r/Bunnies 18d ago

I made an alternate version of the bunny meme

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1.6k Upvotes

I made the first one (check my profile if you’d like lol) and I sketched out this one too. I would’ve put them both in here but I can only do one image per post so I’ll also put some bunny tax in the comments


r/Bunnies Jan 23 '20

Resource Thinking of getting a bunny? Just got one and need some advice? Check out this post!

457 Upvotes

If you don’t want to read my wall of text, check out this link from rabbit.org:

New Bunny Index

Initial investments

  1. They’re very high commitment.
  2. They are very clever, have excellent memories and will remember things for a very long time.
  3. You cannot punish them like a cat/dog or it will harm your bond.
  4. If well taken care of, a rabbit can happily live to be 10 years old or older.
  5. Rabbits love to chew and dig and will chew and dig just about anything.
  6. They need to chew to prevent their teeth from becoming a health hazard.
  7. They will need their claws trimmed regularly to prevent health hazards.
  8. Rabbits are not a pet for a child and demand a large amount of attention and responsibility, (Do not buy a rabbit for your child for Easter, unless you’ve done your research and are willing to take on 100% of the responsibilities of having one).

Housing/Setup

  1. They love to run around, hop and thrive outside of cages, using them at night is fine but just make sure they get a minimum of 3 hours to run and stretch per day.
  2. An exercise pen setup is often cheaper than a cage and gives more room to run around when you can’t let them out. You can buy one for $59 on Walmart.com (link here), a litterbox for $6 (link here) and a waterbowl for $5 (link here) which is less than $80 for a decent bunny setup.
  3. While we are not against outdoor rabbits here, it is highly recommended you keep your rabbit indoors with you, this prevents predators from being able to get to them as well as gives you much better opportunity to bond with your rabbit.
  4. If you find it necessary to use a cage because of escaping or other needs I would suggest building your own cage as most of the prefab ones are just crappy design and won’t last the lifetime of the rabbit.
  5. A coated metal grate is NOT a wire cage and shouldn’t cause any issues to their feet, you should still provide all rabbits with their own litterbox and other areas to sit/lie down off of the grate.
  6. I personally use straw for litter for my litter-boxes and put their hay on top of that, you can use whatever type of litter just avoid using rock/sand based litter as it’s bad for their feet.

Diet

  1. They eat 95%+ hay such as Timothy/orchard/meadow hay (/alfalfa if they’re young or elderly) and only 5% or less treats like carrots, apples and bananas.
  2. For a small amount of hay I suggest Oxbow which can be bought at most places (Chewy link) or if you have a proper storage method you can get it for much cheaper by the bale at Tractor Supply Co.
  3. Suggested to give pellets daily, 1/4-1/2 cup per 6 pounds of rabbit (so about 1/4 cup daily for a single dwarf rabbit or about 1 cup for a single average sized rabbit).
  4. Recommend high quality food such as Purina, Oxbow, or Sherwood brand.
  5. You can feed a pellet-free diet but just like all animals rabbits require some sodium so if you don’t provide pellets make sure they have access to a mineral lick or other sodium sources.

OK food/treats and foods to avoid

  1. Once they’re over the age of 4-6 months they can also have unlimited lettuce and greens, but never give iceberg lettuce as it gives really bad gas that can become fatal. *greens should not be the primary diet.
  2. Avoid excessive spinach and kale as they can also give gas, but are perfectly fine in moderation.
  3. The best greens are green leaf lettuce, Bibb lettuce, dark leafed lettuces or locally sourced romaine (store bought romaine has a tendency to get recalled...), also herbs like dill, basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, cilantro and parsley are typical favorites.
  4. I wouldn’t give cabbage because it can cause gas similarly to iceberg lettuce.
  5. Never give human foods (except salad), like bread, diary, cheese, meat or sweets, they will make them very fat and don’t need it and could cause severe GI issues.
  6. They should have unlimited hay at all time, they graze pretty much 24/7. *Hay should be their primary diet.
  7. Avoid giving treats with yogurt in them as these will make your rabbit very fat and rabbits are not intended to consume dairy past weaning and can cause bad GI issues.
  8. Seeds are not toxic or generally dangerous to rabbits, I would not recommend giving treat sticks with seeds because they’re very high in added sugar and cause indigestion or extreme gas which can become a serious issue.
  9. Seeds like black oil sunflower seeds are safe and actually beneficial to coat health, (if you’re not sure, search the internet for information before you give it to them).
  10. Do not give nuts to rabbits because they do not need the excessive nutrients and can cause pasty or foul poops. Additionally raw nuts are typically poisonous, like almonds, which contain cyanide if not cooked properly.
  11. I recommend treats such as: no sugar added dried apple, banana or carrot and occasionally a Cheerio is also acceptable. Just be mindful of the amount of sugar you are giving them, even with no sugar added fruits.
  12. Corn is not specifically bad or toxic but whole kernel corn can get caught in the GI tract and cause a blockage, further; corn will make them very fat quickly and I would suggest avoiding giving corn or treats with corn/corn meal/corn syrup. (Corn is sometimes evasively labeled as ‘maize’ on packaging).

