palmettogirl
Active member
I got the paper pellets with bits of roses in them and my bunny would eat the roses. I switched b/c I didn't know if this was safe. The plain pellets are fine and he doesn't try to eat those.
housing please help!!
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Great annclaire.. & thanks Everyone for all the posts & tips. I'm still learning what she likes to eat & what she likes as toys & stuff. She loves it when I open up her cage she comes right up to me. I hand feed her too sometimes . Today I gave her a little celery & romaine lettuce besides the pellets & hay that she has. I bought her the healthy Timothy hay brand & she will eat it but not as much as her pellets. So I don't know If I should change the hay or stay with it . Like she eats it but she enjoys her pellets , celery & romaine lettuce. I also gave her a carrot as a treat the other day & she ate it right out of my hand.
I'm still trying to liter box train her but she's not quite getting it yet.. I moved the litter pan to the corner of the cage were she pees a lot in. Maybe that will work. I also put Some of her poop into it. So we'll see how long it takes... Any tips??
I will try to post some pictures & a video later when I get home. Also sometimes when I go I'm her cage she gets really excited & jumps around.. (hope that's a good thing) its like she's happy to see me. (I hope so) does anyone know why they do this? (like I said I'm used to the whole bunny/rabbit thing) -but I think I've given her a good home so far.. As my boyfriend tells me i spoil her haha<br /><br />__________ Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:51 pm __________<br /><br />Hiii, i think i figured how to upload pictures and videos. check it out.. let me know if the link works and what you all think about my little girl "Lilly" i love her, shes so adorable. also, let me know what you think of her cage. feel free to give me any tips or tricks... i need help with the whole litter box training lol Thanks everyone!!!
http://s1063.photobucket.com/albums/t514/stefaniec1/
I'm still trying to liter box train her but she's not quite getting it yet.. I moved the litter pan to the corner of the cage were she pees a lot in. Maybe that will work. I also put Some of her poop into it. So we'll see how long it takes... Any tips??
I will try to post some pictures & a video later when I get home. Also sometimes when I go I'm her cage she gets really excited & jumps around.. (hope that's a good thing) its like she's happy to see me. (I hope so) does anyone know why they do this? (like I said I'm used to the whole bunny/rabbit thing) -but I think I've given her a good home so far.. As my boyfriend tells me i spoil her haha<br /><br />__________ Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:51 pm __________<br /><br />Hiii, i think i figured how to upload pictures and videos. check it out.. let me know if the link works and what you all think about my little girl "Lilly" i love her, shes so adorable. also, let me know what you think of her cage. feel free to give me any tips or tricks... i need help with the whole litter box training lol Thanks everyone!!!
http://s1063.photobucket.com/albums/t514/stefaniec1/
Hi Stef,
Too much carrot at one time (just as bad as you eating a whole pan of brownies :lol
give 1/4 of a whole one, and the thicker ends should be further cut in half. Carrot tops/greens are good for her and she will love them even more! ;D
Yep, you got a good start on a bunny condo!
I would recommend you move the hay rack up so that she has to lift her head to get to the middle of it ... it will keep her environmentally stimulated. Some bunnies just don't care for timothy, so you could try some horse grass hay ... maybe if you know someone stabling horses you could buy a 1/4 bale from them?
As for her running around her cage when she sees you ... that is bunny love! She is happy to see you, and when you let her out, if you really want to please her, stand still and she will circle around your legs. That would also be a great time to treat her with a ritz or saltine cracker ... she will stand up and lean against your leg ;D Yes, it is begging, but they are so cute! :lol:
As for the litter training, one guy would make holes in a plastic dish pan and put some wooden dowels standing up, then put the hay in and put that in front of the litter pan. The bunnies will poop when they eat, and the stakes would keep them from sitting in the hay pan ... this also means you need to block the outside of the hay pan, so that the only option is to sit in the litter pan to munch the hay.
Although, it was explained to me that bunnies don't have the outer sphincter muscle that other mammels do, so they don't have as much conscious control over poops.
Rather than a litter pan, you might use a dropping tray with a piece of wire over it ... I am using an old diswasher rack on top of a litter pan. Once they pee in it, they will always return to that spot to pee and will do most of their pooping there, too.
