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To all who have actually bonded rabbits, what made you do it? I thought about getting another one, but Belle always acts like an independent bunny. I like her personality already. I'm afraid that it might change if we try bonding her. Is it absolutely necessary to bond rabbits or can they live long lives without a bunny friend?
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Dec 12, 2007 04:38
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They can definitely still live long lives without being bonded. I've had a few who were fine alone and a few who were bonded. I did have one who died of loneliness when her bondee had to move away, that was the saddest thing ever. She just stopped eating and passed away. My current bun Pixel-pon is just fine by herself and when we tried to introduce a new bun she tore him a new one. Some buns are just independent I think.
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Dec 12, 2007 05:10
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That's what I thought when I saw your pictures of Pixel-Pon. She looks like she has the same attitude as Belle and the "I am Queen, bow before me" look.
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Dec 12, 2007 05:19
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I think the rhinestones on her harness/leash combo may have given her a fat head. You're lucky if you're permitted to pet her, if she so wishes. I think that the best bonded pairs happen when the buns are already together, or at least that's been my experience.
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Dec 12, 2007 07:32
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ritjet posted:To all who have actually bonded rabbits, what made you do it? If you can setup the a kind of dating thing at a shelter, try it, throw her in with quite a few different guys, and see if they hit it off. I'm tons happier with two bunnies, seeing how they interact is amazing. Ben is still a little pest sometimes and will nip at Annie (I was collecting all the tufts into a pile, but it got too big) but obviously it doesn't bother her, because then he'll snuggle his nose under her and she grooms him. Snuggling buns are awesome too.
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Dec 12, 2007 12:07
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Foranzan posted:well, to be quite honest I'm having trouble with their litter boxes. they both use the same corner of their cage, but they also push the box out of that corner whenever I put it there (I put carefresh in and up around it as well). Try using a larger, heavier box. I use rubbermaid containers with a slightly lower "doorway" cut in one side Clicky. It's tall enough that they can dig and dig and not throw as much stuff out, and also helps them from hanging their asses over the side and peeing down the drat side. Dr. Housecat MD posted:Have you considered punching/drilling a hole into the boxes, then tying or clipping them to the side of the cage? Also this. If you don't want to punch a hole, get some of those baby links, they work great for attaching boxes to the cage, holding doors open or closed, or just being used as toys. ritjet posted:To all who have actually bonded rabbits, what made you do it? It's better for the rabbit. We withhold an important and enriching component from their lives when we deny them same-species companionship. Of course, we do that in other ways too - we deny them sex, but if they're neutered, that helps reduce the mating drive. There's no way to reduce a rabbit's natural drive to be part of a gregarious community. I've argued in other threads that no amount of human or cat or whatever companionship can compare to the companionship of another rabbit. Bonded rabbits act like one rabbit with two bodies: they eat together, groom together, poop together. We just can't provide the kind of social enrichment that is provided when they have another furry body in constant contact with them, 24-7. I have one rabbit, Jeannie, who for 3 years has demonstrated that she HATES all other rabbits. I've still been working on bonding her, because it breaks my heart when I pass by her pen in the middle of the night, and she charges out and demands to be petted, and I know that she's lonesome despite the extra attention she gets, because she needs companionship on HER schedule, not just when I'm not at work or not asleep. I've gotten rabbits who have lived nearly their whole lives (7-8 years) alone. They may never have seen another rabbit since they were weaned. But the change in behavior when you find them a friend is worth every hassle of doing intros or of having two to provide for. To see the absolute blissed out look when they have someone to lick them, to see them scurry to one another for comfort when they are startled, is worth everything. Max was a 7 year old female who was loved but alone ever since she was bought from a breeder. When she was bonded to Dodger, she would sit and lick his ears for literally hours at a time. If he took one step, she moved right with him. She had been denied that urge to have someone to cuddle all those years and boy did she make up for it when she got the chance. As for whether it changes their personality - no, I don't think it does. It makes some rabbits less needy, but that's not a change in personality, it's a change in behavior. I have one girl, Daisy, who is the most friendly rabbit EVER. She violates every rule of rabbit behavior. She will march right up onto your lap and lick you mercilessly, loves to be carried and cuddled. She is bold and bossy, and will jump up on the bed and throw your stuff on the floor with no invitation and no shame. Finding a partner did not change her. She STILL demands kisses, STILL licks you like crazy, and still does whatever she drat well pleases. But now she has a nervous little shadow, Wordsworth, following her around, and providing her with someone to love on when the people aren't home. If there's been any personality change, it's been in him - he came to us afraid of people, but since Daisy came, he's become just a hair more trusting.
