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What are some signs of fleas/mites? I'm not overly concerned, but I've noticed that since I've moved, whenever I feed the rabbits the two with long ears are always shaking their heads. They don't scratch, my Lop doesn't do it, and they only do it for five minutes until they start eating. I just thought it was odd. I thought that maybe they do it when I'm not watching too, but that the food/playtime distracts them so they stop. And of course, it's possible they discovered a new way to express excitement? Bagleworm fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Jul 7, 2008 |
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Jul 7, 2008 16:24
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I've just seen the actual fleas more than I've seen scratching, but I got them treated early. The head shaking doesn't necessarily sound like fleas, but it does sounds odd, though. Have they had their molars looked at recently? It could be an early sign of discomfort from molar malloclusion. It could also be ear discomfort like from mites, but you should see that at times other than dinnertime.
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Jul 7, 2008 16:41
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I just want to scream. I'm so sick of fleas. I wasted $50 on Frontline (for the kittens) and it did NOTHING. They are still infested. I also just had to get them tested for FIV/FeLV so money is a bit tight. I'm trying not to break into the credit card if I don't have to. In addition to the fleas, I just found out the kittens have tapeworms as well. Is this common in rabbits? If the rabbits get tapeworms, from the fleas, is it easy to treat? On a side kitten note, does anyone have any idea how much tapeworm pills cost? I plan on calling the vet tomorrow. I dont know if they'll be $10 or $100. My friend got some flea shampoo for her kitten and I'm thinking of borrowing it just to kill the fleas that are immediately on them, just for some itch relief. I'm just overwhelmed because my live-in boyfriend is out of town for the next 3 weeks and I work EVERY day of those 3 weeks, when will I have time to vacuum every square inch of my house and do 3 billion loads of laundry? Any advice? Words of encouragement? Let's say I buy enough Advantage for everyone - (a) How do I know how much to use on each rabbit (I'm sure this has been discussed somewhere) and (b) Do I really need to vacuum under couches, beds, etc? I have no idea how I will move that furniture. To entice responses, here are the 2 kitten culprits (Panda is the tabby, and Layla is the cow-cat).   (I know this is a rabbit thread, and this post was mostly about kittens...sorry about that)
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Jul 16, 2008 03:45
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girlscoutdropout posted:I just want to scream. I'm so sick of fleas. Did you maybe get gypped and buy fake Frontline? It's supposed to kill adult fleas on contact as well as interfere with the hatching of eggs and larvae. If you got the real stuff, my suspicion would be that one dose was insufficient and you just need to redose, because the cats got re-infected from the rabbits or from the environment. Don't you have sugar gliders too? They could even be on them and their bedding. You may need to repeat the treatment on all the animals monthly until there are no more fleas seen. I really doubt that a flea shampoo is going to be nearly as effective as a topical treatment. Many flea shampoos are actually toxic so be sure to check what brand and do your research before use. The tapeworms are a serious problem. Yes, rabbits can get them - so can you. ALL the animals need to be dewormed, and I don't know what is a safe dewormer for a rabbit. In humans it's albendazole or praziquantel. Regardless you'd have to buy it from a vet. One thing you can do to help is, lock the kittens in a small room (guest room, bathroom, or laundry room) so that the fleas are contained in that one area and there's not as much chance of transmission to the other animals. This is why quarantining new animals is always so critical. This is not something that half-measures and wistful thinking is going to help. You really need to go into that credit card and get everyone treated correctly and completely, which unfortunately means EXPENSIVELY. See a vet (or two, if your rabbit vet doesn't see cats), pay for the best monthly treatment for all the animals until no more fleas or worms are evident. I'm sorry, but no other solution is going to give you any kind of good results.
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Jul 16, 2008 15:08
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alucinor posted:Don't you have sugar gliders too? No, they now live with a lady who has more time for them  I hated having to give them up.I know you're right. I just got tapeworm medicine from the vet today called "Profender" it's a topical treatment that comes in tubes just like Frontline, etc. I know I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and spend all kinds of money.
