Clingy Bunny

[Caroline]

Please help….cos it’s driving me slightly nuts!

My 9yo dwarf bunny (btw how OLD to dwarf bunnies live to?) has got very very clingy with me lately.  He constantly wants to be ‘with’ me – by/between my feet, follows me around ALL the time, constant licks (and his new trick, tiny nips, which are only slightly disconcerting OUCH!).  He spray wees on me if he sits on my knee too long, but doesn’t do it if I’m holding him, always ‘chining’ either me or something I’ve been sitting on/wearing. Has taken to doing the odd pebble poo around my feet when he’s sitting next to me (territorial? She’s MY mum….(I have other pets)).  Agghh!  Also, climbs up my legs/springs up on sofa (probs wanting food!) and just loves to be picked up and carried around, he’s quite happy like that.

Constant attention, basically!

Whilst it’s obviously very very cute and loveable, it’s getting a bit annoying to be honest!!!  Am also afraid of standing on him, which I did when he was quite little, culminating in him ending up with a spiral fracture up his leg and he had to have a little operation to put his leg in plaster….. :-(((((

Any ideas (a) why he’s doing it all in the first place (am assuming it’s an affection thing maybe?) and (b) why he’s suddenly got worse.  I mean, he’s always been affectionate with me, but it’s increased massively lately.

How can I make him stop without keep shoving him away?

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[babybunsmum]

oh my!  he’s verrry affectionate huh?  not sure about the ‘why’ but maybe you could try givin him a long session of head pets (my bun, Baby, licks & nips when she wants head pets) and then put him with his fav toy to distract him & signal ‘the end’ of the lovey dovey session.  my girl gets distracted by anything paper that she can tear and try to get out of her way.   or gradually change his eating schedule so that you’re feeding him bits greens during these times to side track him maybe?  i’ve heard buns in general can live upwards of 15yrs although 5-8yrs is more common.

[Caroline]

oooo i hope Joey lives to be 15yo, that would be wonderful 😉 mind you it might be death by licking on my part by then though ;-D

Yes Joey loves paper too, he’s rather partial to the Sports section of the Sunday times…

Thanx for your suggestions, not sure they’ll make any difference though cos kind of do that already!!!

[babybunsmum]

lol… death by licking!  the sports section usually ends up lining Baby’s cage bottom but she’s rather fond of any one of those dang flyers that clog up my mailbox.  good to know there’s a use for them right? 

well unfortunately thats all i’ve got for ideas   hopefully some one will have other suggestions for you! 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’ve read that 8-12 years for dwarf rabbits…as for ideas, i’ve none as I’m always trying to make my bunnies more clingy

Welcome to Binky bunny!!!

[elle.em.gee]

Silly bun! I wish my new dwarf bunnies were so lovey! Buelah begs to be rubbed a couple times a day but Virgil tollerates me petting his head for about 2 seconds every other day…

I don’t have suggestions, and I’m new at this whole bunny thing, but I read somewhere (probably on this site) that a sudden increase in affection to their humans can indicate that they’re sick? Not to alarm you but just a thought, you may want to take him to the vet if he hasn’t been in a while

[osprey]

Is this bunny neutered?  It sounds to me like he’s in love, and hitting the "teenaged" hormone driven phase of his life.

[Caroline]

Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated!!  Slightly worried about the ‘sick’ thing, might just get him checked out…  As for the neutered thing, yes, he was gone years ago as similar happened then ‘cept he used to pee on my feet too!  I wonder if "it" has grown back….lol….

As for making bunnies clingy, it would appear I’m good at that!

So what I can suggest is lots of picking up and stroke and contact and kisses and stuff, spesh round the ears and whiskers.  Years ago, Joey wouldn’t let me touch his back feet, bunny tail, under his chin, but now I have no problem doing any of these. I can even ‘do babies’ with him, which basically means lying him on his back in my arms with his feet in the air!!  I can even blow raspberries on his belly!!!  He’s very tame and lovely, but originally he was shy and bolshy, an independent little so-and-so, and it’s taken me years to get to this – but I think I’ve over done it!  When you pick him up, be firm but gentle, and say "no" or whatever when he struggles. If he’s comfy and secure, he’ll settle down.  Joey is such a darling that we don’t even have a cage for him any more = he has a litter tray, sleepy mat thing and food tray with bowls in the kitchen but we don’tlock him in other than shutting the kitchen door!!  Dunno whether is a good thing or not, but seems a happy bun!

He’s doing a guard dog impression by my feet whilst I’m watching the telly as we speak!

[babybunsmum]

well doesn’t he just sound adoreable!  never hurts to go to the vet for a check up to be sure… hopefully all is well & he’s just more & more snuggly as he enters his retirement years.  i suppose you can’t attach a bell to a bun so know when they’ve sidled up to you (to avoid tripping on them).  i’ve done this with my dog for the holiday season so it sounds as if there’s jingle bells thru the house.  tried that with mom’s cat before & she got a claw stuck in it… poor thing.  that was nearly as much fun a mess to fix as the bag-handle-over-the-head-so-it-seems-the-bag-is-chasing-me canundrum.

[Caroline]

LMAO re the cat with the handle, i could picture that!  awwww!

 

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Welcome to Binky Bunny caz100uk!   It does sound a lot like a hormonal thing to me too. Have you thought about pairing him with another bunny at all or is that out of the question?  I’m thinking that might help since he craves so much attention.

[DustBunneh'sMama]

I’m new to this too, so I don’t really have any suggestions, it does sound wonderful though. I’m trying to get my new bunny to be like yours!

