later on today i will be going to collect a rather gorgeous bunny called victor! I am taking him off my cousins as they do not bother with them and i feel he has no quality of life. I have also got 2 piggies which i took off them:rolleyes: as i have never had a bunny before can you all please give me tips? i have actually bonded quite well with him already and he has only seen me a few times in my aunts house.
I have a garden which once winter is over we are building a bunny & piggy run (seperate encloures)

so bring on the advice, god knows i need it!:hihi: :hihi:

EDIT: just got a text asking to collect on thursday so not getting a bunny tonight!

Buy the book 'Rabbits for dummies, A Reference for the rest of us', its all you could ever need to know and my first port of call for any guidance.

Basics:
Rabbits need at least 4 hours exercise a day (not in the damp or rain/snow)
Rabbits need a supply of hay and fresh water at all times
Rabbits need frsh veg every day (1 cup to every 3 pounds of body weight)
Rabbits are V social and need plenty of attention if not kept in pairs
Neutering improves behaviour
Require vaccination annually against myxi and VHD whcih are both deadly

I can get much more specific if need be but I could ramble on for hours....

Also - Go to lost and found thread for a list of suitable veggies. Feed half a cup of rabbit pellets a day (I use Burgess Suparabbit, don't know about you Sooz?) but DO NOT over feed these, or you will have a fat bunny!

1 cup of vegetables a day per 3 pounds (for a 9 pound bun!) means 3 cups of veg a day for Bobby! :o Shock Horror! :hihi:

Get bun spayed even if she's female - then there won't be a risk of uterine cancer.

Don't pick bun up just for the sake of it - only for necessities such as grooming (good bonding), checking rear end in summer (fly strike), checking teeth etc.

Give bun toys to play with and wood to chew so they dont get bored... and finally, go to www.rabbit.org for info about buns in general (well house buns :hihi: but same applies for outdoor buns really).

Yeah I feed the same. Check this link for 14 websites every rabbit owner should visit:

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=159938&highlight=rabbit+websites

thanks for advice, he is a really heafty bunny so this could turn into a lot of veg! he cant have a partner as he humps them! he has been snipped but just cant help it, he had one of the cats once.
I am planning on letting him have free run of living room when i am in and when weather is nicer he can have garden. He is a very cuddly bunny and jumps up to snuggle in and loves me stroking his ears. he was very badly treated in his old home and was a rescue bun when my aunt took him. They have worked hard with him but the kids dont bother anymore and he has just been left in his hutch for months without getting a run about..

Wish me luck!

Good luck! :lol:

They will grow out of the humping. they get bored when they realise they cant actually do anything.

Go easy on the vegetables at first as you risk giving the rabbit tummy problems.

Must important thing is fibre. Plenty of hay/dried/fresh grass and a decent pellet not a mix. Science Selective, Allen and Page Natural Rabbit Pellets and Oxbow feeds are considered the best as they have high fibre contents.

Got to say I’m not a fan of Burgess. Had countless rabbits come to me with sticky bum who have been on it. The fibre content is poor compared to the feeds, mentioned above.

Do bear in mind ANY new food should be introduced to your rabbits diet slowly over a period of a week to ten days.

Louise

Ive fed on Burgess for months now after weaning all our rabbits off a crap pet mix, not had any problems and it was recommended by my vet (rabbit expert) so I trust her advice. I did try the pelleted mix but two rabbits actually refused to eat so I decided it wasnt worth the risk. As long as they have plenty of hay and vitamins they should be fine, the problem with pellets/mixes is that they are high in calories so you need to feed according to weight to avoid obesity. Also the nutritional value declines over time.

Burgess is a pellet feed as is Science Selective, Allen/Page and Oxbow.

There advantage over a mix is they reduce selective feeding.

Louise

There are a few varieties of burgess feed, one is a pure pelleted feed but the one that I and bb feed is Supa Rabbit Deluxe which is a mix. I dont like my rabbits to have a bland diet.

Go easy on the vegetables at first as you risk giving the rabbit tummy problems.

Must important thing is fibre. Plenty of hay/dried/fresh grass and a decent pellet not a mix. Science Selective, Allen and Page Natural Rabbit Pellets and Oxbow feeds are considered the best as they have high fibre contents.

Got to say I’m not a fan of Burgess. Had countless rabbits come to me with sticky bum who have been on it. The fibre content is poor compared to the feeds, mentioned above.

