DD9 wants a pet..UPDATE we adopted a Lionhead Bunny bringing him home in 3 wks! YAY

[Merida]

I came across the hedgehogs when looking at adoptable pets I had NO idea they were also kept as pets! Very cute though.

Most people don't! It's a common misconception that hedgehogs are like porcupines and shoot quills/are dangerous, when they're really more closely related to moles and shrews and have "attached" quills (sometimes they fall off like hair but they aren't used to attack. The quills can be lifted so they stick straight up which is enough of a warning for most potential predators!). Bonus - they don't have sharp teeth because they're insectivores, so Nelson (our hedgie) just sort of gums our fingers and huffs at us if he's annoyed. My mother has always hated 'rodent-y' pets but even she enjoys the hedgehog.

Good luck deciding!

 

[mrseace711]

DD made her decision!! I contacted our local animal rescue via email with our 'requirements' cuddle, lap time, playful, able to stay home alone during the day, great with children ect =) I told her we were open to all pets even rats if she felt they would make a great match with my DD a first time pet owner. The coordinater sent my email to their pocket pet and exotic pet person who replied with she had the perfect pet in mind for us although the guinea pigs and rats would be good she thought a Lionhead bunny that they rescued 2 months ago off the side of the road would be PERFECT =) The foster mom is a bunny owner herself and said he is a easy going bunny who loves to explore as well as spend time cuddling. Hes will not be ready for adoption for another 3 weeks the vet estimated his current age around 4-5 months so we have to wait for him to be neutered. We went to meet him yesterday He snuggled right up to DD no shakes he was very relaxed and after awhile he started peeking around she opened her arms (she was sitting on the floor) and he climbed right down hopped around and curious since we met at Petsmart and he hopped over to his foster mom and snuggled by her legs. DD was able to name him since he was still nameless and his foster parents said they will be teaching him his name they were pretty awesome! We are preparing for him now Thanks for all the tips and information here!!

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

So glad to hear u decided on a bunny! Any questions, please pm me. We are avid bunny lovers,lol, and I often take ours to the school to teach the kids about them, and of course let my kids show off their pet, lol. We have a sweet one too

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Yay!! So glad you decided on a bunny, esp a Lionhead. As I said before, I have two and adore them!! What color is your new baby? I have a black and a sable point. I am so glad he is getting neutered as well. That makes for a much nicer bunny. Congrats!!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Congratulations, I don't think you went wrong. and I am always a PM away if you have any questions as well. But, please and I don't want to sound pushy about it, please don't put him in a cage with a wire bottom, it is soooo dangerous, take it from someone with a horrible experience of what can happen.

Get him lots of fun toys, I give my girl toys from the baby section, but make sure she can't bite thru it. They love the plastic keys they can toss, she has a couple of rattle type toys she can pick up in her mouth. I also get the hard plastic cat toys with a bell inside. She loves a willow basket more than anything and pine cones (make sure to rinse them off first and pull off any loose seeds and let them dry), this will help keep his teeth short so they don't have to be trimmed, which is very painful for them.

 

[ktlm]

Congratulations!!! It sounds like your pet found you! Funny how that happens. It is wonderful that you get to know about his personality in advance from someone who has fostered him for a good amount of time, so that you know he will be the right fit and a good cuddler. He sounds like a sweetie! Love the name your DD picked. Be sure and post pictures when you get him!

 

[hereyago]

OP: congrats on the new additon!!! I am sure Max will bring joy to your DD's life!

 

[mrseace711]

Thank You all
We have a vet near by suggested by Max's foster mom! Max is litter trained We will be buying a bunny brush and bunny nail clippers as the foster mom will be showing me how to safely clip his nails. We are also building Max's cage per C & C cage instructions using coroplast which I found at a sign store for $18 for the huge sheet and 2 sets of wire cubes that is 19.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond and I have 2 coupons 20% off each one If anyone has built their own cage tips will be awesome.

since I have a few bunny owners here, I'd like to collect info on the following.

