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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR How can you tell if your bunny is sad? (UPDATE) :D

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    • kcomstoc
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         Sometimes when Caleb is in his cage because he has to be in there he sits there and starts rocking/possibly shaking and he won’t lay down (which is what I would think he would do if he was tired) it only happens in his cage. When he’s outside of his cage he is so happy and binkying and zooming around. and then he will come up on the couch and sit with me and gets petted . My point is I think he gets really sad when he is in the cage which is for most of the day unfortunately. He gets out for a good 5-7 hours a day sometimes a little more but I wish was more. When we move he will be able to be out and have a bigger cage and everything that he could ever want. I also wonder if he gets lonely in his cage being in there. I’m usually in the room with him but he’s in his cage and I’m on the bed. I would love to put him on the bed but he likes to pee on there so I don’t let him on there anymore.


      • hannaroo
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          rabbits don’t understand why they’re in a cage or that we need to go to work and so on. I think they do get sad when they’re caged for long periods of time. Have you thought about getting him a mate? Another bunny to socialize with Will make the world of difference! Suri was sad after I separated her from buttons and I have to spend alot of time cheering her up! They miss their companions.
          Is he out in the morning and evening? I find breaking up the time they’re out helps so they’re never in their cage for too long and feed them whenever they have to go in so they associate their home with positively!


        • kcomstoc
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            I let him out on weekdays from 9ish-2:30ish pm and then he goes in the cage until 9ish pm and then he’ll come back out of his cage until 9ish-11:30ish. Then we all go to bed and then the next day same thing. Weekends are different. He can’t come out until 9:30pm-whenever we go to bed. It makes me miserable that he has to wait that long on weekends. I tried letting him run around the room but it’s a little cramped in there from the bunny stuff and there isn’t much room to run and he won’t move because the floors of the bedroom are woodent and he doesn’t like that. I would let him on the bed but he pees on it even though we watch him very closely.

            There are only certain times he is allowed out of his cage because we live at the boyfriend’s parent’s house and the boyfriend’s younger brother has autism and doesn’t know how to treat animals correctly and we just don’t want him to know we have a bunny because they are so fragile. It only has to be this way for another month (though it kills me for him to live this way) I have thought of getting him a play mate (we would let him pick out his friend) but we can’t do it until we get more room when we move.


          • bunnnnnnie!
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              Posted By kcomstoc on 06/12/2013 10:16 AM

               Sometimes when Caleb is in his cage because he has to be in there he sits there and starts rocking/possibly shaking and he won’t lay down (which is what I would think he would do if he was tired) it only happens in his cage. When he’s outside of his cage he is so happy and binkying and zooming around. and then he will come up on the couch and sit with me and gets petted . My point is I think he gets really sad when he is in the cage which is for most of the day unfortunately. He gets out for a good 5-7 hours a day sometimes a little more but I wish was more. When we move he will be able to be out and have a bigger cage and everything that he could ever want. I also wonder if he gets lonely in his cage being in there. I’m usually in the room with him but he’s in his cage and I’m on the bed. I would love to put him on the bed but he likes to pee on there so I don’t let him on there anymore.

              This doesn’t sound sad, this sounds uncomfortable or painful.  Has he been seen by a vet any time recently?

               


            • kcomstoc
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                No he hasn’t the only time he went to the vet was when he got neutered. I was waiting until we moved to get him fully checked out to make sure he’s healthy. It’s not a lot but he’ll just sit there and do that. He seems otherwise fine but he does need a check up for sure. I would make an appointment now but I don’t have much money at the moment. As soon as I find/start a job my first paycheck will go to a vet appointment, but I have been desperately searching for a job everyday and sent out so many resumes.


              • hannaroo
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                  Try and get him checked out asap, your routine seems fine so it could be discomfort


                • LittlePuffyTail
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                    That is strange. Sounds to me like discomfort as well. I suspect a depressed bunny would be more lethargic. I second a vet check.


                  • kcomstoc
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                      I’ll see if I can pull some money together and make an appointment for him. I’m gonna feel so bad if he’s been in pain and I’ve waited this long. Sometimes he does it and he won’t rock he’ll just sit there and look forward and not move. i’ll go over to him and he reacts but it makes me think of like a trace. He’s still hopping around though and binkying.


                    • kcomstoc
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                        Thank you guys so much, I didn’t even think he could be in any discomfort because he still hops and doesn’t seem to be in any pain so it wouldn’t even cross my mind. Besides he needs a vet appointment anyway so it’s not going to do any harm. I’m very concerned though because he’s started nipping lately and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because he’s in pain but he only nips me. He never nips my boyfriend and he’s never done it before just a couple weeks ago. 


                      • RabbitPam
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                          I also second the vet appointment.
                          I actually think that a cage is not viewed as a ‘cage’ like a prison to bunnies, but rather a safe haven when configured the right way. If he is cramped for space, I’d recommend taking some of his toys out to give him more room.
                          Does he have a covered space in the cage with him? Like a tent, tunnel, upside down box or any other thing that he can go under to hide? Because he may be too exposed for a bunny’s comfort, and without the ability to get out and hide he may be a bit scared. If noises or someone coming makes him frightened, he needs a safe spot where he feels invisible and protected. A simple upside-down cardboard box with one side open to go in and out can do the trick.

                          But I still urge you to get that vet appointment. Bunnies hide illness, so whatever may be wrong is made worse while in the cage.


                        • kcomstoc
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                            I’ll ask my mom if I can borrow some money tonight and if I can get it then I’ll make a vet appointment immediately. He has an igloo but he likes jumping inside it and flipping it over so we took it out. We have a blanket tied to a part of the cage so it makes like a little tent for him to hide under.


