worried about my bunny

[somebunny]

hi guys, i’m a bit worried about my bunbun, she’s seems very lazy/sleepy for the last couple of days.

my husband says it’s because she has had free run of the house over the weekend so she’s probably just tired from playing so much. we normally don’t let her out of her hutch if we’re not at home (at work etc).

she is normally very curious and naughty, but the last couple of days she has just been hopping around for a little bit then lies on her tummy or side for a long time. usually when she’s relaxed on her tummy i will massage her head and as soon as i stop she will get up straight away, but lately she just lies there even if i stop petting her. also i have never seen her sleep with her eyes closed and it’s scaring me!

she is almost 14 weeks old. she’s eating her veges, hay and pellets fine, and also drinking water and pooping normally etc.

is it because she is a bit older now she’s calming down? i just want to know if it’s normal for bunnies to be like that.

also last night while she was “resting” , her head started jerking like she had the hiccups, do rabbits get hiccups and is it bad?

and sometimes she does a couple of sneezes. not all the time…just randomly.

i’ve never owned a rabbit before so i’m not sure what sort of behaviour to expect, so i’m just a bit worried that i’m not taking care of her properly..even though i’ve done a lot of research, i still feel a bit paranoid.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Hiccups for some reason seem to be normal, it’s like they’ll have them for a minute or two and then not again for months

It does sound like she’s settling in and relaxing actually. Basically if she’s eating, sleeping, pooping and peeing, I’d say that you’re doing fine!! Also since she’s resting all stretched out rather then hunched up in a ball adjusting position often (indicator of being in pain, likely stomach problem) that’s another que that she is doing fine. I’d keep an eye of course, because changes should be watched, but it just sounds like she’s calming and settling down.

Sneezing-> Does she have any discharge in her eyes or nose? If not and it’s very occasional its *usually* nothing. Again watch for changes, discharge, any more sneezing etc. etc. you should take her in to a rabbit vet.

[Beka27]

she sounds very relaxed. it sounds like you’re doing fine. rabbits get this reputation of being always skittish, so some folks are really surprised when their buns are more chill. i bet she really enjoyed being out of her cage, and you were able to see her joy first-hand.

[jerseygirl]

I agree – she seems settled in. They can be less playful as they mature but that can depend on personality. At 14 wks, she’s on the verge of puberty – fun times!

[Cassi&Charlie]

Congrats Naz, sounds like your bunny loves and trusts you. I thought my Charlie was dying the first time he slept with his eyes closed and I was mentally preparing to give him CPR but I think your bunny finally realises that your not going to eat her and she can relax without having to worry about where you’re standing in the room.

[somebunny]

thanks guys!

well something happened between yesterday and now and she has turned into a little monster!!!

she peed on my favourite blanket, got in the tight space behind my bed, scratches at the bedroom door when she can’t get in, jumps all over me with her spiky nails on the couch, pooped behind the couch and the list goes on!

i wish she was as lazy as yesterday!!

so i guess there’s nothing wrong with her afterall…she was just tricking me yet again!

 

[MooBunnay]

Haha – well I’m glad to hear she’s feeling more curious today That head jerking motion that you described when she was asleep could also be her having bunny dreams. My bunnies fall fast asleep and start having dreams and will do all kinds of funny things, their little lips will twitch, and their noses, and sometimes they even bob up and down like they are running after a big carrot!

As far as peeing on your fave blanket, bunnies tend to mark things that smell the most like you, so favorite targets for them wil be your fave place on the couch, or your bed, or things like your blanket. Bunnies also like those tight dark spaces because its kind of like a burrow for them. I think your bun might really like the mazehaven, because it creates some dark “burrowlike” spaces for them. My shy bunny practically lives in the mazehaven now….we have to pick it up just to check tomake sure she’s still OK in there! You could also make some cool tunnels for her out of cardboard boxes, or those big cardboard tubes you can sometimes find at Home Depot (they usually have them in the back becasue rugs and linoleum and stuff come on those rolls).

[Beka27]

lol!!! MooBunnay, i have to lift up the Maze to check on Max sometimes too… if i could put a litterbox and his food/hay in there, he’d NEVER leave!

it definitely sounds like your bunny is settling in quite well. be aware that this ramBUNctious, destructive, marking behavior *might* continue thruout puberty (and likely get worse) until she is spayed. it is also possible that it will go on for the entire first year depending on the bunny’s personality. think of it in terms of the bunny “terrible twos”…

this would be an excellent time to evaluate (and re-evaluate) your bunny-proofing. make sure anything that you do not want chewed, dug, or marked is up high or out of the bunny area all together. invest in cord covers, NIC grids, xpens, whatever you need to make the environment safe for the bunny (and tolerable for you.) this is just one of those “joys” of having a young bunny. everyone with a little bun has to go thru this difficult time… but it will pass.

