Tulla and Ivory Need A New Home

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binkies

binkies

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Tulla isnt happy with me at all. She hates me tobe perfectly honest. I wanted to send them back to the rescue, but theyare full. Ivory needs to go with her because they are bonded.

Can anyone give them a good home?

Amanda
 
Im so sorry to hear you're having difficulties with Tulla.

I forget, is she spayed? If not, this might help cut down on heraggression. I would hate to see you have to rehome the two.They are such beautiful girls.

Is there anything we can do to help you?? Chances are, ifTulla is that aggressive, it will be difficult findinga homefor her, especially one better than yours :)
 
All my rabbits (except Pipp) initially had'issues'.... either very shy or cage aggressive, but they've all comearound.

I didn't like Sherry much for the first few months, she honk and growland charge my hand -- I never left it in there long enough to find outif she'd bite! But she's turned into this sweet little puppydog of a bunny. I get the odd honk/grunt when I pick her up,but that's about it. It took about six months.

Part of it is probably just the constant change of scenery, bunnies areso territorial, and she probably feels constantly invaded, and she'sjust had enough. Can you keep them, or at least feed them, ina pen instead of a cage? Sherry changed a lot when she becamea free run bun.

And all of mine still go totallysnakey on me when they'reexposed to another bunny, evenjust the smell. I'llbe posting this elsewhere, but whenLuvabun came by here tovisit andI took Pipp from my room into the living room whereSherry andDill live, it was mayhem for the next week, andthey still haven't gotten back to normal. There's poop andpee EVERYWHERE. And Sherry is coming up to the door of myroom and grunting, honking and peeing. (She's always knownPipp was there, they can see each other at times, but I guess she washappily in denial untilshe had toface up to it).

Have you tried asserting yourself as the alpha bun? You haveto show no fear and just push her head down gently butfirmlyto show your dominance.

Even Darry, the cage aggressive, aloof meanie who lives in the backporch is coming around after six months. She hasn'tlunged,growled or honked in ages (although I think she taughtRadar that trick, he honked at me when I put my hand in his hidey areathe other day!)

She's happy to see menow, she's crawling all over me... Shestill hates 'hands', but nowherenear as bad as shewas.

Just a little patience!

Edit: Just went to test my theory on Darry, I picked her up(which is NOT allowed) and forgot to sit on the floor (which is WAYworse!), she bit meon my bare arm :shock:, but I held on toher, keptpetting her on her head, lowered myself to thefloor, let her hop off mylap, and she turned around and cameback andlet me pet her!:)

sas

 
Tulla is spayed. So that isnt the answer. <br><br>The rescue said that this isn't typical of her and that she loves everyone. She doesnt love me that is for sure. Instead of our relationship getting better, it is going downhill. I believe she wont be like this with another person. She just doesnt like me for somereason or the other.<br><br>Jade, thank you.  I will still have Debbie and maybe the right buddy will come along for her.<br>
 
Since the beginning of June. It wasnt a badrelationship, she would come up to get pettings and stuff. The morecomfortable she became, the more aggressive she became.
 
hey, I had a thought (for once! ;))

do you wash your hands and such between petting Debbie and Tulla? Arethey in the same room? I know how much she hates her, could she betaking it out on you? My Basil gets mad at me if I come in smellinglike Mr. Tumnus.

Just a thought. I know some people even change shirts between bunnies!
 
When you approached the rescue, did you try a'trade in' rather than a surrender? I'm sure as soon as Tullawas out the door, they saved another bunny's life with the freed upcage space. But what if you take a bonded pair in exchangefor a bonded pair? You'd free up the cage space for Tulla andIvory. I don't know if that would give Tulla and Ivory adecentchance of finding another home, but at least somebunnyelse will have one.

sas
 
binkies wrote:
Since the beginning of June. It wasnt a bad relationship,she would come up to get pettings and stuff. The more comfortable shebecame, the more aggressive she became.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but when did Debbie come along?  My guys are incredibly jealous -- of people, the cats and of each other.