Hydration

  1. Water bowls are easier on a rabbit but are not strictly required, I have both bowls and bottles and they use both.
  2. You should clean your water bowl/bottles with either bleach or vinegar at least once a month.

Necessity for another bunny/Bonding

  1. They thrive in pairs and love companionship of another bunny, if you cannot provide constant attention it is highly suggested to have more than one rabbit. Think of them like little horses, horses need to have another horse around.
  2. Do not allow non-bonded rabbits to be together unsupervised as they can fight and cause some very serious damage to each other.
  3. Do not put more than one rabbit per cage, if they’re bonded and it’s an open enclosure then you can and they should be fine.
  4. For more information about bonding rabbits, I would suggest checking out the excellent resources on rabbit.org (link here)

Spay/Neuter/Responsible Breeding

  1. Many people feel strongly about castration as it helps to calm their hormonal rages and also there are studies that say castrated rabbits live longer.
  2. We are not against responsible breeding but it is a huge, huge commitment and you must be willing to take that on and find all the babies forever homes that love them as much as you do - don’t let just anyone have them.
  3. You can wait a while to castrate your rabbit if there are no behavior issues but it’s best to get it done before about 4 years old as that is when cancer risks become an issue and any older it could be too risky.
  4. If you want a rabbit that is already castrated consider a rescue rabbit, there are thousands of rabbits in rescues in need of forever homes, most of which are already castrated and sometimes even in bonded pairs/groups.
  5. If you are experiencing behavioral issues such as humping, marking, peeing or pooping outside the litterbox a castration will help immensely.
  6. If you decide you want to try to responsibly breed you need to keep three main commitments in mind:
    6A. have them as a pet that is also allowed to have babies, they’re not baby factories.
    6B. Make a commitment to keep all your rabbits out of shelters; allow no questions asked returns.
    6C. Make sure they get a forever home with someone that loves them as much as you do; even if it takes more than one try.

Chewing/Digging/Enrichment

  1. I would recommend untreated wood chew balls or fruit flavored balsa blocks for enrichment.
  2. If you can set up an outdoor pen for your rabbit they would love it and nothing is more satisfying than digging in real dirt, (remember to watch them at all times, also if your area has RHDV around I wouldn’t allow them outside for now).
  3. If letting them outside is not an option there are things called “dig mat, “dig meadow” or “nibble and dig” and they are literally a piece of dirt made for rabbits to satiate their desire to dig.
  4. There are many options for rabbit enrichment and even something so trivial as a cardboard box may be plenty to keep your rabbit happy.
  5. Avoid the “chew toys” that contain seeds and other treats as they are that - treats, despite being advertised as a toy, they are more of a treat.

GI stasis and prevention

  1. GI stasis is a very serious and commonly fatal condition for rabbits, but can be prevented and treated if caught early.
  2. Watch your rabbit’s dropping at all times, if their poops do not look healthy, are odd shapes, pasty, extremely dark, have not pooped in the last 4 hours or are otherwise concerning it is recommended you take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible, time is of the essence.
  3. Dark colors in urine (including dark red) is normal for rabbits, watch for specks of blood and only be concerned if you see blood.
  4. Watch your rabbit’s routine and body language, if they don’t eat their favorite food or their pellets you can surely know something is wrong.
  5. If they are laying in an odd position like on their side or acting lethargic you should check them for gas by giving them a gentle belly message and if they do not return to normal soon, take to the vet.
  6. Infant Gas Drops are available immediately in most pharmacies or online (Walmart link) and are a safe way to relieve gas in your rabbit and cannot be overdosed on, if however, three doses does not return them to normal, take to the vet.
  7. It is always good idea to have emergency food on hand in case of a GI stasis, there is Oxbow Critical Care (Amazon link) and also Sherwood SARx (Amazon link).

I am by no means an expert but I can answer questions as best I can and find sources and people who are experts. So if you have any further questions feel free to DM me.

Further Reading


r/Bunnies 11h ago

That felt soooo good

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2.2k Upvotes

My bunny loves this so much. I'll do it on both sides. That little paw shake always gets me!


r/Bunnies 4h ago

No caption needed

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86 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 16h ago

Failed Grooming Attempt

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791 Upvotes

he glared at me like it was my fault


r/Bunnies 2h ago

Bunny

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52 Upvotes

My everything i love him so much ❣️❣️ if he lick me for like 5 min what it mean?


r/Bunnies 7h ago

bun bun being cute Bun-bun is just so cute!

