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Smoggy

Smoggy

Active Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Messages
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Location
Dublin, , Ireland
Hi I am new on this forum...i have two GORGEOUS bunnies -Myself, my two year and four year olddaughters arelike me, madly in love with our wonderful pets. We are house training the buns, they are living indoors with us at the moment in our playroom and then gradually they can have the ground floor of our house, onceit is completelybunny proofed and they are litter trained- I have converted a travel cot/play pen... now the 'bunny pen' where they sleep, rest, feed etc although i always have their litter tray, some food and water available while they are out! Their names are Meadow and Willow and are sisters around 12 weeks old, Meadow is slightersmaller and is the 'fiesty' one. We sit with them often on the sofa in our living roomand she chews our clothes...effortlessly putting holes through the cotton. Itry to discourage buttolerate this...We have all also been quite badly scratched, i understand that this is just a learning curve and although my kids get upset it never puts them off and i continue to coach themto handle the bunnies gently, carefully, properly...But yesterday mytoddler was biten on the lip while on the sofa...this scares me of course as i hate to think how much worse the bitecould have been. Meadow seems to be trying to communicate something but i do not know what...I think she just wants independance. She is very affectionate at times, licks our face and handsand is socialable but 'nips' quite frequently often breaking the skin. Willow on the other hand does not do this and is contentand calm.We have PLENTY for the bunnies to chew, loads of cardboard boxes, books, baskets, paper and...wood. They also have a correct bunny diet. I don't know what is wrong, i intend to spay them both once they are 6 months old as advised by our vet...In the meantime i am afraid that this behaviour could get worse. i adore these creatures i really do, but am extremely uncomfortable with the idea that mylittle girlcould have been badly injured (as it is she had asore bloodylip)

I am looking for advice and tips on howto try to prevent something awful happening to a childin which caseunfortunetly i would have no choice butto let Meadow go. We love her and Willow does too, i'd hate to break them up it would be heartbreaking!

If anyone has the time to respond I would appreciate any help out there...Thanks
 
What exactly was happening when the bite on the lip happened? Was the kid doing anything or just sitting there? It's kind of hard to say why she did it if the decription of the event is so vague...

You said you were house training them, do your daughters have access to the rabbits when you are not around?
 


Thanks for your reply...I was not present when the bite happened, i am aware that i should not leave the girls alone with the bunnies, however as theyare living with us this is difficult and sometimes i aim to put my faith in the girlsand check them at regular intervals...When the bite occuredthey were watching TV with bunnies on the sofa. Willow always enjoys a cuddle but Meadow is mostly frisky anddoesnt settle for long. My youngest daughter got bitten and was most probably pulling Meadow towards her with her facedown close. The bite was a form of attack i think, no doubt Meadow was annoyed and wanted to getoff the sofa to explore...






 
P.S

The girls are not allowed to take the bunnies out of their pen, that is my job - so as i always know what is going on...However as already mentionedi do leave the girls alone with the bunnies from time to time
 
Hi Nancy - The bunnies tend to nip sometimes while trying to chew our clothes, they normally approach us and give the nip. It seems like a communication and maybe it is simply that they want their freedom at that particular time as it only seems to happen while we are in close quarters on the sofa. But this was an actual bite,an attack really -more than a warning...
 
I would say that if she was pulling the rabbit towards her face, a bite was just waiting to happen. Can you imagine some giant creature grabbing a hold of you and forcing you towards their face? Especially for a prey animal? And ones that it doesn't sound like you have had for long, you never know how they will react.

Honestly, I don't think there should be any sort of unsupervised time with the rabbits, especially one you know is a nipper. While I'm sure your girls are responsible, it does not change the fact that they are 2 and 4 years old and may try things that are not in the rabbits best interest, however unintentional it may be. I would say give Meadow some time on her own and let her do what she likes, some rabbits just aren't meant to be snugglers. Teaching your girls that animals have different personalities and like different things would be a good lesson. Willow and Meadow are individuals and shouldn't be treated the same way, especially when Meadow makes it so clear that something is wrong.
 
