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Finally made some real progress today and just wanted to share.  All of the bunny encounters so far have ended with Gil trying to take Bear's head off after a few minutes of being civil. Today, I slapped on their leashes and harnesses and put them in the livingroom together. Gil was tethered, so he could only come so close to me, and I was holding onto Bear's leash so I could have better control over their contact. I put a pile of hay and veggies in between them and let them munch together, just a few inches from being able to actually touch. Gil put his ears back once, but I gave him pets and he calmed down and continued munching. They did this for about 15 minutes before getting fairly bored so I moved to step two. I held Gil while my boyfriend held Bear. I kept Gil in my lap and petted him while Bear gave him some sniffs, as Gil is always the one to instigate the fighting. I must have given them 400 treats each, and every few minutes convinced them to inch a little closer. Eventually I got this...  They did so awesome.  Gil didn't show any aggression at all (I'm sure the treats helped), even when I removed my hand from near his head just in case he tried anything. They just hung out, munched on treats, and looked sleepy. I left them like this for about 15 minutes and then put them to bed in their own cages. I don't want to push my luck.  Oh, that's Gil on the left and Bear on the right. My little guys.
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Oct 3, 2009 05:12
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pseudonordic posted:Got in our 5 lb. order of Kleen Mama hay and the bun LOVES it! She just hung out in her cage, chomping on some hay. Even with the ridiculous UPS shipping charges, it's still cheaper per pound than Oxbow! Just saw this post and wanted to ask. Is this some of the best hay you can get? I checked their prices, and while shipping is retarded ($42 for a $25 order), it's still significantly cheaper than purchasing at the store, and I'm all for better quality.The largest they offer right now is a 45 lb. box of timothy. I don't know anything about storing hay, and the largest bag I've gotten so far is 6 lb. I'd prefer to get the 45 lb. box as it's cheaper in the long run, but how long can hay be stored for? It would be kept indoors so moisture isn't an issue, but I'm wondering if this is overkill for two small-ish bunnies. $67 for not having to buy hay for a looong time would be way worth it, though. Oh, and just how large is one of these boxes? The 6 lb. bag is pretty large so I assume I'll need to find some space for a 45 lb. box. Thanks.  Edit: While I'm at it, how are their pellets? I may as well get both if they're awesome quality. Mine are currently halfway through the switching process to Oxbow. Advice on if it's possible to store 50 lb. of pellets properly would be appreciated as well. May as well get the biggest. Megalodon fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Oct 3, 2009 |
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Oct 3, 2009 05:31
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Once I put mine on Oxbow they snubbed everything else.
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Oct 3, 2009 07:56
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We've been putting our two together in the bathtub periodically to see how this bonding is going to go...Milly knows she's top bun, she doesn't question it. Andy...he thinks he can put up a fight and she'll relent. He's nipped at her a few times, and took out a hunk of fur once (no one hurt). Today GoodApollo swears he heard Andy grunt at Milly, so we separated them. Things are okay, otherwise...I just don't get Andy's body language. Then again, he might still have terrible boy hormones in him, so we're taking it slowly. 
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Oct 3, 2009 10:50
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I need to rehome one of my bunnies if anyone in central california is interested. My dwarf, Remmy, has recently started fighting with the other bunnies for reasons unknown. If he's by himself he loves to just sit with you for hours though.
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Oct 3, 2009 20:51
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Levitate posted:My bunny has gone on a serious couch licking rampage lately Frith used to lick at my sheets. I'd be lying there and he'd be snuggling, and I'll roll over to a gigantic wet spot. That was hilariously awkward to explain the first time my roomie saw it.  "Nah, I didn't have someone over, it was Frith, seriously!"
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Oct 3, 2009 21:33
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angelicism posted:Frith used to lick at my sheets. I'd be lying there and he'd be snuggling, and I'll roll over to a gigantic wet spot. That was hilariously awkward to explain the first time my roomie saw it. I think he just discovered the couch and realized he likes sitting up there, and that microfibre stuff is soft. I just got back from a walk and he was sitting up there, surrounded by wet spots ah well, I think it makes him happy
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Oct 4, 2009 00:10
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I'm thinking about picking up some rabbits. I'm hoping to get two, but I was just wondering if rabbits from the same litter get along better than ones from different litters. The ones i'm looking at are Mini Rexes if that makes any difference.
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Oct 4, 2009 17:01
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They tend to, yes. I've read it's easiest to get a brother and sister, but littermates in general tend to bond easily in comparison to trying to bond two strangers. Make sure to get them both fixed, regardless.
