My bunny annoys me

[caspar]

December of 2016, I became fond of looking at cute bunnies on Pinterest. They all looked so elegant and sweet, and I soon became obsessed. At that point, I had to have one of my own. I did some research (clearly not enough) and searched Craigs list until I found a reasonably priced holland lops. This was my first mistake. The lady said there was one male and one female left. My Dad, having rabbits previously, opted for the female, so we got a female. Or so we thought. I kept my rabbits cage in my closet. I gave my rabbit plenty of attention, let my rabbit run about my room, and fed my rabbit a balanced diet of mostly hay and pellets. That’s when I was given a nasty surprise… turns out my rabbit was in fact NOT a female but a male, and he let me know by spraying on all my clothes. His cage was quickly moved out of my closet. This was when Noel started annoying me. He started to constantly shake his cage during the night, would throw his food bowl about his cage, and chewed everything. He hated his hay and only wanted his pellets and I would have to get up 3-4 times a night and feed him so he’d give it a rest. He had chew toys but he really preferred the bars of his cage I suppose. This inspired his move to the living room. My Mom figured if he got more social stimulation he’d be calmer during nighttime. This did not help, so we decided to let him outside during the day. We still don’t know exactly what happened to him, for we couldn’t afford to take him to the vet, but one day we found him half paralyzed in the back yard flopping around like a fish. We quickly took him inside, where he soon recovered his feeling in his legs. But this wasn’t the end of it. Slowly but surely, his head started tilting completely to the side. We cured him with natural remedies like herbs and colloidal silver in his water which we had to give to him by force. He now has only a slight tilt to his head and is back to being as annoying as ever. He bites me, chewed our wii cord, and constantly demands food even when he has just been fed. I have spent so much time and money on this bunny, and I find him a extremely unrewarding pet. I can’t even hold him because he claws me up and he sheds so much it makes my skin itch. What do I do?

[GarfyTheLop]

Bunny’s are hard work which a lot of people don’t realise at first.

Firstly, I think the reason he’s acting out is the fact his hormones are probably going mad and he needs to be neutered.

You said you put him outside? Where do you live? Has he has his jabs? Has he been to a vet?

Sorry for all the questions, I just hate to think your bunny is unhappy which is leading him to make you feel this way and I’d like to fix it so you can both be happy together.

[Sirius&Luna]

I’m sorry, but it sounds like you need to rehome your bunny. Sometimes that’s the kindest thing to do if you realise you can’t give them the care they need. You don’t seem to be getting any joy out of your relationship with him, and he is certainly not having his needs met by you.

He is spraying because he’s not neutered. He’s biting the cage and cords because he’s bored and not stimulated enough. Hes demanding food because that’s what bunnies do, and also because his diet isn’t correct. It should be 90% hay, not just pellets. Hes clawing you because he doesn’t like being held, and his nails probably need trimming too.

Finally, he clearly has a serious illness, probably EC, which needs veterinary treatment. I’m sorry if you can’t afford it, but that’s another reason why it might be best to rehome him, so that he can get the care he needs.

I’m not saying this to be unkind, but it seems like you don’t have the interest or funds to improve his life, so he is going to continue displaying the behaviours that irritate you, and neither of you is gaining anything positive from the relationship. If you genuinely do want to improve his behaviour and your relationship, then we can help you with that, but he does need vet treatment, and you need to commit to making changes for him.

[jerseygirl]

Welcome : )

You don’t mention if he is desexed but did say he sprays sometimes. If he is still intact, having him desexed may calm him down a lot.

It not unusual for rabbit to want to get down when being held. Most dont enjoy it. They respond better if we hang out on the floor and let them come up to us. This article is worth a read and has links at the end with more advice. http://rabbit.org/bonding-with-your-rabbit/

I wonder if you might like to try clicker training with him also, if he seeks you out a lot.

The food begging is also common! lol. Mine see me as the food bringer always. Maybe you can put out a mix of different hays that will keep him interested. That’s something we can give them in large quantities at least.

The cage bar biting – some rabbits will insist on doing this even if they’ve had ample time out of the cage. Maybe it’s to do with being a prey animal and their need to make an area to “escape” if they perceive danger. Many times, barricade become a project a rabbit will work on to make a “bolt hole”.

Would you be able to set him up in in your room differently? Could he have the whole bottom of the closet perhaps with something solid to enclose him in? I was going to suggest an exercise pen to enclose him there but he may chew at those bars also.

[Deleted User]

I agree with Garfy, it sounds like hormones. He needs to be neutered if that is the case.

Bunnies are a lot of work. And behaviors like chewing and digging and being up at night are part of the package. Bunnies are nocturnal creatures with their most active hours being in the early morning. Chewing and burrowing is also a part of their nature that will not go away, even after being fixed.

