(Part 2) Best products from r/Rabbits

Give it a bit more time... you made the right choice for her future trust me! Spaying is key for preventing uterine cancer of which unspayed females have a very high chance.

However her hormones have not yet calmed down and in that initial period this can lead to some quite bizarre behaviors. She is also a little upset that you took her to the vet and were giving meds to her, but she will forgive you - it just takes a bit of time and the right approach (see below).

Do not give up on her!!!! Give her a stuffed animal as a cuddle buddy, I think that that too will help her feel safer and calm down.

As far as bonding, what works best with bunnies is always always letting them come to you instead of you going to them... silly as it is, that is what makes them feel most secure around anyone who is trying to bond with them. The best way to encourage them to do this is another silly thing - get on the floor. Literally just sprawl out and do your own thing and wait for her to come and explore you (I promise she will if you are patient). On the floor you are on her own level and you feel both safe and curious for them explore.

I would honestly suggest trying to really focus for the next few week on spending lots of time on the floor with her when you are home and let her out to explore so she can choose to come to you herself. You are already letting her explore so the net step is just to be on the floor yourself and be patient - she needs to see you in your world and feel safe about you. Watch TV on the floor and lean against the sofa for comfort or even when you are on your laptop. Basically just make a real effort to spend lots of time with her on the floor for a couple weeks and see if that makes a difference. Always let her come to you on his own terms when he feels safe, don't reach for her if you feel like she is not feeling safe in that moment (kind of anticipate her feelings)... some greens will help make you feel more inviting and attractive, and over time she will learn that humans mean yummies and they are safe and he will pop by for pets from you more often. :)

Watch a couple videos below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3rlWno7B8g - great video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9HcoC19h4 - another good video

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1. Now you do need to bunny poof your space (this will help instantly if you spend one Saturday working on it) - namely the power cords to stuff... unfortunately no matter how much you train a bun will almost always chew cords - it kind of reminds them of hay... it's instinctual but bunny proofing is not hard or expensive at all.
   
   1. Wire protectors that work well - these are quite chew proof and you just hide you cables inside - it makes things look nice and neat actually and you won't have another wire chewed.
      
   2. Also something like this is great if you can make it work in the space config you have... like along the baseboard or floor - I used these to hide my cords and make everything neat before a bun was ever in the picture even
      
   3. I have also seen people slit open a heavy duty garden hose and put the wires inside - works well
      
   4. Watch a few videos below for some more great tips - they are short and have good ideas for you
      
      1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbDQfIAVvY0
         
      2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1-GN3qErFc
         
      3. http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bunny-proofing
         
2. Now for your moldings and furniture you can also try something like this tape (but be very careful to be sure he does not chew it!)
   
   1. You can also try a homemade spray like in this video to make it unattractive to chew - just spray on wooden things he chews
      
3. For flooring I highly suggest this indoor/outdoor rug - it is easy to clean, inexpensive, and due to a tight weave hard to chew. A lot of bunny parents on here use it and love it. :)
   
   1. If they love to dig though don't deny them, provide a good alternative instead on top of the rug below in one spot - these seagrass mats - they are safe and awesome.
      
   2. Giving toys and things that are actually meant for digging and chewing will prevent the carpet digging (as in more targeted toys) - try to provide a box full for shredded paper to dig like this in or a cat scratcher like this one or something like this.
      
4. No we have come to the last and most important point - bunnies are smart and they need toys to entertain them and stay out of trouble. In the absence of good things to chew they will chew the other things - chewing and digging is their natural instinct, so the solution is not to spot them, but to provide alternatives specifically meant for them to chew and dig and to reinforce them using it. Bunnies are very food-motivated so you can use food to train them to do what you want them to do. :)
   
   1. They do really understand positive reinforcement and build positive associations when you redirect bad behavior and reward good behavior. So you have to actively and diligently train the bunny overtime not to chew and dig the wrong things. Anytime you see digging or chewing, immediately try to offer a toy or some alternative instead and reward with a small treat when it works. This does need to be done very diligently each time you see him do things like that.
      