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Oct 5, 2009 02:20
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Shedding and butt tufts, oh boy, it's the autumn season and shedding season numero dos!  God how I wish I could just do this to my rabbits during their shedding times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut-LJaglrkM
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Oct 5, 2009 17:08
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Fenarisk posted:Shedding and butt tufts, oh boy, it's the autumn season and shedding season numero dos! Murphy hopped in front of the shop-vac once and got his butt stuck. I swear I almost lost him down the hose. Now he actually stays out of the pen when I clean instead of sneaking back in. Luckily he started shedding early and is almost done!
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Oct 5, 2009 17:16
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Fenarisk posted:Shedding and butt tufts, oh boy, it's the autumn season and shedding season numero dos! Holy poo poo I want to be able to do that to my buns. I don't think they'd be happy with it though...
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Oct 5, 2009 18:04
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Fenarisk posted:Shedding and butt tufts, oh boy, it's the autumn season and shedding season numero dos! Mine would loose it but man, I wish I could do that
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Oct 6, 2009 02:57
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Maybe somebody can help explain this or give me advice as to what to do. Godewyn and Eowyn have been bonded for a few months, but Godewyn hasn't really given up on mounting her occasionally. I was guessing this is due to him being three years old when he was neutered, so it's a leftover instinct. He doesn't do it constantly, fortunately. But this morning I caught Eowyn frantically mounting Godewyn. And it appears as though Godewyn has been pulling Eowyn's fur since there are tufts of white around their pen. And the last two days they have been doing the circle-chase thing in their pen until I break it up. They haven't done that when out of their pen though. I don't really know what is going on or if there is anything I can do to change this behavior because it doesn't seem like a good thing.
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Oct 6, 2009 19:14
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justFaye posted:Maybe somebody can help explain this or give me advice as to what to do. Godewyn and Eowyn have been bonded for a few months, but Godewyn hasn't really given up on mounting her occasionally. I was guessing this is due to him being three years old when he was neutered, so it's a leftover instinct. He doesn't do it constantly, fortunately. But this morning I caught Eowyn frantically mounting Godewyn. And it appears as though Godewyn has been pulling Eowyn's fur since there are tufts of white around their pen. And the last two days they have been doing the circle-chase thing in their pen until I break it up. They haven't done that when out of their pen though. My two got in a huge fight about a year after they had been bonded. I find some things trigger it, the biggest being a lack of food or food they don't like. I keep the hay stocked at all times and make sure their green schedule is on time as much as possible. Break it up if you see it again and try to discourage it. Are they both fixed?
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Oct 6, 2009 23:23
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Bunway Airlines posted:My two got in a huge fight about a year after they had been bonded. I find some things trigger it, the biggest being a lack of food or food they don't like. I keep the hay stocked at all times and make sure their green schedule is on time as much as possible. Break it up if you see it again and try to discourage it. Are they both fixed? Yeah they are both fixed, and they had plenty of hay. It was in the morning right before they get their breakfast of pellets, so maybe that was the trigger? As soon as I put the food in (after breaking them up) they went to eating and didn't fight again (at least in the time before I went to work). The only times I've seen them fight (which have only been the last two days), it's been in the morning right before breakfast.
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Oct 7, 2009 01:53
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I've been thinking about keeping finches and I was wondering if anyone has experience with bunnies and birds living together. My bunny is not always the smartest when it comes to eating random things found on the floor, and I'm wondering if the possible flung bits of food and/or poo would be harmful if he decided to sample them. Also, I apologize if this is a really stupid question that nobody ponders or if it's been answered and I just fail at searching. Also, since I believe photos are always required, here is one of Pom destroying a beautiful paper bag: 
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Oct 7, 2009 05:10
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rushivywithglocks posted:I've been thinking about keeping finches and I was wondering if anyone has experience with bunnies and birds living together. My bunny is not always the smartest when it comes to eating random things found on the floor, and I'm wondering if the possible flung bits of food and/or poo would be harmful if he decided to sample them. Also, I apologize if this is a really stupid question that nobody ponders or if it's been answered and I just fail at searching. We have free range cockatiels and budgies (and a java finch) in our living room along with our rabbit. When Finn is out during the day, he likes to cruise around under the birds' areas and eat whatever seed they have flung around. We usually vacuum before letting him out so that he doesn't get much since seeds are fatty. It shouldn't be a problem so long as you keep things cleaned up. We haven't had a problem with the birds and bun getting along and they like to share greens when we put them out. Tori wanted to see what was in the bag....we didn't get a pic of when they both went in from opposite ends, though. Excuse the bunny toys all over the floor  
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Oct 7, 2009 11:36
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justFaye posted:Maybe somebody can help explain this or give me advice as to what to do. Godewyn and Eowyn have been bonded for a few months, but Godewyn hasn't really given up on mounting her occasionally. I was guessing this is due to him being three years old when he was neutered, so it's a leftover instinct. He doesn't do it constantly, fortunately. But this morning I caught Eowyn frantically mounting Godewyn. And it appears as though Godewyn has been pulling Eowyn's fur since there are tufts of white around their pen. And the last two days they have been doing the circle-chase thing in their pen until I break it up. They haven't done that when out of their pen though. When I had a bonded pair they would do that from time to time. I don't know what kind of setup you have or how much you let them free run, but anytime it happened for me I'd start letting them have bigger exercise areas/more time out and it went a long way toward curbing aggression.
