New Rabbit and the Litter Scoop

[kukupecpec]

I adopted a new rabbit from craigslist - it had been on there for a long time and the price kept dropping until they were giving it away for free, they had a new baby and she was allergic to the rabbit so they just needed it gone.

She is about a year old, they bought her as a tiny baby and had her for a year. They were told it was a boy but it's definitely a girl =)

She is super super friendly, wants nothing more than to have her head rubbed and to get out to explore.

I was cleaning out her litter box with the litter scoop and she went a little crazy, hopping around sort of frantically and she would sorta nibble the scoop, and then jump in a circle. I can't really tell if she's nervous or excited. How would I figure out if she's being aggressive towards it or playing with it?

Bugsy and Red my other bunnies never nip at things, they are very tentative about putting things in their mouth and get really excited for treats but they run around like crazy, Lulu is just doing little circles but it seems sorta frantic.

 

[PaGal]

Is she spayed? Female buns have a tendency in my experience to be affected by hormones when not spayed. She could be protecting her area from the mean old litter scoop. Without seeing it myself or knowing your bun it is hard to say whether she could just be having fun or if she is bothered by the litter scoop.

Buns can be funny in the things they do and their behaviors. My male bun at times will run in a tight circle like a dog chasing it's tail if you tickle him near his tail. With him it seems to be something fun. Although some bun behaviors can be seen throughout many different rabbits each one still has it's own personality. I'm sure over time as you get to know her better it will be easier to tell her moods.

 

[kukupecpec]

Is she spayed? Female buns have a tendency in my experience to be affected by hormones when not spayed. She could be protecting her area from the mean old litter scoop. Without seeing it myself or knowing your bun it is hard to say whether she could just be having fun or if she is bothered by the litter scoop.

Buns can be funny in the things they do and their behaviors. My male bun at times will run in a tight circle like a dog chasing it's tail if you tickle him near his tail. With him it seems to be something fun. Although some bun behaviors can be seen throughout many different rabbits each one still has it's own personality. I'm sure over time as you get to know her better it will be easier to tell her moods.

No she's not spayed, yet. She's scheduled for next friday though =D
I'm hoping I can figure it out, I'm a little cautious around her since I don't know her all that well yet, but I definitely don't want to spook her or anything. I'm going to try to catch it on video tomorrow when I clean her box in the morning.

 

[juliemaye]

Hi!

My male bun, Buster, was like this! Now he is playful with the scoop, but sometimes fearful of it, even still!

I got him to be more tolerant of it by:
1) Leave the scoop in the cage for a while beforehand so she or he can sniff it and throw it around if need be!
2) Place the lid of the cage next to the base, and the rabbit in the lid of the cage. Let him or her watch you as you use the litter scoop.
3) Use the litter scoop with the bun in the cage, giving small breaks if he or she shows signs of fear
4) Praise the rabbit each time they allow you to use the scoop in the cage (with pets) and even more so when they allow you to, while they are being calm (with treats). This will help instill proper behavior, and teach them to associate the scoop with something "positive" instead of something "negative".

Sometimes Buster and I play by batting the scoop back and forth, he likes that game. He gets all honky and excited, and then wants to be pet and loved after. It's cute!

 

[PaGal]

Hopefully if she is just defending her space from the scoop then that will stop after she is spayed.

I have three buns, my boy spooks a lot less than my two girls but from my experience over time buns do seem to adjust to many things that may spook them at first. All of the buns would spook at the vacuum. Thumper not so much anymore. With the girls if they are out of their cage and I start vacuuming on Thumper side of the room if I come near them they will run into their cage where they feel safer but not with the same level of fright they used to and when I use the hose to reach in their cage to vacuum up hay they will actually come over to sniff the hose.

The girls used to get frightened and thump when our dog entered the room but now they don't care and will continue to eat, groom or lay when he enters.

 

[blwinteler]

Both my boys play with the dust pan we use as a litter scoop. They love to pick it up and throw it, chew on it, and push it around. It is pretty funny. I'll have to get video sometime.

 

[lovelops]

All my buns like to play with the litter scoop. They think it's some play toy to play with. Both fixed and non fixed.
I think they see it and because mine is plastic and red and big they think it's another toy to play with. I never really gave it much thought. When I've left it out with my unfixed Agouti's they've picked it up in their mouths and tossed it around..

Anything not nailed down is a play toy to a rabbit!

Vanessa

 

[kukupecpec]

The more time I spend with her the more I understand her. She's very nervous about anything new, but if I pet her head when I introduce new things they are ok.
But definitely if left where she can get to it, everything becomes a toy!


She's VERY nervous about being picked up (loves pets and head scratches though) but I need to pick her up to check her all over and to trim her nail. If scruffed she will usually hold still, but she pants and wheezes like crazy. I've been trying to work with her on hypnotizing, this is how I get my other bunnies to hold still so I can check them all over, but she just pants and wheezes and needs to be scruffed the whole time. Is this ok? Or am I scaring her to death?

 

[kukupecpec]

The more time I spend with her the more I understand her. She's very nervous about anything new, but if I pet her head when I introduce new things they are ok.
But definitely if left where she can get to it, everything becomes a toy!


She's VERY nervous about being picked up (loves pets and head scratches though) but I need to pick her up to check her all over and to trim her nail. If scruffed she will usually hold still, but she pants and wheezes like crazy. I've been trying to work with her on hypnotizing, this is how I get my other bunnies to hold still so I can check them all over, but she just pants and wheezes and needs to be scruffed the whole time. Is this ok? Or am I scaring her to death?

 

[lovelops]

Take it slow. I still can't pick up Lady my rescue I got in November 2013. You may never be able to. Don't even try trancing with her. It sounds like she is reacting badly to it and you are stressing her out. Just let it go. I can't cut my first two bunnies nails because they get too stressed. If you have to take her to the vet to do it, let the vet, but if you will be working against any trust you are trying to build with her. Trust me, I know I'm working on the same thing with my rescues. Don't scruff or trance/hypnotizing none of that. I take my others into the vet or groomers to get their nails trimmed. Let them hate the other person not you.

I honestly think you are scaring her to death. If she is panting and wheezing, that is a bad thing and just drop it. She could go into cardiac arrest. She sounds like my dwarf Chica. I don't do any of that stuff because she is too stressed and your bunny sounds the same to me. I'd rather have her here then stress her out to the point she goes into cardiac arrest over her nails or something I can wait for the vet to do!

Good luck
Vanessa

 

[3willowsbunny]

Both my boys play with the dust pan we use as a litter scoop. They love to pick it up and throw it, chew on it, and push it around. It is pretty funny. I'll have to get video sometime.

Same here, I was sweeping out Stewie's crate and he was nudging and trying to bite the dustpan so I would dump what I had just swept up. I took it as a game as he didn't seem scared or mad about it just playful. He hasn't done it since that first time, it was cute when he did it.