Brand of Bunny Pellets :
(We were overwhelmed with the choices! Reg bunny pellets, max pellets, ultimate pellets, super supreme pellets, organic, list goes on We would like to buy the healthy choice. One of the pet stores used the cheapest one they had which you could bag yourself for like .78 a pound.Foster mom buys bulk)

Where do you buy your Timothy Hay:
Bails, bags,pounds? how many bags for a month?

Litter:
I know NOT to use kitty litter, foster mom uses stuff that looks like seeds I can not remember the name of it, she said it was just okay for absorbing odor but since they own and foster so many bunnys they have to go the cheap route. I seen some that smell like oranges lol that would be nice if it works? I didnt want to sniff each of the litters they may have asked me to leave HAHAHA. So absorbent, economic, and helps with odor? We will clean out twice a week.

I will be definetly be buying our new baby a willow basket along with some other toys. Do bunnies like soft places to sleep? Like a bunny bed? Currently Max sleeps IN his litter box we would really like to discourage this, his bottom fur was matted from sleeping in it. Tips? I will add pics when he comes home

 

[mrudman]

Thank You all
We have a vet near by suggested by Max's foster mom! Max is litter trained We will be buying a bunny brush and bunny nail clippers as the foster mom will be showing me how to safely clip his nails. We are also building Max's cage per C & C cage instructions using coroplast which I found at a sign store for $18 for the huge sheet and 2 sets of wire cubes that is 19.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond and I have 2 coupons 20% off each one If anyone has built their own cage tips will be awesome.

since I have a few bunny owners here, I'd like to collect info on the following.

Brand of Bunny Pellets :
(We were overwhelmed with the choices! Reg bunny pellets, max pellets, ultimate pellets, super supreme pellets, organic, list goes on We would like to buy the healthy choice. One of the pet stores used the cheapest one they had which you could bag yourself for like .78 a pound.Foster mom buys bulk)

Where do you buy your Timothy Hay:
Bails, bags,pounds? how many bags for a month?

Litter:
I know NOT to use kitty litter, foster mom uses stuff that looks like seeds I can not remember the name of it, she said it was just okay for absorbing odor but since they own and foster so many bunnys they have to go the cheap route. I seen some that smell like oranges lol that would be nice if it works? I didnt want to sniff each of the litters they may have asked me to leave HAHAHA. So absorbent, economic, and helps with odor? We will clean out twice a week.

I will be definetly be buying our new baby a willow basket along with some other toys. Do bunnies like soft places to sleep? Like a bunny bed? Currently Max sleeps IN his litter box we would really like to discourage this, his bottom fur was matted from sleeping in it. Tips? I will add pics when he comes home

First of all, congratulations on your new little bunny!

We had a holland lop bunny up till a few yrs ago when sadly he passed away, and he was the best little guy ever.

I'll tell you what we ended up doing for our bunny, but there are plenty of other choice out there also, so just do what is easiest for you.

Each day he would have regular bunny pellets (no dried fruit/veggies mixed it, plain old pellets).. would give him about 1/8 cup morning and evening.

Then he'd have a constant supply of timothy hay that we would stuff into a little hay holder that hung on the side of his cage... bought at the pet store, don't remember the size of the bag, but it wasn't real big, but it would usually last him about a month.

Usually every couple days or so, I'd give him a couple baby carrots to gnaw on, and he loved those!

For bedding, we used Carefresh Ultra.. it looks nice, really helps control any odor (as long as I changed it out about twice a week, it never smelled)... not cheap, but we bought the biggest bag (most economical), and it would last at least a couple months.

And as far as where we kept him, I built a raised wooden house for him that was shaped like an "L", in two sections of the L (think if an L had 3 sections, hard to envision), it had a solid floor, that I lined with a scrap of linoleum. In the 3rd section was where he did his business, I had cut the wood so that I could slide a large cookie sheet (had maybe 1 inch sides to it) in and out... filled this with the carefresh litter, then laid a large piece of wire grid over top to hold it in place. Easy peasy to clean, just had to slide it out of the side of the cage, dump it, refill it, and slide it back in.

The whole house was then lined with the wire cubes on the inside (i believe the same ones you're talking about), since bunnies love to chew wood, didn't want him to mutilate his house.

I had bought 2 sets of the cubes, so used the rest of them tied together in a long line with twisty-ties, and would set up a pen for him to run around in our living room every day.

