Bunny Tantrums

[Little Bay Poo]

So today Billy had three hours of run time which he filled with his usual Bunny 500's and binkies on the bed. He even flopped over and let us pet him when he was tired (something he's been doing a lot lately). When it was time to go back into his cage, I lured him back with dinner and he was happy as a clam to eat his oatmeal. Well, after he was done with the oatmeal he went right into bunny tantrum mode. He used to do this a lot when he was 3-6 months old but he's been so good about it lately! Well not tonight.

Billy was biting at the cage door and even started to box it a little. I felt bad so I let him out again for another 30 minutes and even let him go explore Ronnie's territory which got him pretty riled up. Got him back in the cage and he immediately had another bunny tantrum. Biting the cage door, boxing the cage door, even finding little pieces of hay to balance in his mouth while biting the door (he thinks the hay is a "key" to let him out).

The thing is I feel bad about keeping him in there...I know I wouldn't want to be locked up in a cage all day. But Billy is so destructive that bunny proofing the place to his needs is totally out of the question. He's not limited to wires and carpeting...he'd be happy to destroy ANYTHING that's chewable if not monitored closely.

Anyhow, I guess the real reason I'm posting this is because I want to know if anybunny else does this. Does anyone have an especially feisty bunny that throws tantrums like a little kid when they get put back in their cage? Please share!

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Slatey hangs out in the cardboard fort under the couch. He knows that it is time to go home when the fish tank lights are turned off at 11 PM. Sometimes, you just have to ask him to go home once.

Other times, he will growl, lunge at your hand, shake his cardboard, snort, and run home after much "Slatey, go on!". Bring him a goodnight strawberry, and he will snort at you and run into his cave, where he pouts.

Thank goodness he's scared of the hardwood floor, and stays in the fort; otherwise, he'll kill it all, just like Billy.

BTW: We're members of the Billy and Ronnie fan club at my house (Northern Ontario branch ) I've been showing the guys your boys on youtube, and they seem to enjoy the movies (lots of perky ears, and sniffing!)

 

[juliew19673]

I was sick yesterday (bad cold - could barely do my dishes in the kitchen) so left Baxter in is pen all day (about 36 hours - and he's used to having 5 hours of "free-run time") within the house; BUT he seemed fine with it (chawliking it up to he noticing I was sick)..

Well I awoke this moring to his water bottle (one of those Gerbil gizmos that you hook to the side of the pen, ONLY for the fact that he loves to knock over bowls) pushed over and he has had NO water for hours (I was "high" on Niquel" so figuring its been 8 hours) and he had COMPLETELY destroyed his pen.. The hay manager was down (not an easy task) and tile were pulled up and strew about...

I Felt HORRIBLE seeing this, but he was no worse for the wear, BUT he has had an ATTITUDE today since - where he is doing EVERYTNHINGhe knows that is "BAD " but doesn't seem to "care?".. Normally, if he'scaught -doing something, might try "acting out" again, but normally after the 2nd admonishment, he's good to go, but today he's pushing the limits and am thinking he was thirsty last night and I wasn't "Johnny on the spot" so he thinks he has a position to aurgue with me.


Just sounds like Billy is trying to "tell" you something so listen real hard (aka: whats different?).. Good luck and if you can't take Billy's behaviour I'll come pick him up to give you a break.

PS: Sorry my 'puter craped out and posted this message 3 times..

 

[mouse_chalk]

What size is his cage? Could you maybe make a pen around the outside of his cage with grids or something, so that at the end of his playtime he goes back into the pen, and can still run about if he wants to, but he's not running free round your apartment?

I know the destructo-buns thing only too well, Mouse and Chalk could never be free-range I don't think. They would eat just about everything we have!:shock: The irony is that they would love it, whereas Barney and Snowy had a trial for a while but never took advantage of it- they'd just sleep in the cage anyway lol...

I must say I've never had the problems of bunnt tantrums though- when they have playtime their cage gets opened and they are free to come and go as they wish. If we need them to go back in, usually a gentle nudge in the direction of the open door and some fresh hay sorts that out pretty quickly! I guess we're lucky lol... :?

