New bunny who likes to stay in his cage

[garybunny]

So we got a new bunny about 2 weeks ago – this is our first. He is now 12 weeks old and not a happy bunny. He is a black netherland dwarf bunny (or nederland as my kids like to say ) Anyway, he is does not seem happy.  When we first met him he was calm and gentle with my son (who is very gentle in return) – but since we have been home he has gotten more and more honory.

We open the cage for him to come out but he mostly stays in his little house inside the cage. He has a large cage, is proving difficult to potty train and if I try to give him treats he basically goes to nip at me and makes kind of like a duck sound. I read around the forums and patience seems to be the key, but it seems possible he may never come around to being touched or handled.. I don’t know that a feisty bunny is good for my 5 and 6 year old  

My biggest issue is that he doesn’t like me cleaning his cage and he tends to poop everywhere. He won’t come out for me to do it while he is gone (which I know is the suggestion) so I have to clean around him. I am very careful to never remove him from his little nest house. I have tried offering treats of various fruits/veggies (bunny approved) but he either lurches at me making that gutteral duck sound or just sniffs and pops back in his house. I am beginning to think we made a wrong choice for both the little bunny and for us, anyone have any thoughts or comments on how to improve our situation?  I hate that he is apparently stressed out (although we see him laying stretched out in his cage when we creep in his room) and unhappy in our house

[4Lily]

Are you sure he’s a male? and only 12 weeks? when bunnies reach maturity, around 4-6 months, they get teritorial, and leave poo’s to mark their territory. They can also become agressive, “honking” and nipping are common. I would be making a vet appointment! I wouldn’t even try to litter train him before he gets neutered!

I would just sit there & talk to him, morning & evening! So he gets used to you!  Bunnies are really social animals, but on there terms & times! During the day they like to hide & sleep!

 

[garybunny]

I am pretty sure he is – I bought him from a really nice lady who breeds bunnies at her house. Not overly so, but she did have 6 or so available. She showed me his parents so I have a tendancy to trust her.

When we picked him she had said he was feisty but he was so calm with my son we decided it might be ok, lol famous last words.

Maybe he is just mature for his age. The whole poo thing is annoying! Its everywhere, we laugh because he does it like a gold medal olympian – its all over the place I am going to put in more litter boxes to try and solve that problem until he is fixed. The bigger issue is his attitude, he is telling me he is ticked at me I am assuming, but I just don’t know why, I have tried sweet talking, treats etc. he wants nothing to do with us – and here I thought bunnies were sociable??  Anyway, not sure what to think. Don’t want to persecute my little bun – that’s not our intention, but having a large cage in one corner of the room with hay, a non-existent pet and millions of pellets everywhere kinda wasn’t the plan either lol

I just want to add I know he is a baby, and I know its only been 2 weeks, but my worry is that he is getting more honory rather than less, the rest I am sure I can deal with but being bitten and snipped at is not my idea of a happy pet!  I will try what you suggested and just keep being sweet to him. I didn’t realise they were happier hiding out during the day… good to know and could explain a lot 

[Beka27]

He sounds like a normal baby bunny who is becoming hormonal. Did you do a lot of research about rabbits before you brought him home? Rabbits are very different from cats and dogs, and more often than not, people bring them home and have unrealistic expectations of how they will fit into their household. Also, they do not make good pets for children. They are pets for adults first and foremost, because in most cases only adults are able and willing to do the research required to learn how to interact with them. Children want a cuddly animal, and rabbits are certainly not cuddly.

Fortunately, it’s still earlier enough where if you are not convinced if a rabbit is right for you, you could return him to the breeder. If you are committed to making it work, I think it can work, and we can give suggestions on how to proceed. Some of these behaviors may not improve until after he is neutered, but you can work on socialization and littertraining beforehand.

[garybunny]

Posted By Beka27 on 07/13/2010 09:29 AM 
Did you do a lot of research about rabbits before you brought him home?

