# Bunnies!



## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

Okay so we have a new addition - a 2 month old Netherland Dwarf rabbit named Cosmo (I'll post a picture soon). He is not litter trained and I have litter and a pan for him. I've been putting his "mistakes" in the litter pan. Any suggestions on how to train him? 


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Caniche said:


> Okay so we have a new addition - a 2 month old Netherland Dwarf rabbit named Cosmo (I'll post a picture soon). He is not litter trained and I have litter and a pan for him. I've been putting his "mistakes" in the litter pan. Any suggestions on how to train him?
> 
> 
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Awwww, mine was supposed to be a ND, but now she is a huge English Spot. It's ok though because I didn't get her for her breed I got her for her personality . As for the litter training, putting his poops in the box is the first thing to do, and make sure the litter box is big enough for him. I started out with a small corner one for mine but eventually had to upgrade to a big cat litter box as she got older and bigger. This is going to sound gross but the most important part when training a bunny to use the litter box is to only feed him in the litter box. When bunnies eat it stimulates them to poop so that is when they do most of their poops. Also bunnies will eat their "first poops" also called cecal pellets. They are very soft poops that are bunched together like grapes. So it might seem gross to feed them in their litter box to us humans but to bunnies it is just natural. Typically if he gets the pooping in the litter box down he should get the the urinating also. Boy bunnies do mark their territory a lot though, so when he is 6 months old you might want to think about having him neutered (it also helps with aggression). I had my girl done at 6 months old, she recovered fine and I don't have as many issues with her marking as much. Oh and one last thing on litter box training, if you use a bedding material make sure it is different than the litter in the litter box. If it is the same thing it will cause a lot of confusion for him. When my girl used bedding I used aspen wood shavings as the bedding and yesterday's news as the litter, then I piled it with Timothy Hay so she would always go to the litter box and snack. When feeding time came around I would just spread the alfalfa pellets on the hay. Now she just runs around her playpen and cage and other than the occasional poop or two I don't have any problems with messes. Oh wait she does aim a little high when she pees so sometimes I have to clean outside the litter box. So if you ever have to get a new litter box get one with high sides! Lol . I can't wait to see pictures of him!! Here are some pictures of my girl, her name is Sparkle. 
Learning to walk on a leash







Enjoying her grass mat







This is just after she got spayed she was very tired  







After that she upgraded from a cage to a hutch that we built for just under $60! 













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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

poodlecrazy#1 said:


> Awwww, mine was supposed to be a ND, but now she is a huge English Spot. It's ok though because I didn't get her for her breed I got her for her personality . As for the litter training, putting his poops in the box is the first thing to do, and make sure the litter box is big enough for him. I started out with a small corner one for mine but eventually had to upgrade to a big cat litter box as she got older and bigger. This is going to sound gross but the most important part when training a bunny to use the litter box is to only feed him in the litter box. When bunnies eat it stimulates them to poop so that is when they do most of their poops. Also bunnies will eat their "first poops" also called cecal pellets. They are very soft poops that are bunched together like grapes. So it might seem gross to feed them in their litter box to us humans but to bunnies it is just natural. Typically if he gets the pooping in the litter box down he should get the the urinating also. Boy bunnies do mark their territory a lot though, so when he is 6 months old you might want to think about having him neutered (it also helps with aggression). I had my girl done at 6 months old, she recovered fine and I don't have as many issues with her marking as much. Oh and one last thing on litter box training, if you use a bedding material make sure it is different than the litter in the litter box. If it is the same thing it will cause a lot of confusion for him. When my girl used bedding I used aspen wood shavings as the bedding and yesterday's news as the litter, then I piled it with Timothy Hay so she would always go to the litter box and snack. When feeding time came around I would just spread the alfalfa pellets on the hay. Now she just runs around her playpen and cage and other than the occasional poop or two I don't have any problems with messes. Oh wait she does aim a little high when she pees so sometimes I have to clean outside the litter box. So if you ever have to get a new litter box get one with high sides! Lol . I can't wait to see pictures of him!! Here are some pictures of my girl, her name is Sparkle.
> Learning to walk on a leash
> View attachment 97137
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for all the info! Cosmo is only about a pound, so the normal corner litter box in his cage works for his size. My sister has a full sized ND and the corner works for him too. He has pressed paper pellets in his litter pan and fluffy paper product for his bedding. I put some hay in his litter pan. 

I've noticed he goes -everywhere- not just one corner, so it's hard to accommodate him. Since he's only two months old and it's a new crate, I wonder if he's just adjusting for now?

Our bunnies don't have free range of the house since we have small children and dogs who like to chase them. But we take them out often and give them plenty of things to do inside their crates. 

I may neuter him. My sister's isn't neutered (he's 18 months) and has never had an issue - she adopted him at a year old. Also, our local vets want the same price to neuter a rabbit as they do a dog - about $200! So I think it'll be a "wait and see" game. 

Sparkle is so cute and fluffy! My 9 year old nephew wanted a ND, but we settled on a Mini Rex for him since they're so kid friendly. Here he is (yet to be named)





















I am going to take pictures of Cosmo right now and I'll share them soon. 


