My Bunny is here!!

[veggiegirl]

Wow, thanks Jade for the info on linoleum. I had no idea about that. I'm going to talk to my fiance' and see if he knows if the kind that we bought has lead in it. Did your vet recommend an alternative to it?

[Jade]

She didn't, actually. I have my chins on aspen shavings on a stainless steel tray, so I didn't even think to ask. I could ask her, I'll talk to her in the next few days.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I read somewhere that Aspen shavings were okay...is this true?

[RSbunny]

Ok sorry it took me so long to get her Mandie!!!! You have been given some great advice but I do disagree with the picking up thing. My rabbits love to be picked up and cuddled!!! It took them time to get used to it but now they will scratch at my legs begging me to pick them up. This is how I do it:
Week 1 - Sit on floor and hold bunny in lap. If the bunny scratches and wants to go let it. It will start learning here that it isn't a restraint thing, it's just for affection.
Week 2- Hold the rabbit and kneel on the floor (getting a bit higher off the ground)...if the rabbit starts scratching after a minute...hold it a little bit longer then let it go (it is necessary to hold them for lengths of time occassionally, like when they are at the vet)
Week 3 - Stand up and hold the rabbit...don't walk around yet, just stand up! Try and hold for 5 minutes if possible.
Week 4 - Slowly start taking steps while holding your bunny...if it gets scared stop!

To be able to pick your rabbit up at first without getting scratched to death put him in a towel. He will feel nice and secure and you won't get scratched to pieces!
One of my girls was a rescue and she used to hate being picked up (kids used to drop her)...now she stomps her feet (sign of anger or fear) when I put her down cause she wants to be picked up again!!
You have a gorgeous bunny there!!! Recycled newspaper kitty litter is great!
Toys - Cardboard rolls to toss around, plastic lids (extremely well cleaned) to toss around, a bottle filled with pebbles so when they roll it it makes noises, treat balls, carrot tosses, ka-bob's (a stick that you put vegies on and it has a bell at the bottom and attaches to the cage, mine loved theirs until it broke!!! I need to get them another one!), straw brooms to pull at, boxes to jump on and rip up, newspaper to rip up, and when mine are out we line up the recycling bottles and let them knock them all over and drag them around!
Did I miss anything?

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Quote: Originally Posted by RSbunny when mine are out we line up the recycling bottles and let them knock them all over and drag them around!

Bunny Bowling! I bet THAT'S a sight!
Thanks SOO much for the advice on how to pick him up and hold him (for now we are calling it a he...)
I got a few cat toys with bells and a Bunny KaBob...(they have them here in the states too so I knew exactly what you were talking about) and a few other toys as well as stuffing TP tubes with timothy hay...he LOVES timothy hay! I'm still struggling over what kind of diet I'm going to feed him since the one he is on seems to be kinda crappy...but so far, he seems fairly content housed in the living room and the dogs aren't bothering him at all...such good pitbulls Shane is really getting kinda silly with his cage building ideas...he seems more excited about it than I do at times! I think he wants to try to build the same type of enclosure his grandpa built for their bunny when Shane was little...I don't exactly see how a 6 foot by 4 foot cage would fit in the chin room... He's such a dork!

[RSbunny]

I'm glad everything is working out great!!!! And the fact that he licked your son is a great sign!!! That is a huge sign of affection and says that he is comfortable with you guys! Be a proud bunny mummy (see bunny mummy is better than bunny mommy!) you are doing great!

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I'll be sure to tell Brandon that...Zach is being mean today and told Brandon that the bunny hates him...Poor Brandon started to cry He's such a sensitive kid!

[veggiegirl]

Mandie-

I don't know that much about Aspen shavings, but what I've read is that rabbits breathe the oils in wood shavings and it has been shown to cause liver damage. I found some more info on different kinds of litter that is suggested for house rabbits:

Carefresh - is dust free, lightweight, super-absorbent, non abrasive, and non-toxic, this is currently in use in many foster homes.

Cat Country - an organic grass-based pellet.

Straw alone can be used as litter in a large litterbox on the floor. Itís too untidy to use in small boxes inside the cage. Absorbency is similar to rice hulls, and the boxes must be rinsed with every litter change.

Peat moss - interesting, if you donít mind having your house smell like a freshly plowed field. I find it a little too "dirty" for litterboxes, but it's fine for trays under cages. The manure/peat moss mixture is gold for your own garden, or you might sell it to a local rose grower.

Shredded paperpopular with veterinarians and animal shelters where animals are kept in kennels with solid (sterile). However, we found that it tempted some of our rabbits to excessive chewing.

Compressed sawdust pellets - inexpensive, highly absorbent litters used in many foster homes. They are made from softwood or hardwood sawdust, but they are not toxic because the phenolic compounds are removed during their manufacture. Their wood composition helps control bacterial growth and odors. Wood stove fuel pellets and Feline Pine are two examples of this product.

[veggiegirl]

P.S. I got that from the House Rabbit Society site.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Great info! Thanks a ton Oh and the House Rabbitry site had some links to sites that sell rabbit products...Aspen was listed as a bedding on at least one of the sites...that's why I asked....I know for chinnies cedar is toxic and so is corn cob bedding..pine is also unsafe for the same reasons. If the pine is KILN dried, it's safe for chins as is the Aspen...I thought maybe if it was safe for chins, it might be for rabbits? Any thoughts?

[RSbunny]

aww poor Brandon. Well I hope it cheers him up to know that the bunny loves him!

[veggiegirl]

Mandie,

Do you have the Aspen pelleted bedding, or do you have the shavings? I saw something called Aspen Supreme pelleted bedding, and it says its safe. If its shavings though, I don't know. I personally wouldn't take a chance with any kind of wood shaving. Thats just my opinion though. I feel like a bad bunny mommy after reading about the linoleum though My fiance' doesn't believe that there's lead in the stuff that we bought, so I'm not sure what I should do.

[Dena]

Aspen is okay for the rabbits in shaving or pellet form. It doesn't contain phenols that are toxic in the pine and cedar, which is what makes it harmful. It might be better to line the cage with aspen and use something different in the litterbox just so he learns thats where to go and not in his entire cage. I don't know if it helps or not but its worth a shot. There are a couple of litters you can use. One is made of pine but its kiln dried and in pellet form all of the toxic phenols have been taken out, its called All Pet Pine. It works great for soaking up liquids. It doesn't stick to the litter pan and cleans up very easily. I personally don't care for CareFresh at all. Its very expensive, very messy and it amplifies odor instead of absorbing it.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Thanks all, Until I talked to a friend of mine who is a licensed extoics and wildlife rescue and rehabber, I found out that Aspen shaving is indeed safe for bunnies...But I didn't find that out until after I bought a small bag of Carefresh...that stuff is ugly But the bun seems to be litter trained except for a few pellet poos here and there so I think I might take some advice and build a cube cage for him! It'll have levels and the litter box, as well as a ton of toys and such to keep his little bunny mind busy when he isn't out playing...it should end up pretty big too! When I get it done, I will definetly post pics...wish me luck!

[RSbunny]

Good luck Mandie!!!! I want to see your cage when it is done!! Oh and with the few little poops here and there, any rabbit not spayed/neutered will do that! they're marking their scent!!