Variety of questions

shop deals on amazon
Love your rabbit
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Z

ZoeyGirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
109
Reaction score
0
Location
Springfield, Illinois, USA
Well, we got Cookie about a week ago. I've been doing ALOT of reading. But some things I'm still confused about or just can't find the answers.

Ok, my first question is can buns have green peppers, cilantro and/or fresh grass? I have a few different veggie lists and don't see these. These are 'staples' at our house w/ the guinea pigs.

Second question is can buns get fleas? And if so, how do you prevent them or kill them?

Third when do they generally moult? And what is that? And will I know that it's different than shedding?

Fourth question and it's probably a multi-step question but does neutering help w/ aggressiveness in boy buns? I know I've read that it can. Cookie has pounced on my hands when I go into his cage to clean it. I did do the 'dominant' thing today which seemed to help but will it come back? Does that make sense?

He's scheduled to be neutered at the end of this month. I'm worried that A) he'll have a hard time recovering from surgery and B) his attitude will not change. I would like ideas on how to get him to 'like' me.

Any help/suggestions/advice/links would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure that we're all a happy family. :) Thank you all!!
 
Peppers are same. Not all buns like them though. Cilantro is also good as is fresh grass.

Buns can get fleas, but I don't know how common it is. I think it is better to only treat if they get them, and not as a preventative. Revolution is safe. I think advantage is too. Never use Frontline on a rabbit.

A moult is when they go from one coat to another. Like from a summer to a winter coat. Rabbits can moult 3-4 times a year. It is important to brush your rabbit when the moult. Using a shedding brush (like a furminator) and doing it outside really helps, just be careful as rabbits have thin skin.

Neutering can help with aggression. Some rabbits will still be aggressive after being neutered, but that is usually something unrelated to hormones. Some rabbits are possessive of their cage and don't like it when you reach in. If you need to clean the cage, taking him out would be a good idea. Letting him know that that sort of thing is not tolerated is good.

Most rabbits do just fine after being spayed or neutered. He might be a bit off for a few days, but they usually bounce back fairly quickly. It can take a few weeks or even a month of two for the hormones to calm down enough for you to notice a difference. Not all behaviours will change or be affected by neutering.

You can't really force them to like you. A bond takes time and each bond between a person and a rabbit is different. Treats can help, as can petting, but giving him time to get to know you will help a lot. Not all of my buns come up for petting and don't really like to be handled. They do show affection on their own terms. They will come for treats and do like me better than other people.
 
Bunnies love green peppers, and fresh grass. If cilantro is coriander leaf here, which I think it might be, then I think that's fine :D

You can get spot on flea treatments specifically for rabbits/small animals. I wouldn't use anything for a dog or cat, just in case, or I would ask the vet for something for a rabbit.
 
ZoeyGirl wrote:
Ok, my first question is can buns have green peppers, cilantro and/or fresh grass? I have a few different veggie lists and don't see these. These are 'staples' at our house w/ the guinea pigs.
Click to expand...
All are staples here, too. (I think they like the yellow and the red bell peppers even better than the green though. :)


ZoeyGirl wrote:
Second question is can buns get fleas? And if so, how do you prevent them or kill them?
Click to expand...

Fleas are rare on rabbits, but especially if you have other animals with fleas, the bunnies can be affected. Fleas prefer other animals to rabbits, but any port in a storm, so they say. My Vet will prescribe a version of Revolution or Advantage, but best to see a Vet first.


ZoeyGirl wrote:
Third when do they generally moult? And what is that? And will I know that it's different than shedding?
Click to expand...
Molting means they replace their coats in a short period of time as opposed to having hairs falling out all the time like cats and dogs. Mine didn't molt until they were over a year I think, and then it was every few months for about three weeks. (Its advisable to pet the bunny with wet hands to remove as much hair as possible without pulling or brushing).


ZoeyGirl wrote:
Fourth question and it's probably a multi-step question but does neutering help w/ aggressiveness in boy buns? I know I've read that it can. Cookie has pounced on my hands when I go into his cage to clean it. I did do the 'dominant' thing today which seemed to help but will it come back? Does that make sense?

He's scheduled to be neutered at the end of this month. I'm worried that A) he'll have a hard time recovering from surgery and B) his attitude will not change. I would like ideas on how to get him to 'like' me.
Click to expand...