 

[kherrmann3]

Toby does the cage-chewing thing, too. His other way of showing that he is irritated is to dig relentlessly at the bottom of his cage (which is plastic, and LOUD). He used to throw his entire litter pan, too! I fixed that by getting a clip on litter pan. At one point, when he was a baby, he liked to throw his food crock. Now, with a heavier crock, that doesn't happen anymore. The cage biting and digging does, though. Normally, I just tell him that he is being naughty and to knock it off. He'll look at me so sad, but normally stops (until I'm asleep, that is). But yeah, he's had plenty of temper-tantrums!

 

[Little Bay Poo]

LOL! I'm really enjoying reading everyone's stories...and knowing that I'm not the only one with a bunny that acts like a little kid


mouse_chalk wrote:

What size is his cage? Could you maybe make a pen around the outside of his cage with grids or something, so that at the end of his playtime he goes back into the pen, and can still run about if he wants to, but he's not running free round your apartment?

Billy's cage is 36 " x 30 " x 30 " with two full stories. That's a good idea to have a run attached, but it's something I'll have to keep in mind for the future, because the cage isn't in a proper location to do that right now. I'm not sure that it would matter though, because as soon as I let Billy out during his tantrum, he went right over to the barrier that separates him and Ronnie and started getting angry at that! :boxing So I think he's just a feisty little guy who does these things to get his way. He was nudging my foot last night with such force that he almost looked violent! It was as if he was saying "Get your:censored2: foot out of my way or I'll..."

I know better...Billy is all show, he never actually follows through with his threats . Although he does get a little bitey (clothing wise) when I'm not giving him oatmeal fast enough :biggrin2:

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Little Bay Poo wrote:

Well, after he was done with the oatmeal he went right into bunny tantrum mode. He used to do this a lot when he was 3-6 months old but he's been so good about it lately! .

When I read that, I imagined a toddler throwing a temper tantrum! The way you explain it makes it sound like he's a little kid lol!


My bunnies throw temper tantrums all the time! I dont think I know anyone with a bunny who hasn't thrown a temper tantrum....but then again, I could be wrong lol.

The main temper-tantrum-thrower in our shed is MISSISSIPPI! lol. He constantly is throwing temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants....and he puts on a show! He bites (holding onto your clothes and won't let go!), scratches, kicks (we have to hold his feet so he doesn't!)- he is a toddler! lol. If you pick him up and put him back in his cage, he'll rattle the cage door, scratch the mesh, chew the door, and just do everything to bring your attention back to him. Often when we're cleaning cages he'll rattle the door and throw temper tantrums and me and my sister will probably finish theday after yelling his name a hundred times! And it's his full name, not just Sippi - which is what he goes by mostly.

Of course, some of our other bunnies throw temper tantrums too....like Savannah....although I think it's mostly out of anger...For instance the other day she jumped out of my arms and hit the wall (luckily she was fine, nothing broken, no bloody noses, a little cut on her bottom lip but that was it), but afterwards she was really mad at me....she would toss everything I put in her cage and was just on a little rage! :?

I don't think Magic or Bruce have ever thrown a temper tantrum but they're both sweeties....well most the time lol. Ray is sometimes aggressive, mostly when it comes to food, but other than that I've never seen him throw a temper tantrum - yet....but he's just getting into his teenager-bunny stage! :shock:

Minnie likes to do binkies in her cage and she just doesn't understand that she's going to hurt herself...I mean, the cage is 3 1/2 feet long and 2 1/2 feet tall, but still....she could hurt herself! She just likes to run around and be crazy....like Ray likes to climb! lol.

Willow sometimes throws little temper tantrums, nothing major, and Autumn and Lily they just growl and grunt when they're angry.

Emily

 

[furryface]

You betcha! Lola does it all the time....it's like living with a furry 2 year old!

and most of the time, that's how we treat her LOL

fine....go ahead...throw your fit....that's not gonna get you to come out and play! only good bunnies get to come out...and then we walk away....

it's the bunny version of "time out"...when we come back a little later she's all "I'm sorry"....and "please can I come out now,I'll be good"...


we really do try to more or less ignore her when she has a "Lola Moment", reinforce the good behavior and most smart bunnies figure it out sooner or later...if I'm good I get what I want!

but there are also times when she is just oneTICKED off bunny...then we just make sure she's got food, litter, and water....and leave her alone....I think the ladies can relate...."leave the carrot and back away..."