Hmmm….well, now that I think about it, I did go the the Oakland Animal Shelter about a week ago as I was meeting with some bunny people over there. Though I did wash my hands, I did not change my clothes after petting bunnies…..so maybe that’s what started it.

I just wish he would get back on his drinking schedule again and I would be less worried about this possibly being medically related. If by next week, I can’t get him to back to drinking a ton of water and/or his urine continues to be cloudy every few days, then we’ll go to the vet. However, iF it is medically related, I should also be thankful that he gives me “signs” before it gets too serious.

I feel sorry for Viv too because she ends up just hanging out in one little spot hoping he won’t see her when he gets over the top. I’ve re-introduced her to “her own space” in the foyer, where she can have her “own” greens in peace and hang out in the litterbox as long as she wants. I’m not sure if she forgot it was there or if she just chose to stop going there. But now that she’s been re-introduced, she can have that as an option. So far tonight though she left after about 20 minutes and wanted to go back to her “humpy” Jack. So she’s not suffering too much. Maybe she actually likes torturing Jack. LOL

Wow…well, isn’t that something?! Kind of a relief though that it may be just some secret rabbit message in the air of “Go forth and Hump” LOL. But it sure is funny that many of us are having this happen around the same time.  Even in Australia where the seasons are opposite! (or we’re opposite– )

BTW jersey -did you ever have the honor of seeing my  “bunny slipper moonwalk”  by the “Nom Nom” station. I did on the webcam?     Jack actually got all extra frisky after that. I don’t think he liked “bunny slippers” invading his territory.  

And Balefulregards – Thanks, I will pass on the “sister strength” LOL

Yesterday afternoon he was at least a little more mellowed out but he could have just tuckered out. Vivian spent the night in her “girl space” last night, and Jack was not happy. He hung out in her Window Seat waiting for her return. (he normally doesn’t like to stay up there) And as soon as he thought he heard her – like when I moved some blankets down below, he ran down to look for her. His poops were much too small last night too. (today, they look better).   I do think that this must be something territorial too because he’s been poo marking more too.

He’s going to see the vet though tomorrow as he still isn’t drinking enough water and though I know the small poos could be stress related due to Viv being gone (he’s such a sensitive bunny!), I don’t want to take any chances.

Sarita – I will definitely ask for the sub-q fluids. He did fine with that when we did have to give that to him. (The days we did have to give it to him, he looked like a big puffy marshmellow before it was absorbed) The vet also discussed a med before to prevent his kind of bladder stone from returning, so we may have to go that route.

I don’t think I mentioned this but I had thought Jack was just getting too pudgy but it turns out that he’s got some “fatty tumors” lining his right shoulder. The vet said they are not cancerous and they normally only remove them if they end up causing problems.
Now he’s got some developing on his left side. So we’ll have that checked out too while we are at the vet.

Jack is more mellow right now as you can see on the webcams. After Vivian returned, he got completely frisky and happy, but seems that he has settled down (FOR NOW). Maybe her leaving makes him more cautious about scaring her away. Who knows really what is going on their bunny heads.

Stinker!   Well, at least he seems to be taking breaks.  They were cuddling, and he must have gotten frisky and right now they are just sort of a few feet away, not facing each other, and Viv ears are in “alert” mode just in case someone comes a honkin’ 

You missed a real show Jersey!!  My bunny slippers aren’t pimped out often, but because my best friend asked for it, I was in the mode already.  Maybe I’ll give a tiny little bunny slipper two step when I start the cams up.  They’ve been sighted before by the people who makes those slippers, so they are not new to being exposed! LOL  See http://www.runawayrabbit.com/c-13-sightings.aspx?pagenum=2   A few photos down)

The photo was from a few years ago.

I don’t think the slippers have caused this as though Jack doesn’t like them, they’ve been around for many years.  

I know that he did start to settle down after his surgery, but also, the spring/summer season was coming to an end so again it could have been a coincidence back then too.

I also found possibly another culprit. Last night I noticed he was a little more scratchy/itchy, trying to get to that spot on his uppers back side with his back foot – not able to reach where he wanted. This alerted me as that’s typically a “flea” type of scratch. (even though it’s pretty early in the season for fleas)   I checked the typical space where fleas will rest on an animal and leave debris (on the back between the hip bones or middle spine) and sure enough, there was just a few specs of flea debris. Looks like it just started recently.  Since Jack and Vivian haven’t been outside, it had to have either come in on P-kitty or when when Steve & I were other animals, or just come in on our clothes somehow.  Anyway, all furry faces have been treated with Advantage.   Jack continues to seem more settled.  Maybe he was just itchy and decided Viv needed to obey him to groom him more, hence humping for dominance. 