Don’t feed him pellets when he’s doing something you don’t like, as you’re teaching him to associate that he’ll get food when he acts out. You could also make him become overweight, as adult buns should not be getting more than 1/4 cup of pellets a day, 2 tablespoons if you have a dwarf.

Bunnies are difficult to sex, so there was now way of completely knowing for sure until your bunny has reached sexual maturity what gender it was. If you’ve never been to a vet, you can’t even assume it’s a male. Females still spray and mark territory just as much a the males do. Whether he is male of female he should still be fixed as this will help curb all his hormonal activity. If it is a female, you absolutely need her spayed due to a high risk of reproductive cancers in unspayed females.

You need to take him to a vet, if you can’t afford it you shouldn’t have gotten a bunny, or any pet to be honest. He deserves good medical care. Something like head tilt can be very serious, usually caused by EC (a parasite) or an ear infection. Paralysis is also something that should have been checked out with by a vet. Getting him or her fixed will also require a good deal of money.

If you are this upset with your bunny for it being a bunny, and you can’t really give it the proper care, I would suggest rehoming.

[Deleted User]

Yeah neutering will help with those pesky problems like spraying. However, the “annoying” bit sounds to me like he is just really bored. It’s unfortunate, but lots of people do what you have done. See all of these nice pictures that portray bunnies as simple cute little creatures. wrong. They are actually high maintenance pets, and require more effort than a cat or dog if you ask me…Bunnies have lots of energy and they don’t like to be caged up, and when they get frustrated and bored they will start chewing stuff up and acting like a brat.

But honestly, if you feel like the rabbit is an inconvenience and a pest, then I suggest giving him over to a no-kill shelter. Someone else might want him. He’s clearly not happy and neither are you, so maybe it’s best if you can’t accommodate his needs.

[Wick & Fable]

It’s quite deceptive, but as you’ve learned, rabbit care and ownership is not all it’s glammed up to be in pinterest and other social media posts. It requires extensive work, maintenance, and time; more so than dog or cat ownership. But people wouldn’t get many views or likes by showing how many times they were on the floor cleaning urine stains in the early days, or showing all the times they failed to rabbit proof and their furniture is chewed on, and other aspects that may accompany rabbit ownership.

I think it’s great that you fell in love with rabbits; they are wonderful animals and pets, but there is a distinct difference between admiring from a far and owning one. That’s something you’re starting to realize, and now you need to make the pivotal choice of whether you’re a) able to and a) willing to put in the work (more than you ever expected) to raise a happy rabbit, or rehome your rabbit to a better place. Do not set it free (not that I’d assume you would, but wanted to mention) because a domestic rabbit will die and suffer very quickly; find a rabbit rescue if possible. If you do decide to commit the time and efforts, your parents must be on board financially, as well as a household to share some of your home space with the rabbit, because he needs a lot of room. Additionally, they need to also be knowledgeable about rabbit care, as well as yourself. There is a BUNNY INFO section on this website that you can look at to review the basics, and you can go through these forums to see how extensive rabbit care is.

As an additional note: Females can spray urine as well, and females would also exhibit some similar behaviors to male rabbits when hormones kick in; so try not to think “If only it was a boy”. Unless you see testicles, he may actually still be a she.

This leads into an important point about rabbit ownership: proper veterinary care. You need an exotic, rabbit vet; not a dog/cat veterinarian. There are specific vets for rabbits (usually more expensive) that can help you with care and guidance. They can give you a better idea of what your rabbit most likely is (male/female) as he/she gets older and those part begin to develop more outside. They can also perform a neuter/spay as needed, when required.

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.

[Heaven]

people wouldn’t get many views or likes by showing how many times they were on the floor cleaning urine stains in the early days

this made me giggle. I can so relate!

[Muchelle]

Leg symptoms and head tilt may be derived from a neurological situation, possibly EC as already suggested. If it’s indeed EC, this is something that can’t be cured with natural remedies and needs the attention of a specialized vet as soon as possible + long time treatment to prevent further neurological symptoms or even damages.

As for the erratic behaviour, I’m sure it’s hormonal so he/she needs to be desexed as well. As for diet, if he’s old enough (3+ months) he can be introduced to vegetables as well, very slowly and one at a time. You can find an extensive guide about correct rabbit diet here on the site or on house rabbit society. About the cord-chewing, you need to make sure that the rooms he is allowed in are bunny proofed: no way to escape into dangerous areas or outside and all cords and cables (and valuable carpets, shoes and such) must be secured out of his reach. 

