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Necron Vs. World posted:We've really been considering getting a bunny but all the local pet shops have either full growns that get spooked to hell when anyone pets them or babies that freeze up and shake when you handle them and don't seem interested at all. All except for today, while my girlfriend and I were out looking around today I found the most odd little bunny ever. He had a white coat and black circles around his eyes and practically no whiskers at all (they were all extremely short and curled/singed looking). I was petting another little bunny trying to snack when he caught scent of my hand and started licking my finger furiously (almost aggressive I'd guess). Which was fine, girlfriend assured me it was normal and affectionate behavior. Until he got a good enough taste in his mouth and decided to bite the little bit of dead skin around my fingernail. It didn't hurt I could only tell what he was doing when he tried to tug it off my finger (to eat I guess If you guys are interested in getting a bunny, please look into adopting one from a shelter or house rabbit chapter. You'll get a bunny thats fixed, litter box trained, socialized (usually) and you'll be saving one that some loving little kid probably threw away after Easter. And, rabbits in pet shops are a rip off. I paid $20 for my rabbit from the shelter and she would have been $100 in a pet store probably. If you need help finding a rescue in your area, let me know 
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May 17, 2008 18:46
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 So I've had her for 6 months now. She was 6 months old when I adopted her. Is a nail trimming in order?
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May 25, 2008 07:15
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decaf.tihs posted:
I would guess so, mine need a trim every 6 weeks or so.
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May 25, 2008 08:31
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Generally it depends on what kind of surfaces she runs on, and some buns just grow nails slower than others. Since shes a light colored bun, you can look at her nails and easily see the quick, So do that, and if there's more than say 1/8"- 3/16" past the quick you could do it, any farther than that and you definitely should do it.
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May 25, 2008 19:37
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Deceptor101 posted:Generally it depends on what kind of surfaces she runs on, and some buns just grow nails slower than others. Since shes a light colored bun, you can look at her nails and easily see the quick, So do that, and if there's more than say 1/8"- 3/16" past the quick you could do it, any farther than that and you definitely should do it. I don't have the clippers to do it and she's generally pretty cranky if I even try to grab her by the chest. As soon as I lift her off the ground she fidgets uncontrollably and runs away! I think her nails are pretty far grown, but would it be a huge problem to wait a little longer when we take her to the vet?
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May 26, 2008 09:32
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decaf.tihs posted:I don't have the clippers to do it and she's generally pretty cranky if I even try to grab her by the chest. As soon as I lift her off the ground she fidgets uncontrollably and runs away! I think her nails are pretty far grown, but would it be a huge problem to wait a little longer when we take her to the vet? Well it depends on how overgrown they are and when you're going to the vet. If they're so long she's walking on the nails more than the feet it can be very painful.
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May 26, 2008 15:44
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alucinor posted:Unless it's something like above, you should never have to clean your rabbit. They clean themselves like cats. If the paws are getting dirty, your cage is too dirty. Even rabbits who like sitting in a dirty litterbox won't get dirty, unless they have no other place to go. I'm curious - how often does everyone else's rabbit get slightly yellow paws? We clean our rabbit's litterbox a lot but it's his favourite place to be, so our bunny often has them. They're not deep yellow, just a tinge of yellow since his fur is white. I've just assumed it's normal, but is it not? Is it bad for him? decaf.tihs posted:I don't have the clippers to do it and she's generally pretty cranky if I even try to grab her by the chest. As soon as I lift her off the ground she fidgets uncontrollably and runs away! I think her nails are pretty far grown, but would it be a huge problem to wait a little longer when we take her to the vet? My rabbit is pretty cranky about being picked up and squirms a lot as well. I've found the trick is having a really firm (but not painful grip) to lift him, and then wrapping him in a towel while clipping his nails. You really should invest in get some nail clippers, they're not very expensive and rabbits need regular nail clippings. I know for our rabbit, if we don't do it regularly he has a chance of developing sore hocks, because to compensate for their long toenails they often sit farther back on their legs. I know it's scary to clip the nails for the first time, but it's good to train yourself how to do it - maybe have the vet show you how and walk you through it? My boyfriend had raised rabbits for years and taught me how, it was really helpful having someone show me. StrangersInTheNight fucked around with this message at 16:11 on May 26, 2008 |
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May 26, 2008 16:06
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StrangersInTheNight posted:I'm curious - how often does everyone else's rabbit get slightly yellow paws? We clean our rabbit's litterbox a lot but it's his favourite place to be, so our bunny often has them. They're not deep yellow, just a tinge of yellow since his fur is white. I've just assumed it's normal, but is it not? Is it bad for him? How big is the cage or pen you are using? Do you have one litterbox, or more than one? You should not have any problems with yellowing fur if your pen is large enough to offer a) more than one litterbox, and b) plenty of space for hidy boxes and other places to relax. If you only have one litterbox, try offering a second. With just one box, you really may need to clean the box twice a day. But if you have two, you can put the hay in or above one litterbox and leave the other just with litter, and you might find that the rabbit pees in the other box and just hangs out in the hay box. If you don't have room for a second litterbox or a hidy box, that's definitely too small, and you'll need to expand your cage in order to solve this problem.
