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Megalodon posted:I haven't posted much about my buns lately, but they've been doing awesome. I've kind of hit a wall with bonding, though. I would just keep the visits supervised, rabbits don't forget fights easily. Keep it up, you're making progress and you might need to just wait out the teenage years. Ender was a punk during that time frame. The nipping during grooming is normal as far as I can tell; they just need to learn to trust each other more. That's what took the longest time for my two.
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Nov 14, 2009 21:50
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luscious posted:can you get a bigger one? Mine have three now... I put one where the hay is that they munch munch munch on. Yesterday the Bitsmonster was chewing hay, looked at me, lifted her tail and peed! Right beside the litterbox. I actually ended up getting another one and put it directly beside the first, and the bunny uses it pretty often! He will still pee elsewhere, but he is improving. Also, I put this plastic mat thing (for computer chairs) over my throw rug and he no longer pees or poops on it a lot. Previously he would poo a TON at once all over it and also pee a few times a night. I'm guessing it was a territory thing? Anyways it's much nicer now. He also loves to follow me around now, especially when I wear my pajama pants. He also loves grooming my pants... I was wondering what is good bunny shampoo and where could I get it? He has a messy bum and a dry bath isn't getting it clean enough.
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Nov 16, 2009 04:03
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yeah, on a whim I bought them another litter box to put on the other side of the room and they never used it. So I put it beside the cage and now it's their primary box. Of the three, they use that one more than the other two combined.
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Nov 16, 2009 05:02
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My bunnies are starting to be a pain to get them to go back home. They will hide under our futon when we let them out, and this makes it very difficult to get them back into the cage when it's bed time. I know that we aren't supposed to chase them around and put them into the cage, but it seems that I haven't had any other good options. I tried to coax them out with veggies, but sometimes they don't listen. Any ideas?
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Nov 16, 2009 07:39
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skystream92 posted:Any ideas? Two, as a matter of fact. The first is, "chasing" is ok as long as you're following them being annoying rather than actually chasing and scaring them. I follow mine around, clapping loudly right behind them, saying "Bedtime! Bedtime!" Eventually it annoys them enough that they go back in their pen just to escape me. The second idea is is to not feed pellets except at bedtime. When they hear you pouring pellets they'll come running, I guarantee. Ghost of Castro posted:I was wondering what is good bunny shampoo and where could I get it? He has a messy bum and a dry bath isn't getting it clean enough. Keep in mind that in general, frequent shampooing is a bad idea. Rabbit fur is so thick that dampness can stay against the skin and lead to the bun version of diaper rash. It's better to figure out why there is a messy bum in the first place and solve the problem from that end. I'd recommend a vet prescribed shampoo - the one I was given for my megacolon bun was PearLyt, which is a soap-free cleansing conditioner.
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Nov 16, 2009 15:42
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alucinor posted:The second idea is is to not feed pellets except at bedtime. When they hear you pouring pellets they'll come running, I guarantee. I can vouch for this; it's the only way to get my buns back in under ten minutes. Thomas is kinda stupid... when I try to "chase" him he just freezes and refuses to move (or goes in the opposite direction). Lately I've managed to steer him by lightly poking at his back legs and tummy so that he runs away, (I think he think I'm going to pick him up?) but it's annoying when I want to go to bed and the rabbit doesn't. Every other animal I've ever had understands that a nudge on their butt (or even just a "shoo" motion) means "Move that way" but the bunnies don't get it.
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Nov 16, 2009 16:34
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alucinor posted:
No worries I definitely understand that, it's just some of his fur is still dirty and matted from when we got him and there is only so much baby powder and scissors can do. I've adjusted his diet so if he can't clean well because he's beefy that hopefully will resolve it in time, and also I monitor his pooping. Basically I just want to get at the tough to reach fur to keep his smell down and ensure cleanliness. Thanks for the suggestion! 
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Nov 16, 2009 23:15
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Just got the following email from the SPCA exotics head volunteer. (well, got this and also a French version of this...)quote:Many of you may have already met our new baby rabbits at the SPCA Timmy and Cristalin. These buns are a result of a mistake made at the SPCA.  Sheesh... I can't believe people who volunteer at a place overflowing with bunnies could be so careless.
