|
Master_Jay posted:I'm rather annoyed with my bunny right now. It doesn't poop anywhere else other than it's litter box and MY DARN BED!!! Any advice on how to get it from pooping and peeing on my bed? Honestly? Close the door to the bedroom. Unfortunately, bunnies are creatures of habit and once they decide they like to poop somewhere, it's almost impossible to discourage it. It's usually easier to just put a litterbox where they're going, but that's not exactly an option when it's your bed... so you're pretty much stuck with breaking the habit by not giving it the option. a gaylord faget posted:I was asking if I got the bunny first, would it be comfortable enough then to tolerate a new dog since it had the territory first. Supposedly it is a gentle giant and never barks. I hate cats so that's not an option. You're really not listening to what's being said- just because the dog is gentle with people doesn't mean it won't want to eat a fluffy, fatty, tasty bunny. Dogs are very large and intimidating to a bunny, so there's no telling how the bunny would react to meeting one, even if the dog in question had no intention of harming it. As far as the bunny having established territory, it wouldn't really matter since the dog is already full grown and will happily claim the entire house as its own. Even the largest bunny is going to have a hell of a time trying to establish territory over a 150lb dog. Anyway, unfortunately there's no way of telling how either creature would react in the situation without just going ahead and trying, but doing that might result in an eaten bunny. pauliesyllabic posted:Are rabbits really that bad at chewing on cords? Aside from encasing cables in sleeves, is there any sort of spray or other method that would reliably keep them away from that area? Oh god, yes. YES they are terrible with cords, ugh. Even with our extensive bunnyproofing, for the first 2 years we had our bunny, we were CONSTANTLY replacing mouse, phone, and stereo cords. She also chewed through a couple of lamp cords that I would have thought would kill her, but apparantly she is indestructable as well as able to get through any and all barriers. Some people have had good luck with sprays, but they did absolutely no good for us. If it's just stuff crammed behind the entertainment center and desk, you can try to make barriers with wood planks and the like to make it impossible to get back there, but bunnies can be pretty clever and bastardly when they want to get poo poo done. As for keeping the bunny in a cage while you're gone, that's what most people with house bunnies do. So long as you have a big enough cage and let the bunny out while you're home, this should be fine. You can make a really big, cheap cage by buying unassembled wire cubes from Target. http://www.CavyCages.com has a nice tutorial on this. Melicious fucked around with this message at 05:58 on Jul 17, 2007 |
#
¿
Jul 17, 2007 05:45
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 23:28 |
|
|
My bunny has never been big on jumping onto things unless there was food involved. If I am eating a bowl of cereal on the couch, she will not hesitate to jump directly into the bowl or on my lap or anywhere else with the hopes of making me spill it everywhere. She is a big bunny, but she never had trouble jumping. She simply doesn't want to. She seems to much prefer getting behind and under things, particularly in places where there's carpet to destroy. When anybody sits on the floor, however, it's just a matter of seconds before a bunny is climbing all over them.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 10, 2008 00:04
|
|
|
NMR posted:It was probably a dumb idea anyway. Does anybody have any good experiences with taking their rabbit on walks? Bowser was already at least a couple years old before we tried a harness with her, and although it wasn't her favorite thing ever, she didn't get too huffy about it. She gets a little agoraphobic when we go outside (seeking shelter under trees, etc), but when we lived on the beach, she LOVED digging in the sand. Nowadays we bring her out on the front lawn on occasion. She likes to eat the dandelions and chill in the sun, but sometimes is frightened by the sound of nearby dogs. She is also a magnet for every child within a 20 mile radius, it seems. Thankfully, she's tolerant and friendly.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 13, 2008 20:48
|
|
|
We call Bowser's grunting "oinks" because they basically just sound like a slightly quieter pig noise. It's actually kind of humorous, and I like to think it just makes her even huffier to hear us giggle at her "big scary bunny" noises.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 3, 2008 04:19
|
|
|