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May 26, 2008 18:19
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alucinor posted:How big is the cage or pen you are using? Do you have one litterbox, or more than one? His pen is a pretty decent size (about 5'x5'), and he does have a hidy box and a lot of lounging area that he spends time in. He just really likes his litterbox. Even when he's got most of the house to jump about in, whenever he's tired he'll return to his litterbox to relax. It's not a deep yellow, as much as every now and again he gets a tint of yellow on his paws. I clean his litterbox once a day, but I think you may be right, and it may just come down to cleaning his litterbox twice a day or putting a second litterbox in.
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May 26, 2008 18:38
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StrangersInTheNight posted:His pen is a pretty decent size (about 5'x5'), and he does have a hidy box and a lot of lounging area that he spends time in. He just really likes his litterbox. Even when he's got most of the house to jump about in, whenever he's tired he'll return to his litterbox to relax. It's not a deep yellow, as much as every now and again he gets a tint of yellow on his paws. I clean his litterbox once a day, but I think you may be right, and it may just come down to cleaning his litterbox twice a day or putting a second litterbox in. You're doing everything absolutely right. So yeah, a second litterbox may make the difference.
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May 26, 2008 19:28
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alucinor posted:You're doing everything absolutely right. The weird thing is that it had never occurred to me, and it's such a simple solution. Thanks for the reassurance, though - it's one of those things where I was never sure if I was doing something wrong or not, haha.
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May 26, 2008 19:47
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StrangersInTheNight posted:I'm curious - how often does everyone else's rabbit get slightly yellow paws? We clean our rabbit's litterbox a lot but it's his favourite place to be, so our bunny often has them. They're not deep yellow, just a tinge of yellow since his fur is white. I've just assumed it's normal, but is it not? Is it bad for him? My poor Jack came with VERY yellow paws, but he was neglected before. It's been a year, but they're still stained a slight tinge of yellow - I hope over time it will eventually go away completely.
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May 26, 2008 21:32
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This thread needs to be bunnied up a little bit.      Also, a question about litterboxes: What sorts of nice, absorbent litter matter are safe for bunnies? I know shredded paper is quite normal, but I was thinking of something along the lines of wood chips.
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May 26, 2008 22:51
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ShadowCatboy posted:Also, a question about litterboxes: What sorts of nice, absorbent litter matter are safe for bunnies? I know shredded paper is quite normal, but I was thinking of something along the lines of wood chips. I use Yesterday's News and love it. You'll get ripped off if you buy it for rabbits or ferrets, go to the cat litter section and get the unscented kind. It's the same and you save a ton of money. I know some people like Feline Pine too, I didn't think it hid the smell well at all though.
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May 27, 2008 02:14
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That's safe? What if they eat it? 
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May 27, 2008 03:12
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ShadowCatboy posted:That's safe? What if they eat it? It's just recycled newspaper compacted into pellets. None of mine have ever had any interest in eating it. You can't shred it, it's quite small, and doesn't smell tasty. Don't really know why they would want to eat it.
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May 27, 2008 04:19
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ShadowCatboy posted:Also, a question about litterboxes: What sorts of nice, absorbent litter matter are safe for bunnies? I know shredded paper is quite normal, but I was thinking of something along the lines of wood chips. I use untreated wood stove pellets. Same thing as Feline Pine, only less piney smelling and 1/4 the price. It might be hard to find now that it's summer, but I stock up in spring when a 40lb bag is only $3, and five bags will last(for four litter boxes) until winter when the pellets are readily available again. I liked it better than Yesterdays News, but any of the three mentioned will work great and not be enticing to the bunny for late night snacking.
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May 27, 2008 06:06
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I use Carefresh which I heartily recommend. Mostly because unlike wood chips it prefers to stay in one place and won't get tracked around the entire house. My rabbit eats a little of it sometimes but he also eats wood and cardboard so I figure what the hell.
