Poor bunny

[Rufus]

Hi everyone!

I’ve been out of commission for a few weeks since I’ve been on a professional experience placement for Uni. I finally finished yesterday so of course today things have started to go downhill a bit.

I was out today and got a call from my housemate saying a cat had got in the house, come up to my bedroom and terrorised Rufus. He said it had been 15 minutes since he got the cat out and Rufus was still thumping every twenty seconds and he was worried he’d be scared to death. I freaked out and ran home as fast as I could (giving myself half an asthma attack in the process) and found Rufus a bit of a mess. He stopped thumping as soon as I got there and I sat with him for an hour or so, comforting him. Now it’s been about five or six hours and he’s still not really eating. He eats a piece of hay now and then but I gave him pellets and kale and he mostly ignored it. He also won’t run to me for Craisins although he will eat them if I bring them to him. He’s left a bunch of tiny poops in his litter tray. He’s not relaxed enough to lie down, which is unusual for him. He does have a lot of energy though. He’s running around and staying pretty alert.

Anyway, I’m going to bed now but was wondering if anyone had any advice for the morning. If he’s still eating but not very much do I need to take him to the vet? I will go if I need to obviously but I’ve just lost my job and don’t really have the money for an emergency Sunday vet visit if its not necessary. Also, he hates the car ride to the vet and I don’t want him any more stressed than he already is. What should I look out for? 

[Roberta]

If you can give him a gentle tummy rub before you go to bed and put lots of fresh hay in his pen… Also change the litter trays so you have a clean area to check in the morning… Also check the room to make sure the cat hasn’t marked any where…

[Rufus]

Great idea Roberta!
I’ll give the cage a quick clean out now so I’ll know more about whether he’s eaten/been to the toilet.
I can’t see anywhere that the cat has marked. He’s hopping around sniffing a lot but not focusing on any particular spot. I just wish he would relax a bit more.

[Roberta]

It’s great that he is hopping about… That will help get his gut moving too. How did the cat get in ?

[Rufus]

My stupid housemate left the downstairs door open while no one was around. The cat climbed two flights of stairs to get to Rufus.
He has been running around quite a bit. He’s eating single pieces of hay fairly regularly and having small snacks of pellets right now. I think all I can really do is wait now. I gave him a tummy rub so hopefully he’ll come good over night.

[Rufus]

He’s just left a biggish pile of what looks a bit like cecals. They’re softish and smellyish and there’s about 12 little clusters. I haven’t seen him leave any cecals behind since he was a baby. I’ve taken them out of his cage so he doesn’t step in them. Should I be more worried now?

[Deleted User]

Oh Rufus…. Do you know I was this close (holding my finger and thumb about an inch apart, ha ha) to PMing you to see where you were!?!?! Poor Rufus – dam uninvited cat! I’m not experienced in this (as you would know, lol), good thing Roberta is on the ball and replied asap – how good and clever is she! And I have to be honest – if a cat got into my house the first thing I would look for is spraying – that’s why I have dog’s, to protect Henry, lol! A few months back, the dog’s went charging outside barking madly…. Henry was eating his salad at the time and what did he do? He lifted his head with a piece of kale hanging from his mouth and stood still till he got the all clear from the dog’s and then he continued on munching! And Henry reckons he’s top dog????? Yer right!?!?! Let us know how Rufus is in the morning, I’ll be thinking of him and you – being so worried. Try and sleep well…..

[Roberta]

Actually a big pile of smelly poop sounds like a good thing… Even neutered he could be reclaiming his territory a little plus it could indicate the little block he had has come through. I think you can sleep well now, sounds like he is going to be fine.

[jerseygirl]

It sounds like he’s starting to normalise. It may take a day.
Sending nose rubs and calm vibes. (((Rufus!)))

You’ve probably seen a bit of a stress reaction and it just takes a bit of time for the cortisol (“stress hormone”) to level out.
High levels can start to slow the gut function.