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Jul 16, 2008 23:02
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I posted awhile ago that I was working on building my bunny an outside hutch. It's been a long time and a lot of work, but it is nearing completion. The project came about as the current hutch they had just was not big enough. As I was building the hutch I visited the local pet store to get some bedding and they had a litter of bunnies that someone had just dropped off. I was going to get my female a male from a local humane society but I figured that rescuing one from the pet store was also worthwhile. I went back to the pet store with my bunny and found her a great match, it was love at first sight and they bonded in about a week. Two bunnies and many trips to Lowe's and they are now residing in their new home. If you have any questions about building an outdoor hutch ask away. Now, to the pictures: My female, Bun-Bun:   My male, Tom:   The happy couple:  Their old hutch. Made out of PVC pipe and contained the small house seen below:  The new hutch:  The new hutch opened up. It has 2 levels of shelves with a window at the top shelf:  A happy resident:  The hutch with the run attached:  A closer look at the old hutch (ignore the half-in stake I want to consult with my dad about something before I drive it in):  A closer look at the ramp, I have some velcro that I am going to use to hold the hinges tight:  My apologies for some of the pictures being dark. I completely forgot about this thread until it was dusk. Future plans include making the top of the run more secure, painting a small section by the hutch door because rain is getting in, fixing the hinges with velcro. Not pictured is a tray that I made for ease of cleaning and keeping the cold air out in the winter. The bottom of the hutch is wire for the summer. As you can see I am not quite done, but I was just so excited that it was finally liveable by the rabbits that I couldn't resist moving them in.
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Jul 27, 2008 05:19
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So... it's an outdoor hutch? They're only there under your supervision, right? Right? 
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Jul 27, 2008 07:09
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munchies posted:My female, Bun-Bun Don't forget to get her spayed. Intact females are up to better than 80% chance of developing ovarian cancer by the time they reach 3 years old. Also, where's their hay? If you don't supplement with dried hay they'll mow that grass down to bare dirt.
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Jul 27, 2008 16:54
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Nice hutch, although do your bunnies like the bare wood on the higher levels? I imagine they'd be more comfortable jumping on carpet or any sort of textured material they can get a grip on. You've got a very pretty Mini-rex too 
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Jul 27, 2008 18:10
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Deceptor101 posted:Nice hutch, although do your bunnies like the bare wood on the higher levels? I imagine they'd be more comfortable jumping on carpet or any sort of textured material they can get a grip on. You've got a very pretty Mini-rex too I agree, and I think your bunnies would be much more comfortable in the run if you removed the wire floor. They'll enjoy the feeling of grass under their feet and this should remove the possibility of them getting wire floor-related foot injuries, like bumblefoot, thrush or swollen/sprained ankles, all of which rabbits are ridiculously prone to. While you're at it, you should bend the wires surrounding their entrance into the wooden house so that they aren't protruding. That looks dangerous and has the potential to take an eye out of a careless young bun. What measures are you taking to seal up any possible predator entry points? Unfortunately, I see a lot of flaws/gaps in your design that would make it terribly easy for a raccoon, possum, dog or cat to rip their way inside if they wanted to. Raccoons are much more intelligent at getting inside something than you may think. They're very cute little Lapins, I just want to make sure you keep them safe as houses. 
