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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Bunny/Dog/Area

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    • DethronedbyQueenB
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        Queen has been starting to dig around my bedroom door and sneak out when the door opens.

        Do rabbits try to increase their territory?

        Initially my thoughts were that I have a large open concept home with 3 levels and one level is basement like with bedroom/bath, etc down there so there’s no way I would want a bunny running loose and possibly going down there where there are unfinished areas and storage rooms she could get lost or hurt in.

        Also, I have wooden furniture I can’t afford to replace and can’t risk that getting chewed on so definitely no way without supervision.

        Annnddd…..I have a dog. Well, sort of a dog- he’s a Pug. 

        With Queen starting to try to get out though I thought it may be best to start preparing for if/when she does escape the room. A bit of emergency prevention. The pug has been around cats and goats and specifically her and DM while they were caged and is aware of them and they, him, so they aren’t strangers by any means. Never any issues. I decided to let her hop out today while I was standing there and pug on the couch and see what happens.

        She apparently does not like slippery hardwood floors and wouldn’t go beyond the living room on this floor but there are carpeted stairs leading up so she could easily get to top floor which isn’t a big deal after DM is finished with his isolation- he lives on the top floor where there is just a balcony, playroom, 2 bedrooms and bathroom with a childgate he doesn’t even try to hop over. (I have wondered if I should worry about the balcony as we have 20 feet ceilings and I think the balcony is about a 10 foot drop, has rails but still.)

        Anyway, so the only room furniture I would have to worry about is living room and that’s good.

        How it went down with the pugster…

        He was on the couch and she hopped out. He watched her for about 10 uneventful minutes and then I could tell he really wanted to get closer but was waiting for me to say something so I called him down and sat with him on the floor.

        She would hop around checking things out and come within about 1.5 feet from him, very close, to check him out then go back to looking at the room. He would never hurt her on purpose but he did used to chase after the cat if the cat started running first and he thought it was playing. (We do not have a cat now.) So that’s my main concern with him.

        At one point she did dart away and sure enough he started to follow her but it only lasted long enough for me to holler, “BRODY, NO, SIT!” He stopped immediately and she actually stopped only a couple feet ahead of him and turned to look at him then went back to looking at room and started marking  the area with her chin.

        He grew bored and went to go wander around the kitchen.

        Later on while still out there he suddenly ran in her direction barking but she didn’t react much and he went past her to the large window to bark at a truck in the distance. She is probably somewhat used to his barking because he’s annoying with it and we can easily hear it in the room.

        Right after that though because he was excited he started walking back in her direction which spooked her a bit so she darted toward the bedroom and he chased her all the way to the door which is about 15 feet? He then stopped at the door.

        I came in the bedroom to check on her and she was standing just beyond the door, slightly heavier breathing from running but other than that, just seemed curious.

        Is there anything I need to know or advice I need to hear?

        Thanks to all for the great help I get here.


      • Cottontail
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          I know it’s basically going to come down to the two of them whether or not it will work out, but so far it sounds like a successful first co-hab session. Our cat will chase the rabbit, and at first I would scold her for it… but now I don’t worry unless she’s obviously in a bad mood (only because she’s so much stronger). Most of the time chase will turn into tag… but again, it depends on the pair. I would keep doing what you’re doing, supervised play time. If you’re worried about the pug being too rough I would keep a water bottle or some other deterrent handy, and just always make sure that there is somewhere for the bunny to escape to if worse comes to worse.
          As for increasing territory? I would think that was a big yes (at least from my experience). Peter learns what boundaries he’s supposed to adhere to, but is always trying to figure out how to open doors or get into windows… and if he gets to somewhere that he thinks is out-of-bounds then let the binkies begin!


        • DethronedbyQueenB
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            I can just picture that.

            Thank you for the reply, I struggle with being overprotective and worrying about worst case scenarios. It’s amazing my poor kids ever got out of car seats.

            Yesterday, I had Slick in DM’s (Male Bun) room and DM was chasing him to the point of me being nervous but Slick wasn’t acting scared- just fast running until DM paused and then they would resume. Finally it got so fast I thought it must be bad but then Slick suddenly stopped and layed down…and DM did too, so maybe this is how bunnies chase in an ok way? When one stops they both stop? And with dogs it’s similar?
            If a rabbit is actually scared will I know without a doubt?


          • JackRabbit
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              FYI on the balcony railing — I’ve been considering ordering some child-proofing “banister shield” to put in front of the stair railing at the top of my stairs (bunnies all live in rooms upstairs). Our steps, are hardwood, but upstairs is, carpeted and I’m always afraid one of them will slip through the railing and fall. Our house is a split foyer so that would be a long drop. Anyway, the banister shield is clear and supposedly attaches to the rails with clear zip ties, and comes in rolls of something like 3 ft x 5 ft, 3 ft x 15 ft, etc.


            • DethronedbyQueenB
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                That sounds great.
                Bannister shielding. $$ hehe

                I added a pic of the Brobro.


              • DethronedbyQueenB
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                  Yeah, I’m in.
                  I just had to corral Queen upstairs by waking up the kids to guard the railings with blankets for when she darted that way- at Midnight.
                  Her first great escape and she was so naughty. She KNEW she was naughty running from me too. I worried I was scaring her because I’ve never chased her before- NO! Soon as I caught her and brought her back in the room she jumped up on the bed with me. Naughty! AND when I put her down she flicked her back legs out and binkied.

                  Oh and the reason I chased her a bit was trying to put a towel over her because I already tried to lure her in and she was having way too much fun for that mess. Actually, I grabbed a banana because that’s her favorite but then waiting for her to get the excitement out of her system I got hungry and took a bite. While chewing I noticed a nasty taste in my mouth and turned the light up to see I had eaten half a bug or wormy thing or cocoon or something. Gross.

                  Random true story: Hubs and I sometimes like to walk cemeteries that are old. I found a headstone once that read, “Never a Dull Moment”.
                  She must have been a bunny person.

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              Forum BEHAVIOR Bunny/Dog/Area