   2. See this link for many many toy ideas you can buy and make

Cardboard boxes with shredded paper, pieces of cardboard, paper towel rolls, and some hay stuffed inside with a tunnel attached is by far my buns' favorite toys. They love going in and ripping everything apart and finding hay/treats to eat. Bunnies love cardboard boxes in general. They'll rip them apart and move them around, chew on 'em, make hidey holes, climb on them. I'll even cut out some holes on the side of the boxes and stuff cardboard tubes frayed at the ends/stuffed with hay for them to have fun with.

Tunnels rank at number 2 favorite toy. Their favorite is the crinkley cat tunnels which have holes throughout them they can dart out. They like the crinkle noise too.

They love manipulating objects, hard plastic slinkies (not metal ones!) are fun for them ... and to watch, haha. Hard plastic baby rattles, baby keys, etc. Just no gel/soft plastic as it would be easy for them to bite and ingest.
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Toys_and_Games This has an awesome list of toys and also places to buy bun toys. I've bought cottontail cottages, activity tables, rosewood activity trees, etc--buns love them all! But they are expensive for sure. The activity tables last forever but it would definitely be cheaper to build one !

Oh, also--I would recommend games like the Teach N Treat for mental stimulation as well: http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-Living-World-Teach-Treat/dp/B004HYW9B8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393474030&sr=8-1&keywords=teach+n+treat

There are tons of dog and cat games like that too that buns will love: http://www.amazon.ca/Trixie-4594-Products-Solitaire-White/dp/B0057G1WT0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I346NPTH7GATHZ

Also they love moving around these treat balls when you stuff em with pellets: http://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Toys-Treat-Inches-Colors/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393474058&sr=8-2&keywords=treat+ball

They love games that have anything to do with eating/end result being eating. :P

http://www.amazon.ca/Kitty-Mansions-Memphis-Tree-Beige/dp/B0043Z0EUE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=IHU58PNBHRME6 CAT TREES! Build your own if you want! Make sure if you buy one to cover any non-safe bun material.

I also got them one of these: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0038B2EKM/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00005C5H4/ref=oh_details_o02_s05_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Stack cups! Put treats between them and watch them knock them over and nom the treats. :)

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00000IZQP/ref=oh_details_o04_s01_i05?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They also like knocking these off.

http://www.amazon.ca/Super-Pet-Tropical-Fiddle-Stick/dp/B000HHO26E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I1Y9U0EEWOMV8N These things!

http://www.amazon.ca/Ware-711-Roller-Assorted-Colors/dp/B001CQFDJY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I3D5TZDNHU5HM8 This makes eating hay a bit more fun for them. :)

My boys love rolling around and destroying these: http://www.amazon.ca/Peters-Woven-Grass-Play-Ball/dp/B0009YJ3OG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3EH8O533V5DMS&coliid=I2VYO2771IW0LJ

Bunnies really enjoy long-term projects, which is why they like the dig boxes I described in the first paragraph so much. They dig and rearrange the boxes foreeever until I make a new one for them.

Sorry for the TL;DR, but here is some advice that I have read and/or figured out during the last 9 months of owning bonded 1.5 year old English Spots.

I second the adult rabbits needing homes. Our local Animal Shelter charges $5 for the adoption fee and $20 for the spay/neuter fee. However, someone had already adopted the pair of rabbits we got and returned them, so they paid the $20 spay/neuter fee each. We got our awesome companion rabbits for only $5 each. We also put our savings into their cage and some awesome toys. I recommend the Teach N' Treat They absolutely love it! At some point I will take a video of them playing with it and post it on here.

Other things I am not sure if I have seen on this subreddit yet or not are (I am rather new here):

One thing that is also useful is buying a medium sized Sterilite plastic container to hold a few weeks supply of food, and put the bag in the closet well-closed so that the bag of pellets can stay fresh longer (since your not exposing it to air everyday) We have a solo cup with a line that marks 1/8 per rabbit that we leave in the Sterilite container. Also, only buy like a 3 month supply of pellets or else it loses nutrients.

Also, the internet and free shipping is your friend. We use drsfosterandsmith because we buy like 50 lbs of Oxbow Timothy hay at a time and 3- 10 lb bags of rabbit food and hay cubes (they lovvvvvve those too.) Shipping is free because it is over $49. Our rabbits are very picky and waste a lot of hay, but we don't live near a farm to get good hay cheap, so $75 for 50 lbs of hay is a steal for us. I think (though r/rabbits correct me if I am wrong) don't buy more hay that you can use in 9-12 months. Also, store it open so it doesn't get mildewy/moldy.