You could also give her 4-6 hours of only hay to make sure she eats enough. Especially with the rich supplements such as carrot (only once per week is not too much) and only one leaf of greens per day, or even every other day. Unless she has had these regularly, you should probably not give any more this week to give her intestines time to adjust to them. Also, a tablespoon of dry rolled oats per day (Quaker rolled oats for people work fine ... no fruit or creamy stuff) will be much appreciated!
Too much carrot at one time (just as bad as you eating a whole pan of brownies :lol
give 1/4 of a whole one, and the thicker ends should be further cut in half. Carrot tops/greens are good for her and she will love them even more! ;DYep, you got a good start on a bunny condo!
I would recommend you move the hay rack up so that she has to lift her head to get to the middle of it ... it will keep her environmentally stimulated. Some bunnies just don't care for timothy, so you could try some horse grass hay ... maybe if you know someone stabling horses you could buy a 1/4 bale from them?
As for her running around her cage when she sees you ... that is bunny love! She is happy to see you, and when you let her out, if you really want to please her, stand still and she will circle around your legs. That would also be a great time to treat her with a ritz or saltine cracker ... she will stand up and lean against your leg ;D Yes, it is begging, but they are so cute! :lol:
As for the litter training, one guy would make holes in a plastic dish pan and put some wooden dowels standing up, then put the hay in and put that in front of the litter pan. The bunnies will poop when they eat, and the stakes would keep them from sitting in the hay pan ... this also means you need to block the outside of the hay pan, so that the only option is to sit in the litter pan to munch the hay.
Although, it was explained to me that bunnies don't have the outer sphincter muscle that other mammels do, so they don't have as much conscious control over poops.
Rather than a litter pan, you might use a dropping tray with a piece of wire over it ... I am using an old diswasher rack on top of a litter pan. Once they pee in it, they will always return to that spot to pee and will do most of their pooping there, too.
You could also give her 4-6 hours of only hay to make sure she eats enough. Especially with the rich supplements such as carrot (only once per week is not too much) and only one leaf of greens per day, or even every other day. Unless she has had these regularly, you should probably not give any more this week to give her intestines time to adjust to them. Also, a tablespoon of dry rolled oats per day (Quaker rolled oats for people work fine ... no fruit or creamy stuff) will be much appreciated!
Thanks AnnClaire for the tips. I will definitely try that later with her when I clean out her cage. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. According to the pet store she is prob a couple months old but she seems a little big (not obese) for her size. In a couple of weeks when I take her to the vet Im going to have them weigh her and see how much she weights. Ive been giving her timothy hay which she always has in her cage and I give her about 1/8 of a cup of pellets twice a day one in the morning and one in the evening. Im not sure if i should cut back a little on the pellets because I want a happy and healthy bunny instead of not happy and chubby haha
how long have you had rabbits for AnnClaire? what breed of rabbits?
how long have you had rabbits for AnnClaire? what breed of rabbits?
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Stef,
why do you want to take her to the vet? If she is healthy there is no reason to do that. If she is active, eating well, drinking, and producing nice round bunny berries (poop), and her eyes and nose are clear of discharge, she is healthy and normal. You should save your money for something else nice for her!
why do you want to take her to the vet? If she is healthy there is no reason to do that. If she is active, eating well, drinking, and producing nice round bunny berries (poop), and her eyes and nose are clear of discharge, she is healthy and normal. You should save your money for something else nice for her!
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You can soak some of her urine up with a paper towel, clean everything up well, so nothing else smells like her urine, and then put the paper towel in her litter box. This really helped me once upon a time.
Hi Stef, I have had rabbits this time for 1.5 years. Last summer my EA buck "moved" into the house and we learned a lot about bunny behavior that we had not known because of always having them outside as kids That's him in my avatar, but if you really want to see something funny here he is after his first plucking last July:
Right now, I am rotating 6 does and 5 bucks that are 12 weeks old in and out of the cardboard corral in the living room until we can get the grow out cages built (had to wait on the wire)
In fact, one of the does is doing laps around the cardboard corral right now :lol: But, I decided I wanted to raise these "by hand" and even before the doe started weaning them, I was bringing them in all day. Watching them grow and develop has been great fun, too.
