How do I care for a rescued domestic rabbit? Behavior tips needed!

Glad to hear you have added a bunny to your family! They are definitely very rewarding pets to have and certainly have some of their own individual challenges. In terms of just general information, you'll want to make sure Nznz is getting an appropriate diet of leafy greens, timothy hay, occasional small amounts of alfalfa, and other fruits / vegetables. Rabbits have teeth that will continually grow throughout their life so they should ideally have something to chew on to keep them from growing inappropriately. Sometimes, they will require manual teeth trimming if they do not take care of this themselves. As far as when to keep him in and out of the cage, that will ultimately be a personal preference. If you intend to litterpan train him, I would wait until he is regularly using the litter box before allowing him to roam freely, just so he makes claim to a certain area. Rabbits are also very sensitive to stress, noise, and heat so make sure that she is in a cool, calm environment. Hope this helps!

Congrats on your new addition! It looks like you have everything you need. A water bottle wasn't listed, so if you don't have one be sure to pick one up at the local Petco. Rabbit safe chew toys can also be found at the store. Melo can eat as much timothy hay, oat hay or similar grasses as he wants. Do not feed him any alfalfa and limit pellets to about 1/8 cup daily. he can get a cup or two of fresh greens daily as well. If you have any additional questions, you can post them here.

Thanks for your question about your new pets! I would recommend finding out what they are being fed now so you don’t switch their food over too quickly. I recommend feeding young rabbits free choice alfalfa hay until 6-9 months old and then transitioning them to a grass based hay, such as Timothy. I also recommend 1-2 tablespoons of pellets per bunny per day until they are full grown. Again, alfalfa based until 6-9 months old and then transition to Timothy pellets. Once full grown, you can give 1 tablespoon per 5 lbs of rabbit. You can also offer greens on a daily basis, but start slowly so they don’t get diarrhea. Leaf lettuce, cilantro, radicchio, and parsley are good options. They don’t require any supplements but the non-fruit based Oxbow treats are a great choice. I don’t recommend feeding fruit to rabbits as it can upset their tummies. For decreasing stress, make sure they have a place to hide and that their environment is quiet for them while they are adjusting. I hope this helps, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for using PetCoach. She is adorable. The first thing to do is to make sure that Gorda's diet is approriate. Most pet rabbit do not need pelleted food or need very, very little. Hay and vegetables should make up the majority of her diet. Here is a good guide https://rabbit.org/faq-diet/ Cecotrophs are feces that do have a different consistency that regular stool https://rabbit.org/intermittent-soft-cecotropes-in-rabbits/ She may be acting antisocial if she is not feeling well, or depending on her age it may be hormonal related. For pet rabbits I stronly recommend spaying for behavioural benefits as well as for her health. https://rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering/ However is she is having very loose stool or acting abnormally, I would recommend a visit to a veterinarian that treats rabbits asap. If rabbits develop GI disorders it becomes fatal very quickly. I hope this helps, feel free to post again if you have further questions. She is a cutie!

Thanks for reaching out about Buddy. One of the keys to keep on mind regarding rabbits is they are easily stressed. So changing things slowly is best. Once she is introduced to your home, allow her a quiet place to recuperate for a few days, with limited interactions. Monitor water and food intake, and urine and fecal production. If is recommended she be kept away from other pet, including rabbits, until she is more comfortable. Take it slow. Good luck.

I’m sorry to hear that! Rabbits can be great pets, but can sometimes to a while to warm up to people, and can suffer from stress that may make them difficult to handle. Visit the following links for some tips on how to care for your rabbits and hopefully that will help! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=3015&S=5&SourceID=43 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=502&S=5&SourceID=43 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=470&S=5&SourceID=43 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=667&S=5&SourceID=43

It sounds like this bunny has found a safe home with you and perhaps with time she will become more content. I would consider calling local vets offices to see if any know of missing bunnies (sometimes owners will call the vet's office to see if anyone has found their pet), and consider looking at online sites like craigslist or community facebook pages. You can find some other links in this article: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/what_to_do_lost_pets.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/ for websites where people post lost pets. Also contact your local animal shelter/humane society to see if anyone there has posted a lost bunny.