If I pet a cat in front of Pipp, that cat will get bitten.  Same with Dill -- he charges them and boxes them.<br><br>Even if I pet Sherry in sight of Dill (and they're bonded), Dill nips me and/or Sherry. 

Don't for a minute think that bunnies aren't smart enough to know whenaffection has been diverted.  I'm managing Dill and Pippthrough flat out denial.  Pipp tried to kill Dill when they first met because I was holding him.  She could sense my feelings for him -- she's never done that to the other bunnies.  She was hell on four feet for the next week or two after I got him -- she'd bite my foot, my leg, anything she could reach -- hard.  She stomped, grunted, peed and pooped.  To this day, she grunts and lunges at my feet when I go to leave the room.  (She never did that before).

It's pretty much fixed, though, because now I lavish attention on both, but in totally separate territory.  Dill never goes where Pipp is, and vice versa.

There's a baby gate between them, and as long as there's no crossover, they don't have a problem.  The other bunny simply doesn'texist.  (Although Pipp still doesn't want me going out 'there', she's very happy to stay in the room, even though she used to have free run of the whole house).

Tulla probably loves you, not hates you.  :(

sas :bow and the five 'only buns' :bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:
 
Debbie came along in July. It is very obviousthat Tulla would kill Debbie if given the chance, so you may have apoint. Sooooo...........what to do? Living in a singlewide trailerdoesn't make it very easy to divide space.
 
Is there another room where Debbie can be kept? Preferably one with a door?

I keep Basil and Max in the bedroom (with door always closed and a babygate in the hallway, for extra protection). Tumnus is in the livingroom. They never see or smell one another unless we're working onbonding. I wash my hands after I pet Tumnus, so the other twodont get jealous.

I know its difficult, but I would hate to see you give up those twogorgeous girls. I know how much you love them and how happy they arewith you (even if Tulla doesnt always show it-Ive seen those pics ofher laying in your lap, she loves you!).

I would try and make some adjustments and see what happens. Some bunnies just dont want to share :)


 
Not a chance. Every inch of spare room is taken in this place. (man we neeeeed a bigger place to live).

I tought I was doing a good thing by taking Debbie, but obviously it just caused problems.
 
Well, one thing I've learned is that they don'tneed run of the house. Pipp seems happier confined to oneroom -- less territory to protect.

Not sure of your housing for them... do you have NIC cages?Can you build them high enough for Tulla and Ivory to get a lot ofexercise without having a lot of run space? And when they doget out, they can go in a pen outside, or at least outside theircage.

And then make sureDebbie stays out of that room/spacealtogether? She can live in a small cage and have free run ofthe rest of the house when you're home. As noted, mine cansee each other through the gate (if they squint or stretch), but thatdoesn't seem to bother them. THis is all guess work, seeing as I don'tknow your set up.

At this point, it may be hard one you seeingTulla and Ivoryrestricted, but they'll probably be a lot happy staying at a smallerversion of the home they know -- as long as they don't share space withDebbie, anyway -- than what may be eternity in a shelter cage, orworse.

Hope it works out. :(

sas et al
 
binkies wrote:
Not a chance. Every inch of spare room is taken in thisplace. (man we neeeeed a bigger place to live).

I tought I was doing a good thing by taking Debbie, but obviously it just caused problems.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had a couple in the bathtub (unbonded and separated in there,yet!) and one under the kitchen table before the bondings gotstraightened out. (Under the tableactuallyworked-- small cage, but lots of free runtime, even just in the kitchen). I almost ended up withanother oneunder the bed.

Now nobunny has acage at all, just bunny proofedrooms. The advantages of space. And bonded bunnies.

It was a very good thing for Debbie. There just hasto be a creative way of creating a little distance. Youshould also really try lavishing attention on Tulla (as wellaskeeping her away from Debbie), and at the same time be alittle firmer with her.The alpha bunthing. You love her very much, butsorry Tulla,you're the alpha bun around there!

