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A cat and a bunny meet update: so I gave the two a little time to figure eachother out. I determined that the cat thinks the bunny (now named Hasenpfeffer, Has for short) is a toy and immdiately seperated the two. Today I have given both of them designated family room alone time much to the cat's dismay. Had a good sign tonight, though, when my cat was a lot more mellow with Has when he was not in play mode. Still going to keep them apart mostly until I feel more comfortable. Now I just need to get him more comfortable with me.
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Jan 16, 2012 03:54
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My little guy Ben decided to move two pieces of furniture and weasel his way into a crack and what he found at the end were "delicious" roots - one of which when bitten into surged the house, blowing a fuse and leaving a great big scorch mark down his cheek. I've checked his teeth and around his mouth and there's no sign of any physical burns, and he's now confined to his cage until I figure out how to rabbit proof this previously-thought rabbit proofed area of the house - the HRS mentions cardiogenic shock as a hazard but I can't seem to google-confirm if this would be basically a heart-attack style issue where you know right away or a mid-term thing where later in the week he might keel over from it. It's unfortunately almost 11pm here so I can't call the vet for advice.
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Jan 16, 2012 10:45
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Ghostlight posted:unfortunately almost 11pm here so I can't call the vet for advice. Little late now, but you can always call ANY 24-hr emergency vet in a situation like that and just ask. They won't give as much advice as if had a pre-existing relationship with them, but it might be good for peace of mind in a situation like that. Scary!
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Jan 16, 2012 13:02
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So I think Gnocchi the cat and Hasenpfeffer the bunny will be friends. Hass hates when I try to pick him up. How do I make him less hesitant about me picking him up? He definantly knows I am the person in charge and lets me pet him.
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Jan 19, 2012 03:10
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Actually, if you're petting him, it means you're his bitch. The dominant rabbit is the one that gets groomed, not the one that does the grooming. As for picking up - most rabbits never like being picked up. It feels too much like getting grabbed by a hawk. Just be careful and persistent, and as long as he never has any bad experiences (falling, getting halfway up and wriggling free, etc) he may eventually learn to tolerate it somewhat.
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Jan 19, 2012 03:32
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Thanks for the KleenMama hay link! My aunt received her box today and apparently the buns chewed into the cardboard to get it out before she could even open it for them. I'm sending her another package with some willow twigs, wicker balls and treats, too, but she's overwhelmingly excited about how much her 'babies' love the hay. I gave her the website and I'm pretty sure she's going to spoil her 'babies' rotten by only ordering KM hay from now on. voodoonoid posted:He definantly knows I am the person in charge It's hilarious to me that a person would believe this of any animal, let alone a rabbit. 
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Jan 19, 2012 03:56
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alucinor posted:Actually, if you're petting him, it means you're his bitch. The dominant rabbit is the one that gets groomed, not the one that does the grooming. My vet did something yesterday where she got Nutmeg in a blanket and flipped her over and all of a sudden she was like a baby with how calm she was. I've been working on doing that myself just so I can easily move her around, but she keeps wriggling free. It's the most adorable and frustrating thing ever 
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Jan 19, 2012 04:47
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voodoonoid posted:So I think Gnocchi the cat and Hasenpfeffer the bunny will be friends. Hass hates when I try to pick him up. How do I make him less hesitant about me picking him up? Cosmo hates being picked up almost as much as he likes papaya. We stopped trying a while back. I guess we just realized that his instincts as a prey animal will always take over and it's just not worth the stress it causes him. It's pretty hilarious when he flicks his feet at us after we put him down though
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Jan 19, 2012 18:38
