That’s a good question. My buns are free range so I just wait to clean their cage when they aren’t in there but then they alway come over like, “Hey, whatcha doing? No, don’t move that. Give me that dustpan! Die! dustpan, die!” I just have to work around them. I always wonder how everyone cleans their cage without the buns in it.

I personally think it is a good thing to get them used to getting picked up. That way, in an emergency, they will be used to it and not fight as much.

My little bun has a habitat that is on wheels in the center of the house, she doesn’t get in and out herself because our house just isn’t really set up for that, so I get her in and out all the time. She is very used to being picked up, and if she doesn’t want to be then that tells me that she doesn’t want to get out or go back in, so in that way she has choice in telling me what she is comfortable with. I always flip her over a few times a day too for a few seconds so she is used to that (big help for vets and techs). Actually right now she lets me just carry her around flipped over she’s so used to it. Unless your buns are really fighting you I think you should try and pick them up to get them used to it, making sure that they feel secure when you hold them, one of the biggest reasons why they don’t want to be picked up.

I always use corner/triangle litter boxes for Dutchess, and she has only peed over the edge a couple of times since I got her almost six months ago, so I don’t think that trying one out would hurt. I actually had her litterbox in the opposite corner of her cage, and she actually moved it to the other corner, so don’t mess with where your bun is goin’, Dutchess goes in that corner whether there is a litter box there or not! ^_^

It is good that your rabbits CAN be picked up, but you don’t have to if it is a bother to you. You could clean them when it’s feeding time and lure them into a carrier with scattered pellets in it.

About the dominance I would just let him be. It’s HIS territory and he should be allowed to be the boss and show it
(as long as he does not bite you)

As far as the peeing in the corner goes, I have the same trouble with Neigey who pees in a corner where I don’t want to put yet another box, so I stationed a thick cardboard tile there and he usually does not pee it up and if he does — it’s just cardboard, I just replace it with a new piece once it turns gross.

I am lucky I can chase they out of their cages and as soon as I put their feed in there they go back in, Rufus us happy to be picked up I have been working with bugz and he is getting better does not like it but does know that he gets banana when he is being held any is the struggle she hates it and really struggles with being held so I keep trying to get her use to it but thinking she will always hate it. Best I can do is try and teach myself to pick her up in a manner that is the least stressful for her. Good luck with your guys

i have two rabbits: calypso is terribly shy and hates being touched so she runs away whenever i open the hutch to clean it. othello is very big on pats and cuddles but extremely territorial and likes to nip if i put my hand in the cage. when i go to clean the hutch i usually distract both of them with a bowl of pellets, but i have to be careful as othello will bite me if he notices me sweeping up his poos.

could you not do the same with yours? mine go nuts over the sound of the pellets pouring into their metal dish, perhaps you could train yours to notice this sound as well, and put the dish well away from where you need to clean. they should come running toward it each time they hear the sound and you can clean in peace!

i’ve given up trying to pick up or pat calypso. i feel bad but she is really frightened whenever i approach her. i just hope she gets all the companionship she needs from othello. i only ever pick her up to move her from room to room if need be, and even then it’s a long process of herding and chasing and i know it’s very traumatic for her

Just a little tip regarding hands: A hand coming at them from above, or straight on but fingers spread and palms down, is threatening. They will bite. Spread fingers resemble bird talons.
Try moving your hand in palm up and fingers together. You can even put a small treat in your palm as you move in toward your bunny so he has something good in your hand to look for. You can gently pet his head and face then move around to urge him out with a little push to his hindquarters. Being used to getting picked up, as BB said, is a good thing, too. Just come at it in a less scary way.

Posted By aims on 11/18/2010 12:57 AM
  othello is  extremely territorial and likes to nip if i put my hand in the cage. when i go to clean the hutch i usually distract both of them with a bowl of pellets, but i have to be careful as othello will bite me if he notices me sweeping up his poos.

is he neutered now? I think in your bonding thread you mentioned he was going to be in November. This territorial biting behavior should wear off once his hormones settle, about four weeks post-neuter.

yes Petzy he is neutered now, he has been for about 3 weeks to a month now.

he haaaaates me cleaning his litter trays and sweeping up his poos. i am having a lot of trouble litter training him actually. it’s hard to tell because there are two bunnies but i’m pretty sure he is the culprit as when i just had calypso she had a 85% success rate with the litter tray, and if she didn’t go in the litter tray she’d go very close to it.

each morning and evening when i clean up the rabbit hutch now, there is a lot of poo all around the floor. as soon as i put my hand in to pick up the tray, or begin sweeping with the dustpan, othello is leaping all over the place trying to get me to stop. he will bite too. if i put him out of the hutch he will come running back in or jump over the top. so i usually distract him with food

he is usually very affectionate though, and when i pat him he lies down on the ground with his head very low. occasionally he nips my boyfriend – do you think it’s because he can smell he’s a male, perhaps?

usually my boyfriend will be patting him and then othello starts nibbling as if being affectionate, but soon enough he’ll take a sudden chomp, a REAL chomp, and nick will be requiring a bandaid! he has only ever chomped my finger once though, and even then i was holding a piece of apple so it was probably my fault.

Just an aside; Othello is gorgeous! That pic of him in your siggy makes him appear like he has rex fur.

Aims, do you line their habitat with hay or anything? If you put hay only in the litterboxes or in a rack right above them, that can really help keep the poop mess contained. And the hay mess.

thanks! yep he is indeed a rex! he is a really sweet bunny, just territorial

i do restrict the hay to the litter boxes but i give them some eating hay in a little wicker basket which i put on the floor, and he likes to tip it over and make a big mess everywhere! do you put all the rabbit’s eating hay into the litter boxes or somewhere else?

Most bunnies liek to eat and go at the same time, so it may be an idea to limit the hay to the litter box, until they are fully trained at least.

One likes to be held, so no problems there. The other doesn’t like to be picked up so he just stays in the cage while I clean it, he doesn’t want to budge. If I have the vacuum out, he still sits firmly in his place. Yes, he’s gotten sucked before (on his rear). He just sniffs the hose and then casually hops to the side. Stubborn rabbit…

I wonder. Is she eating hay from the rack there when she does that?

Lulu is a dutch and is smart. She can read “peeing and pooing spot” and followed the instructions. Wow! j/k
Hope you don’t mind my teasing Mocha…

MB makes a good observation. Worth slightly altering location of hay rack without too dramatic a change. It also may be the rack where it is limits the space in the litterbox. Maybe try having it higher and more into the corner.

I spy the litter box screen in there too. She might be just getting used to that change.

Posted By LBJ10 on 11/23/2010 08:17 PM

One likes to be held, so no problems there. The other doesn’t like to be picked up so he just stays in the cage while I clean it, he doesn’t want to budge. If I have the vacuum out, he still sits firmly in his place. Yes, he’s gotten sucked before (on his rear). He just sniffs the hose and then casually hops to the side. Stubborn rabbit…
 

heheheh.  I have one with an uncanny interest in the vaccuum cleaner too.
 

Can you use the screens in the back half of each box?