New Arrival Prep FAQ
This page will forever be a work in progress. Our goal is to provide an informative page that our clients or any new bunny owners can come and reference to. With the best of our ability, and ten years of experience with handling over hundreds of rabbits of various breeds, working with exotic animals, bunny rescue & foster animal foster experience we are here to tackle the most common misconceptions, myths, recommendations, Marmalade’s first aid kit, and common questions and emergencies that a new bunny owner can face. However, always consult your local veterinarian about serious problems.
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Here is our Question Code:
Emergency Questions are in RED General Care Questions are in BLUE Food Questions are in GREEN Misc Questions are ORANGE |
"The day is arriving when you are to pick out your sparkly eyed little critter to take home. Question is, how should I even begin to prepare for the new arrival?"
There are a few supplies that are absolutely necessary to have ready before you bring your baby rabbit home:
1. Feed/Water Bowls (Although our rabbits can drink out of both, it is very likely that in new environments that babies will have trouble locating their water source, this can often lead to death. Once you see your rabbits preferred method, you can remove one.
2. Timothy hay (The BEST quality hay is always found in your local feed store or any farms that raise horses. Hay should not be dusty. Alfalfa can be fed to rabbits up to 5-6 months, but ours are accustomed to both types of hay. Orchid hay can be introduced as well, or a blend of multiple grasses can be great.)
3. Food! We almost forgot to recommend this. The top brand we like is Sherwood Pellets (amazon) or Purina Show Chow (a bit harder to acquire)
4. Cage/Pen (This can be quite a heated topic to discuss, we usually say go with what is comfortable with your situation. However this is our advice. The first couple weeks PLEASE keep your rabbits in a smaller area, preferably cage or fenced off area that has small holes. Babies are tiny and get easily lost, injured, or eat things they aren't supposed to and stress out. DO NOT let your baby bunny out in your yard for play time. We recommend a small confined space, indoors, rather than free roaming for the first couple of weeks. If you go with a cage, make sure the holes are no bigger than 1X2 inches!)
PLEASE DOUBLE STACK C & C CAGES! The babies can slip out really easily! The ones for the pictures were for adult rabbits only.
Top DIY cage products:
These are great for shaping your very own style of cage, and they can always be switched around.
Organizer wire grid storage cubes: on amazon! (for babies you must cover the holes, any baby can squeeze out of the holes!)
Hutches: on amazon
Songmics Small Pet Playpen: On amazon, these ones are better for babies as they have plastic barriers.
X-Pen: These are great as long as you cover the holes as well.
Here are some great examples of our client setups (so beautifully decorated <3):
There are a few supplies that are absolutely necessary to have ready before you bring your baby rabbit home:
1. Feed/Water Bowls (Although our rabbits can drink out of both, it is very likely that in new environments that babies will have trouble locating their water source, this can often lead to death. Once you see your rabbits preferred method, you can remove one.
2. Timothy hay (The BEST quality hay is always found in your local feed store or any farms that raise horses. Hay should not be dusty. Alfalfa can be fed to rabbits up to 5-6 months, but ours are accustomed to both types of hay. Orchid hay can be introduced as well, or a blend of multiple grasses can be great.)
3. Food! We almost forgot to recommend this. The top brand we like is Sherwood Pellets (amazon) or Purina Show Chow (a bit harder to acquire)
4. Cage/Pen (This can be quite a heated topic to discuss, we usually say go with what is comfortable with your situation. However this is our advice. The first couple weeks PLEASE keep your rabbits in a smaller area, preferably cage or fenced off area that has small holes. Babies are tiny and get easily lost, injured, or eat things they aren't supposed to and stress out. DO NOT let your baby bunny out in your yard for play time. We recommend a small confined space, indoors, rather than free roaming for the first couple of weeks. If you go with a cage, make sure the holes are no bigger than 1X2 inches!)