Windy posted:One of mine is a chocolate fiend. Debbie once found a peanut m&m that was sitting atop my headboard(I don't even know why) and before I knew it she had eaten a quarter of it. Every day for a week, she'd run into my room and hop onto the bed looking for more. She has also tried to abscond with chocolate treats on other occasions. I can never really be too sure what is out of reach for her because she is more like a cat than a rabbit sometimes. I definitely indulge Bowser with the occasional bites of cereal or crackers. She just wants them SO drat much... if she's not being insufferably annoying and trying to tear the food out of my hand (she's a pushy bitch!), I'll give her a bit. Before she had ever even tried any of those things, she would jump into my lap as I ate. Same goes for when I eat apples and berries, oh god... it's like a zombie bunny. BRAINS BRAINS BRAINS She's also really crazy for chocolate, which I discovered when I found her on top of the coffee table, trying to abscond with a snickers bar. She really hates being on top of anything, but if there's sweets or cereal to be had, she'd climb the Empire State building. I have a habit of keeping ziplock baggies full of wheat chex in my purse for snacking, and I ALWAYS forget to get it out until I find Bowser armpit-deep in my purse. Sigh.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 25, 2008 03:33
|
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 12, 2008 22:01
|
|
|
GoodApollo posted:Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's a circumstantial thing. It can a happy/purring sound, but if they're doing it a lot in conjunction with other things (drooling for instance) then it's something you need to check out. Yep, you've got it. It's definitely similar to purring in cats. Purring is most often associated with happiness, but it can also occur when cats are stressed or in pain- some purr at the vet, most purr when giving birth, etc. So it's really not that reliable of a signal on its own. Most people are able to tell the difference between signs that an animal is in pain vs. when it's happy. Grinding their teeth while ignoring food and seeking isolation? Probably not good. Grinding their teeth while shoving their face into your hand repeatedly? Probably pretty happy.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 14, 2008 02:16
|
|
|
If it's any consolation, Bowser hated being picked up when she was younger. When we adopted her, the vet said she was between 1 and 3 years old. She would kick and shred our arms to ribbons when we tried to move her or snuggle her. Nowadays, she loves being smothered in our arms. It took a lot of persistance, but it can happen. I think after about a year, she had completely stopped kicking us. Obviously, not ALL bunnies will warm to the idea of being held, but it isn't out of the question for a kicky ball of angst to become a cuddlebun.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 3, 2008 15:30
|
|
|
UGH I am so frustrated with my vet right now. It's not really relevant to anything, I just really need to vent. A couple weeks ago, I took my bunny, Bowser in because her eye had been watering and she had some little pimply bumps on the inside of her ear. Vet said her teeth looked great, ears were super clean, but her eye was a little inflamed and the "pimples" were, in fact, filled with pus. They were both on the same side of her head, so the vet figured it was maybe some funky infection that was manifesting in these ways. Put her on an antibiotic, eye drops, and pro-bi, and we were on our way. Two days ago, I brought her back in for her re-check. Eye is fine, ears are great, but her poops have been small the last day. So the vet takes some x-rays. Sure enough, looks like Bowser has the mother of all furballs. The vet doesn't want to send her home, so she says we should kennel her there. I ask how much this might cost, and she tells me it's like $20/half a day, $40/full day. Cool, fine, do what needs to be done. Now, don't get me wrong, I would have done whatever the vet said was the best idea, but I want all the relevant information when I ask a question. What she neglected to tell me is that I would also have to pay $100 for her to be transferred into emergency care for the vet's off-hours. I learned this when I went to pay the bill the next day, along with a full day's kennel fee. Saw the vet yesterday to pick up Bowser and go over how she's doing. She told me I needed to get her on papaya tablets, which I wouldn't be able to find in a store but could get online. Until then, she's giving me a laxative. Yeah, except I got home and called some pet stores and indeed, one less than a mile away from my house has the papaya tablets and I was able to pick them up the same day. Thanks for the $20 laxative I don't need, then. She also is giving me pain medication just in case, though she doesn't think I'll need it. She says since Bowser had an ear issue, she'd like me to clean her ears more often. I say okay, though now I'm thinking maybe she forgot what the problem was with Bowser's ear since she said at the last appointment that she had some of the cleanest bunny ears she'd ever seen. Whatever. She asks if I know how to do it- I say that I do, though I could always use a refresher. She asks if I will need ear wash, I tell her no. 15 minutes or so later, a tech comes in with a brand new, giant bottle of ear wash and proceeds to open it and show me how to clean Bowser's ears. She then puts the bottle in my bag. Ok, whatever. I go to the counter to check out. The receptionist says "You already paid, though, right?" I reply that I thought I only paid for the kennel stay and exam. She checks and says "No, you're all set to go!" So I leave. When I get home, the vet calls me to tell me they forgot to give me one of the antibiotics. ARGH. And just now, I got a phone call saying that they forgot to charge me for all the medications. Really? Even though I specifically asked? Yeah, and it's well over $100 for the meds. This includes the $20 laxative I don't need, the $20 painkiller they don't think I'll