I just got a baby bunny 2 days ago. He’s 8 weeks old and is doing pretty good so far. Does anyone have any advice, tips on bonding, and ways to get him comfortable?
Interact with him ❤️ They become more comfortable and loving when you get down on their level and give them some love. Let him sniff you and crawl on you if he wants. Make sure he has a hideout/box for when he needs to feel safe. Congrats – I have three and I love being a bun mom!
KevG29
Unlimited alfalfa hay for their first 6 months (pretty sure that’s the timeline). Make sure his pellets are for baby buns and from a good brand (i.e. Oxbox, small pet select). I wouldn’t worry about bonding until he is older and has been fixed. Leave places to hide around the house, or anywhere he is free roaming (an upside down box with an entry and exit will suffice but cardboard cat houses on amazon work too) and I’d add one in his space (assuming he has a gated exercise pen (check amazon – get one listed for dogs and choose one that gives him plenty of space when locked up).
AceEnder3825
Since Hes so small i would change the bottom of the area you have him in or put some kind of blankets or small rug so his little paws dont go through the holes
Different_Farmer_416
Don’t handle him unless it is necessary as they are prey animal. If he gets pick up, his instinct thinks he is going to be eaten. Get down on the ground and let him sniff and explore you so he understands you won’t hurt him.It took me 2 weeks until my bunny came close to me that I could gave him a pat on the head. Then he awarded me with a blinky. He’s been with me for almost 4 years and now sit on my lap for a massage.
My_friends_are_toys
First thing, get rid of that grated litter box.
Second thing, get alfalfa hay, he needs that as much as Timothy hay right now.
That said bonding with a rabbit is easy. Just lay flat on the floor so you look like a long rabbit and not a predator. Then ignore him. He’ll come to you with nose blood and curiosity
Expensive-Shirt-6877
Give a little treat before bedtime. Makes night time fun instead of a bad thing!
IrishGeneral95
They may stay cute but they don’t stay small. And, no matter how much they poop they aren’t pooping too much. Unlimited hay really does mean unlimited. Don’t leave phone cords dangling or any kind of cords.
Pibble-Tech
Look up a good exotic vet now. He’ll need to be neutered and vaccinated for rabbit hemorrhagic disease. Very important for healthy buns!
darthcaedus13
Absolutely adorable baby
MRdeadfingers
Instead of pellets I would say get that bun some bok choy, parsleys, escroll and cilantro as a base diet and leave the pellets as treats; but spend time with it. Just sitting next to him while He explores and get some wicker toys, Play with him, He’ll start be bonding to you!
Independent_Pin1041
Does anyone else think this rabbit looks significantly younger than 8 weeks? Not a dig at OP, just a concern
Misses_Ding
I saw someone say to wait to Bond with him. Don’t do that. The younger the are when they get used to you and start bonding with you the better. It’s significantly more difficult for an older bun to bond with you (as someone who’s done both) besides they don’t get hormonal until around 4 months old at which point they can almost immediately get neutered. Just sit or lay on the ground and maybe have some treats with you. Wait for him to approach
George_Mallory
Give him a space all his own and don’t touch him or pick him up when he’s there. Make him come out of this space into the shared space of where you live when he wants to interact with you and get cuddles. This lets him consent to affection which does wonders for his emotional equilibrium and happiness.
I recommend the area around his litter box and hay and water to be his safe space. I also recommend that you get at least one cardboard box and cut a hole into two of the walls and place it in his safe space so that he can hide there when he doesn’t want to be seen.
Also, rabbits usually like to have their foreheads rubbed. They lick each other’s foreheads to show that they appreciate each other, so simulating this usually comes off as caring.
kaylechip1
petting his head will remind him of being groomed by his mama when he was a baby, so always start with some good head pets
kicking_bean
I think the litter box is fine not sure if other people that recommend getting rid of it are associating it with wired bottoms. He does seem tiny compared to the litter box so I would just make sure his feet can’t get caught in the holes.
I give my buns a few pellets in the morning & evening to gage if they’re feeling ok that day. The few times they didn’t feel well (possibly due to stasis) they didn’t run to me when I gave out pellets and I was able to check on them and take them to the vet when needed.
BunnyMishka
I recommend you head to r/rabbits They have fantastic resources for new owners ☺️
My advice: make sure you have a trusted exotic vet to help you with your bunny. Vaccinations and neutering/spaying are really important and prevent other health issues.
