Mable’s crazy! Please help!

[Merlin & Mable's Glorified Owner]

 Okay, Mable is relatively new to the “inside-rabbit” routine. I got her from a 4-H breeder, who also happened to be a member of ARBA. Mable is a purebred, pedigreed fawn flemish giant, and I don’t even know why she’s acting the way she is. She did live outside in a hutch with her mom and other siblings, so being inside is definitely new. Heres the problem.

So far, I’ve had her for 3 days. The first day I got her, I was picking her up and petting her. I learned after that, it’s a no-no because rabbits hate being held, and I shouldn’t be doing that since she’s brand new and doesn’t even know me. So, I tried leaving her alone so she could get used to her surroundings. Well, right now she’s in a stock tank in my room with a 2-foot wire puppy pen that surrounds the tank. I take her out of that thing probably 3-4 times a day for about an hour and let her roam around. Right now, she’s learning that a clap and a “No!” means she should stop what she’s doing. Well, I left to go downstairs to get something to eat, and when I cam back, she had somehow jumped over the sides of the stock tank and was stuck between that and the pen. Oh, and when I let her out to roam, she always manages to bite me. First, she digs into my skin like crazy and then gives me a nip. I clap and say, “No!”, but she continues, so I do it again and push her away. She comes back and bites me. I’ve only had her for 3 days and so far, she’s bitten me six times, and each time its bled. She just keeps coming unless I move. And no matter where I move to, she comes back to nip me. I’ve tried the “push their head down and say “No!” loudly, because that shows submission” kind of thing, but it doesn’t work. 

Anyways, biting is one of her problems. Number two is that she is always trying to get out of her cage. Any way possible, she will try. She’s gotten herself wedged between the stock tank and the pen two times now, in three days! I figured maybe she needed some fresh air, so I placed her in the cat carrier I have and brought her pen, and food outside on my deck so she could have more space to run. Well, it’s almost like she’s desperate to get out, because I placed her litter box on the corner part where the pen can open and put her carrier on the outside so that maybe she wouldn’t be tempted to push her way out. She did, and hopped around my deck. I got her quickly and placed her back into the pen, and this time I push the side of the pen up against a bench I have, and pushed a heavy-duty chair against the other side. Unless she was super strong, there’d be no way she could push her way out. So, she tried the next best thing. She climbed her way out! Remember, this pen is 24″ high. She can stretch up 2 feet. So, she put one of her back feet on the bottom horizontal wire and tried to jump out. What she did was fall really hard on the outside of the pen onto the carrier (which is plastic), so I’m worried she might have broken something. I just put her inside the cat carrier, which happens to be the only bunny-proof cage I have right now.

It honestly looked like she was trying to escape the devil or something like that, and I need some advice as to what this can be. I let her out all of the time, because I know the stock tank is very small for her. The breeder said it would be fine after I took a picture of it and sent it to her, but now I’m wanting to get something larger. This is also my first rabbit. I read that after a lot of training, they could be great pets. I don’t want to fear for her safety every time I bring her outside of her cage, so what is it that she’s trying to get to, and how can I stop the biting? Does she just want to be an outside rabbit, or does she just need to be fixed?

Also, I scheduled an appointment with the local vet for a pre-surgery exam. I might also ask him to see if she has any broken bones. That appointment is in about 2 weeks, so should I try and schedule earlier? In the meantime, what should I do? I scared that she’ll just keep trying to jump out of the pen and will, one day, kill herself. I’d really like to keep her, but I don’t know what to do if she keeps getting out. I’ve been looking online for an extra-large dog kennel, so I’m hoping I can get that within a couple days. I might just have to use that from now on… I also read somewhere that bunnies are very social and do better in groups. I was considering getting a more mature bunny so she could have someone else to play with if I’m not there. 

 

Please help! This is extrememly urgent!

[Beka27]

I’m not sure what a stock tank is. Like a fish tank? Can you use the pen for her housing and clip a sheet over the top so she cannot jump out?

24 inch puppy pens are too short for 99% of rabbits. A giant breed would need one at least 42 inches tall. But until you can get another pen, cover the top as I suggested.

The biting/digging sounds hormonal. Once she is spayed, this should start to subside.

[Merlin & Mable's Glorified Owner]

I’m pretty sure it’s what’s used for stocking fish, yeah. I have a picture of it for my profile picture. And like I said, I know it’s definitely small, so I’m trying my best to get her a new cage.

As for the spaying, she’s only 4 months old. I thought the bigger breeds matured and started hormonally changing at 6-9 months. Is she just an early budder? 

And I figured the puppy pen was way too small for her. The lady at the feed store I went to (who had a rex and a guinea pig), convinced me that rabbits don’t hop up onto or over things. She, obviously, was either lying or misinformed. I was trying to get one that was at least 3 feet high, but she told me I didn’t need to. Just more money I need to spend, I suppose.

