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Gumby Orgy posted:Entice her with a treat first instead of picking her up first and then offering her a treat. Doesn't that seem a little counterintuitive? It seems like they would draw a connection of you using treats as a means to try to get them close so you can do something unpleasant, as opposed to having a pleasant treat after some unpleasantness. In any case, I've been trying both ways. It may just take some time.
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May 17, 2010 02:22
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No matter which method you choose, be consistent. I suggested enticing her with a treat so she will start to associate your lap with good things instead of panic. Part of bonding with your rabbit is building trust, but picking her up and scaring her is not good for creating trust. Going at her pace would be much easier, hence the treat in the lap.
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May 17, 2010 02:28
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Bitsy doesn't really like to be held. In fact, she hates it. She also plays hard to get almost all the time. That and come here go away. She's the sweetest thing in the world but she's not that affectionate. However, she would sell her soul (and dignity) for a treat. Here's a video of her eating a treat given to her by my boyfriend. She's such a fatfat. I love her 
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May 17, 2010 03:46
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Eowyn loves to come over and check me out when I'm sitting on the floor or on the couch (she'll jump up), but as soon as I try to pet her she runs away. She only lets me pet her when she's snuggling with Godewyn, but I think that's because she gets confused and thinks he's grooming her (either that or she just feels safer then and so will allow it). She's a little less skittish than she was when we first adopted her, but I'd sure love to pet her. Any suggestions for getting her to accept pets?
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May 17, 2010 05:11
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Hey guys. I have a question that maybe some of you can answer. I have a lop mix who is my little baby and I love more than life itself. And my boyfriend just fed her one of Annie's brand organic bunny gummis, and now I'm worried. He's admitted to doing this before, so I assume it's okay, but I was hoping someone knew anything about this? They're all natural, but I'm worried about the sugar content.
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May 17, 2010 06:31
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Strawberrie posted:Hey guys. I have a question that maybe some of you can answer. I have a lop mix who is my little baby and I love more than life itself. And my boyfriend just fed her one of Annie's brand organic bunny gummis, and now I'm worried. He's admitted to doing this before, so I assume it's okay, but I was hoping someone knew anything about this? They're all natural, but I'm worried about the sugar content. She's fine. You shouldn't make it a regular thing, but an occasional small sugary treat won't kill her. Obviously, they're not great for her, but bunnies love sugar and will happily beg for (or steal) anything sweet. Of course, fruit would be the better choice, but I'm not going to pretend like I never gave Bowser licorice.
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May 17, 2010 06:39
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Melicious posted:She's fine. You shouldn't make it a regular thing, but an occasional small sugary treat won't kill her. Obviously, they're not great for her, but bunnies love sugar and will happily beg for (or steal) anything sweet. Of course, fruit would be the better choice, but I'm not going to pretend like I never gave Bowser licorice. Ahhhh thank you sooo much! I was really worried. Now she'll probably beg for them, but hopefully her strawberry tops will distract her.
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May 17, 2010 06:48
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skystream92 posted:I've been trying to teach the rabbits that being handled isn't such a bad thing. I've been picking them up, holding them for a sec, then setting them back down and feeding them apples as treats. Sometimes they don't seem to want the apple and will just run away and sulk. Am I doing this right? I think a good way of finding out whether you should even bother with trying to teach them to be handled, is to lie down on the floor. The more curious and sociable rabbit will (literally) walk all over you. If the rabbit still stays far away from you they either need more time to get used to you or they're not the kind that tolerates being picked up.
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May 17, 2010 15:05
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Neither of our rabbits like being picked up, ever, although they will tolerate it at times if we need to cut their nails or brush them. We've just come to terms with that because if we lay on the floor they will sniff and headbutt and climb all over us, and sprout will still sit in front of my face and groom my nose/forehead for a good 10 minutes if I let her, and both of them are huge suckers for being pet from head to butt. They just hate being midair/being picked up.
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May 17, 2010 16:53
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Fenarisk posted:Neither of our rabbits like being picked up, ever, although they will tolerate it at times. We've just come to terms with that because if we lay on the floor they will sniff and headbutt and climb all over us, and sprout will still sit in front of my face and groom my nose/forehead for a good 10 minutes if I let her. yeah, this about Bitsy and Paterson. But Paterson is kind of slow and doesn't really lick us at all unless I'm grooming him. But that's just his way of being like. Look how cute I am let me go.
