Bunny Grumps?

[MollyBunny]

Hi. I have a male bunny named Molly (don’t ask for the story behind the name! ) Anyhow, my bunny is not acting normally, I believe. Everytime I go to take him out to put him in the run, he goes to the other end of his cage. When I pick him up, I often have to put him down for a sec to turn him around. Everytime that happens, he scratches the ground (you know, that double pawed ‘dig’ type scratch?).

He seems kind of socially removed, if you know what I mean. He doesn’t want to cuddle, I don’t think he likes being picked up.

Maybe he’s not feeling well? His eyes look fairly normal (clear), but his poop is kind of soft and oval shaped (not to mention fairly large, not like small little balls). It has even been completely mushy at times (it looks very odd). I don’t know if this is a possibility, and maybe that would be why he’s so annoyed, or so it seems. This could also be because he does not eat hay…I have no idea why, but he used to…

I don’t know, but maybe he’s lonely…(?)

Any advice on this, or suggestions, or bunny wisdom on this subject would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[Monkeybun]

He used to eat hay but doesn’t now? Have you had his teeth checked? Overgrown teeth or spurs on teeth could cause him to be in discomfort, and not be comfortable chewing the tough hay. Lack of hay would also cause his poops to not be nice and firm. May want to take him in to a vet to get checked out.

Most bunnies do not like being picked up, although most bunnies will be happy to enjoy a petting with you down on the floor with them. They generally don’t “cuddle” like a cat or dog will.

[jerseygirl]

Welcome! Don’t worry about the name lol. It’s quite common to have the sex mixed up. I think members here even have a club for these buns: the bouncing bunny gender club.  

Monkeybun has brought up the all important teeth. If he’s mood is different to what it has been, definately look into any health issues behind it.

Would you mind telling us a bit more about Molly? Age, size, if he’s neutered or not, diet? I’m interested to know his colouring too… Your description of his poop reminds me of a condition (funny name – cow poop syndrome) that effects bunnies of a certain colouring (though can effect others too). I don’t like to say he has this of course as I know little about him and am not a vet! It’s just a condition we’re learning more about.   This is a pic of a poop from a bunny believed to have this syndrome next to normal bunny poop. Sorry to bombard you with poop pictures on your 1st post here. media.photobucket.com/image/sausage…1232-1.jpg
 

[MollyBunny]

He is three years old. He’s fairly medium sized, about 13 inches long (including head). Yes, he is neutered. We’ve had him since he was probably one to two months old. Yes, jerseygirl, the poop in the picture does look like his, although when I was walking around in his outdoor exercise pen the other day, I happened to step in something that was extremely mushy…and large. It was almost like a pile of it. Pretty gross, and not really normal.

[jerseygirl]

And his colouring? Edit: Nevermind, I saw your description in your intro thread. If Molly’s poop is always like the larger one in the picture, he may well have the condition I mentioned.  It’s sometimes described as “large and marshmallowy”.  Do you have a good rabbit vet?  I would mention “Cow poop syndrome” to him/her and see what information they can find out.  It’s also known as mega colon (though not like in cats&dogs) or Congenital Angangliosis.  A general poop test might be in order also, to check for parasites or anything unusual.

What’s his diet consist of? Sometimes an imbalance can have rabbits producing too many cecals (the night droppings they are supposed to eat) and they can be a mushy, smelly mess.

[RabbitPam]

Has he been checked out by a vet lately? Usually the thing to watch for in a bunny is a change, and what you’re describing sounds like something has changed that should be looked at. I think it’s time for a visit to the vet.

[MollyBunny]

I will check his teeth out (maybe take him to a vet), and take him inside so I can monitor him more carefully…maybe I’ll be able to get a clearer picture of whats going on.

Thanks for the info.

[MollyBunny]

Oh, and about his teeth, wouldn’t he not eat his pellets as well if they were too long? He seems to be doing fine with them.

[Elrohwen]

Pellets are usually the last thing bunnies will still eat when their teeth are bothering them – pellets are fairly soft and easy to chew, especially compared to hay. If he’s only eating pellets there’s a chance his teeth are having issues.

[Monkeybun]

You can’t always see if there is something wrong with his teeth without going to a vet. You can’t, for instance, see his back molars at all without a scope.

[MollyBunny]

Well, I have brought him inside, and he’s eating veggies, pellets, and drinking and passing ‘droppings’ well. Maybe I just wasn’t seeing him eat hay? I doubt it, but I’ll try it again…or maybe he doesn’t like it. I know my cousin’s rabbit won’t eat store bought hay at all.

[Monkeybun]

If he doesn’t like store bought hay, which mine typically don’t, search around for a feed store or farmer that sells good quality grass hay. I’m lucky that the rabbit group I volunteer with does hay packing for the bunnies, so I get nice fresh hay through them

[Elrohwen]

You can also try different brands and types of hay. Some bunnies like different varieties better. Oat, brome, and meadow are all good ones to try in addition to timothy.