                          • bunnnnnnie!
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                              Keep us updated! Hopefully the vet doesn’t find anything, and it will be something simple like reconfiguring the cage to make it nicer for him. But definitely get him to the vet just to check things over.


                            • kcomstoc
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                                I will def keep you guys updated, also I wanted to say he’s started a new unwanted behavior of nipping. Now he has never nipped before just a few weeks ago. Nothing has changed as far as us treating him, he gets the same salad. If anything changed it was things getting better for hm. The first time he nipped me I was sitting on the couch i had just stopped petting him so I figured that’s why he nipped me. I said “ouch” loudly and removed him from the couch. The second and third time he nipped me it was at the same time. I had just picked him up out of his cage to take him downstairs and he dug at my chest first and then quickly nipped me twice on the chest. He left 2 small black and blue marks which went away after a couple days. Now he’s started nipping more and more for little things we do like stop petting him. He nipped my boyfriend twice today for stop petting him. I don’t know why he started doing this. Could it be related to him possibly being in pain?


                              • kcomstoc
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                                  I’m calling the vet tomorrow to see when I can get a vet appointment.


                                • kcomstoc
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                                    I have no idea how to update the actual topic title but I made an appointment for Wednesday and we’ll figure it all out, I said the appointment was an annual check up is that right? or should I have said something else? this is my first pet by myself so I didn’t know what to say the appointment was about. Everything is squared away though so the 19th we’ll know if anything is wrong.


                                  • MoveDiagonally
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                                      I think a vet appointment is a great idea, keep us posted!

                                      New behaviors like nipping and cage behaviors can be brought up once you’re there. It does sound like he might be uncomfortable about something so keep an extra close eye on his food intake/water/poo/pee to make sure everything seems normal until then. (( Vibes for your fellow!)) I hope everything is fine

                                      :/ Sorry I don’t have much more advice to offer.


                                    • kcomstoc
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                                        That’s ok, I just wanted to see what you thought as well. How do you update threads that you started? He seems normal, eating veggie/pellets/hay/water intake. Also he is pooping and peeing like normal also he’s always doing it in his box (peeing, not always pooping but that is normal). By the way he LOVES the kale lol thanks for that suggestion he always eats the kale first and then the lettuce. I will find out wed at 1:30 also thank you for the vibes, everyone’s bunnies are getting sick {{{{{healing vibes for the sick bunnies on here}}}}} so I hope he’s not.


                                      • MoveDiagonally
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                                          I believe you can edit the title and stuff if you edit the original post.

                                          I’m glad he likes the Kale! My bunnies all go crazy over it and cilantro.


                                        • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                            Kale is a definite favorite in my household. Sadly, the last TWO times I have gone to the store for some more they look just pitiful so I don’t bother getting any. Makes me sad because I can actually see Sally searching for it in her salads lol I’m going to stop by a different store tomorrow after work and see if they have something better to offer.


                                          • kcomstoc
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                                              I go to wegmans, they always have a great selection and it all looks green and leafy…..if you’re in the south though they probably don’t have a wegmans. Thanks move I’ll update it after the vet appointment


                                            • bunnnnnnie!
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                                                Any updates?


                                              • kcomstoc
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                                                   Just got back from the vets she said he was one of the healthiest bunnies she’s seen. She said there were very small spurs on the right side of his mouth but nothing she would consider needing any treatment. I am so happy he’s healthy (the vet visit was only $51 so that was great too, I also applied for a job there *crossing fingers*) anyway he is a very healthy bunny and said that maybe he was trying to sniff something in the air or something like that. Caleb was a perfect gentleman at the vets was very sweet and even gave josh and me some face kisses (climbing up on us too) so he was very sweet and adorable. The vet was very happy how we were raising him and said his nipping could do with his adolescence. All in all everything went well.


                                                • MoveDiagonally
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                                                    Yay! Glad Caleb came back with a clean bill of health.


                                                  • kcomstoc
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                                                      Posted By MoveDiagonally on 06/19/2013 02:07 PM
                                                      Yay! Glad Caleb came back with a clean bill of health.

                                                      Me too, I was so worried that he might be in pain because he has jumped out of our arms before (we weren’t holding him to hour bodies tight enough *trust me we learned our lesson *) so that was good that everything checked out. It still makes me wonder if he’s sad though……

                                                       


                                                    • Elrohwen
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                                                        Glad to hear he’s healthy. Not sure if a previous poster mentioned it, but his behavior sounds like sleeping. Hollands often sit in an upright position like that, and when they are sleeping they sometimes rock slightly back and forth. They can sleep with their eyes open, so it may seem that they are staring into space, but they are resting. Sounds like normal behavior to me. It probably only happens when he’s in his cage because he might as well sleep in there, but when he’s out he’d rather be exploring than napping.


                                                      • kcomstoc
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                                                          No Elrohwen nobody mentioned that lol though it does make sense….awe well at least I know he’s healthy


                                                        • bunnnnnnie!
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                                                            Wahoo, so glad he got a good bill of health, AND you didn’t go home with a big vet bill!

                                                            Good luck on getting a job there!


                                                          • MoveDiagonally
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                                                              On another very important note, there is not nearly enough Caleb pics around these forums! Jus’ sayin’


                                                            • kcomstoc
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                                                                lol they’re all on my facebook, I put pictures up there every couple of days, also they are on my profile I’ll move them over here. I’ll just make a Caleb picture thread or something MD, also thanks bunnn

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                                                            Forum BEHAVIOR How can you tell if your bunny is sad? (UPDATE) :D