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Hi rabbit fans, I didn't want to start a new thread and this one is too huge to wade through looking for information so I thought I'd jump right in and post. Weeks ago, before Christmas our neighbour got us out of bed early one morning to tell us our rabbit had escaped and was loose in the front yard. We don't own a rabbit and I didn't even see it but my partner glimpsed a black rabbit briefly before it zoomed away. Cue late this afternoon: checking the letterbox and once again the black rabbit is in the front yard. Slowly hopping along, picking through the weeds and having a munch. It seemed wary and a little skittish but not exactly shy of people. I sent my partner in to grab the cat carrier and we put it down nearby with the door open - the bunny hops straight in. I'm thinking, it has to be someone's pet, right? He/she is a black lop-eared adult by the looks (very similar to first pic in thread), and we're in a fairly dry part of Australia but wild rabbits do live around here. We've had a few big rains since Christmas, so it is greener than usual, but is it conceivable that the same rabbit could have survived on the loose all this time? While we do have laneways and weeds, we also have a lot of cats in the neighbourhood, Jack Russells in back yards and foxes. I know none of my immediate neighbours have rabbits - there's a dog on one side and two cats on the other. I myself have three cats. I have trouble believing a pet rabbit could evade predators and traffic for that long, but if it was a repeat escape artist, surely the owners would have better secured the hutch by now? Just how far could a loose rabbit stray? Anyway back to the rabbit. My cats are all strictly indoor and I have a small outdoor pen which I have put the bun in, along with the cat carrier filled with paper strips as shelter. It's summer here and the night is mild so I think it is less stressful for Bun to be outdoors rather than in. The Bun didn't like being caged in the carrier but is kind of okay with the small pen. Has attempted to escape when the door is opened a few times, so maybe it's a Houdini rabbit? So far no digging has occurred. I offered a bowl of water and the bun has had a lot of drinks. Also I offered Kikuyu grass, dandelions, carrot and some romaine lettuce. The carrot and lettuce were ignored, which makes me think maybe the Bun hasn't seen them for a long time. The grass was half-heartedly munched but the dandelion greens were favourite. Actually they could be wild lettuce maybe, but definitely it's pesticide/herbicide free, grown with loving inattention by me. I have no idea whether this is reasonable food for rabbits, I know they should get hay and pellets but the nearest hay and pellet store is closed. I hope it will be ok for temporary foods. I spent a bit of time with the rabbit this evening since I've only ever had cats, and a long time ago one dog, so I don't know much about them at all. I noticed the longer it was in the pen the more confidence it seemed to gain, to the point of approaching people to check us out. After a while there was some cute bunny bath-time face washing action, too. Eventually I was able to sit with the door open and stroke the rabbit's fur. The poor thing had a heap of horrible clingy pricklegrass stuck to its back and over the course of the evening I was able to brush it out using my cat's undercoat rake. The rabbit was amazingly tolerant; I was given a few warning thumps if the spot was too sore, and every now and then, the rabbit moved away for a break only to come back a short while later for more pats and brushes. After each time, the rabbit had to 'fix' the hair I'd brushed by licking it back to its proper orientation (so, not too different from a cat on that front). I don't know rabbit body language at all but having a rabbit hop over and rotate rump first ready for more brushing and grooming can only mean trust was gained. I have a theory that 'rate of nose twitch' might mean something, also ear angle - when we first saw and approached the rabbit at least one ear was upright but since then both ears have been relaxed. By the end of tonight I was still finding the rabbit pretty inscrutable though. What do you look for to judge rabbit moods? My three cats have been horrified and desperately jealous of the new arrival. They've stared daggers from the cat run across to the little pen. They haven't hissed like they would at another cat, but they've clamoured for attention every time I've come back inside from a rabbit visit. Luckily for them, I plan to hand Bun over to the RSPCA in the morning. I hope they find a microchip or at least find a better (more secure) home for this beautiful bun. On the off-chance that the owners reclaim this rabbit, and it gets out again, and ends up in my yard again, and I manage to capture it again, is there anything I could do better/differently next time for temporary rabbit care? This rabbit has won me over and while it is not possible now, I would definitely consider sharing my home with a Bun at some point in the future.
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Jan 19, 2012 19:52
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You did perfect. They're more susceptible to heat than cold, so indoors is typically better than out, but really not an issue in your situation. Grass and dandelions are a perfect food on the short term. I don't know what the economy is like there, but here, people are turning their animals "free" in record numbers when they can't care for them anymore. He could be an escape artist, or just an unfortunate unwanted bun. They can certainly live as ferals for long periods of time as long as there is adequate water and some food and they can dig holes - they won't be in great shape, but that's why they breed like, well, rabbits. Here in the US, in the state of Arizona (which is very, very hot and dry) there was a hoarder bust a couple years ago where several hundred rabbits (like 400+ IIRC) were found living feral on some guy's farm.
