lynseymoon
New Member
I'm not sure where else to turn with this, so I thought I'd come to some experienced rabbit owners.
My lionhead rabbit is about a year and a half old, and I've basically had him since he was old enough to be given away. He comes from a breeder, so right from the get-go he was very affectionate. When I first got him, he was very timid and shy, but as he got more accustomed to his new home, he became more and more curious and rambunctious. I had him neutered about 4 months ago, and they told me his behavior would likely change after that and he would calm down, but he has been exactly the same for probably over a year now.
I can't find anything anywhere about the weird behavior he exhibits, but my vet says he's all normal and healthy. Rather than go into great detail, I'll list off some of his odd habits:
-He refuses to be litter trained. When I first got him, he was "mostly" trained, but no matter what I try, he still gets about half of it in the litter box, and half everywhere else.
-He paddles in his water bowl?? He grew up drinking from a water bottle, but ever since I switched him to a bowl, he feels the need to paddle in it before he drinks. Even when I put down fresh water.
-He doesn't chew anything (other than food), and takes no interest in any kind of toy.
-Even the loudest noises don't startle him, so gently scolding him for going outside the litter box has no effect. The most that will happen is his ears will perk and he'll hold still for a second or two, before returning to what he was doing.
I have no idea how to handle this behavior, and am even more clueless on how to properly train him. I worry about having him outside of his cage for very long because I don't want him to make a mess everywhere, which he usually does. He's still very affectionate, but it's hard to praise him when he refuses to listen. I've tried positive reinforcement, negative, ignorance, and I frankly just don't know what else to do. Can anyone help?? I will answer any questions you might need to know. Thank you!
My lionhead rabbit is about a year and a half old, and I've basically had him since he was old enough to be given away. He comes from a breeder, so right from the get-go he was very affectionate. When I first got him, he was very timid and shy, but as he got more accustomed to his new home, he became more and more curious and rambunctious. I had him neutered about 4 months ago, and they told me his behavior would likely change after that and he would calm down, but he has been exactly the same for probably over a year now.
I can't find anything anywhere about the weird behavior he exhibits, but my vet says he's all normal and healthy. Rather than go into great detail, I'll list off some of his odd habits:
-He refuses to be litter trained. When I first got him, he was "mostly" trained, but no matter what I try, he still gets about half of it in the litter box, and half everywhere else.
-He paddles in his water bowl?? He grew up drinking from a water bottle, but ever since I switched him to a bowl, he feels the need to paddle in it before he drinks. Even when I put down fresh water.
-He doesn't chew anything (other than food), and takes no interest in any kind of toy.
-Even the loudest noises don't startle him, so gently scolding him for going outside the litter box has no effect. The most that will happen is his ears will perk and he'll hold still for a second or two, before returning to what he was doing.
I have no idea how to handle this behavior, and am even more clueless on how to properly train him. I worry about having him outside of his cage for very long because I don't want him to make a mess everywhere, which he usually does. He's still very affectionate, but it's hard to praise him when he refuses to listen. I've tried positive reinforcement, negative, ignorance, and I frankly just don't know what else to do. Can anyone help?? I will answer any questions you might need to know. Thank you!