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May 17, 2010 16:54
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So, my husband and I are thinking about adopting another rabbit. We're not sure how long we want to wait, but we're pretty sure we would like another companion. Harper was a really odd rabbit with regard to his aggression issues, but we did learn a lot about aggressive rabbits with him. We, should we decide to adopt another rabbit, would get an already neutered/spayed/castrated adult from a shelter. We do not want another rabbit with severe temperment issues because it ended in heartache; I'm still very upset over it. How soon is too soon? Should we trash anything Harper used and buy new or just bleach the hell out of everything so his scent doesn't disturb a new rabbit? Edit: By soon I mean not this month but perhaps next month. Is that too soon? Will a shelter deny our application based on the fact we had to put our other rabbit down for behavioral issues?
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May 17, 2010 19:15
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Neither of my buns are happy about being picked up but they're used to it. Frith actually doesn't come out of his pen when I open the door because he can't seem to figure out how a door works, so I always end up hauling him out for playtime. It took a lot of sidling up to him (while he's already out and in my room) to get him to deal with being handled. And I literally mean sidling up. I'd lie on the floor and snake crawl a bit closer. And a bit closer. I'm surprised he didn't literally think I was going to eat him. He may have just (accurately) thought I was a crazyperson.
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May 17, 2010 19:24
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Gumby Orgy posted:So, my husband and I are thinking about adopting another rabbit. Hey, I got your PM and just read over your posts, I'm sorry to hear about Harper.  There's really no "too soon" for the new rabbits (or for Harper at this point), only for you and your husband. Wait whatever length of time *you* feel is appropriate. Next month should be more than adequate unless you personally need more time. Since Harper was healthy, you shouldn't need to trash anything, and I wouldn't even be worried about germs. Washing everything down with white vinegar is a good idea to remove any lingering rabbit scent, but that's about it. As to whether the shelter will deny your app for this: that depends a lot on the shelter. Honestly, the fact that you previously rehomed Shake is probably going to be more of a roadblock; because that may look more like you got lazy/gave up/decided that it was too much work to do the right thing (that's not what I think, but that's what some people might read into a simplified version of the story). Euthanizing an animal which has attacked a child is pretty hard to argue against, but some rescuers would be pretty pissy about you giving away one member of a bonded pair, extenuating circumstances be damned. But again, it *really* depends on the shelter, and on the story you tell. Would you expect a rescue to adopt to someone whose dogs had killed a rabbit? Well, I did just that. The full story was that her four large dogs escaped, attacked her neighbor's hutch, killed one rabbit and injured another. She bought the injured one from the neighbor, provided thousands of dollars in medical care for the injured one, took full responsibility for what happened, dog proofed her rabbit room, and basically taught herself to be a fantastic rabbit owner. And because of all that, I adopted to her, despite getting lots of raised eyebrows and whispered warnings from other rescuers. So, if it were me: I would recommend you contact these folks. A larger rescue is more likely to be compassionate and thoughtful about what you've been through than a one-person rescue. BEFORE you fill out an adoption application, email them, tell them Harper's story and explain what happened. (If you choose to completely neglect to mention that Shake ever existed, I won't hold it against you, although my party line is that full disclosure is better.) Tell them that you are telling them all this because you want their help in finding a new rabbit, but wanted to make sure that euthanizing Harper didn't disqualify you from adopting. I fully expect they'll have no problem with adopting to you. The other main thing I'd recommend: go in with plans to adopt an already bonded pair. I strongly feel that single rabbits are less happy and more prone to behavioral issues than pairs. Additionally, finding a home for a pair is much harder than finding a single-rabbit home looking for a second, so that may also endear you to the rescue. Good luck, and keep us posted on the adoption process!
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May 17, 2010 20:12
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Tossing out something I wish we had done when we first got sprout: get two buns. The amount of extra work/supplies/cost really is negligible, and they seem so much happier when they're bonded and can have fun with another rabbit especially if you aren't home. Heck, I know a lot of shelters even had pre-bonded bunnies and they really like it if you take both.