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May 27, 2008 07:04
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ShadowCatboy posted:Also, a question about litterboxes: What sorts of nice, absorbent litter matter are safe for bunnies? I know shredded paper is quite normal, but I was thinking of something along the lines of wood chips. Be careful with some of the wood based litters. I know that cedar shavings can lead to liver failure after extended use with bunnies. I'd go the safe side and use the compacted paper. I love it, it hides the smell great, and a months worth is like 10$.
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May 27, 2008 08:14
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I've used shredded paper, Carefresh, Yesterday's News (YN), Cell-Sorb (crushed YN pellets, like the ghetto factory rejects), Feline Pine, pine stove pellets (Marthwood brand in WI), aspen shavings, and kiln-dried pine. My take: * Aspen and pine shavings are pretty cheap ($11 for a month's worth), but they SUCK as litter. They don't really absorb much urine, they don't cover the odor at all, they easily get kicked out of the box, and they are very dusty. I had to clean the boxes twice a day and everything in the room had a thick layer of sawdust by the weekend. * Shredded paper is free, but it has no absorbency and no odor control, and it gets everywhere. Using this is about the same as using pure hay, which some people do. I only use this when I'm in dire need of a litterbox change and the stores are closed, but I've never found it acceptable for more than overnight emergency use. * Carefresh has almost zero dust, and great absorbency/odor control. However, it can stick in the fur of longer-haired rabbits, and it's very light and fluffy so it can easily get kicked around. It's also the most expensive product ($17 for 4-5 box changes). * YN and Cell-Sorb are about equivalent. They both have great absorbency and odor control (slightly less odor control than Carefresh). Since they are heavier pellets, they tend to stay in the litterbox better than Carefresh. They are slightly more dusty than Carefresh but still miles better than wood shavings. Cell-Sorb is way cheaper if you can get the biggest bags, but both are still fairly expensive (like $20 for 50lbs). * Feline Pine/pine stove pellets are, as is pointed out, the same thing, but the former is $15 for a 20lb bag and the later is $5 for a 40lb bag. Absorbency is great, possibly even better than for YN/CellSorb, because the wood pellets break into sawdust which sorta clumps together when wet. Odor control is less than for the paper-based products, but the strong pine smell (if you find that pleasant) sorta makes up for it. Both are more dusty than YN/Cellsorb but still less dusty than wood shavings. Due to the costs of having so many buns, I use the stove pellets right now and am pretty darn happy with them, although if cost was no object, I would use YN/Cell-Sorb exclusively to cut down on dust. Whatever you choose, do NOT EVER use clay, mineral, or "natural clumping" cat litter. Any of these can cause blockages and death.
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May 27, 2008 15:24
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alucinor posted:litter-related words I'd love to find that Cell-Sorb stuff, any suggestions?
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May 27, 2008 23:08
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So I got some cinder blocks to put in the corners of the buns' cage so they will stop pulling their pen off their rug and onto the real carpet. Ever since I have done this, Lucy just seems mad at me. This has been going on almost 3 weeks now. She stomps all the time, she just seems like she hates me. I expected them both to be a bit miffed at the situation at first, but I figured they'd get over it. What should I do? They've already ruined all chances of me getting my deposit back because they've destroyed 3 parts of the brand new carpet by digging/chewing it up.
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May 28, 2008 04:51
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girlscoutdropout posted:So I got some cinder blocks to put in the corners of the buns' cage so they will stop pulling their pen off their rug and onto the real carpet. Ever since I have done this, Lucy just seems mad at me. This has been going on almost 3 weeks now. She stomps all the time, she just seems like she hates me. I expected them both to be a bit miffed at the situation at first, but I figured they'd get over it. What should I do? They've already ruined all chances of me getting my deposit back because they've destroyed 3 parts of the brand new carpet by digging/chewing it up. I did this with Ender. He was pretty pissed as well and spent the rest of his time plotting against me by digging under the bed or ripping textbooks. They get over it eventually, but once they set their mind to something...
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May 28, 2008 05:14
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I bought a piece of rug and stuck it under the edge of the cage so it hung out pretty far. He started chewing/digging on the edges of the rug but it more or less solved the problem. I put one of those woven grass mat things back there as well and it's worked pretty decent.
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May 28, 2008 05:31
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girlscoutdropout posted:I'd love to find that Cell-Sorb stuff, any suggestions? It's a crapshoot if you only buy online or at rescue-friendly supply stores. This has a list of suppliers in various states. Try to get your supplier to order the biggest (40-50lb) bags. Any smaller and it's really a waste of money.