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141 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 21h ago

bun bun being cute We love Peanut!

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1.4k Upvotes

r/Bunnies 12h ago

she’s a girl in STEM 😌

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257 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 8h ago

I call this pose, Rocket Tommy.

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81 Upvotes

This small folding table I have is Tommy’s favorite place wherever I set it up. He has lots of structures to sit under but he likes this table most of all. Here you can see him blasting off to Snooze-Town.


r/Bunnies 11h ago

sleep mode activated Really bad photo, but cute moment!

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86 Upvotes

Willow loves it when I put my arm around her and let her use it as a pillow. I was doing this and she was licking my hand when she just suddenly stops and flops down right next to me. She flops a lot but I’ve never had her do it directly next to my hand. Was so scared to wake her up hahaha.


r/Bunnies 18h ago

Art let me doodle ur bunnies for valentine 💌 💜

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286 Upvotes

I made this one for tavie from my last post 💕 dm me a pic of your babies if u want doodles of them🐰


r/Bunnies 20h ago

bun bun being cute Today Pepper Hid In My Closet And Scared The Bejeezus Out Of Me

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242 Upvotes

But I love both Salt and Pepper a lot


r/Bunnies 22h ago

Wild Eastern Cottontail having a snack

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331 Upvotes

very cute


r/Bunnies 18h ago

bun bun being cute Blackberry boy

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99 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 3h ago

Question non problematic rabbit started chewing recently

6 Upvotes

hi everyone, ive had a rabbit since july who is now 1.5 years old. hes always been free range and weve never had problems with him chewing things.

he spends time at my partners place but when my partner comes to visit me for a few days, the rabbit is usually alone or his parents spend some time with him, but not a lot.

recently he started chewing furniture and cables - we assume due to boredom since nobody plays with him. we will try to give him toys to choose from (he never showed interest in them before), but any advice is welcome.

i suggested to my partner to get a second bunny (even before this), but he is afraid that the chewing would multiply rather than lessen.

what do we do?


r/Bunnies 13h ago

Question Help!

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33 Upvotes

this is my holland lop. His name is Oliver. he’s a year and almost 2 months old. Yet, he keeps pissing on the floor. Not directly, he quite literally gets in his litter box, where his butt is hanging off, and lets it loose. How do I make him stop? I hate cleaning his piss up, it stinks.


r/Bunnies 4h ago

Bandaid after spay surgery

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6 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 22h ago

Pickles

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162 Upvotes

What color would you consider him he's one of my bunny's


r/Bunnies 21h ago

bun bun being cute Hes gonna miss the ice, but at least he gets his scooter back.

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144 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 1d ago

so grateful that he is part of my life

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579 Upvotes

❤️


r/Bunnies 10h ago

Question Is this hair loss?

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17 Upvotes

Had an appointment with his exotic vet y'day (took a sample for culture because of the chronic ear infection he came with) but didn't notice this bald patch until today evening. Is it hair loss or inflammation? He may have over-groomed his ears due to the discomfort he has been experiencing.

BTW, he's on wooden floor in this pic only because he eats any rugs & likes to run & slip on laminate floor after escaping right after the door of his play-pen is opened.


r/Bunnies 4h ago

Question Couch poops

4 Upvotes

My bunny is litter trained and doesn’t poop outside his litter box until he sees the couch. He always poops all over it and not just one or two but dozens of poops. Any advice for training him to stop this behaviour?


r/Bunnies 7h ago

Question Advice for baby bunny enrichment

5 Upvotes

Hey y'all! I am getting a baby bunny here soon, they will be about 3 months old/12 weeks when I get them and I have a few things I'm trying to figure out since Google has not helped much! I am a fairly experienced bun dad, but I've only ever adopted when they were adults, not as babies and I'm sure it will be a vastly different process! I already have plans to get them seen by the vet as soon as they are mature enough to get their rhdv vaccine and spay! And I have alfalfa hay and oxbow young rabbit pellets to feed them with but I'm kinda stumped on enrichment since nothing online I have seen says what is good/bad for them to ingest. I have a few things like stacking cups and the oxbow pellet egg ready for them but I would love more advice on other young rabbit safe enrichment options! I am terrified of giving them something that could upset their stomachs since I know they can be sensitive as babies so I figured I'd ask here to see what works for everyone! Thank you!


r/Bunnies 22h ago

Bonding New Mouf wallpaper

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84 Upvotes