We built a bunny condo for the cardboard corral and kept having to go to bigger boxes, so I just taped the older ones to the top of the new one and they had so much fun playing in them! And tubes ... I will be saving the large Quaker Oats cannister next winter so I can tape them together for the babies to play in! I am trying to remember where the piece of dryer vent is so I can get that out for them
The best thing you can do for your bunny is provide a stimulating environment and a wide variety of foods ... just make sure she always has hay of some sort (I harvest dry bermuda) and for several hours at a time, let all the other foods empty out so your bunny is sure to eat some hay to keep the guts moving well.
As for your bunny's age, most states require all petshop animals to be at least 8 weeks old to be offered for sale, so add that to however long the bunny was at the store and you will have a good idea of how old yours is.
I also have quite a bit of experience in raising other young animals, and there is a lot that is "the same" and some that isn't
That's him in my avatar, but if you really want to see something funny here he is after his first plucking last July:
Right now, I am rotating 6 does and 5 bucks that are 12 weeks old in and out of the cardboard corral in the living room until we can get the grow out cages built (had to wait on the wire)
In fact, one of the does is doing laps around the cardboard corral right now :lol: But, I decided I wanted to raise these "by hand" and even before the doe started weaning them, I was bringing them in all day. Watching them grow and develop has been great fun, too.
We built a bunny condo for the cardboard corral and kept having to go to bigger boxes, so I just taped the older ones to the top of the new one and they had so much fun playing in them! And tubes ... I will be saving the large Quaker Oats cannister next winter so I can tape them together for the babies to play in! I am trying to remember where the piece of dryer vent is so I can get that out for them
The best thing you can do for your bunny is provide a stimulating environment and a wide variety of foods ... just make sure she always has hay of some sort (I harvest dry bermuda) and for several hours at a time, let all the other foods empty out so your bunny is sure to eat some hay to keep the guts moving well.
As for your bunny's age, most states require all petshop animals to be at least 8 weeks old to be offered for sale, so add that to however long the bunny was at the store and you will have a good idea of how old yours is.
I also have quite a bit of experience in raising other young animals, and there is a lot that is "the same" and some that isn't
Yes, she has lots of energy ... these 6 does I have in right now have been busy running and chewing (very noisily, BTW) on the cardboard, etc since 5am! :lol:
Put more toys in ... cardboard tube from toilet paper or paper towels ... a large ball she can bump around ... hang some wooden parrot toys from the top of her cage ... and she may be one that likes noisy stuff, too :lol:
Give her an old phone book to shred ... make "newspaper balls" ...
Rabbits are an active animal naturally ... this is why many will make a play area outside for caged bunnies. Larger operations generally provide larger cages and if you go in right before feeding time, they are all pretty much "bouncing off the walls" having fun, knowing food is coming and generally doing bunny tricks.
Just before dawn, and just before sundown are the most active times for my bunnies And, of course, feeding time!
Put more toys in ... cardboard tube from toilet paper or paper towels ... a large ball she can bump around ... hang some wooden parrot toys from the top of her cage ... and she may be one that likes noisy stuff, too :lol:
Give her an old phone book to shred ... make "newspaper balls" ...
Rabbits are an active animal naturally ... this is why many will make a play area outside for caged bunnies. Larger operations generally provide larger cages and if you go in right before feeding time, they are all pretty much "bouncing off the walls" having fun, knowing food is coming and generally doing bunny tricks.
Just before dawn, and just before sundown are the most active times for my bunnies
And, of course, feeding time!Yes lol. She's been jumping around all morning since about 5am. She has a bell toy that is attached with wooden bananas, apples & stuff that she loves chewing on. She wouldn't stop jumping around this morning she was soo hyper. I saw this toy online at petco that I want to buy hEr maybe today. It's a ball with a bell inside it. It almost reminds me of a baby's toy.
She is also eating more hay since I've moved her hay rack up another level. My boyfriend is so excited because he wants to build hEr shelves in her cage. I put in a cardboard box with a big enough whole in it a couple of days ago and she couldn't stop ripping it apart. When they tear it apart do they eat the cardboard? I don't want her to get sick. I know it's good for their teeth & stuff. Also I'm not sure of her age but do you think it's okay to give her lettuce & celery.. Ive been giving her little bits of celery as a treat every couple of days . I doubt they gave her that in the pet store so I don't want her stomach to get upset.