[Alexis]

I am having the SAME PROBLEM!!! I have two female bunnies. Their names are Melba and Cotton. I got Melba in the beginning of May from my near by pet store who i have purchased bunnies before. Melba was behaving fine except for the fact she HATES being held. She scratches and panics and throws a fit until she is free from my arms. She also grunts ALL the time in her cage and bites the bars until i let her out. At the end of May i bought a floppy earred named Cotton. She is picture perfect bunny. Melba however, HATES HER. I cant keep them together and have to let them out seperatley because Melba attacks her. Can anyone give me a solution so my bunnies and I can get along all together? I feel like I can’t let them out as long as i want to because the other bunny needs time too. HELP!!

[jerseygirl]

Welcome Alexis

Can you tell us what age Melba and Cotton are and whether they have been neutered? This status effects alot of behaviours. It’s rare to put to rabbits together and just have them get along. You would need to go through the bonding process with them once they are fixed. Here is the Binky Bunny info on Bonding: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO…fault.aspx  There is a lot of good info under “Bunny Info” tab at the top of the page.  

There’s also a Welcome section if you’d like to post about more yourself and you’re 2 bunny girls. We love pictures!

[Alexis]

Thanks! Melba and Cotton are about 2 months old Melba is a few weeks older then Cotton. Both have not been fixed and when i called the vet she said even if i do get them both spayed there is no 100% chance of them getting along. Also, a woman who i confide in who raised rabbits her whole life says they should be fine without the procedure. I tried uploading pictures but it won’t work? I will try again and see. Their cages have been next to each other for awhile and sometimes Melba doesn’t mind her but if one is out the cage I have to keep them away because ethier Melba is out and tries to fight her or Cotton will go up to Melba’s cage to say hi and Melba freaks out! Because of this, i have had to put one of the cages on higher ground so the other bunny doesn’t see the other running around.

[jerseygirl]

Have you had their sex confirmed by a vet? Be very careful placing them together as rabbits are commonly mis-sexed and they are approaching the age (if not there already) that they can breed. Hopefully the pet store gave accurate info regarding their age. Sadly, they often do not.

 

i called the vet she said even if i do get them both spayed there is no 100% chance of them getting along

True. They would need to be bonded which can take some work but it can be done. I suggest not trying to put them together until they are older and are fixed.

 

Also, a woman who i confide in who raised rabbits her whole life says they should be fine without the procedure.

Do you mean the spay procedure? Does she mean they’ll generally be fine without or that they’ll be fine put together without being spayed?
Firstly, the spay is important for their health. There is an 80% chance of uterine cancer if left unspayed. So it extends their life to have them fixed. It also prevents real and false pregnancies, reduces some territorial and aggressive behaviours, aids in litter training and bonding to a companion be it human or another rabbit.

Some people say the cancer statistic is a myth. Rabbit breeders don’t spay for obvious reasons and don’t tend to support it for non breeders. However, breeding Does are at less risk and breeder rabbits are not expected to live as long as we like our house pets to live. I’ve seen it said that the cancer statistic is something the vet community perpetuated to make money. I refuse to believe so many veterinarians agreed to partake in a mass deception. There’s plenty of non vet but highly educated persons that have written papers on the risks of cancer in unspayed female rabbits. So you can probably tell my stance on this – sorry to go on, it’s just a topic that has alot of misinformation surrounding it.

[Alexis]

I went back to the pet store and had cottton (the non aggresser) checked and was confirmed a girl. I have to take Melba ethier tomorrow or this week.. I just now let melba out around cotton and instead of trying to hurt cotton melba went up to cotton and started chinning the cage ALOT. could this mean that melba may be a boy??? and may be trying to mate with cotton? i broke them up because i didnt know what to do.

[MissKris&Koji]

Chinning is a territorial marking behavior, so doesn’t necessarily mean its a boy/girl pair – a girl could be territorial around another girl just as easily. It’s not about mating. My rabbit chins furniture, he even chins me, and there are no other rabbits around.

Rabbits are confusing, I guess, even if you see humping it doesn’t mean boy/girl.

But it’s hard to tell sex correctly, pet stores often get it wrong supposedly. I wouldn’t put them together at all until you KNOW for sure, as you don’t want an accidental litter. Also, I saw on a recent thread someone say that rabbits can breed through cage bars, so until you know you shouldn’t even let one rabbit run loose with only the cage wall between them. A vet is best able to determine sex, and it’s much easier once they are older too.

I have a feeling more experienced rabbit people would also tell you to wait until they are older and get them fixed if you do want to try to let them interact, even if they are both girls. The chances of getting along are higher that way, and think about it like this – if you try to put them together and don’t do it properly, they could fight and you may have huge vet bills to pay anyways. Otherwise, just keep them separate.

[Alexis]

yeah i agree.. i think taking them to see a vet to be re-sexed is a good idea… i just want them both to be happy and healthy. its hard having to let them out seperatley and be supervised at all times.

[Alexis]

i know melba chins almost everything but it was new for her to start chinning cottons cage and didn’t know what was going on!

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