Do bear in mind ANY new food should be introduced to your rabbits diet slowly over a period of a week to ten days.

Louise

Burgess suparabbit excel is 16% fibre, Science Selective is 19% and Allen and Page is 23% (actually over the recommended amount). "Sticky bum" is usually caused by a bun being locked in a confined space and not actually being able to reach their behind. Generally if they're pooping too many ceotropes it IS to do with diet, but BSRE is recommended by a lot of vets. Excess ceotropes are generally caused by too many vitamins - not a lack of fibre. The second most common cause of "sticky bum" is undiagnosed dental issues.

For a rabbit on a proper diet including enough hay and vegetables 16% fibre is enough.

Again each to there own.

Reason I don’t use a mix is it can encourage selective feeding and the rabbits only get a balanced diet if they eat it all. I don’t think a rabbit really cares about a bland diet! :o) Mixes are made appealing for the owners benefit, as they look good to us.

Can I ask where you got your information from re the recommend amount of fibre for rabbits in pelleted feeds?

To be honest and I don’t mean to cause offence but I’ve never heard anything so daft in my life. 16% is the absolute MIN level of fibre there should be in a feed for rabbits. If you have a look on this rabbit forum I think you will find the majority of owners feed Science Selective or Allen and Page.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/

I also think you will find a lot of people switched from Burgess to one of the above feeds.

You’re right that sticky bum is caused by excess caecotrophs (soft poo the rabbit normally eats). But through experience from taking on rabbits fed Burgess who are kept in perfectly good conditions but arrive here with sticky bum I don’t believe there is enough fibre in it compared to the protein levels. When changed to a higher fibre pellet it clears up.

Dental problems in rabbits are commonly caused by a lack of long fibre (hay/grass) in the diet, which helps keep spurs from growing on the molars and keeps the incisors correctly worn down and sharp. As well as loss of appetite, weight loss, dribbling from the mouth, discharge from the eyes sticky bum can also be a sign of dental problems as a rabbit may find it painful to eat his caecotrophs/clean himself properly.

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/rwf/articles/sticky_bottom.htm

Just because a vet has recommend something it doesn’t mean it’s the best.

Louise

A vet maybe. My vet yes. I trust her advice she is very experienced with keeping and treating rabbits and if you dont trust your vet then you (hypothetical you) need to find another one, its the most important thing a pet owner can do for their animals.

I suppose you think rabbits are ok stuck in the same environment all the time too, if something such as a bland diet dosnt upset them? I know plenty of people who eradicate pellets from a rabbits diet totally. A rabbit given all the grass hay it requires with a variety of vegetables has more natural fibre and vitamins than a dried mix can ever provide and in this and most cases, pellets should be fed as a diet supplemet, not a diet staple. With the exception of the kits and nursing does none of my rabbits are fed more than half a cup a day of pellets.

" in nature rabbits have a wide varety of plants at their disposal and are thus able to get all the nutrients they need from the many different plants the environment. Domestic rabbits have no choice in the matter of diet. They depend on their owners to provide them with a variety of nutritious foods."

Audrey Pavia.

writer for Rabbits, Critters, Pet Products Magazine and consulting editor for Rabbits Magazine. She has also authored 12 rabbit books having grown up keeping rabits as a member of a 4H club in America.

I never said I didn’t trust my vet just what they recommend isn’t always the best. I’m very happy with my vet thank-you as she was recommend as a rabbit savvy vet by Barnsley Animal Rescue Charity.

I’m not sure what your comment about rabbits stuck in the same environment is supposed to mean?

I agree with you that rabbits should have limited pellets/mix all 19 of my permanent residents and the 6 fosters get a small handful each once a day. Slightly more/less depending on age condition.

I like to feed a small amount of pellets to make sure the yare getting the correct nutrients as however hard I try I cannot offer the range of plants/herbs etc they would get in the wild. Also makes sure they are getting the correct levels of Vitamin D (sunlight vitamin) with them all living indoors.

Louise

I'm aiming for a pellet free diet for Bobby Sooz, but with him being so big its hard for me to actually afford the amount of veg he needs.

Ellepotter, what Sooz is saying is that she thinks you probably believe in keeping a rabbit sitting in a hutch all day, if you agree that rabbits like bland diets. Bobby is a free range house rabbit (as in he isn't caged. He has a cage, but its not likely you'll ever see him in it unless he's decided to go for a dig or to pee), and Sooz has a house rabbit too. I suspect that seeing as you have so many rabbits they're all in hutches or cages. Do you get every one of them out every single day for human/animal interaction? Are they in bonded pairs?