Also, we use a cube constructed from 5 panels of those wire storage cubes to put their hay in and they grab at it from the sides. We did this because they would urinate and poop all over the hay and not eat it again, plus made cleaning the cage harder. As an added bonus, the cube of hay especially entertains our girl bunny because she is the wire grabber/carpet digger/chewer and she thinks they are little vines that need pruning. This was the 5th attempt at finding something to contain the massive amounts of hay two rabbits can go through in one day, but it has worked the best.

Also we have still not found a good vacuum that picks up hay without clogging, so we do most of that by hand or with a stiff broom, then a once over with a vacuum with all the big stuff picked up. The Versa Stick Vac works well especially to get hair/poops and some smaller bits of hay in the crevice between the wall and carpet. Still not perfect though.

I second others saying vinegar is basically a miracle cleaner because rabbits are sensitive to most chemicals, and the vinegar cleans everything up like magic. We have a low pile rug and a piece of vinyl (keep them from chewing the edges because they will) as the bottom of their cage so they have some traction, but also the vinyl stays a bit cooler, and we put their water dish and hay to make clean up easier. We have an x-pen and some of those wire cube panels around the wall to keep them from chewing the walls.

Rabbits are awesome little furballs, and patience is definitely the number one thing. Just when we think we have fixed something to keep them from chewing/digging/eating something, they prove us wrong and we have to start over again. We are on cage design number 4 but this one is actually working a lot longer/better than the others.

Good luck!

.1. Very young, probably a lionhead. A good rabbit-savvy vet will be able to give you a better age approximation. Check out the wiki for help picking out a good vet.

.2. It's likely that he's not old enough to potty train yet. When he is, check out the wiki for litter training advice. You will need a litter box (a medium cat one works well) and some rabbit-safe litter. I use Oxbow Eco-straw which can be ordered online from Amazon and most pet store websites. The easiest way to litter train a rabbit is to place the litter pan in the location they seem to pee most frequently. Then pick up stray poops/pee and put it in the litterbox and make sure to clean the other areas with white vinegar. If your rabbit chooses a different location to use the toilet, you are best off just moving the litterbox to that location. It's very difficult to get them to change their mind. Neutering will also help with litter habits once he's old enough.

Many rabbits "binky" when they are happy, but some do not. I generally consider a rabbit to be happy if they seem relaxed and unafraid. Some signs of this are exploring, telescoping (standing on hind legs), lying down in a "flopped" position (some rabbits flop all the way onto their sides, others prefer to lie on their bellies with their back legs sticking out). Some rabbits also express happiness by running around very fast.

Best to check out the wiki for instructions on picking up. Generally this should be avoided, but there are plenty of times where it's necessary.

You're unlikely to have much luck with a leash or harness. The rabbits that do well on these are the exception not the rule, but many rabbitors here are successful. I'd probably wait until he reaches adulthood for this though.

There are a lot of options for cages. I recommend this one for a single rabbit. While it's nice that some people can let their rabbits roam free, it's very difficult to 100% rabbit-proof. Do remember that they need plenty of time to run around and exercise. You wouldn't want to spend all day every day in your room and never come out, so make sure your bun gets to leave his. A big cage like this one is just fine though for when you are asleep or at school/work/etc. and can't be around to supervise.

.3. Do your research on the wiki, diet is very important, so is vet. This is my go-to hay supplier. I'd recommend starting with the sampler, then buying the larger boxes to save $$$. Also I see you've taken him outside for some grass. Be very careful to 1. watch out for hawks and other predators, never leave him unattended even for a minute and 2. don't let him eat anything that's been treated with pesticides or other stuff like that, could be very harmful.

Lastly, rabbits are very fragile animals. A lot of people on this sub jump to point out issues they see in pictures or questions because a lot of the time what seems like a little thing can be a very big problem for a rabbit. One good example is overfeeding of sweets. A rabbit can get sick and die from something as simple as eating too much carrot one night. So please, please, please, read up on stuff, do research, and if you aren't sure, ask or check for multiple good sources.

