A Few Bunny Questions (Behavior/Fun For Them)

[JoJoTheBun]

I have a few questions and I was hoping that you guys could answer them for me.
Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of the space I'm dealing with for the time being. (It needs a bit of a of cleaning. I just cleaned the run and while doing so, I made my own mess of shavings. Lol.)

1. I just want to make sure, so that I know my bunny's behavior well. Is it possible for a rabbit to be scared but not put her ears down? IveI noticed that my rabbit will hear a load noise and she'll quickly go hide, but she won't put her ears down. She also loves running around and barley puts her ears down when I pet her. I can't tell if she is scared and just doesn't put her ears down or if she is just fine with me petting her. I can't tell if she is twitching her nose fast or slow either, so that kind of rules out telling by the nose.

2. What are some fun toys I can make her? I have seen the idea of the box with holes in it, but with her area, eventually she'll be able to jump out, sadly. I'm trying to figure how to cover the area at the door where she enters before she does. Lol.

3. I should go in the feeding forum for this one, but I only have one question for food when the other ones fit this area more. Lol. What are some beginner vegetables/fruits to start her out on?

 

[DutchBunny03]

When a rabbit is really scared, you will know. It will flatten up against the ground, bug out its eyes, and just look completely terrified. The behavior you're describing just sounds like normal prey animal behavior; when they hear loud noises, they may also stand up on their back feet to see what happened.
As far as toys: all of mine love toilet paper tubes, oatmeal tubes, and cereal boxes stuffed with hay. I also make cardboard tunnels, and those are a big hit. Be careful with storebought toys- many have glue in them.
Introduce veggies and fruits slowly. Fruit should be fed very rarely, as a treat (if only i followed my own advice). They like banana and apple the best. Celery, romaine, carrot tops, parsley, dandelion greens, and clover (red and white) are great veggies. Never give her iceberg or cabbage; it can cause fatal gas and bloating.

 

[JoJoTheBun]

@DutchBunny03
Thank you! I have heard of the iceberg lettuce, but I actually have not heard of not giving them cabbage! That is very good to know! This is very helpful! By the way, I really like your profile picture! Adorable bunnies!

 

[JoJoTheBun]

@DutchBunny03
Thank you! I have heard of the iceberg lettuce, but I actually have not heard of not giving them cabbage! That is very good to know! This is very helpful! By the way, I really like your profile picture! Adorable bunnies!

 

[DutchBunny03]

Thanks! They're Corrie's babies Rocket, Rose, and StarLord.

 

[JoJoTheBun]

Thanks! They're Corrie's babies Rocket, Rose, and StarLord.

Aww!!

 

[Stephine]

Congrats on your new bunny!

To 1. Yes, they can be scared and not put their ears down. The fact that it runs to hide tells you that it got scared. Bunnies LOVE a hidey house - some kind of box that they can go hide in and feel protected. It needs to have TWO doors though or they won’t use it because they could be trapped in it.
Otherwise just hang out with her for a while and observe, you will quickly learn what she looks like when happy and comfortable or when scared or upset.

2. Things to jump on and off or great, tunnels to go through, wicker balls to toss around, sticks to chew.... Mind that anything you provide will most likely be chewed on, so stay away from most plastics and focus on safe woods or cardboard. I would definitely take out those pee oads and put down old thick towels instead. No risf of ingesting plastic and also much better footing!

3. Make sure the mainstay of your bunny’s diet is hay. Always have a bunny size amount of hay available to her. Best to put it in her litter box (get a rectangular one, the triangle things are too small). Don’t force her to finish it all up, let her pick and choose, she knows best. Limit (high quality - no colored stuff!) pellets to a tablespoon a day at most. If you have a garden or other easy access to unsprayed weeds, get some dandelion, clover, grass, etc... (nothing from the cabbage family) for her. Feed the same amount (a small handfull or so) at about the same time every day. Bunnies have delicate digestive systems and don’t do well with sudden changes.
If you need to buy, soft herbs are best (parsley, chamomile, basil, watercress, etc. ) but give less, just as a treat. A small pice of carrot, banana, apple, sweet red pepper can be OCCASIONAL treats (like for training it to come when called). My bunny LOVES banana.
Good Luck!

 

[AmberLops]

Cute bunny!
Be careful with vegetables/fruits...too much will give them diarrhea. To be honest, my rabbits don't eat any veggies only because they don't like them! They love their feed and their hay, some clovers, plantain and dandelion greens...that's it.
And it's very normal for a rabbit to be afraid and still have their ears up. They are prey animals so they need to listen to the sounds that spooked them, so they know if it is actually a threat or not

For toys, a toilet paper tube with hay, my buck liked when I hang a whole carrot on a string from the inside roof of his cage...he just chews on it. Some wood blocks (untreated) or apple tree branches...they love those!