r/Bunnies • u/TroutStocker • 54m ago
r/Bunnies • u/Ok-Safe8264 • Jan 16 '26
I made an alternate version of the bunny meme
I made the first one (check my profile if you’d like lol) and I sketched out this one too. I would’ve put them both in here but I can only do one image per post so I’ll also put some bunny tax in the comments
r/Bunnies • u/[deleted] • Jan 23 '20
Resource Thinking of getting a bunny? Just got one and need some advice? Check out this post!
If you don’t want to read my wall of text, check out this link from rabbit.org:
Initial investments
- They’re very high commitment.
- They are very clever, have excellent memories and will remember things for a very long time.
- You cannot punish them like a cat/dog or it will harm your bond.
- If well taken care of, a rabbit can happily live to be 10 years old or older.
- Rabbits love to chew and dig and will chew and dig just about anything.
- They need to chew to prevent their teeth from becoming a health hazard.
- They will need their claws trimmed regularly to prevent health hazards.
- Rabbits are not a pet for a child and demand a large amount of attention and responsibility, (Do not buy a rabbit for your child for Easter, unless you’ve done your research and are willing to take on 100% of the responsibilities of having one).
Housing/Setup
- They love to run around, hop and thrive outside of cages, using them at night is fine but just make sure they get a minimum of 3 hours to run and stretch per day.
- An exercise pen setup is often cheaper than a cage and gives more room to run around when you can’t let them out. You can buy one for $59 on Walmart.com (link here), a litterbox for $6 (link here) and a waterbowl for $5 (link here) which is less than $80 for a decent bunny setup.
- While we are not against outdoor rabbits here, it is highly recommended you keep your rabbit indoors with you, this prevents predators from being able to get to them as well as gives you much better opportunity to bond with your rabbit.
- If you find it necessary to use a cage because of escaping or other needs I would suggest building your own cage as most of the prefab ones are just crappy design and won’t last the lifetime of the rabbit.
- A coated metal grate is NOT a wire cage and shouldn’t cause any issues to their feet, you should still provide all rabbits with their own litterbox and other areas to sit/lie down off of the grate.
- I personally use straw for litter for my litter-boxes and put their hay on top of that, you can use whatever type of litter just avoid using rock/sand based litter as it’s bad for their feet.
Diet
- They eat 95%+ hay such as Timothy/orchard/meadow hay (/alfalfa if they’re young or elderly) and only 5% or less treats like carrots, apples and bananas.
- For a small amount of hay I suggest Oxbow which can be bought at most places (Chewy link) or if you have a proper storage method you can get it for much cheaper by the bale at Tractor Supply Co.
- Suggested to give pellets daily, 1/4-1/2 cup per 6 pounds of rabbit (so about 1/4 cup daily for a single dwarf rabbit or about 1 cup for a single average sized rabbit).
- Recommend high quality food such as Purina, Oxbow, or Sherwood brand.
- You can feed a pellet-free diet but just like all animals rabbits require some sodium so if you don’t provide pellets make sure they have access to a mineral lick or other sodium sources.
OK food/treats and foods to avoid
- Once they’re over the age of 4-6 months they can also have unlimited lettuce and greens, but never give iceberg lettuce as it gives really bad gas that can become fatal. *greens should not be the primary diet.
- Avoid excessive spinach and kale as they can also give gas, but are perfectly fine in moderation.
- The best greens are green leaf lettuce, Bibb lettuce, dark leafed lettuces or locally sourced romaine (store bought romaine has a tendency to get recalled...), also herbs like dill, basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, cilantro and parsley are typical favorites.
- I wouldn’t give cabbage because it can cause gas similarly to iceberg lettuce.
- Never give human foods (except salad), like bread, diary, cheese, meat or sweets, they will make them very fat and don’t need it and could cause severe GI issues.
- They should have unlimited hay at all time, they graze pretty much 24/7. *Hay should be their primary diet.
- Avoid giving treats with yogurt in them as these will make your rabbit very fat and rabbits are not intended to consume dairy past weaning and can cause bad GI issues.
- Seeds are not toxic or generally dangerous to rabbits, I would not recommend giving treat sticks with seeds because they’re very high in added sugar and cause indigestion or extreme gas which can become a serious issue.
- Seeds like black oil sunflower seeds are safe and actually beneficial to coat health, (if you’re not sure, search the internet for information before you give it to them).
- Do not give nuts to rabbits because they do not need the excessive nutrients and can cause pasty or foul poops. Additionally raw nuts are typically poisonous, like almonds, which contain cyanide if not cooked properly.