Ah, thank you for all this information! I appreciate it.

To answer your questions:

1. I try to brush her every other day, but I increase that to every day if I find she's shedding a lot. In light of her GI issues, I also tend to spend time carefully removing matted fur from her underside where it's harder for her to clean.
   
   
2. This may be a contributing factor, as I usually give her 1/2 cup of pellet food a day and her hay is fed to her through a trough on the side of her cage. It takes her about 2 days to go through the hay trough. I always refill it as soon as its empty. Sometimes she prefers to take the hay out to use as bedding around her cage, as well (I line the bottom of her cage with a soft towel/blanket, as the bottom of the cage is just plastic).
   
   Thank you for the lists, as well! I'm always looking for new foods that she might like. I heard kale was a rabbit's favorite, so I've been giving her that for a while now.
   
   I never knew about baby gas drops either, very good information to have! I still have her syringes from when she had severe GI stasis around in case I ever need them again.
   
   Her cage is the store bought, I bought the biggest I could find, which ended up being this. I removed the plastic insert with the stairs and made her a new hideaway in the cage that makes better use of space. My plan is to attach a dog play-pen sort of set up to the outside of the cage to expand her space, I've just been hemming and hawing over how best to get the set up working. Eventually I'd like to have a "bun room" that is all hers, but being in a studio for now if I can get a pen set up working for her I think she'll enjoy that.
   
   Right now I'm working remotely most days of the week, so she gets a lot of time during the day to be out of her cage, and I try to ensure that she has that!
   
   Thank you again for the advice!

The only toy we've bought that they consistently like is the teach and treat. The willow tents you can get at various shops are pretty awesome too.

We have bought stuff from napoleon bunnaparte before, and these can be fun too but we usually just make throw toys ourselves. The Maze Haven from binky bunny is pretty neat too, but also something you can make on your own.

We buy hay from a local farm, along with fresh cut willow branches. Some rabbits also love fresh apple tree branches, which you can buy on ebay.

90% of the time it seems like rabbits willingly choose old mainstays like "Phone Book", "paper towel tube", and "cardboard box" over anything store bought :)

Is she chewing the cardboard or actually eating it? If she insists on consuming her toys, I'd say the best bet is to get hay based toys, or something she can't eat, like plastic jingle balls. Since she is digging at the carpet, it sounds to me like she might be a bunny who prefers digging toys. You could try a cardboard box filled with hay, like on its side so she can dig in it, and extra hay is good for her. I was going to recommend paper in the dig box, but since it seems she might be eating it, not a good idea. Try it with the hay. Hard plastic toys, should be pretty safe.

Also, I had a super picky hay eater, who used to get bouts of GI stasis frequently. It mainly had to do with her not eating enough hay I think, and she also gets into everything(so not sure). However, since I switched her hay around by better quality, offered more variety of hay, and just overwhelmed hay volume, we haven't had any trouble since with stasis. My Bugs is also a voracious chewer/shredder, and digger, and one thing I realized was she was so smart she needed more stimulation. Maybe your bunny would prefer some interactive toys that you and him could play together? I have all of the plastic toys below for her, ironically the dumb jingle ball is her one of her favorite. She pushes it all over the house. Sorry for all the giant links, just trying to give you an idea. Hope this helps!


http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-behavior/enrichment-for-your-pet-bunny/
http://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-behavior/how-to-deal-with-chewing-digging/
https://www.amazon.com/Living-World-Teach-Treat-Toy/dp/B004HYW9B8/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1505090360&sr=1-1&keywords=teach+and+treat
https://www.amazon.com/WHEEKY-Guinea-Pets-Adjustable-Opening/dp/B01BHCFRUM/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1505089926&sr=8-14&keywords=hard+plastic+ball
https://www.amazon.com/Water-Multi-Plastic-Hollow-Jingle/dp/B00O0NW2FE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1505090055&sr=8-6&keywords=hard+plastic+jingle+toy+ball
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=6067+28211+24116&pcatid=24116

Wow! Thank you so much for this guide! I will definitely keep referring back to it as I set them up.

I am not sure of their genders or reproductive status, so I will be asking the last owners. They literally just put the bunnies in this cage on their porch and said free rabbits to good home, so I have no idea. They definitely seem bonded.