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Nov 17, 2009 02:11
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maplecheese posted:Sheesh... I can't believe people who volunteer at a place overflowing with bunnies could be so careless. Maybe the person assumed one or both was fixed? It's still careless, but at least it's more understandable than "Oh, they'll be fine for just a moment or two," or any of the other possible explanations.
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Nov 17, 2009 02:13
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Bagleworm posted:I can vouch for this; it's the only way to get my buns back in under ten minutes. Yea... I tried the pellet thing. One of our buns is just too smart, and seems to know we're trying to trick him back into his cage. We were wondering if we let them out too soon, and they now don't recognize that the cage is "theirs", and the rest of the house is "ours". We let them out to run around freely and live outside for about two weeks..but then they started digging up the carpet. So afterwards we would try to lock them up back into the cage, but they now try to dodge us =/.
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Nov 17, 2009 08:57
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If my rabbit doesn't feel like going back in the cage, he's going to make me work for it. Chasing just happens sometimes. Usually I can just gently herd him into the cage, because he gets an ear rub as a reward when he gets in. It's taken me two years to get to this point though.
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Nov 17, 2009 13:11
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Back when Bowser was an insolent, ornery little poo poo, our cat used to aid us greatly in our herding efforts. Don't know how she caught on that we were trying to get the rabbit back to her "home," but Emaline was always much more efficient at it than we were, especially when Bowser would run under furniture. Part cat, part shepherd. She also plays fetch. Animals are weird.
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Nov 17, 2009 17:02
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I know it doesn't help for teaching them, but if my buns aren't going where I want them to go, they're getting picked up and plopped back in the pen. Zen doesn't really mind it since she gets nuzzled as I walk her back. Also my buns are just lazy. edit: vvvvvvvvv Small Manhattan apartments are good for one thing: there isn't a lot of space for them to run away to!
angelicism fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Nov 17, 2009 |
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Nov 17, 2009 17:28
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angelicism posted:I know it doesn't help for teaching them, but if my buns aren't going where I want them to go, they're getting picked up and plopped back in the pen. Well sure. That's assuming you can catch them.
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Nov 17, 2009 17:42
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alucinor posted:The second idea is is to not feed pellets except at bedtime. When they hear you pouring pellets they'll come running, I guarantee. This! My buns break sound barriers when they hear pellets hitting their bowl. But, they're totally and completely in love with their pellets. I know you guys keep talking about weaning rabbits off pellets, but I swear I think they'd stage a bloody revolution, firearms and all.
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Nov 18, 2009 03:31
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Bean posted:This! My buns break sound barriers when they hear pellets hitting their bowl. I dunno, it's been a year and a half with sprout and she's perfectly healthy even though she eats 1/8 cup pellets every day. I think as long as it's used as an extra besides tons of hay and lots of varied greens you're fine. I only give them fruit two-three times a week now anyway.
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Nov 18, 2009 06:50
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Here's a question for the poop watch: he's been leaving really nasty smudges behind in his cage. About once a day. I don't think it's diarrhoea. It might be cecals that he sat on and didn't completely eat? Anybody else ever see anything like that before? Before a couple of days ago I never even noticed there was any poop eating going on, I have to say I preferred it that way. I haven't changed his diet, he's active and happy as ever, normal temperature ears, and I think he does still eat most of it. Did his personal hygiene suddenly become less good?
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Nov 18, 2009 15:51
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Edit; Nevermind.
heyou fucked around with this message at 03:53 on Nov 19, 2009 |
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Nov 19, 2009 03:40
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Possibly not the right place to ask this: do any of you guys get what looks like a minor allergic reaction when your bun scrapes you? I don't even mean intentional scrapes or scrambling, I mean when I'm lying down and Zen likes to play queen of the mountain and she runs across me including my bare arms. The hairline scrapes on my arms are a little raised and puffy right now (and I've noticed this a few times in the past) and I'm hoping this is a normal every-animal-does-this-to-every-person thing and not a I-am-suddenly-getting-allergic-to-my-pets thing.
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Nov 19, 2009 06:26
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Yup, same as when a cat scratches you. I just think it's the nature of the wound. I'm sure someone well versed can say if it's a bacterial thing or not.