PLEASE DOUBLE STACK C & C CAGES! The babies can slip out really easily! The ones for the pictures were for adult rabbits only.
Top DIY cage products:
These are great for shaping your very own style of cage, and they can always be switched around.
Organizer wire grid storage cubes: on amazon! (for babies you must cover the holes, any baby can squeeze out of the holes!)
Hutches: on amazon
Songmics Small Pet Playpen: On amazon, these ones are better for babies as they have plastic barriers.
X-Pen: These are great as long as you cover the holes as well.
Here are some great examples of our client setups (so beautifully decorated <3):
"What about Litter training? How could we do it?"
Litter training is not something we instill into kits at such a young age. Typically our babies we let them use their space freely because when they move, they would have to readjust anyway to where they go based on their environment. However, most of our babies have a general idea of using the potty in one or two corners. This is something rabbits do naturally that you can use to your advantage. Due to this, litter training is fairly simple and 90% of our clients report back to us that they get the hang of it in one to three weeks, our babies are very smart. There are a few crucial steps into teaching litter training.
1. Finding the spot they use the most during the first few days.
2. Placing the litter box in said spot, leaving hay inside the box, they love to dine and potty at the same time. (it's natural!)
3. Removing scents from other areas and moving it back until they use that spot 100%
After doing this correctly and consistently, it is a sure fire way your baby will be litter trained. We make and sell litter boxes as well! These are perfect sizes for babies and full grown dwarfs and have a grate, so your rabbit won't ever touch its feces. Ask if we have any available! <Currently out :(>
Litter training is not something we instill into kits at such a young age. Typically our babies we let them use their space freely because when they move, they would have to readjust anyway to where they go based on their environment. However, most of our babies have a general idea of using the potty in one or two corners. This is something rabbits do naturally that you can use to your advantage. Due to this, litter training is fairly simple and 90% of our clients report back to us that they get the hang of it in one to three weeks, our babies are very smart. There are a few crucial steps into teaching litter training.
1. Finding the spot they use the most during the first few days.
2. Placing the litter box in said spot, leaving hay inside the box, they love to dine and potty at the same time. (it's natural!)
3. Removing scents from other areas and moving it back until they use that spot 100%
After doing this correctly and consistently, it is a sure fire way your baby will be litter trained. We make and sell litter boxes as well! These are perfect sizes for babies and full grown dwarfs and have a grate, so your rabbit won't ever touch its feces. Ask if we have any available! <Currently out :(>
"Behavior, naughty bunnies, spay & neuter?"
Animals just like us go through puberty, it is inviteble to avoid hormonal changes as naturally our bodies change, so do our poor bun buns. Fortunately, our rabbits have NEVER been reported to bite anyone even once, however a little sass or thump can be noticed with any rabbit at the hormonal age of 3-10 months. Spaying and neutering your rabbit MAY help significantly and you can do so at 5/6 months (depending on weight and vets recommendation).
A pro tip we tell our clients is not to free roam a baby right away or give it too large of a space. Doing so can cause your rabbit to become boisterous in the teenage years. Why that is? We aren't too sure either, but giving a baby a more enclosed small space is much safer for them either way. With age the rabbits get calmer, some rabbits never go through the phase at all, most of our clients do not notice any behavioral changes. But this is for those who do, don't fret!
A pro tip we tell our clients is not to free roam a baby right away or give it too large of a space. Doing so can cause your rabbit to become boisterous in the teenage years. Why that is? We aren't too sure either, but giving a baby a more enclosed small space is much safer for them either way. With age the rabbits get calmer, some rabbits never go through the phase at all, most of our clients do not notice any behavioral changes. But this is for those who do, don't fret!
"What are some treats I can feed my bunny?"
No matter what the treat is, please sample a small amount first, then slowly introduce!
PLEASE do not feed anything other pellets and hay to rabbits under 3 months. They are highly susceptible to Gastro Intestinal Issues. Here is a small list of some things rabbits love!