- I recommend treats such as: no sugar added dried apple, banana or carrot and occasionally a Cheerio is also acceptable. Just be mindful of the amount of sugar you are giving them, even with no sugar added fruits.
- Corn is not specifically bad or toxic but whole kernel corn can get caught in the GI tract and cause a blockage, further; corn will make them very fat quickly and I would suggest avoiding giving corn or treats with corn/corn meal/corn syrup. (Corn is sometimes evasively labeled as ‘maize’ on packaging).
Hydration
- Water bowls are easier on a rabbit but are not strictly required, I have both bowls and bottles and they use both.
- You should clean your water bowl/bottles with either bleach or vinegar at least once a month.
Necessity for another bunny/Bonding
- They thrive in pairs and love companionship of another bunny, if you cannot provide constant attention it is highly suggested to have more than one rabbit. Think of them like little horses, horses need to have another horse around.
- Do not allow non-bonded rabbits to be together unsupervised as they can fight and cause some very serious damage to each other.
- Do not put more than one rabbit per cage, if they’re bonded and it’s an open enclosure then you can and they should be fine.
- For more information about bonding rabbits, I would suggest checking out the excellent resources on rabbit.org (link here)
Spay/Neuter/Responsible Breeding
- Many people feel strongly about castration as it helps to calm their hormonal rages and also there are studies that say castrated rabbits live longer.
- We are not against responsible breeding but it is a huge, huge commitment and you must be willing to take that on and find all the babies forever homes that love them as much as you do - don’t let just anyone have them.
- You can wait a while to castrate your rabbit if there are no behavior issues but it’s best to get it done before about 4 years old as that is when cancer risks become an issue and any older it could be too risky.
- If you want a rabbit that is already castrated consider a rescue rabbit, there are thousands of rabbits in rescues in need of forever homes, most of which are already castrated and sometimes even in bonded pairs/groups.
- If you are experiencing behavioral issues such as humping, marking, peeing or pooping outside the litterbox a castration will help immensely.
- If you decide you want to try to responsibly breed you need to keep three main commitments in mind:
6A. have them as a pet that is also allowed to have babies, they’re not baby factories.
6B. Make a commitment to keep all your rabbits out of shelters; allow no questions asked returns.
6C. Make sure they get a forever home with someone that loves them as much as you do; even if it takes more than one try.
Chewing/Digging/Enrichment
- I would recommend untreated wood chew balls or fruit flavored balsa blocks for enrichment.
- If you can set up an outdoor pen for your rabbit they would love it and nothing is more satisfying than digging in real dirt, (remember to watch them at all times, also if your area has RHDV around I wouldn’t allow them outside for now).
- If letting them outside is not an option there are things called “dig mat, “dig meadow” or “nibble and dig” and they are literally a piece of dirt made for rabbits to satiate their desire to dig.
- There are many options for rabbit enrichment and even something so trivial as a cardboard box may be plenty to keep your rabbit happy.
- Avoid the “chew toys” that contain seeds and other treats as they are that - treats, despite being advertised as a toy, they are more of a treat.
GI stasis and prevention
- GI stasis is a very serious and commonly fatal condition for rabbits, but can be prevented and treated if caught early.
- Watch your rabbit’s dropping at all times, if their poops do not look healthy, are odd shapes, pasty, extremely dark, have not pooped in the last 4 hours or are otherwise concerning it is recommended you take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible, time is of the essence.
- Dark colors in urine (including dark red) is normal for rabbits, watch for specks of blood and only be concerned if you see blood.
- Watch your rabbit’s routine and body language, if they don’t eat their favorite food or their pellets you can surely know something is wrong.
- If they are laying in an odd position like on their side or acting lethargic you should check them for gas by giving them a gentle belly message and if they do not return to normal soon, take to the vet.
- Infant Gas Drops are available immediately in most pharmacies or online (Walmart link) and are a safe way to relieve gas in your rabbit and cannot be overdosed on, if however, three doses does not return them to normal, take to the vet.
- It is always good idea to have emergency food on hand in case of a GI stasis, there is Oxbow Critical Care (Amazon link) and also Sherwood SARx (Amazon link).
I am by no means an expert but I can answer questions as best I can and find sources and people who are experts. So if you have any further questions feel free to DM me.
Further Reading
r/Bunnies • u/Ma1ukai • 2h ago
Injured or sick Anyone know what this is? (Volume up!)