I think Scarlet has a good idea though. Maybe if you get him a pal, he will transfer some of his affection for you to them?

[Caroline]

Hmmm. To be honest, I think Joey is too independent (he’s an "only" bunny!!) and too old now to be paired off with another bunny or given a pal, I think he would find it very distressing and there would be jealousy issues I think.  I have thought of it several times over the years though but never actually got one. 

Having gone to see The Golden Compass last night, I’ve decided he’s my Daemon!

[Scarlet_Rose]

How about a non-live stuffed animal companion? That is just too cute, how was The Golden Compass? I’ve heard mixed reviews.

[Gravehearted]

aww, it sounds like he’s going through a tough time. I’d also recommend getting him checked out by the vet to see if there’s anything wrong. Have there been any changes in his routine or around the house lately? New people or pets?

[Caroline]

Hmmmm….recent changes…not really – well, I mean, we got a couple of tortoises about 6 mths ago which didnt seem to have much effect on him.  That said, we have recently moved them from the Conservatory into the living room as it was getting far too cold and I didn’t want them to hibernate.  Consequently they probs do get more attention now, as they’re in our general living space….I wonder if that’s it, I would say maybe the increased attention from Joey happened about the same time.  I mean, he’s always been quite affectionate with me really, but very much more so lately.  Hmmm.  Am thinking of trying him with a stuffed toy, do you reckon it matters what it looks like???!! 

But ya might have hit the nail on the head!!

(incidentally I very much enjoyed Golden Compass.  Lord of the Rings it isn’t, but enjoyable all the same, I would recommend).

[MooBunnay]

How cute! It sounds like he’s very bonded to you I definitely think that a new stuffed toy might help him out, it sounds like he’s craving some companionship. Even though he does seem like an independent guy – if you’d consider a second bunny, you might want to take him on a couple “dates” at a local rescue just to see how he reacts to the prospect of a new friend.

[Caroline]

Right. Ellie the stuffed Elephant toy purchased earlier this evening and installed next to Joey, in his ‘space’. Result: Joey has totally and utterly ignored it, even when I carried them both around together for a bit, even tried sticking Ellie’s head over/under Joey’s chin for scenting!

So,am currently sitting on the sofa, cuddling the bloomin’ elephant to hopefully leave my ‘smell’ on it so Joey might decide to bond with it later or maybe when I’m not around. Am even considering sleeping with it…ooer….!!! Joey is again sitting at my feet like a guard dog still, and is following me around the house still like a litle sheep! In fact, I have made up a poem…OK….Cazza had a little bun, it’s fur was black as coal, and everywhere that Cazza went the bun was sure to go…. ba booom! (never said I was a poet) ;-D

[Caroline]

oh…and yes…maybe I’ll try a bunny date after Xmas….will see what Him Indoors thinks as well. 

[babybunsmum]

lol!  my bun takes a while to acknowledge new toys.  sometimes weeks.  maybe theres hope for ellie yet!  good luck

[Caroline]

SLIGHT bit of progress I think….at least he’s starting chinning Ellie, coupled with the odd lick….

[Caroline]

okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

I think it’s working.  Joey is definitely not following me around so much, and no bunny nips!  He and Ellie appear to be bonding I just simply can’t believe it!  He’s not chucked him out of his bed in a while!

Watch this space.  I’m quite impressed! He’s still lovely Joey and still does sit and lick and chin me, but it’s less…..intense.  Bless him!!!

[babybunsmum]

awww… so glad to hear he has tamed down some… but not all!  too cute that he’s taken to ellie.  good to know that can work.  i may have to try this with baby bun so she’ll leave the dog alone.  she loves him a lot but i think he’s getting a little tired of all the attention. lol.

[Scarlet_Rose]

That’s awesome! So glad that things resolved in a most agreeable manner for all parties involved including “Ellie.” Cute name!

[Caroline]

Hi again.  Joey’s WORSE!!!  He’s taken to lots of poos near and around me, as well as the odd wee around me or on me….agggghhhh, he’s getting worse!!!  He also poos a lot around his litter tray as well as in it – which is a new thing, he was always a very well litter trained bunny.  He follows me everywhere as well, if I walk in the kitchen he comes in the kitchen, if I walk in the front room, he’s in the front room, if I go to the bathroom…well guess what?  He’s constantly under my feet or sitting on top of them, or licking them!  Any more ideas?  (Ellie the Elephant seemed to make not a lot of difference!).  I’m wondering whether it’s to do with getting rid of his cage – we never locked him in and he had run of the downstairs really, cept for when we went to bed but even then he was only locked in the kitchen, but cage left open.  He still has his own area, which he knows is his own, and his own eating area and also his litter tray, which haven’t really changed, it’s just not inside bars if you see what I mean??  Also we did get a couple of tortoises a while back and I *think* he may have ot worse since then…so, jealousy issues maybe?  (he does run in the living room and steal their food….)

Or could he maybe be poorly and he’s trying to tell me?

[babybunsmum]

i’m not sure about the health aspect… but certainly, if you have a concern, its a good idea to go for a vet visit to be sure. 

baby bun was very much all over my dog after she recovered from her surgery and it took several weeks of me pointedly removing her from atop the dog before her ‘affections’ died down.  it was a dominance thing with her for sure.  and then last weekend i adopted another bun and now baby’s at the dog again with a similar exuberance as before.  i’m sure it’s a competiton with the new bun scent in the house (they’re separated until pinky is spayed).  it may be a jealousy related thing… your bun could be trying to dominate you to keep your attention exclusively.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Hmmm….I can’t remember, is Joey fixed?

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