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Oct 8, 2009 02:05
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justFaye posted:Yeah they are both fixed, and they had plenty of hay. It was in the morning right before they get their breakfast of pellets, so maybe that was the trigger? As soon as I put the food in (after breaking them up) they went to eating and didn't fight again (at least in the time before I went to work). The only times I've seen them fight (which have only been the last two days), it's been in the morning right before breakfast. Yeah mine do the same. They get way to excited about food, Portia starts getting angry and eventually if it escalates they bite each other. I just hold her down when I'm feeding and then Ender doesn't get excited.
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Oct 8, 2009 04:09
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I've just started volunteering in my local SPCA's exotics department, AKA "room full of unwanted rabbits". The buns are pretty well cared for by shelter standards, I think, but they definitely seem to be lacking vegetables most of the time. The SPCA's really underfunded, and the rabbits apparently only get vegetables when a volunteer brings them in. And we're all crazy animal ladies who already own more animals than we can afford. However, Montreal is a city full of fruit and vegetable markets, including two that would be maybe a five minute detour on foot during my trip between my apartment and the SPCA. I am hoping that at least one of the owners of the markets would be willing to contribute stuff they would otherwise get rid of - maybe beet, carrot, and radish tops? Anyway, what do you guys think of this idea? Any other suggestions on what I should ask for?
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Oct 9, 2009 06:53
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maplecheese posted:I am hoping that at least one of the owners of the markets would be willing to contribute stuff they would otherwise get rid of - maybe beet, carrot, and radish tops? Anyway, what do you guys think of this idea? Any other suggestions on what I should ask for? I think it's a good idea. I actually was shopping at the farmers market (just for us) and a woman in front of me bought some carrots and asked for the tops to be removed, so I just asked the guy at the stand if I could have them and he just gave them to me without questions. So I think it's quite possible that they would be okay with this, especially if you say it's for an animal shelter (good cause and all).
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Oct 9, 2009 07:10
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maplecheese posted:Anyway, what do you guys think of this idea? Any other suggestions on what I should ask for? It's a fine idea, this is actually how I'm able to keep my herd in veggies without going ever deeper into debt. I get about 100lbs of veggies from Whole Foods every week, however, it's hit and miss. Some weeks it's 100lbs of perfect romaine and bell peppers, some weeks it's 3 heads of wilty red leaf and 90lbs of onions.  Since you don't want to risk causing any any health issues that would cost the SPCA money, I'd go conservative. If it were me I would feed primarily romaine lettuce; it has the necessary vitamin A, but no issues with oxalates and a good Ca:P ratio. I would avoid all cruciferous veggies, which is a huge number of bunny favorites, unfortunately. While nutritious and safe, especially in small amounts, they often lead to increased gas production and this means potential GI upset in rabbits who already have undetected GI issues. Avoiding this class of veggies would help reduce the risk of causing GI upset and subsequent healthcare costs. However, another issue is that if a shelter feeds a nice wide variety of foods, the rabbits aren't going to appear as "picky eaters" when they get home, and end up without veggies at all because the owner thought the bunny just didn't like veggies. So the other alternative is to offer very small amounts of other veggies and just keep your fingers crossed...
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Oct 9, 2009 15:03
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Well it's been two weeks since any fighting has occured when Sprout and Dodger are in the living room. They eat together, lounge close to each other, and even groom each other a few times in the 4-5 hour period they have to run around, the living room all their own. Oh what's this? Dodger snuck into the bedroom where Sprout is during the day as I'm getting them ready to go into their cages at night? That's fine he just wants to explore  Oh well, guess now is as good a time as any to see if they can stay in the bedroom together without Sprout getting territorial, there goes Dodger under the bed where Sprout is! Oh I think I hear running...  Oh Sprout just hissed and tore a huge chunk of fur from Dodgers butt  Aw poo poo they're growling and fighting hardcore under the bed now and I have to get under there, move the storage boxes, and break it up before someone gets hurt Fuckin' buns.
