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Baileysdad · 06-08-2005, 02:42 AM

Hello again, I have about a 2-3 month old Dutch bunny and I have picked up a few things for her. My girlfriend and I live in a relatively small apartment and I want to make sure that we have done all we can to make her comfortable. Below I have listed what she has so far. Please feel free to add anything that your bunny particularly likes. Thanks

Cage/ Basic size I believe
Cotton tail cottage/ Absolutly loves it
Playpen roughly 5 ft. x 5 ft.
Hammock
Toys; Ball w/ a bell in in, Little bell hanging thing with a bell at the end. A barrel shaped toy with some fluffy stuff in it for her to lay in.

Huge box of timothy Hay/ Alfalfa
Pellets/Fresh Spinach Leaves twice a day/ 2-3 carrots and an occasional granny smith apple slice.

P.S. Bailey is at home most the day by her self so I thought she needed as much as possible to keep herself occupied until daddy gets home.

ryann3484 · 06-08-2005, 10:08 AM

maby some treats for her when she is good also you might want to get some grooming tools so she stayes clean and happy.

Baileysdad · 06-09-2005, 12:48 AM

Thanks, I have gotten her treats about a week ago and bought a brush for her about two weeks ago, I didnt list these things but I do give her treats. I am thinking about getting a brush for her like I used to use on my dog when they start shedding. The one that I currently have is just a regular little brush, not so much for picking up loose hair. Thanks for the feedback. Also, is there anything to do for when the shed? and I also asked in another forum but I\'ll ask you too. Bailey is a female and I was wondering if they have periods like other animals. I have been stronly considering getting her fixed after the appropriate waiting time, I just know that I will have a hard time knowing she will be in pain.

lisarp · (This post was last modified: 06-09-2005 01:53 AM by lisarp.)

HI! I believe they (like most shedders) shed more in the spring to get rid of there winter coat and when they are stressed. My bunny shedded quite a bit when I first got her but now I hardly notice it. About getting her fixed- I worried about the pain as well (I had it done last week and if you look at my post you will see we had a supprise! I guess it isn\'t all that easy to tell the sex of a bunny!) She has an incision about two inches long on her belly (they shaved her there) and I was told to leave her in the cage for about a week. I got her back within a couple of hours and I picked her up to put her in the cage and she let out a little yelp that was the only time I heard her make any kind of noise that sounded like pain. I let her out of the cage and she is pouncing and jumping on the furnature like always. It cost me quite a bit to get it done (girls are more expensive than boys) it was still under $200.00 tho.
As for the treat thing... I would give the veggies as a treat not the other stuff(yougart treats, ect) They are like giving a human chocolate on a regular basis- not good for us-not good for them. My bunny gets parsley,cherry tomatoes(sparingly) apples, carrots with the greens still on them (she loves them) leaf lettice(not iceberg because it has too much water in it) That kind of stuff.
Good luck with everything and let me know if I can help with any other questions. (I\'ll check back a little more often!) Lisa

Baileysdad · 06-09-2005, 02:02 AM

thank you Lisa, I appreciate that and I did read your story yesterday and actually told my girlfriend about it last night. I felt it pertained to us (apartment) enviroment for Bailey. I am just trying to help my girlfriend understand that bailey is not a dog nor a cat, they cant be given bunny junk food and they are fragile. She dropped her as she was putting her back in her play pen and her excuse was that bailey jumped out of her hands. I am always worried the little baby will get hurt. You may want to check into the play pen that I got bailey. Ill find out the name of it and post it tomorrow.

lisarp · 06-09-2005, 02:24 AM

They are squirmy little buggers! They like to wiggle when you try to put them down! I have a bunny proof area I let her play in. Other than the couch and chair there is nothing else she can get into. I alwasy do a check before I let her out to make sure there is nothing she can hurt herself on before I let her out. She loves to jump on the couch and chair and hop around. She leaps off on her own (onto plush carpet) and has a great time. I think she enjoys the freedom of not being caged up and being able to run all she wants. She is also potty trained so she doesn\'t make messes on the carpet. I had no idea how much fun a bunny was until I got her! Lisa

suziel · (This post was last modified: 06-10-2005 05:38 AM by suziel.)

