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New Bunny Owner - advise appreciated!

PoppyRabbit

Warren Scout
Hello Everyone!

I am a new rabbit owner and would like some help with Poppy my new bundle of fluff.
Although i have done a lot of research and both my fiance and i have degrees in Zoology and Animal Behaviour & Management i would like to see how my rabbit habitat fares and where i could make improvements.

I was told my rabbit is a 4 month old Netherland Dwarf Doe and i got her on 1/4/15 from a local petshop (normally i would re-home but i fell in love despite seeing/holding dozens of bunnies in other shops etc.).

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She has a Ferplast Rabbit 100 indoor cage (which i hope to upgrade to a two-tier one in 4 months or so) which I thoroughly cleaned out with soapy water and rinsed in Beaphor Deep Clean (but i kept one of the big thick tubes so it still smelt like home to her).
She is on sawdust for now (i am allergic so i will have to change this soon) with ripped up kitchen roll as bedding in her hide.
She comes out and has the run of my craft room every day for 2-3 hours (i have bunny-proofed it).



She has 3 litter boxes (plastic cat ones) around the room which have wood pellets in (sawdust went everywhere and hay was just being wasted when i used that) and she is very good at using them, with just the odd batch of poo on the laminate. She also has a litter box in her cage which she mainly just sits in and pees anywhere else!



She was being fed rabbit muesli and whole carrots/cabbage leaves and had horrid yellow hay which she didn't seem to eat or like at all. Im slowly changing her food to Supreme Science Selective Junior and have gotten her some meadow hay which is a lot greener with longer strands.
I have been feeding her 25g a day of muesli/pellets (trying to wean her off muesli slowly) and a big handful of veggies (such as spinach, watercress, red babyleaf, rocket, bit of celery and pak choy). She eats most of it in the first hour and come the next morning there isn't a scrap left.
Shes had a bit of carrot and apple as treats and ive also given her Woodlands Apple and Pansy Hearts (only 1 so far) and Burgess Excel Salad Snacks Banana & Papaya (only about 1/8 of the pack).



She doesn't seem to eat her cecotrophes very much, leaving them every other day but i was told this was ok as it means she is already getting all her nutrients in her diet.

Initially she liked being held on my chest with her head tucked under my chin but now she will scrabble onto my shoulder and run down my back and jump to the floor instead. So now i lay on the floor and let her come up to me and climb on me, sometimes she licks my hair or face and snuffles round me.
She also demands attention by sitting under my chair, nibbling my shoes and nudging me when i am on the computer and she is quite happy to sit on the floor and be fawned over and given kisses.



I tried to weigh her earlier (and what a task that was) and she comes out at around 1200g which makes me think she isn't 4 months old at all.
She hasn't had any shots or been spayed (as far as the pet shop lady knew) and i have yet to take her to the vet (that comes in the next week or so). But she has no little visitors (fleas/ticks/mites etc.) though she does need her nails clipping a tiny bit.

But mainly she seems to be a happy little bunny from what i can tell.

Is there anything which is majorly wrong with this picture or anything i can do to help her settle in more thoroughly?

Thanks!
 
Hi there, what a lovely little lady she is, so adorable! Love her name too!

I wouldn't bother with the 2 tier upgrade personally, but go for extended space for when she isn't free ranging the craft room. you could get some puppy panels to extend her space as large as possible. I'd also cover part of the cage so she has somewhere to hide if she feels like it.

I would do away with sawdust too. My indoor bun has newspaper and hay, hay and more hay and she chooses the litter tray as toilet area and the wooden hidey house as the bedroom.

Of course the other question is are you going to get her a friend once she's neutered? :love: The mischief that two bonded bunnies get up to is wonderful :)
 
hello and welcome to the forum :wave: Poppy is gorgeous!

if your craft room is bunny proofed could she come out full time? rabbits need permanent access to a minimum of 44 square feet of space so being shut in the cage for any amount of time isn't really suitable. alternatively louise200's idea of puppy panels to extend the area is also good. there are lots of ideas for indoor housing here: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304613-Indoor-Housing-Tips-amp-Examples

leaving caecotrophs can be quite problematic as it can lead to them sticking to the rabbit's rear end and causing a lot of problems and putting them at risk of flystrike. it can also lead to obesity as they are getting too much nutrition from their food. I would cut down on the veg and the sugary apple/carrot and see if that helps.
 
hello and welcome to the forum :wave: Poppy is gorgeous!

if your craft room is bunny proofed could she come out full time? rabbits need permanent access to a minimum of 44 square feet of space so being shut in the cage for any amount of time isn't really suitable.
alternatively louise200's idea of puppy panels to extend the area is also good. there are lots of ideas for indoor housing here: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304613-Indoor-Housing-Tips-amp-Examples

leaving caecotrophs can be quite problematic as it can lead to them sticking to the rabbit's rear end and causing a lot of problems and putting them at risk of flystrike. it can also lead to obesity as they are getting too much nutrition from their food. I would cut down on the veg and the sugary apple/carrot and see if that helps.

I thought this.

