I decided to sign up to the forums since I google to research everything bunny related and this website usually has the best information to offer.
Background info – You can skip to the topic if you want
My girlfriend and I brought home a Holland Lop we named Sunny back in May. He was a baby when we bought him and we took him home and raised him. Everything went great, no troubles at all. Then as we were researching we learned they get lonely at night, so we brought him to the pet store to let him pick out a bunny to bond with. He picked a red holland lop as his companion and they cuddled in the pet store. Therefore, we brought our new bunny, Clover home July 1. Despite knowing Sunny was a male, and Clover was a female, we knew that they were too young to mate.
Two days after buying Clover, she we heard a faint wheezing / squeaking. We were not sure what was going on (being bunny inexperienced). The next day she sneezed and we noticed her wiping snot from her nose. That is when I figured I would need to take her to the vet the next day. Later that night… she was breathing through her mouth and not moving. I rushed her to the emergency vet. They prescribed her baytril. Another day later, we saw her worsen as she was breathing through her mouth with her eyes closed. That is when we decided to see a bunny specialist whom (despite a bad prognosis) prescribed her ciprofloxacin. Thankfully, two days later she was binkying around the floor. She is still on rounds of ciprofloxacin to this day.
Topic:
We were both originally bunny amateurs (girlfriend had a bunny when she was young) and we bought them without knowing better. Being both graduate college students, it seemed like the easy pet (little did I know). But now we love them too much to get rid of them now (despite the vet costs) so I took out a little extra on my student loan just for them.
Now I understand that temperaments are different between bunnies, but we have raised both bunnies the same minus Clover receiving antibiotics (originally bunny burrito, but now she likes them and begs for them) and us having Sunny alone, while Clover always had Sunny around. Confusing part is… Sunny wants to be with us 24/7. While Sunny and Clover are fully bonded- they groom each other, cuddle, take care of each other, Sunny seems to be “more bonded” with us. He will hop in our lap whenever he gets the chance to lick away at our faces. Then he will flop right beside us and purr away while we pet him.
Clover on the other hand…she jumps at the sound of every new noise. She runs from us when we pet her. Sometimes she will hop in our lap, but once we pet her she runs. We have tried petting her softly up her nose down her head (like Sunny likes) but she will nudge very hard every time we do it. Almost like she is annoyed and does not want us to pet her there. Every time we put our face at her level… she will give us the bunny butt – aka turn around in the other direction like we are not a high enough being to be in her presence. When placed in her carrying case for travel to the vet, she has bit my girfriends finger hard enough that she was bleeding pretty badly. Ironically, later that night she licked her face as if to apologize, the first and only time she has EVER groomed us. When she is left alone, she will binky all day long like she is the happiest bunny in the world. When someone goes near, she will stop or go to the cage.
What gets more weird, is when she decides to be brave and hops next to me on the bed. She will begin to dig at the bed. Then when I pet her back (god forbid I touch her head) I actually see her purr! Then CHOMP! She nips my hand. I scream like a girl (because I heard that’s what your suppose to do) and she stops immediately and just sits still while I pet her… then she purrs again. So basically… I was wondering if her behavior is due to her being sick with Pastuerella (although she is asymptomatic while in Cipro), or if her behavior is genetically more aggressive. Why does she dig at the bed when she is beside us, why do we get the bunny butt all the time, how come she will lay next to us and enjoy her back being pet but not her head, why the nipping if she is purring?? All of these things make us feel like a failure in raising her compared to Sunny.
Lastly, Question number 2: where is the most affordable place to purchase bunny meds (ciprofloxacin). Our vet wants Clover to be on them long term as studies show long term doses of it has shown to wipe out Pastuerella for very long periods of time until the bunny’s immune system takes a drop. Us being college students… are poor to say the least. But we love her very much and we want her to have the best treatment possible.
Oh and one last important fact. Sunny is neutered and Clover has not yet been spayed. That will happen within a month or two we think.
Greatly appreciate any feedback! sorry for long post!