BugLady
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone! I have had my little Rascal for a week now and these forums have helped tremendously with a lot of questions I have had so far.
Here is my story.
It actually started with another bunny, who I named Petunia. I had been wanting a rabbit for almost two years, and finally felt like the time was right. I am a graduate student so I spend a lot of time at home studying. I adopted her from someone on craigslist, and she was *perfect*. Litter trained, wonderfully friendly and snuggly (loved to be petted and would follow me around the house)... but when I took her to get spayed a month later, she passed away from anesthesia complications after the surgery. I was heartbroken.
A few weeks later I felt the pang again and thought I would give a second chance to another bunny.
This one has been quite a different story so far. Already neutered and litter trained, so I figured that was a good start. But he was kept in a tiny cage the first 8 months of his life (pet store, then at someone's home who neglected him), and was never really handled. A woman rescued him, got him fixed, and put up an ad on craigslist. Her opinion of "friendly and snuggly" actually meant "goes limp when you pick him up but otherwise is scared of people"... which was disheartening to me since I was still mourning my super friendly bunny.
But Rascal has made quite a turn-around in just one week! Aside from a GI stasis scare (took him to the emergency vet, he bounced back within a few hours) he has been doing great. The first few days were tough with litter training, but now he saves all his poop for his box. He's got a great big cage, lots of toys, fresh hay, limited timothy-based pellets, fresh veggies twice a day... and he is on his way to earning full house-rabbit status (I leave him out most of the day, the living room is fully rabbit-proofed). I actually just set up a webcam/skype account so I can watch him while I am at school.
He is learning to take treats from my hands, and when he is hungry he will do almost anything to get a raisin. I break them in half, so it's only a tiny nibble at a time. I am attempting clicker training. When he feels like it he will come to his name, stand up, jump on a box, even jump over a paper towel tube obstacle I made! But if he's full or not in the mood, it's like I don't exist. He is pretty skittish about sudden movements or sounds, and tends to run away from me unless I get down on the floor at his level. He *hates* being petted, which makes me a little sad, but I'm trying to slowly associate touch with good things.
Anyway, I can tell this little guy is going to live up to his name!
Clicker training video
Here is my story.
It actually started with another bunny, who I named Petunia. I had been wanting a rabbit for almost two years, and finally felt like the time was right. I am a graduate student so I spend a lot of time at home studying. I adopted her from someone on craigslist, and she was *perfect*. Litter trained, wonderfully friendly and snuggly (loved to be petted and would follow me around the house)... but when I took her to get spayed a month later, she passed away from anesthesia complications after the surgery. I was heartbroken.
A few weeks later I felt the pang again and thought I would give a second chance to another bunny.
This one has been quite a different story so far. Already neutered and litter trained, so I figured that was a good start. But he was kept in a tiny cage the first 8 months of his life (pet store, then at someone's home who neglected him), and was never really handled. A woman rescued him, got him fixed, and put up an ad on craigslist. Her opinion of "friendly and snuggly" actually meant "goes limp when you pick him up but otherwise is scared of people"... which was disheartening to me since I was still mourning my super friendly bunny.
But Rascal has made quite a turn-around in just one week! Aside from a GI stasis scare (took him to the emergency vet, he bounced back within a few hours) he has been doing great. The first few days were tough with litter training, but now he saves all his poop for his box. He's got a great big cage, lots of toys, fresh hay, limited timothy-based pellets, fresh veggies twice a day... and he is on his way to earning full house-rabbit status (I leave him out most of the day, the living room is fully rabbit-proofed). I actually just set up a webcam/skype account so I can watch him while I am at school.
He is learning to take treats from my hands, and when he is hungry he will do almost anything to get a raisin. I break them in half, so it's only a tiny nibble at a time. I am attempting clicker training. When he feels like it he will come to his name, stand up, jump on a box, even jump over a paper towel tube obstacle I made! But if he's full or not in the mood, it's like I don't exist. He is pretty skittish about sudden movements or sounds, and tends to run away from me unless I get down on the floor at his level. He *hates* being petted, which makes me a little sad, but I'm trying to slowly associate touch with good things.
Anyway, I can tell this little guy is going to live up to his name!
Clicker training video
