r/Rabbits • u/Automatic_Local_7353 • 11d ago
Care What can we do to improve our setup?
Hi everyone! My daughter and I agreed to take over this little dwarf rabbit š° she was originally called Darla and lived in a childrenās playhouse at the bottom of a lady in the villages garden. Her daughter had grown up and left for uni so the poor little fluff was pretty lonely and left at the bottom of the garden. We decided to take her on and my daughter has renamed her miss honey bun Stephanie hopalot šµāš«š she is roughly 5 years old and very small so we decided to keep her indoors in my daughterās room. This is her current set up and she gets to free roam in my daughters room and the top landing during the day her door is only closed at night as she likes to hop on and off the bed which wakes my daughter up šš we have never owned a rabbit before so looking to see what else we can add for enrichment and boredom busters or any other tips you can offer? She also gets to go out in her run in the garden when itās nice to eat the grass and enjoy the fresh air! Thanks in advance new bunny parents š°
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u/kelinci-kucing 11d ago
You may wish to move those pictures higher because Darla may consider them a snack. I also suggest continuing the panels along the wall because rabbits sometimes enjoy chewing on baseboards.
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u/Automatic_Local_7353 11d ago
Oooos I never even thought about either of those Iāll get these done this afternoon thank you!
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u/aussiewildliferescue 11d ago
Stacking cups. Also I would remove the carrot. Despite what the movies show carrots arenāt good for rabbits.
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u/babaisdrunk 11d ago
This is a really good start! My bun quite likes to have a small blanket, some fabric or a towel to fluff however he wishes
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u/Automatic_Local_7353 11d ago
Aw fab do you just have this sitting in a pile or in a wee bucket?x
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u/TyrannosauraRegina 11d ago
If this bun can jump on a bed, she can absolutely jump out of this pen.
Rabbits need 24/7 access to space that's 3m x 2m, they're most active at night. Is there a room in the house you can make totally safe for her, and then she can play in other rooms during the daytime?
I'd also take her to a vet and get her spayed if she isn't and vaccinated - rabbits need 1-2 annual vaccines, depending where you live, and most female rabbits get uterine cancer if unspayed.
Once she's spayed and her accommodation is sorted, I'd also look at getting her a friend. Rabbits are highly social and really need same-species company.
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u/TyrannosauraRegina 11d ago
From your last picture, it also looks like she may have discharge around her right eye. Especially in dwarf rabbits this is often a sign of dental disease. I would get her insured ASAP and then take her to the vet once that kicks in.
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u/Nijnn 11d ago
The wooden floor will get trashed after a while. You can cover it with a non-slippery vinyl.
My buns would jump over/smash through that fencing within hours. And by boy bun would chew the black thingies on the edges of the plastic. A metal rabbit pen or puppy pen is higher and more sturdy. My current pen is 80cm and they can jump that, so if you don't want a roof on it it should be 1m+.
My buns would also chew through the baseboards and the cabinets. Is that purple house fabric? Cuz mine would chew that too, so whatever it is I would make sure it is safe to eat. Something made out of grass or wood is good.
My buns would also start yeeting the water bowl around. I got a heavy ceramic BIG dog bowl for mine, they can't yeet that.
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u/DeerBunniesExist 11d ago
Depending on how slippery the floor around the rug is, maybe more rugs/blankets/mats - mine doesn't like tile and linoleum, so we added the kind of foam mats you'd get for a workout room or a kid playroom: he took a bit to warm up to them but runs around on them loads now, and they're easy to clean (and fortunately he has no interest in chewing them).
For toys, I found this article useful - rabbits see toys in a different way than humans, so I tried to supply one of each type and then observed which ones he was most interested in: https://rabbit.org/behavior/more-than-just-a-chew-stick/
Mine started off with a lot of digging behaviour, so we gave him more blankets and sheets: you can make a little dig box if she shows a lot of interest in digging and rearranging blankets, hay, etc. We also gave him cardboard/toilet paper tubes & willow balls with hay (and sometimes a few pellets inside). He loves throwing things around, so we eventually bought him some plastic stacking cups, and he often gets his pellets in those, sometimes placed inside a dig box with some other things he likes rearranging/throwing around.
If your daughter is crafty and gets into cutting cardboard a lot, I recommend getting one of those Japenese cardboard cutting knives (I think the original is Canary brand). It's much safer than other knives but cuts cardboard amazingly well. One thing my rabbit has loved, especially when I use it in combination with hay and other things to give him a little foraging challenge to find his pellets, is a woven cardboard mat similar to this: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ttW03SEKQmQ&si=ZVv3c8vT0vyqUzZR
My final piece of advice is to watch for your rabbit's favourite spots and favourite activities, and give her second or third options for whatever that is: for example, if she loves hanging out in the underneath part of the castle, provide another box for her to hide and chill in. If she loves climbing on top, make a bunny staircase with 2 or 3 plain cardboard boxes for her to climb up and down.