Thanks for responding – and good to know about the hormones even at this age. Ironically we did read – a lot! Mostly it was suggested that bunnies are sociable and make good indoor pets. Although we were aware we were not going to be snuggling up and hugging on him much, we had read about their dislike for being handled. I did read in multiple places that they are very social and will be a positive addition to a family – ours does not seem to be interested in even looking at us at this point – in fact he is actively making sure we leave him alone – I was curious as to wether that was more typical than not. I had also read that bunnies got hormonal closer to the 4/ 5 month mark hence the neutering at 4 months being advisable – but if its a ramp up for that – then it would make more sense. We of course can survive the 5 months or so of teenage angst I am sure – as long as we are ready for it. This seemed to be just too soon, but it seems maybe not.  

We don’t want to return the bunny, we would much rather he became a happy, integrated member of the household, at least on some level lol… hence the reason I am posting for ideas… I appreciate all the suggestions, I am hearing that it does seem that time and neutering will help – possibly  

 

[4Lily]

So happy that you aren’t returning him! I really suggest trying to just talk to him very calmly, even if you will be talking to the cage! LOL! Eventually he’ll come around! And he could be missing his siblings! Maybe a stuffed animal to comfort him!

[garybunny]

Posted By 4Lily on 07/13/2010 10:08 AM
So happy that you aren’t returning him! I really suggest trying to just talk to him very calmly, even if you will be talking to the cage! LOL! Eventually he’ll come around! And he could be missing his siblings! Maybe a stuffed animal to comfort him!

No no returning – just want to make sure we are on the right track and I am not causing him undue stress.. would hate to think he is really unhappy with his new home – and if I thought we were not the best place for him I would submit to that! We are not there yet and hope not to be!  

I did go ahead and give him a stuffed animal – we will see if that makes him happier. I also just went to his cage and its been 3 hours since I cleaned it and the only mess is in the litter box!!! Maybe he sneaked in and read the computer lol…  glad I found these forums (Dummies book ~ thank you ).

 

[Beka27]

What is his cage like? Is he able to get in and out on his own for playtime, or do you need to reach in to take him out?

As someone who has bunnies and a young child, my best suggestion to you is to make a space that is very bunny friendly that children CANNOT go in. An xpen attached to his cage would be a great way to accomplish this. This way you can teach your children that this space is for the bunny only, they can look but not touch.

Generally, Netherland Dwarfs are known for being more skittish, shy, and sometimes mean. Of course, this isn’t the case with all NDs, but it’s a stereotype for a reason.

[foxtailskies]

Just my two cents My first house rabbit was a 2 year old male, recently neutered, from an animal shelter, and even though he later turned out to be the friendliest rabbit in the world, it took a good 6-7 months for him to really come around. From friends that have also adopted rabbits of varying ages, they seem to be a lot like cats personality-wise- they have to decide on their own terms that they like you, and it can sometimes take a loooooong time.

I currently have a 6 month old male as well, who was neutered literally the day before I got him. He tried the whole growl-and-lunge thing at my hand 2-3 times the first day, and while I’m not sure if it’s standard bunny training, I did the same thing I do with other animals who misbehave- give a verbal correction (“Hey!” or “No!”- not loud, just firm) and do the same thing that I just did that made him mad. So, if he lunged at my hand while cleaning, I get the hand to safety then put it right back where it was for a few seconds. If he does not lunge again, he gets pets and love and “Good boy!” to show what the correct course of action is- to ignore me! If he DOES lunge again, we repeat until I get the behavior I want to see (he usually gets bored enough to ignore me after 1 time, maybe twice). He’s gotten MUCH better after two weeks of this… probably partly due to fading hormones though They’re kind of just bratty teenagers at this point so I try not to take it personally, though it’s really frustrating sometimes.