If you can’t afford the vet care, please refer to the closest rabbit shelter or governative animal protection agency to receive guidance & help, may it be a discounted fee with one of their trusted vets or, if you don’t feel you are set on taking care of him, even possibly to rehome him. You need to think about this and pick the best option possible to grant him the best life.

[LBJ10]

If it is EC, treatment is relatively inexpensive. When there aren’t any other complications, of course. All the more reason to seek vet care sooner rather than later.

I agree with the others. The spraying is most likely hormonal. Some of the hyperactiveness could be hormonal as well. Or it could simply be a young, energetic bunny at work.

[caspar]

Thank you! He has not been neutered but I will ask my parents if thats an option. We feed him mostly hay now and once a day a variety of different herbs as that is what made him better when he was sick. His cage is now in the living room, where I spend most of my time anyways, so he gets plenty of attention and stuff. I am hoping that once his hormones calm down, so will he. Thanks again.

[Wick & Fable]

Do also set a visit to the vet, regardless of the neutering, because the symptoms of the EC, which is the serious illness people are mentioning, needs to be assessed by a professional. If your parents will be in charge of finding a vet, let them know they cannot use a dog/cat vet; they need to find a vet who has experience with rabbits. You can inform them that generally they are called “Exotic Vets”, not just a regular vet.

It’s great to hear that you’re making accommodations. I know it can be intimidating to get an overwhelming number of replies that mention pretty severe care topics and recommendations. It’s a learning process and I don’t think anyone is 100% prepared for rabbit care when they get a rabbit— the difference between a neglectful owner who didn’t know better and a responsible one who didn’t know better is the *willingness to change quickly and make accommodations for their rabbit’s well-being*. Being with your parents, it’s important that you let them in on your learning process too! Let them know the things you’ve learned and will learn, and I find that acts as a great way to earn parental trust when it comes to moments when you may say “I think we need to take my rabbit to the vet”, or “I think we need to change this around so the family rabbit is happier and healthier.” Also, since your parents are there, it’s essential that they understand your rabbit’s needs and how to handle your rabbit for periods when you’re not there. A lot of parents, due to age and difference in knowledge of the decade, have misconceptions about rabbits, although intentions are good. Bugs Bunny only ate carrots, and rabbits on pet websites are all in small cages, not roaming around the house like dogs. These are things that need to be learned and acted on quickly so your rabbit has a healthy and happy life; not just one that “exists”.

Keep asking questions as you’d like, and definitely use the forums, as well as the BUNNY INFO section of this website to help answer your questions. If you want any further input currently, telling the BB community about your rabbit’s current diet, accommodations, care routine/clean-up routine, etc.. would be good.

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.

[Deleted User]

One of the things you need to do is change your expectations. You get what you’re given in terms of personality of a rabbit and it is your responsibility to provide them with what they need so they can flourish and enjoy life. This rabbit didn’t choose to be taken on by you and it has no choice in how it is treated. I’m sure the situation is frustrating but you should just enjoy your rabbit for what they are. Same as you would love a child, you can’t take it back or change it, they have a personality and you love them regardless and it is a responsibility you have chosen to take on. I would still do anything and love my rabbits the same regardless of what they did because at the end of they day things that get chewed, sprayed on or ruined are just possessions but this rabbit is a living creature which is far more important. You could get so much joy out of your bunny if you just changed your mindset and got to know your bunny a little better. I’m sure everyone on here can tell you that with a rabbit you get what you put in. They need to trust you and if you can’t put in that effort for them why should they give anything back.

[Heaven]

at the end of the day things that get chewed, sprayed on or ruined are just possessions but this rabbit is a living creature which is far more important

Hear hear!!

[joea64]

Agreed. It’s not a rabbit’s business to leave your most cherished possessions alone, it’s your business to put them out of reach of his teeth.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Eddyw111 on 1/19/2018 7:33 AM

One of the things you need to do is change your expectations. You get what you’re given in terms of personality of a rabbit and it is your responsibility to provide them with what they need so they can flourish and enjoy life. This rabbit didn’t choose to be taken on by you and it has no choice in how it is treated. I’m sure the situation is frustrating but you should just enjoy your rabbit for what they are. Same as you would love a child, you can’t take it back or change it, they have a personality and you love them regardless and it is a responsibility you have chosen to take on. I would still do anything and love my rabbits the same regardless of what they did because at the end of they day things that get chewed, sprayed on or ruined are just possessions but this rabbit is a living creature which is far more important. You could get so much joy out of your bunny if you just changed your mindset and got to know your bunny a little better. I’m sure everyone on here can tell you that with a rabbit you get what you put in. They need to trust you and if you can’t put in that effort for them why should they give anything back.

Couldn’t have said it better myself! 

[Author]

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