Bailey\'s Dad-

Congradulations on your bunny! As a new bunny Dad I would like to offer you a few safety tips: I would remove the fluffy cotton like stuff that came with the tube (for hamsters and mice) and I don\'t think that I would give her a hammock (for ferrets.) Fibers from either can be ingested by your bunny and if this happens she will be in grave danger and rabbits are not as agile as ferrets and she might become entangled in the hammock and strangulate herself. Like humans the pet industry manufacturer\'s often package or market these items with money being their only motivation and are careless. When putting your bunny back into her pen. It is best to enter the pen, holding her securely and close to your body and squat as low as possible and then release her, dropping her can cause her fragile and brittle bones to fracture or she could suffer a broken back. Rabbits have very strong hind legs and their frantic kicking has been known to cause severe injury.

You can find a wealth of information on the House Rabbit Society websites like recommended veggies and fruits to feed Bailey. There are preferable veggies or greens you can give her instead of Spinach and Carrots. I feed mine all you can eat Timothy Hay and a small amount of pellets and small amount of fresh ORGANIC cilantro, parsley, green carrot tops, an occassional slice of carrot and apple, and water. I totally agree with Lisa, use the slice of apple or another piece of acceptable fruit as a \"treat.\" All the commercial stuff sold in traditional pet food stores is \"junk food\" and bunnies do have very sensitive digestive tracts. Bunnies shed twice (seasonally) a year and when they are stressed out. I recommend brushing them regularly with a gentle shedding brush. Daily when they are shedding. It helps reduce the amount of hair they ingest.

Sounds like you\'re off to great start and I\'m glad you have given her a loving home!

Baileysdad · 06-10-2005, 06:40 AM

Wow, I think that I love this forum and all of my new friends. I have done basically all the above, and in regards to the hammock, I have it connected from four unbreakable support points. I was not thinking that she would hurt herself but I always want to make sure that she has stable things to rest on. My problem is that my girlfriend although very loving with animals, she lacks the understanding of what they must feel. For instance I have told her for about a week now about the carrot thing and yet everyday she feeds her 2-3 little babby carrots. I just see that there is a very fine line between her being o.k. and her ending up resenting me for telling her that everything she is doing is bad. I am in sales so I am sure I will find a way.

I try every which way I can to ensure my little Bailey has all she needs and I miss her all day long when I am at the office. When I get home she is waiting for me and I just put her pillow down and she hops up on it knowing its time hang out with dad. I swear I dont know what I would do if anything hppen to her. To be quite honest I thought that rabbits were messy little creatures. I honestly didnt even want to hold her at the pet store. Boy was I wrong, she has fur softer than silk and the personality to make anyone wish they could take the day off of work just to make sure she was never alone. Maybe this is silly to some but for those who understand the above, you know exactly what I mean. Thanks again for the info (everyone)

P.S. I have some pictures of the little bailey girl and I have been wondering if there is anywhere to put them?

suziel · 06-10-2005, 01:40 PM

Bailey\'s Dad-

I\'m very pleased when I see true animal lovers, especially bunny lovers! I\'m not sure how to, but I\'m sure there is a way to perhaps attatch or link your photos. I\'m sure someone else here can help you with that. Check out http://www.lagomorphlounge.com (my favorite!)

suziel · 06-11-2005, 04:42 AM

Bailey\'s Dad-

In case of an emergency, I would have some unflavored Pedilyte, Oxbow critical care, and some syringes for force feeding available. Are you planning on trimming Bailey\'s nails yourself? If so, you\'ll need clippers and septic powder (in case you cut the \"quick\" and make her bleed.) Have you looked for a rabbit savvy vet yet?