Couple of questions

I suppose just having a new bun (4 months old) I still have lots of questions I hope someone can help me with.

1. Might sound strange but as there are a lot of cats where we live what time should I cover Flopsy's hutch on a night. Should this be done as soon as it gets dark. With winter drawing in this is gonna be early.:?

2. When I was giving his hutch a proper clean on Saturday I noticed marks upstairs on the inside - same type of marks when they have a wee (white stains). He is mostly litter trained and doesn't do his business upstairs. They were sort of like he had squirted it on (don't laugh if there is technical term for this). :?

3. Normally on a morning and night when he sees me he sticks his nose out for a good stroke but the last couple of days he seems very nervy and keeps out of the way. Is this because I have been trying to gain his trust and pick him up. Alternatively I did catch a cat with its head nearly in the hutch on Saturday (luckily Flopsy was hid under the patio table) and I have ordered him a run just to be on he safe side, his fenced off garden is now only all his on a weekend when I have more time to sit out with him and be on "moggy watch".:?

Sorry for so many questions but I tend to think better late on a night!!

Thank you all

1. I'm not sure about this I'm afraid, as my buns live indoors

2. At 4 months old he will be reaching sexual maturity so has probably been spraying his territory to mark it - you might be able to see his testicles (or 'plums' :lol. Boys can be neutered from around 4-6 months depending on their size and what the vet says.

3. Again I'm not sure, it could be he is wary because of the cat or it could be that you have been picking him up. I am trying to get my new girl used to it too. You could try feeding him a treat when you are holding him to show him that being picked up isnt a bad thing. When I have picked my girl up she is more wary of me for a bit, but she relaxes eventually. A lot of buns don't like to be held, but I need mine to at least tolerate it incase they need to be handled for any reason.

Hope that helps a bit :wave:

Think Flopsy is taking the mickey!!

Thankx - I picked him up the other day, told him he was a good boy etc and give him a baby carrot which, before I knew it, he took off me jumped back into the hutch and hid with it. I seemed to have gone backwards with this. A week or so ago he would tollerate it (which I need to get him to vets etc) and now if I so much as try he just legs it!

Think Flopsy is taking the mickey!!

Thankx - I picked him up the other day, told him he was a good boy etc and give him a baby carrot which, before I knew it, he took off me jumped back into the hutch and hid with it. I seemed to have gone backwards with this. A week or so ago he would tollerate it (which I need to get him to vets etc) and now if I so much as try he just legs it!

Wouldn't know about looking for his bits as I can't get hold of him. I have tried from every angle to get a look (sorry for sounding rude) but can't. My vet won't neuter him until he is 6 months which will be nearly November and I wanted to get him a girlfriend before the winter sets in. Also vet is going to charge £64.00 - is this the norm price or does it seem excessive.

Forgot to ask

I have found a website on the internet for rescue bunnies which states it is in the North East but doesn't say where. I assume I can mention the name as its an adoption site - Pipkin Rescue Centre. Anyone know where it is as eventually I will rescue a bun to keep Flopsy company.

I paid £54 for a doe spay. They are usually a little more expensive. Find out what is included. e.g pain relief, antibiotics, anti-inflamatory, follow ups.

I paid about £45 for my boy's neuter, this included a painkiller and checkup 2 days later. I'm not sure where that rescue is, but you could try asking the vets if they know any rescues? You really won't be able to bond him before he is neutered, even with a spayed female (and obviously definately not an unspayed one!), as he won't leave her alone. My boy humped my poor girl for almost 6 days before he calmed down and he had been neutered for 2 months when they were introduced!

I won't be letting Flopsy near any girlfriend until i know he is not capable of making babies - I want two bunnies but no babies!!!:no:
:no:
Just thought I would start to check as hopefully it will be next school holidays when I have him "done" and hopefully later on the same week I can start looking - as you can guess I work at a school.

Thankx

jodobson said:

I won't be letting Flopsy near any girlfriend until i know he is not capable of making babies - I want two bunnies but no babies!!!:no:
:no:

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:lol: :lol: Generally rescue bunnies will be spayed, but if not, bear in mind that he might be fertile for up to 8 weeks after the op :shock: Sorry if you already knew that, but its better safe than sorry!

i didnt know that

Really grateful for that reply - no I didn't know he would still be fertile for another eight weeks - at this rate he will be getting a girlfriend for Xmas day - still not to worry at least he is hopefully going to get one. So after the op wait until about 10 weeks before I begin to look - just to be on the safe side.

your bunnies

p.s. your bunnies are absolutely gorgeous.

My 5 month old boys cost me £65 each for their neutering. I have a feeling I have an expensive vet. Fortunately I had RSPCA vouchers which put £27 each towards the neutering as they were RSPCA rescues.

I've also felt sometimes that I've gone backwards with getting them used to being handled. Patient perserverance is the key I think, and bribery - treats if they are calm when picked up.

jodobson said:

p.s. your bunnies are absolutely gorgeous.

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Thank you Your bunny is lovely too, lionheads are so pretty or I suppose I should say handsome for the boys! :lol: Don't worry that he won't have a friend for a while. My bunny was on his own until he was 10 months old, as long as you give him lots of attention he will be fine until he is neutered and can have a girlfriend
Vet costs do seem to vary. My vets is a good one, an RCVS small animal accredited practice, but their prices seem reasonable compared to others on here. The female spay is around £70, but vaccinations (including a health check) are only £16 each - very cheap compared to some places! I think prices also vary in different regions of the country and price does not always indicate how much they know about bunnies!

jodobson said:

Really grateful for that reply - no I didn't know he would still be fertile for another eight weeks - at this rate he will be getting a girlfriend for Xmas day - still not to worry at least he is hopefully going to get one. So after the op wait until about 10 weeks before I begin to look - just to be on the safe side.

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If you get a neutered female from a rescue the issue of not pairing him up with a girl is not relevent any more/. You will still need to leave it a few weeks to allow him to heel and for his hormones to start dropping. The majority of rescues will assist you in pairing him up.