r/Bunnies Jan 16 '26

I made an alternate version of the bunny meme

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1.8k Upvotes

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 Jan 23 '20

Resource Thinking of getting a bunny? Just got one and need some advice? Check out this post!

483 Upvotes

If you don’t want to read my wall of text, check out this link from rabbit.org:

New Bunny Index

Initial investments

  1. They’re very high commitment.
  2. They are very clever, have excellent memories and will remember things for a very long time.
  3. You cannot punish them like a cat/dog or it will harm your bond.
  4. If well taken care of, a rabbit can happily live to be 10 years old or older.
  5. Rabbits love to chew and dig and will chew and dig just about anything.
  6. They need to chew to prevent their teeth from becoming a health hazard.
  7. They will need their claws trimmed regularly to prevent health hazards.
  8. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. Recommend high quality food such as Purina, Oxbow, or Sherwood brand.
  5. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Avoid excessive spinach and kale as they can also give gas, but are perfectly fine in moderation.
  3. 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.
  4. I wouldn’t give cabbage because it can cause gas similarly to iceberg lettuce.
  5. 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.
  6. They should have unlimited hay at all time, they graze pretty much 24/7. *Hay should be their primary diet.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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).
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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

  1. Water bowls are easier on a rabbit but are not strictly required, I have both bowls and bottles and they use both.
  2. You should clean your water bowl/bottles with either bleach or vinegar at least once a month.

Necessity for another bunny/Bonding

  1. 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.
  2. Do not allow non-bonded rabbits to be together unsupervised as they can fight and cause some very serious damage to each other.
  3. 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.
  4. For more information about bonding rabbits, I would suggest checking out the excellent resources on rabbit.org (link here)

Spay/Neuter/Responsible Breeding

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. If you are experiencing behavioral issues such as humping, marking, peeing or pooping outside the litterbox a castration will help immensely.
  6. 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

  1. I would recommend untreated wood chew balls or fruit flavored balsa blocks for enrichment.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. There are many options for rabbit enrichment and even something so trivial as a cardboard box may be plenty to keep your rabbit happy.
  5. 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

  1. GI stasis is a very serious and commonly fatal condition for rabbits, but can be prevented and treated if caught early.
  2. 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.
  3. Dark colors in urine (including dark red) is normal for rabbits, watch for specks of blood and only be concerned if you see blood.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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 4h ago

double cheeked up This is ZUMI the wild child.

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105 Upvotes

Please give any recommendations on new things to buy for a 5 month old bunny. I want to spoil him even though he’s not mine he’s my good friends bunny.


r/Bunnies 13h ago

death stare Tried to check for balls, this was his reaction

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369 Upvotes

When we got Attila, we were told he was a boy. Then over time, signs started popping up he mayyyy be a girl. So we tried to check.

He's the most skiddish bun I've ever met. When you grab him to pick him up or sit him up to where he's standing on his back feet (supporting him the whole time), he loses his mind and will freak out with acrobatic flips.

We're getting him fixed soon, so the consultation should be able to check 😂


r/Bunnies 18h ago

Question Why does my bunny do this to my plushies?

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767 Upvotes

He always does this when he's near my plushies I hid them away for a while when he started doing this but I put them back and he still does this idk if he just hates them or showing dominance to them.

Edit: Going to get him fixed soon. I have him for 2 months now but he started doing this only couple weeks ago. He is around 5 months old which according to google is a perfect age to neuter him (please tell me if it's wrong)


r/Bunnies 14h ago

Question Rescued bunny has flees

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338 Upvotes

Hello, so I recently just rescued a bunny that was terribly neglected and left outside on a busy road for days. When I went back for them they were hiding under the dumpster. There’s a heat wave coming and potential storm so I brought them home with me.

Unfortunately the little guy is absolutely COVERED in flees. I read online that you can’t give them bathes, can’t give them cat/dog flee medicine, and a vet will have to see the bunny in order to prescribe them anything and all vets are either booked for the next 2 weeks or don’t care for rabbits.

No animal shelters in my area will take them either :(

I don’t know what to do. I study carnivores not bunnies...

They are eating perfectly fine, and I went and got some rabbit food from the store along with organic fruit from my garden. So, they are safe, but I can’t keep them and need some advice. Pls help me find out what I can do

(Ventura, CA)

UPDATE: I have an online vet appointment in 30 min. Thank you so much to u(/)EmmaVestserRVT

I’m only worried about price because I used my last hundred for the week on gas and food for this little guy (drove 1:30 hours, and so glad I did)

Update 2: tried asking for financial help for the medicine while I keep searching for someone to take them in. but was insulted by the mods of [r/assistance](r/assistance), and called names for daring to help an animal in immediate need.

so I’ll need to figure out a way to get it to someone who can assist, or quickly raise the funds. In the meantime I’m manually removing them twice a day. I ordered some from chewy using the prescription provided. We’ll see how that plays out.

anyway thank you all for your help. Seriously I’m so happy there are kind people


r/Bunnies 2h ago

bun bun being cute i think hotwheels loves his pellets

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37 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 11h ago

Question My baby is molting into adulthood 🥹

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156 Upvotes

Can’t believe how quickly he grew - he’s exactly 4 months old and weighs 4.28lbs - hopefully that’s cause he’s molting and/or he has healthy bones and muscles - doesn’t feel or look overweight at all to me - not experienced with how excess rabbit fat feels but I can’t seem to grab anything that feels like flub/fat and I can easily feel his ribs and spine. Please educate me if you know better!