To help build a bond, you (and your family) might also want to randomly visit his cage during the day with some kind of reward- a bit of carrot or other food he really likes, and that ONLY comes from you (i.e. is never in the food bowl)- so he starts to associate you = tasty food instead of you = trying to grab him or clean (after he worked so hard making that mess!! ). And no petting, handling etc on these visits- just a “What a good boy!” and a snack then run away until next time, so there’s no way he can interpret that negatively. Just helps to build some positive associations!

Good luck!

[garybunny]

I will for sure try that approach. What I am getting is patience, patience, patience. He is an adorable little fella – especially when I see him stretched out, I will go slowly and see what happens when he is fixed.

Right now I went to his cage and noticed again, that the only mess is one small pee spot close to the litter box but on the paper on the bottom of his cage so I am feeling really encouraged. I supppose if I was a bunny it might take me longer than a couple of weeks to get comfortable with a whole new situation like this.

I am feeling much more encouraged after the responses!

Thanks

P.s. I did add the fluffy toy to his cage (a cow that wraps around a hot water bottle) and he LOVES it - Who knew! Thanks so much for that suggestion….

[bunnymum16]

i have a baby netherland dwarf myself.he was so aloof and runs away from us the first 2 weeks.we couldn’t even touch him.we just left him alone and would occasionally let him sniff us so he’d get used to our scent.now,he runs towards us when we enter the room and he loves to circle our feet-which is soooo cute.

he still DO NOT like to be carried but i dont really mind.he’s still settling down/adjusting to us.we had him for a month now.he got litter trained pretty fast.

good luck with your bunny.a little more patience.=)

[angelicvampyre]

I got Bugz at approx 6 – 12 months of age. We really are not sure. At first he was freaked and skittish and hated me from taking him away from his harlem of women (he was being used as a breeder). I have had him since last october and we got him desexed and he is a really nice rabbit. He runs around the rabbit room and plays and will come and take treats from me and everynow and then will curl up with me for a cuddle but other then that he is little mr independent. Clipping his nails and grooming him are a real struggle and he hates being petted and touched unless he wants. It has taken a long time to get him to this stage and he is part ND. I think every rabbit is different. Rufus my 5 year old adopted bunny is a big snuggle bun, he loves being picked up and carried around and basically being a lap bunny. Hang in there. i find that Bugz was more likely to want to interact as the sun came up and went down. Even then at the start it was just me moving around the cage and trying to be a good bunny mum. You will get there.

[foxtailskies]

Ha that part about Dwarfs could partly explain my aloof girl… I’m pretty sure she’s a Dutch/Dwarf cross, between her markings and very short ears. I don’t actually know that much about breed personalities (seems to be very hard to find info on actually, since most breeds were developed before “house rabbit” was even a concept), but that could explain some things…

[Andi]

Congratulations on the new bunny.
Unlike cats & dogs, i have found Rabbits take a much longer time to build trust with humans, I have one who took 6 months just to be comfortable with petting. Some can take a year if they are skittish, more so for those bunnies if they live in a busy home with lots of noise. I have two that are good with noise now, but that took till they were 2 years old. And there there are the fearless bunnies who are adventerous.

Grunting/Lunging/Bad litter habits will all get better with neutering, though i would not say it’s a fix-all. I have a spayed fmeal rabbit who after she hit maturity and was syaped turned into a real additude, and she lunges and grunts, even nips. For this I made sure to give her extra attention, and when she came at me, I would place my hand over her head and press her down saying ‘no’. if she was good after i would pet her and maybe give a treat.

I have found for shy bunnies, i give them a hidey house during their playtime to make them feel safe. I also sit quietly reading a book in the same room with them, just so they get used to me being around.

It all takes time, they will change or you will change LOL… that’s how it is with bunnies
Good Luck

[Elrohwen]

I agree with what everyone else has said. I also wanted to add that boys can become sexually mature quite young – my Otto’s testicles were descended at 8 weeks. So your boy could just be hormonal and ready for a neuter.

[Ashley&Bing]

My boy alos reached sexual maturity pretty young, only three weeks after i got him. He was nuetered a week ago, but the hormone problem does not stop immediately. It takes around a month for those to pass, so hang in there.

