Category Archives: FAQ Friday

Question:

BudgetBunny,

I’m getting my rabbit neutered in a few weeks and was wondering if it’s okay for them to resume everyday activities afterwards or does there need to be some recovery time?

A.

Answer:

Hi A!

After the surgery the most important thing to do is get your rabbit eating. Provide lots of hay, pellets and his/her favourite treats and veggies! Now is not the time to watch their diet, you want to ensure they get their gut moving as soon as possible. Rabbits who go without eating can easily go in to g.i. stasis which completely shuts down their system and can cause death. Sometimes offering small amounts of really sweet foods like banana or apple can help as well. You can also offer a small amount of apple or pineapple juice (no sugar added). In extreme cases you may have to resort to force feeding Critical Care until your rabbit begins eating on it’s own again. It’s okay if your rabbit just nibbles here and there the first few days as they have just undergone a major surgery and may not be up to eating much. The important thing is to make sure that they are indeed eating.

You’ll also want to keep your rabbit caged for about 7-10 days and block off access to any ramps/levels in the cage. The more they stretch, hop and move, the more likely it is that they will put pressure on the wound and could rip or tear their stitches. The incision needs time to fully heal before bunny becomes too active again.

To prevent anything from getting trapped in the incision, remove any litter or shavings from the cage and/or litterbox and replace with sheets of newspaper. Change these twice daily to keep the living area nice and clean as you don’t want to cause an infection. This is a great time to check how much your rabbit is pooping. The more he’s pooping, the more he’s eating.

Finally spend lots of time with your rabbit. He’s been through a lot and will want the comfort of his owner to know that he’s going to be okay. If your vet has sent him home with antibiotics make sure to give them as per your vet’s instructions. Continue to monitor how he’s looking. Is the incision clean? Does it look like it’s healing well? Is he eating and drinking? Are your rabbit’s eyes clear and bright? If there is anything that is worrying to you about how your rabbit is acting please seek the advice of your vet immediately.

Question:

Hi There!

I have a Holland Lop and was just wondering what your opinion was of getting him neutered. He is going to be 4 months old soon and I just don’t know what to do. At this time I am not looking to get him a friend. What should I do?

M.

Answer:

Hi M!

Even if you aren’t planning on adding another rabbit to your fur family I would still highly suggest that you have your rabbit neutered when he reaches 6 months of age. Neutering helps to minimize so many behavioural problems that rabbits start developing when they reach sexual maturity. These issues are often the reasons rabbits are abandoned at shelters and rescues.

I would highly suggest you watch the video I have on why you should spay or neuter your rabbit here.

Question:

Hi BudgetBunny!

I hope you don’t mind answering a few questions that I have.

The first one is that I would love to have a bunny but I’m not sure which breed to go with. I am debating on either a Netherland Dwarf or a Holland Lop. I prefer calm cuddly rabbits to hyper ones, but some people say dwarfs are calm and others say they’re a bit mean (I know it depends on the owner). Since you have one of each I was hoping you could help me decide on a bunny.

I would probably have my bunny in my bedroom. Is this large enough for floor time? There aren’t any wires on the floor so would it also be a safe place?

Thank you so much for all of your videos they’ve really helped 🙂

P.

Answer: 

Hi P!

A bedroom is a good place for your rabbit to have some free time and safe as long as there aren’t any cords laying about however I wouldn’t say it would provide all of the necessary space that your rabbit needs to get a good workout. Could you let your rabbit play in your room but also the hallway outside of it as well? This doesn’t have to be daily but perhaps a few times a week during floor time you could expand your rabbit’s play area just so it gets some extra space to stretch it’s legs. We have a large space on our bedroom floor but I also let the rabbits have our upstairs hallway and bathroom so they have more room to properly run around. If you’ve watched my videos you’ve also seen how quickly Willow covers that entire area doing laps!

As for breeds and personalities, all I can say is that every rabbit has it’s own distinct personality. The general consensus is that the larger the rabbit, the more mellow it is. I certainly don’t find dwarfs to be mean although I do find they love to run! I have one super affectionate Holland Lop and another that’s a big grump! My Netherland Dwarf hates to be picked up but she will just melt in beside you for a good snuggle if you’re sitting on the floor. Every rabbit is different. I would suggest going to meet some bunnies first and base your decision of which one you bring home by the one you feel the biggest connection with instead of trying to base your decision on a breed.