Bunnies are fragile, but you’ll learn to notice when something’s wrong. For example, my Nixie sits loafed in the toilet *only* when she has a tummy ache.
Sending love and health to you and your little one!
InnocentlyConfused
Most important tip of all: He needs a rabbit friend and can’t be alone. I know that there’s a tonne of cute rabbit content out there, making them look like little dogs who get super close to their owners, but they absolutely depend on the company of other rabbits in so many different ways (grooming, cuddling, body language). Over here in Germany, it’s now even classified as animal cruelty to keep a bunny alone. I’m absolutely not saying anyone intends or often even knows about this, I’m sure you love this gorgeous little guy! If you want to give him the greatest gift possible, get him neutered and an (ideally female) partner 🫶🏻
Bunnisockins
Looks like you have a lop eared friend. They are my favorite. They are usually very, very sweet bunnies (usually, lol). They also tend to develop a lot of medical issues down the road with their ears, and teeth. Please keep a close and watchful eye on: 1. Excessive scratching at their ears / shaking their heads. 2. Any slowdown or change on their food consumption (ie. doesn’t eat much hay anymore, or isn’t eating much pellets) / changes to their fecal droppings. 3. Keep an eye out for any leaky discharge from their nose and/or eyes. These all can point to issues starting to develop with their teeth or ears. Some preventative measures you can take early on are making sure they are eating primarily hay to help with teeth, and getting an annual checkup at the bunny vet to check for any buildup in their ears.
Heads-up-7-up
Protect your walls and basebords, they will be attacked. Put house plants up out of reach. And ALWAYS have eyes in the back of your head. And most importantly LOVE them dearly.
bdiddy621
Don’t leave pellets out all the time like that. It’s a lot too. Most of their diet should be hay, and then fresh greens and very little pellets. Hay should be out 24/7 and then you can give a cup or two of fresh greens once or twice a day and then a small amount of pellets once a day (like 1/4 of a cup). Stay away from all the packaged treats, give fresh fruit if you do but very sparingly. And if you do get packaged treats, get Oxbow. The only food that should be out all the time, is hay. Too many pellets can lead to GI Stasis in some bunnies and trust me, you do not want to experience that.
SurpriseNo6011
He is SOOO CUTE😭🩷
Ninja312008
Do you already have another bunny? He does need a bunny friend!
dwarf_buns2
Hold him a lot and just snuggle him. He’s absolutely adorable
25 Comments
Such a cute baby boy
He’s soo tiny 😭😭
Interact with him ❤️ They become more comfortable and loving when you get down on their level and give them some love. Let him sniff you and crawl on you if he wants. Make sure he has a hideout/box for when he needs to feel safe. Congrats – I have three and I love being a bun mom!
Unlimited alfalfa hay for their first 6 months (pretty sure that’s the timeline). Make sure his pellets are for baby buns and from a good brand (i.e. Oxbox, small pet select). I wouldn’t worry about bonding until he is older and has been fixed. Leave places to hide around the house, or anywhere he is free roaming (an upside down box with an entry and exit will suffice but cardboard cat houses on amazon work too) and I’d add one in his space (assuming he has a gated exercise pen (check amazon – get one listed for dogs and choose one that gives him plenty of space when locked up).
Since Hes so small i would change the bottom of the area you have him in or put some kind of blankets or small rug so his little paws dont go through the holes
Don’t handle him unless it is necessary as they are prey animal. If he gets pick up, his instinct thinks he is going to be eaten. Get down on the ground and let him sniff and explore you so he understands you won’t hurt him.It took me 2 weeks until my bunny came close to me that I could gave him a pat on the head. Then he awarded me with a blinky. He’s been with me for almost 4 years and now sit on my lap for a massage.
First thing, get rid of that grated litter box.
Second thing, get alfalfa hay, he needs that as much as Timothy hay right now.
That said bonding with a rabbit is easy. Just lay flat on the floor so you look like a long rabbit and not a predator. Then ignore him. He’ll come to you with nose blood and curiosity
Give a little treat before bedtime. Makes night time fun instead of a bad thing!
They may stay cute but they don’t stay small. And, no matter how much they poop they aren’t pooping too much. Unlimited hay really does mean unlimited. Don’t leave phone cords dangling or any kind of cords.
