my bunny hates me!

Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS. SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED. We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best.

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

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.

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 10sd replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 2 months ago by somebunny.

Viewing 10 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 09/23/2008 at 5:47 AM
  donna t
  Participant
  2 posts
  so i’ve had my bunny (aptly named bunny) for about six months now (about eight months old). it took a lot of hard work to bond with her, but the last two months were pretty amazing. she was crazy about lying on my belly for pats and would be waiting at the door when she heard my voice. she has free reign over the house and garden and when i’m not here my housemates look after her. she’s incredibly spoilt and well loved.
  
  i went away for the weekend and since i got back she looks at me with loathing, doesn’t want to speak to anyone and just wants to be on her own. she looks depressed, which everyone thinks i’m crazy for saying but she’s just so sluggish and disinterested in everything. she’s been staying in the garden after dark and has been quite difficult to get back inside, which is leading me to worry she’ll try and escape! i work late shifts and sometimes stay at my boyfriends but it has never been a problem before so i didn’t think two nights away would be a big deal.
  
  i understand this may be a little grudge but it has been nearly two weeks and we were total best friends before. she’s always been a bit of a jerk, which i always liked, but now i miss hugs! she just grunted at me when i went to feed her! she’s not been spayed, i’ve been putting it off, but i’m thinking now it has to happen soon. but then will she hate me for that too?
  
  please help me!!!!!
- 09/23/2008 at 7:05 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  it’s not uncommon for bunnies to hold a “grudge” when something in their life changes. feeding time is different, momma or poppa goes away for a few days, litterbox is too clean or too dirty. she will get over it. now, it does sound to me like the affectionate behavior you were experiencing was hormone related. long story short, when bunnies reach puberty (betw/ 3-4 months for males, anywhere from 4-8 months for females) they will “pick a mate” and you’ll get their affection. it’s flattering at first b/c you think “oh! my bunny loves me!” but after awhile it becomes more aggressive and territorial, with nipping, marking with urine, loss of litterbox habits. she might be taking a turn for the worse now.
  
  what kind of plans do you have for spaying? has she seen a rabbit savvy vet for an inital exam yet? do you have a rabbit vet? have you done any research on the importance?
- 09/23/2008 at 8:23 AM
  MarkBun
  Participant
  2842 posts
  Another thing you want to watch out for is giving her free reign to walk in and out of the house on her own. She could have found something that isn’t agreeing with her but she keeps on ingesting it. In addition, if the garden isn’t covered, she could become easy prey for cats or hawks.
  
  Spaying is definitely something you will want to do. She may or may not ‘hate’ you for it but as female rabbits have an 80% chance of developing uterine cancer, it would be better for her to hold a grudge against you for 8-10 years instead of only for 4 while she’s alive.
- 09/23/2008 at 9:59 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  whoa. garden… i missed that thru my first read. please tell us more about the outdoor set-up… is it secure and covered fully? there’s about a dozen or more reasons why bunnies should not be left outside unsupervised…
- 09/23/2008 at 6:04 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  Hi donna t! Cute bunny name! I agree about the garden. You’ll need to supervise her time out doors. She may have gotten a fright outdoors at some point too. Sounds like hormonal issues though. Be aware, even after a spay, it takes alot of time before they become more calm and settled again.
- 09/23/2008 at 6:51 PM
  donna t
  Participant
  2 posts
  yes i definately have intentions of getting her spayed. its just a matter of finding a vet i trust!
  
  the outdoor area is secure and rabbit friendly. she’s made a few burrows that she likes to hang out in, which are behind shrubs and things so she has some safe spots. the back door is always open so she can come in if she’s bothered. most of the time i sit out there with her, its just if i go to work and don’t have the heart to ruin her fun. and i live in inner sydney so i don’t think hawks are a problem for me!
  
  the affectionate turned aggressive makes a lot of sense. there was a few weeks where she was just weeing all over the bed and nipping at me all the time, but she got affectionate and well behaved after that period. does that mean i won’t get bunny hugs ever again?
  
  how long can a grudge last?
- 09/23/2008 at 8:23 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  It’d depends on the individual I think. If she was that affectionate at one point, there’s always hope. Don’t worry, they make up for it in other ways.
  I also let my bunny run in and out of house so I hope I don’t sound like hypocrite. Like you, I hang around outside while she plays but I would get her to come in before you go out or get house mate to take over supervision til she comes in. I’ve been late for work for this very reason, trying to herd stubborn bun back inside. I sometimes had to get my sister who lives 5 minutes away to come round and take over the task so I could leave for work! You give ’em an inch………
- 09/23/2008 at 8:26 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  Heres link to Aussie Rabbit Vets http://members.shaw.ca/cocoasun/AustralianRabbitVets.htm
  We also have another Sydney sider as regular here. She just had her bunny spayed so she might be able to give you a name.
- 09/24/2008 at 1:26 PM
  MarkBun
  Participant
  2842 posts
  Posted By donna t on 09/23/2008 6:51 PM
  
  the outdoor area is secure and rabbit friendly. she’s made a few burrows that she likes to hang out in, which are behind shrubs and things so she has some safe spots. the back door is always open so she can come in if she’s bothered. most of the time i sit out there with her, its just if i go to work and don’t have the heart to ruin her fun. and i live in inner sydney so i don’t think hawks are a problem for me!
  
  Just as an FYI, there was a member here who lived in a city and also allowed their buns outside in the back yard under supervision. They walked inside for 15 seconds to get a drink from the refridgerator only to turn around and see their bun crawling inside through the door with a hawk attached to its back. Luckily the bun was fine but just because you’re in a city, it doesn’t mean your safe from them. However, I also don’t like to tell people how they raise their buns. All I do is impart what I know and have learned. Your bun seems to be safe and happy in his setup.
- 09/25/2008 at 11:02 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Welcome Donna! All good advice-won’t add anything!
- 09/26/2008 at 3:59 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  hi donna, a fellow sydneysider yay! (uh if it’s the sydney in australia you’re referring to haha) my bun was a little miss attitude before she was spayed but straight after she got spayed she went back to my normal lovebunny.
  
  if you’re after a vet; David Vella is highly recommended on various websites -based at north shore veterinary hospital, however i’ve never actually met him as he is not there on weekends . my bunny’s vet is his partner Alana and she is wonderful and definitely knows what she’s talking about.
  
  what a lucky bun to be allowed outside! i’m too scared to let hershey out..she would probably escape since that’s her favourite thing to do.
Author

Messages

Viewing 10 reply threads

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.