Grr, fighting bunnies – jealousy?

[Cassi&Charlie]

My bunnies have gone crazy.

This morning I woke up a bit later than usual and went outside to two very unhappy bunnies. Charlie was chasing Layla around, in small circles and Layla was trying to get away but couldn’t work out how to.

Yesterday he was chasing her around as well but I thought it was just a little argument. There’s been no fur pulled out (as far as I can see) and no bite marks on her body, but her ear has a bite mark on it.

Crazy bunnies! Is Charlie jealous? Layla has been super nice to me lately, she runs up to me making the hum/grunting noise (love noise) and she follows me around, gets pets from me and sits with me. Is Charlie feeling left out? He’s been really stand-offish towards me, sitting in his own little corner or in his condo and ignoring me. I feel bad so I try and interact with him but he ignores me or leaves the area!

And then, he bit me!? I don’t know why, he actually walked up to me and bit me! This is totally out of character for him to bite ME! I’m his favourite I made a high pitched squeel noise and then ignored him but he didn’t seem phased. He’s still eating, drinking and pooping fine –> could it be the weather change? We’ve suddenyl had a major cold snap, or he’s shedding heavily but has been for a little while now. Jealousy? Can I fix this?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh gosh! Maybe the weather change has gotten to him? I’d just watch for a couple days closely and then see how they are doing

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh wow, welcome to my world hon.  My two do this every so often and the reason ranges anywhere from Bonsai trying to assert his dominance by “herding” Daffodil around and making her stay in places he only wants her to be, he doesn’t want to share the litterbox, he’s moody from the weather or shedding or it is treat time.  I have found my mama’s boy to have a giant EGO when it comes to the space he wants all to himself.  I have tried many things and have permanently given them TWO litterboxes in which to do their thing in.  It got so bad with the litterbox and Bonsai not letting her in it, she would go outside of the box by no fault of her own (Bonsai was just being territorial).  What I have found that finally seems to work is rearrange the NIC cage I have for them so there is a lot more space to lounge around on and he cannot stop Daffodil from hopping up or down the levels (something he was also doing).  Bonsai was being quite the spoiled brat and chasing Daff everywhere and out of her favorite spots even though they weren’t HIS favorite spots.  I had to resort to a squirt bottle and re-bonding them both with stress bonding car rides.  So, I think that what you may want to try is some re-bonding techniques with them and rearange things a bit and offer some other destructo-bun diversions like chew toys. 

Try to be patient with your little guy and don’t take it personally.  It sounds like he is being really definsive about what is HIS and is letting everyone know it.  Kind of like the bratty kid who won’t share their crayons and wants a table all to themselves for drawing.  Spend time with the little love on the floor, try some re-bonding and I think you will be O.K.! 

I also wanted to add that are you certain he can see O.K.?  He hasn’t developed any cateracts?

[Lightchick]

Oh no!

Maybe the evil Robbie-syndrome is spreading!

How are they doing now?  Is Charlie still being aggressive?

Poor Layla…

[Cassi&Charlie]

He’s a little brat! I stressed them out by giving them a spin on the washing machine and he’s not attacking her any more (as far as I can tell) but he’s ignoring her pretty much, even though she wants to snuggle. He sat on the couch with us yesterday, *no touchies* apparently just to chase her off when she jumped up. Even seen a bunny shoulder ram another one off a couch? I have!

I feel terrible because he’s my favourite but he’s really horrible at the moment and Layla is being really sweet.

I re-arranged the cage so there’s three litter boxes in there now, the NIC condo has one level up high that I don’t think Charlie can jump up to but Layla can, complete with hay & water in case she has to sit out a bunny siege.

I’m treating them both the same and trying to be nice to both of them but I’m a bit paranoid at the moment that Charlie will bite me again. It’s hard not to flinch when you know his little brain is considering sinking his razor sharp teeth into your flesh! I can see him thinking about it!!!

[KatnipCrzy]

A couple of weeks ago Cotton bit me for no reason that I could see.  Penny was no where around and I hadn’t even handled Penny yet for the day.  Cotton was licking my face, gave a tiny nip and I thought “what was that?” and she lunged and bit me in the neck.  She did not break the skin but it bruised me between the 2 contact points of her teeth about an inch apart- so it looked like a hickey.  (Darn Rabbit!)

I found that afterwords I felt tense when I was petting her- so I either arranged my arm to make sure it would block a neck lunge or put her on the floor and did not pet her.  I was worried that she would pick up on my tense attitude and that itself might trigger another nip.  And she has not tried it since- so hopefully she got over whatever made her do it, and I have relaxed enough to trust her again.

Julie

[Lightchick]

Ack, Cassi, what is it with our boy-buns!? They both need throttling…

Robbie’s still a butt, too. But he at least now knows that I won’t tolerate him being mean to Lizzy, so when she hops over to say hello, I can see his little brain lusting for blood, but if he so much as flinches, I just have to growl, “Don’t even think about it!”, and he gives me the stinkeye and hops away from her to the other side of the pen.

I wonder what made Charlie start acting up…?

[Cassi&Charlie]

Charlie is getting better. This morning he was stand-offish and wouldn’t come near me but when I left for work he was cuddling into Layla so that was a nice change.
Oddly today the weather is back to normal – so it might have been the weather?

Katnip – just like Monty Python, a bunny bite to the neck! That’s a bit scary, I’m glad Charlie hasn’t done that yet!

Stupid boy bunz! LC, at least Robbie is learning. Hopefully you can bond them back together again…seems like Lizzy really loves him! Just like my Layla loves Charlie even though his a brute. (Reminds me of A Streetcar Named Desire) I’ve started calling him Stanley and Layla Stella, they haven’t noticed yet…neither has bf…

[Lightchick]

That’s funny, C&C! I never did understand why anyone put up with Stanley…maybe I need to actually see the movie or a production of it. I’ve only ever read it…

I’ve been going with the Jekyll and Hyde reference for Robbie.

“How’s Robbie today?”

“He’s acting very Jekyll, but I know he’s secretly being Hyde…”

Poor Layla and Lizzy…stuck on mean-buns…

[Cassi&Charlie]

Well Marlon Brando plays a pretty hunky Stanley in the original movie so I totally get that! In the 1990s movie, don’t get it at all. I haven’t seen that production but I saw A Glass Menagerie and that was amazing so I can only imagine a good production of Streetcar would be something to remember.

Jekyll & Hyde suits Robbie with his apparent murdurous intentions…crazy bunny!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh no two are too funny!! Stteeeeeellllla!! hehe And Katnip – did you have to explain the ‘bunneh hickey’ to anyone or too small to notice? That’d be an excuse no one had heard before

Bonding can be really really frustrating! And it’s soo hard to not get mad at the aggressor bunny… I think it’s how much we respect their personalities and intelligence…It’s hard when they act out not to expect them to have the reasoning, logic and intelligence to know how bad it is, and then we are disappointed and mad at them. Bleh!

Anyways I know you C&C and LC will work it all out in the end, and glad your keeping a sense of humour about it too, its hard sometimes!!

[Scarlet_Rose]

C&C it sounds like things are getting better and I’m glad to hear that. The weather can make a bunny cranky, I have no idea why since they are in a climate-controlled environment but they do. Bonsai will do the oh-woe-is-me I am depressed because there is going to be a snowstorm or it is going to be really cold flop. He truly looks pathetic and I want to put a minature hot water bottle on his head and take a picture.

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