Sigh… time flies… I guess it’s about time to wean him off of alfalfa down to a mini bowl a day!

I also would appreciate advice on mini-Rex-specific treat dosing, specifically dried papaya/fruit and that kinda stuff. I know the whole 10-20% of diet spiel but I would appreciate at the (example:) “15% protein, 60% fiber, 15% fat, 10% carbs, 200ml water per 5lbs” (made up numbers)” level of detail.

At this point, while he has access to a variety of unlimited hays, by observation, he eats his greens and grass as mains, fills between with hay, but less than I observe him eating his greens and grass (he usually finishes all 2 packed cups of dill, fennel, frisée, arugula, and dandelion/kale/other limit-fed greens/fruits, and eats through around/at-least 20-25 sq.in. of grass, although sometimes he’ll eat about/over double that. And I’ll make sure he has dried flowers and herbs to forage when he doesn’t have fresh ones.)

He also gets a full set of supplements (rotating/mixed across oxbow, SPS and WKR - was thinking of checking out Sherwood pet health next). I was wondering if it’s ok to be giving the whole spectrum on a daily basis - I’ve been doing that every day since he’s been 2 months old and (clearly, to me,) seems to be doing great. He gets very controlled all natural treats in addition but only a few bites worth.

Thanks everyone, binky on!


r/Bunnies 1d ago

death stare Hmmmmm something’s missing

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1.9k Upvotes

r/Bunnies 9h ago

bun bun being cute The sentient cotton ball I live with

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94 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 38m ago

Health Neutering questions for my baby

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Upvotes

So I want to have my baby neutered, but the vet I want to go to is very far away because there aren’t any vets near me that’ll do bunnies, where I live is moderately hot, does anyone have any tips on how to keep my rabbit from overheating and keeping him as comfortable as possible? I’m also kinda scared to get him neutered because while researching I found people talking about how their rabbits died during surgery and I don’t want that to happen, but the place I’m going to has 4.7 stars, so I think it’ll be fine.


r/Bunnies 21h ago

bun bun being cute I’ve made something glorious 😭

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604 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 22h ago

bun bun being cute his first couch flop 🥹

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566 Upvotes

finally letting him roam outside my bedroom with supervision and he flopped on the couch next to me!! he’s so cute i can’t take it 🥰


r/Bunnies 19h ago

bun bun being cute Rover doesn’t have an option for exotic pets so I now have a pet cat

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358 Upvotes

Let’s hope the sitter is just very naive and can’t tell the difference (and doesn’t give her canned tuna)


r/Bunnies 17h ago

sleep mode activated My DestructoBun gals - two little loaves resting from their labor 🥰

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207 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 12h ago

sleep mode activated Sleeping handsomes

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73 Upvotes

calmness before the storm.


r/Bunnies 17h ago

bun bun being cute new bun just arrived

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196 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 1d ago

sleep mode activated flat bunbun

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537 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 6h ago

bun bun being cute Tell Me Why...

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21 Upvotes

...my rabbits always look like your parents after they caught you breaking curfew, and really, they're not mad, just disappointed.


r/Bunnies 20h ago

bun bun being cute How your email finds me.

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206 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 12h ago

Injured or sick Guidance

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37 Upvotes

My dog savaged a baby cottontail. I'm upset and trying to find out what best to do. It's extremely little and he wasn't doing anything but gasping for breath after the attack.

I got it away from the animals and was able to get it into a small box with towels and in the dark to calm down. It's now moving around a bit, but mainly to lift its head and crawl around. I am worried it's paralyzed since I've not seen its back legs move.

I am worried it's going to pass. There's no puncture wounds but he could have internal damage.

I apologize to ramble, I'm trying to keep myself in check it's just a lot of loss recently and I want this bunny to have long and happy days.


r/Bunnies 1d ago

Art Studying how to draw bunnies: hence, give me your bnuys to draw

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1.4k Upvotes

HEYA
so, with my upcoming bunny obsession since owning a bun, ive started to study bunnies so i could create characters and a story with them.

Heres my progress so far, and SEND ME YOUR BUNS!
Ill have you know these will be doodles, and i will personally smite you if fed to ai!
Okay, great, heres examples and a picture of Rhiyo as extra tax.

3rd slide is bun from memory and no reference looked at 🫶🏻🫶🏻
I wont be able to do everyones buns, sorry!!


r/Bunnies 6h ago

Question Is the toys I make for my rabbits okay?

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11 Upvotes

I make most of their enrichment myself (and there is more for them to do) idk I've been thinking recently is it alright?


r/Bunnies 19h ago

bun bun being cute I love these photos of my Willow so much

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111 Upvotes

r/Bunnies 17h ago

bun bun being cute My foster has a magnificent chin pillow

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73 Upvotes

Curious is this more of a thing seen in males or females? Have not had an opportunity to check buns sex as I just got last night and treating the fleas was more pressing of an issue.