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May 17, 2010 21:57
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alucinor posted:Hey, I got your PM and just read over your posts, I'm sorry to hear about Harper. I would love a bonded pair! I'm going to make sure they are older, though. Harper and Shake, as you know, were bonded until they both hit PUBERTY. Poor Shake If I just tell them what happened and how Shake is doing loving awesome AND is bonded to a rabbit that loves him back, I'm sure it won't be an issue. I was wondering how bad it would look with having to put down Harper and didn't even think about how previously rehoming Shake would appear. I suppose it does look like I gave up. I honestly thought that rehoming Shake would be in his best interest, and I was right. I can always contact his current owner and ask if she could give a statement or something if they need that. After speaking with her and myself, they would be able to put the pieces together and see it was truly in Shake's best interest and not a matter of it being too hard to keep him. Thanks again, alucinor!
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May 17, 2010 22:52
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We recently moved across the country with our rabbit. We had sedatives from the vet on hand but didn't have to use any. She made it without a problem. I think she's pretty comfortable in the new place.  Click here for the full 808x539 image.
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May 18, 2010 00:51
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Literally haven't posted on SA in years, but sometimes there's no better place to find info... It's kind of a sudden crass question and I hope not to offend. I've had a male rabbit, now almost a year old, since November, and two weeks ago, picked up a second, being a 3 month old male bunny. I've kept them apart in separate cages but they started out in somewhat close proximity. The older one has always liked stuffed animals, just preening them I thought, but the day after I brought the new rabbit back, the older one has been going crazy and mounting one of the stuffed animals constantly, including many times at night. That jackhammer/vibration wakes me often and I can't sleep well. If I take the certain stuffed animal away, he gets REALLY upset and makes more noise and stamping than if I just let him go at it. Even in a distant room, it's too strong to ignore. I can't take care of a litter if I give the guy a mate, so that's out. Does anyone have some experience or advice regarding this? He already has other forms of exercise, stress relief, etc... I may have already answered my own question, but would neutering be the only option? If so, would it be a good idea for the younger one to undergo it as well or to wait? I live in Japan and pet shops/hospitals don't advertise it as a recommended or standard practice, although it is available.
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May 18, 2010 01:27
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ritjet posted:We recently moved across the country with our rabbit. We had sedatives from the vet on hand but didn't have to use any. She made it without a problem. Hahaha awwwwwww, looks like she made herself right at home.
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May 18, 2010 01:32
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ritjet posted:We recently moved across the country with our rabbit. We had sedatives from the vet on hand but didn't have to use any. She made it without a problem. Awesome to hear but that carpet is hosed.
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May 18, 2010 02:22
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Vendo Thefastlane posted:Literally haven't posted on SA in years, but sometimes there's no better place to find info... It's kind of a sudden crass question and I hope not to offend. Neuter your rabbit, dude. I hate to be forceful about it, but the vast majority of behavioral problems will cease by just doing that one, simple thing. If you have to ask if you should neuter, the answer is ALWAYS yes. Also, you should not have gotten a male rabbit for your friend as they tend to not bond well together. The best possible pairing is male and a female, both fixed. I had to find a new home for one of my rabbits because I was an idiot and got two young males that were bonded. It never occurred to me that puberty would change that. Trust me, it was horrible for one of them once they both hit puberty. The bonds of love were quickly broken, but for only Harper. Shake still adored Harper but was being terrorized by him. We separated them as soon as we realized the problem and were unable to get them back together after they were neutered.
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May 18, 2010 03:18
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Gumby Orgy posted:Neuter your rabbit, dude. I hate to be forceful about it, but the vast majority of behavioral problems will cease by just doing that one, simple thing. If you have to ask if you should neuter, the answer is ALWAYS yes. Thanks for the help. All the pet shops in Japan say are "don't get a male and femaletogether". The guide book that we bought called "How to Raise Cute Rabbits" literally said that with two males, you should let the strong one mount the other to establish dominance and keep that kind of chain of command with your rearing. I didn't want to take things that far. I'll get them neutered and hope they can become a bit civil together.