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Jul 27, 2008 18:44
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ShadowCatboy posted:So... it's an outdoor hutch? They're only there under your supervision, right? No, If I am out of town or anything my sister will take care of them. Most likely when I go back to school in January they will come with me. alucinor posted:Don't forget to get her spayed. Intact females are up to better than 80% chance of developing ovarian cancer by the time they reach 3 years old. She's been spayed. I know, It's something on the list to purchase. I tried to get some at Lowes but they only had straw. I do have a bag of dried grass, I can use that until I get a bale of hay. Deceptor101 posted:Nice hutch, although do your bunnies like the bare wood on the higher levels? I imagine they'd be more comfortable jumping on carpet or any sort of textured material they can get a grip on. You've got a very pretty Mini-rex too That reminds me, I am going to go get some burlap for that purpose today. Thanks! Captain Foxy posted:I agree, and I think your bunnies would be much more comfortable in the run if you removed the wire floor. They'll enjoy the feeling of grass under their feet and this should remove the possibility of them getting wire floor-related foot injuries, like bumblefoot, thrush or swollen/sprained ankles, all of which rabbits are ridiculously prone to. Unfortunately I can't remove the wire floor. What I can do is put straw down though. Good call about the bending the wires, YIKES! I didn't notice that. As far as predator protection, I know the roof of the run needs to have a more permanent solution. Thank you, I appreciate the criticism from everyone. I wish my bunnies could live inside but it is not my house so it is not my decision. A bit of backstory - my sister got Bun-bun about a year ago. Well I come home on summer break and the only person taking care of her is my Dad and he is just feeding her pellets once a day. I started taking care of her and bringing her inside to play every night, grew quite attached to her and began reading rabbit.org, this thread, and other rabbit related websites. I am still new to all of this so and I appreicate all the criticism because, I, like you just want them to be happy. Edit: Found an easy way to remove the majority of the wire floor. Will do that later today. munchies fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Jul 27, 2008 |
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Jul 27, 2008 19:31
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I have a couple questions about my rabbit: 1. After reading the thread I got the impression that the yogurt drops and sunflower seeds are not good for rabbits. Mine absolutely loves yogurt drops, he goes into a sniffing frenzy if you just shake the box. Should I stop giving them to him altogether or is 3-4 week ok? Same with the sunflower seeds, I dont use them as a staple of his diet, just as treats. Similarly sometimes we give, or he steals, a cracker or cheerios or something, any problem there? 2. I see people giving rabbits baby keys and detergent caps, I have given mine some toys like plastic easter egg halves but they get significantly chewed. I can't really tell if he just chews or eats it but is it normal or something to worry about? 3. If he comes up and starts licking me I understand he wants to be petted. He also reciprocates if I pet him first. Does the order this happens show any sign of who he thinks is dominant? He mostly comes to lick me when I come down to him first, and follows me around the house. 4. I see rabbits really like willow balls, would branches of a regular willow tree be safe? I want to make sure its the same thing. 5. He was not neutered, and by the time we thought of it he was rather old and had no behavior problems. He isnt agressive, loves to dig but only outside to roll in, doesn't spray, knows whats his territory, ect. He is now 10 is there any problem with this now? I read females get cancer but the thing with males seems to be more for behavior. 6. Any tips for a place for him to dig indoors/on a deck that wont make a huge mess? A high walled container would work but then he really cant get out. 7. People mentioned something with sandpaper for wearing nails? Can I get details on that? Thanks
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Aug 11, 2008 17:12
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CampingCarl posted:I have a couple questions about my rabbit: 1. Typically yes, both of these things are considered BAD. Yogurt contains lactose, and rabbits are naturally lactose intolerant. It can lead to serious GI issues; the reason rabbits love them is that they are also high in sugars. Sunflower seeds are SO high in fat, that having them as an important part of the diet can lead to obesity. Personally, I would recommend discontinuing both treats completely and switching to crasins (dried cranberries) which are sweet enough to satisfy his munchies, but don't have the potential ill effects. If you can't bear to part with both, ditch the yogurt. You never know when it'll cause problems, but obesity is pretty easy to see. 2. Rabbits do love to chew things. Soft plastics are preferable to hard plastics (the former can be gouged with a knife, the latter will shatter if cut). MOSTLY, rabbits do not ingest plastic, but you should remove the toy if you think this is what he's doing. Other good chewing toys are grass mats, cardboard boxes, phone books, and toilet paper rolls. 3. Licking is mostly a stimulus. It means "hey, lick me back". Typically, only more dominant animals will do it, because a submissive isn't about to tell his boss what to do. However, I have seen plenty of submissive rabbits do it too, so it's not 100% in either way. 4. Not unless you are 100% sure that they have not been exposed to pesticides or fertilizer, and what species of willow it is (some may be dangerous, and I don't know which is which). Personally, I wouldn't risk it. Now, if you can find an organic, no-pesticide apple orchard where the owner would let you steal some trimmings, apple branches are the BOMB. 5. Intact males can certainly get cancers (surprisingly, mammary cancers are high on that list) but yes, not as often as females. If you are not having any behavioral issues, you may not feel that the risk of sedation in a senior is worth the reduced risk of cancer. It depends on your own risk assessment and your vet's expertise with sedating and performing surgery on a senior animal. I did neuter an 8 year old (who already had mammary tumors) and we got four wonderful more years out of him. 6. You may be surprised at how high he can jump to get in and out if there is any motivation for him. Get a LARGE, deep rubbermaid container (18" or more deep, 18" wide by 30" or so long). Cut a "door" about 6" deep and 8" wide up near the top. Place a cinderbrick on both the inside and outside of the door to act as steps. Place shredded paper, hay, and pellet bedding like yesterday's news inside as a digging substrate. Throw some veggies in there and he'll soon get the idea. 8. Not sandpaper. If you place rough cement paving stones or bricks in areas where he frequently stands (like under the the water dish, or under the substrate in the digging box) you may get some appreciable wear, but it'll probably be uneven and you'll still need to trim or file the remaining nails manually.
