Hello Everyone~ Bittersweet Bunny

[Chel]

Hello everyone, I’m Chel.

I wasn’t really planning on having another rabbit ever, but I saw so much of my old, beloved bunny Cory in her that I ended up bringing her home. I love Koggy. She brings much joy to my life, but at the same time she reminds me so much of him- it’s bittersweet. Looking at photos of them side by side, I get teary-eyed. I hope you can understand what I mean.

Cory was a rescue bunny, and had such a great personality. He was not skittish at all. I never once saw him spook, at anything. Nothing scared him. You could stomp around the room and he just looked at you like “what’s your problem, buddy?”  He was best friend’s with my cat Sorsha. Sadly, he sustained an injury somehow and eventually passed away. The vet said there was not much to be done. It happened quite quickly. That was about 5 or so years ago.

Koggy is quite young. I’ve never had a baby rabbit before. I’m so worried about her personality changing when she’s older, from everything I have read. 

Anyway, let’s fill out this thingy:

Names: Kog/Koggy. 

Age: I was told 3 months. We will see what my vet says.

How long has your bunny been with you? 2 weeks.

Fixed? Not old enough yet, but she will be. (I checked her gender, but I could be wrong!)

Personality: Adventurous- almost mischievous, hyper, sucky.

Koggy and Sorsha:

Cory and Sorsha (That’s the same room believe it or not- note the book shelf, and my kitty looks so much younger):

Any advice is helpful… I’ve read a lot of articles, but there is a lot to learn.

EDIT:

Sorry to add, but after reading through the forum I realized I gave very little information on my set up and by being so vague it sounded…. worrisome? Cory managed to injured himself under the bed- his favourite place… It was only he and I in the room, so it wasn’t my kitty. I don’t have that bed anymore. I don’t want to go into too much detail because it is obviously a sad situation, but I worked with the vet and reached out to the rescue group I got him from. Unfortunately, he moved on but he was very happy in his last months- maybe the happiest he ever was, as he spent nearly 24/7 with me. I also do not have that bed anymore.

I have koggy set up in an xpen against the wall that is about 5′ x 6′ (she’s so tiny though that I had to secure CC grids around the outside so she can’t fit through the bars!). Inside there is an elevated hutch that is 46.5″ W x 24″ D x 34.5″. Will this be okay for her in the future as well? She gets a lot of time out of the pen, at least 8 hours on my work days and pretty much all day if I’m off. I suppose she will need a friend in the future, so she doesn’t get lonely? I would definitely want to rescue another bun if that’s the case.

I’m also really surprised by her litter habits, for being so young… She never pees outside the litter unless I let her on my bed… She really likes to pee on the bed, so I had to ban her from it for now :c She really likes to follow people around, like a puppy.

[Hopper]

Awww I’m glad you got another bun. You’re right about the whole situation, bittersweet.

Anyway, it would be best to get another because you would be saving two and they wouldn’t be lonely but it isn’t necessary. You spend a lot of time with her so I doubt she’ll get lonely easily.

[Bam]

Hi and welcome!

I’m glad too you decided to get another bun! It sound so sad about your Cory. I’m glad he was happy with you. There’s no way a human can prevent all accidents that might happen.

A girl bunny should be spayed for health reasons, and that can be done when she’s 6 months or so. Until then it’s way simpler not to get another bunny, intact bunnies tend to fight when they hit puberty, and then you have to separate them and rebond after de-sexing. An intact boy and girl can never be together at all once they’ve turned 12 weeks old, or there will be babies. I don’t think she’ll be lonely since you spend so much time with her. She looks lovely, and so does your kitty. And Cory too, he was beautiful.

Please ask all questions you come to think of, we’ll be happy to try and help =)

[Chel]

Thank you both for the warm welcome. Sorry for that huge wall of text, ha.

Oh yes, of course I will get her fixed before, if I decide to get another. The last thing the world needs is more babies 😮

I do have some questions about her aging… I’ve read that as rabbits near 1 year of age, their personalities start to change and many go through a sort of “teenager” phase. At this point, I read they become less affectionate and keep more to themselves. I am a bit worried by that 😮 Right now she is so sweet and silly. She loves attention and affection of all kinds. Cory was already 2-3 when I got him, so I kind of dodged all that stuff lol

Also, I have noticed she is very vocal. She makes this chatter sound with her teeth all the time. While she’s eating, playing, running around, being pet/cuddled. Is that normal for a young rabbit? I don’t think she’s in pain or anything, she just seems… more inclined to talk lol

Thanks so much both of you. I love seeing the beautiful bunnies in everyone’s avatar!

[LongEaredLions]

Welcome welcome! Koggy is adorable!

Her personality may change a bit or she may become more aggressive than as she becomes a teenager, but after her spay and a bit of time for her hormones to dissipate, she should return to her normal self.

The chattering sound sounds like a tooth purr. She is probably telling you is happy. Bunnies do sometimes tooth purr when they are in pain, but it is a harsher sound. You would be able to distinguish it if you heard it. So, happy bunny.

[Bam]

All mammals will become “teenagers” as they become sexually mature. Some bunnies will even become little monsters for a while, but it is a transitory, teenage phase. Since the adverse behaviors you might encounter during this time are sexually driven (aggression, pee and poop-marking, excessive humping etc), they are greatly reduced by desexing.

It is true though that adult bunnies rarely appreciate being lifted up and/or held. But that doesn’t mean they won’t still absolutely love to cuddle and be pet, especially since you are building a great and trusting relationship with her from the very beginning of her life.

I also agree with LEL that the tooth-chatter you hear seems to be a tooth-purr, a very happy sound. Tooth-chattering from a bunny in pain is louder and choppy and staccato and occurs together with other signs of discomfort. It’s hard to mistake a pain-chatter for a happy tooth-purr.

[Chel]

Yes, I suppose that is true. My kitty also went through a similar phase but it was so gradual I hardly remember her being any different!

It seems like it’s a happy sound. I’m just surprised how vocal she is. I used to have rats when I was a kid, and the noise she makes is very similar to their happy chattering. It would seem she has a lot to say.

Any tips for how to stop her from peeing on the bed? She loves the bed. She binkys like crazy on the bed. However, even if I put the litter box on the bed, there is a 50/50 chance she’ll just pee on the bed… Apparently, the bed looks like a giant litter box  Maybe she’s too young to really get the difference right now.

Thanks for the advice and info ^^ Much appreciated. Glad I found this forum.

More pictures of my little Kog  :

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