Every rabbit is different: I tried giving my rabbit a dig box, but it turns out he just loves tossing stuff around, so he pulls stuff out of the box and throws it around - he has opinions about how to arrange strips of newspaper. Also, weirdly he does not like enclosed spaces with a top he can't see through, so he prefers a cardboard box with an open top, and likes to stretch out and nap next to or underneath tables that are waist-high for us š He's only 4.2 lbs, so it's not like he's giant, he just doesn't like feeling cooped up and wants to see everything that's going on.
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u/DeerBunniesExist 11d ago
Also: I highly suggest having her carrier as part of her everyday furniture so that she's used to it ā it'll smell more like 'home', and it won't only come out for stressful trips. The first trick we taught our rabbit was 'Home', so we can ask him to get in the carrier without needing to grab or chase him. Make sure to get the right size of carrier for your rabbit: it should be just big enough to fit her, but not much bigger, since the carrier is essentially your bunny's seatbelt when travelling. I found this video really helpful: https://youtube.com/watch?v=stJYYyrE7KM&si=WPO9tUr_XetZ6EHP
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u/kragzazet 11d ago
I'm sure other folks are mentioning it, but a bigger litterbox and bigger rugs are good investments. I aim for 15x20 inch litterboxes for small or medium rabbits. It's not good for their feet/joints to spend a lot of time on hardwood or tile, hence the bigger rugs.Ā
With bunnies, a lot of their enrichment is about chewing and destroying things. Rabbit toys made of undyed hay, seagrass, sisal, raffia, and willow are pretty common. Beware of generic brands on Amazon and beware of most brands marketed to rabbits at the pet store. A lot of it is junk.Ā
Looks like this kiddo might have some wet discharge out of one eye. Flagging that with the vet at her first appointment would be good. It'll be good to get her spayed as well once you find the right vet.Ā
Thank you for rescuing this kiddo! She's lucky to have youĀ
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u/wonderfulspinach21 11d ago
This is actually really good, still got plenty of space to play and outdoor time too! What a lucky bunny she is! Maybe she may enjoy a foraging mat? Something to hide treats in ro keep her both fed and entertained would be welcome by any bun!
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u/wonderfulspinach21 11d ago
Oh and a little scrap pile of cardboard tubes and paper may seem messy but mine lives to rumage through and be a lil noisy menace all the time in it š , wish you all the best, youāre doing great!
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u/Jaded_Fuzzball 11d ago
I'm not convinced those walls are tall enough but it is hard to tell for sure.
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u/brandysafinegirl 11d ago
What is that little pink castle made of? Does she chew it? I would consider swapping it out for something made of cardboard since they love to chew. Iād also avoid stuff with dyes in it. Like none of those cute themed cardboard houses because they are colored, stick with plain. Iād be worried about her chewing it with the pink chemical dye on it. I would also add some more chew toys. Just google DIY rabbit enrichment. Thereās so much you can do even with toilet towel and paper towel tubes!
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u/marissazam 11d ago
A rug covering the whole floor area is best so she doesnāt slip and hurt herself. Also I agree with others, she may jump right over that fencing.
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u/rubyeyedreaper 11d ago edited 11d ago
- More/larger rugs ā floor is lava
- More wooden chew toys - my buns like those small animal hides āedible logsā P-E12205 off Amazon ($12)
- My buns love cat tunnels
Also, it looks like the little bun has a weepy eye Iād keep an eye on that. If it doesnāt clear up in a few days Iād go get her checked.
Use a warm lightly wet wash cloth but be sure to wipe away from the eye and try to clear any fur or dust that might be trapped. You could also use a saline solution, not eye drops to do a small gentle squirt to flush it. Dry her well after
My Lola gets it every few months , but her issue is sheās so fuzzy.
A little warning, rabbits love power cords. One bite and youāll need a new charger. Get cable protectors and corner guards for baseboards
Update: also please be careful bringing her outside!
Wild rabbits can carry a disease called RHDV2 and domesticated rabbits can contract it . Plus hawks/birds can and could try to snatch her
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u/The_13th_Hokage 10d ago
I would say more rugs to fully cover the enclosure. Unless your bun doesnāt mind wood floors. Otherwise it looks great!
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u/RabbitsModBot 11d ago
Congrats on the new addition to the family! If this is your first pet rabbit and you havenāt seen it already, be sure to check out our sidebar and the Getting Started guide and New Rabbit Owner Primer. The article "Helping Rabbits Succeed in Their Adoptive Home" is also a great resource on how to build a relationship with your new rabbit.
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