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Aug 11, 2008 17:31
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I'm currently visiting my father in Argentina. Shortly after I arrived they bought an adorable little white rabbit who would sleep inside every night and just nibble grass/flowers/vegetables all day while hanging out with us in the garden. The third day after we got him he would leap out of hiding in front of my feet as I was walking by and put his paws on my foot and start licking me. Him drenching me in bunny saliva became a ritual whenever I saw him as I just couldn't resist the little poofball. SAD ENDING: My father just walked in the door and told me his idiot wife left the bunny in a cage outside last night, even though they have had chickens killed within that cage overnight and their last rabbit died being left out overnight, not to mention me telling them they needed to keep him inside. Turns out last night Jimmy the white rabbit was decapitated by this feral cat that keeps killing people's animals. Now I have to keep in mind that she is just a dumb 25 year old Argentinian country girl but God drat I want to choke a bitch. retpocileh fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Apr 4, 2016 |
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Aug 12, 2008 15:05
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Well Alucinor as long as you're answering questions... My rabbit doesn't play with things so much as eat them. He'll eat anything. Willow balls, cardboard, paper. If I give him a phone book to play with and he ends up eating the whole thing, do I need to worry about glue or ink being bad for him? Or can rabbits digest those things easily?
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Aug 12, 2008 15:13
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DS at Night posted:Well Alucinor as long as you're answering questions... I have no other hobbies. DS at Night posted:My rabbit doesn't play with things so much as eat them. He'll eat anything. Willow balls, cardboard, paper. If I give him a phone book to play with and he ends up eating the whole thing, do I need to worry about glue or ink being bad for him? Or can rabbits digest those things easily? Are you sure he's really ingesting a significant amount, or is he eating a stray piece now and then, and the rest is just being shredded? Are you able to see him swallow everything he "eats", or is he taking it into his mouth, giving it a good long chew, then dropping it in favor of another piece? How long as he done this? As long as you have had him, or has it gotten worse lately? If it's worsening, there may be some underlying cause - maybe he isn't getting enough long-stem fiber and is looking for replacements, or maybe his teeth are bothering him. Never hurts to throw a vet visit into the mix here. While these items *can* be digested to some extent, you don't want a huge amount entering the rabbit and causing a blockage or toxicity from glues. Rabbit.org recommends removing any toy which is being significantly ingested. Untreated willow balls, grass mats, etc, can be considered an exception because technically that's pure plant matter and it's ok if he eats it. If you do feel that he's actually swallowing a lot of these items, I would do three things: 1) replace phone books and cardboard boxes with safer items (community newspapers and cereal etc boxes from the health food store, both of which are often printed in soy ink and contain safe/no glues; 2) Increase the number of truly safe toys (grass mats and willow balls) to distract him from the less-desirable options; 3) Work on creating foraging toys which encourage him to eat hay while he plays. Stuff his boxes and willow balls with hay; give him a digging box which is just a box 18" deep in hay; buy different kinds of hay (bluegrass, timothy, orchard, and oat grass are all good for adult rabbits) and put small amounts of different kinds in different toys. You can even get creative with other edibles: organic, pesticide-free apple twigs and branches are fantastic. You can weave them in and out of the bars of his pen to form a living, edible wall. You can dry bunches of fragrant herbs (basil, mint, dill, parsley, cilantro) and give him the whole stemmy bunch inside a toy, or just loose to toss and destroy. The whole idea of this is to teach him that hay is yummy and the point of toys is to get hay to eat. This is similar to the misdirection you do with birds who over-preen - you FILL their cage with preening toys so that they have more opportunity to preen a toy than themselves. Good luck!