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Jan 19, 2012 20:47
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Language of Lagomorphs is a fantastic resource in explaining rabbit behavior. Their body language is very complex. The nose twitching rate indicates just how interested it is in what it's looking at. On a different note I borrowed a nice video camera to get some videos to go along with my update about Baby Sputnik that I'll hopefully post tonight. He's getting huge already! 
Noise Complaint fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Jan 19, 2012 |
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Jan 19, 2012 21:53
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Noise Complaint posted:Language of Lagomorphs Mr Bunny didn't seem to mind the trip in the car and the nice lady at the RSPCA sexed him for me. It sounds like they've had a few "can we board our rabbits here, we're going on holidays" and then the owners never come back so at least he'll have company.
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Jan 20, 2012 04:38
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New bun has found a solution to my problems by peeing everywhere Edit: Oh god I can hear him drinking more water
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Jan 22, 2012 09:43
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Soooo what's he like? Aside from all the piss. Also, pics
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Jan 22, 2012 13:48
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A rescue group on the other side of the state happened to have an English Angora that they were afraid to adopt out to anyone without breed experience  He's in much fuller bloom right now (there's a haircut in his immediate future). He's pretty thin and absolutely plowing through any food I give him. I'll get my vet to look at him in the coming week. edit: oh my god the poop if Lewis was a poop machine this rabbit is a poop factory To think I was worried he wouldn't like Oxbow pellets RICKON WALNUTSBANE fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Jan 22, 2012 |
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Jan 22, 2012 17:33
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Foaming Chicken posted:A rescue group on the other side of the state happened to have an English Angora that they were afraid to adopt out to anyone without breed experience An heir was found to continue the line of House Fuzzbottom!
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Jan 22, 2012 18:25
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Indeed! He's tentatively named Merlin. I keep wondering what Lewis would think of him  I just groomed & trimmed him for the first time. He's not solid black like I thought, he's got white/grey/black speckling all over the place. I'll post pictures when his coat is in better shape.
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Jan 22, 2012 23:16
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pseudonordic posted:A hare was found to continue the line of House Fuzzbottom! I jazzed that up a little. It's more fitting, I think 
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Jan 22, 2012 23:22
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Can you post a picture of him all shaved and doofy looking? Please!
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Jan 23, 2012 01:48
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My Gordon is pretty cute, she looks a lot like Cilantro, and today I met a rabbit that makes her look like a pile of crap. He was a big guy, probably 10 or 12 pounds, and the owner said he was 8 years old. I was sitting on the floor with my rabbit and this guy hopped over to me, sniffed my fingers, then started licking me. :3 He also chased down a small child.
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Jan 23, 2012 02:28
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Foaming Chicken posted:Dear god, he looks like SO MUCH WORK. It's a bit difficult to tell but he seems like a relaxed kind of guy. I guess their breed really has to be. I think he'll have a lovely home with you
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Jan 23, 2012 14:40
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I put together a couple clips of Sputnik! Edit: Reuploaded in a higher res. Noise Complaint fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Jan 23, 2012 |
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Jan 23, 2012 21:51
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I LOOOOVEEEE HIIIIM!!!
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Jan 24, 2012 05:21
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poo poo poo poo poo poo. Merlin has a mite infestation. I've never dealt with this before. Edit: Pretty sure it's fleas. gently caress RICKON WALNUTSBANE fucked around with this message at 02:15 on Jan 25, 2012 |
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Jan 25, 2012 02:01
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Wonderful. They knew and have apparently been treating him. How nice of them to tell me before bringing him home.
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Jan 25, 2012 07:24
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Foaming Chicken posted:Wonderful. They knew and have apparently been treating him. How nice of them to tell me before bringing him home. Aw hell.
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Jan 25, 2012 13:39
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Foaming Chicken posted:Wonderful. They knew and have apparently been treating him. How nice of them to tell me before bringing him home. Make these punks pay for every bit of treatment you have to use on your home. What jerks.  or a very stern phonecall or something :I! Kerfuffle fucked around with this message at 16:01 on Jan 25, 2012 |
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Jan 25, 2012 15:58
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I'm less angry now that he's been seen by a vet. I was worried this was a sign of larger neglect but he has a clean bill of health outside of having fleas and being underweight. They gave him another Advantage treatment and said to come back in two weeks if I still see fleas. Before:  After:   I am considering a cow-themed name change.