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Dec 12, 2007 17:04
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If it is the case that they're so much much much happier bonded, how can I hope to bond Pixel-pon when she rips the fur out of anything that comes near her? Is it just a trial and error until I find the perfect bun?
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Dec 12, 2007 18:24
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okiecompy posted:If it is the case that they're so much much much happier bonded, how can I hope to bond Pixel-pon when she rips the fur out of anything that comes near her? Is it just a trial and error until I find the perfect bun? Pretty much. Typically you have to find a reputable rescue who will work with you, and first you do "speed dating" - your bunny is introduced to 3-5 likely candidates, for about 30 minutes each. Often you can tell within that period if the bonding process will be easy, difficult, or heinous. Once you have a good candidate who looks to be an easy bond, you have to do this elaborate procedure where you house them side-by-side and do daily bonding exercises, which can range from supervised free play to controlled physical contact during stressful or pleasant situations. I have some detailed suggestions somewhere upthread. It can take many, many months to get them to the point where they can live together without supervision - I was working on one pair of mine starting in February, they only got bonded in September. However that's an extreme case. I've bonded 20 or so pairs in the last couple years and they've all "taken" with much less work than that, with just a very few exceptions. But, there is a real reason why you have to be cautious - rabbits can seriously hurt each other, and if they do, it may damage any chance that they ever forgive and forget. Some rescues will even bond them for you - they'll take your bunny on a 2-4 week vacation, and give you back the bonded pair. It's really the bunny who chooses the partner, not the person, so you have to be open-minded about what kind of partner you want for her. So, it's best to do this with a rescue who will hold your hand throughout the process, and who promise that they will take back the partner if the bonding situation just doesn't work out.
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Dec 12, 2007 19:02
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alucinor posted:I cannot agree with this more, if you just get a rabbit without checking, you could be in for a hellish time. Anyone who's thinking about bonding go through the earlier pages of this thread when I got Ben from SaveABunny. I'm pretty sure I couldn't shut up about how easy they'd made it.
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Dec 12, 2007 19:11
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Well this sucks :< Now I really want to get a buddy for Pix but I already know my mom definitely doesn't want another bun, and she absolutely will not buy a second cage. Should I push her to try it anyways?
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Dec 12, 2007 21:52
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I'm with you, okiecompy. I want to get a friend for Belle now. Has anyone worked with House Rabbit Society of Chicago? That's the closest rabbit rescue to my location. That would be nice if they did bonding there.
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Dec 12, 2007 22:07
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okiecompy posted:Well this sucks :< Now I really want to get a buddy for Pix but I already know my mom definitely doesn't want another bun, and she absolutely will not buy a second cage. Should I push her to try it anyways? you can try some speed dating, and you might get as lucky as i did. The buns spent 2 days in a pen at saveabunny, and 3 days in a collapsable pen in the kitchen (your mom could probably deal with 3 days) and then they were so in love they could move into annie's old cage. As long as your current cage is large enough for both, it might work out well. Whats her reasoning against a second bun? it's less maintenance, just more food/more litterbox changes.