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Aug 12, 2008 15:46
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Well first of all he definitely eats things and doesn't just chew them. If I leave a cardboard box on the floor it'll be completely gone in a day or two and there'll only be one or two slivers of it left. I've seen long pieces of whatever he deems edible disappearing into his mouth, and not being spat out later. He's pretty much done this for as long as I've known him, which was a year ago when I got him at the age of 7 weeks. During a recent trip to the vet I had his teeth checked to be sure and there's nothing wrong with those. As far as fiber goes, I don't think there's a problem there. And he already eats massive amounts of hay. To be honest I suspect it's his ultimate expression of destruction. Bunny annihilation. It just won't do to eat my curtains or dig holes in my carpet, oh no. It has to be ingested. The problem is that he's just not that smart. Thanks for the tips though. I've been keeping him away from large things to eat (but willow balls and cardboard boxes with no glue or ink are fine I presume), haven't given him phone books yet. I just wondered if this is something all rabbits do. I guess not.
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Aug 12, 2008 20:00
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DS at Night posted:Well first of all he definitely eats things and doesn't just chew them. If I leave a cardboard box on the floor it'll be completely gone in a day or two and there'll only be one or two slivers of it left. I've seen long pieces of whatever he deems edible disappearing into his mouth, and not being spat out later. Don't worry, your bunny isn't TOO weird. Mine does the same thing. If she can't ingest it, she wants no part of it. She's pretty cuddly, but is absolutely not into playing. Her playtime is always just digging or chewing... or humping our middle cat. She likes that sometimes.
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Aug 12, 2008 22:01
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Finally some shots of Momo! Click here for the full 700x467 image. Hiding on my bed.  Click here for the full 700x591 image. So utterly cute. He scored some huge brownie points with my mom by hopping over to her to get pet. He usually ignores her.
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Aug 17, 2008 23:38
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So a woman up the street from us recently had one of her bunnies give birth. We plan on taking 2 of the baby bunnies from her so they always have company as we are keeping them outside in a hutch. The woman will be helping us build the hutch and will supply most of the food and stuff. I will be wanting to bring the bunnies inside with us a lot of the time though, is this going to be a problem? Will they feel uncomfortable because I'm taking them out of the hutch and inside with me or will the eventually feel comfortable with both places? Also if they start getting attached to being inside with us will they become upset when put outside in their hutch or should they be ok?
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Aug 18, 2008 18:15
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Jaros posted:So a woman up the street from us recently had one of her bunnies give birth. We plan on taking 2 of the baby bunnies from her so they always have company as we are keeping them outside in a hutch. The woman will be helping us build the hutch and will supply most of the food and stuff. I will be wanting to bring the bunnies inside with us a lot of the time though, is this going to be a problem? Will they feel uncomfortable because I'm taking them out of the hutch and inside with me or will the eventually feel comfortable with both places? Also if they start getting attached to being inside with us will they become upset when put outside in their hutch or should they be ok? Outdoor hutches are little execution boxes for bunnies. If a raccoon or cat pounces at the wire mesh or leaps onto the top, the bunnies can get spooked and die from the shock.
