Pet Forums Community

Go Back   Pet Forums Community > Small Animals > Rabbits

Rabbits Discuss all topics related to Rabbits including health and nutrition, the care and wellbeing of Rabbits, breeding and all other aspects of owning a Rabbit.

Registered users don't see this ad - Register Now (It's free!)
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 16-10-2010, 07:59 PM
giraffeonastick's Avatar
Pet Forums Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 20
giraffeonastick is on a distinguished road
Stroppy Teenage Years

Can someone reassure me that it does get better?

Scrumpy rabbit is 6 months old. He was castrated 8 weeks ago, and appeared to be quite a happy rabbit with no post op troubles.

However, I think we've hit the teenage years; so if anyone can give me any advice I'd appreciate it.

Scrumpy has begun to bite, nip and scrabble at clothes and curtains (he's never done this before). In addition to this, he's become very scared of us although we have not done anything different to the entire time we've had him (4mths now - he was 2mths when we got him) and will run away from us if we approach him - even if we approach him at his level.

One minute, he'll be licking us to death; the next: he'll be scrabbling or biting at our clothes and nipping at us. It's not even an affectionate nip; OH has a real pinch mark where he caught her earlier.

I don't know what's changed; I've put it down to teenage years and we make sure he has plenty of exercise, we're introducing fresh fruit and veg into his diet and taking him from the baby we got in June to the adult he's becoming. If anyone can make any suggestions I'd be grateful.
Reply With Quote
Registered users don't see this ad - Register Now (It's free!)
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 16-10-2010, 08:07 PM
Karsie's Avatar
Pet Forums Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Ross-Shire
Posts: 287
Karsie will become famous soon enough
Re: Stroppy Teenage Years

Squeak went through this after he was nutered as well. We put it down to trauma tbh, he has been badly bitten by other other bun when they had a fight so they were seperated, he was nuteres and had an absess removed from the bite wound. The first few weeks post op he was his usual cuddly self then changed

It has take a long time and lots of patience to get him back to being a happy bun, just let him come to you in his own time, dont force yourselves on him, sit at his level with something yummy and let him come to you for it.

Hopfully you will have your sweet bunny back soon
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 17-10-2010, 08:31 AM
giraffeonastick's Avatar
Pet Forums Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 20
giraffeonastick is on a distinguished road
Re: Stroppy Teenage Years

Thank you for some reassurance!

Does anyone have any advice what to do to stop bun from doing things he shouldn't? I was going to employ a water spray but I don't want him to react badly and bite further.

I'm worried that he's bored; but he has a tonne of toys, all of which are rotated through his cage so as not to keep them in there too long. We had to separate him from his brother a few months back and he's been on his own since. He does have a couple of soft toy friends that he likes to groom - one out in the lounge that he makes a beeline for and another who sits in his cage with him.

This morning, for example, he'd rucked up all the contents of his cage, moved his litter tray and left me some wet and solid 'greetings' in the corner behind the litter tray. Sometimes I wonder if he does it to get attention! He is litter trained but will do this every so often and I think he knows it annoys me!!
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 17-10-2010, 12:30 PM
Karsie's Avatar
Pet Forums Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Ross-Shire
Posts: 287
Karsie will become famous soon enough
Re: Stroppy Teenage Years

Quote:
Originally Posted by giraffeonastick View Post
This morning, for example, he'd rucked up all the contents of his cage, moved his litter tray and left me some wet and solid 'greetings' in the corner behind the litter tray. Sometimes I wonder if he does it to get attention! He is litter trained but will do this every so often and I think he knows it annoys me!!
Squeak does this!! Im sure its when i have been at work and he is, like you say, a bit hacked off at me for being out! I would just try to ignore the bad, and really praise the good. You dont ant him to be fearfull of your hands, they are meant to be nice things that give yummies
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 17-10-2010, 03:14 PM
crofty's Avatar
Pet Forums VIP Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Forest
Posts: 3,705
Images: 55
crofty is just really nicecrofty is just really nicecrofty is just really nicecrofty is just really nicecrofty is just really nicecrofty is just really nice
Re: Stroppy Teenage Years

Could he be bored? How long do you leave him for and how much exercise does he get? If it were me id get him a spayed female companion, bus are very sociable and like company of their own kind.
__________________
There are 33,000 bunnies young, middle aged, old, large and small all looking for a second chance and loving home, can you help? www.rabbitrehome.org.uk



If tears could build a stairway, And memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven, And bring you home again.
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 17-10-2010, 05:43 PM
giraffeonastick's Avatar
Pet Forums Newbie
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 20
giraffeonastick is on a distinguished road
Re: Stroppy Teenage Years

He's left for most of the day whilst we're at work, then has free range of the lounge in the evening from when we get home until we go to bed, which he uses as his own Silverstone to work off his energies.

He's been fine being left on his tod before and there hasn't been any changes of circumstance so I can only assume he's a bit bored but also he's just a bit grumpy at the mo too. He's stopped eating the pellets we mix in with his food so I'm putting it down to him deciding what he does and doesn't like.

Our hands are definitely 'treat' giving items and he's been a bit better today, has been more amenable to cuddles and play, so maybe he was just having a grumpy few days?

We haven't got the finances to have two buns at the moment otherwise he would have a spayed g/f no problems. He's quite independent though and appears to prefer time on his own. Hey ho, we'll keep with the rewards for good behaviour and see how we go!!
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Sponsored Ads


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All posts made on this forum are NOT monitored.
All times are GMT. The time now is 04:35 PM.


PetForums is part of the Pet Media group of websites including | Pets4Homes | PetsLocally


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 RC 2