need, and the $20 earwash I didn't want. I also realized that they gave me another big bottle of $10 pro-bi, despite the fact that I've barely put a dent in the one they gave me 2 weeks ago. Again, I'll spend as much money as it takes to ensure my pets are healthy, but CHRIST, I just want my vet to be efficient and honest. I feel like I was scammed. I don't think it was intentional, but it's a lot of money when I've got so many other vet expenses for her that are actually necessary. Sorry for the rant. I am super stressed out, and this was just sort of the final straw. I'm also fostering 2 young boys, one of whom has tested positive for E. Cuniculi, so I'm just so tired of schlepping to and from the vet and medicating and cleaning up poop and pee. I also wish the shelter I'm fostering for would return my goddamn phone calls. Sigh. I guess I need to post a photo, so here's my jack-o-lantern.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 8, 2008 00:56
|
|
|
The saga continues. Bowser produced close to no pellets today. Shortly after I got home from work, she also started having some sort of respiratory attack. She began sneezing and coughing, then aspirating the liquid coming from her nose. She was absolutely terrified. So I called the vet, only to find that THEY CLOSED 45 MINUTES EARLY. What the hell? Okay. Had to admit her to the emergency vet, where they are holding her overnight with oxygen and a billion medications. Along with tonight's estimate, we have now spent $1000 on Bowser in the past 6 days. Ugh. What a lovely week. Bowser has proved herself to be made of titanium in the past, so hopefully she will return to be the house diva shortly. Melicious fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Nov 12, 2008 |
|
#
¿
Nov 12, 2008 02:41
|
|
|
DS at Night posted:About the cancer, could anybody link me to some hard evidence (study or credible source) that specifically mentions the risk of cancer in unaltered females? I have a friend who's being kind of an idiot about it and doesn't want to "put her bunny through something like that if it's not really necessary" because somebody from the animal shelter where she works (not a rabbit expert of course) said it's not necessary to get them fixed. Honestly, even if the cancer weren't an issue, the behavioral advantages when getting them spayed are unreal. When I adopted Bowser, she HATED being held, peed everywhere, and humped everything that moved (especially our ankles.) She's now a complete cuddleslut who does not hump. She does pee everywhere again, but we attribute her worsening litterbox habits to her age. Regardless, she had a pretty solid 6 or so years of peeing only where she was supposed to. Of course, having said that, I'm still fostering two unaltered, mature boys who are the best behaved rabbits I've ever encountered. They don't spray, they love being held and snuggled, and I've never seen a hint of sexual behavior. It's weird, but I'm not going to complain.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 17, 2008 18:10
|
|
|
Baitu posted:There are some rabbits not like this? Still I find it worth it most days. Bowser is a total cuddleslut, though she really prefers you sit on the floor to shower her with snuggles rather than try to spoon her on the couch. Occasionally she will hop up there for a nice cuddle, but most of the time she's just looking for food or playing with a blanket. She's also totally fine being held, though she used to kick our arms to shreds when she was younger. Through lots of persistence and bandaids, she now actually likes being held occasionally. On the other hand, she did cost us our security deposit on our old place by chewing on the walls, putting MASSIVE holes in the carpet, and generally destroying the place. Despite our best efforts to block her access to everything electical, we probably had to replace 10 or so mice, 5 keyboards, and countless phone cords. I think a printer cable and some speakers were in there, too. I have no idea how many lamp cords I spliced. Thankfully, she also grew out of that and now keeps away from cables. Like several others in this thread, I don't regret having a bunny, but I don't think I'll have another rabbit after she's gone. I love them, but even the best behaved bunnies are total pains in the rear end sometimes. On that note, recently Bowser has completely abandoned the idea of litterboxes. She literally poops and pees RIGHT NEXT TO her boxes. We move the boxes, she continues to just piss and poo poo next to them. If we see her do it and yell at her, she'll immediately jump into the box and sit there for awhile. The second we're out of the room, she's pooping outside of it again. What the gently caress, rabbit? We tried getting her new boxes, no improvement. I talked to a few people about it who recommended I restrict her space so that she's forced to either poop in the box or lie in her poo, so I did. A month later, the box is still clean, and she's laying in her own waste. I don't get it. She's clearly not senile, nor is she arthritic. She still chases the cats around and has no problem jumping anywhere else, so it's not like she can't make the 5 inch hop into the boxes. I'm convinced she's just trying to make me angry. Any suggestions? Here's the big goober in question, being manhandled by yours truly.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2009 02:19
|
|
|