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Aug 18, 2008 18:21
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Jaros posted:We plan on taking 2 of the baby bunnies 1. Get them vetted and spayed/neutered ASAP (around 4 months). This will improve litterbox usage, reduce destructiveness, prevent them from killing one another in a territorial battle when they hit puberty, and of course, eliminate more unwanted rabbits. 2. ShadowCatBoy is perfectly right. Keep them indoors, their lifespan will go from 1-3 years to 8-12 years. See the House Rabbit Society for a FAQ of everything you'll need to know. You can also hit the ? under my post for a vomitous amount of information on care, including photos of good indoor cages that you can make for under $30.
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Aug 18, 2008 18:28
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alucinor posted:1. Get them vetted and spayed/neutered ASAP (around 4 months). This will improve litterbox usage, reduce destructiveness, prevent them from killing one another in a territorial battle when they hit puberty, and of course, eliminate more unwanted rabbits. The problem with an inside cage is space. The cage we would get the would have to be quite small as there isn't much free space left in places where we wouldn't mind placing the rabbit cage. Is it ok to sacrifice a bit of cage space if we plan on letting the out most of the day? With the way our schedules are there is almost always someone home so supervision of the bunnies is no problem.
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Aug 18, 2008 21:46
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Jaros posted:Is it ok to sacrifice a bit of cage space if we plan on letting the out most of the day? With the way our schedules are there is almost always someone home so supervision of the bunnies is no problem. Both no, and yes. The cage DEFINITELY needs to be at least 2'x4'. And you have to measure the usable floor dimensions, NOT the top dimensions. There are almost no pet store cages this large, and they all tend to have smaller floors than lids, which is useless for the poor rabbit. The key thing is that there needs to be room for a large litterbox, a hidybox, the dishes, and still room for both rabbits to flop out on the floor. I really would not go smaller than that, because smaller cages make for worse litterbox habits and more cage aggression. Once these bad traits are learned they are hard to unlearn. That's still technically too small for a pair, but if they really are out MOST of the day (like 8 hours plus) AND they are both altered, it might be doable. A good idea in your situation would be to get a dog exercise pen. It can be folded down to about 2'x4', but then opened up to 4'x4' (or even bigger, if you connect two together) whenever you are not home or are asleep. You can also build a similar folding cage out of those grids. In that case, 2 grids by 3 grids is 28"x42" (7.5 square feet) which is adequate, again if you're able to give them plenty of time out or 8 hours + in an enlarged space. If you cannot provide even that small amount of space, please reconsider getting rabbits. Remember, these are animals who evolved to run around ALL THE TIME, across acres of land. Those 18"x30" cages in the petstore are pathetically small. I have never seen a rabbit housed happily in one of those, only ones with a variety of horrible vices.
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Aug 18, 2008 22:36
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alucinor posted:Both no, and yes. The cage DEFINITELY needs to be at least 2'x4'. And you have to measure the usable floor dimensions, NOT the top dimensions. There are almost no pet store cages this large, and they all tend to have smaller floors than lids, which is useless for the poor rabbit. The key thing is that there needs to be room for a large litterbox, a hidybox, the dishes, and still room for both rabbits to flop out on the floor. I really would not go smaller than that, because smaller cages make for worse litterbox habits and more cage aggression. Once these bad traits are learned they are hard to unlearn. Thanks for all the advice. It looks like we'll be building a cage out of some type of grid. I've measured out a space and whatever we do is going to be roughly 6'x3' with a possible second floor.
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Aug 18, 2008 23:12
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Zen is finally possibly getting a boyfriend! I just got in touch with a shelter in Manhattan that has some boy bunnies and Zen gets her first speed dating session this Thursday. I'm popping out to the pet store tomorrow for another litter box, more litter and hay, piles of toys, etc. Also I need to build a second part to the pen. I'm horribly nervous about the bonding process, especially since Zen is such a princess and has been spoiled rotten. :/ Zen's current pen is about 30" x 30" (with half a 2nd floor) and I'm going to make an identical one right next to it for the friend. After the bonding happens (*crosses fingers*) is the combined size enough for the two buns?
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Aug 18, 2008 23:53
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Does anyone have actual, direct experience with bunnies and skunks? I have 4 skunks right now. I have found 2 bunnies that need rescue near me and I want to do something for them. The House Bunny rescue in my area (NE Florida) already has a ton of bunnies and if I could do anything for the the ones I found it would be great. I would like to do something for them if I can, one of the best pets I ever had was a Lop I had when I was little.