Hope that helps!

Question:

Dear BudgetBunny,

We had saved a domestic rabbit from becoming fox food from a friend of ours originally thinking we’d get him rehomed. Of course we’ve grown attached to him and decided to keep him. I have only just started having a bond with him (which I am so pleased with). I was just wondering if there was anything DIY that I can make for Winston when he is out having a run? And also what will help me share a closer bond with him?

E.L.

Answer:

Hi E.L!

So lovely of you to add Bun to your family! Have you checked out the rest of my website? There’s an entire section on DIY toys that are cheap, easy and fun for your bunny to play with.

One of the first things I suggest to work on bonding with bunny is to sit out with him during floor time with some fresh veggies (just pick a small amount of veg or herbs if he’s not used to them). When he gets close try to get him to eat a piece out of your hand. It may take a bit but it will help him recognize that your hand equals something positive. Eventually he will come to you and eat from your hand. You can try petting him at this point. You don’t have to always be interacting with him during floortime either. Just being a presence with him should help him realize over time that you’re not a threat. Being prey animals, it takes a lot of time and patience with bunnies but I really think spending time with your rabbit and handfeeding are great first steps!

Question:

We recently moved my bunny’s house/food/bed/litter box to the other side of the living room to give him more room and he hasn’t gone over to it for food or anything. He continues to hang out in his old hood. It has been about 4hrs since the move. Will he adjust and find his new location?

Thanks!

L.

Answer:

Hi L,

I think he’ll just need some time to adjust. Being prey animals bunnies get a sense of security from knowing their surroundings, that way if danger arises they know the quickest way to their safe place. Although your living room is familiar, his home area is not. If he seems nervous or still hasn’t ventured over to check things out I would try moving a few things back to the old spot but leave a few things in the new spot as well. Then slowly over the next few days as he seems more at ease you can move the rest of the items to the new location. Perhaps move his house and bed back to his old spot as these are very important for a sense of security. Then in a few days time move his bed and finally in another few days his house. Monitor him closely to make sure that he’s still eating and drinking fine although I think when he gets hungry he’ll mosey on over there. In the future if you are planning on moving his home location I would do it slowly, one or two things at a time, so it’s not so scary for him.

Hope that helps!

Question:

What should I do if my rabbit gets in to his hay rack and pees in his hay? I have to throw it away and I end up throwing half the bag away!

It would be great if you could respond to this!

E.

Answer:

Hi E,

If you don’t have a litterbox under your hay rack I would suggest putting one there. Rabbits are easily litter trained and they love to eat and poop in the same place. Perhaps if your litterbox is under the rack your bunny will poop and pee in the box while munching on it’s hay instead of trying to get in to the rack itself.

Something else you could consider is changing the type of hay rack you are currently using. There are ones you can purchase on a spinning ball that attach to your cage. It would be impossible for your rabbit to jump in to this however it won’t hold too much so you may have to fill it up multiple times a day. You could also purchase the hanging veggie baskets and stuff those with hay but again they don’t hold much. Personally I use under the shelf organizers. These are a basket that’s meant to hang under a shelf but I’ve attached a piece of wood to the back of them and hung it upright. It would be really hard for any of my rabbits to get in to and it holds a large amount of hay! I found them at the dollar store so they’re also cheap!

Dunlea Farms makes something called a Tidy Feeder that you may also want to check out. These are an edible box stuffed with hay that have a cutout in the front so your rabbit can access the hay. It attaches to the cage with zip ties. Alternatively, you could try and make your own for free! Take a small box and cut a rectangle on the lower front of it. Tie the box to your cage and stuff with hay. Your bunny can eat the hay from the rectangle you cut out, the box is safe to shred and chew but bunny won’t be able to jump in it! When it starts to get worn out, just replace the box! I have done something similar here.  You may also want to check around your area and see if there’s a farm that you could purchase hay from for a much cheaper price. I get my bales for $15 and it takes all six of my hay eaters about a month or so to get through that much hay! Now when hay gets wasted, I’m not so concerned about it!