we have a bunny...what to feed it?

[mommabeehilly]

on a late afternoon walk today in our local park we happened upon a little
domestic (white and cream) bunny confused and foraging. the story i make up is that someone dumped the bunny in the park .
the bunny is home now with us and has nestled in quite nicely, eaten, peed,
pooped, hopped, cleaned itself and napped.
so far we have only fed the bunny raw celery, carrot, broccoli and greens
(conveniently items we have on hand). i have talked with a local animal lover who was helpful in some tips. i however am not fully convinced that the bunny needs pellets. the reading i've done online is a bit mixed and refers to grass and straw (but hasn't been consistent in specifying what type). i would love any advise or tips folks have on how we can best provide for our new addition.

thank you kindly!

[SophieAnn]

No advice on feeding (I've never had bunnies), but do please take out an ad in the local paper or something that you FOUND a bunny, and where. If the owners don't come forward at least you know you tried.

Leave out some important facts - like, maybe leave out the color and/or markings, but put in some facts such as where you found the bunny. If you receive any calls from someone who lost their bunny you can quiz them on the facts you left out, i.e. "what color is your lost bunny?" - "Oh well, this one is white and cream so it isn't yours... sorry."

The bunny may have accidentally gotten loose and there might be a family searching for their pet.

Edited to add: My mom once found a budgie and she took out an ad in the local paper. There were no responses, but at least she tried. She's had that budgie for 8 years now!

[Oubliette8]

Bunny pellets are not always necessary, when we had bunnies, pellets were rationed. Hay should be available 24/7 though. It should be a good quality grass hay- timothy is most common, but you can mix it up with orchard grass etc Your local pet store should sell a few varieties. Alfalfa is commonly available but should NOT be used as the staple hay source. It is high in calcium and can cause kidney stones.

They should, of course, also be getting fresh greens like you've been doing. A GREAT source for bunny info is the House Rabbit Society. You can find them here- http://rabbit.org/
Also, pick up a copy of the "House Rabbit Handbook" Congrats on the new addition!

[mommabeehilly]

Originally Posted by Oubliette8

Alfalfa is commonly available but should NOT be used as the staple hay source. It is high in calcium and can cause kidney stones.

A GREAT source for bunny info is the House Rabbit Society. You can find them here- http://rabbit.org/
Also, pick up a copy of the "House Rabbit Handbook" Congrats on the new addition!

alfalfa is what the pet store sold me on today. our bunny is a baby. so the guy reiterated what you said about alfalfa and adult bunnies but said this would be good for a growing bunny. i might go easy on it and mix it in with something else just to play it on the safe side.

thanks for the house rabbit society link! can't wait to check it out.

[LeahBoo]

Yup, grass hay (timothy or orchard grass), and fresh greens and veggies.

Pellets are primarily hay. Alfalfa usually. Rabbits can do fine on them, but certainly don't need them.

If hay makes too much of a mess for you (it's murder on vacuums), you can buy hay cubes at a feed store.

My chinchilla primarily eats hay cubes. I get him the alfalfa/timothy mix, he does well. He gets some pellets too, and occasionally a bite of apple or a frozen strawberry in the summer. Rabbits are similar, but need more fresh foods.

[Tangled Hill]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn

Leave out some important facts - like, maybe leave out the color and/or markings, but put in some facts such as where you found the bunny. If you receive any calls from someone who lost their bunny you can quiz them on the facts you left out, i.e. "what color is your lost bunny?" - "Oh well, this one is white and cream so it isn't yours... sorry.

Was just thinking - maybe tell them it's not the right color, but don't say what color it actually is.... That way, if they're looking for snake food, they can't call back an hour later with the correct color. (I always worry about people looking for free snake food....)

Sorry - no food advice. I've never had a bunny. Have fun with your new addition!!

[heartmama]

As a rule very few rabbit experts will recommend zero pellets. The website I trust is the House Rabbit Society at www.rabbit.org.

I think pellets should supplement hay and other veggies.