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Oct 9, 2009 15:52
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Fenarisk posted:Well it's been two weeks since any fighting has occured when Sprout and Dodger are in the living room. They eat together, lounge close to each other, and even groom each other a few times in the 4-5 hour period they have to run around, the living room all their own. Yep, they're assholes. Sorry about that. Give them a few days to chill before you try again, they really hold grudges. Veggie donations is how our local shelter does it. Local farms might be more willing than actual grocery stores to give you surplus.
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Oct 9, 2009 19:50
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maplecheese posted:However, Montreal is a city full of fruit and vegetable markets, including two that would be maybe a five minute detour on foot during my trip between my apartment and the SPCA. I am hoping that at least one of the owners of the markets would be willing to contribute stuff they would otherwise get rid of - maybe beet, carrot, and radish tops? Anyway, what do you guys think of this idea? Any other suggestions on what I should ask for? This is an awesome idea. I also suggest you take hot-out-of-the-oven cookies for the workers each time you pick up veggies, to show some appreciation. Pretty soon, they may start taking some liberties with the veggies that are "off" and end up in your bag, and your rabbits might end up eating prime veggies, while the local yuppies end up with the slightly discolored kale.
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Oct 9, 2009 21:53
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Peristalsis posted:This is an awesome idea. I also suggest you take hot-out-of-the-oven cookies for the workers each time you pick up veggies, to show some appreciation. Pretty soon, they may start taking some liberties with the veggies that are "off" and end up in your bag, and your rabbits might end up eating prime veggies, while the local yuppies end up with the slightly discolored kale. I am sure there are yuppie fruiteries somewhere in Montreal, but they sure aren't in my part of town. The ones here are extremely working-class. (That's why Montrealers are trés sexy despite drinking beer and eating poutine - people actually eat fresh vegetables) That means that there are no stupid corporate policies about not giving away the vegetables, but also that the people you have to convince to give stuff away is probably an Indian family or an old Greek grandma whose only income is selling vegetables at that store. Anyway, I think I'll talk to the SPCA exotics coordinator and see if she has any tips. ...Or just scrape together a buck and BUY two heads of romaine before my volunteer shift, it's not like the stuff's expensive.
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Oct 9, 2009 22:56
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For those who haven't taken the plunge yet, get a furminator. Do it. On amazon it ends up being about $19 shipped and dear god it works well. I've had 3 $7 brushes that just refuse to work well on Annie (who is a mini rex) because her fur is too short. The furminator works on long and short, it's fantastic. Recently, as it's shedding season, I'd resorted to using a lint roller (shutup) because the regular brushes just wouldn't cut it. So I figured I'd post here and let everyone know, it is actually worth it. This may be the best Annie's coat has ever been .
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Oct 10, 2009 16:42
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Deceptor101 posted:For those who haven't taken the plunge yet, get a furminator. Do it. On amazon it ends up being about $19 shipped and dear god it works well. I've had 3 $7 brushes that just refuse to work well on Annie (who is a mini rex) because her fur is too short. The furminator works on long and short, it's fantastic. Recently, as it's shedding season, I'd resorted to using a lint roller (shutup) because the regular brushes just wouldn't cut it. So I figured I'd post here and let everyone know, it is actually worth it. This may be the best Annie's coat has ever been Hey, I go through entire rolls of lint roller. It works way better than the furminator, in my opinion, it's just incredibly wasteful.
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Oct 10, 2009 19:06
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Deceptor101 posted:For those who haven't taken the plunge yet, get a furminator. Do it. On amazon it ends up being about $19 shipped and dear god it works well. I've had 3 $7 brushes that just refuse to work well on Annie (who is a mini rex) because her fur is too short. The furminator works on long and short, it's fantastic. Recently, as it's shedding season, I'd resorted to using a lint roller (shutup) because the regular brushes just wouldn't cut it. So I figured I'd post here and let everyone know, it is actually worth it. This may be the best Annie's coat has ever been I love the Furminator and use it at work all the time, but never considered trying it for my bunny. I'll have to finally pick one up for myself if this is the case. My rex is shedding a ton and I can't even hold him as much as I'd like as it gets me all sneezy. Thanks.