As for bonding, Mr. Bingley was very shy the first two days. He stayed in the corner of his cage and stared at me. I found that just sitting on the floor and being in his presence made him more comfortable and he eventually left his corner and sniffed around me. Once he got comfortable with me being there, I began to talk to him. Not like a crazy person, but I would tell him about my day and what I had for lunch, just so he’d get used to the sound of my voice. I know others take longer than some, but now he runs up to me when I enter the room and when I sit on the floor, he hops into my lap and licks my arms. I know it can be jaunting at first, especially with your first rabbit, but it is truly worth the time you put into bonding with your bun. You may not have a cuddler or a socialite, but there is something very special about your little guy waiting to be discovered. I am really excited for you!

[garybunny]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. And enough said – I am convinced – I have him scheduled to meet the vet in two weeks lol we shall see from there if maybe he isn’t just more mature for his age He is starting to settle in better, and although the litterbox use is sparodic, he has been using it more and more. I bought an extra litter box so now he has options. He is still happier in his cage and never ventures past the open door, however, now if he is in his house and I go and sit besides the cage he will venture out to sniff the air.

This morning while I was cleaning his cage he did nip me so I know he is feeling a little violated when I clean while he is in there Not sure what to do though rather than what I am already doing – hate stress him out more by taking him our while I do it.

On a side note: He doesn’t like carrots! Is this possible lol I bought long, green stemmed bushy carrots (organic of course) and he ate the greens not so much the carrot. He doesn’t care for apple or mint, only parsley and basil. Any other green suggestions that your rabbit loves to offer? I am trying to give him veggies/fruit as both a treat and a little side*salad* when I feed him his pellets.

[Elrohwen]

I agree with the suggestion to leave your hand where it is and show him that his lunging won’t affect you. Wear gloves you if you need to, and just quietly leave your hand where it is until he ignores it. You might not be able to change his behavior before the neuter, but at least this should keep him from developing a bad habit.

What is his cage set up like? Is it possible he doesn’t know how to get in and out? Is the floor outside the cage slippery? One of my buns didn’t come out his first 2 days with us, but I figured out he just didn’t know how to jump out of the cage. I dragged him out a couple times and he figured it out. And if the floor outside the cage is slippery, he might be afraid to jump out onto it.

For food, I try to stick with herbs and greens for most meals. Otto used to be extremely picky and would only eat lettuce, so we bought many heads of romaine, green leaf, and red leaf. Hannah is a better eater, and I always get her parsley, as well as any types of greens like swiss chard or something. Otto has started eating new things now that he sees Hannah going after it. Neither bun will eat apples or bananas, and Otto won’t touch carrots. Since your bun is young, I’d hold off on the sugary stuff for a while and just get him eating a wide variety of greens by introducing them one at a time. After a few months you can try other fruits. Mine love dried papaya and it’s easy to store dried fruit in a baggy for use anytime (easier than keeping fresh fruit around).

[LoveChaCha]

graybunny – I got my Nethie around 8 weeks old. She was very shy, scared and didn’t want me to touch her. It is normal for babies to be this way. They will eventually come out and have very funny personalities. All are different. Mine became a very diva, affectionate doe. She loves to give kisses to people.

About the carrots, not all bunnies like them. Really. Shocking, isn’t it? My bunny detests carrots as well, lol.
My bunny enjoys Cilantro. A LOT of bunnies enjoy it. I don’t though – its smelly. I do it out of love because she loves cilantro so much, so I deal with the smell

I recommend little bits of veggies. Like try a little bit of one type for a week, and another type next. Trying too many at once can hurt the digestive system.

I recommend taking him to the vet just for a routine check up

Have you noticed where he likes to do his business? If you have, try putting the box there. While I was training my bunny, I put the box in her favorite place and I would pick up the stray poops and put it in the box. She got the idea that is where she poops belong.

Good luck

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