So we've talked about setting up for a new bunny but what's the right thing to do when you first get bunny home..?
Well if you have other animals I would keep them out of sight to start with and introduce 1 new pet daily to ease the transition. Rabbits are prey animals so they are naturally nervous about new things. This can lead to wet poop so don't be alarmed if this happens. However if you notice your bunny get slimy or watery poop that's pale in colour, this is diarrhoea and needs vegetarian treatment immediately, don't wait, bunnies go down hill rapidly and diarrhoea can kill bunnies.
Once home spend some quality time with your bunny and give plenty of cuddles and reassuring fuss. Then put bunny into their new home, leave them to explore, sent Mark and decide where they will poop, lay down and eat/drink. Some people will say leave them for the day before handling... I disagree with this, bunnies are very sociable animals so if you don't bother with them it can stress them out just as much.
Always wash your hands before and after handling your bunny, if you have residue from something on your hands that doesn't agree with bunnies tummy it could be transferred to bunnies fur. Bunnys are always cleaning their fur so chances are the residue will transfer from their fur to their mouth and eyes during cleaning. Not good!
When your wanting to handle or play with bunny be sure not to frighten them, bunnies eyes are on the side of the head meaning bunnies can't see you very well if your hand goes towards them head on they don't notice your hand until its close to their face. This leads to a freak out as they panic in case its a preditor. I find that it helps to say your bunnies name whenever you go to stroke or pick them up. When first stroking them try to go to them from the side of their face so they can see you. Bunnies don't like you stroking their back when their facing away from you, always start with the head. Bunnies LOVE A GOOD NOSE SCRATCH!! you may even find your bunny start coming to the front of their home and putting their head down or just waiting for a nose run. Once you've rubbed their nose go a head and pick up your bunny. Always support bunnies bum! It you don't support bunnies bum and your carrying them around (mainly happens with young children if not taught to hold them correctly) you can actually snap or damage their spine. A bunnies favourite place to be is usually on your chest not your lap. Bunny can hear and feel your heart beat and this keeps them calm. Place bunny on your chest and stroke them from nose to back. You may find they burry their head under your chin and will usually stay their being stroked for hours.
When first feeding your bunny you may find they don't eat much for the first day or while settling in. If this carries on longer than 2 days and they aren't eating at all get them checked by a vet. If they are eating but not a lot give them a while longer to settle. Always feed nugget and follow them amount stated on the bag, feeding hay should be the biggest part of bunnies diet, they need as much feeding hay as the size of their body. Dont give bunny any type of veg until 3 months old (personally I'd go 4 months months) again tiny bits while they are small (roughly the size of their back foot to start with and gradually increase). Again if they get wet poop avoid this veg and try a different one in a weeks time or later if the poop is still wet. Bunny poop should be round hard and dry, anything different then somethings wrong (if they are too hot they can also have wet poop). Look out for poop getting stuck underneath your bunny, sometimes young buns can get wet poop stuck in the fur around their bum. If this happens you'll need to remove it ASAP as if it builds up bunny can't poop! Always use scissors (Extremly carefully) and wet wipes. Never dunk your bunny in a bath of water!
TRUE STORY= My mom was told she could bath my white bunny in the summer and keep her indoors untill completely dry. She was bathed early morning and indoors all day. I was deverstated the next morning to find her dead in her cage. Then the day after my guinea pig died of a broken heart!
Be sure to handle your bunny daily to get them used to you picking them up. Bunnies don't like heights so when standing hold them on your chest but try to sit with them as much as possible.
Dont think I've missed anything, but feel free to ask the question below if I have or you have another question.
Thanks for reading 😀