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Aug 19, 2008 05:35
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I'm gonna go out on a bit of a limb and say most of us are going "Skunks?" I personally wouldn't even know where to begin, although my only knowledge of their temperament is from wild ones...
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Aug 19, 2008 08:11
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Pipkin posted:Does anyone have actual, direct experience with bunnies and skunks? I don't have direct experience, as in, I have never personally owned skunks, but the wildlife center where I used to volunteer kept the skunks and rabbits in separate rooms. I was told it was for the same reason that you have to keep ferrets and rabbits separate - the predator scent causes a stress reaction in the rabbits, even if no threat is ever forthcoming. If you could keep them in separate areas of the house, it might be possible. I'm sure the HRS chapter will be able to offer an opinion.
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Aug 19, 2008 14:46
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Pipkin posted:Does anyone have actual, direct experience with bunnies and skunks? I have 4 skunks right now. I have found 2 bunnies that need rescue near me and I want to do something for them. The House Bunny rescue in my area (NE Florida) already has a ton of bunnies and if I could do anything for the the ones I found it would be great. I would like to do something for them if I can, one of the best pets I ever had was a Lop I had when I was little. I'm not entirely sure about this but I think a skunk would happily eat a rabbit in the wild, so you might have to take some severe separating measures. The biggest problem I can forsee is (as alucinor mentioned) the smell of predator terrifying the rabbits, and that could actually lead to heart attacks, so it may just be a better idea to not adopt the bunnies. How much space do you have where you live? Can you safely and fairly separate the rabbits from the skunks? Good on you for wanting to rescue, though. I know how tempting that is, even when you know you shouldn't.
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Aug 19, 2008 14:56
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Captain Foxy posted:I'm not entirely sure about this but I think a skunk would happily eat a rabbit in the wild, so you might have to take some severe separating measures. The biggest problem I can forsee is (as alucinor mentioned) the smell of predator terrifying the rabbits, and that could actually lead to heart attacks, so it may just be a better idea to not adopt the bunnies. How much space do you have where you live? Can you safely and fairly separate the rabbits from the skunks? Thanks for the tips guys. My house is big enough that I could keep them separate but I wouldnt want to. Id rather let them all have the run of the house so they all get the attention they would want. I cant help but want to rescue, did it with ferrets for years and all my skunks except for my baby are rescues. Poor bunnies, I really wanted to save them
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Aug 19, 2008 20:32
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ShadowCatboy posted:Outdoor hutches are little execution boxes for bunnies. If a raccoon or cat pounces at the wire mesh or leaps onto the top, the bunnies can get spooked and die from the shock. I lost my first rabbit (Gareth) to this, as we had an outdoor hutch and a fox scared it so much it died from shock. I don't know why we didn't keep him in the garage...but I was only 8. Edit: Actually I had been meaning to post in this thread for a while with a request for advice. We're in the process of selling our house and moving. The knock-on effect of this is that we have a rabbit which will have to move with us. What recommendations do people have for moving a rabbit? Where he is is going is about a 2.5 hour drive away. Is he going to cope with this or should we look into getting him rehomed? shmee fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Aug 22, 2008 |
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Aug 22, 2008 17:57
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shmee posted:What recommendations do people have for moving a rabbit? Where he is is going is about a 2.5 hour drive away. Is he going to cope with this or should we look into getting him rehomed? I moved 10 rabbits halfway across the country with no problem. He'll be perfectly fine. Get a hard-shelled carrier to transport him in. Make sure you keep him cool during the drive, and don't leave him in a hot car even for a moment. Set up his cage in the new house in the same configuration as in the current house, and be prepared for territorial poops outside the cage as he gets accustomed to the new room, this will dissipate in a week or so. Make sure to adequately rabbit-proof the new room. Re-homing him would be far more stressful than moving with family and furniture he knows.