[somebunny]

so if she smells things that are mine she wants to make them her own? is that correct? that’s what it seems like..she wants to take over my stuff!

we have a littel tunnel for her but she prefers to go to naughty places that we can’t get her out of. she doesn’t really pay attention to the special toys we give her!

[Cassi&Charlie]

Naz, sounds like your bunny is heading into puberty and all the horrible times that can go with it. I found with my little guy that if he could be naughty, he would be naughty. He seemed to pick things specially to chew that I needed, eg my Hindi assignments (which were still handed in half chewed), my 19th century complete collection of Shakespeare, my computer cords…
The best thing to do is get down to ‘bunny level’ and look to see what your bunny can see, this will give you an idea of what needs to be moved, covered etc. We have garden hose covering our cords and various things to block those tempting dark places that bunnies love to hide in/under.
Don’t worry, these times will end and you will have a ‘normal’ bunny again soon.

[BinkyBunny]

I agree, bunny puberty may be hitting. Do you plan on spaying her? This can make a world of difference, but you have to be sure to find a rabbit-savvy vet to do it.

[Beka27]

for awhile, your best bet is to limit the area the bunny is allowed.  try and make bedrooms off-limits b/c there are usually little things everywhere, beds to be peed on, and there’s a door that can be shut.  kitchens are relatively safe b/c cords are up high and no carpeting to be chewed up.  the living room or family room can be modified to make it bunny safe.  if you were to have 2 or 3 rooms that are completely bunny-proofed and then close doors or baby-gate off-limit areas, you won’t have to worry so much.  and it still allows enough room for the bunny to play.

you’ll have to try and get creative to find what works for your house and your bunny.  a few things i’ve done…

try and block off the naughty places best you can.  NIC grids are lifesavers for this.  i did not do cord covers with our computer stuff b/c there were just too many.  i caged in the back of the desk so she could not get into it at all.

we have NIC grids lining the whole wall b/c my husband has (stupid) entertainment system speaker cords running everywhere, and this prevents chewed baseboards.  the gray thing at the bottom of the NIC grids is one of those foam pipe covers that we have run the cords in.  this also circles the room.  and yes, the floor in the corner is made of a flattened cardboard box.  this extends a little bit under the couches so it can not be pulled up.  the buns can gnaw on this and the carpet is safe. 

there is also cardboard in the other corner, as well as a permanent hidey box which also blocks off the back of the couch.  grids box in the cords at the back of the (stupid) speaker.  there is a grid ziptied to the white shelf that blocks the side of the entertainment center.  the cardboard box on the shelf is a perch for them to sit.  you see the edge of the basket on the top shelf… that is my “safe place”  for library books.  i throw junk mail and papers in the big cardboard box and they sit inside and chew/shred.  once a week, i sweep out the corners of the living room.

our recliners are boxed in to prevent bunny chews.  and accidents.  we do not recline when they are in the room, ever.

[Cassi&Charlie]

Wow Beka, that’s an amazing effort! I thought my bunny proofing was elobrate but your the master…

[MooBunnay]

I agree – and excellent textbook pictures to go along with the narration! My bunny proofing is not half as attractive as yours! (and mine includes an ex-pen around my bed which makes it look like I live in a pen instead of the bunnies)

[Beka27]

thanks guys.  i do it for their safety (of course) but i have selfish motives as well.  it provides me great freedom to do what i need to and not worry.  i like to be able to relax at home (also… play with my son, do computer stuff, clean up the house) and know that they are safe and my stuff is safe.  when we first got Meadow i could hardly sit for longer than 2 minutes before she was into something else and i’d have to go stop her.  this is normal young bunny behavior, i know… but i realized quickly that my level of organization and intense bunny-proofing would directly relate to my ability to kick back and ENJOY my bun(s).  they could theoretically be free-range now and they are for 8-12 hours a day… i like the fact that i can take a shower, run an errand, take a walk, play with Michael outside and know that even unsupervised, they are okay.  it took quite a bit of trial and error to get things the way i needed them to be where it’s not an inconvenience for us, and it’s relatively fool-proof for them.  i had the best teacher (Meadow) b/c everytime i would think, “huh.  i did a good job.  she can’t get into trouble now!”  she’d prove me wrong.  i think many people won’t do as much as i have done, but i believe it is worth the effort.

the “new bunny-proofing” includes this lovely accessory…  16 panels that can get accordianed out of the way when not in use.  this allows Mike to relax on the couch after a long day at work… he can even RECLINE without getting an unexpected bunny in his lap…

lol.  yes, i get the “penned in”  feel too, MooBunnay… but we do it cause we love those lil’ suckers…

 

[BinkyBunny]

Awesome proofing job Beka!

[Author]

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