Veggies: Kale, Carrot, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Tomato, Celery, Spinach, Clover,
Fruits: Blueberries, Apple (no seeds), Banana, Strawberry, Rasberry, Papaya
Herbs: Sage, Cilantro, Dill leaves, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme
Other: Oats, Dandelion + Wild Grasses (no pesticide), Roses, Chamomile,
Papaya is great for fur blockage (fur strings in poop)
"We totally want another pal for our rabbit, how would we introduce them?"
The initial first few weeks of bringing a baby bunny home it's best to NOT start bonding immediately with an older rabbit (4 months +). It gives the younger animal a chance to adjust to unfamiliar scents, and grow so the two don't have a huge size gap. Babies are much more easy to introduce, it is rare that they fight. Bunnies who have grown up together, may have quarrels this is completely normal and part of them figuring out their "pecking order" (as you would call it in chickens). Fur can be pulled, however if there is blood drawn please remove them! Females of the age 6 months-2 years have bit of a harder time accepting other rabbits, please do not plop the new rabbit down to their cage, this will almost always trigger a territorial response in the female but try one of these bonding methods instead.
There are three types of well known methods to bond:
Pen/Neutral Space Bonding-
1.For a couple weeks there would either be a divider in the cage, or two separate pens next to each other.
2.Eventually you would move the pens will move closer and they will begin to familiarize themselves.
3. The last step, the two would go to a neutral space (different room), if the two are not fighting but ignoring each other, this is okay. Mounting is normal as well!
Food Bonding-
Rabbits LOVE pellets, what better method is there to get animals to get along better than food!
1. A plate of Veggies or pellets would keep the rabbits very busy and enjoying their time with one another.
2. Feed them in a neutral spot in the house, they will associate each other with treats/happiness
3.Keep doing so until they are completely comfortable in each other presence.
Trauma Bonding- This may sound harsh but we promise it's not! FOR ADULT RABBITS ONLY
1. Taking two rabbits on a car ride works wonders, they don't quite enjoy this activity so it makes them seek comfort in each other. 2. Another method with great results is placing two rabbits in a box/carrier and running a hair dryer nearby (NEVER directly).
3. Always supervise when bonding and monitor their stress levels, short periods of 5-10 mins, you know your rabbits best.
"I'm choosing between a couple rabbitries, how do I know what to look out for?"
PLEASE do us a favor, and if you won't adopt from us at least watch out for these signs to help yourself from having a terribly sad experience and promoting breeders with suffering animals. There are a lot more animal mills around us than one would think, disguised under a facade of immaculate instagram pages with adorable baby animals. We get loads upon loads of the same familiar messages telling us stories of customers who bought rabbits thinking the place they were adopting from was great and reputable only for them to die within a few days, it is absurd and extremely disheartening getting these messages every week.
10 Tell Tale signs of a bad breeder/broker
1. New babies almost every week, non stop
2. Taking reserves/waitlist fees before the babies are even born
3. Reluctance to show pictures of parents, lack of developmental pictures (past pictures of same baby)
4. Evades questions and gives vague answers, brushes off things you genuinely ask
5. Rabbits that have visibly crusty noses/eyes constant runty or weak babies being posted.
6. Visible warping in pictures (photoshopping features) we ABSOLUTELY know breeders that subtly pull this off, so that no one even notices. This would be an instant ban from our breeder communities and is extremely dishonest.
7. Lack of getting to know YOU or holding a decent conversation (AKA screening)
8. over 10 babies available at once or every batch,
9. Policies that say a return or health garuntee is valid for less than 3 days.
10. New breeders that come up during quarantine (2020), most of which are looking to make money during COVID
Any gut feeling you have do NOT ignore it.
Are these animals ethically produced, are they coming from a good place?
