Hi all. This little bunny wandered into my parent’s backyard that is actually next to a pretty busy road. He’s really docile and seems like he’s not fearful of people. Although he does seem to be scared of sudden movements or noises. I brought him to the vet to see if he’s chipped & he’s not. He didn’t get a full examination but vet tech said he looked healthy.
I’ve bought some timothy hay & some pellets for him but i don’t have an enclosure for him yet. I have 2 cats and plan on keeping him contained in one the spare rooms in my house until I can hopefully find his owner. Although we have knocked on neighbors’ doors to ask, but nobody has claimed him.
I have a spare room I can keep him in, and thinking about ordering 4×4 ft enclosure for the spare room? but wondering what else i need to do? Any information is appreciated- i have no experience in caring for bunnies and only have had cats my whole adult life. I’d like to give him the best care possible. Thanks so much in advance.
by beepuskeepus
30 Comments
Love his head. There is my advice.
Be careful with him and the cats. My friends cat would eat rabbits
My bun looooves cardboard boxes. He also love this little tunnel I got him from Amazon!
He’s so stinking cute
Congratulations on your new bunny!
The Buniverse is never wrong. You were put together for a reason. You will not regret it.
You’re off to a really good start with the hay, pellets, and the enclosure you’re looking at. If you don’t have one yet, a heavy water bowl will be good too, or a water bowl that can clip to the side of the enclosure.
I’m going to link a comment I left for another new bunny owner yesterday, general tips on feeding and socializing. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/1qa54fd/comment/nz09o90/?context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/1qa54fd/comment/nz09o90/?context=3)
What a cutie! <3
It sounds like you are off to a good start, and placing the Timothy hay in the tray is good, as rabbits tend to use that as a litter box. Like cat boxes, rabbit litter boxes should be cleaned regularly.
Yes to the pen – This will prevent the rabbit from running out of the room when you open the door and risking an encounter with the cats. Maybe consider a lid for the pen so that the cats cannot get to the rabbit, even if they zip into the room when you open the door.
For an hour a day, let the rabbit out of the pen to run around its new room. Consider bunny-proofing by moving any cords/cables off of the ground and out of reach. This can be a good chance to sit on the ground and read a book, mend some clothes, etc.
Hay tubes are a low cost, beloved toy of my rabbits! Basically, you take an empty toilet paper tube and stuff it with Timothy hay. If you want to get fancy you can cut the ends of the tube to make “ribbons” from the cardboard. Voila!
Ohh he’s so cute! I guess he’s yours now🥰
Here’s some tips; Keep him separated from the cats for a while. Bunnies like to hop on soft materials, so put a towel or a blanket on the floor for him! He also needs a hiding place, like a cardboard box with openings cut out. He needs plenty of hay, but be careful with the pellets, so his stomach gets used to it slowly🙌🏼
Good luck with your cutie! I can tell he’s in the best of care already🫶🏼
Thank you for saving him! He is adorable 💜
Everyone has heard of the cat distribution system
Now get ready for the bnnu distribution system
Love the bunny.
Retain the bunny & love the bunny.
If your cats don’t play too rough then he doesn’t even really need an enclosure, maybe just a cardboard box with a small hole he can fit through for quiet time.
My cats are chill with the rabbits. I think they are afraid, because, murder bun!
He’s adorable. Rabbits like covered cat houses made of cardboard and also cat scratchers. Anything to help wear down their teeth so they don’t overgrow. Good luck 🍀👍🏼
Advice: pet it
(also be prepared to start finding Cocoa Puffs)
Sit quietly on the floor with him to bond. Consider taking to a vet for vaccination and neuter- this is up to you but not a terrible idea. And go on the house rabbit website or facebook page- tons of helpful resources and advice. Rabbits are amazing pets. If you can’t find his family, consider adopting him yourself. He’s so stinking cute!
What’s it’s name.
Thank you for caring ❤️ check out r/rabbits as well
I would advise to request flea treatment (revolution kitten) since this baby was outside
MY ROGER LOVES KALE.. SPINACH..
ROMAINE..
WHEAT THIN CRACKERS
Looks like a adorable little Netherland dwarf
Definitely invest in a hidey home, stacking cups, also empty paper towel rolls. My bunnies absolutely love chewing on those.
That is one cute little guy! 🐇🐰🤗
You’re his now. We’re still being held hostage by a cute little grey bunny we found in out driveway 4 years ago. Please send help.
Why is it never me finding rabbits around?
Enclosure is a good start for when you are gone, otherwise I would suggest letting him roam the room. They are more active at night too. The being spooked thing is very normal. Always be sure to have hay available, along with food and water of course. They like to chew power cords for some reason, so be cautious. It only takes one chomp for a charger to be done for. We use cedar pellets in a car box for litter. It works well. We put the hay either in the corner of it or a hay bag hanging next to it. They nibble and poop.
Be on the look out for binkies, zoomies, and flops. The first two mean he is happy and the last means he’s comfortable and relaxed. Good luck!
Keep
PEN: What a cutie! Bunnies love to chew so I would get him/her a good sized dog pen and leave them in there for 2 weeks to get acclimated.
