my new rabbit!!!

chestnut the rabbit said:
oh no! so his cage isn't big enough? it was what the pet shop recommended
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On the face of it no, I can see you have the lid open, if you plan to keep it open 99% the time and just have the cage as a "safe space" for him it may be sufficient. But if he will spend a lot of time in it you may want to consider something bigger when you can. Unfortunately pet shops are notorious for misleading customers, not just with rabbits, because their main priority is making a sale. It's a bonus for them if you then go back for a bigger cage in future as they make more money.
 
chestnut the rabbit said:
oh no! so his cage isn't big enough? it was what the pet shop recommended
Click to expand...
Unfortunately some pet shops, naming no names, pay little heed to the welfare of the rabbits - they are in it to make money. Rabbits need a large area, as you will have already seen. I wouldn't be surprised if the pet shop also recommended treats and chews, feeding large amounts of pellets etc etc - none of which is good advice.
 
chestnut the rabbit said:
oh no! so his cage isn't big enough? it was what the pet shop recommended
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, no it isn't :( You weren't to know that you cannot rely on advice from a pet shop though. It's a shame, but the situation is recoverable :) Stick around on the forum and we can help you arrange something more suitable.
 
Orenoko said:
On the face of it no, I can see you have the lid open, if you plan to keep it open 99% the time and just have the cage as a "safe space" for him it may be sufficient. But if he will spend a lot of time in it you may want to consider something bigger when you can. Unfortunately pet shops are notorious for misleading customers, not just with rabbits, because their main priority is making a sale. It's a bonus for them if you then go back for a bigger cage in future as they make more money
Click to expand...
yes, the pet shop that cage was fine. i didn't want him stuck in there all the time though so i've been letting him out as much as i can when im around to supervise. i have a small spare room i could rabbit proof too, but its only about 2x2 metres.

Babsie said:
Unfortunately some pet shops, naming no names, pay little heed to the welfare of the rabbits - they are in it to make money. Rabbits need a large area, as you will have already seen. I wouldn't be surprised if the pet shop also recommended treats and chews, feeding large amounts of pellets etc etc - none of which is good advice.
Click to expand...
i got rid of the pellets and water bottle and just went out and bought lots of hay and salad leaves and a water dish!
 
chestnut the rabbit said:
yes, the pet shop that cage was fine. i didn't want him stuck in there all the time though so i've been letting him out as much as i can when im around to supervise. i have a small spare room i could rabbit proof too, but its only about 2x2 metres.


i got rid of the pellets and water bottle and just went out and bought lots of hay and salad leaves and a water dish!
Click to expand...
Be wary of changing his diet quickly. Every change needs to be done slowly, so that his digestion remains happy. It would be best if you continued to feed him the same as the pet shop at the start and then decrease the amount of pellets that you feed, but do it gradually. How old is he? If he is still very young, he would probably benefit from remaining on a few pellets a day. whilst he is growing.

Lots of hay is the best :love: It will be very good for his digestion and to wear down his teeth.
 
Omi said:
Be wary of changing his diet quickly. Every change needs to be done slowly, so that his digestion remains happy. It would be best if you continued to feed him the same as the pet shop at the start and then decrease the amount of pellets that you feed, but do it gradually. How old is he? If he is still very young, he would probably benefit from remaining on a few pellets a day. whilst he is growing.

Lots of hay is the best :love: It will be very good for his digestion and to wear down his teeth.
Click to expand...
he is six months old. so i should slowly reduce the amount of pellets and start with only a few salad leaves each day?
 
chestnut the rabbit said:
he is six months old. so i should slowly reduce the amount of pellets and start with only a few salad leaves each day?
Click to expand...
Yes, slowly reduce the pellets. As long as his diet is around 85-90% hay, it would be OK to reduce the pellets to just a small amount, say an eggcupful per day. Rabbits generally like eating pellets, so they are useful to use to ensure that the rabbit is well. A poorly rabbit usually will not eat.

Do you know whether the pet shop owner was feeding Chestnut any greens? If not, then be careful to feed a very small amount to start, before increasing it. I'm not sure what is included in your salad leaves. Lettuce for example is not the most nutritious food for a bunny, whereas spinach, watercress and rocket are all fine. Herbs are particularly good, so parsley, coriander, basil, thyme, origano and dill. Also good are any dark green cabbage-type vegetables such as kale. Whenever you feed a new food to him, feed only one new food a day and make sure he has had no ill effects.

You will also need to register him with a vet and take him asap for his vaccinations. This will be documented in the RWAF website.

Ask if you're not sure about anything :)
 
Welcome. You are smart to join this forum. It has lots of good information on care and also people who will enjoy hearing your bunny stories and seeing your photos.
Chestnut is very cute. I am sure you will give him a wonderful life.
 
Hi welcome to you and Chestnut 👋 hope he's settling in well. I can't add to the advice already given, but shout up if you need any help, and let us now how Chesnut is doing, and we love bunny photos 😊
 
Thanks for all your advice, I just started rabbit proofing a spare room so I hope Chestnut will be happier there, and I found a local vet I could speak with about vaccines etc.

Babsie said:
I don't feel I was very welcoming in my first reply. Sorry! It's just that these pet shops make me so angry - they simply don't care. Good to have you here!
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it's fine, it was also frustrating for me to buy things then find out they aren't suitable!
 
Aw, Chestnut looks very cute. 🥰 I'm sorry the pet shop wasn't honest about what Chestnut needs to be happy and made you buy all these things you can now not use. Feel free to ask as many questions as you want and tell us more about Chestnut. It sounds like he's going to have a lovely life with you. 😊
 
Hello and welcome. I have two bunnies in my bedroom, I just got rid of cables etc. My two are pretty good and rarely chew anything they shouldn't. Some bunnies may chew many things. Good luck.
 
You may find that as a solo bunny he gets bored more easily and this could lead to destructive behaviours, but not always. Some bunnies are just naturally very chilled. They do prefer company of others and are happiest with another bunny friend but he'd need to be neutered first etc. Neutering is good anyway as it tends to help with behaviours like spraying urine, which is never pleasant!
chestnut the rabbit said:
Thanks for all your advice, I just started rabbit proofing a spare room so I hope Chestnut will be happier there, and I found a local vet I could speak with about vaccines etc.


it's fine, it was also frustrating for me to buy things then find out they aren't suitable!
Click to expand...
 
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