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Nov 19, 2009 07:26
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angelicism posted:Possibly not the right place to ask this: do any of you guys get what looks like a minor allergic reaction when your bun scrapes you? I don't even mean intentional scrapes or scrambling, I mean when I'm lying down and Zen likes to play queen of the mountain and she runs across me including my bare arms. The hairline scrapes on my arms are a little raised and puffy right now (and I've noticed this a few times in the past) and I'm hoping this is a normal every-animal-does-this-to-every-person thing and not a I-am-suddenly-getting-allergic-to-my-pets thing. Same here, and same deal with me and cats.
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Nov 19, 2009 22:44
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Oh good. I can go back to being mildly annoyed now instead of alarmed.
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Nov 20, 2009 00:00
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angelicism posted:Oh good. I can go back to being mildly annoyed now instead of alarmed. A lot of people are highly sensitive to ammonia, and most animals end up with it on their paws and claws from their urine. I used to get huge raised lines wherever my rats claws would scrape, even if it didn't come remotely close to breaking the skin. You may find if you wipe your buns' feet off with a baby wipe or similar that it happens less.
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Nov 20, 2009 01:33
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Fenarisk posted:I dunno, it's been a year and a half with sprout and she's perfectly healthy even though she eats 1/8 cup pellets every day. I think as long as it's used as an extra besides tons of hay and lots of varied greens you're fine. I only give them fruit two-three times a week now anyway. Right, I only give them a palmful each of pellets. My hands are small, so it's not much. Another diet question: my rabbits have decided that timothy is okay, but they're borderline retarded for orchard grass. They'll go to great lengths to steal a bite from the bag I got and I can talk them into doing nearly anything if I offer them a bite. Is there any reason for this? They act like it's laced with cocaine. I've been mixing it with timothy and we're at about a 60/40 split of timothy/orchard right now. They DO still need to be eating their timothy, right?
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Nov 20, 2009 15:49
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Bean posted:They DO still need to be eating their timothy, right? Actually, no. If you want to give them 100% orchard grass, go for it. Orchard, timothy, and bluegrass are all grass hays (as opposed to clover and alfalfa, which are legume hays), and have very similar nutritional profiles. You can try any of the grass hays on this chart, just keep your eyes on protein and calcium content if you're feeding a lot of it. I occasionally give oat, brome, and fescue hays as treats. Depending on what's in season, I usually feed 100% bluegrass (KM's Hayloft) or 100% orchardgrass (Oxbow). They waste a lot less of both of these, implying to me that they prefer them to the timothy. I think that the softer texture is more appealing to them.
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Nov 20, 2009 16:01
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How am I supposed to help a rabbit lose weight? Is there anything else I can do in addition to strict diet and exercise? She got fat over the summer when my boyfriend's mom spoiled her with seed treats and carrots, and the weight just isn't going away. Is it a serious health concern, or something that can be taken care of more slowly? Here's fatty:  It's mostly dewlap in that photo, but she's got a good layer of pudge all around
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Nov 24, 2009 03:59
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Exercise is going to be the most important thing. Try to encourage a variety of obstacles such as stairs to jump up and down, or boxes to run through. If you can increase the area she's allowed to run around in, that would be swell too. I find that my rabbits will run around more on their own when I allow them to venture out and about instead of just in the room where the cages are. If they are confined to their room, they usually just flop on the floor and chill out.
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Nov 24, 2009 05:12
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Bagleworm posted:How am I supposed to help a rabbit lose weight? Is there anything else I can do in addition to strict diet and exercise? She looks like a grey version of my chubby bunny! Cilantro was ill for a while and struggled to keep on weight. So we were feeding her all the hay and pellets she wanted on top of the green veggies we give her daily and occasional treats. Once the illness went away, she got to a healthy weight plus a little bit. Her followup with the vet got us a warning of "if she were any heavier I'd fuss at you." We've cut back her treats and pellets to recommended amounts and she's allowed out into the rest of the house when we're home. The rest of the time she's in her room/our office.