Neutering will help with sexual and general aggression, but cage aggression? Maybe not. He's obviously not feeling very secure, and there are things that you can do.

- make sure he has a set up where you can let him come and go without lifting him out of his cage or pen.
- make sure he has a small 'hidey box' in his cage to retreat into. They really need to have cover over their heads and at least three sides to feel properly protected from predators.
- learn how to lift and hold a rabbit securely. (One hand craddling his butt, the other on his chest pulling and holding his back against your body).
- when bonding with him, sit with him on ground level in a small space (inside an exercise pen or a small room) armed with tiny treats like bits of apple skin and a few single flakes of oats (but not craisins, banana, etc). If he's not jumping on your lap, pick him up and put him on your lap to give him a treat or a pet, but don't hold him, if he struggles, let him go. Once he gets used to the fact you're not going to lift him off the ground and carry him off to your nest to feed your young or grab him and eat him yourself, he'll like you a whole lot more.


sas :bunnydance:
 
Thank you all for replying. I appreciate it! I've been trying to spend some more time w/ Cookie by just sitting in his 'exercise area' and not handling him as much. I hope if I do this for awhile, he'll realize that I'm not going to hurt him. :)

Ok, here's a possibly stupid question: We've had Cookie for about 2wks and I'm just not feeling his name. Would it be bad to change it? When I sit by his cage, I usually call him Buddy but I'm not sure. I haven't found a name that seems to fit him. Is that bad?

I also noticed that he doesn't 'pounce' on my hand when I have it up higher than his head. He'll sit & let me scratch/pet his head. Is that normal?

Thanks for helping me out! I just want him to be happy. :)
 
Many rabbits don't respond to their name. It took me a couple months do decide on Lillian's name. Some of my other rabbits just suited a name early on. If you don't like the name, you can change it.
 
Unless he already knows his name, there's no reason you can't change it. I don't think Gus knew his name when he first came to us, but within a few weeks he would come whenwe called him. Now I wouldn't dream of changing it!

Try some baby name websites. Write down the names you like/think would suit him. Then read them off to him. See if he responds to any of them or if anyseem to "click" with him. I've used this method before and it works quite well!

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
Thanks guys! I've only had this problem w/ a few of the guinea pigs that I've had and the name usually will seem to fit but for some reason I can't see him as a Cookie. LOL I'll go look up some baby names.
 
Another method is to pick some names, write them on index cards, and lay them out around him. Whichever one he goes to (or nibbles, or whatever) is his new name!

And I'm sure he won't mind if you change it. I've had my bun for a year and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't even notice if I started calling him something completely different ::eye roll::
 
Thank you for the links. I've put them in my favorites and will take a good look at them over the weekend.

I just don't think he's a Cookie. Maybe if he was a she but I'm throwing around a few names, let me know what you all think. Here's what I have so far (& his picture):

Cookie6310jpg-1.jpg


Mickey
Oscar
Bandit
Phoenix
Milo
Dasher
Harvey
Hobbit
Scrappy

I think we're going to have to have a family meeting, too. :)
 
He definately suits Milo or Oscar to me! What a cutie. I thought he even looked like a Will or a Flynn / Finlay too :)
 
You guys are awesome! I really like Milo but it just dawned on me that I have a piggie named Mylie. LOL That's alittle too close. I think the kids & I are leaning towards Buddy. I keep calling him that when coaxing him out of the cage. It's kind of sticking. And it fits my 'criteria'. What my criteria you ask? Well, all living creatures in the house have to have 2 syllables-human & furry. (Human kids are Jordan, Kaitlyn & Hannah. The dog's name is Pepper and the hamster is Bella. We have the guinea pigs-Patches, Lily, Puddin, Greta, Koral, Luna, Roxie, Mylie, Jetta, Josie, Mocha & Morgan. So bunny has to have 2 syllable name, too.)

My other thing is all the animals have 3 'full' names. There's Pepper Cara Ann and 2 of the piggies are King Patches The3rd & Lily Snowflake Sue. So, if we rename Cookie to Buddy, I'll have to figure out the rest of his names. LOL Complicated isn't it?
 
ZoeyGirl wrote:
I really like Milo but it just dawned on me that I have a piggie named Mylie. LOL That's alittle too close.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean..i have a Jack and aZak lol...but i do call Jack..Jacky a lot though.

And i know finding that right name can be quite hard sometimes.



Your bunny really is the cutest little thing though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top