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Dec 13, 2007 03:23
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I was lucky enough to adopt the little lop I posted on the last page. I'm still deciding between Pancake or Pickle as his name. He is incredibly sweet, and after 24 hours here he is already taking stretched-out naps on the couch next to me, and hopping over and nudging my hand to get scratched. He has had a horrible life so far as a pet store breeding male then a neglected pet, so I am amazed that he still has a heart of gold. He is very precocious and loves exploring my living room, under my watchful eye. I let him play around for an hour or so in the morning and at least 4 hours at night. He does not voluntarily hop back into his cage very often, so is there a safe and gentle way to encourage him to go back into his cage at night and so I can leave for work. I want to avoid picking him up because he REALLY hates it, is there a nicer way to do it?
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Dec 13, 2007 03:52
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Mine can be pretty difficult about that too but I usually just lure him into the cage with corn. He hates being picked up but I've found that putting a hand on his butt and just gently but firmly pushing him in the right direction can be a very effective way of getting your point across. And he knows if he gets into the cage he gets a treat so it's been getting less difficult lately.
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Dec 13, 2007 10:20
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theflosquito posted:He is very precocious and loves exploring my living room, under my watchful eye. I let him play around for an hour or so in the morning and at least 4 hours at night. He does not voluntarily hop back into his cage very often, so is there a safe and gentle way to encourage him to go back into his cage at night and so I can leave for work. I want to avoid picking him up because he REALLY hates it, is there a nicer way to do it? I trained Lucy to go back in her cage when I shake the raisin jar. I usually just lure them back in the cage with a raisin or carrot.
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Dec 13, 2007 14:53
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Ok, one more bunny behaviour questions: my rabbit likes to turn over his litterbox to take out all the hay and litter. He then arranges his hay in a pile in the corner and sleeps in the empty litter box. I am very careful o keep his liter box and cage clean, leaving a few pellets to keep his territory marked. He still acts litter trained and only urinates on the hay, never in the rest of my apartment This behaviour completely mystifies me. Is he unhappy with his litter box? Why is it more comfy for him to sleep in an empty tupperware container than on his bedding?
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Dec 15, 2007 21:09
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Does he stay in a cage? I've heard that the bars at the bottom can hurt their feet. Pixel-pon always has some random cardboard bits that she likes to sit/lay on. Once we got her this strange blue litterbox filling and it was so soft that she'd sleep in her litterbox and go to the bathroom elsewhere. We had to change the litter obviously. It seems weird though, that he dumps the hay and such out and just lays in the empty box... 
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Dec 15, 2007 21:16
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The bottom of his cage is solid. He has a thick towel covering most of the cage, and hay covering the rest. He chooses to sit in the hard plastic litter box. And seriously conks out there, a few times I have caught him sleeping on his side completly knocked out in there. It's really weird.
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Dec 15, 2007 21:20
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Could it be a temperature issue? Do you have the heater on high? Maybe he just wants to cool down a little against the cold plastic.
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Dec 16, 2007 04:17
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Is there any reason my bun (who was spayed about 4-5 months ago) would all of a sudden start humping my arm again? She just started with this behavior in the last week, and I'm thoroughly confused, since it had stopped entirely after she got spayed. I have some teethmarks on my arm right now where she tried to latch on.  This always happens after some heavy duty licking. Do I smell like a particularly sexy bunny?
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Dec 16, 2007 21:41
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theflosquito: Try offering two litterboxes. Most rabbits prefer to pee in one and sleep in the other. Offer hay in only one box - she might prefer either to pee in her hay and sleep elsewhere, or vice versa. angelicism: Licking and mounting are both dominance actions. Licking is a request to be petted, so if you let her lick you and lick you and lick you, that's her way of saying C'MON PET ME C'MON PET ME, and you're just ignoring it. So she escalates to mounting: SAY UNCLE BITCH SAY IT. The best way to reduce this is to not let a rabbit lick you over and over. If she gets in a couple swipes, that should be your cue to drop what you are doing and pet her. This will reassure her that she is dominant and you will obey the request for petting quickly, without forcing her to hump you into submission. Besides, rabbit kisses are just EW after watching them lick up each other's cecals so it's best to make it stop as quickly as possible. 
