Teenage Boy Bunny **UPDATED**

[Cottontail]

I’m not overly concerned about this behavior, but just curious if anyone noticed it in their young boy buns.

Peter has finally physically matured, but now he doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself.  He isn’t humping things or spraying as of yet, but instead adding positions to his “bunny yoga.”  He will do this odd little slow motion hip thrust when he gets up from sitting in one place for a while; and of course he does a bit more inspection and grooming of his nethers than before.  It’s almost like he doesn’t quite know what to think of his new found bottom. 

He also has been more active in “inter-species tag” with our lady cat.  She chases him, then he chases her, and so on; until they finally stop.  He’ll hop straight up and down in front of her and become baffled that all she does is lay there.  He just doesn’t understand that she’s a neutered lady-cat and not a big bunny; poor guy.

[Deleted User]

Henry’s girlfriend Sam (old, deaf and blind dog) was NOT impressed when Henry humped her leg! Henry still calls Sam his girlfriend, but Sam refuses to call Henry her boyfriend – awkward!

PS – Henry got neutered days later, but he is still in love with her….. bugga!

[Sarita]

I’m not really sure that any vet is going to neuter a cottontail as it is not known how they will react under anesthesia. But I imagine some of your rabbit’s behaviors will be different from a domestic rabbit.

I’ve only met one full grown cottontail that was an unspayed female that was a “house” rabbit and her behavior was quite different from the domestic rabbits in the home.

[JackRabbit]

Is your bunny an actual wild cottontail? Your avatar looks more like an agouti colored dwarf mix.

Assuming he’s actually a domestic bunny, it sounds like he’s aware of his new found boy bits and is starting to do a little love dance for your cat. He may very well start spraying and trying to hump the cat . . . and your legs, etc. Sounds like a vet visit to discuss neutering may be in your near future.

[Sarita]

The photo looks like a cottontail to me.

[JackRabbit]

Sarita — the avatar is apparently a baby picture and looks alot like my Kieko (we even had the wildlife ctr confirm that Kieko was domestic) which is why I asked. In Cottontail’s profile, the more grown-up pic is definitely more like a cottontail (long face and missing the chubby cheeks) so it looks like you’re right.

[Cottontail]

The picture is of Pete when he was very tiny. He is an eastern cottontail, but ended up a house rabbit and very attached to our cat, Zoey.
As far as getting him neutered, the anesthesia is my biggest concern as well. He has a nail trimming and check up next week with our local bunny-vet, who happens to work with rehabbers and is accustomed to cottontails. I am planning on discussing it with him then, but honestly my only concern with him being snipped or not is with Peters health and well-being, now and long-term.

[Sarita]

That’s good the vet has worked with rehabbers then. I know that my friend never got her cottontail spayed because the vet didn’t want to put her under anesthesia. I think she lived for 7 years if I remember correctly – she just passed away this year.

She was a very pretty rabbit but looked much different from her domestic rabbits and had a much different demeanor (more high strung) than the domestics.

[Cottontail]

We did a lot of researching of vets before we found one that we trusted. Some other vets in the area seemed bunny-savvy but I wasn’t sure about them because he’s a cottontail, not a domestic. The other vets in the area also recommended our current vet when we mentioned rabbits and any critical-care/emergency situations.

The high-strung personality seems to fit with them. Pete can be a little picky, to say the least. If I offer him something that he doesn’t like he’ll sit next to it and give me the stink-eye until I remove it from his presence. Once the unapproved item is removed he’s back to being happy. He’s also very particular about his sticks and toys being kept in a neat pile, and only chewing one at a time.

[Beka27]

He’s super cute! I’m interested to hear what your vet recommends regarding neutering. I’m sure anesthesia isn’t impossible with wild rabbits, but a lack of concrete studies and experience would have me worried too…

[Megabunny]

And I want to see grown-up pictures. I, like AH, didn’t know he was actually a wild bunny. That’s so cool! Do they normally do well in captivity? The wild rabbits in NY are easily stressed and die if taken as babies to raise, so I didn’t know this could be done, though i seem to recall one other member posting video of his cottontail. That was awhile ago, though. If he isn’t spraying or pooping around the house, or stinking things up like my guy did, I doubt there’s any rush in surgery. This will all be interesting to follow. Please keep us up

[Cottontail]

Many wild bunnies do not survive the initial rescue due to stress on them and their systems. They have heart attacks, go into stasis, injure themselves, or simply dehydrate or become malnourished. Peter was not originally going to be a family member, but he and Zoey decided otherwise.

As far as new pictures, they are in the works. I have been having some issues with my camera but hope to post some new pictures and possibly video of him soon.

[Cottontail]

***UPDATE***

Peter went to see his vet this morning and was not pleased with the weather outside at all (it’s raining and that makes for a grumpy Pete).  By the time we got through his check up he was ready to go home, poor boy;  threw his towel around and demanded head/ear rubs.

 After his check up and a nice talk with his vet, we decided that he was ready for a neuter and that they would be happy to do it.  Although the whole situation makes me nervous, I am confident in our bunny-vet.  In addition to his regular bunny clientele, he has 2 other regulars that have/had cottontails and both were de-sexed with no complications.  To reduce stress on Pete, his nails will be done during the neuter, before he wakes up from the anesthesia. 

He will be coming home this afternoon with several days worth of his honey-flavored pain meds, and I have been assured that his incisions will be done so that he shouldn’t be able to bother them too much. 

Zoey is acting depressed since I came back home without her bunny.  She cried at the door for several minutes and is now laying in the chair across the room from me hanging her head over the edge, pitifully, like a kilroy.   I’ve tried to reassure her that he’ll be home later this afternoon, but she can be quite pitiful. 

So, we’re both sitting here waiting on a call from the vet–hoping for news that everything went smoothly and Pete is ready to come home…

[Sarita]

That’s good that the vet feels comfortable neutering him – maybe because it’s less invasive than a spay. Keep us updated and get his favorite veggies for him for when he gets home.

[Cottontail]

Great news!   Pete did wonderfully at the vets today and is safely home in his cage for recovery time.
He weighed in at 2.2lbs, which is an average gain of about a quarter pound a month for the last 2 months, and his physical and fecal showed him to be in good health. 

The vet sent 5 days worth of Metacam home with him, and he was already eating his salad and carrot within 5-10 minutes of waking up. They also gave me a fresh bag of Critical Care, but he probably won’t need it any time soon.  Since he’s been home he has inhaled hay, water and salad.  He doesn’t understand why he’s in his cage because his bottom apparently doesn’t hurt yet  He wants to bounce and run, but isn’t allowed to just yet–so he’s instead being a pitiful little jail-bird and rattling his bars.   I never thought he would be so hyper after surgery!  I’m just happy to have him safe at home.

[Sarita]

That’s great – he’s a little guy! I have found that males recover pretty quick from neutering but keeping him confined is a good idea – even if he thinks it’s not.

[Author]

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