Good Bunny Gone Bad

[ashmashpotato]

So, I have a 4 – 5 month old bunny named Sniffles; cutest thing in the world. ( Though everyone says that about their animals<3 )

Since the day I got him, I have been litter training him & slowly giving him free roam of my home. Just this past week, he’s been acting up a LOT lately… : He refuses to use his litter box! 

I have moved it several times to the areas that he keeps going to, even using a few litter boxes. He will sit in the litter box & just stare at me for a moment, then he’ll jump out & pee or poop next to it! If he does go in the litter box, he will use his mouth to tip the whole thing over!

I’m not sure as to what is causing this! I had a cat but she was removed over a month ago & they both got along fairly well. It is just Sniffles & myself that live in a one bedroom & I fear that if he doesn’t start using his litter box again, I will need to find him a new home… 

He means the absolute world to me; but he’s been peeing on carpets & close & my bed….

I don’t know what to do…

[LBJ10]

Is he neutered? At this age, he should be hitting bunny puberty.

[ashmashpotato]

Actually, he’s not.. Is that something I should be looking into? This is my first time owning a bunny & I did do research before adopting one. But as I mentioned, up until recently he has been nothing but a little bundle of joy..

[LBJ10]

Yes, all baby bunnies are little bundles of joy. Then they hit puberty and all hell breaks loose. Getting him neutered will definitely calm him down. He will also feel less need to mark. Just be prepared to start the litter training process over again after he is neutered and his hormones have stabilized.

[ashmashpotato]

Thank you very much! I definitely don’t want to be an owner that couldn’t handle her bunny; he means the absolute world to me & I would hate to see him go because of something like this. I guess it’s time to call up some vet offices & get prices! Again, thank you very much for the help!

[Beka27]

He’s gorgeous!!! Is he a full english lop or a mix?

I ditto the neutering. It is definitely time!

[ashmashpotato]

Thank you, hehe! He is very precious to me<3 And as far as I know, he is a full English lop, with extremely long ears & an abnormally long tail when he stretches out; is there are reason for that?!

And I think the neutering seems to be the best option; thank you!

[lindsay715]

Wow, he’s beautiful! Neutering definitely calmed down my male when he hit adolescence

[ashmashpotato]

Thank you very much!! & I have been looking at some prices for neutering him, seems $200 is as cheap as I can find so far..

[lindsay715]

I think 200 is around average. My rabbits were $150 each, but $50 for consult/preliminary checkup.

[lindsay715]

I know those prices are not fun – but it really is so important!

[ashmashpotato]

At this point, I’m willing to do anything for my Sniffles bunny bunny. He’s so precious to me that I would hate to find him a new home because of this…

[lindsay715]

Aww. I think we all know how you feel

[ashmashpotato]

Sending any animal away is hard but he’s all I have that I can really say is mine & be selfish with<3 Thank you very much everyone for the helpful information! I'm going to start setting aside some money to get him neutered as soon as possible!

[peppypoo]

Aww, what a gorgeous bunny!

I just wanted to mention to you that for most bunnies, the behavior doesn’t subside immediately after neutering (might take a couple of months), but be patient..there is hope! I absolutely do not miss the days when my bunnies were in their “teenage” phase, but they usually come out of it by the time they’re one year old.

[ashmashpotato]

Thank you very much peppypoo; he is a handsome one(; He’s very camera friendly & I have some great candid shots of him I’ll have to post sometime in the near future. The “teenage” phase, I like that!

[Beka27]

I asked because his ears actually don’t look as long as other ELs I’ve seen, altho maybe it’s just the angle, or maybe their ears continue to grow? I’m not entirely sure, but it could be because he’s still young.

$200 for a neuter does sound average, altho keeping checking around at exotic vets and comparing prices. Or if you have a rescue nearby, they may have a recommendation for inexpensive neuters.

[ashmashpotato]

Thanks for the update Beka! & I asked the same thing about the ears, I guess he was the runt of the litter & the lady at the animal league said he has “abnormal” attributes. I think he’s perfect no matter what! But yes, his ears are very long, but a pure bred EL nonetheless!

[Svandis]

I googled for pictures of the English Lop and MAN, the ears!!

from the pics on google, it seems your bun’s ears are completely normal

[ashmashpotato]

I love his ears Svandis; what gets me is his tail when he stretches out.. I will have to make the image smaller & post a picture(: Any reason why is tail is long?! Hehe<3

[Beka27]

They do also have super long tails and I don’t know why… He’s just all-around an amazing looking bun!

We’ve had members int he past with ELs, but I haven’t seen one around in a long time. It’s great to have you!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sniffles is soooooo cute!!!! Just had to comment!!! He made me smile.

[ashmashpotato]

Thank you Beka! It’s great to be on here; everyone is so nice & I’m glad I came across this site!

Thank you LittlePuffyTail! I’m glad he could make you smile as he does for me daily<3

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