One of the absolute most important things a rabbit needs is space! Shutting them in a cage such as the Rabbit 100 for any length of time can lead to frustration and bad behaviours.

There has actually been some controversy over this cage over the weekend, rabbit owners are trying to discourage Pets at Home from advertising it as a rabbit home as its far too small! If it was open all of the time or just used as a base attached to a pen that would be fine but on its own its no good I'm afraid.

Your little bun is gorgeous :wave:
 
Hi im new here so am not wanting to anger or annoy anyone with what I have to say, firstly what a beautiful bunny, secondly I don't think rabbits should live without other rabbits no matter how friendly they are with humans, they are incredibly social animals and require company of their own kind and thirdly I really don't agree with keeping them indoors but that is just my opinion, however if they are indoors I would dedicate a room for them and make it as natural a habitat as I could, areas to dig, logs to chew and jump on and over etc, I would never have a rabbit in a cage like that far far too small and they shouldn't be sold, I hope my post hasn't created offence as I am new and am here to make friends and this is just my opinion :)
 
Hi Everyone, thanks for replying...

louise200 - her cage has a hide underneath the plastic section, its a built in one which takes up 1/4 of the cage (but is removable for cleaning), she never goes in there except to toilet or rip up her kitchen roll. I don't have any plans to get her a friend currently, maybe in a few years once we have a new house and more space for two.

elmoandfern - My craft room also houses my two 4ft vivariums (for 2 snakes) and my tarantula as well as being my escape room, so space is limited as we live in a flat. I wouldn't let her out unsupervised, but then i spend most of my time when i am not at work in there so she does get plenty of time to run around, but mostly she just sits under my chair! We also have a dog which we are slowly making introductions with so atm she has to remain in the craft room supervised. We are hoping sooner or later she may be able to have the run of the whole flat (supervised) if her and the dog get on.
I will cut down on her veg as you suggest and see if that improves things caecotroph-wise, today she had an upset tummy and i had to bathe her bum (i had help and did it quickly and carefully) as she did a runny poo on the plastic area then proceeded to sit in it whilst i was at work this morning. I think it's the spinach which i introduced yesterday, so just hay for the rest of today for her.

Sarah1991 - Poppy came with her cage, it wasn't one i picked and it wouldn't be one i would pick myself given the choice. She is an indoor rabbit as we do not have a garden (as we live in a flat above a restaurant) but i hope in our new house she may take to a garden run and have some real grass and lost of exercise that way, as well as being a house rabbit. I have given her chew toys and cardboard and a treat ball to play with and she isn't interested at all. She likes climbing and exploring the craft room as well as me so i can try and entertain her that way. She also shows an interest in fabric (which i have a lot of in the craft room) so i will give her something to arrange and chew up in future :)

Porthos - Thankyou for your opinion, you are of course entitled to it and to have your say. Atm i think taking on another rabbit would be a mistake as i am only a beginner to the species and their needs and i already have my hands full with Poppy. She also has a lot to adjust to what with the new home and the other animals here, especially our dog. In time she may very well have a room to herself or become a garden rabbit with a large hutch outside and a big run. But for now i am trying my utmost to do my best for her and will continue to do so, which is why i came on here after lots of research to talk to some real people and ask the experts how i am doing :)

Babybella - Thankyou, it is a pretty name, it was the one she came with and i suited her so much i kept it!


Im sure in your eyes (as experienced rabbit owners) i have not provided the best home possible for her, however at least here with me she gets human interaction and lots more space than just a cage. And in the near future she will get a lot more space and time as it becomes available.

The pet shop i got her from wasn't an animal selling shop - more of a pet supplies shop, as such there were no other rabbits or animals at all and she just had her cage on the floor and the occasional hug from passers by.
The owner told me she got her off a breeder friend who shows her rabbits, but Poppy wasn't quite show material as she got older, so the lady took her on with a hope to find her a new home through her shop which ended up being me!

She is a lovely affectionate bunny and i will always try to do my very best by her and i do appreciate all your comments and help :)
 
wow you sound like you have such a wide variety of animals! love reptiles! what breed of dog do you have?
 
Porthos - We have a Husky/Malamute cross who is a very gentle giant. He loves Poppy already and tries to lick her, much to her disgust! They have met nose to nose through a baby-gate and her cage and although the first couple of times she stomped and bolted, she got used to him and now hops up to the gate to say hello and have a sniff. We are hoping eventually that they may get on well enough to safely be allowed to free roam in the same room, giving Poppy more space and more chance to interact with us as a family, but that will take a while yet :)
I also own a Corn snake and a Royal Python and a Chile Rose tarantula. In the past i have kept millipedes, hamsters, stick insects, geckos, budgies and fish too!
 
oh wow I adore geckos! your dog sounds lovely, we have a whippet a lurcher and a jack Russell so there is no way we can let them around any other animals as their hunting instinct is so strong, we have to muzzle the whippet and lurcher when on a walk, not because they are aggressive but to keep the wildlife safe, poppy is seriously cute :)
 
I have read all the other excellent posts - the trouble is on here, we are all "experts" which is wonderful really. One of the most important aspects of keeping rabbits is always being gentle with them, talk to them lovingly and in a short while she will become more confident and relaxed. As she is one of the smallest of the breeds she really doesn't need huge amounts of food, a small portion of dried food ie about 2 teaspoonfulls and hay with occasional bits of say spring greens or a little bit of grass or a dandelion leaf. This ensures her digestive system isn't overloaded as you probably know rabbits digest their food twice to extract asmuch nutrition as possible. When she has been on such a diet as this for a month or two she should start to eat her cecals and her digestive system should start to work normally with no mucky bottom etc. Try not to give her sugary foods such as carrot and fruit as these are not good for your bunny. Hope Poppy settles down well with you but we always would advise never to leave her unsupervised with your dog.
 