If your rabbit is fed properly it does NOT need pellets for nutrition. There are plenty of vegetables that offer the correct amounts of vitamins and nutrients. As I've said, and as all responsible rabbit owners know, a rabbit needs 3+ leafy green vegetables a day (a cup full per 3lbs body weight), at least one of which contains plenty of vitamin A. That amount of veg and unlimited hay should be enough with 1/2 cup of pellets. Rabbit doesn't need pellets for vitamins, just for extra fibre.

I think the last thing I want to say is that just because you have 19 permanent and 6 fosters does not mean you know everything about rabbits. So please don't preach your stuff like its gods word. People keep rabbits differently - and that's fine, as long as those rabbits get everything they need.

I certainly don’t claim to know everything and I’m not preaching just putting my opinion across like yourself and Sooz are.

Your post actually put a smile on my face! Its amazing how quick people are to judge somebody on the little information they have on them. I’m probably the least likely person to keep a rabbit locked in hutch all the time leading a solitary life.

I’m a well-known member of an active rabbit forum linked to Rabbit Rehome. The rabbits we generally take in are ones who have been sat in rescue along time. Normally old rabbits, aggressive rabbits and ones with special needs/medical problems as a lot of people are not prepared to pay ongoing vet fees.

ALL our rabbits live indoors and I don’t own a rabbit hutch. All are kept in groups of two or more, my biggest group is six. Accommodation wise the smaller groups live in dog crates specially converted for them and my larger groups live in large purpose built pens. Each group gets at least 3 hours exercise outside there pen/crate everyday in a large room with oddles of toys.

Yes we have rabbits in three rooms of our house and yes we are slightly mad but as you can see I take my rabbits welfare just as seriously as you and Sooz do.

You both keep saying people do things differently so why the hostility towards me when I give my opinion?

Louise

Can we get back on topic please guys?

Savbaby has asked for advice on rabbit keeping and you have all given your own opinions and provided fact to back it up.

There is no need for personal judgement just because you guys do things differently :)

Everybody is very quick to put their opinion across and you are no different ellepotter. Me and bb know all about the forum on rr and have both used it because we spend as much time researching as you probably do, like you say you know v little about us too.

The you in my post was hypothetically aimed at the general reader, is was not a personal attack and im sorry if you misinterpreted it.

I think an adequate anecdote here would be "you cant educate the educated"! Lol.

Tell me more about your rescues, I have a foster at the moment.

Note: Lets keep it nice, not getting peronal is the best way to stay warm & fuzzy, I dont want to close the thread............

as I thought last post was.... u know out reach? lets make amends? tell me about yourself?

Can we get back on topic please guys?

Savbaby has asked for advice on rabbit keeping and you have all given your own opinions and provided fact to back it up.

There is no need for personal judgement just because you guys do things differently :)


lol, i stopped reading thier posts when % was mentioned!

I have not got Victor yet and collecting him over weekend. He is on pellets just now not sure what type and only eats carrots! wont eat any other veg.

victor (http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r90/savbaby/victor.jpg)

here is victor, he is all settled now!

Oh what a lovely boy, bet you're having loads of fun with him! Sorry, but he reminded me of one of the rabbits from Watership Down as soon as I saw him!!!

Ahhh he's a gorgeous boy. How old is he?

Ahhh he's a gorgeous boy. How old is he?
my aunt thinks he is 5, she has had him for about 3 years and he was rescuse rabbit, mini sav keeps going ooohhhhh rabbit rabbit, she is so gentle with him( wish she was same with the dog!) he seems settled and loves coming for cuddles. roll on the nice weather when i can get them in the garden for exercise! he is not litter trained and i have been told youcant teach a bunny new tricks :mad:

Oh what a lovely boy, bet you're having loads of fun with him! Sorry, but he reminded me of one of the rabbits from Watership Down as soon as I saw him!!!