I guess I’ll just look into having an extra-large dog wire kennel and a large dog run outside. That way, I can put her out there, she can run and hop around while she’s being potty trained, and we can hopefully start to build some kind of a relationship. I’ll let her around the house after she’s potty trained. Rabbit pee is hard on carpets.

 

Thanks for your help though!

[Sarita]

I don’t understand what the stock tank thing is either but she will need a higher pen and eventually she will need much more space since she’s a big girl.

Rabbits definitely prefer to be inside with the family – it’s lonely outside. Spaying will help.

Part of the problem too is that this is all brand new to her – new place, new sights, new sounds, it’s a bit of sensory overload so she needs alot more time to adjust.

[CheriB603]

I have a 5 month old Flemmie who EASILY jumps the 36″ baby gate. There is not much they can ‘t jump or climb. From now on, don’t take advice from the feed store lady – she obviously doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
My flemmie is in a 48″ tall, 4 foot by 4 foot, 3 level cage that gives her room to jump and climb – and that is ONLY WHERE SHE SLEEPS! She has the run of the house all day. Your bun was meant to run and jump and explore! You can’t blame her for wanting out of that small space. Bunny proof, litter train and get out of her way!

[tanlover14]

My 4-lb rabbit has jumped every single x-pen up until we got our 48″ one! So I’m not surprised. That lady was clearly off her rocker if she said rabbits can’t jump……… lol!

I do want to point out that having her outside will NOT help her potty training. Once she is spayed, they usually pick it up quickly but keeping her outside to “train” will not work. The only way she will learn to use the litter box is by being given a small amount of space and then slowly expanding the space and teaching her in the area where she needs to be trained.

[Merlin & Mable's Glorified Owner]

 It’s not like I’m trying to keep her confined. I was told that the stock tank would be fine. I wanted a normal dog kennel for sleeping and then a 48″ pen to wrap around it, so then I could try and potty-train her there. The only problem is, I don’t know what to put on the floor. If I put down plastic, she’d just chew it up. I’d need something durable and easy to clean. 

And yeah, I will not be taking advice from the feed-store lady anymore. I was with my mom, and she was won over by the fact that she knows nothing about rabbits. And since she was paying for it, I didn’t really have much of a choice. Let’s just say that my mother thinks differently now 

Thing is, my room is really weird. The ceilings are slanted and really, I can’t have anything over like 3 1/2 feet. It’s horrible, expeically when trying to find furniture. Technically, my room is the attic. I really can’t have anything huge to where she could climb because I don’t have that space. I’m thinking that the wire kennel is a must-have. I’m thinking that the pen is, too, as long as its at least 4 feet high. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can put as a base so she won’t chew her way through?

 

Thanks for your comments!

[MoveDiagonally]

If I were you I would ditch the stocking tank and do this:
1. Buy a cheap vinyl shower curtain and binder clips.
2. Lay down plastic curtain and set up X-Pen over it.
3. Put bunny and everything bunny needs in X-Pen (litter box, food bowls, ect)
4. Place a sheet or blanket over the top of the X-Pen and use the binder clips to hold it in place.

The sheet/cover should deter her from jumping out. The shower curtain should protect your floor if she has an accident. You could get a piece of sheet vinyl to go underneath if you think a shower curtain wouldn’t be sturdy enough. Or build a base for the X-Pen.

On wire kennels – I don’t think there is one big enough for a Flemish Giant once they grow up. They are expensive for something your bunny will outgrow. Instead I would get as tall of an X-Pen as you can and either make or buy a cover for it. 

[Beka27]

I prefer xpens, but as someone who grew up in a bedroom with dormers and slanted walls, I totally understand the height limitations!

Have you looked into NIC condos? You can build them any way you want and form them to fit the space you have to work with. And NIC grids can also be used as a top for the xpen if you don’t want to clip a sheet on top.

Regarding the xpen… you’ve only had her for a few days, so I assume you haven’t had the xpen much longer than that. I would pack up the xpen and return it to the store. You were given incorrect advice and you should not have to deal with a product that is simply not going to work for you. I would return the xpen and ask for a store credit, then purchase the taller 42 or 48 inch version, paying the little bit extra for a more suitable pen. At the same time, educate that clueless “feed store lady” that, yes… rabbits DO jump. So hopefully she learns not to give out bad advice.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Part of the problem too is that this is all brand new to her – new place, new sights, new sounds, it’s a bit of sensory overload so she needs alot more time to adjust.

I agree with Sarita. Your home (and you) is all new to her. She’s probably stressed out. Some bunnies take several weeks to get used to a new home. And some bunnies even longer to get used to a new person.

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