Quote:
> Ok , we got a female dwarf lop, she's 9 weeks old. The good sign is she
> went for the timothy hay 5 minutes after being put in the cage, it's in a
> holder on the side. I bought the care fresh for bedding, but later I saw
> a bag of kitty litter made from recycled paper and was almost 1/2 the
> price, is this stuff ok ?? And why is white cedar chips packed with my
> "starter kit" which is suppose to be for dwarf rabbits?? And all the bags
> of cedar say for rabbits ?? Also kit came with mineral block , appears
> to be a salt block, is this needed ?? And being she is a female, when
> should she be spayed ?
> Right now she is nervous, shaking, But appears ok, like I said we just
> got her home. So I guess I'll be on here alot asking for help.
> Thanx, Adam
O, lucky rabbit. Cedar is bad for animals so just tuck the cedar in
your sock drawer. My rabbits were trained to use newspaper trained so I
just line the litterbox with plain old newspaper and they shred it as
they please while they are in there. I also put timothy hay in the
litter box since they seem to like chew on it while they are taking care
of business. I clean the box every couple of days. The salt***, some
rabbits like it and some don't bother -- I had one who just loved the
salt while all the others have just ignored it. If you live where it
gets real hot, salt***s is probably a good idea just in case. Litter,
just avoid anything with clay or green smelly things in it -- just read
the contents and make sure it's all recycled paper (well, at least just
paper). I'm pretty sure CareFresh isn't the only company making paper
litter. Make sure your bun always has fresh water (whether in a bottle
or in a bowl). Since she's new and still a little anxious, I'd keep her
confined to the area that will become her "safe" zone, her territory.
Put the litter box closeby (but not in her sleeping/eating area) put
some of her soiled paper into the box so she can smell where she's
suppose to go. Some rabbits will never be able to learn the litterbox
trick though so keep that in mind. Also, often rabbits will drop poops
no matter how well-trained they are, they just don't seem to be able to
control poops all that well (but they are usually the dry kind that are
easily vacuumed and/or broomed up). And give her time to get used to
the new home -- the smells, sounds, activity, etc. She's young and you
are new to her. Just be sweet to her, let her know you are her guardian
angel(s) and she'll come to trust and love you back. Find a good vet
who ALREADY has rabbit experience and take her in for a preliminary
check-up (and so the vet can have a record of her while she's healthy),
talk to the vet about spadding. Get the House Rabbit Handbook. And
enjoy sharing life with your bunny because she'll add a certain joy and
happiness that is just amazing.
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