended up taking the odler buns home with me, i end up with a fair few but i never kept them with each other always seperate and in 4 ft hutches and i never neutered them or had their injections done

2. i brought sugar from a pet shop and she lived with a guinea pig until i found this site and i began to learn more

3. not giving enough hay

I think everyone has to learn somewhere, i never used the internet much till i was 18, and there wasnt much information readliy available to people not using the net. and those that are willing to learn more are the ones that care for their animals as more than just pets

 

[Babsie]

Ahh I use the cat litter wood based stuff with hay in is litter.. Merlin has a dog crate for his "base" but is a free range house bunny and I normally put some sawdust down first then lots and lots of hay on top..

So should I just perhaps put newspaper down and then his hay on top

He is my first bunny and though 5 I am still learning with him, and I am pleased I am active now on this forum as I don't want to be a cruel mummy to him and cause him un-necessary pain/issues when it can be easily recitifed

I just use a thick layer of newspaper and then hay in hutch and litter trays. I always used woodshavings until I joined the Forum, as I thought I was doing the right thing.