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Nov 24, 2009 08:12
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Windy posted:Exercise is going to be the most important thing. Try to encourage a variety of obstacles such as stairs to jump up and down, or boxes to run through. If you can increase the area she's allowed to run around in, that would be swell too. I find that my rabbits will run around more on their own when I allow them to venture out and about instead of just in the room where the cages are. If they are confined to their room, they usually just flop on the floor and chill out. My buns are a bit chubby too and I have the same problem -- they just like to flop around and get groomies. For me it's not really possible to give them much more space: tiny apartment = no room. :/
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Nov 24, 2009 16:24
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angelicism posted:My buns are a bit chubby too and I have the same problem -- they just like to flop around and get groomies. Same here. Ever since we moved both of them to the living room permanently they've gotten lazy in the 14x16 space and just loaf around all day. I'm thinking of getting some boxes to make obstacles or something. Also, I've started chasing around both of them a little here and there, and if you do it the right way they'll kind of binky-run so I think they like it.
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Nov 24, 2009 17:02
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Yea, not only do we have a small apartment but only the hallway is bunny proofed. The hallway is long and they like to chase each other and binky up and down it, but they're definitely not getting the exercise they need. I think I'll see if I have any success rabbit-proofing my bedroom, they like it in there but eat my mattress (Thomas actually got inside my boxspring a few days ago).
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Nov 24, 2009 20:52
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Bagleworm posted:Yea, not only do we have a small apartment but only the hallway is bunny proofed. The hallway is long and they like to chase each other and binky up and down it, but they're definitely not getting the exercise they need. Yeah it's currently just my room that is bunny proofed. The living room can't be: there are piles of cords for the cable box, the projector, the speakers, and some random other crap and I can't be sure that it's not bunny accessible. Plus there is only bare wood in the living room so they don't really enjoy skittering around that anyway. My buns actually nap on my bed. Well, Frith does, Zen jumps on and off occasionally, mostly to nudge me when I'm on my bed to come down to the floor and smooshcuddle.
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Nov 24, 2009 21:33
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I like to take the grids and make a long barrier that wraps around the bed or even my sofa to prevent the bunnies from getting under. But when space is limited, I try to just move things around to make the room look different and encourage exploring, or like I mentioned, throw down a bunch of boxes to hop in/on. Lately I've been lazy, therefore my bunnies are lazy. We all need to start getting a little more motivated in my household!
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Nov 25, 2009 02:30
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angelicism posted:Yeah it's currently just my room that is bunny proofed. The living room can't be: there are piles of cords for the cable box, the projector, the speakers, and some random other crap and I can't be sure that it's not bunny accessible. Plus there is only bare wood in the living room so they don't really enjoy skittering around that anyway. Nothing like a bit of floor loving  I wish mine still got on the bed.
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Nov 25, 2009 23:00
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The rabbits I've met so far (a whole two of them) love running after me when I run around the house. They'll binky all over the place when doing so. It also happens I need the exercise too so I try to do this several times a day. The best way of doing this is to run to the other side of the room, crouch down so you're more on their level, then call their name. I can't guarantee they'll listen but if you pet them a bit every time they come to you I think they'll get the idea eventually.
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Nov 26, 2009 13:18
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One of these things is not like the others... Click here for the full 700x525 image. Apologies for crappy iphone picture. But I had to share.
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Nov 29, 2009 22:39
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angelicism posted:One of these things is not like the others... This made my wife squeal with delight.
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Nov 30, 2009 00:52
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angelicism posted:One of these things is not like the others... I should get Portia to do that, she looks fake when she doesn't move.
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Nov 30, 2009 20:20
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In retrospect I should've put him somewhere in the middle. He looks a little left out in that picture. The plushies are under the chair, incidentally, to attempt to teach my buns to share the protect-me-from-the-falcons-in-the-apartment chair. My buns no longer fight over anything except that (they choose to simply ignore each other these days), and those turn into raging brawls.  edit: This reminds me of an incident years ago, when I was on a family vacation; I was carrying around, in fact, that very loved-looking raccoon next to Frith and was holding it in my arms (shh this was a long long time ago, I swear). At the hotel we were staying at, as we checked in, one of the desk people jumped a little and apparently thought I was actually carrying a pet cat or raccoon. angelicism fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Nov 30, 2009 |
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Nov 30, 2009 20:48
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angelicism posted:protect-me-from-the-falcons-in-the-apartment chair And here I thought Cilantro sitting under my chair while I'm at my desk meant she loved me. She was just using me as a falcon shield! How rude! <  >
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Nov 30, 2009 21:08
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