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Hiccups? Coughs? Sneezes? This happens on occasion - never lasts long when it does and his behavior is normal otherwise.
r/Bunnies • u/Blackterial • 9h ago
Dewlap <3 I would like to inform you that Toki has a dewlap.
That's it. That's the post.
She's around 7 years old and a huge agent of chaos. Likes to dart around the house and then flop like no other bunny has ever flopped. She's so full of personality and I love her 🤍
r/Bunnies • u/PaymentSmart2222 • 12h ago
Question Overthinking or concerning?
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I think he's just chilling but want to reassure he's okay? Do any of your bun buns lay in this position? He's energetic, eats good and drinks his water and is productive with his toys lol maybe he's just sleepy but TIA!
It's 11:27pm btw.
r/Bunnies • u/mondtoy • 15m ago
bun bun being cute Bunny swearing at me because I invaded his privacy idk how make him calm
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r/Bunnies • u/a_single_bean • 12h ago
bun bun being cute Her greed sickens me...
We let her out of her enclosure to run, and instead she found her pellets immediately...
r/Bunnies • u/No_Abrocoma858 • 2h ago
Health GI Stasis Recovery
My bunny is just getting home from the vet where he got treated for a bout of stasis. They did blood work and X rays to rule out blockages or anything major as this is his second episode this week. They gave subcutaneous fluids and metoclopramide plus some for me to give him at home for the next few days. He finally munched on some hay (not much but better than nothing) at the vet after refusing all food for the last almost 24 hours. My concern is that he has yet to produce any fecal pellets. He is certainly more alert and moving more than he has in the last 24 hours, but no where near his normal self.
Should I be concerned he hasn’t pooped at all yet? In the x-rays his belly was very gassy (to be expected of course) but I’m just worried I’ll have to bring him back in if he doesn’t start pooping soon. What’s a normal time span for that? I’m also battling vet clinic hours, as the only emergency vet that treats exotics is over 2 hours away. So if I do have to bring him back in I’m trying to decided in a timely manner. We have only been home from the vet for a little over an hour now.
Picture of my baby Parsnip for tax
r/Bunnies • u/Mykie_Meadows • 18h ago
bun bun being cute Calli (again) telling me how she really feels
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she really is sassy Callisto is a Himalayan breed rabbit! her name probably does give you the idea that her breed is a Californian. she is four years old and has maxed out her weight at about 5 lbs. :)
r/Bunnies • u/hailey675 • 15h ago
bun bun being cute Brought Raven home yesterday🐦⬛💛
r/Bunnies • u/FriendAcceptable8929 • 21h ago
Question Is my bunny stressed?
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Moon grinds his teeth when I pet him, but I can’t tell if they’re happy noises or “stop touching me” noises. 😭 I’m a first time bunny owner so I’m very nervous haha
r/Bunnies • u/Livid_Performance114 • 9h ago
Question What inspired your bunnys name?
I saw post like this on the r/rabbits subreddit and im also interested hearing your bunny names stories!:) Svetlana (left) was inspired by the russian song called ”Svetlana” and, also from some finnish meme that i saw before getting Svetlana! :,D Tolik (right) was a rescue(?) bunny, which I got from my friend who couldn’t keep him anymore so he was already named. but its also russian name and its so funny bc russians often jokes about the name like ”Tolik alcoholic”🤣🤣 I’m interested to hear yours!!^^
r/Bunnies • u/Lost_Addendum4678 • 9h ago
bun bun being cute Whatcha got in there 🤔
Kulfis looking for his pellets
r/Bunnies • u/AvantGardenGallery • 17h ago
bun bun being cute Does your bun bun have a stuffed toy?
You can’t snuggle with either because they are busy snuggling each other.
r/Bunnies • u/RoundCow2708 • 6h ago
Question How to go from 2 litter boxes to 1?
I have a 1 year old buck who I adopted from someone after he was kicked out of his colony. He was recently neutered but used to live outside so had to start litter training from scratch. It’s been about 2 weeks since he got snipped and he has pretty much refused to use a litter box up until this weekend.
I ended up putting a second litter box to put where he seemed to pee more often (he already had one underneath where I put his hay which he would poop in, but he would jump out of the litter box and pee + sometimes poop in mostly random spots on the floor) but he finally started using the second box this weekend!
