sad or depressed bunny?

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

no matter wat i give scooter or even if i sit in the cage with him. he will not stop chewing the bars aftre he sat with me and nudged me hell walk of for a run around the cage and will stop in the same place as always. hell keep on doing it constantly as well.

i dont know why he wont play with anything though ull see him throw a box around every so often and run around the box that is hanging but he doesnt do much else.

im suppose to be sleeping at the bfs tonight so ill probs be going out at about 12, ive still got yet to clean rabbit out and the hamster. i keep putting it off. i know its important but im just finding it hard to motivate myself lately i dont know why either.

anyways id really like it if somebody could tell me why. is it because he wants to come out or because its a behaviour hes just stuck in now?

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

the reason its weird is because until he got neutered he use to play all the time, ud would always see him playing with something or another.

happybun · Feb 19, 2011

i read somewhere that gerbils doing this is a mental issue like depression. has scooter got a friend?

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

happybun said:
i read somewhere that gerbils doing this is a mental issue like depression. has scooter got a friend?

no ive been told on here by people that even thought it would be a good idea. i shouldnt get one because i cant really take care of scooter that well and i shud wiat until i get him more sorted out. and that it wouldnt be fair until i got him fully free ranged which i cant do

parsnipbun · Feb 19, 2011

There are at least two possible issues that I can think of:

One is boredom and depression, needs a friend and/or more time out

the second is a mouth issue - have you had his teeth checked recently?

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

i think i know wat people are going to say but hes been like this for the past week despite anything i do he seems to perk up for a while when i let him out, but when its time for him to go back in he starts worser then before i know he likes the freedom but i cant give him that long out because he needs to be constanly watched. if i cud trust him enought to wonder around the room and not destroy stuff while i go away for a couple of mins to do something else i wud do that. but hes still a bit new to the whole idea and wants to look every where and try and jump on things and im scared of him getting hurt.

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

parsnipbun said:
There are at least two possible issues that I can think of:

One is boredom and depression, needs a friend and/or more time out

the second is a mouth issue - have you had his teeth checked recently?

i cant get close enought to check he wont allow me too. i think hes okay though he has no problem eating dinner thats for sure. :lol:

xx-snowball-xx · Feb 19, 2011

hiya hun

i hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, so i apologise if it does

on some of your other threads, there are a fair few of us who have pointed out the most likely reason for scooters behaviour.
because he is a single bun, he needs a lot of attention from you - you need to be his bonded partner.
bunnys with friends are ok on their own for a while as they have friends to interact with.
single buns don't have that so they rely on you to be their friend and their source of entertainment.

this means that you really need to spend more time with him than the 3 hours a week that you do.
he is lonely and bored because he has no-one to play with most of the time.
if you spend more time with him and build up his trust with you, then he will stop being so bored and lonely

i will stand by my opinion that you shouldn't get another bunny, purely because i think you need to get things sorted with scooter first.

again i hope this hasn't come out the wrong way, because i know how much of an effort you have made to improve scooters life and i know how hard you are working to make things better for him

susie bun · Feb 19, 2011

It's obvious from your posts that you care about Scooter a lot, even if you can't give him the time and space he really needs. I haven't seen all of your posts, so I'm not sure exactly how big his enclosed area is - would it be possible to get him a bigger cage or even a puppy crate? Sorry if this has been suggested before.

xx-snowball-xx · Feb 19, 2011

susie bun said:
It's obvious from your posts that you care about Scooter a lot, even if you can't give him the time and space he really needs. I haven't seen all of your posts, so I'm not sure exactly how big his enclosed area is - would it be possible to get him a bigger cage or even a puppy crate? Sorry if this has been suggested before.

i agree, it is clear that shadow cares a lot.
scooter is already in a 6 x 5 pen, which shadow has worked hard to make and is a huge improvement on before

at the moment there is no more space for him and he can't be free range because of brothers leaving doors open and the fact that there are dogs in the household :wave:

susie bun · Feb 19, 2011

6x5 is a pretty good area really. My Spenser doesn't have more than that other than for a couple of hours a day when he has the run of the conservatory - I'm lucky though, as it's a room very easy to bunny proof (only two lamps to unplug). Neutering is supposed to have a calming effect isn't it, so it seems Scooter (and Shadow) have been a bit unlucky here. :?

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

xx-snowball-xx said:
hiya hun

i hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, so i apologise if it does

on some of your other threads, there are a fair few of us who have pointed out the most likely reason for scooters behaviour.
because he is a single bun, he needs a lot of attention from you - you need to be his bonded partner.
bunnys with friends are ok on their own for a while as they have friends to interact with.
single buns don't have that so they rely on you to be their friend and their source of entertainment.

this means that you really need to spend more time with him than the 3 hours a week that you do.
he is lonely and bored because he has no-one to play with most of the time.
if you spend more time with him and build up his trust with you, then he will stop being so bored and lonely

i will stand by my opinion that you shouldn't get another bunny, purely because i think you need to get things sorted with scooter first.

again i hope this hasn't come out the wrong way, because i know how much of an effort you have made to improve scooters life and i know how hard you are working to make things better for him

i understand i just thought the behaviour he is doing now is because of something else. im off collage for the next week so will have plenty of time between hanging with the bf, collage work and cleaning. i just let him out but im constantly having to follow him around cause there is a gap under the radiator and i cant block it up. he was out for about 10 mins before i had to put him back in he seems to have stopped bar chewing for the moment though so. ill have to see if i can get something to put there.

but i will try to get him out as much as possible while i can. im doing some shopping today so will she if i can get him a new toy hes not had before too. think ill get him a tunnel, ill also get him some veg and loads of hay cause i ran out a couple of days ago and hes had to make do with the timothoy and camolie hay that bugress makes.

p.s ur comment did bother and i understand were ur gooing i shud probs wiat until i have finished collage and either go on doll looking for a job or in a job.