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May 18, 2010 04:49
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You're going to have to be very careful about introducing them to each other because even neutered males can be aggressive and territorial. Male buns have even been known to attack other males and castrate them. A nice bonding FAQ: http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml "Age is sometimes a factor. You are most likely to have a lasting bond if they are both adults. The young rabbits do sometimes bond easier as they are used to living in groups and having company. However, once their hormones kick in they do sometimes fight with a mate and we have had couples split up when one of the rabbits is 3-10 months old. Age is not a factor when the rabbits are older. You can bond an 8 year old rabbit with a three year old." I wish I had known that when I got them 
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May 18, 2010 05:45
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Vendo Thefastlane posted:Literally haven't posted on SA in years, but sometimes there's no better place to find info... It's kind of a sudden crass question and I hope not to offend. Well now that I finished laughing, might I ask if you've given thought to investing in a pair of earplugs? One of my friends is a very light sleeper and he always wears a pair to bed. Or perhaps get one of these, except smaller and more rabbit-sized. 
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May 19, 2010 04:20
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From my experience you can market the 8-inch tall stuffed toy of the "Sulley" monster from Monster's Inc. Rabbits can't resist. Until I can make a vet appointment, I just put the cage on a lot of blankets in the other room. That seems to muffle things a bit. By the way, I realize this unfortunate situation has furry undertones and for the record, that's not my thing. This guy would be a big hit at a convention though.
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May 19, 2010 08:35
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Curious: are you guys' buns 100% litter trained or closer to, like, 95%? Mine are usually great but on occasion they will pee inside one of the cardboard boxes I have put out for them to play in (annoying, but fine) or, like just now, Frith will decide he was way comfy lying on my bed (cute) and the litter box being a whole 5 feet away will disrupt his comfort so hey, let's pee right on the bed. 
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May 19, 2010 09:10
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I've had my Billy for three years now and he's never peed outside of his litterbox ever. Although I should mention I never let him on my bed and the only box he has is for going to the bathroom. Your rabbit's behaviour doesn't really sound abnormal though as rabbits will consider almost any soft comfy place they enjoy lying on to be a litterbox. Or at least that's what rabbit.org said. Try not letting him on your bed anymore?
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May 19, 2010 11:04
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angelicism posted:Curious: are you guys' buns 100% litter trained or closer to, like, 95%? Paterson goes out of his way to pee on my bed. Bitsy knows that she will get in trouble (cage bound) if she does so she has stopped. they're really good about not peeing (as long as they don't have access to the bed the little devils) but we still have stray poops. More as the litter gets full. Try to put another box closer and clean them more often.
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May 19, 2010 11:09
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DS at Night posted:I've had my Billy for three years now and he's never peed outside of his litterbox ever. Although I should mention I never let him on my bed and the only box he has is for going to the bathroom. Same for Cilantro. She has one box and has never peed anywhere in the house but in the box. We get stray poops near the litter box, but who doesn't? For the record, Cilantro is allowed anywhere in the house except the guest and master bedrooms.
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May 19, 2010 11:53
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This seems as good a place as any to ask. I was grabbing some carrots last night and, long-story-short, laundry detergent leaked into the bag with carrots. I washed them off pretty well and they don't smell like detergent anymore, but would it still be safe to feed them to her? I'm worried about chemical absorption and the like. ProfZoom fucked around with this message at 17:10 on May 19, 2010 |
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May 19, 2010 17:07
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I guess I just want them to be able to be comfy. Also, Frith is adorable on my bed, and he loves to spoon, and I'd hate to give that up. This is the first time he'd peed on my bed in a couple months -- maybe I can just suck it up and deal with it. The boxes are cardboard boxes on their sides so they can a) do the hiding-from-falcons thing and b) chew on cardboard. My buns are finicky and don't really seem to take to most of the toys I've gotten them and they like napping in the boxes so I'd hate to take away one of the few things they do like. Luscious: the litter box was literally 5 feet away, if even that (small apartment, it can't be too far  ) but I'm thinking about getting another litter box for my room anyway because Zen keeps threatening to pee in another corner.
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May 19, 2010 17:21
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angelicism posted:Curious: are you guys' buns 100% litter trained or closer to, like, 95%? Harper was absolutely litter trained. We never even had stray poops, so not everybody has litter issues.
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May 19, 2010 17:32
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ProfZoom posted:This seems as good a place as any to ask. They should be fine.
