pet carrier

[Deleted User]

So i talked my boyfriend into buying a small animal carrier so we could put it in boston’s pen so that way she could go in and out and not be traumatized when vet time comes. (especially since the vet we will be taking her too is about 3 hours away.) Boston LOVES the carrier…she won’t stay out of it! its weird tho, cuz she scratches the crap out of the bottom of it when she goes in…why do u think this is?

[JodiM]

Good question!! My female FLopsy also loves her carrier and is in it all the time seems. She also scratches the bottom of her carrier. Initially I thought it was because I had a towel in there and she was trying to move it. But now the towel is all scrunched to the front of the carrier and she still does it.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Putting a towel in a hard-bottomed carrier is not a bad idea, in that it gives the bunny some traction. Those plastic floors can be slippery for them, and they will thrash around to find traction whenever your vehicle turns or hits a bump or makes a sudden stop. A cheap cloth is best, because it will get soiled as bunny voids on it. If you have 3-hour drives, you’ll probably want several to swap out.

One time we had Bailey, Reno, and Aeryn in our hard-sided carrier (we didn’t have Tegan yet). We went down an elevator and you could see them lean and push back on their front feet, which they did not like! It was pretty funny.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

For some reason, I’ve noticed that when a rabbit finds an “awesome place” ie, a good spot under a couch or bed, a nook of some sort or a pet carrier they dig. I think maybe it must be some sort of instinct from warren days maybe? It’s cute though I’ve been observing this alot with the shelter bunnies, they find the ‘good spot’ under the desk and they literally ALL dig there

[babybunsmum]

i agree k&k… i think its like saying “i found me a good spot… gonna make it comfy to lay down.”  altho baby bun does this when i put her on the counter for grooming / meds and i think then its out of frustration.  lol. 

for the bottom of carriers you could also get a piece of fake sheepskin.  sarita suggested this before & its a great idea because its much less slippy on the plastic floor when you’re travelling with the bun inside.

[Beka27]

i’m intrigued by this actually… Meadow has never pooed or peed in her carrier on vet trips or anything. but my vet is only ten minutes away.

even at home, she will not use the 2nd litterbox i got her, she’ll only use her cage box.

should i be concerned for when i take her to the rescue an hour and a half away? what if she decides not to go at all in that time we’re gone? she’s such a peculiar bun.

[kimberleyanddarren]

i think its maybe because, as K&K said, its instinct, if they were in a burrow that the liked they would think ‘hey i like this! im gonna dig and make it even bigger for me and my bunny chums ‘

[JodiM]

That’s sound like a good theory too me, and really makes sense!!

[kimberleyanddarren]

hows it going now.. still digging?

[Deleted User]

yep, she still digs when she’s in it….used it for the first time yesterday when we went to the emerg. vet so i put her blankie in it and that seemed to work fine….the BF is not happy though cuz she has made a new haven under the coffee table and she scratched the crap out of the bottom of it, prolly trying to get comfy, so we put a towel there

[kimberleyanddarren]

my bun has recked the table too lol you could try spraying with a water bottle to discourage really negative behaviour ie. distroying something important

[MimzMum]

I always thought my buns were trying to find a place to hide/escape to when they scratch. Or that they were just grousing about something, but usually they “chew me out” in effigy with a cardboard tube for that. >_<
It does seem to happen mostly in their favorite sleeping spots/boxes though. Hm.
Beka, my bun Mimzy will not go to the bathroom in the xpen. He holds it all day and then goes when I return him to his personal pen. I’ve done everything I can think of to encourage him to use the xpen box, but he’s not into it. So often I will return him to his pen for some potty time, then return him to the xpen for snuggle time with Pip.
He will use the litterbox I place in his carrier. (I think it’s because he’s so scared he has ‘accidents’.) Having that in the bottom also helps him find a place where he’s not sliding back and forth all over the carrier floor too. It takes up most of the inside of it.

[kimberleyanddarren]

mimzmum have you tried putting his litterbox from his own area into the xpen to see if its the litterbox he prefers?

[MimzMum]

Yes I have. It doesn’t matter which box it is, I think it’s just the xpen in general that stops him.
He just cuddles with Pip under the willow tent. Or stays there by himself, either way. She is quite the explorer, moving about and sniffing and periscoping and eating like a horse. 0.o; But Mimzy just stays put. Then when I come to get him, he’s like, “Whoa! I’m outta here!” and proceeds to blaze around the enclosure at top speed to avoid capture.
It’s very frustrating. But hey, at least he gets some exercise. >_<

[kimberleyanddarren]

maybe he thinks.. omg i cant wee infront of my girlfriend.. she might see my… *crosses legs* hehe

[MimzMum]

ROFL! OMG, that is too funny! XD Oh I bet that’s what it is too! hehehehehe!
Oh gosh, now I won’t stop thinking of that all day! *giggles*

[kimberleyanddarren]

hehe i think that really is what he thinks! like when my dog looked at daxter for the first time, im sure he thought ‘OMG THEY ARE MULTIPLYING’ cuz he looked really confused hehe

[MimzMum]

Ah, I hadn’t realized you had two! ^_^ My bad! Is that Hopscotch or Dax in your avvy?
lolz…my cats are finally realizing that they can mess with the bunnies if we’re not looking. Of course once I notice they get a good talking down. But I miss the days when they were too scared of them to do more than just watch them from afar. ~_~

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