Rabbit update... and questions... and PICS!

[wolfie]

He doesn't have a name yet... it's between Oliver and Benjamin... I can't decide!

Anyway, he is super friendly and curious. During 'playtime' in my room he runs in circles at top speed! And then he'll come back to me ever once in a while and sniff me, or chew my pants legs. And I'm so proud of him - he already uses the litter pan to pee every time! ^_^

I have some questions though. First, does he need a bed or something in his cage? I had a cardboard box in there the first day, but then he peed in it and I had to throw it out. But maybe he wouldn't do that anymore since he has the litter pan now?

And second, is this brush okay for him? He's a rex. Or do I need a different kind?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play01.jpg

And also, he's scared to death of the vaccuum! I had to vaccuum my room today, and he was curled up in his litterpan the whole time. :( Should I put a towel over his cage or something when I vaccuum?

And also, his cage is on a table, to keep him away from Daphne. But I read about how when he gets playtime he should be able to go in and out of his cage as he likes. Now I just take him out and put him back. But if I had his cage on the floor I wouldn't be able to let Daphne in my room. Should I just do that? Or is it okay for his cage to be up on a table?

Okay, stay tuned for pictures in the next post! ^_^

[wolfie]

okay, pictures!

on the box 'jungle gym' I made for him
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play02.jpg


investigating the table skirt
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play03.jpg


just hopping!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play04.jpg


the boxes again
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play05.jpg


and again ^_^
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play06.jpg


and checking out the leg of my bed
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/sherbet-lemon/play07.jpg


and that's it. hope you enjoyed! :D

[Aspen and Misty]

My boys can't get into there cage, so I would say no. You could place a cat carrier on the floor as a "cage" for him to hop in and out of as he pleases.

I would say that brush would work.

Ashley

[tikeyas_mom]

pretty coloring!

[manda_moo87]

What a handsome little guy he is!!

And I also agree, beautiful coloring...looks like an Opal I think. Aww...so precious!

[swimma253]

wow! he is so handsome!!!:D

[wolfie]

Thanks everyone! And thanks for some answers Ashley. I have a carrying cage for the pigs, so I just put that on the floor now so he can go there to rest when he's had enough. ^_^

[cali]

he's adorable! I dont know about other bunnys I just know kari who is a rather odd bunny lol Kari HATES not being able to get in her cage when she is out, if she is out she door must be open or she goes bananas, she has a cat carrier open that she can go into to rest but she wont, she will only go in her pen, and she will not run and play unless her pen is open lol:rolleyes:

[legendrabbitry]

Yes it is an Opal, but that kind of brush wouldn`t do much for the fur. Actually you don`t even need to brush a Rex much unless it is molting. A slicker brush works best. Most rabbits are very scared of vacumms and loud noises, keep the rabbit away from the loud noises if possible. They don`t need a bed or cardboard box or anything like that. A great forum for rabbits only is http://rabbitry.teksigns.com/forum There are many experienced rabbit breeders there who can help answere your questions. Bucks(males) sometimes like to spray to "mark their territory", some are really bad about it, that is why he sprayed his cardboard box. Good playtoys for a rabbit include, dried pinecones, twigs, plastic easter eggs(with something like a bell inside is even better). Also, don`t feed any rabbits lettuce or spinach or anything "green" it causes diarreha.

[Aspen and Misty]

IF you buy a slicker you want to be REALYL REALLY REALLY careful, they can get brush burn that will hurt them ALOT. There fur is not long at all and brushing ot fast or pushing to hard can REALLY harm them!!!

Ashley

[Snuggles]

i reccomend a horse pumice stone for rex fur - works & its cheap! also gets out dead hair & fur. cute bunny - opal rex? how big & how old is he now? i raise mini rex :-)

[Karen]

Originally posted by legendrabbitry
Also, don`t feed any rabbits lettuce or spinach or anything "green" it causes diarreha.

That last part isn't true! My bunny, Miss Hoppy, lives entirely on greens! She doesn't particularly like spinach, or even kale - both of which are high in potassium, so bunnies can only have them every once in a while, anyway. Miss Hoppy has parsley and Dandelion greens pretty much every day, likes dill, escarole, only baby bok choy, and more!

[Snuggles]

i belive in feeding only pellets. treats at none- they are not needed in a rabbits diet where a commerical pellet provides ALL the stuff they need.

[Karen]

Originally posted by Snuggles
i belive in feeding only pellets. treats at none- they are not needed in a rabbits diet where a commerical pellet provides ALL the stuff they need.