I'm deffinitly going to see If I can't find her a telephone book..
I haven't given her the rolled oats yet but how often do you suggest I give it to her..? .. As treat or a daily thing?
She is also eating more hay since I've moved her hay rack up another level. My boyfriend is so excited because he wants to build hEr shelves in her cage. I put in a cardboard box with a big enough whole in it a couple of days ago and she couldn't stop ripping it apart. When they tear it apart do they eat the cardboard? I don't want her to get sick. I know it's good for their teeth & stuff. Also I'm not sure of her age but do you think it's okay to give her lettuce & celery.. Ive been giving her little bits of celery as a treat every couple of days . I doubt they gave her that in the pet store so I don't want her stomach to get upset.
I'm deffinitly going to see If I can't find her a telephone book..
I haven't given her the rolled oats yet but how often do you suggest I give it to her..? .. As treat or a daily thing?
I've never had one suffer from cardboard ingestion and mine get boxes and oatmeal containers all the time since they first leave the nest box. They love snapple containers cause s small rabbit or a bunch of kits can cram in one. I also stuff boxes with individual slots for glass bottles with hay and let them throw that around and pull the hay out. They'll roll oatmeal containers (remove the plastic rim they come with now) and chew the end off for weeks.
Oats are fattening to so pay attention to your rabbit. A doe not breeding should not have too much oatmeal.
Oats are fattening to so pay attention to your rabbit. A doe not breeding should not have too much oatmeal.
Thanks akane. I'm going to try that out. I just bought her a couple more toys from the pet store she seems to really like it.
__________ Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:36 pm __________
Is the phone book idea bad for rabbits? Cause I don't want her to get sick she's chewing it now... Is it ok if she swallows it ? Should I take it out?<br /><br />__________ Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:00 pm __________<br /><br />She still doesn't get the whole litter box training... Anymore hints or tricks.. Anyone??
__________ Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:36 pm __________
Is the phone book idea bad for rabbits? Cause I don't want her to get sick she's chewing it now... Is it ok if she swallows it ? Should I take it out?<br /><br />__________ Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:00 pm __________<br /><br />She still doesn't get the whole litter box training... Anymore hints or tricks.. Anyone??
Ah, Stef,
The joys of being a new bunny mom :lol: Sounds like you have one "I'm so happy I'm in heaven" bunny!!!
Paper products like newspaper, phonebook pages, cardboard boxes, etc will not hurt your bunny if she eats it ... just keep the "slick" printed pages away as some of those inks and paper have chemicals added that are not good.
As for the litter box training ... just be patient and keep at it ... she may decide to go for it one day, and she may never want to do it. If she doesn't want to use the litter box, she will eventually decide on a "bathroom" corner of the cage, and you can deal with that at that time ... perhaps raise the cage up high enough to install a litter pan under the corner.
If she is still a young bunny, then a certain amount of contrariness is to be expected :lol: Remember, this is all new to her, and, honestly, it sounds like she just doesn't know "what to do first" ... as in, she went from the pet store environment to being queen of all she surveys with a personal servant to bring toys and food and other goodies as needed :lol:
Like Akane said, if you are not going to breed her, oats should only be maybe 1 tsp per day ... I suggest a seperate container so she doesn't start digging her pellets to get at the oats. Even having her eat them out of your hand would help strengthen the bond between you and give you both some quiet time together
As for the celery, one or two pieces per day (1/4" - 1/2") along with her varied diet will not hurt her at all. The most important part of her diet is her pellets and hay, so as long as those are the majority of what she eats, an afternoon/evening treat of a leaf of lettuce, or a couple pieces of celery won't hurt at all. If you garden vegetables, she will love leafy treats from the garden too. Do not feed her any flower leaves until you check to be sure they are not poisionous ... sunflowers and roses are good to go :lol:
The joys of being a new bunny mom :lol: Sounds like you have one "I'm so happy I'm in heaven" bunny!!!