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Dec 17, 2007 16:17
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alucinor posted:Besides, rabbit kisses are just EW after watching them lick up each other's cecals so it's best to make it stop as quickly as possible. Yeah, my aunt's rabbit once perched on my chest and licked some traces of ice cream off of my lips. It was the cutest thing ever until I remembered that rabbits eat their own feces.
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Dec 17, 2007 23:46
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Not that I'm saying we should eat them, but as far as animal feces goes, rabbits are pretty dang nice. It's all munched up veggies, so it doesn't smell, and dries fast. Can anyone say the same for cat/dog poo?
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Dec 18, 2007 03:23
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Seeing this thread has made me want to get a couple of rabbits in the distant future, so I'd better start planning now. I read over a good deal of rabbit.org and was just wondering... since I'd like to get two, maybe three (so they don't get lonely) how would the bunnies handle a litterbox if they're sleeping in the same cage? Is it feasible for them to take turns or do they spend most of their time in there and I'd end up having to clear out the carpet I'd be laying down elsewhere?
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Dec 18, 2007 21:33
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ShadowCatboy posted:Seeing this thread has made me want to get a couple of rabbits in the distant future, so I'd better start planning now. When you have multiple rabbits you DO need multiple litter boxes. However it shouldn't be a big problem. For three rabbits, a 4'x4' pen is probably adequate if they're getting lots of time outside the cage. A box in every corner should still allow plenty of space for stretching out and toys and hidy houses. You'd want to go bigger if you can, of course, or if they are going to be confined most of the time. I like to use rubbermaid under-bed containers or even low-walled cat litter boxes, which are big enough that multiple rabbits can be in the box at the same time. You can also put two smaller boxes side by side, but what fun is that? I just realized that not a single one of my bunnies has just one litterbox. One pair only has two - one haybox to sleep in, and one to pee & poop in. When they are in the sleeping box, they look like a furry loaf of bread, because it's barely big enough for both. Everyone else has 3 or more. My worst offenders are a very pissy pair who have 4 very large boxes despite the fact that neither rabbit is over 2 lbs soaking wet. So yeah, just plan on multiple boxes.
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Dec 18, 2007 21:45
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I plan on getting (or better yet, building) a 2-tiered 18"x30" pen for sleeping/housing probably, maybe a bit smaller, but have a larger fenced-off area I can let them out into for romping when I go off to work. I'd prefer to get dwarf rabbits, simply because they're the ones I'm more used to handling and I love them so. Do rabbits identify litter boxes as "Hey this box is something for me to pee/poop in" or do they identify things spatially as "Hey this corner is some place for me to pee/poop in"? Also, I'd love to build a lovely little bed with plenty of soft fluffy things (a layer of sponge, covered with a layer of fluffy cotton, and wrapped in cloth so they don't eat any of it). I'm a little worried about the "litterbox is for sleep" behavior though, since I'd hate to go make such a nice bed just to have it be used as a poopy place. Man. Poop sure is a big concern.
