Bad bunny and stressed bunny

[Rowan]

Tarragon - well it would be!! - had an extrahormonal surgethe last 24 hoursand yesterday hespent his time shredding ripping tossing and bashing everything hecould when he wasn't running circles round Flopsy's cage trying toimpress her. His cage looked like he'd had a confetti party in there.

This morning I was woken up at 5am bythe sound of fighting. Irushed into my daughter's room, she's away this weekend, to findTarragon on Bunberry's level beating him up. The door was slightlyajar, and I thought I must have not fastened it tightly enough lastnight and he'd spent his midnight hours working the latch loose. I gotthem apart and calmed Bunberry down. It took ages because he was sostressed. Then I let him run loose while I made sure Tarragon wasfirmly locked in. After a few hours I put Bunberry back in to letFlopsy out, making sure the doors were alllockedverytight shut.

Shortly afterwards there was a scuffling sound and then silence. I wentover to look at the cage and there was Tarragon calmly eatingBunberry's food while poor Bunberry cowered under the little ledgethat's there. The door was still locked. After close examination of thecage it seems the only way Tarragon could have done it was to squashhimself into a flatpancake and squeeze between the wire meshand the shelf to drop on Bunberry fromabove. Thedoor must have come open the first time from the force of the fight.

Bunberry is one unhappyrabbit I'velet him run loose again because I don't think he trusts his cage as asafe space anymore, understandably. When an evil rabbit falls fromabove twice in a day and attacks without warning it doesn't make forrelaxed living! :shock:

While I was getting the tools to fix the gaps so that not even a sheetof paper could get throughTarragon was alreadyworkingon the final part of his masterplan - how to get downto theground floor where the girls are. He had his nosejammed down the tiny gap between the mesh and the floor and wasstarting totry and force his way between. It's heavydutymesh too.The power of hormones!

Well he's locked up now and not going anywhere. He doesn't look theslightest bit upset by it all and spent most of the time I was sortingthe cage out begging for treats. Totally unrepentant!

Luckily neither rabbit was injured but I'm trying to work out the best way to make Bunberry feel safe again. Any ideas?

 

[Carolyn]

Oh My, Rowan, :shock:

That Tarragon! There's no controlling him! You'll be checking and double-check the cage every time now.

I'd just spend time petting and talking with Bunberry when you put herback in her cage. Take Five and reassure her that she's now safe andprotected while she's in there. I'd give her a treat when you're donewith your chat and loving her.

Of course she'll hear Tarragon trying to escape Alcatraz, but there'snot much you can do about that other than to correct him when he startstrying to renovate the castle.

-Carolyn

 

[Rowan]

Thanks Carolyn

I'll do that. My poorBunberry .Tarragonreally is a bad boy but I love him anyway. You're right about it beingAlcatraz now. No way can he go anywhere. Bunberry's the other boy I'vegot but he couldn't have a more different nature, he's just so gentleand sensitive. It wouldn't ever have occurred to him to do a stunt likethat. My only consolation is that at least it wasn't the girls on themiddle floor because if it had been I'd probably be looking at lots ofbabies in a fewweeks

I'll be very very glad when they're all old enough to be neutered!

 

[LuvaBun]

Poor Bunberry, give him a cuddle from me. I knowwhat you mean about Tarragon being a 'flat pancake'. Perry once didthat under the back gate, and if I hadn't seen him squeeze himselfunder a gap so small, I wouldn't have believed it - do they not havebackbones??? Hope you have a better nights sleep tonight(and Bunberrytoo)

Jan

 

[Rowan]

Thanks Jan

Bunberry's pretty much recovered now, I cleaned the whole cage outextra carefully and put a new cardboard box and toys in so he didn'tassociate it too much with the fights, but it still took him a coupleof hours in there before he relaxed.I'll give himacuddlefrom you after I come off the forum.

It's nice to know Tarragon's not the only one who can makehimself flat. It's not just the backbone, I can't figure how heflattened hishead! Anyway he's been totally chilled out this afternoon, sprawled around asif butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, pretending he'd never even thinkof such a thing. Talk about mood swings!

His father was a Houdini who once got out of a locked cage so I guesshe's inherited it. Anyway I feel reasonably confident he's going toneed telekinetic skills to get to Bunberry now