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

xx-snowball-xx said:
i agree, it is clear that shadow cares a lot.
scooter is already in a 6 x 5 pen, which shadow has worked hard to make and is a huge improvement on before
at the moment there is no more space for him and he can't be free range because of brothers leaving doors open and the fact that there are dogs in the household :wave:

im working on making him partically free ranged at the moment which by the end of today should be up and running if i can get him to calm down a bit more and stop attacking things in my room :lol: i dont mind if he recks furniture but my mom might :lol:

shadow05 · Feb 19, 2011

susie bun said:
6x5 is a pretty good area really. My Spenser doesn't have more than that other than for a couple of hours a day when he has the run of the conservatory - I'm lucky though, as it's a room very easy to bunny proof (only two lamps to unplug). Neutering is supposed to have a calming effect isn't it, so it seems Scooter (and Shadow) have been a bit unlucky here. :?

in some whys he is calmer hes a lot more trusting i can get closer to him. im hoping its only a matter of time until i get him to fully trust me.

last night i got to hold him without him struggling but i didnt push my luck after about 5 secs i put him down and did it again 15 mins later and he struggled but i wiated for him to stop and put him down. today i had to pick him up to take out the cage which im gonna carry on doing hopefully hell learn something good will come out of it when he gets picked up and let loose around the room.

also his cage is soon to get bigger next it will be 11ft by 5ft which is the biggest i can give him but im gonna buy a panel which a door on it to let him out for a run. m gonna save up soon to get him a load of toys and stuff.

i have big plans for the future

even better ones then now. ive sat down for my hours and made plans up on plans and even back ups if certian plans cant be used. in the end he will have a friend ill make sure to that.

shell1805 · Feb 19, 2011

:wave: i know you're trying really hard to make scooter happier hun, but i think toys arent what he needs. bella and jasper have toys and they play and chew them a bit but what they thrive on is interaction from me. my front room isnt particularly bun proof, ive covered cabels and stuff but apart from the odd nibble here and there they arent that destructive. at the moment scooter will be a bit frenzied when he is out because he isnt used to it and its new and exciting. bella comes out bounces about for a bout 20 mins and then sits on my rug and thats it :roll:

could you and the bf not hang out with scooter?? im sure he'd love the company

xx

steph182 · Feb 19, 2011

You don't need him to be free range to get him a friend

Charlie will never be fully free ranged but he's getting a friend soon.
Scooter has a good sized cage, so I think what you need to work on is allowing him a couple of hours of free range time per day and having a bit more time spending it with you, and then when you're settled into a routine with him and he's used to having his time out and stuff, then think about getting him a friend if you can.

xx-snowball-xx · Feb 19, 2011

steph182 said:
You don't need him to be free range to get him a friend Charlie will never be fully free ranged but he's getting a friend soon.
Scooter has a good sized cage, so I think what you need to work on is allowing him a couple of hours of free range time per day and having a bit more time spending it with you, and then when you're settled into a routine with him and he's used to having his time out and stuff, then think about getting him a friend if you can.

i don't think it's the free range thing that's an issue with getting a friend for scooter, it's the finances. scooter needs to be vaccinated first :wave:

shadow05 · Feb 20, 2011

shell1805 said:
:wave: i know you're trying really hard to make scooter happier hun, but i think toys arent what he needs. bella and jasper have toys and they play and chew them a bit but what they thrive on is interaction from me. my front room isnt particularly bun proof, ive covered cabels and stuff but apart from the odd nibble here and there they arent that destructive. at the moment scooter will be a bit frenzied when he is out because he isnt used to it and its new and exciting. bella comes out bounces about for a bout 20 mins and then sits on my rug and thats it :roll:

could you and the bf not hang out with scooter?? im sure he'd love the company xx

the bf dont really like the scooter much, they dont get on very well :lol:. i dont get to see the bf as much as i use to cause he works and goes to collage. i only see him once a week and thats it.

shadow05 · Feb 20, 2011

steph182 said:
You don't need him to be free range to get him a friend Charlie will never be fully free ranged but he's getting a friend soon.
Scooter has a good sized cage, so I think what you need to work on is allowing him a couple of hours of free range time per day and having a bit more time spending it with you, and then when you're settled into a routine with him and he's used to having his time out and stuff, then think about getting him a friend if you can.

okay i get u. i have decided anyway that i will wiat until i am out of collage and in a job so i can get a better idea of how much time i can spend with him.

shadow05 · Feb 20, 2011

xx-snowball-xx said:
i don't think it's the free range thing that's an issue with getting a friend for scooter, it's the finances. scooter needs to be vaccinated first :wave:

im not being funny but isnt vaccination the owners choice. if he was a dog i would get him done but hes a bunny hes inside all the time, i know i venture out into the world but the chances of him being ever able to go past my bedroom door by himself are pretty slim. im very careful when i come in from college especially when ive been handling bunnys, i take the clothes i was wearing off and put clean clothes on.

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