On a personal note:
Over the years we've noticed a huge influx of not only just rabbit, but dog, cat, and exotic animal breeders that have absolutely no knowledge on what they are doing. Yet, they have a surplus of babies available daily. They make virtually zero effort to build any personal relationship with their clients nor do they care where they go. At one point almost a decade ago, I was a looking for my own rabbit. For three consecutive years multiple breeders from various locations (SOCAL) sold me animals that were fatally sick or malnourished. It hurts me to see more than ever before, people are photoshopping, lying, stealing, or manipulating in order to make money. Knowing almost every breeder in Southern California, I have seen them long enough to know who's with good intention. There are very few. Please don't get discouraged, I just don't want others to go through the things I went through. Our goal isn't a materialistic one, our joy comes from the bond that a bunny and their owner shares. Nothing makes me more happy then seeing our babies live out the most amazing, healthy, and happy lives they can with their wonderful bunny parents.
As for our breedings:
Or the breeding process, our animals are NEVER forced to procreate. We are the opposite of a mill with minimal breedings, usually people are telling us (please make more!!). Luckily our males always want lady time, but as soon as the doe shows signs of unwillingness she is immediately taken out. Does can have kits up to 10 times annually, but ours have a max of 2-3 litters a year and are never overworked, most of the time they are just pets to us. Our dwarfs always get breaks from kits, playtimes, variety foods and treats. Every animal we have, is a part of our family and we treat them like so.
Where our rabbits go:
We do our absolute best to screen, converse, and meet with potential adopters to see if they are a good fit for a rabbit. We never let just anyone adopt an animal from us, we must have a well enough understanding about our potential client and their situation to know it they are ready for a 10 year commitment. Our animals will never go near a shelter, we include a "take back policy" where later down the road if an owner can no longer take care of the animal we are able to. However, it rarely happens. Over 9 years has given us a knack for knowing and finding trustworthy adoptees for our kits.
"Help!! My bunny is not eating/drinking/urinating/lethargic what should I do?"
The number one cause of death in rabbits is GI stasis.
The GI tract is interconnected with most common issues that a rabbit can face.
Please keep tabs on the intake of your animals!
Gastro Intestinal Issues can be caused by a myriad of different triggers. Including
1. Eating what they shouldn't have gotten to Ex: Puppy Pads, certain plants, drywall etc
2. A blockage of fur in the intestines during molt
3. Stress from a move
4. Dehydration: often happens to babies that can't find their water sources
5. Too young to be away from mom, lack of gut flora. Under 4 weeks of age (Garunteed GI stasis)
Common Problems/Symptoms
1. lack of poop/pee, significantly smaller poops, diarrhea
2. not touching food or water,
3. hair strings in poop,
4. lethargic, huddled in the corner,
5. distant, or any change in behavior
6. rapidly losing energy, limp.
7. Rabbit feels weird when picked up, "doughy" and "lifeless"
First Aid Kit-
We HIGHLY recommend "INFANT MYLICON DROPS"
This is perfectly safe for rabbits as it is for human babies, rabbits can not pass gas. It can be much more detrimental than you think and causes alot of pain for them. This is one of the leading causes of death from GI stasis so you must act quickly. We personally have saved almost lifeless rabbits with these infant drops, and seen them bounce back to life within 10-20 minuites. This shows us one of the main concern with an upset tract is that it can lead to bloat. This is one of the first things you should give to your rabbit, if you hear sounds from your rabbits tummy, or can feel/see gas forming. About half to full syring (inside the box) every hour until you can see that your rabbit is feeling much better, and gently massaging downward every 20 minuites can help. This can often cause more stress, so go by how comfortable your rabbit is with you.
Wet Tail Drops- Only diarrhea
Hamsters commonly have something similar GI stasis in rabbits. These wet tail drops are great for diarrhea symptoms when they start (not for curing or stopping GI stasis completely). The ingredients used for hamsters are non toxic for rabbits as well. About 1/4th of the syringe to the rabbits mouth will help, do not use it when your rabbits are not defacating.