Thank you so much for your response and for your advice - I have been thinking and know that it is wrong of me to leave the girls alone with the buns. I know that they do not have anything like the level of responsibility that they require to cope. I know Meadow is happiest while rummaging around on the floor, she is a dote especially when i lie on the floor and she will approach, lick my face, chew my hair and climb on me. Daisy my youngest does not handle her properly (she probably hurt her by accident by squeezing her for example) and because Meadow is frisky my oldest has bonded with Willow who seems to enjoy all of her cuddles. Meadow on the sofa is mostly a live wire and mainly wants to put holes in garments - i do adore her and realise that she requires far more careful handling and plenty of independance. I should never have put either Daisy or Meadow in close quarters alone, it isn't right. This is the first time needless to say that i have had bunnies, wow what a joy it has been. They are the most divine creatures ever and i love especially to see the way they interact with eachother it is just so beautiful.
 
P.S Kipcha...
May i ask, are the bunnies in your slide show all yours? They are gorgeous and i see that they have been trained to jump!??! I am fascinated, how interesting! I love the concept of giving bunnies the freedom that they deserve so to learn that they could be house trained was very appealing to me. The last thing i ever wanted was to keep them trapped in a cage. But to also learn that they can be taught tricks is mind blowing. I doubt that i could ever try anything like that, even just to teach them to play ball but it is amazing to know that it is possible. You must be the rabbit whisperer...
 
Smoggy wrote:
P.S Kipcha...
May i ask, are the bunnies in your slide show all yours? They are gorgeous and i see that they have been trained to jump!??! I am fascinated, how interesting! I love the concept of giving bunnies the freedom that they deserve so to learn that they could be house trained was very appealing to me. The last thing i ever wanted was to keep them trapped in a cage. But to also learn that they can be taught tricks is mind blowing. I doubt that i could ever try anything like that, even just to teach them to play ball but it is amazing to know that it is possible. You must be the rabbit whisperer...
Click to expand...

Yup! Bunnies are kind of a family obsession and they grew in numbers as time went on (Most of them are rescues, so it's hard to say no in some situations...).

My rabbits all run the agility courses off leash, know voice commands and come when their name is called. My mom (Who techincally owns Peace, Wallaby and Popcorn) and my sister (Kokomo is hers) teach their rabbits the same thing, it's quite a fun hobby and really gets the rabbits thinking. I think they enjoy the mental stimulation just as much as the physical excersise.
 
I really am amazed have you got bigger pictures or a website where i can view larger pictures, I'd love to show my Mum and others how clever these precious little creatures can be in the right loving hands...
 
Don't beat yourself up, you are new to seeing things through bunny eyes. Take the lesson and learn from it.

Baby bunnies tend to nip people because that is how rabbits communicate with other rabbits. If they want to say "move it" or "don't do that" they will nip. If the nips go unheeded and/or add some fear to the mix then it becomes a bite. I interrupted a fight between two buns (terrifying to see a rabbit in a rage) and ended up being the one bleeding in the hall. Cindi thought when I grabbed her she was going to get eaten so she bit out of fear. She's never bitten before or sense. Fear is very powerful for a prey species. So, as mentioned before, your bun probably was afraid of being eaten so she reacted to save her life. It's good that you plan on supervising more so the girls can learn to see things from the bunny's point of view. With the kids being so young it may take a while.

As for the nips, it is our job as bunny moms to teach them it is not an appropriate res ponce to nip the fur less buns (humans). When they nip yelp so they know they are hurting you. Then put your hand gently on their head (don't push or you might injure them). This lets them know that you are top bunny. Say "No" firmly. Rabbits are smart so as long as you are consistent they will learn quickly. Then you will see nose bonks rather than nipping to get your attention, which is much nicer.

Something else to think about- are you planning on spaying? It really makes much better pets because the hormones won't drive them crazy. Plus it eliminates the risk of reproductive cancers, which happens very frequently in un-spayed female rabbits. Just something for you to think about before it becomes a crisis. You will know when they reach the stage. Also be prepared that they may fight with each other and suddenly loose their litter training, it's all the hormones and will go away once they are fixed.