RabbitMage posted:Absolutely, but it can depend on the color. A black rabbit is pretty much always going to look black, regardless of how young/old/moulty it is! Some colors darken/lighten dramatically or change altogether as a rabbit ages, sometimes it's just a slight change from a baby coat to an adult coat. Yeah, Bowser's grey and white- she always had little sections of grey that were closer to a light brown. It's been evening out as she's getting older, though, (she's now about 9), and now her grey is pretty much just the same shade.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 2, 2009 18:41
|
|
|
Fenarisk posted:Right now I'm just looking forward to spaying her because having her sprint in circles around my feet pooping the entire time is getting to be annoying, and trying to nudge her butt into the cage results in her back end going up with her tail high thinking she's going to get some rather than just going in the drat cage At least she doesn't get a death grip on your calves and then proceed to hump the poo poo out of your ankles like MY bunny did before she was spayed. Strangely enough, she turned out to be very submissive with other bunnies, despite trying to conquer any human she can find. Actually, she still occasionally humps one of my cats, though....
|
|
#
¿
Feb 2, 2009 21:28
|
|
|
Speaking of pooping everywhere, I posted about a problem I've been having with Bowser a few pages back, but it was buried within my long, rambling post about other poo poo, so I dunno if anybody saw it.Melicious posted:On that note, recently Bowser has completely abandoned the idea of litterboxes. She literally poops and pees RIGHT NEXT TO her boxes. We move the boxes, she continues to just piss and poo poo next to them. If we see her do it and yell at her, she'll immediately jump into the box and sit there for awhile. The second we're out of the room, she's pooping outside of it again. What the gently caress, rabbit? We tried getting her new boxes, no improvement. I talked to a few people about it who recommended I restrict her space so that she's forced to either poop in the box or lie in her poo, so I did. A month later, the box is still clean, and she's laying in her own waste. I don't get it. She's clearly not senile, nor is she arthritic. She still chases the cats around and has no problem jumping anywhere else, so it's not like she can't make the 5 inch hop into the boxes. I'm convinced she's just trying to make me angry. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 9, 2009 23:36
|
|
|
alucinor posted:GoodApollo's right - how big are the boxes? It does sound like you have more than one, right? Yeah, she has two litterboxes at the moment. One is a very large catbox with a hood that she's used for about 8 years. She used to be quite the litter kicker, so the hood was pretty neccessary and didn't seem to bother her. The other is a super deep sided plastic box that she used for a few months before abandoning it. She does the same thing with both of the boxes- poops and pees just outside of them. It's not even an issue of her hanging her butt over the edge, she just sits next to them and does her business. As for the hay, there's always a bunch of it IN the litterboxes, and the proximity to her hay feeder has changed several times as I tried to coax her to poop in the box. Her litterbox that's outside of the cage is nowhere near a feeder, and the one in the cage is currently out of its reach. I had the box directly under the feeder, but it didn't seem to change her idea of where poop goes. For her litter, we're currently using Yesterday's News topped with lots of timothy hay. In her cage, we've tried carpet, grass mats, plastic, and bare... she seemed to not want to mess up the carpet and grass mats for the first week or so, and then it was poop and pee city. Now I'm using rattan, which she loves, but continues to soak with urine. Outside of the cage, I have hardwood floors. She seems equally happy to go to the bathroom on the wood as well as my rugs. Sigh. The only other thing I can think of is the cats- I have 3 cats, and it's a constant battle to make sure they don't use Bowser's boxes. They have 4 litterboxes of their own, but if Bowser's box is closer, they like to be lazy and climb in there. Bowser of course hates the stink of cat pee or poop in her box and has always freaked out, kicking litter and cat waste everywhere when they've used her box. In the past, though, a cleaning would always reset everything and she'd use the litterbox just fine again. Now, though, not even new boxes seemed to help, and so we went back to using one new one and her old, tried-and-true standard. I just don't know if she got tired of peeing on cat pee or what. I'm getting pretty tired of having rabbit poop everywhere, let me tell you.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 13, 2009 20:11
|
|
|
Lagomorpha posted:I had this same issue with Gruff. The only place he'll use a litter box in is in his pen. Try replacing the litter box by laying down some of those pads used for training puppies (you can get 36 of them at Walmart for $6!!). Just be sure to change them often to avoid saturation. Thanks, yeah, I picked up some of the pee pads this past weekend. Also did a MAJOR scrubdown of the room where she spends most of her time, and since then she's been a little more reluctant to cover it in pee and poop. Here's to hoping she's gonna revert back to her better habits...