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Dec 18, 2007 23:00
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ShadowCatboy posted:I plan on getting (or better yet, building) a 2-tiered 18"x30" pen for sleeping/housing probably, maybe a bit smaller, but have a larger fenced-off area I can let them out into for romping when I go off to work. I'd prefer to get dwarf rabbits, simply because they're the ones I'm more used to handling and I love them so. That's REALLY small, no matter how much time they spend out of the cage. A cage that small, they may not be able to learn that "this is a cage, with a litterbox over there" and may instead think "this whole enclosed area is a litterbox and I can pees everywhere!!" You also run the risk of cage aggression because it's so small that any time you reach in, you're up in her personal space. And my god do dwarfs ever have a sense of personal space. For two rabbits, the very smallest I would go is this. I have a pair of dwarfs in the larger model (4' long) and I keep a 4'x4' pen looped around the front of the cage so they can get out and bust some exercise. And even that I consider cramped, but we're all SOL till I can get us out of this apartment. Also, dwarf rabbits have MORE energy and require MORE free running time than larger breeds. Many large breeds can't muster the energy to jump a 12" barrier, but I've got a dwarf who regularly leaps about 3' vertical onto the kitchen counter.  ShadowCatboy posted:Do rabbits identify litter boxes as "Hey this box is something for me to pee/poop in" or do they identify things spatially as "Hey this corner is some place for me to pee/poop in"? Both. You offer a box and usually they just know. But sometimes they want boxes in BOTH corners, and then you're hosed. You either give them two boxes, or you spend lots of times wiping up piss. And like I said above, if the cage is so small that they can't get far enough away from their litterbox, the whole cage may imprint as a toilet. ShadowCatboy posted:Also, I'd love to build a lovely little bed with plenty of soft fluffy things (a layer of sponge, covered with a layer of fluffy cotton, and wrapped in cloth so they don't eat any of it). I'm a little worried about the "litterbox is for sleep" behavior though, since I'd hate to go make such a nice bed just to have it be used as a poopy place. Sadly, this ain't gonna work. Bunnies almost universally pick, nibble, and gnaw at their bedding. I even have one bitch who jumped on my bed and ate holes through my sheets and mattress, in about 5 minutes of careless unsupervision. I've REPEATEDLY given lovely fluffy beds and towels to my bunnies, and in 4 years have found ONE pair who won't destroy them on impact. Yes, they do poop in them. I just tip them over and dump the poops in the litterbox once a day. But at least they stay intact, unlike with all the other beds and towels, which have been chewed into pee-soaked lace within days. The worse issue than poop is that many rabbits will pee on soft stuff, too, unless it's fastened down. So a towel-covered platform (the towel secured with big binder clips) is safe, but a folded towel in the middle of the cage gets scrunched, chewed, and peed on. I cannot explain this. Through trial and error I've found that the best cosy soft bed for a bunny is a big rubbermaid container with a lid on, and a hole cut in the side, filled with shredded paper and hay. Some bunnies will pee in them, but for most, the simple act of adding a lid turns it from "toilet" to "den" in their minds. For the ones who pee even in that, I instead offer a large cardboard box with a carpet square in it, and that seems soft enough to enjoy without being soft enough to deface. Your mileage may vary, of course; I've also known plenty of rabbits who can't have anything soft except their litter in the cage, unless I want it peed on.
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Dec 18, 2007 23:47
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alucinor posted:That's REALLY small alucinor posted:Also, dwarf rabbits have MORE energy and require MORE free running time than larger breeds. Many large breeds can't muster the energy to jump a 12" barrier, but I've got a dwarf who regularly leaps about 3' vertical onto the kitchen counter. Also, my bunnies destroy those soft cat cubes in a week's time. Soft things, just usually don't go well.
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Dec 18, 2007 23:56
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I'll only be keeping the buns caged in the 5-6 hours I sleep at night, the rest of the time I intend to leave the door open and let them roam free in a 4'x4' pen filled with toys. Under supervision I could let them explore the apartment. I also intend to make sure to respect their cage as their own domain, aside from changing water/hay/litter. Would this suffice? I'm very surprised to hear that something so small can jump so high though, so I'll have to revise my designs if they can get over a 30-inch or so barrier. EDIT: I'd also like to thank you guys a lot for all the advice. It's really helping me shape my ideas of what I'd need. In gratitude here are some pics of my aunt's bunny.    He was the cutest thing ever until he died because he was spooked by a loving raccoon. My aunt did everything right in keeping him (neutered, let him run around, gave him a good diet of hay and low in fruits) but kept him in a hutch outside some nights for fresh air. I guess she didn't realize they'd be in such danger out there. Stupid raccoons.
