Care of Bunnies – for worryworts

[Ash_Midnight]

I have two bunnies who I estimate to be about 2 years old. One is small, Midnight, and the other is large and fat, Ash. I got them from people who didn’t know what they were doing and neglected them and had dropped them and mistreated them. I have had them for almost 6 months. Midnight trusts me for the most part. They still don’t let me hold them or pet them, bu Midnight will climb on my lap sometime and he runs to me when I come in the room since I feed them a few oats whenever they come near me to help them trust me and since they love oats. However, recently, Midnight became more aggressive. He’s always been dominant over Ash, but now Ash will run in the opposite direction whenever Midnight even just looks at him. Ash has a spot that I thought was shedding fur on his back, but I now think may be a bald spot. Ash still flinches like he expects to get hit and recently both bunnies have become extremely timid again. Their claws are overgrown, but I am afraid of losing their trust by cutting their claws, and I don’t have enough money to take them to the vet. They both trust me enough to eat out of my hand, but I’m wondering if there is anyway I can get them to trust me more, and if I should be concerned about their aggression. I feed them between a cup and a quarter to a cup and a half of pellets daily, I refill their water bottle daily, and I refresh their hay daily. They get 2-3 collard greens a day or 3-4 romaine lettuce. Once in a while I will feed them kale, like once a month. I give them carrots once in a while. Recently I had switched pellets and they barely ate any so I mixed some oats in it to get them to eat it until they finished they bag or until I got a chance to buy them some different pellets. I just got them new pellets and they still don’t eat a lot of pellets, but they eat more of them. I feed them more greens. Am I doing the right thing? Once in a while, not too often, I see a string of pellets attached together. I know it’s from fur, but I don’t know if it’s a bad thing to see. My rabbits’ pellets have recently gotten larger and greener. I’m sorry about all my questions. Nobody has been answering my questions on all the sites I’ve been on, so my questions have been getting more and more. Please help ASAP. I want to do what’s best for my bunnies. They deserve the best. Their lives have been so hard so far. I got no information from their previous owners. Thank you so much for your site!

[Wick & Fable]

My initial thought hearing about two rabbits and aggression is fixed state. Do you know if both are fixed and how long ago the operations occurred?

Additionally, did you bond the rabbits or did someone else do it at all?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Wick & Fable]

Sorry my reply submitted before I finished.

Also, your current diet is close to ideal, but there are some improvements to make. Money wise it should not be too burdensome, but if finances becomes an issue, maybe giving one rabbit up may be wise.

Their pellet consumption is based on weight. Every two pounds is 1/4cup of pellets. Pellets are very fattening and rabbits will over eat them, so this could have contributed to the ones fatness.

I noticed you didn’t mention hay consumption. Rabbits need hay, above all other foods. There’s a section in the BUNNY INFO section of this website (https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/2/PID/940/Default.aspx) that outlines what the proper diet should be. Compare your quantities and items with this as a good guide to ensure healthy, happy rabbit lives!

The string of pellets (poo is how I interpret that; you can say poop on these forums to lessen confusion ) is called string of pearls, and it occurs when fur the rabbit has ingested through grooming works it’s way through the gut. On one hand it’s good that it’s getting through, but on the other hand, it’s bad because that means the rabbit is ingesting a lot of excess fur. Daily grooming may be required to cut down on this. Too much fur consumption can create a physical blockage in the rabbit, preventing pooping and digestion, which is fatal.

Green poop could be excessive veggies, but I’m not experienced with everything green poop entails. Its most likely the result of a poor diet, but you’re very caring so if you remedy the diet, it could be reversible.

Vet costs are expensive, but rabbit care is. You need finances to professionally take care of things if you’re unable to. Long nails can cause pressure on the toes when standing and sitting, leading to painful arthritis. Additionally, their abusive conditions in the past may have already manifested some conditions that will not be revealed until severe symptoms show or you go to a vet now to assess. Some items which have helped people in the past with vet funds is asking for parental help (if you’re younger or that’s an option), inquiring about payment plans at the vet, or talking to the previous owners and asking for funds because you’re compensating for their neglect.

Welcome to community and I wish you and your babies the best. Hoping for a great outcome and stay engaged in learning more!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Sirius&Luna]

I think Wick has covered most of it, but it does sound like one of your buns is bullying the other. Could you tell us a bit more about their relationship? Do they snuggle and groom together? If one bunny is obviously scared of the other, and is having his fur pulled out by the other, it may well be best to separate them.

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