My Bunny seems bored, and is *naughty* when boyfriend is around

[The Rabbit]

I have two questions: One: My Male Bunny seems so bored. He used to hop and play all the time, but for a very long time he hasn’t. he mostly just sits in the same spot, and might get annoyed and flick his feet if I try to pick him up.  He’s nuetured. We can’t get another bunny. We rent our house, and really aren’t supposed to have him. Is there anything I can do? He has a large set of dog keys but he doesn’t bother with them much. He has a ball make of hay but he hasn’t ever made a dent in it. He has a big bunny ball with a bell inside but he won’t play with that either.  sometimes he sits in his bunny maze. He seems happiest when my dog (who he is clearly in love with) is around. what can i do to stop him from being bored? it’s so sad to see him sitting in one spot all day.

 

2: My boyfriend lives in another state. We can’t afford plane tickets too often so we don’t get to see each other much, unfortunately. He was here in the summer, then there was an eight month gap and he came to visit again. My bunny suddenly got very active. He started chewing everything in site. from the carpet (arg!) to his play hut(cardboard).  He’d spend a lot of time hiding behind his play hut.  He got so bad we’d have to put him in the cage *every* time we went out. Which is a hassle because if he doesn’t want to go in he’s hard to catch. He was also licking my boyfriend a *lot*. usually he licks me, and expects me to groom him too. But this was a *lot*. all the time. Several times he started arranging the the legs of his pants by digging at them or rearranging them like rabbits do blankets.  he also bit him a couple of times. How can I change this behavior? It’s obviously not okay. I want them to both get along. He’s coming back next month, and I’d really like to make sure my bunny behaves. what can I do? is he jealous? upset? I don’t understand what my bunny is trying to say!

[jerseygirl]

Gosh, it almost sounds like he wants attention from your boyfriend!
You’ve mentioned your rabbit & dog’s relationship before. I’m wondering, how does your dog react when you bf visits?

[The Rabbit]

The dog loves him. she sleeps curled up with him. we have to keep her out sometimes, because she’ll push him over to sit on his lap. Maybe the rabbit is picking that up from her too? Maybe she’s giving off some kind of energy?

[jerseygirl]

You had mentioned before your rabbit was copying your dog. That’s why I asked if it could be happening here. His behaviour toward your bf seems more affectionate – like he’s grooming him. The little nibbles can be like grooms too. Or an actual bite might be “groom me back” – like he was seeking attention or it can be “move out of the way”.

[Author]

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