Suddenly playful and sassy. LOL. Training help?

[Fiona]

So I came back to my apartment on the weekday, Moony got VERY comfortable in his new pen and my (carpeted) room, turns out he is totally playful and sassy and witty, the little butt.

He binkied around my room for awhile, went back to his pen… Then the 2nd time I let him out and wanted to pick him up, he would slip out of my grasp at the last minute and literally binky insanely across the room! Then I would go and try to pick him up again… Slips out again and binkies like a madman all over the place! I think he thinks that me trying to catch him is a load of fun and a great game of tag that only he can win. LOL  

So I’m wondering what is an easier way to bribe/catch a bunny, or basically not spoil him rotten with my failed attemps? It is difficult, because I realized he does not love eating. He nibbles at a bit of parsley, kale, spinach, hay, but it’s all relatively low value as a treat.

The difference is that at my parent’s house the first couple days he came home, he was very easy and let me pick him up any time, anywhere. Anybody can hold him. I’m sure it’s still true now, if I can actually GET a hold of him… But he thinks tag is a great game now. 

And as a general question, can bunnies be spoiled by loose rules? Do I need to be firm and consistent and clever with training, like I do for a dog? I’m just afraid of being too firm with rules right now, because he only just came home, and I don’t want him to become scared of me.

[Fiona]

Ur… guys, I need a bit of help. It seems his personality has turned upside down ever since I let him out last night for binkies around the room. I put him back (his pen is in my bedroom) to sleep, he was making noise chewing on the cardboard box, so I took that out and went to sleep. This morning, I found that he has completely trashed his pen, and it seems to be intentional from anger. His aspen and poo and pee is EVERYWHERE. He didn’t do this at all in the past few days since I brought him home- he was very clean!

So… bunnies getting angry? Did I spoil him too quickly? I don’t want this to happen again. Or do I need to neuter him asap?

He also suddenly HATES being picked up or petted. If I pet him, he hops away. If I try to pick him up even from within his cage, he slips away. This was all ever since last night when I let him out for binkies!

[DanaNM]

Hi there! 

Can you describe your set-up a bit more clearly? 

Also, how long have you had your bunny, and is he neutered? 

Most bunnies HATE being picked up. He could have been tolerating it because he was scared of his new surroundings! Are you sure you were seeing binkies? When my rabbits are made at me after nail trims they often “kick dirt” at me, where whey flick their legs out behind them when they run away. 

Ideally, you want a set-up where they bunny can come out of his pen/cage on his own, then run back in when play time is over. The pen/cage should be your bun’s “safe space” that they retreat to. If you only remove the bunny from his pen for medical reasons, he will know that is is private space and will be happy to return to it after play time. 

Two ways to get my buns back in pens: 

1. Feed him when it’s time to go in. If he is on a restricted pellet diet (which he should be!), he will probably bolt in when he heres the pellets his to food dish. You can also do this with veggies or a small treat (1 raisin or a tiny piece of banana). My buns go crazy for basil as well! As for training, you would not “spoil him rotten with failed attempts”, because he would only get the reward when he did the behavior you wanted. 

2. Clap and “shoo”/herd him back in! Again, this only works if he can hop in on his own! If your cage is elevated, you could add a ramp. More timid bunnies will easily run in, other times you need to give them a gentle shove!

It sounds to me like your bunny is happy, because chewing and thrashing is normal bunny play time behavior! My buns love throwing things around, and destroying cardboard is a great, safe activity for them. They are really more like dogs than people realize, so they need chew toys and places to dig! If he is keeping you up at night, just give him quieter toys at night, like willow sticks, grass mats, etc. I have to remove my buns’ cowbell at night, or I would never get any sleep.  

For the litter, wood shavings are not great, and encourage digging. Try switching to pelleted pine litter (like feline pine), which can be purchased cheaply as horse stall bedding or wood stove pellets. Binky bunny sells a wire mesh screen you can put over the bedding to prevent digging.  Add a layer of hay and you will have a happy bunny. 

Also, just a side note, Kale, spinach, and parsley are all high in oxalic acid, so should not be the only veggies fed. Together they should make up about a 1/3 of leafy greens fed, and should be rotated! You could add in some romaine, cilantro, basil, carrot tops to round it out. He could be turning his nose up at them because he needs more variety. 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Fiona]

Hello!

My setup is an x-pen, litterbox in one corner, cat condo, water/food bowls in another corner, and a couple cardboard mini pizza boxes to chew on. It’s lined with pee pads. The bedding in the litterbox is aspen, with hay on one side.

I’ve had him since 3 days ago, and he is not neutered- he is almost 4 months old.

I got him from a breeder (Dana Cole) who had him for a long time, of course… She said that he is just very kind and calm and likes being picked up and held, which he did seem to when I went to see him at her farm. She picked him up, her husband picked him up, I picked him up, he seemed to have a very chill nature. I can only assume that she knows Moony well. Before he came to me, he also was on a couple week trip with a company taking Easter photoshoots with families and children, and even visited a senior living facility (the senior homes wanted to buy him for his nature, but Dana told them that he is already sold… to me).

I’m 100% sure they were binkies, he was leaping through the air and flipping his whole body like a madman, zigzagging across the room LOL. He would also run to me and lick my feet, then binky away.

Yes, my x-pen was open the entire time he was out, and he would hop in and out on his own during this playtime last night.

The thing is that he doesn’t seem to love eating. He eats pellets sometimes, but it’s not something that he immediately goes to eat. Same with hay or veggies- or at least, I have not found a veggie he loves yet. I haven’t tried raisins or bananas yet though! That may work.

Thanks for the tips on the quiet toys and litter too! I bought pine pellets, but left it at my parent’s home for the weekdays. I wish I had brought some with me.

[DanaNM]

Hi there,

Well it seems like he is just barely getting settled and getting to know you! He sounds like a sweet heart.

If he is only 4 months old, his breeder would have only known him as a baby. I would work on building some trust with him (read posts on bonding with a new bunny), and I bet he’ll be snuggling with you again soon. He is also still very young, so his personality is still developing, and he is prob going through puberty! I highly recommend getting him neutered asap. Male bunnies can get very territorial. His hormones will settle after that.

Your set up sounds good, so I think your next course of action should be to get him neutered, and then take some time to bond with him and let him settle in his new surroundings. 3 days is not a very long time!

Also, I would be concerned about his dis-interest in food. Rabbits that are close to GI stasis often stop eating their pellets first, so please monitor him closely for symptoms of stasis! Again, it could be stress induced from moving to a new home, so just keep an eye on him and make sure he is eating, drinking, and pooping.
You might even take away his pellets to ensure he eats enough hay and veggies. Basil, mint, and cilantro are good to trigger feeding when you are concerned about stasis. You might want to stay away from the sugary treats until you are sure his GI tract is happy.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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