Again, just one of many theories here – it’s probably just the weird thing in the air or a combination of stuff.   Well, the fleas are taken care of, he’ll see the vet soon, so we’ll get his bladder issues under control and if he’s still humpty dumpty, then it’s just “love in the air”. 

Go figure…Our vet appointment was today and last night his poos were back to normal, and he wasn’t as humpy, and he started drinking more water. (still not enough though). However,  learned today that bladder stones can return pretty quickly (even in a month) so I’m glad to have been on top of this and have the vet check him over.

Unfortunately Jack peed in the carrier on the way over and so he didn’t have enough to give for the urinalysis. So I’ll get his urine at home and bring it in. She also wanted to wait to see if adding a bit of salt to his diet may help him drink more (either with a salt lick or salt alternative: potassium chloride. The reason for the aliternative is that in cats, salt can increase the amount of calcium that is excreted which may increase crystal forms, and this may or may not happen in rabbits – still not for sure, so she was just taking precautions to try and use the potassium chloride first.

So we are going to try that for a week and see if he’ll start drinking more, and then a urinalysis will be done. From that, we’ll have a better idea of how it is working. If it doesn’t, depending on how concentrated his urine is at that point, we’ll discuss the next steps like meds. I know that if we can get Jack to drink on his own, it’ll be the most stress free way for him. So I’ll keep you updated with that next week.

I also found out about his fat tumors…I must have completely understood last time, they are not tumors, they are fat pockets. I think last time she was just explaining while she was feeling those pockets that rabbits can get fatty tumors, but not that Jack had them or anything. Good news is Jack did lose an a couple of ounces. (Maybe from all of the chasing after Viv)

I hate to say Jack is mellowed out now – because as soon as I say that, he’ll be on the humpytrain again. So let’s just say, I’m hopeful.

OH, OH, OH….I forgot to add — When my vet came in, though she had washed her hands, she still must have had the scent of the the previous rabbit on her arms or ?? because Viv went ballistic and attacked Jack. I mean she got nasty! NEVER have I seen her do that. She just sunk her teeth into his side with the “I will kill you” bite. That goodness Jack has thick course fur and the area she bit was fatty.

I separated Vivian for a minute and my vet left to do a double dose of hand washing and when she came back I put Vivian next to Jack again, and she was just fine with him. I was actually really glad that happened because now I know for sure Vivian likes Jack. If she didn’t, she showed me today what she would actually do to him. She wasn’t scared that he was bigger than her – if she thought for a second he was another bunny (due to a strange rabbit smell) she had no problem attacking him.

So as annoying as he is, she doesn’t fight him…and I saw today, she could be viscous if she wanted really to be!

So for now all is well in Jack & Viv Land.

JG – Yes..for sure. Thank goodness for fat pockets today!

On another note – I don’t think I’ll ever go down the “three bunny” household again. I find myself drawn to bunnies people don’t want, and so besides just behavior issues, this could also include older bunnies which may have more medical issues and so my pocket book can only handle two at a time. I would consider a bonded trio, but I would have to be financially prepared for the worst just in case.

A pair is perfect for me. Just the right amount of time (to clean up after) and the limit of what I can handle financially in case of emergencies and ongoing vet care if need be.

Jack settled down for a few days and is a little more humpy again today, but not with the crazy-eyed urgency he had before. I did bring out the stunt double and he humps that every once in awhile. I still have to bring his urine in next week, but I think because they are having poopwars, this is just a turf/dominance thing that they are re-establishing. I noticed Viv was doing the territory droppings which she rarely does, so maybe she’s trying to let him know she’s officially the Queen of this Kingdom and that’s getting him all worked up.

I think that is part of it along with him just being extra amorous which could be due to the warmer weather here or due to a bladder issue (like if he has the feeling he’s gotta pee or it makes him feel funny down there, humping could be a reaction to that…????)

Anyway, so far, things are okay as long as doesn’t become the crazy-eyed humper again.(knock on wood)