For toys: we got him these fleece carrots he loved, gave him small wood blocks (research if you get wood for him, cause some types of wood are poisonous to them), and he LOVED our left-over toilet paper tubes.. would eat those up quicker than anything.

I'll post pics if I can figure out how to do it,

But again, congrats on your new little pet!



Ok, couldn't get the actual pic to load, but here's the link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68328303@N06/6213864305/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68328303@N06/6213821259/

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Thank You all
We have a vet near by suggested by Max's foster mom! Max is litter trained We will be buying a bunny brush and bunny nail clippers as the foster mom will be showing me how to safely clip his nails. We are also building Max's cage per C & C cage instructions using coroplast which I found at a sign store for $18 for the huge sheet and 2 sets of wire cubes that is 19.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond and I have 2 coupons 20% off each one If anyone has built their own cage tips will be awesome.

since I have a few bunny owners here, I'd like to collect info on the following.

Brand of Bunny Pellets :
(We were overwhelmed with the choices! Reg bunny pellets, max pellets, ultimate pellets, super supreme pellets, organic, list goes on We would like to buy the healthy choice. One of the pet stores used the cheapest one they had which you could bag yourself for like .78 a pound.Foster mom buys bulk)

Where do you buy your Timothy Hay:
Bails, bags,pounds? how many bags for a month?

Litter:
I know NOT to use kitty litter, foster mom uses stuff that looks like seeds I can not remember the name of it, she said it was just okay for absorbing odor but since they own and foster so many bunnys they have to go the cheap route. I seen some that smell like oranges lol that would be nice if it works? I didnt want to sniff each of the litters they may have asked me to leave HAHAHA. So absorbent, economic, and helps with odor? We will clean out twice a week.

I will be definetly be buying our new baby a willow basket along with some other toys. Do bunnies like soft places to sleep? Like a bunny bed? Currently Max sleeps IN his litter box we would really like to discourage this, his bottom fur was matted from sleeping in it. Tips? I will add pics when he comes home

Ok, we built our own cage, but we couldn't find the coroplast, we used a 6 ft by 2.5 ft piece of wood that we covered with peel and stick tiles from Home Depot, we made the walls out of the same wire cubes you go and tied them together with electrical ties and then cut them off since rabbits are chewers. I think we used 4 boxes total. We put rolling casters on the bottom, so we could move it around to sweep and vacum because she does like to strow her hay and she sheds alot. We used a couple of the wire cubes to make a short shelf that she can jump up on and then another one at the other end that is higher up where we keep her box of hay.

At one end, we put a small plush door mat and gave her a baby blanket at the other end, we bought a huge cat litter pan, one of the jumbo ones and filled that with hay, the other pan is either a small cat sand pan or small dishtbu which we line with newspaper and top with hay, that was what she was used to as litter, and it was much cheaper.

We use Kaytee Supreme pellets but Oxbow Timothy pellets is what is recommended by the House Rabbit Society, but no one carries it locally.As long as it is Timothy hay based with no ground corn, and high in fiber, it should be fine.

We buy our hay in large boxes from our vet, they sell it to help support the Alabama Ears Rabbit Rescue. Buying it as fresh as possible is the best way to go. I was using the Kaytee brand Hay that you can get at Petsmart, but the vet said it wasn't as good, but if that is all that is available it was ok. make sure it stays very fresh and dry and never gets wet.

It is perfectly fine for him to lay in his hay, as long as he is not pooping and tinkling in it as well, that is the reason we have 2 boxes. My Mable loves to lay either in her hay box, on her blanket, which she moves to where she wants it, or on the carpeted area. I use ceramic bowls for water, because they are too heavy for her to pick up and dump and she can't chew on it. I use one of the hard plastic bowls they sell at Petsmart that locks to her cage for her pellets, because she likes to dump those too.

Her nails will be easy to keep trimmed, it will take 2 people, and use a small flash light, shine that in the back of the nail and it will allow you to see the quick and trim just above that. I do let the vest office do it when we have an upcoming appt, other wise Dh and I do it. Mable's stay pretty short with her digging in her hay box and on her carpet.

If you think of anything else, let me know.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Congratulations!