Miss Hoppy is 7 years old, and very healthy on her "no pellets" diet. When we first got her, we put pellets in a dish for her. She immediately dumped it out, righted the bowl and pushed it toward us. We had read on the house rabbit society website ( http://rabbit.org )that rabbits can live on greens alone. Later that day, when she still had not eaten any of the pellets, went to the grocery store and bought some of the recommended greens. She gets carrots, though not TOOO many, as they can be fattening, and clover flowers from the yard in season, and seed treats sometimes. She gets three raisins every night at 11 pm. She's never eaten pellets since she came home more than 7 years ago, and as I said is happy and healthy.

[Snuggles]

that is why i am not a fan of HRS, because some of the info they give out is wrong. a domesticated rabbit is not like one in the wild. & i do understand that all rabbits systems are differnet & can handle food differently, so if your doe is healthy, thats fine, but im saying i have had very bad experiences with feeding greens & it only gets them off their pellet which they need. of course i have too many to go out & buy veggies all the time either.

[cali]

Kari eats pellets and veggies, she loves her pellets but I dont believe in making any animals eat the same thing day in and day out of their whole life, my dogs are on a RAW diet, and my gerbil get a mixed diet, and my guinea pigs get the same as kari. K ari will not eat pellets only lol if she gets pellets and no veggies for a while she goes on a hunger strick and refuses to eat her pellets at all she got so skinny one time it scared me, I had to feed her oats, and cerial, and berries for a little while then slowly start adding the pellets back in because she went completly off her pellets no way am I doing that again! she is gonna keep getting her veggies and greens etc.. I never want her to scare me like that again! I swear she refused to eat for like 2 weeks, only smudge(her guinea pig cagemate) was eating, however as long as she gets her veggies she happily eats her pellets :p

[wolfie]

Thanks for the information everyone!

Yes, he's an opal, and he's 8 weeks old. And he's tiny - he was the runt. :p

Oh... I'm confused with all the feeding info. He has pellets now, and lots of alfalfa hay. I read that you shouldn't give babies veggies - so I was waiting until he got older.

[legendrabbitry]

Exactly Snuggles, a lot of the HRS stuff is false info. I said it CAN cause diarreha but maybe that is not the case with your rabbit. I have 30 rabbits and all of them get Purina Show Formula pellets with papaya tablets every day for the Jersey Woolies and a handful of grass hay(not alfalfa) every week. Oatmeal and pineapple are much better and healthier treats than veggies. Please check out the forum and also Rabbit Web Forums (http://rabbit.lyrical.net/). Check out the Purina Mills web-site for feed info Purina Mills (http://showchow.purinamills.com/rabbit/index_rabbit.html). Also ARBA (www.arba.net) has links to great sites. And Usagi No Tsukiyo Rabbitry (www.tsukiyo.org/main.html). If you want to be completely safe, since you Opal Mini Rex hasn`t had any veggies at all yet I recommend you not give him any veggies at all. Stick with the pellets. Alfalfa works but grass hay if the best.:D

[legendrabbitry]

Oh Hey "snuggles" I didn`t realize you were Lana from all of those other forums :)

[Snuggles]

;) Snuggles is my holland lop bunny

[Snuggles]

Originally posted by legendrabbitry
Exactly Snuggles, a lot of the HRS stuff is false info. I said it CAN cause diarreha but maybe that is not the case with your rabbit. I have 30 rabbits and all of them get Purina Show Formula pellets with papaya tablets every day for the Jersey Woolies and a handful of grass hay(not alfalfa) every week. Oatmeal and pineapple are much better and healthier treats than veggies. Please check out the forum and also Rabbit Web Forums (http://rabbit.lyrical.net/). Check out the Purina Mills web-site for feed info Purina Mills (http://showchow.purinamills.com/rabbit/index_rabbit.html). Also ARBA (www.arba.net) has links to great sites. And Usagi No Tsukiyo Rabbitry (www.tsukiyo.org/main.html). If you want to be completely safe, since you Opal Mini Rex hasn`t had any veggies at all yet I recommend you not give him any veggies at all. Stick with the pellets. Alfalfa works but grass hay if the best.:D
100% agreed

[wolfie]

Okay, thanks Lana and Anna. ^_^

[chrissycat21]

If you do put your rabbit's cage on the floor, make sure Daphney can't hurt the rabbit.

If you do feed him alfalfa hay, I heard that you should switch to timothy after one year because alfalfa has too much calcium.

I don't think he should live on completely pellets. Mix it up with some greens and some pellets. But make sure not to give him too many!

-Chrissy

[Snuggles]

If you do feed him alfalfa hay, I heard that you should switch to timothy after one year because alfalfa has too much calcium.
it has too much protien IF you feed a alfalfa feed- i would use grass hay though, cheaper & not as much wasted.