My rabbit had a close call today!

[foreverblue127]

I came home from work to find that my rabbit "Bun Bun" had somehow gotten out of his area. I called out his name and he didn't respond. I didn't hear him running around or anything. Then it hit me...maybe the dogs got him. I freaked out and ran up to wake my daughter up to help me find him. I didn't even think about the fact that I wouldn't want my daughter to see that until later. Anyways she walks in and says, "Mom he's right there!" In the middle of the living room floor he was doing the dead bunny flop! I still thought maybe he was dead, but he came around when I picked him up. My dogs must have left him alone. He relaxed enough with 4 giant dogs around him to do the DBF. I was shocked that he was able to relax that way and that my German shepherd didn't try to eat him. Thank God.

Sorry about the rant, I am just shaken up a bit. Have any of you ever had this happen? I mean what happened to his prey instinct to run and hide? The dogs have never attacked him, but he's never alone with them. I caught my dog taste testing him once. And it was just that. He wasn't grooming him at all. That was awhile back. They walk by his area all the time. I have caught them stopping by and touching noses, but not barking or growling.Maybe they have gotten used to him? I know they do not bother my female at all. Not to worry though I will NEVER intentionally leave them alone together.

 

[Jynxie]

I also have a GSD who is... Wayy to interested in him.
I don't trust them together, at all...

If Harley got out and was in the dogs area...
I would panic.

My dog has also test tasted Harley, she was licking him and then nipped at the fur... Thats when I knew she's not meeting him again.

My mom's Shih Tzu or my cat don't even care about him, which I thought the cat would give me the most trouble.

 

[LindyS]

Sounds like his area needs to be redone. Thank gosh for dog crates. Thats what our dogs are in inside unless im home.

 

[BaileysMom]

Oh wow, thankfully everything ended up being alright. We have 3 great danes but they couldn't care less about the rabbits, the rabbits will hop on them and everything and the most they do is pick up their heads to see what is going on. The youngest one is still a puppy though at 6 months old and some times when the rabbits are running he wants to play with them so we have to watch at all times. The dogs and rabbits are all put up when we are not home. As for the cats, the rabbits will chase the cats LOL.
Our dogs are more interested in the "droppings" which I swear they think are treats that they leave behind, especially the puppy, he will even follow them and nudge their butts from time to time as if to say : hey give me another one. Nasty I know.

 

[foreverblue127]

lol, Yes they love the bunny "Treats" too. I definitely need fix his area. It was scary a mistake I will not make again. I just do not understand what the heck the Bun was doing flopped over on the floor amongst all the dogs?

 

[Ponyta]

My shepherd puppy LOVED the poops. He was really good with my last two rabbits. They would chase each other and play. But they came to the house at the same time, were the same age, and essentially grew up around each other and that kind of helped.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I had a Doberman that was extremely smart. She knew all our pets were off limits. Her big thing was chasing birds and every now an then she'd catch one and make it disappear. However, "our" birds could land on her and ride around and she never even gave them a second look. I guess some consider other animals to be part of the "pack".

 

[MiniLopHop]

Twice I have "lost" Becky in her room. The first time I was all hysterical thinking she got out. I spent hours tearing apart the house looking for her, waving cilantro around. I finally had to go and we shut all the doors so I would know where she was when we got back. Returned two hours later and there she was, sitting at the food dish waiting for dinner like nothing happened.

Three days later the same thing happened, but this time I just wated for dinner and there she was. I have no idea where she was hiding and it hasn't happened since. There is a space warp in that room somewhere.

 

[tonyshuman]

Sometimes bunnies will flop around others to say "I'm not intimidated by you." They have a very complex heirarchy that they want to be at the top of, so the flopping could have been either he wasn't frightened or he was frightened but not trying to show it.

 

[foreverblue127]

He doesn't seem to be frightened of them at all. He should be! You would think he could sense it. He has tried to climb over them, he has even chased after them. I mean, my dogs are really big. my GSD is bigger than most GSD's. Maybe he thinks the rabbit will fight back like the cat does Those two have been going at it for years.

 

[MiniLopHop]

My gerbils don't know to be afraid of the cats. They will touch noses at the screen or rub against the glass where the cat is sitting. Perhaps the gerbils are taunting the cats since they know there is no way in?

Your bunn feels protected and safe.

 

[buns2luv]

Super scary situation...so glad he was ok.
We have 2 male Golden Retrievers and a female Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever. They are awesome with our buns, love to nuzzle their heads and lick them, but that is with me holding them. I honestly would be nervous to have the buns running around with the dogs out of their crates. I don't think they'd hurt them, but ya never know. Again, glad things were ok!

 

[foreverblue127]

My dogs are not in crates. I am only gone a few hours at a time. My rabbit has a hutch with a fence around it to play in. I need bunny proof my house better. The dogs must be getting more used to the Buns being around. That or they know they would be in big time trouble. Either way they left him alone. But I will NOT be letting my bun run around with the dogs. It could have been a disaster.Thank you guys for all the responses

 

[MaryAnne]

Could your bun have been playing dead?

 

[foreverblue127]

No, I don't think so. He looked totally relaxed and was sound asleep.

 

[MikeScone]

My first rabbit, Scone MacBunny, gave us that sort of "where's the bunny???" scare a bunch of times.

The first time, my son and I had to go to an Eagle presentation at a local Scout troop. I packed my car and left first. When Joe looked for Scone to put him in his cage before he left, the rabbit was nowhere to be found. Eventually, Joe decided to just let Scone stay in whatever hiding place he'd put himself in. He opened the door to the garage - and there was Scone, sitting on the steps with a really annoyed look on his face. Joe said that Scone ran past him and went right into his cage. Evidently, he'd followed me out to my car without my noticing, and then got locked out of the house. It must have been very scary for him, as he never did that again as long as he lived.

Later on, I was the one looking for Scone. He wasn't in any of the usual spots, but before I gave up I heard a scrabbling sound in my bedroom. I looked under the bed, and there was a rabbit peeking out of the bottom of the box spring on my bed, with a very mischievous look on his face.

The scariest moment was when I was working at the computer, with Scone stretched out flat on the floor next to me, as he loved to do. There was a loud cracking sound, and four shelves of heavy computer manuals and other technical books broke off the wall and fell on me, the computer and the floor where Scone was lying. I panicked, and started digging at the big pile of books to find what I was sure was Scone's lifeless body... and then I felt a nose poke at my leg, and there was Scone, looking curiously past me - "Watcha doin', Dad?" Somehow, he'd seen or sensed the books coming, ran out of the room without my noticing and hearing, and then when all the noise was over, he came back to see what had happened... He got over that incident much more quickly than I did, I can assure you.

 

[feather78]

I don't want to hijack, but MikeScone, my bunny did the same thing to my couch! He tore it open, and now he lives in there!

Foreverblue, I am happy that your bunny is ok! My first rabbit died after a ferret got to him and his heart stopped at the vet, it was the worst. It sounds like you have a brave little guy.