|
|
#
¿
Feb 17, 2009 23:09
|
|
|
PoconoHermit posted:
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2009 02:08
|
|
|
CampingCarl posted:My rabbit is getting older now, almost 11, so I just wanted to double check on if this is normal behavior. First he tends to poop just outside of this cage, where he sits a lot when not caged. I moved his room litter box(not the one in his cage) there and he doesn't seem to use it. He doesn't pee outside his cage but it seems more than just marking and there are 2 litter boxes within a couple feet. Bowser is also a senior with major litterbox issues (but no arthritis or any other joint pain)- you can read a bit about her retarded pooping/peeing/laying in it habits earlier in the thread. Anyway, she's also gotten to be quite licky as she's gotten older. She used to be a chewer, now she just grooms everything. I like this switch, especially when she licks me. Usually it's just things she likes, especially if they're velvety. I dunno what it is about her, but Bowser's nails just do not seem to grow much. Every time I go to trim them, I find she doesn't really need it.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2009 20:59
|
|
|
munchies posted:That said, a shop vac (with the 2.5" hose that cannot be clogged) is one of the best investments I've made for my rabbits. I just got a heavy-duty roomba meant for garages. I am so in love with it and the lack of hay/poop on the floor without any intervention from me!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 11, 2009 18:29
|
|
|
alucinor posted:Melicious, I wish you hadn't mentioned the heavy-duty Roomba. I've been wanting a Roomba so bad, and talked myself out of it with the idea that it couldn't handle big things like hay and poos... Oh yeah, it definitely handles the hay and poos like a champ. I got the Roomba Dirt Dog, which is actually a cheaper model than some of the other ones, but made to vacuum up sawdust and bolts and things. It doesn't come with some of the iRobot accessories (virtual wall, remote), but you can buy them separately. I also got it during one of Amazon's Friday sales for like $90. Can't beat that, I don't think. A few caveats, though: it's pretty noisy because it has a heavier motor than some of the other models, so you probably wouldn't want to turn it on before you go to bed or something. It doesn't really seem to faze my bunny or cats, somehow, though. Also, the dust bin isn't very big. With all the hay and poop on the floor in the bunny's room, I have to empty it fairly frequently, but that's still a lot less intervention than all my previous vacs have needed. Like all the Roombas, you need to pick up any socks or wires hanging on the ground because it will get tripped up on them. I don't imagine many bunny owners having cords draped around their place, though. Finally, I've only had this bad boy for about 2 weeks. My other vacuums all crapped out in less than a year thanks to the fur and hay, so time will tell if the Roomba will outlast its more expensive upright cousins. But hell, if you can snag one for under $100 like I did, I feel like it's not even a risk. So far, it's super thorough and requires a lot less of me than a shopvac or broom and dustpan, so I am happy!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 13, 2009 16:53
|
|
|
Relayer posted:Couldn't resist and made another Douglas tribute video: Your bunny eats bananas like a pussy. Bowser would have downed that thing in 4 seconds, grunting and guarding it all the while.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 23, 2009 18:28
|
|
|
Cmdr. Shepard posted:Still looking for advice on this issue. My rabbit has been peeing next to the litter box on the floor recently and I don't know why. Today I went out and got another litter box that I put right next to his other one, so now he really has no floor space on the bottom of his condo that's not taken up by litter box. I came home from work tonight and found he already started using his new litter box and no accidents on the floor, so I'm happy! If you check my post history for the thread, you'll see I've been having this problem, too. I'd love to say things have changed, but they haven't. At all. Restricting her space didn't help- Bowser is still preferring to lie down in her pee and poo. Well, occasionally she just sleeps in her litterbox, which is usually clean as can be. I've pretty much given up- there's nothing medically wrong with her, she's just loving crazy.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 15, 2009 22:46
|
|
His condo has 3 floors and as far as I'm aware, he hasn't done anything other than territorial poops on the 2nd and 3rd floors which I'm ok with.