Look up a good exotic vet now. He’ll need to be neutered and vaccinated for rabbit hemorrhagic disease. Very important for healthy buns!
Absolutely adorable baby
Instead of pellets I would say get that bun some bok choy, parsleys, escroll and cilantro as a base diet and leave the pellets as treats; but spend time with it. Just sitting next to him while He explores and get some wicker toys, Play with him, He’ll start be bonding to you!
Does anyone else think this rabbit looks significantly younger than 8 weeks? Not a dig at OP, just a concern
I saw someone say to wait to Bond with him. Don’t do that. The younger the are when they get used to you and start bonding with you the better. It’s significantly more difficult for an older bun to bond with you (as someone who’s done both) besides they don’t get hormonal until around 4 months old at which point they can almost immediately get neutered. Just sit or lay on the ground and maybe have some treats with you. Wait for him to approach
Give him a space all his own and don’t touch him or pick him up when he’s there. Make him come out of this space into the shared space of where you live when he wants to interact with you and get cuddles. This lets him consent to affection which does wonders for his emotional equilibrium and happiness.
I recommend the area around his litter box and hay and water to be his safe space. I also recommend that you get at least one cardboard box and cut a hole into two of the walls and place it in his safe space so that he can hide there when he doesn’t want to be seen.
Also, rabbits usually like to have their foreheads rubbed. They lick each other’s foreheads to show that they appreciate each other, so simulating this usually comes off as caring.
petting his head will remind him of being groomed by his mama when he was a baby, so always start with some good head pets
I think the litter box is fine not sure if other people that recommend getting rid of it are associating it with wired bottoms. He does seem tiny compared to the litter box so I would just make sure his feet can’t get caught in the holes.
I give my buns a few pellets in the morning & evening to gage if they’re feeling ok that day. The few times they didn’t feel well (possibly due to stasis) they didn’t run to me when I gave out pellets and I was able to check on them and take them to the vet when needed.
I recommend you head to r/rabbits They have fantastic resources for new owners ☺️
My advice: make sure you have a trusted exotic vet to help you with your bunny. Vaccinations and neutering/spaying are really important and prevent other health issues.
Bunnies are fragile, but you’ll learn to notice when something’s wrong. For example, my Nixie sits loafed in the toilet *only* when she has a tummy ache.
Sending love and health to you and your little one!
Most important tip of all: He needs a rabbit friend and can’t be alone. I know that there’s a tonne of cute rabbit content out there, making them look like little dogs who get super close to their owners, but they absolutely depend on the company of other rabbits in so many different ways (grooming, cuddling, body language).
Over here in Germany, it’s now even classified as animal cruelty to keep a bunny alone. I’m absolutely not saying anyone intends or often even knows about this, I’m sure you love this gorgeous little guy! If you want to give him the greatest gift possible, get him neutered and an (ideally female) partner 🫶🏻
Looks like you have a lop eared friend. They are my favorite. They are usually very, very sweet bunnies (usually, lol). They also tend to develop a lot of medical issues down the road with their ears, and teeth. Please keep a close and watchful eye on: 1. Excessive scratching at their ears / shaking their heads. 2. Any slowdown or change on their food consumption (ie. doesn’t eat much hay anymore, or isn’t eating much pellets) / changes to their fecal droppings. 3. Keep an eye out for any leaky discharge from their nose and/or eyes. These all can point to issues starting to develop with their teeth or ears. Some preventative measures you can take early on are making sure they are eating primarily hay to help with teeth, and getting an annual checkup at the bunny vet to check for any buildup in their ears.
Protect your walls and basebords, they will be attacked. Put house plants up out of reach. And ALWAYS have eyes in the back of your head. And most importantly LOVE them dearly.
Don’t leave pellets out all the time like that. It’s a lot too. Most of their diet should be hay, and then fresh greens and very little pellets. Hay should be out 24/7 and then you can give a cup or two of fresh greens once or twice a day and then a small amount of pellets once a day (like 1/4 of a cup). Stay away from all the packaged treats, give fresh fruit if you do but very sparingly. And if you do get packaged treats, get Oxbow. The only food that should be out all the time, is hay. Too many pellets can lead to GI Stasis in some bunnies and trust me, you do not want to experience that.
He is SOOO CUTE😭🩷
Do you already have another bunny? He does need a bunny friend!
Hold him a lot and just snuggle him. He’s absolutely adorable