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Dec 19, 2007 01:23
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ShadowCatboy posted:I'll only be keeping the buns caged in the 5-6 hours I sleep at night, the rest of the time I intend to leave the door open and let them roam free in a 4'x4' pen filled with toys. Then yeah, that's fine. Just keep in mind that bunnies are crepuscular, so their idea of "time to play!" starts about 4am. You might hear disgruntled bar-rattling if they're still boxed up during the morning crazies. ShadowCatboy posted:I'm very surprised to hear that something so small can jump so high though I was SHOCKED the first time Noel got on the counter. She's about 6" tall on all fours, and this is a standard kitchen counter, so it's probably over 3' high. She jumped right onto the stove, too, so I was really loving lucky that I wasn't cooking at the time. The second time, she jumped onto the island, and did so at speed, so she slid right off the other side. That cured her for a while. But then recently, my partner left a stool too close to her pen. She leapt up and on and down and went visiting all around the house. Now she's in the Leith with a 36" pen forming a run out front, and I either cover it with a scrap of coro, or use clothespins to fix an old sheet over top of the pen if I'm not home. The visual barrier seems to be sufficent... That's a shame about your aunt's bunny, but sadly all too common. She has the same ear shape as Noel, although Noel has a more petite face.  Edit for NewsflashJust got an email from my HRS leader. Petsmart is discontinuing their plans to sell rabbits! Some Petsmart Guy posted:We learned a lot from this experience and consider the test a success for that reason. Unfortunately, the Best news all day! alucinor fucked around with this message at 16:04 on Dec 19, 2007 |
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Dec 19, 2007 15:53
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alucinor posted:Best news all day! Is this in all Petsmarts?
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Dec 19, 2007 16:44
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Alright so I'm kinda getting fedup with Ben. He just hides under the bed all day and all night, or hides in the box, his only interaction with Annie is either her grooming him, or him chasing her nipping. She doesn't think it's playing I can tell because she doesn't shake her head, and she just runs away, only fighting back if shes cornered. He only sits for pets if hes cornered too, he's just a skittish guy. I've only seen him groom Annie once and that was months ago by now. I'm just sad I keep finding Annie fur everywhere. Honestly brushing her does nothing anymore because of how much he pulls out (or its between coats  )e: gently caress Annie really has been fighting back, Ben has a bite on his back that is definitely bloody, not actively bleeding though, just my luck it was in the 15% of his coat that's dark so I didn't find it till brushing. On the phone with the vet, but what are they going to do, put a bandaid on it? Deceptor101 fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Dec 19, 2007 |
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Dec 19, 2007 18:39
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girlscoutdropout posted:Is this in all Petsmarts? As far as we can tell, yes. Here is the press release. Basically, we will continue to see rabbits in the stores until all the ones already on order are sold, but after that, nada. However one HRS person mentioned that some Petsmart stores sold rabbits even before this test. I haven't seen that verified, but if that's the case, they will probably continue to sell them in those stores. Deceptor101 posted:what are they going to do, put a bandaid on it? They'll clean it out and put him on oral or topical antibiotics. Rabbit bites can abscess quite badly. As for the overall situation: I'd recommend taking a step back and starting over. Sometimes a few bad experiences can tarnish the flavor of the relationship, and you need to let them cool off and remind them that Together is Good and Apart is Sad. You will probably not ever see equal bilateral grooming. Typically, only the submissive rabbit grooms the dominant. The dominant may groom occasionally to initiate grooming by the sub. It sounds like Ben has a dominance complex and Annie either just isn't reading the signals or refuses to submit. They just need a cool down and a chance to start fresh. Break them up and give them adjacent housing (preferable where they can nose each other through the bars, separate out-time, and no direct contact for 6-8 weeks. After that, try CONTROLLED contact situations only - place them both in a box and take them for a spin cycle ride, alternating with just petting them both, but do NOT let them interact on their own at all, keep close physical control over both animals. Try to do that twice a day, 20 minutes at a time, for about 2-4 weeks. Then offer them controlled self-directed interaction opportunities: banana on the noses in the bathtub, etc. Again, you want to keep close control of both animals, don't just let them free run together yet. If you see violence in controlled self-directed, go back to controlled contact only. Repeat as needed.
