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Hello all! Meet Bartleby (grey) and Big Fatty (sandy brown)!
My husband and I just got them on Thursday of last week (3/29/18). We are having a lot of fun with them and trying to learn everything we can!
They seem to be peeing in their two litter spots only. They poop hard pellets everywhere (I think while eating), and they poop soft clumps once in a while and don’t seem to be eating them much. I’m trying to give them lots of hay and not unlimited pellets. Can bunnies be trained to only poop in their litter, or is it common for them to poop all over? They especially poop the softer clumps when we let them out of the cage.
Which is another topic: when we let them out of the cage, my husband and I sit on the floor and talk to them and let them explore and run around. They seem to love it! Bartleby was born 2/12/18 and already seems to be getting used to my husband and I. Every day we start a step back or so, but he quickly lets us pick him up and pet him without running away. Big Fatty was born 1/27/18 and he is harder to crack. He is very curious and keeps coming near us or sniffing us, but will quickly hop away if we move to pet him or pick him up. He doesn’t like to let us pick him up. And he does not calm down as fast as Bartleby when we do hold him. I don’t want to give up trying to get Big Fatty comfortable with us, but I also don’t want to reinforce a fear of us because everytime we try to pick him up and don’t succeed, thus he runs away, that’s like exposure to a phobia but you get to escape which strengthens the phobia and doesn’t actually knock it down. So, any advice or tips on how to help him feel safe? How far do we push each “session” they are out of the cage? Do we back off from trying to pick him up entirely for a while? I mention their ages because my husband wondered if, since Big Fatty is a couple weeks older if that affects them. The seller said his daughters handled them a lot though, but I don’t get the impression it was constant. Also, their soft clumps of poop (kind of look like blackberries, they are supposed to eat these) increase when they are out of the cage. Is this stress?
We are new bunny owners so any thoughts or feedback would be much appreciated!
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Hi Bartleby and Big Fatty! You both look like such gentle buns xx And welcome to the forum bunnymom25!
Bunnies normally poop as they eat. How is their diet like at the moment? (e.g. what kind of hay, pellets, fresh vegetables etc and how much of it daily)
Yes it is common for bunnies to poop or pee everywhere especially if they are not neutered/spayed. If they are litter trained, the poop outside of their litter areas are either accidental poop or territorial poop (more likely).
Every bunny has a different personality. Most hate being picked up, but some tolerate it if it’s only for a little while. Few (if at all) actually like it. I doubt age makes any difference. My current bunny for example will make a run for it if we hold him/wrap our hands around his body, and kick or even squeal the moment his feet leave the ground. Other than that he enjoys being petted while resting. So I try not to pick him up unless absolutely necessary, e.g. putting him in his carrier. My previous bunnies however do not mind being picked up at all. If you know the bun doesn’t appreciate it, I would advise not to if it’s only for a cuddle or something. Not allowing you to pick him up doesn’t necessarily imply that he is not “comfortable” with you
Your seller may have mentioned that his daughters handled them a lot, but did they mention how the bunnies reacted to being handled? If you want the bunnies to tolerate being picked up (since it may be necessary during nail clipping sessions and such), some people here have mentioned in other threads that you could try putting your hand below their belly and lift them up a little, going a bit higher gradually. You could try that, but make sure it’s in line with the bunny’s own pace as well.
Since both buns are quite new to your home, give them some more time to explore the environment and explore both you and your husband
Try not to pick them up now if possible. -
Hi! Thanks for replying. We are giving them Small World Complete Rabbit Feed pellets–about a soup can a day for each of them. Unlimited timothy hay. Haven’t given veggies or snacks yet. They have some natural wood balls they chew on.
We are planning to get them neutered/spayed in the next week or two.
Seller didn’t report how they react to being picked up or handled. We are taking your advice and giving them some space, trying not to pick them up too much. It’s so hard–they are so snugglycuteadorablewonderfulilovethem!!!!
We can tell they are getting more comfortable with us and used to us though. Thanks for the reply! -
There’s a bonding section on this forum that talks about everything to do with how to bond bunnies. You can check it out and ask questions over there
For litter, personally I use wood pellets and would also recommend it. They absorb smell and pee really well compared to paper bedding. It should also be cheaper to get. Make sure the wood type is safe though and that the bunnies don’t ingest them.
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Posted By bunnymom25 on 4/07/2018 3:34 PM
We are getting them spayed/neutered in the next week or two.
If I didn’t mess up my math, they are just two months old (Bartleby still under two months), right? That’s too young to get them fixed. You want to wait until they’re done growing before getting them spayed/neutered. For “regular” sized bunnies that would be around six months. Since yours are Flemmies, they won’t be done growing until they’re almost a year old. Hormones are crucial to proper skeletal development, if you withhold those hormones with an early spay/neuter, you risk abnormal bone growth which in turn can have nasty consequences like stress fractures, hip dysplasia and other things. This is especially important in your case, because these buns will be very heavy.
Also, they’re adorable!
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