Paper products like newspaper, phonebook pages, cardboard boxes, etc will not hurt your bunny if she eats it ... just keep the "slick" printed pages away as some of those inks and paper have chemicals added that are not good.
As for the litter box training ... just be patient and keep at it ... she may decide to go for it one day, and she may never want to do it. If she doesn't want to use the litter box, she will eventually decide on a "bathroom" corner of the cage, and you can deal with that at that time ... perhaps raise the cage up high enough to install a litter pan under the corner.
If she is still a young bunny, then a certain amount of contrariness is to be expected :lol: Remember, this is all new to her, and, honestly, it sounds like she just doesn't know "what to do first" ... as in, she went from the pet store environment to being queen of all she surveys with a personal servant to bring toys and food and other goodies as needed :lol:
Like Akane said, if you are not going to breed her, oats should only be maybe 1 tsp per day ... I suggest a seperate container so she doesn't start digging her pellets to get at the oats. Even having her eat them out of your hand would help strengthen the bond between you and give you both some quiet time together
As for the celery, one or two pieces per day (1/4" - 1/2") along with her varied diet will not hurt her at all. The most important part of her diet is her pellets and hay, so as long as those are the majority of what she eats, an afternoon/evening treat of a leaf of lettuce, or a couple pieces of celery won't hurt at all. If you garden vegetables, she will love leafy treats from the garden too. Do not feed her any flower leaves until you check to be sure they are not poisionous ... sunflowers and roses are good to go :lol:
Thanks AnnClaire..So, i have a question for you, AnnClaire.. or anybody. I put in the recycled cat litter pellets in her litter box. I saw that she started to eat it so i took it out. So I then moved the litter box to a different spot in her "penthouse" (haha)& i put some of her poop and pee into the box & she still doesnt seem to get the idea to poop and pee in the litter box. ANy suggestions? Please I need some NOW!!
THANKS
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Eating some of the pellets wont hurt her as long as she doesn't decide they are her absolute favorite thing to eat and doesn't eat her "real food"- my rabbits all have chunks of pine two by fours to chew on, and I am sure they swallow it.
You don't potty train a rabbit so much as it trains you, at least at first. Put her litterbox in the spot where she is peeing the most- that is her chosen bathroom area. To encourage her to poop in the box put her hay rack there. Once she is used to being in her box when she goes potty, you can gradually move it to where you want it to be. If you notice that she has another spot she likes to pee in, put another box there. You may even have to remove the bedding from the rest of the cage and just leave her with a towel to lay on or something.
You can even get her so conditioned to the box that you can take her other places and bring her box with you and she will use it. When I had a house rabbit, she could run around the whole house and would always go back to her box to potty. Occasionally they drop a couple of bunnyberries along the way, but rabbits poop in two different ways- they seem to involuntarily drop a berry or two sometimes, but they also will stay in one area and leave a large pile. She never peed anywhere but in her litterbox, and never left a pile anywhere either.
Don't try to go too far too fast when potty training though! Start with just your room after she is consistently using her litterbox while she is in the cage, and then maybe part of the hallway, etc.
I hope this approach helps. Good luck!
You don't potty train a rabbit so much as it trains you, at least at first.
Put her litterbox in the spot where she is peeing the most- that is her chosen bathroom area. To encourage her to poop in the box put her hay rack there. Once she is used to being in her box when she goes potty, you can gradually move it to where you want it to be. If you notice that she has another spot she likes to pee in, put another box there. You may even have to remove the bedding from the rest of the cage and just leave her with a towel to lay on or something. You can even get her so conditioned to the box that you can take her other places and bring her box with you and she will use it. When I had a house rabbit, she could run around the whole house and would always go back to her box to potty. Occasionally they drop a couple of bunnyberries along the way, but rabbits poop in two different ways- they seem to involuntarily drop a berry or two sometimes, but they also will stay in one area and leave a large pile. She never peed anywhere but in her litterbox, and never left a pile anywhere either.
Don't try to go too far too fast when potty training though! Start with just your room after she is consistently using her litterbox while she is in the cage, and then maybe part of the hallway, etc.
I hope this approach helps. Good luck!