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Oct 11, 2009 04:30
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I've found the secret to dealing with bunnies is to stoop to their level. All territorial about the bedroom huh? Well gently caress YOU, not gonna get the bedroom anymore! I built a new cube cage in the living room, nestling it into a corner and made that the new living area for Sprout and Dodger during the day, getting a new towel on the floor and new litter boxes. I redid the living room to bunny proof it (only had one cord that was an issue once the air conditioner was put away), and now sleep on the futon in the living room to make sure they don't kill each other in the confined space. So far they have had two nights together, and on both nights I wake up to some sort of scrambling and chasing that gets out of hand for a second, but other than that they are fine in there. I think maybe a full week and they'll be more used to it, but they have loafed together and groomed each other in there, as well as eaten together. Looks like it might be what's needed, as long as Sprout doesn't miss being under the bed too much, but gently caress her, it's her own drat fault.
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Oct 12, 2009 14:59
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Megalodon posted:Just saw this post and wanted to ask. We got 5 lbs of the 2nd cut timothy for Cilantro since we'd been buying Oxbow hay for something like $7/lb. 5 lbs for $7 + $13 shipping is a great deal and it's a whole lot more hay than we'd expected. Cilantro will be chewing on it for a while! She seems to like it, but I couldn't say if she likes it more or less than the Oxbow. All I know is that the store-bought hays usually have lots of dust in the bag and I'm apparently allergic to that dust. Either Kleen Mama's has less dust or the container is so big it's all settled to the bottom and I can't get to it yet.
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Oct 12, 2009 15:41
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Fenarisk posted:I've found the secret to dealing with bunnies is to stoop to their level.  Ender and I were at war for 2 years over going under the bed. Now the bedroom door is always shut. I blocked it off with grates, boxes, or anything else I had on hand and he still got under there.
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Oct 12, 2009 18:54
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Lunch report: Went home and Sprout followed me into the hallway towards the bedroom door. I called her an assbutt and she scampered back off, defeated. Me: 1 Buns: 0 
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Oct 12, 2009 21:10
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Fenarisk posted:Lunch report: Next time, gently tug her tail when she turns around. That always defeats mine 
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Oct 13, 2009 16:42
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Dumb question. I've never had a pet, and I've been looking at rabbits. My only worry is I'm guaranteed to be going home for 3 weeks during winter break, and don't want to subject a rabbit to flying. I also don't think I could find a friend that will be in town the whole time. Is this what a petsitting service is good for? What is it like and what is the normal sort of cost?
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Oct 13, 2009 19:10
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Chin Strap posted:Dumb question. I've never had a pet, and I've been looking at rabbits. My only worry is I'm guaranteed to be going home for 3 weeks during winter break, and don't want to subject a rabbit to flying. I also don't think I could find a friend that will be in town the whole time. Is this what a petsitting service is good for? What is it like and what is the normal sort of cost? Petsitting can be expensive, especially if you are gone for 3 weeks. Personally I would wait till after your break to get a rabbit. It's not worth the cost. You should look at your local area for prices, it varies. My guess is, it will cost you 10 bucks a day. They will feed and clean your rabbit and MAYBE play with it, but I really doubt it. They are usually too busy to be bothered by rabbits when they have dogs to take care of.
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Oct 13, 2009 19:43
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Chin Strap posted:Dumb question. I've never had a pet, and I've been looking at rabbits. My only worry is I'm guaranteed to be going home for 3 weeks during winter break, and don't want to subject a rabbit to flying. I also don't think I could find a friend that will be in town the whole time. Is this what a petsitting service is good for? What is it like and what is the normal sort of cost? Our local rabbit rescue does pet sitting for about $15/day (you drop them off at their location). That adds up quickly.
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Oct 13, 2009 20:03
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I don't even think you can fly a rabbit on a plane. Last time I checked, airlines only allowed cats and dogs, and I think I remember hearing a story about someone who had to fly one and faked a note from their doctor about the rabbit being a "necessary medical companion" before the airline would allow them to take the fuzzball on board.
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Oct 13, 2009 21:52
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Levitate posted:I don't even think you can fly a rabbit on a plane. Last time I checked, airlines only allowed cats and dogs, and I think I remember hearing a story about someone who had to fly one and faked a note from their doctor about the rabbit being a "necessary medical companion" before the airline would allow them to take the fuzzball on board. there is one airline in Canada that ONLY FLIES WITHIN CANADA that will let you take a rabbit on the plane. In the cabin  West Jet
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Oct 14, 2009 01:46
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