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Jan 26, 2012 00:32
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Foaming Chicken posted:
I love how cute and fluffy he was, but I think the lion cut looks even better
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Jan 26, 2012 19:28
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I'll let him grow out to an inch or so. I'm thinking about getting some clippers to keep his undercarriage short so he won't leave carefresh everywhere. Does anyone have any opinions on the superiority of any particular cardboard castle thing? I've come across these two:  http://store.busybunny.com/cottontail-cottage-bb-25-p104.aspx  http://shopbunnyluv.stores.yahoo.net/buncritcas.html Edit 2: He's getting the [cheaper] cottontail cottage RICKON WALNUTSBANE fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Jan 26, 2012 |
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Jan 26, 2012 21:47
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Both are fine, and both those vendors are great, so buy either if you want to support them. Personally I find them overpriced as hell and just make my own. I take a KM 40lb hay box and stick 1-2 copier paper boxes from work inside. Use zip ties if you don't want the interior boxes to move, cut some staggered doors so they have a maze and you're good to go. One of my pairs is due a remake on their cardboard fort, I'll take pics when I get around to doing it.
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Jan 26, 2012 22:06
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I know you already made your decision but I personally have this one: http://store.busybunny.com/deluxe-hopper-hideaway-bb-65dlx-p733.aspx I have a friend who swears by the Cottontail Cottage, FWIW.
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Jan 27, 2012 11:04
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Foaming Chicken posted:I'll let him grow out to an inch or so. I'm thinking about getting some clippers to keep his undercarriage short so he won't leave carefresh everywhere. Cilantro has an Amazon box that had 4 60L Care Freshes in it at one point. I cut off the box flaps on one side, made a few doors and windows, and BAM! Instant rabbit vacation home.
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Jan 27, 2012 13:19
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I've been considering a myriad of small companions and my attention now turns to rabbits. I could use a bit of help identifying the breeds in these videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHWZf1Z4B5k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEySrWkqLLc I'm inclined to say the first is a Netherland dwarf.
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Jan 28, 2012 13:27
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Both dwarfs, which means both assholes. But probably both mutts, you could find exact replicas in any shelter. Also wtf rabbits should not get baths like that, why is this a thing, youtube?? What attracts you about rabbits as pets? They're really quite poor pets for most people.
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Jan 28, 2012 13:42
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Rabbits will destroy everything you hold dear. Dwarf rabbits will destroy everything you hold dear through the cage with demonic telekinetic powers. They're not a pet for the lighthearted or impatient, haha. I would definitely suggest adopting a big older bunny from a shelter to first time bunny owners. We were broken in with our dwarf mix and while we love her, there's times I start to think she's more related to a velociraptor than a rabbit.
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Jan 28, 2012 14:03
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alucinor posted:Both dwarfs, which means both assholes. But probably both mutts, you could find exact replicas in any shelter. Also wtf rabbits should not get baths like that, why is this a thing, youtube?? quote:Rabbits will destroy everything you hold dear. Dwarf rabbits will destroy everything you hold dear through the cage with demonic telekinetic powers. They're not a pet for the lighthearted or impatient, haha. Being that they need to constantly chew, I'd anticipate most rabbits are like that. Or, do dwarfs elevate it to a new level? I intend to head on down to the shelter no matter my decision; No real reason to buy one from a breeder when perfectly fine animals exist in shelters
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Jan 28, 2012 14:22
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SkopeDog posted:I know someone that harps on them as if they had the ability to poo poo gold. He claimed that, once you've worked with them, they're quite affecionate. It may depend on the individual rabbit. My dwarf is very well behaved and affectionate, my sister's lionhead is a complete rear end in a top hat. I doubt there is a way to tell what you will get unless you lived with it for a while.
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Jan 28, 2012 14:50
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CampingCarl posted:Rabbits can poo poo gold but they will often give you normal poo poo intentionally just to screw with you. Sounds like even more reason to adopt from a shelter, to me.
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Jan 28, 2012 14:53
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CampingCarl posted:Rabbits can poo poo gold but they will often give you normal poo poo intentionally just to screw with you. Yeah, both my dwarves are very well behaved (not even that destructive for rabbits), but Pepper gets aggressive and Camille is nearly psycho about hands. Then again, they're both mutt dwarves.
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Jan 28, 2012 15:30
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