|
Cmdr. Shepard posted:Maybe he's equating the entire floor of the cage as his bathroom rather than the litter box itself. Yeah, that's pretty much what I've figured with Bowser, too. We started to have this problem in our old house with her- she had an whole room to herself there, and gradually decided that that entire room was where her poop went. When we moved, all the issues seemed to be cured- for about 6 months, then back to using most of the room as a litterbox. She no longer has an entire room to herself, but seems to think the room where her cage is is where her poop goes. There's poop and pee all over her entire cage, and when she's not in the cage, she eliminates basically within a 2 foot radius around it. I'm glad I can trust her not to go pissing all over the kitchen or whatever, but it's not much better to have poop and pee covering the floor of my study. Sorry I don't have better news for you :\
|
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2009 07:00
|
|
|
alucinor posted:I read through your post history, but correct me if this is not the current state of litterboxes: The "super deep box" is maybe 6" at its deepest, with about a 1" door. It's almost exactly like this litterbox, but with a deeper scoop in front for entry: http://www.target.com/Designer-Litt...rank&rh=&page=1 Getting into either box definitely isn't an issue since she sleeps in them frequently. We tried a few shallower boxes (and bigger, and smaller, and hooded, and round, etc) and had the same issues regardless of what we offered her. We've been putting her food (including hay) right next to the box in her cage for a couple of months now, but her newest thing is to simply shove the box out of her way while she eats. I dunno. I mean, maybe we just need the extra shallow box/nearby food combo, but I feel like we've tried everything and she just wants to gently caress with us.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2009 16:08
|
|
|
Windy posted:As the others said, yes, it's wrong to give soda and chips(really??) to a rabbit. Simply don't eat food around them. When mine are out, it's always before or after a meal to prevent sneaky bunnies from stealing food. Debbie found a peanut M&M under the sofa once and ate half of it before I found out. She didn't die, but you never know what will happen or when, and it sucks to sit at the E-vet awaiting that $500 charge for x-rays and exams. I discovered that Bowser liked chocolate when I found her on the coffee table attacking a Snickers bar.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 24, 2009 22:38
|
|
|
Windy posted:Well, it turns out that administering eye drops isn't so horrible. Ear drops on the other hand... They're a gift from the devil as far as Murphy is concerned. Ear drops are a pain in the rear end on EVERY animal, including humans.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 8, 2009 17:49
|
|
|
ROFLSAURUS REX posted:I've been wanting to get a bunny for the longest time. The thing is, I would rather adopt one from the humane society then buy from a breeder. I've researched it a lot but I haven't really found a conclusive answer so I thought I would post here. My question is: can you teach an old bunny new tricks? I adopted an adult rabbit (Bowser) 8 years ago. Her age was estimated to be anywhere between 1 and 3 years. Two months after adopting her, I adopted a 9 month old cat (Emaline). They met with no issues- the cat chased her around in circles a couple of times, but it was all very playful- no "I'M GONNA EAT YOU" intent or panicky running. Nowadays Emaline doesn't give two shits about the rabbit unless she feels Bowser is getting too much attention, in which case she'll butt in and take over. Bowser tries to play with the cat and snuggle occasionally, but Emaline just isn't interested. Emaline will lick Bowser's face every now and then, though. A year after getting Emaline, I fostered an adult cat. She was about 5 and couldn't have cared less about the rabbit, though she did fight Emaline a few times. Another year later, I adopted a 3 month old kitten. She fell in love with the rabbit and they still get along famously. Two years after that, I found a very sick 4 week old kitten (Wally) on the street. After lots of TLC and bottle feeding (she had not yet learned how to lap), I introduced her to Bowser and the other cats. She loved the other cats but ran in terror from Bowser. This continues today- Bowser really seems to relish chasing Wally around the house. Obviously my situation isn't everyone's and I'd always reccommend close supervision when trying to introduce a rabbit into a new home. However, just wanted to throw my experience in there. Bowser is alone with the cats almost all day and never has had an issue with them. The cats fight with eachother plenty, but I've never seen a scrap of fur missing from Bowser.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 21, 2009 18:11
|
|
|