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## Caniche (Jun 10, 2013)

So here is Cosmo (and the black poodle next to him is 5 pounds..for a comparison)






































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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

Most rabbits will pick a corner and use it almost exclusively for peeing. Put some fresh litter in the tray under his cage and watch to see which corner gets soaked. Put a litter box in that corner and let nature take its course. Most will "house break" them selves. Try to find one of the litter pans that is low in the front and high along two back sides as bunnies are well known for missing their mark when trying to pee in a box... 

Few have total pellet control so you will have to continue to pick them up but hey they are no where near as bad as doggy poo. Cecal or night pellets are normally just that only made at night and are eaten as they come out. They are necessary for the bunnies health so don't try to stop that behavior. The day pellets should be firm dry "balls" of poo. If they are soft or runny then something is wrong most often with their diet as in too much green food, not enough hay and pellets. 

I am not an advocate of routine spay and neutering of rabbits as too few vets are really good with rabbits. Now if you have a pair that you allow to run free together I would recommend neutering the boy. If you do have a pair be aware that some boys are willing and READY by 10 weeks. 

With good care I have had rabbits live over 8 years. I have even seen one that was a week shy of 12 when he died. Beautiful Mini Lop kept outside and fed pellets as his main food all his life. Bun was his owners first Champion and he sired many more for her. When he died he was buried properly "like any family member" as she said.

As with any new species for your family read, read, read, then see what works best for you and your rabbit. Billy, Boomer and Puff all preferred being an only child but I did have a bonded pair of mother and daughter once. 

Above all please remember that a rabbit is a rabbit and not a dog or cat no matter how much they may act like one. OH and for a fun thing check out bunny hopping or rabbit jumping (same thing different name) it can be loads of fun. 

sorry if I sound preachy but I so love my rabbits and really get dismayed by all the bad information out there on how to properly care for them. Some sites insistence that only bonded bunnies are happy is an example of that. Each rabbit is different and some just plain don't like other rabbits in "their" space. Pellets can be good or bad depending on the quality of them, how fresh they are and what other sugary fillers are mixed in with them. Fresh food as a treat or part of a good pellet based diet is my preferred method of feeding my stock but I do watch and limit how much green food they get especially after a long winter when most fresh growing food has a high water content. 

TOYS are a necessity I think but they don't have to be expensive. Empty TP rolls stuffed with hay, clean empty tuna fish or cat food type cans that don't have sharp edges are a fun toy if you can handle the noise. Things they can push, toss, or chew on are always fun for them. OH and for my tinies I tend to look in the Hamster and Rat section for toys in places like Petco as my Polish love the little grass balls for hamsters with bells in them.

Blush just realized how long this is....


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## 3sps (Feb 5, 2012)

All I can add is listen to the experts here and anyone else well versed in rabbit care.

My daughter had the most precious bunny - got him as a baby. She did her homework before getting him and constantly learned during the time she owned him, and as an animal lover thought she was prepared.

He turned out to be a most expensive pet as he chewed everything - his hutch (he had several) wires, table legs.... 
She provided him with chew toys, good food and lots of attention but unfortunately he had hiding places that were just too delicious - amazing what he could do in a minute's time. He ended up living with a bunny person who adored him and kept him in a more natural environment with her others.


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

Caniche said:


> So here is Cosmo (and the black poodle next to him is 5 pounds..for a comparison)
> 
> View attachment 97209
> 
> ...


Your welcome . Ya I guess if Sparkle stayed a ND the corner litter box would have worked for her. 

He could be just adjusting or it could be that he is young. Sparkle did that too when I first got her but as she got older she picked the corner she liked most. She would occasionally switch corners though. 

Sparkle used to have free range of the house but when she chewed through a few phone cords that stopped. so I made her a playpen with the C link shelfs you get from walmart or target and attached it to her hutch. And Now that we have a pen for the chickens and my Aunts crazy dogs are gone she gets to go out side and run around which she loves!!! But she doesn't get many toys in her hutch so I think letting her out is more important for her.

Wow!!! That is a crazy price for a bunny neuter!!! My bunnies spay was $90. And that is double than most dog spay and neuter surgeries around here. So ya at that price I would not be de-sexing my bunny. Especially if you haven't noticed any issues . I think it's more important for female bunnies to be done anyway, due to them having a very high chance of uterine or ovarian cancer. 

Awwww they are both so cute!!!! The one with no name looks like Sparkle except you can definitely tell that he is a Rex. And little Cosmo is so tiny and cute and adorable I just want to squeeze and kiss and hug him! 


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## poodlecrazy#1 (Jul 2, 2013)

3sps said:


> All I can add is listen to the experts here and anyone else well versed in rabbit care.
> 
> My daughter had the most precious bunny - got him as a baby. She did her homework before getting him and constantly learned during the time she owned him, and as an animal lover thought she was prepared.
> 
> ...


Ya, I usually recommend rats as pets for kids before bunnies or guinea pigs. Rats are so much more interactive and fun. Most bunnies just don't care for being picked up or pet, they just like to do their own thing. And kids usually love to pick them up and baby them. Not to mention the chewing! Bunnies just chew chew chew! Don't get me wrong rats chew too but I feel like you can teach them what is good and what is bad to chew on, where as bunnies just don't care. You should see the drywall in my garage where Sparkle's playpen is, she decided to rip the first layer of it off and chew through the corner if it! She has plenty of boxes, old phone books and wood chews, but she decided she liked the drywall more. That is when I decided to let her outside during the day. 


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