Hay-
When diarrhea begins remove pellets you use and provide 100% hay. Hay will either keep the gut moving aiding in digestion, stimulate poop, help stop diarrhea or dilute anything that isn't supposed to be there. Hay can help with everything@
Critical Care (amazon)
Another great buy to help rabbits regain the nutrients they need while they are feeling ill.
Small dark leafy green portions-
Only for adults who are not eating
The number one cause of death in rabbits is GI stasis.
The GI tract is interconnected with most common issues that a rabbit can face.
Please keep tabs on the intake of your animals!
Gastro Intestinal Issues can be caused by a myriad of different triggers. Including
1. Eating what they shouldn't have gotten to Ex: Puppy Pads, certain plants, drywall etc
2. A blockage of fur in the intestines during molt
3. Stress from a move
4. Dehydration: often happens to babies that can't find their water sources
5. Too young to be away from mom, lack of gut flora. Under 4 weeks of age (Garunteed GI stasis)
Common Problems/Symptoms
1. lack of poop/pee, significantly smaller poops, diarrhea
2. not touching food or water,
3. hair strings in poop,
4. lethargic, huddled in the corner,
5. distant, or any change in behavior
6. rapidly losing energy, limp.
7. Rabbit feels weird when picked up, "doughy" and "lifeless"
First Aid Kit-
We HIGHLY recommend "INFANT MYLICON DROPS"
This is perfectly safe for rabbits as it is for human babies, rabbits can not pass gas. It can be much more detrimental than you think and causes alot of pain for them. This is one of the leading causes of death from GI stasis so you must act quickly. We personally have saved almost lifeless rabbits with these infant drops, and seen them bounce back to life within 10-20 minuites. This shows us one of the main concern with an upset tract is that it can lead to bloat. This is one of the first things you should give to your rabbit, if you hear sounds from your rabbits tummy, or can feel/see gas forming. About half to full syring (inside the box) every hour until you can see that your rabbit is feeling much better, and gently massaging downward every 20 minuites can help. This can often cause more stress, so go by how comfortable your rabbit is with you.
Wet Tail Drops- Only diarrhea
Hamsters commonly have something similar GI stasis in rabbits. These wet tail drops are great for diarrhea symptoms when they start (not for curing or stopping GI stasis completely). The ingredients used for hamsters are non toxic for rabbits as well. About 1/4th of the syringe to the rabbits mouth will help, do not use it when your rabbits are not defacating.
Hay-
When diarrhea begins remove pellets you use and provide 100% hay. Hay will either keep the gut moving aiding in digestion, stimulate poop, help stop diarrhea or dilute anything that isn't supposed to be there. Hay can help with everything@
Critical Care (amazon)
Another great buy to help rabbits regain the nutrients they need while they are feeling ill.
Small dark leafy green portions-
Only for adults who are not eating
Mycotoxin Poisoning has the SAME symptoms but your rabbit could be dizzy and unable to stand.
IF you suspect poisoning from overdosing on medications, eaten bad/molded feed, toxic plants, or have been poisoned follow these steps first then continue with the GI stasis treatment.
For a rapid detox flush purchase Black Charcoal Powder and a Syringe from your local store such as CVS.
Mix up an ample pinch of charcoal with some water and syringe feed every 20-30 mins, this will coat the rabbit's intestinal lining from absorbing more poison and help them urinate what shouldn't be there as well. After you have done this follow the rest of the instructions at the top.
IF you suspect poisoning from overdosing on medications, eaten bad/molded feed, toxic plants, or have been poisoned follow these steps first then continue with the GI stasis treatment.
For a rapid detox flush purchase Black Charcoal Powder and a Syringe from your local store such as CVS.
Mix up an ample pinch of charcoal with some water and syringe feed every 20-30 mins, this will coat the rabbit's intestinal lining from absorbing more poison and help them urinate what shouldn't be there as well. After you have done this follow the rest of the instructions at the top.