GoodApollo posted:I decided to ween my rabbits off pellets. In between I've had a UTI in one and then a bout with mites and they are both healthy now, BUT, they've both dropped about a pound and a half of weight. When we took them in for their last round of shots the vet was a little concerned and suggested we go back to putting pellets in their diet. I decided instead to try upping their daily veggies (and they always get unlimited hay) but I haven't been doing it long enough to see how it affects their weight, but I am curious if anyone else has experience with no a pellet diet and anything that might be a good idea to sub in to keep from having to go back to them. After having a lot of GI issues with Bowser, our vet recommended we stop giving her pellets. We did, for about 6 months. Though we were giving her unlimited oxbow timothy hay, she's never been much of a fan... she eats it, but not enough. She loves her veggies, but is fickle and seems to insist we give her entirely different ones every day with no repeats within a week or so. She lost too much weight (her ribs became far too prominent) and was clearly grumpy. When she started picking fights with our cats in order to steal their dry food, we put her back on pellets. We still try to keep her primarily eating hay and veggies, but she just doesn't get enough out of that diet alone.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2009 16:34
|
|
|
alucinor posted:Melicious: Bowser is an older bun, right? I have a few old folks who need the extra calories too, so I won't worry too much about it unless she's still having GI upset. If you're still interested in increasing the amount of hay in her diet, I would recommend trying something other than timothy. Orchardgrass and bluegrass do seem highly preferred over timothy by my guys, and I feel that the quality of oxbow hay has gone down a bit in the last 3-4 years; it tends to be more stemmy and some boxes are very brown, neither of which is acceptable to my herd. Yeah, Bowser's a senior citizen... I've tried oat grass for sure and I THINK I tried Orchardgrass, but I could be wrong. Whatever the other varieties are that I bought, she wouldn't touch. Definitely haven't tried bluegrass, though, so I'll give that a shot. Thanks!
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2009 17:26
|
|
|
blue_kameleon posted:Its possible that shes eating while I'm not looking, but are there other signs that shes in trouble? She's moving pretty gingerly, but what should I be on the look out for? I asked the vet but they were pretty vague and didn't seem to think there would be any problems, but I want to be on the safe side. The only issue I had with Bowser after her spay was that she repeatedly tried to rip out her stitches. So yeah, if they gave her stitches rather than glue, make sure she's not going after them. After some very unsuccessful attempts with e-collars, we ended up having to put her in a tube sock with the foot cut off. Worked like a charm.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2009 21:56
|
|
|
blue_kameleon posted:They gave us a cone to put on her head if she goes after them, but so far she hasn't tried at all. I hope she leaves them alone, she's going to hate us if we have to put that thing on her. I've also read that you can wrap their middles in a dishtowel and bind it together at the top so the stitches are covered, would this work? It seems like she would mind that a bit less. Shes 3, so I don't think a tube sock is going to fit around her middle. Is it common for rabbits to try and rip out their stitches? The vet I went to had done tons of successful spays but didn't give me great answers on aftercare. Firstly, let me say that Bowser was also a full-grown adult when she was spayed, and a big one at that. This is her:  We had a VERY stretchy tube sock, and she wasn't bothered by it at all. You could also use the thigh of some leggings. But yeah, the dishtowel idea should also work- my only concern would be it spinning around so that the bound up part would rub against her incision, irritating it. I'm not sure how common it is for rabbits to go after stitches, but they are pretty fastidious groomers and also like to chew on things, so it seems like the natural thing to do. My vet supposedly also had a lot of experience with rabbits, but pretty much shrugged his shoulders when I told him that a) She was ripping out her stitches and B) she could hardly lift her head when we put on the e-collar (the cone) C) When we made a smaller, lighter e-collar for her out of posterboard, she spent most of the time running into walls. As far as the eating, I'm afraid I don't know how much is normal, but I vaguely remember Bowser being pretty unhappy with us the first day back. luscious posted:that is the funniest thing I've ever read. Oh man, it was hillarious and adorable. I thought I took photos, but can't find them now. Of course, this was almost a decade ago, so who the hell knows...