I don't know anything about bunnies but I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with him!

 

[Iluvthemouse]

congrats!!!

 

[wdw_girl_18]

Thank You all
We have a vet near by suggested by Max's foster mom! Max is litter trained We will be buying a bunny brush and bunny nail clippers as the foster mom will be showing me how to safely clip his nails. We are also building Max's cage per C & C cage instructions using coroplast which I found at a sign store for $18 for the huge sheet and 2 sets of wire cubes that is 19.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond and I have 2 coupons 20% off each one If anyone has built their own cage tips will be awesome.

since I have a few bunny owners here, I'd like to collect info on the following.

Brand of Bunny Pellets :
(We were overwhelmed with the choices! Reg bunny pellets, max pellets, ultimate pellets, super supreme pellets, organic, list goes on We would like to buy the healthy choice. One of the pet stores used the cheapest one they had which you could bag yourself for like .78 a pound.Foster mom buys bulk)

Where do you buy your Timothy Hay:
Bails, bags,pounds? how many bags for a month?

Litter:
I know NOT to use kitty litter, foster mom uses stuff that looks like seeds I can not remember the name of it, she said it was just okay for absorbing odor but since they own and foster so many bunnys they have to go the cheap route. I seen some that smell like oranges lol that would be nice if it works? I didnt want to sniff each of the litters they may have asked me to leave HAHAHA. So absorbent, economic, and helps with odor? We will clean out twice a week.

I will be definetly be buying our new baby a willow basket along with some other toys. Do bunnies like soft places to sleep? Like a bunny bed? Currently Max sleeps IN his litter box we would really like to discourage this, his bottom fur was matted from sleeping in it. Tips? I will add pics when he comes home

Food- I buy the petsmart brand for my bunny. When I had a hamster I would buy bulk, until I noticed it had bugs in it. Then I went back to buying bagged.

Hay- I also bought the bagged hay from petsmart, but my bunny HATED the stuff! He also was given romaine lettuce and carrots, which he loved. He would get two huge pieces of lettuce and 1 carrot every night. Iceburg lettuce doesn't have any nutritional value for bunnies.

Litter- We buy the unscented yesterdays news. Its cat litter that is rolled up newspaper. It is safe for the bunnies and does not get stuck in their nails. They make yesterdays news for small animals but its a lot more money and you get less (plus its the same stuff they sell for cats). If you watch they will stick coupons on the bag for buy one get one free!

I gave my bunny a soft bed but he kept throwing it around his cage. Then I tied it to his cage and then he chewed it up. He had a ton of toys in his cage to chew on so I guess he just didn't like the bed. We then tried a plastic dishpan with a blanket in it and he refused to sleep in it. I eventually bought one of those plastic igloos (the biggest one they sold) and he would sleep in that every night. I think he liked being hidden in his igloo!

Have fun with your new bunny!

 

[Tinkbellfan]

I've made lots of C&C cages (guinea pig foster/rescue) and I guess I would say use zip ties instead of the connectors they give you. Also, build the cage first and then measure and cut the coroplast. I followed the directions on the website regarding cutting too. Try to score the coroplast very lightly first. If you end of cutting through by mistake, packing tape will patch up any mistakes. You will probably end up with some cut fingers so be careful.

As for pellets, Oxbow has a great reputation and if your local store doesn't sell it you can order it on-line. I get my GP pellets from my hay supplier. She makes them herself!

Hay - I order mine on-line from Linda at Kleenmama's hayloft. I use over 90 lbs a year on my GP's and the fosters so I buy in bulk. It comes out to be alittle over a dollar per pound. It stores beautifully in my basement (poke holes in box and keep near dehumidifier). You can buy in smaller amounts but the per pound price will go up alittle (shipping gets you). It still is cheaper and much better quality then the store bought stuff! The FEDEX guy always gets suspicious when big boxes of "hay" are delivered. Smells good too!

Nail cutting gets easier the more you do it. I usually make a point of playing with my GP's feet when they are young to get them use to it. I also have a container of Styptic powder near by. This will stop the bleeding if you do cut alittle too much off. A flashlight also helps to see what you are doing. It is a two person job!

 

[tinkercat]

Congrats on your new bunny!