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Aug 22, 2008 19:18
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alucinor posted:I moved 10 rabbits halfway across the country with no problem. He'll be perfectly fine. That's great to hear. Once moved he'll have a larger area to live in so I think he'll be perfectly happy once he gets there, I was just stressing about the travel from one area to another. Thanks for the advice I'll make sure I follow it.
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Aug 22, 2008 20:37
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Hyzenthlay + Frith, bonding day 1. I adopted Frith yesterday from a rescue here in Manhattan -- there were two boys Zen got to meet but the handler and I agreed the one I chose looked to have a much better chance. Zen, post bonding, looking thoroughly pissed off:  Frith, post bonding, happily finishing the carrot I tried to use as a peace measure:  It's been one day and I'm already a little discouraged. Zen is SUCH a princess. It was actually a bit funny to see her entire attitude and posture was pretty much what would happen if someone less than perfect came up to some chick who thought WAY highly of herself: she moved to the far corner of the bonding area (the kitchen, penned off) and looked prim and faced away.Except for the moments Frith came over to say hello and Zen attacked. She's half his size and way more dominant. Which Frith is okay with. But she's so used to being the only bunny of the house I think she's really upset that my attention is divided. She's also really upset that I accidentally whopped her over the nose with my sandal in an attempt to separate them with minimal harm to either; I was just trying to wedge them apart and I guess I was a little more forceful than necessary. I have two identical (mirror image, rather) pens right next to each other and I did the first switch... and Zen somehow weaseled out of hers because I hadn't closed the door properly and tried to go back to the one she'd been in. Luckily I hadn't put Frith in yet. They look so cute together and Frith is soooo willing to be friends, Zen is just being queen bitch. I guess it's my fault, I've spoiled her rotten all this time.
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Aug 22, 2008 23:06
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Don't give up. It took me 3 months to bond Portia and Ender. Ender is like a prissy man bunny who thinks his people should only be around to serve him. That's good that the male is wiling to be submissive, a large part of my problem in bonding was that they both wanted to be dominant. They actually just got in a fight last night and feelings were hurt, but by the time I went to bed Portia was grooming Ender so that he would spot being such a bitch  They'll work something out, it just takes time and space for the bunnies to get to know each other
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Aug 23, 2008 00:33
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I have some weirdo buns when it came to bonding. Momiji was fixed, but Cowslip wasn't, and I only found out Cowslip was a male when pulling "her" from Momo in what I thought was a dominance hump. No, it was a Sex You Up one, and there was the rabbit penis. Whoops. But they never fought once. I intro'd them in the living room, kept Cowslip in a cage when I was not home (Mo had free run of the house), and when I came home and let them together, Mo might try a half-hearted hump, and then they'd just sit and eat or run around. It's cute now to see Cowslip, twice the size of Mo, be the "boss bunny" and clean Momo, but I think Mo's the boss in reality; he eats first and gets the toys first, always.
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Aug 23, 2008 03:42
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It's not even Zen wants to be dominant, Zen wants to be the only bunny. :/ I have a quick concern: Zen is eating a lot less since this 'ordeal' has begun, and I'm worried. She goes eat enough hay I think to be not starving, but she barely picks at her veggies and I'm concerned she'd not getting her vitamins. I've pulled out her favorites too, and she just takes a bite or two. Also, that whole thing about putting their food bowls opposite each other in the pens so they can make eating a social activity doesn't work with Zen. She pulls out the piece of carrot she wants and hauls it off to the other side of the pen.
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Aug 23, 2008 18:44
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angelicism posted:It's not even Zen wants to be dominant, Zen wants to be the only bunny. :/ Pretty normal. She's just sulking, I wouldn't worry too much as long as she's still eating something. Mine go through fazes where they're eating us out of house and home and then they hardly touch their hay. I think it's normal, just like humans
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Aug 23, 2008 19:53
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| # ? May 14, 2024 11:58 |
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How much in terms of volume does a single bunny eat in a week? A bundle of celery and two carrots? A whole head of green lettuce? I'm just trying to estimate food costs comparing this to what I see in the market.
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Aug 23, 2008 20:05
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