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2009 22:23
|
|
|
Cmdr. Shepard posted:My vet recommended against getting my male rabbit neutered. She said it was an expensive process and only recommended it for female rabbits as they are prone to other problems if left unspayed. This vet was a recommendation through the House Rabbit society, so I have no reason not to trust her. You need a new vet.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2009 03:38
|
|
|
Cmdr. Shepard posted:From what I've read, males aren't susceptible to the same problems as females if left intact. So what I'm trying to find out is what other effects or issues might I run in to? If there's nothing to worry about, or if the only downside is he's a bit more mischievous, then I'm not going to drop $350 on neutering him. Well, for starters, he's not going to stop humping you. My female rabbit humped us so vigorously before she was spayed that she actually drew blood. Second, he's far less likely to use his litterbox. Even if he's a champ with poop, he'll be spraying. Third, he's far less likely to be very friendly (more aggressive, less cuddly) to you and will likely be more destructive. These things are all mentioned here: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html Edit: Beaten
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2009 06:42
|
|
|
blue_kameleon posted:she died Oh god, I'm so sorry. Cmdr. Shepard posted:
I take Bowser to Chicago Exotics, which is actually in Skokie. http://www.exoticpetvet.com/ I had her spayed nearly a decade ago in Cleveland, so I don't know what they charge around here, but $350 does seem a bit high. Cleveland is a far cheaper state to live in, but it cost me $140 to do it out there. Others I know have paid more than $350, so it's hard to say.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2009 04:50
|
|
thanks for the advice anyways guys.
|
GoodApollo posted:I don't know how anyone can do it with one person. Sometimes, if you're super lucky, you get a magical bunny. I fostered 2 little guys last year and one of them ended up having to take a whole host of medicines for a battle with E Cuniculi. He never fought, even though he was being constantly assaulted with eardrops and syringes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggmxcb2nOjo
|
|
#
¿
Aug 24, 2009 16:03
|
|
|
Chiken n' Waffles posted:How in the name of God do you people not have rabbits that eat your carpet floor? We moved to a place with all hardwood floors. No joke. When we moved out of our previous apartment, there was a couch-sized bare spot in the carpet where Bowser had gone to town. We tried EVERYTHING. The whole drat house was carpeted- if we wanted her to have any exercise, she was gonna eat carpet. Yeah, we didn't get that security deposit back. Sorry I don't have better news for you, but some bunnies really like eating carpet, and all bunnies are stubborn, wiley little motherfuckers.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 14, 2009 20:53
|
|
|
luscious posted:PLEASE be careful about rabbits eating carpets! That's what Paterson ate that put him into GI Stasis and it's terrible oh god. I covered the rugs with sheets and I'm sorry if you guys can't but please be careful! This is definitely true, but to be clear, when I'm talking about "eating" the carpet, I mean ripping it up and not ingesting it. Most bunnies like to pull out the fibers, but if anyone's rabbit is eating the shag and not just leaving it in a big fuzzy pile, they could be in some serious trouble.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 15, 2009 04:18
|
|
|
DS at Night posted:Turns out my room wasn't as well bunny-proofed as I had thought. All it took was a few seconds near my Wii's scart cable and CHOMP. I am a firm believer that unless you keep your rabbit caged, no amount of bunnyproofing will ensure complete safety of your things. We bunnyproofed like hell, but bunnies find a way. The first 2 years we had Bowser, I can't tell you how many cords we went through on our telephone, chargers, lamps, and computer mice. Bunnies find a way. In other news, Bowser is becoming the sweetest bunny on the planet. She's always been an attention hog, doesn't fight us when we pick her up, etc, but lately it's a whole new level of love from her. She's been following me all around the house, and when I spend any fraction of time with her, she's licking me like mad. Even when I'm doing something she doesn't like, like pulling the tufts of molted fur from her rear end, she's licking me. It's bizarre, but I'll take it.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2009 16:47
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 23:28 |
|
|
ChlorineTrifluoride posted:People tell me that bunnies make stupid pets, and it is all I can do to not yell at them. I love my bunny. But they ARE stupid pets- just not in the way most people who haven't had bunnies would think. But with the destruction, shedding, medical bills, diet, hay dust, and probable lack of interest in human affection; rabbits are terribly stupid pets.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 29, 2009 00:46
|
|