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May 28, 2008 15:41
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This movie is adorable, it totally makes me wish I had a yard. Although when I did Annie didn't seem so interested in digging. Thought I'd share it with you all. http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2008/06/the-big-dig.html
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Jun 3, 2008 02:06
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while looking up info on how to bunny proof my home, i came across this disgustingly adorable little bun... had to share
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Jun 3, 2008 03:53
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All right, new issues with the buns....it's getting over 100* now in Arizona, so even during the evening, it's too hot to put the buns outside for supervised play. So I try and let them run around on my bed for fun, since I can't trust Cowslip on the floor (both he and Mo are somewhat box-trained, but when they are excited all bets are off, and my mom would kill me with rabbit pee on the new carpet)...but Cowslip freaks out bad when I take him out of the cage. As soon as my back is even half turned, he's jumped down and raced back to the cage, and if the door is open, he slides right in and stays there. I don't want to stress him out by pulling him from his home, but is there any other way to get him more relaxed? He's not a rabbit that seems to want much human contact, while Mo is happy being massaged and kneaded on and rubbed.
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Jun 3, 2008 06:19
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Until he gets fully familiar with the territory, he'll never feel comfortable being picked up and put somewhere. If he hasn't gotten there on his own a few times to know it well, he'll feel quite disoriented. In general I find my buns don't really like the bed anyways, due to it not being ground level. I think really the best option is to go into hardcore potty training. If they do happen to pee, just have some white vinegar around. It'll completely neutralize the bleaching agents from the ammonia and help prevent discoloration. Then just clean up with a sponge+water and when it's dry you'll barely notice.
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Jun 3, 2008 07:15
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Get a couple of big picnic blankets - the kind with one waterproof side and one softer side - and lay them out on the floor. They'll get more exercise than on a bed, and the carpet will be safe from pee.
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Jun 3, 2008 15:37
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alucinor posted:Get a couple of big picnic blankets - the kind with one waterproof side and one softer side - and lay them out on the floor. They'll get more exercise than on a bed, and the carpet will be safe from pee. Yeah, I use these under the rabbits' carpet. You can flip them over so they will have more traction on the softer side, but if he pees it won't soak through.
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Jun 3, 2008 20:12
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Ohh great now Billy's decided that the best way of getting my attention or indicating his displeasure or indeed any kind of emotion is to bite my toes. Not hard enough to draw blood or anything but I sure hope this habit isn't here to stay. And the other day he bit my hand pretty hard when I didn't give him a treat like he wanted me to. I just can't figure out if the biting is actual aggression or if it's just him "being a rabbit". I know they like to nip at things and don't quite understand that humans don't like it. And I know they don't do well with negative reinforcement so I guess I'm just going to completely ignore the toe biting. I'm sure he's smart enough to figure out eventually that it's not getting him what he wants.
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Jun 4, 2008 09:41
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DS at Night posted:it's just him "being a rabbit". That's the answer. Rabbits use very loud body language - biting, humping, etc - for even the most mundane requests. If rabbits were people, they'd be that guy who gets right up in your personal space and talks very loudly and drinks out of your coffee mug while ignoring any subtle indications that you're uncomfortable. DS at Night posted:I'm sure he's smart enough to figure out eventually that it's not getting him what he wants. Probably not. To a rabbit, biting is a perfectly polite way to ask for something. Rabbits don't understand "no", so ignoring him will probably only cause him to escalate to the next level - actual vicious attacks a la Monty Python (or at least, grunting, circling, and chasing). Think of when a small kid is trying to get a parent's attention by going "Mommy. Mommy. Mom. Mommy. Mom. Mommy...." over and over. If the parent ignores him, the kid usually just gets louder and louder and more annoying. It works the same with rabbits. If you ignore them, they escalate. You have to redirect their attention while teaching them that demanding something doesn't always result in getting it. The best way to do this is always give him SOMETHING when he begs - just not a treat. Keep a paper towel roll or other small toy on hand and when he starts to beg for a treat, give him the toy instead. Hell, grab anything at hand - a piece of hay, a scrap of paper, anything you can put your hands on. He won't feel ignored, but he'll slowly figure out that 9/10 times, begging gets him something boring. Also: Is he neutered? If not, having that done will really reduce biting behaviors.