Yep, like MSD said, you will need to be consistent and pay attention to where she is setting up her potty spot, then move the box to that spot. You may even need to put her in it a time or two, or even fasten it in place to keep her from knocking it out of the way.
One thing I have found is that rabbits definitely have their own opinions and they can be pig-headed, stubborn, contrary little beings about things! :lol: You might need to look at litterbox training as a negotiation process between you and her.
First, you have to convince her that the litter box is a potty spot. Then, you have to convince her that ALL the potty goes in there. Then, you have to convince her that moving it over "there" is just the same as it was back "there."
Patience and consistentcy is the way to manage the training.
Also, I have been curious, why so much of the stuff on the floor? Honestly, she doesn't need soft, fluffy stuff to run around on, and would probably appreciate a wire floor just fine. Options for the bunny to move from one surface to another is best ... mine have the wire or the wood resting shelf and sometimes they are on one surface, other times they are on the other, their choice
I would also suggest that you purchase a piece of 14 gauge 1/2" x 1" flooring the size of the pan and place it on top of the pan ... the drop pan will catch everything, and you can then figure out where she wants her potty to be.
One thing I have found is that rabbits definitely have their own opinions and they can be pig-headed, stubborn, contrary little beings about things! :lol: You might need to look at litterbox training as a negotiation process between you and her.
First, you have to convince her that the litter box is a potty spot. Then, you have to convince her that ALL the potty goes in there. Then, you have to convince her that moving it over "there" is just the same as it was back "there."
Patience and consistentcy is the way to manage the training.
Also, I have been curious, why so much of the stuff on the floor? Honestly, she doesn't need soft, fluffy stuff to run around on, and would probably appreciate a wire floor just fine. Options for the bunny to move from one surface to another is best ... mine have the wire or the wood resting shelf and sometimes they are on one surface, other times they are on the other, their choice
I would also suggest that you purchase a piece of 14 gauge 1/2" x 1" flooring the size of the pan and place it on top of the pan ... the drop pan will catch everything, and you can then figure out where she wants her potty to be.
Thanks ladies I'm deffinitly going to try your tips & tricks. I'll let you know how it goes<br /><br />__________ Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:43 pm __________<br /><br />Hey ladies I need some help. Lilly is still not getting the litter box thing. I keep moving it to different areas where she pees I soaked some telephone book paper in her per & put it in her litter box & she still doesn't pee in it. Any other suggestions?
Stef ... sounds like she is just being "contrary" ... can you set up a drop pan and wire rack to mimic the bottom of a cage sitting on top of a drop pan like a regular rabbit cage? She just may not like the litter box and giving her something like a cage/drop pan set up may bring her around. Once she is comfortable using that, you can simply pour the litter into the pan and go from there.
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
I think you are having so many problems because she has too much freedom of choice. If she was a puppy, the best thing would be to to crate train her.
I would confine her to a small space and go from there. I would buy a small wire rabbit cage- maybe 24" x 24" and confine her to that for now. The small cage can double as her "home" if you travel anywhere with her. That will limit her options, and she will pick a corner to potty in. Once she is using a spot consistently, you can put a litterbox in that corner with a raised wire floor so the droppings fall through to the litter below. Keep her there for at least a week, and better yet two or three, so she is thoroughly conditioned to pottying in her box.
You can then block off part of her crate equal to the size of her "training home", and gradually move the barrier as she proves that she will go back to her box to potty.
It will be better for her to learn good potty habits by being in a small cage for a month or so now so she can have a lifetime of running around later, even if you do feel like a big meany by keeping her confined.
I would confine her to a small space and go from there. I would buy a small wire rabbit cage- maybe 24" x 24" and confine her to that for now. The small cage can double as her "home" if you travel anywhere with her. That will limit her options, and she will pick a corner to potty in. Once she is using a spot consistently, you can put a litterbox in that corner with a raised wire floor so the droppings fall through to the litter below. Keep her there for at least a week, and better yet two or three, so she is thoroughly conditioned to pottying in her box.
You can then block off part of her crate equal to the size of her "training home", and gradually move the barrier as she proves that she will go back to her box to potty.
It will be better for her to learn good potty habits by being in a small cage for a month or so now so she can have a lifetime of running around later, even if you do feel like a big meany by keeping her confined.