[Rufus]

Thanks guys! Andi, thanks for thinking of me, I’ve just been busy but things have slowed down a bit again thank goodness!

Rufus ate some food at 4:30 am and drank quite a bit of water. I let him out when I woke up this morning and his energy levels are pretty normal. He’s not lethargic, just a bit clingy and wants a lot of pats. Happy to oblige. He’s still just eating bits and pieces occasionally though, nowhere near full appetite. He’s moulting really badly so I want to make sure his guts keep moving.

I have some of that Critta Care in my emergency box. Do you think I should give it a try? He’s never had it before so I don’t want to stress him out

[jerseygirl]

Yeah, Critta care might rattle him at this point. Best keep until absolutely has to be fed.

Have you tried some favourite herbs? Veggies etc?

That he’s drinking a lot is good.

[Bam]

Adrenaline (epinephrine) also temporarily stops digestion. It’s of course to do with survival, if you encounter f ex a tiger you need all your power to run and hide, digest you can always do later.

The problem with bunnies is their little tummys are so sensitive. But since he produced a nice big pile of cecals, it seems to be moving now. Poor little Rufus! Maybe the cat or the smell of the cat has been there before, I remember he had a terrible fright some time ago and you couldn’t find the reason.

[Rufus]

Thanks you so much Jersey and Bam. He’s back to normal now. His poops are a little small but I’m keeping a close eye on him. At least the Saturday afternoon to Sunday night emergency vet period is over! I always find that if something is going to happen to him it’s always Saturday night!

Bam, I was thinking the same thing! We do have cats hanging around in the back yard from time to time at my new place. It might explain why Rufus has had a few frights since I got here. Definitely time to have a chat with the new housemates about keeping the backdoor closed if they’re not around.

Thanks again, it makes me feel so much better when my bunny is happy and acting normally!

[Deleted User]

That’s wonderful news Rufus! And YES! If something is gonna happen it will be when the vet is closed! (Boy, do I know that!), lol……

[LongEaredLions]

Ooh, poor Rufus!
I have nothing more to say but I missed you too and ((((Rufus vibes))))

[Rufus]

Thanks guys
Rufus has made up for two quiet days by being extra rascally this morning. It made me so happy!

[jerseygirl]

As an extra safeguard, are you able to keep the bedroom door closed when you’re not at home? I know through the warmer days this might make the room uncomfortably warm, but hopefully we’re going to get cooler weather now.

Or does Rufus go into a dog crate or cage when you’re not home?

It just may give you some extra peace of mind. Nothing against your roommates! They were obviously concerned about Rufus. (It’s more the cat I wouldn’t trust). And we all get absent-minded at times so even if house rule is shut the back door, it doesn’t guarantee it will happen always. And doors don’t always latch properly- that’s happened to me enough times!

[Rufus]

Thanks Jersey!
Yeah we had a chat today and I said that it was fine if they left the back door open but if they were going to leave it open for a while could they check that my bedroom door is closed. I said I would try and remember to close it myself now that the days are finally getting a bit cooler. Rufus is in a cage when I’m not home that has a hidey section but he never seems to use it! It just doesn’t seem to occur to him.
I’m so grateful they called me when it happened. Rufus is such a spoilt mummy’s boy, I’m the only thing that can calm him down. Even at the vet he always tries to climb me. At least now I’ve worked out his greatest fear hopefully I can work on keeping pesky neighbourhood cats away from him!

[jerseygirl]

Well if he’s in a cage then he’d be safe. : )

Though methinks you should have Dharma come live with you. Surely she would deter a cat.

[BunnyLady1989]

Aw poor little Rufus! I’m glad to see he is doing much better though. Maybe he needs a General Woundwort to fight off any cat intruders

[Meatloaf N Bunnito]

Yay! I was worried about Rufus and wanted to know what happened! Pesky cats! Glad he is back to normal! Yay Rufus!

[Author]

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