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Jun 4, 2008 14:57
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I'm thinking about taking my buns on excursions to my parents house on the nicer weekends. They have a huge yard that is pesticide free and full of dandelions and sites of exploratory interest. There are mosquitos, and in the woods out back ticks have been sighted. I will mostly be in the front playing in the garden and walking them around for fun and exercise. How necessary will it be to administer Frontline (or the safest anti flea/tick ointment)? I know I could completely skip the whole idea, but I think it will be good for trying to bond the little brats with the car rides and new unfamiliar places etc.
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Jun 4, 2008 16:25
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Windy posted:I'm thinking about taking my buns on excursions to my parents house on the nicer weekends. They have a huge yard that is pesticide free and full of dandelions and sites of exploratory interest. There are mosquitos, and in the woods out back ticks have been sighted. I will mostly be in the front playing in the garden and walking them around for fun and exercise. How necessary will it be to administer Frontline (or the safest anti flea/tick ointment)? I know I could completely skip the whole idea, but I think it will be good for trying to bond the little brats with the car rides and new unfamiliar places etc. I thought Frontline was toxic to rabbits....definately check on this first.
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Jun 4, 2008 16:28
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Windy posted:Frontline No no NO! Frontline is definitely toxic to rabbits. Revolution (selamectin) or Advantage (imidacloprid) are the only safe flea products to use on rabbits. Now, regarding the outing: do your parents get raccoons in the backyard? More specifically, raccoon scat? Rabbits can pick up raccoon roundworm from 'coon feces. This would be a consideration for me. If you do take them outdoors, a preventative dose of Revolution or Advantage can do no harm, so yes, I would recommend it.
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Jun 4, 2008 16:44
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alucinor posted:That's the answer. Rabbits use very loud body language - biting, humping, etc - for even the most mundane requests. If rabbits were people, they'd be that guy who gets right up in your personal space and talks very loudly and drinks out of your coffee mug while ignoring any subtle indications that you're uncomfortable. quote:Probably not. To a rabbit, biting is a perfectly polite way to ask for something. And thanks for the tips. I usually answer his nudging with some petting but I hadn't thought of toys yet. quote:Also: Is he neutered? If not, having that done will really reduce biting behaviors.
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Jun 4, 2008 18:56
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alucinor posted:No no NO! Frontline is definitely toxic to rabbits. Revolution (selamectin) or Advantage (imidacloprid) are the only safe flea products to use on rabbits. Good thing I don't even own any Frontline then! As far as raccoons go, I've not seen any so far this year but it doesn't mean they don't exist. Any wildlife rarely crosses the junkyard to get to the front of the property where the house is, and up until last week they had a dog. The only wildlife I observe daily are birds, mosquitoes and the occasional chipmunk. Since there are two indoor/outdoor cats as well, a lot of the naturally frolicing animals tend to stay away. The ticks are not a major concern since this is the first year I've ever seen any in the area. Honestly, I've lived in rural areas of Milwaukee my whole life and never saw ticks until now, and luckily it's just a small handful so far. I plan to say around the front of the house where nothing but a few birds have been observed(thanks to the cats) and where I'll be working in the garden. The buns will never be more than 10 feet from me and always on a lead, so I'm not worried about either one getting into something they shouldn't. I'll call up my vet this week and see what they have and figure out the proper dosage for each one.
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Jun 5, 2008 01:40
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DS at Night posted:Nope not neutered yet. Since there aren't any negative health consequences (that I know of) for a male rabbit, I wasn't in any rush to get it done as long as he wasn't being aggressive. He might be a hairy little barracuda sometimes but in some ways I think I lucked out. No territorial macho crap, very friendly, no horrible smell, and has never peed outside of his litterbox... How old is he? If he does start the territorial marking, remember that you will still probably have 6+ weeks of that after you get him neutered before the behaviors completely subside. I would go ahead and (s)nip in the bud, before it gets out of hand. Spraying rabbits are not one bit of fun. I was still finding pee months and months afterwards, not having any idea how pee could of ben sprayed there from my 2 unneutered males i fostered.
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Jun 5, 2008 03:47
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alucinor posted:The best way to do this is always give him SOMETHING when he begs - just not a treat. Keep a paper towel roll or other small toy on hand and when he starts to beg for a treat, give him the toy instead. Hell, grab anything at hand - a piece of hay, a scrap of paper, anything you can put your hands on. He won't feel ignored, but he'll slowly figure out that 9/10 times, begging gets him something boring. Ahahaha man, I just chuckled at that adorable mental image you painted there.  "Gimme a treat! I wanna treat! Treat treat treeeeeeeaaaaaaaaat!" *bitey* "Here you go, Bugsey... it's my old dissertation on William H. Rehnquist." "..."
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Jun 5, 2008 07:45
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