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May 19, 2010 17:35
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It seems weird to me to put a rabbit down because it's an "aggressive, dangerous pet", but this makes sense to me:Gumby Orgy posted:she said an aggressive animal is never a happy one. My bunny can be a little poo poo and somewhat aggressive, but he doesn't bite unprovoked or anything and isn't unhappy. He just doesn't like it if people mess with him too much, but he'd rather run away than attack someone because of it.
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May 19, 2010 20:01
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So the landlord of our new apartment called today. He sounds like a really nice older guy that's enthusiastic to get new renters and lives in the neighborhood, asking if we needed help on move-in day. Then... "So, it says on your application you have 2 rabbits?" "uuhh yeah, but they have a cage and..." "that's so cool! I've never had renters with rabbits before, they always seem so cute, have you had them for long? What are their names?"We then got into a 15 minute conversation on the minutiae of house bunny ownership, minus the "love destroying rugs and wooden things" part, and he just thinks its the cutest and coolest thing ever. The entire apartment is hardwood floors so it will be interesting seeing Sprout manage that whole scenario. Dodger routinely gets around on the 1st and 2nd glass shelf of our entertainment center now so him I'm not worried about.
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May 19, 2010 22:09
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Levitate posted:It seems weird to me to put a rabbit down because it's an "aggressive, dangerous pet", but this makes sense to me: Billy can get visibly pissed off if he feels hounded or put upon. He'll hop under my desk and give me a death stare. If anyone gets near him he lifts up his front paws in a "I might lunge at you" fashion. Not that he ever does. It's a lot funnier than it should be because of his big walrus-like moustache.
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May 20, 2010 01:14
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DS at Night posted:Billy can get visibly pissed off if he feels hounded or put upon. He'll hop under my desk and give me a death stare. If anyone gets near him he lifts up his front paws in a "I might lunge at you" fashion. Not that he ever does. Is this your Billy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HiO9rzU_aw
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May 20, 2010 01:54
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Levitate posted:It seems weird to me to put a rabbit down because it's an "aggressive, dangerous pet", but this makes sense to me: My rabbit bit the poo poo out of a little kid. Did you miss that part? She was told not to go into Harper's room or try to pet or play with him. She did it anyway and Harper ended up paying the ultimate price for it. Yes, rabbits can be very aggressive, even dangerous. Harper wasn't a danger to my husband or I, but he was to young kids. It just-so-happened that the one young kid in the entire family got hurt for not listening. You also don't seem to understand the magnitude of Harper's aggressive tendencies, but I wouldn't expect you to since you didn't live with us. Harper was not just "somewhat aggressive" he was extremely aggressive. Even a six pound animal can be a holy terror, but most aren't. It is hard for others to understand unless you've lived with a rabbit like Harper. It is also very unlikely you'll ever run into such a naturally aggressive rabbit because they are rare. Most rabbits are docile. Gumby Orgy fucked around with this message at 06:44 on May 20, 2010 |
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May 20, 2010 06:39
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pseudonordic posted:Is this your Billy? Cute video, needs this song instead, though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS4_Z84-rRE
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May 20, 2010 06:46
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Gumby Orgy posted:My rabbit bit the poo poo out of a little kid. Did you miss that part? No need to get terse. As you even point out later in your post, most people don't think of rabbits as being able to be extremely aggressive or dangerous, and as you say, it's also rare that they are. I was just expressing that thought of "wow, I've never really thought of a rabbit being so aggressive that they could be considered dangerous". I wasn't questioning your situation. quote:Harper was not just "somewhat aggressive" he was extremely aggressive. Wasn't trying to describe Harper's level of aggressiveness, just my own rabbits. Again just expressing the thought of "mine can be kind of aggressive sometimes but I've never seen/heard of a rabbit being dangerously aggressive, that's so far above and beyond what I've had experience with". There was no questioning of your situation or choices or anything like that, just a mild comparison between experiences from my view and a conclusion of surprise at a level of aggression I haven't seen before
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May 20, 2010 14:08
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pseudonordic posted:Is this your Billy? Nope sorry although he does behave like that sometimes. I call it his "happy hour". This is him:
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May 20, 2010 14:57
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