Glad you are here :biggrin2:
 
Wow what a cool website, my apologies i thought i had responded! I have been showing my family and another bunny Mom...they all love it. It is fascinatingto see thatbunnies are so obviously intelligent! Iam starting tosee it in our bunnies also...I hope to post pictures of them soon, but Meadow ate through the camera cable before i got the chance to proof up our living room. Oops!
 
Thank you so much for your reply i am so gratefeul that you took the time to write. Since i joined this forum Meadow is much calmer and stil nips (which doesnt bother me of course and i understand what shes getting at more or less)She frequently 'bucks' her head (very cute actually) but i think the threat of another bite has gone. I appreciate your comments and am learning so much.We spend far more time with her on the floor now, she is so curious and affectionate.I won't leave her alone with Daisy on the sofa ever again, it was a lesson learnt. I am trying to teach the girls that they are happier to be in our company (side by side rather than on) and that they do not want to be held against their will etc. etc. I spend time every night with the Buns by myself on the sofa and Meadow is far less frisky now, much more settled.

I have planned on spaying them yes thanks,i had heard that the risk of cancer is greatly reduced and that it may also help in terms of character. I was advised to wait until they are 6 months old...

CurrentlyI am worried about the man madethings that they ingest in our playroom where they live. In justa fewweeks they have chewed loads of printed cardboard...puzzles, boxes, baskets, wood, paper etc but also plastic! They have chewed baby dolls. I am clearing and putting all this stuffout of reach now but it scares me that they can't eject these materials and fear that it may do some damage. I can only hope that they chew and shave the stuff so finely thatparticles aresmall enough to pass!?!

I have just started to let them out into the garden and am of coursealso worried that they will manage to poison themselves. i have looked up the list of poisonous plants, cyclamen for example of which i have! But surely if they have plenty of choice, we have loads of grass, dandelions, herbs, pansies which they love...Instinctively do they not avoid the plants which may be harmful? I have fenced up any areas i think may bea potential danger to them (shed & decking) and we have high walls so they are well protected from other animals except perhaps from catsbut we are out with themand local cats are never on the prowl while we are present.

I would appreciatefurther advice as regards domestic hazards and allowing house bunnies the freedom of a garden space.

Thanks again...
 
None of us knew lick about bunnies at one point or another! Sounds like you are doing a great job and I think it's good for your girls to be around a delicate creature and learn how to interact with them.

If you could make a list of the vegetation in your garden, you can search them individually to see whats safe. I'd still put them on a harness when outside just in case, and never leave them alone. Even if other animals cant get in, bunnies can dig out, and they'd be easy pickings for birds of prey. :shock:
 
Hi Thanks, i am glad to hear that we all have to start somewhere!:) I am priveleged to be in a position to learn the stuff i need to know about keeping the bunnies safe and happy. Iabsolutely adore them and just can't get enough! Yes, the girls are in a greatposition to learn how to care for such delicate creatures...Our two year old is really very good considering, and they do have an extraordinary passion for animals...For the most part i am very proud of how they handle animals and are mostly (for such a young age)in touch with theirwell being.Its incredible how different childrens responses are and much to my horror i have seen very brutal behaviour towards animals in very young children.

I do intend to get little harnesses for the bunnies, i have heard that they can be real houdini's and the ideaof them 'escaping' horrifies me (the threat where i live would be mainly from cats, dogs and foxes),i think the garden is quite safe as regards prey as long as we are watching them but i will take your advice and will checkthe plants i have individually...what a good idea! We did have a trial run withDandelion, a lovely youngbunny who we looked after for a two week holidayand we gave her the freedom ofour garden (knowing much less than we do now) Incredibly she had been carried off at her homein the jaws of a domestic cat while a baby, was rescued by her 'dad', taken to the vet treatedfor shock, her tummy was stitched and she SURVIVED. A sweet little bunny despite the fact sheiscared for by afamily with a groupof young children!

Anyway, thanks again...i really appreciate you taking the time to write to this particular new comer!


 
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