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Dec 19, 2007 19:20
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Thanks for the quick reply, taking him in tonight. God that was sad setting up separate housing. Ben looks lonely, and he's shaking the bars of annies cage. I'll keep you guys updated.
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Dec 19, 2007 19:47
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Another question: my bunny is fairly well litter trained, but today he had an accident where he peed on my couch while I was petting him. I immediately grabbed my water gun and squirted him, as his previous owner told me to do. Now, about 5 hours later, he is still pissed with me: he is sitting in his cage, and will not even accept a raison from me. How long should I expect him to be mad? Have I done anything cruel by using the water gun? Should I do something else, or would introducing a new training technique mess him up more? THANK YOU for all the help so far! Pickle is my first house rabbit and even though I have done a lot of research I am definitely still learning a lot!
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Dec 20, 2007 03:36
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theflosquito posted:Another question: my bunny is fairly well litter trained, but today he had an accident where he peed on my couch while I was petting him. I immediately grabbed my water gun and squirted him, as his previous owner told me to do. Now, about 5 hours later, he is still pissed with me: he is sitting in his cage, and will not even accept a raison from me. Only time i've ever had Annie pee outside of her box was when she tried to get away a few times and i had to stop her (was trying to feed antibiotics). Thus, was he trying toget away at al, fidgeting in any manner? I personally wouldn't recommend the squirt bottle, i get the impressive negative feedback doesn't work too hot on buns Update from the vet: They shaved the wound and apparently its healing already and looking great. No antibiotics were recommended and I also found 2 coupons for 40$ off! God, what I thought would be 100$ was merely 23! The new cage setup still saddens me, but ben seems to be getting used to it. I'll switch them in the cages every week so nobody gets territorial over the main cage.
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Dec 20, 2007 05:44
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Deceptor101 posted:Only time i've ever had Annie pee outside of her box was when she tried to get away a few times and i had to stop her (was trying to feed antibiotics). Thus, was he trying toget away at al, fidgeting in any manner? I personally wouldn't recommend the squirt bottle, i get the impressive negative feedback doesn't work too hot on buns I'm not so happy about the squirt bottle idea either, but I didn't want to change too much from his previous home. Is there a better way to deal with this in the future?
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Dec 20, 2007 06:22
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theflosquito posted:He was sitting on the couch next to me getting his head scratched at the time. He usually curls up next to me for a few hours each night to get his head rubbed, and he didn't seem to be distressed at all. Well, you may have a lazy bun. I noticed this in my buns since I put the hay feeder in. If too much hay gets on the ground, they'll just lay in it, eat it, love it, and never want to leave it, and a few times have peed there. Maybe your bun was just enjoying the head scratching too much and didn't want to go all the way back to the litterbox.
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Dec 20, 2007 08:08
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theflosquito posted:Another question: my bunny is fairly well litter trained, but today he had an accident where he peed on my couch while I was petting him. I immediately grabbed my water gun and squirted him, as his previous owner told me to do. Now, about 5 hours later, he is still pissed with me: he is sitting in his cage, and will not even accept a raison from me. Bunnies are going to have accidents, it's just life. By the time you got the water gun and squirted him, he had no idea what he had done wrong. There is really no point in trying to "punish" a rabbit. Was there a litter box close by?
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Dec 20, 2007 14:32
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girlscoutdropout posted:Bunnies are going to have accidents, it's just life. By the time you got the water gun and squirted him, he had no idea what he had done wrong. There is really no point in trying to "punish" a rabbit. Was there a litter box close by? There is one right by the end of the couch, maybe 4 feet away from him at the time. I can totally understand that pets have accidents, but I'm a little concerned that he gave no indication he was going to pee when he is usually so good. I will stop with the water gun though. Pickle seems happy again, we had a little cuddle late last night and he seemed happy again.
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Dec 20, 2007 21:03
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