Again, good luck with it.

sas
 
BACI wrote:
Pipp - do they go at each other thru the gate?
Click to expand...
Sherry stands outside the gate and lunges, grunts, poops and pees, withPipp responding, but not overly frantically. I think Pipp issecure in her space, especially when I'm in there with her, and tendsto smirk at Sherry.

Oddly enough Dill doens't do anything but sit on the arm of the couchwhere he can see into Pipp's room, and just quietly watches.They stare at each other, but won't acknowledge each other'sexistence.

"I don't see another bun. No sir,I'm the only bun!"

I guess having their own territories makes the difference.(It sure changed when Pipp made a living room visit to see Jan theother night! The livingroom buns were VERY angry.I'm still payin' for that one!)

sas ;)
 
I think that I may get some flack from what I'mgoing to say but I'm going ahead anyway. I personally feel that whenyou adopt an animal that its like getting married..you work with theissues and problems without really considering backing out. In thiscase its for the rabbits sake...a grouchy bun is the first to beeuthanized at a shelter and no one else wants a grouchy bunny anyway.You're a rabbit person and rabbit people work with the issues of thebuns..I don't think that Tulla and Ivory hate you..they are crabby assbunnies and crab apple bunnies can be lovable intheir own way. Maybe you are expecting to much from them. Some of theformer respones on trying to make the situation better are very good.Please don't give up on them..you are probably the only home they willever have. hang in there and RO will help you ;)
 
I can live with a crabby bun, but I will NOT live with one that continues to bite me.

Have you ever lived with an animal biting you? If you have, then Icongratulate you on being able to correct the problem and if not, thenyou dont have any room to talk.

I am working with her. Thereis NO room in my home to moveeither of the rabbits like suggested. That would be a great option ifthere was room. I sit in the floor with treats andshe comes around gets what she wants and leaves. Then when I go to fillwater she lunges at me.
 
Eh? I get bitten all the time. I'vegot two (well four if you look closely) perfect lttle toothholeson my arm from Darry yesterday -- I picked her up, andshe didn't like that. And yes, she broke skin. Iapologized.

Dill CONSTANTLY bites me. I have black and bluemarkseverythere. It's a guarantee that if I'm onthe floor petting a cat or even Sherry, Dill will bite me on mybutt. If I have him on my lap and he decides he doesn't wantto be there any more, and I argue the point, another black and bluebruise on my inner thigh.

Sherryalways charges my hand if she's caged and I reach in --but she's telling me that's her space. The poor girl went along time without a home. She deserves a 'hands free'zone. At first I distracted her with a treat, thenIset up a home-within-a-home for her. We made adeal as to where hands were allowed and where they weren't.

When Pipp hit her 'teens', she turned from this sweet littlelovey-dovey baby to a pooping, peeing bag of fur,nails andteeth. She didn't nip, she chomped!

Of all bunnies, Radar the Relaxed has started being spaceaggressive. I couldn't figure this out -- first time in ayear and a half. But now I realized that I always let himhave his space before, but I've reached in a pulled him out twicelately. He's lost his sense of security. I won't dothat anymore. I'll fool him with a treat to gethimout of hishidey space, but I won'tgoin there after him.

When animals are frightened, angry or not feeling well, they bite.

I have a cat that hisses and swats constantly. It neveroccurs to me toget mad at her, I'mconcerned thatthere's something wrong --she'sfeeling crappy forsome reason and I'll find out what it is. Everytime ithappens, I'll find an allergic reaction or an ailment orsomething. And it's always a little worse when she's feelingneglected with all the bunny love -- so she gets extra attention, notless attention.

I'm in a partnership with my pets, I don't have them just forentertainment,just to dispose of them when they becomeannoying or whentheyno longer entertainme.

Have you at least considered the 'trade' idea? Taking in twoother bunnies? You'll still mostlikelybecondemming Tulla and Ivory to anot-very-good situation, but at least you'll free up shelter space forthem.
 
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