ENCLOSURE: add a hidy house (basically a cardboard cat house. A bowl of water and their litter box. Most bunnies don’t like being on a slick floor so I would put a blanket or short shag rug under them. If they are on carpet or have a rug that is fluffy they will likely chew it which can warrant a visit to the vet.
LITTERBOX: For litter box training, they will train themselves. You can get a litter box, line it with Carefresh and then put hay over the Carefresh. They like to eat and poop so they will train themselves.
FOOD: under 6months give 24/7 access to alfalfa hay, young rabbit pellets (alfalfa pellets). Over 6 months 24/7 access to Timothy hay, adult rabbit pellets (no more that 2 table spoons daily) and introduce greens slowly. I do romaine and cilantro.
TREATS: I order pellets and treats from Small Pet Select. I also get compressed Timothy hay bars. This helps with their need to chew.
CORDS: put all of your cords that are plugged in away or wrap them in protective plastic (just google bunny cord protectors). They will chew through your cords like nobody’s business!!
GI STASIS: rabbits have to eat and poop basically all day. Your new bun might not poop for a day bc they’re acclimating but if it goes beyond that then it’s a problem. Bunnies are prey animals so they don’t show their illness. If the bunny stops eating for up to 12 hours. Take them to the vet and feed them Critical care during those 12 hours (critical care is ground up hay which you mix with water and syringe feed to them)
SCENT GLANDS: bunnies have scent glands that need to be cleaned out. They are located by where they pee. They can get clogged and cause infection. When the bunny trusts you, you can clean them out with warm water and a q tip. It’s an unpleasant smell lol.
BRUSHING: bunnies need to be brushed when you see they are shedding (I used a brushing glove, a rubber brush and a comb (search bunny comb). The reason is that they bathe themselves a lot and they can digest some hair but too much will cause a blockage or for them to go into GI stasis (this is costly to help treat and can easily become life threatening)
A friend of mine called them “posh bunnies” bc truly they are lol. They’re a handful but when they trust you and you’ve built a relationship with them it is all worth it!!
Hope this helps! If you’d like photos of my buns area send me a message and I’d be happy to show you!
First time Bun tips. 🐰😃👍
You may already know some of this, but here’s a few quick first time bunny owner tips, in case you need it. 🙂
Hay is the most important aspect of their diet (80%) and they need unlimited access to it 24/7.
This not only allows them the fiber their gut continuously needs, but the constant chewing and breaking down of the hay also keeps their teeth healthy and in check, as their teeth grow constantly throughout their lives. 👍
Rabbits only need about 1/8 cup of pellets per day, or up to 1/4 cup for larger rabbits. Feeding more than this may make them overweight and may cause them to not be eating enough hay.
Oxbow, Sherwood Forest, and Science Selective are good quality pellets.
They are very fragile. Much more so than a cat or a dog.
They need space to play. A small cage and no playtime outside of it will make them miserable.
Be aware that most bunnies actually don’t like being picked up. They are a prey animal so to them, being picked up means something “bad” is happening so they instinctively fear this..
Obviously sometimes you still have to, but when you can, it’s better to lure them onto the couch or back to their pens or whatever (snacks or pellets help).
We feed ours dinner in their pen after playtime, so we just open up their area and they are usually excited to go back home.
Don’t take advice from pet stores. They are NOT knowledgeable on rabbits, and many things they sell are actually NOT suitable for them either, such as any “cage,” or treats/food containing seeds or corn.
A dog exercise pen (xpen) from Amazon is a much more suitable and cheaper housing option. (around $35, often cheaper)
Get him a regular size cat litter box and use Tractor Supply “Equine Pelleted Bedding” for litter ($6.50 for 40lbs). Dust from regular clay cat litter is bad for their respiratory systems and can cause blockage if they eat it. Put a layer of hay over the litter and a big pile of hay (or a hay rack or bag) in the far end of it so he has to be in it to eat it. They like to munch while they poo, so this will help him pick up his litterbox habits.
Find a rabbit savvy vet now so you know where to take him if you need to. Not all vets are rabbit savvy. Just because one is willing to see a rabbit, doesn’t necessarily make them knowledgeable on them. They are usually classified as “exotic” vets in the US.
If they ever stop eating and/or pooing, it is a rabbit emergency and they need to see a vet immediately, even in the middle of the night. They go downhill quickly and waiting to see how they are in the morning can often be too late. 😥
If they refuse their favorite treat and don’t want to get up, this is a bad sign.
We keep pain meds (meloxicam) on hand for emergencies. It can help in situations where your vet may be unavailable, and is helpful for GI stasis. It is definitely something worth discussing with your vet. Ordering a 10ml vial from Chewy ($14) is significantly cheaper than buying direct from your vet, and Chewy will reach out to your vet after ordering, making the authorization process very easy. Just be sure to discuss with your vet first and discuss the dose ranges that are acceptable for your bun’s weight. 👍
At some point you will need to get them spayed/neutered as this keeps behaviors such as litter box use, being territorial, and being able to bond them with a buddy, in check. This is also NECESSARY because unfixed rabbits have a very high cancer development rate. 🙁
Rabbit.org or HouseRabbit.org are the House Rabbit Society websites and are good sites for general bunny info including bunny safe foods and treats.
You’ve been chosen by the bunny distribution.You now have a new best friend