Thats what I thought as soon as I saw him. The leader of the bad rabbits :o

Thats what I thought as soon as I saw him. The leader of the bad rabbits :o
i just bought watership down too and did not make the connection! its 3 for £15 on play.com ya know!
he is a quite a big bun, gorgeous though:P

he is not litter trained and i have been told youcant teach a bunny new tricks :mad:I always regard 'you can't... ' as a challenge ;)
Give it a go - you may be pleasantly surprised :thumbsup:

my aunt thinks he is 5, she has had him for about 3 years and he was rescuse rabbit, mini sav keeps going ooohhhhh rabbit rabbit, she is so gentle with him( wish she was same with the dog!) he seems settled and loves coming for cuddles. roll on the nice weather when i can get them in the garden for exercise! he is not litter trained and i have been told youcant teach a bunny new tricks :mad:

Thats wrong - the older a bun is, the easier he will be to train ;)

he is not litter trained and i have been told youcant teach a bunny new tricks :mad:

Likewise I was told not to bother socialising or training Eddy as he's nearly 12 and has lived life on a farm guarding his territory from other dogs so didn't get on with other dogs in the park.

Within 5 months, he was happily running around and even playing with most dogs he saw.

Never believe it when someone says you 'can't' do something with an animal - they have an amazing ability to surprise you.

Thats wrong - the older a bun is, the easier he will be to train ;)

You'll have a lot more sucess if he is snipped so if not get him done asap, it will improve his behaviour no end (although some certain behaviour may be too inbedded now).

You'll have a lot more sucess if he is snipped so if not get him done asap, it will improve his behaviour no end (although some certain behaviour may be too inbedded now).
he is snipped:o :hihi: he has been hoppin around gettin used to his surroundings, my little kitty got in when i was not looking and he has put her in her place:hihi: :hihi: i took the lid of hi cage/tank.whatever it is!! and just let him take his own pace. I love him to bits already.:)
my little cousin who i took hikm off is now scared as i have convinced her he is for the pot:o just call me glenn close;)

If he's snipped he should be pretty easy to train.

Go here, and READ :P

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html#age

alternativley get the book i recommended, it has loads of behaviour and training advice in it.

my little cousin who i took hikm off is now scared as i have convinced her he is for the pot:o just call me glenn close;)

Oh you cruel mare :o poor little mite, you better tell her you were joking :hihi:

Oh you cruel mare :o poor little mite, you better tell her you were joking :hihi:
i aint gonna! lol.. reason why i took him is she does not bother with him, serves her right! my aunt not very good at the old teach the kids a lesson, she now has 9 cats due to this! mummy please can we keep a kitten from this litter!! makes me sick, i have a go all time!

right bunny is all settled but i need advice, he has a runny eye, its clear like tears and not swollen at all. It came about after i had cleaned his cage so could this be what has caused it? i used same sawdust as usual.
He seems happy enough and was bounding about tonight!
We are booked into the vets on monday for a health check but was just looking for any advice from you guys as i am a little worried.

Thanks!

You can use optrex on dogs - not sure if it's okay for buns, but can't see why not

right bunny is all settled but i need advice, he has a runny eye, its clear like tears and not swollen at all. It came about after i had cleaned his cage so could this be what has caused it? i used same sawdust as usual.
He seems happy enough and was bounding about tonight!
We are booked into the vets on monday for a health check but was just looking for any advice from you guys as i am a little worried.

Thanks!

Its just one eye yes? I would say some dust irritation is most likely but it is possible that he may have dental problems starting which can cause problems with the eyes, or more likely he could have a tear duct blockage which causes the eye to weep. Wipe the tears away as once they dry they can matt the fur, which is quite painful and hard to brush out.

The vet should give him a dental check and make sure this is carried out as it could alert you to future problems with his teeth which are easier to prevent early on.

They will probably prescribe some drops, forget what they are called, which are used to treat conjunctivitis in dogs, cats and rabbits. I think they are about £7 on prescription.

Dont panic, its very unlikely to be an indicator of a serious condition and will be easily sorted by your vet. Hope he feels better soon. X

Its just one eye yes? I would say some dust irritation is most likely but it is possible that he may have dental problems starting which can cause problems with the eyes, or more likely he could have a tear duct blockage which causes the eye to weep. Wipe the tears away as once they dry they can matt the fur, which is quite painful and hard to brush out.

The vet should give him a dental check and make sure this is carried out as it could alert you to future problems with his teeth which are easier to prevent early on.

They will probably prescribe some drops, forget what they are called, which are used to treat conjunctivitis in dogs, cats and rabbits. I think they are about £7 on prescription.

Dont panic, its very unlikely to be an indicator of a serious condition and will be easily sorted by your vet. Hope he feels better soon. X

thanks, i will get full check up. he is due his mixi jab soon too....

his eye is not too bad now, seems to come and go... he been playing away tonight and let him out in room with guineas and they had fun.

thanks again.x.x.x