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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 Big jerk

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    • mvidec84
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        Me and the girlfriend picked up the new bunny about 2 months ago. We told the lady at the store we were going to piss all the bunnies off to see which one liked being held the most!  We picked up (nameless as of yet) bunny for his character traits, docile, loving, amiable, playful.  It was great to start, greeted me at his cage and did everything but ask me to pick him up and take him on the porch! He’d sit next to us on the couch and watch tv with us and snuggle and everything.  The past week though, he has been escaping his cage in the middle of the night (ive had to change the latch holding the door closed) running into his hidey hole when I walk into the room, he’s viciously digging my carpet and couches!  When I pick him up to take him on the porch, (his favorite place ever) he scratches, then when I put him down he’s plainly happy to be on the porch but gives me a huge attitude anyway and walks into the corner flicking his feet at me the whole way there. He stopped sitting on the couch with us instead choosing to sit on the couch furthest from us and ignore us except for the “one eye”. Litter habits are ok.  He only urinates in the box, poops mainly in the box, but doesnt seem to care if he does it anywhere else though. What I’m wondering is will these behaviors change when I neuter him?  That day is approaching and will most likely happen within a month.  I want a pet!  Not a disgruntled roommate! haha

         

         

         


      • Sarita
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          Neutering may help with some of this behavior and some of this behavior is age related.

          Honestly though your rabbit is just being a rabbit. You have to understand the mind of a rabbit. Rabbits are prey animals and they don’t have the capacity to be mean (that’s a human trait). The digging is natural rabbit behavior and he’s just doing what rabbits do. Rabbits also don’t like to be held so he’s probably only scratching you because he’s fearful.

          Any behavior that we call aggressive is due to fear or pain. Sometimes rabbits are territorial and just protecting their area.


        • Beka27
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            That definitely sounds like a normal teenager bunny to me!

            If you were very concerned with personality, it would have been beneficial to adopt an adult rabbit who was already spay/neutered.  This way you would have been able to see his/her “real” personality.  Most baby buns are going to be docile and cuddly for a few weeks or a month, but that has little to nothing to do with how they will be as adults.


          • LBJ10
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              I just wanted to say that he looks like my favorite kitty when I was growing up! He had white on his tummy and neck, but it didn’t come up onto his face. And he had white paws. Wish I had a bunny with little white socks. =)


            • Beka27
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                Posted By LBJ10 on 09/20/2011 10:31 AM
                I just wanted to say that he looks like my favorite kitty when I was growing up! He had white on his tummy and neck, but it didn’t come up onto his face. And he had white paws. Wish I had a bunny with little white socks. =)

                The socks are super adorable!

                Do you know anything about what breed he may be?


              • Stickerbunny
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                  For digging you can make him a dig box and try to redirect him to that. But not very many rabbits like being held – babies are more OK with it since they’re young, but to a prey species being held goes against all of their instincts, it signals to their bodies “DANGER!” and that is just how they are. And escaping is normal – my rabbits escape if they can, just have to bunny proof.


                • LoveChaCha
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                    Babies will tolerate handling.. but when they get older, they dislike it. Also, by choosing any baby rabbit, you won’t know what their personality will be like when they get older. I had a skiddish bun, now she totally bosses me around.


                  • RabbitPam
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                      Neutering will help. It won’t be evident for a full month after the neuter, but bunnies also tend to calm down in general after full adulthood. So a year from now (!) you will have a calmer rabbit who has made some habits in your house and lifestyle and trained you the way he wants you to be.

                      But I agree with Sarita that it is better to learn more about what a bunny’s nature really is and adjust your expectations so you can enjoy his uniqueness. He is not a cat or dog, and will have adorable things they don’t do to love and won’t do what you expect from dogs and cats. I would suggest reading the INFO section at the top in the green banner to learn more about your bunny. Also, there’s an article called The Language of Lagamorphs that is excellent for interpreting bunny silent speak. Anyone have that link, guys?


                    • mvidec84
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                        I spoke to a rabbit breeder that I happen to work with, he sent the picture to a couple of his friends and determined that he is an undetermined mutt of sorts! If anyone here might have a more specific answer that’s cool. I tried a different approach with him yesterday after work. He used to enjoy being carried around the house, but now prefers to do it hiimself, I just didn’t realize that preference could change so rapidly. So now I let him come out on his own and give him treats for good behavior and don’t attempt to pick him up unless it is necessary. He appreciates this by sitting next to me and lets me pet him. I’m a patient person and willing to adapt, but the girlfriend isn’t so happy about not having a “lap bunny” haha! No matter what we research and read on this forum she insists that the bunny just doesnt like her. Good thing the bunny is at my house! Oh man I thought he was going to have a heart attack the other day! He was playing with a paper bag I put on the ground for him, somehow got his neck in a handle (its loose so he wasnt choking or anything) and freaked out when the bag kept chasing him around the house! haha I had to pick him up and disentangle him, when I put him back down he ran away and wouldnt look at me for an hour haha!


                      • Stickerbunny
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                          Hehe rabbitude – even when you are helping them they insist it was your fault. Did you get foot flicks?

                          If he liked sitting in laps before he might come around to that again, but he’ll want to jump up on your laps on his own – try sitting her on the couch and tempt him up there with a treat he likes, just make sure she doesn’t force him if he doesn’t want to and he probably will be willing to get up in her lap for a craisin or something after a bit of work.


                        • TriBun
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                            When I started to really enjoy my bunnies was when I stopped trying to control them and just let them be bunnies. Believe me, it was not easy. I am a control freak.  I think your girlfriend will be harder to convince .

                            Your bunny sounds like he’s well into the throws of teenagehood. Just like human kids, you don’t get to skip it. Neutering wil probably help at least a little. I have one lap bunny and one no-way-lap bunny. Best thing to do is spend A LOT of time on the floor.


                          • Elrohwen
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                              What a cute little guy!! Sounds like a typical hormonal teenager 😉 I’m sure he’ll settle down a bit as he gets older and neutered.

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                          Forum BEHAVIOR Big jerk