I’m buying one of these for their hay, so they always have access to it. I’ll order some pellets while I’m at it.


Would one of these suffice for litter?

I’m so lucky to already have an exotic animal vet, one that does cater to rabbits, in my area. I’ve taken my snakes there before.

I just want to give these babies as good a home as I can, especially since I don’t think they were treated well at the last place. I gave them hay, fresh water, a small carrot, and some collard greens when I got home with them a couple of hours ago, and they have not stopped eating since. I’m not sure if this is just rabbit behavior or not. Either way, they’re much happier now!

Teach And Treat is REALLY cool. I have 2 buns who are both really food motivated and this has 3 "levels" or variations of puzzle for them to solve. It's really interesting how our older boy who's a little 4 pounder "politely" removes each cup and puts it neatly to the side then eats the treats. Our 1 year old 8 pound girl picks the whole thing up with her teeth, "makes it rain," and then proceeds to bonk and toss the little cups.

Snack Ball is cool too. It's not available at that link, but it's the only good pic I can find of it. I got ours at a House Rabbit fundraiser. They REALLY get good at it - we have a wood floor so it's NICE AND LOUD. It's also a good way to feed pellets - makes them exercise for them.

I recommend a holland lop, very friendly and cute. they are a dwarf rabbit so they dont get too big and have the floppy ears, i also highly reccomend this http://www.amazon.com/Ware-Plastic-Scatterless-Lock-N-Litter-Bigger/dp/B000HGB8W6/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343710201&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=scaterless+litter+tray make sure you get it with the wire floor, that will keep their litter away from their fur and its easy to clean often to keep the smell down, best purchase i have made.

Hahah, we must have the same rabbit! Not chewing the chew toys is probably no big deal, as long as he's eating hay and getting his teeth checked at the vet regularly. We've never found a single chew toy or dig toy our rabbit had any interest in... And we've bought a lot. What he DOES love is hopping onto things! He's gotten onto couches, tables, TV stands, the top of his own cage. Yelling, clapping, stern voice never fazed him. What usually breaks him of the habit of jumping on a new place is giving him as little attention as possible when he does it. We'll gently shoo him off, then immediately turn our back and walk away. We also found him some toys that seem to satisfy some of that exploring urge: this two story house, this doll bed, and a cat tunnel to run through. If he really won't stop, we'll put up some kind of physical barrier he can't jump over. He has also gotten into our trash can (he went after a banana peel...), which we solved by getting a covered trash can, so maybe that's an option? Good luck with him! They can be really frustrating, but just remember they're all different and figure out what works best for your little guy =)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XTG94TH?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

My boyfriend zip tied them together, except for the empty space. We have two more panels that can close him in entirely, but we only put them up when we are sleeping. It is open the rest of the time.

The zip ties are a great idea if you’re nervous about your rabbit knocking them over! I hope the solution works for you as well as it has for us 💕

For different hay types-
{{ Try this sample box for her https://shop.smallpetselect.com/products/sampler-box - this hay is from a farm and not a bag in the store or online so it is very very fresh and fragrant. It also has a few kind of hay for her to try. Please give a go... I really have seen bunnies who hate hate love this hay.

You an also try this product form the UK, more expensive in the US but from what I have seen buns love it, so mixing some in his hay I think will help https://www.amazon.com/Friendly-Readigrass-Percent-Natural-Feed/dp/B003JRC1VM }}

I’d also keep trying with rabbit safe herbs. Mix the herbs in the hay. Mixing the veggies in with the hay. Mixing the pellets with the hay. Don’t feed anything unless it’s mixed in the hay. She might start eating it if it’s the only place she gets food. So when she’s in between meals she will remember that she got food in her hay and might search for more/hopefully eat some along the way.

{{ Bracketed information credit to DinkaAnimalLover }}

Toys!

These are great "hide and seek" toys to play with your buns with. You hide treats or pellets in the cavities and your bun finds them!
Hagen Living World, Linnea, Blenda

Alternatively, you can also get something like this or this and stick treats and pellets in it so your bunny will run around trying to get them.

You can also make a maze or house out of boxes. My buns love running around and playing in anything made of cardboard. I've also heard that hiding treats inside an egg carton or inside a paper bag is also fun for them. :)