Porthos - The Geckos were lovely, i mainly looked after then for my old school, but i spent a couple of years with them!
My dad has a jack-russell and if it is smaller than him he will try and eat it, he was a nightmare with all my animals!
Ours is very gentle though, he licks my snakes and tries to play with other animals.He crawls on his tummy towards poppy as we have taught him to be small when approaching as he is so big!

Tonibun - Poppy doesn't really eat much hay as far as i have seen, the old hay she got at the petshop was more like yellow straw but the new hay i got her does seem to get a better look in. I will give her less pellets and veg and try to encourage her to eat more hay by hiding her other treats in it (the branded ones mentioned in the top post).
I have seen the 6 hay trial pack from The Hay Experts which i may also buy for her to help her begin to enjoy hay and eat more of it. I only gave her tiny tiny pieces of carrot/apple as a treat when she was out and about, to encourage her to come to me (i saw that some rabbits will respond to their name if you treat them in the beginning) plus this was what she was mainly fed on before i got her so i thought it best to wean her off it slowly rather then just cut it off completely.
I would never have her out unsupervised with our dog or any other animal in the house, there will always be a human to watch out for her when she is out exploring, too many things could go wrong and i love her too much to risk it!

Does anyone feed their rabbits things like Naturals Breakfast Cookies (https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/breakfast-cookies.html) or 5 A Day Salad Sticks (https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/5-a-day-salad-sticks.html) as an occasional treat for your bunnies?
 
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Poppy is lovely and welcome to the forum :wave:

I use a horse bedding which is paper based called megazorb in an underbed storage box covered in hay. It's about £8 a huge bag and lasts ages and you can get it from agricultural places. This might be a good alternative to shavings for you

The metal puppy play pens are really good if you want to provide more space but keep her contained. you could put it around the cage.

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Something like the below or you could just get a pen and put it around the cage.

You sound like you are doing lots of research which is great. Maybe after you have her neutered and feel more confident with her needs you could find a local rescue in your area and pick up a neutered husband for her.
 
Hi Lady Logamorph - My craft room isn't actually big enough for one of those pens! It's only 2x3m and its obviously filled with vivariums, bookcase, Poppy's cage and a table and chair etc. But it would be good for the kitchen/living room if Poppy and the dog get on, it would be good as she can socialise with us more as we watch tv and read :)
Until Poppy and the dog are better acquainted she will have to remain in the craft room where it is safe and secure, just in case.
Ive kept her in her cage for the minute so she can recover from her bum-bath this lunchtime and dry off properly, but later she will come out for 2-3 hours and roam around to her hearts content and have some snuggles from me :)
 
Heart in my mouth moment..turned around to see this....





First thing i did was check online what it meant...apparently a happy bunny?

She is still breathing and keeps sort of nodding off and waking up and stretching out a bit more, a bit like i used to do on the bus home from work.


I never knew bunnies laid down! Sounds really silly but ive only ever seen one laid on it's tummy.

I nearly cried, i thought i had killed her after 6 days :( She is ok isn't she?
 
I saw on here pictures of rabbits sleeping and some look like that, I'd have had a heart attack if I'd just seen that. Mine seem to sleep sitting up, spotted their noses stopped twitching sometimes which I read was how you know they are sleeping,
 
I think people call it the 'dead bunny flop' ;-) I've seen a couple fom my outdoor male pair and they really are asleep and don't wake when I go into their enclosure.

That's a good idea re the types of hay to try. I'm currently obsessed with seeing my newest rabbit's poos transform into bigger golden hay poos, I must get out more lol. She loves the Timothy hay from a local horse feed farm place which can work out well for cost too. She didn't seem to eat much at first but it was likely a bit of settling in to do as well.

Not sure if you've checked out the housing ideas link from ElmoandFern yet but there are great examples on there of the nic or 'c and c' cubes where people build bigger or taller enclosures out of them. So many great ideas :thumb:
 
Maybe a two tier cage/hutch like you said would be good then you can offer more space without taking up space. Mine frighten me all the time laying like this....I have had to prod one of mine to wake him up before
 
She is gorgeous! Welcome to the forum! :) i started iff with a indoor cage.... Charlie now has me wrapped rou d his little paw and as the kitchen, hallway and beddroom... (only the kitchen at night) haha your girlie seems happy, enjoy :)
 
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