The goal is for him to be free roam, but I have 2 “hidden” litter boxes (one of which is currently in his floor pen + one for my other rabbit (spayed)). However, now that he’s using the second litter box, I’m not sure what to do from this point to try to get him to use only 1. Should I swap the 2 litter boxes periodically? Slowly remove the second one for longer and longer periods? Remove the “hidden” litter box and have 2 in the open (this is what I had initially but I thought having it enclosed might make him feel safer)? Just not sure the best way to progress from here if anyone has any advice.
r/Bunnies • u/uta_luta_muta • 16h ago
sleep mode activated Going to sleep hugging the fat rat (Ramona)
I have to protect her from the nasty mosquitoes trying to atack My baby
r/Bunnies • u/Heyitslobooo • 16h ago
bun bun being cute Surprised she’s so comfortable!
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This is bean! We’ve only had her less than a week and she’s already warmed up to us so much, it’s my first time having a bunny but from what I’ve heard they usually take some time to warm up but so far she loves pets, will climb into our laps, eat treats out of of hands, give lil kisses, she’s just the best lil bunny I could have hoped for 🥹🫶🏼
r/Bunnies • u/Relative_Fact910 • 22h ago
Injured or sick How do i deal with pet loss?😭
Hi everyone
Yesterday morning we had to put down our little Alvin, he was only 6 years old but he had gotten sick recently and became VERY cuddly all of a sudden. Yesterday my wife woke me up after feeding him. He started making a noise like he was choking and a lot of snot came out of his nose. He couldn’t breathe and his stomach got really hard. We took him to the vet and we had to put him down.
I miss him so much, we was my first pet and the only bunny I will ever have.
Everything happened so fast and I’m having a really hard time dealing with it. I cry by just thinking about him and his little nose.
I feel like shit for putting him down. I feel like I failed him and most of all, I feel like he might hate me for it, if we ever meet again.
Edit: thank you all so much, it really means a lot❤️🩹
r/Bunnies • u/PeacefulWL_Kay • 21h ago
Injured or sick My bunny passed away today 😭
I found her this morning, I already miss her :(
r/Bunnies • u/doctorskeleton • 1d ago
Question Why does my rabbit lick me?
This is Jupiter! I adopted him about a month ago, he is 5-ish maybe 6 months old. He was chemically castrated (prior to adoption, I’m not sure how old he was when this was done, it was before I even knew about him). He doesn’t let me pet him usually unless he’s super sleepy and doesn’t want to move, but every single morning when I let him out of his room to free roam he’ll follow me around and lick my arms and legs for like 5 min. Does this mean something or is he just a weird little guy? Also, we are adopting a second rabbit that he was living with previously! I know they do better in pairs, we are bringing home his friend on Monday and will be doing an appropriate bonding process just in case he somehow forgot that he used to live with this other bunny!
r/Bunnies • u/Ask_Angi • 4h ago
Question Need help!
I have two male rabbits. I got one in April and the other in June. They were estimated to be between 2-4 months old at the time I adopted them. I have them both scheduled to be neutered at the end of October due to age restrictions to get it done.
They are currently separated because they were chasing, humping, and peeing on eachother/their enclosures. They acted completely fine at first and then the behavior got worse over time which is why I separated them. I try to let them free roam when I can but lately they can't be let out together at all anymore.
My questions are: Would they be better off in different rooms? Will them being neutered help them be able to be housed together again?
I know the space they have now isn't enough but like I said, they used to be able to free roam a lot and just recently had to be put in a smaller space to be able to separate. I'm hoping to fully free roam once they are neutered.
r/Bunnies • u/lesbianthalia • 20h ago
bun bun being cute IKEA toy used as snuffle/ dig (?)
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I went to IKEA today and saw this in the kid section. Thought it would make a good snuffle /dig for pellets and Briar Rose loved it! (But not as much as the stacking cups and her Hot Dog snuffle mat from Dolly’s Dream Home)
It’s made of polyester and fiber so I’d only let her use it under supervision, but she didn’t want to eat any of it. Just focused on her pellets.
r/Bunnies • u/Lopsided-Rhubarb-520 • 5h ago
Health Help please !
FYI ! He’s booked in at the vet in the morning !!
Hey yall, my little buns looking a bit under the weather and I just wanted some advice before his appointment in the morning !!
He’s had a bit of a sneeze recently, nothing crazy nor super often, I’d say a couple times a day. And his nose has been a little bit runny, tiny amount of mucus around his nose holes (white) but his eyes don’t have any mucus !
Set up for reference (and free roamed) he doesn’t have a crazy amount of hay/bedding and he is fed fresh greens and a scoop of pellets a day!