Trouble with Splodge!

I wonder if anyone can help.

We have been having some problems with Splodge of late which have caused us some concern.

He is a dwarf lop and absolutely sweet until lately when he has started to act strangely. He was neutered in September after the Vet had advised us that he was at the right age to be done. After biting out his stitches in the Vets and nearly bleeding to death he has been a lovely bunny and full of energy and curiosity, especially when he comes out of his hutch and has a run around the hallway, kitchen and dining room. However, of late he has started to trash his hutch, totally doing a Kieth Moon (oopps showed me age there!). He seems to dig in his litter box showering the surrounding area in soiled wood pellets and poo. He then picks up his ceramic bowl, which isn't light, and throws that around too. He has toys in his hutch but he ignores these even though we try to change them around for him so that he doesn't get bored, but it ain't working.
Could he be lonely?
On fine days when its not too frosty we put him out in his run and he justs sits in one corner and only moves when he wants to trash the litter tray or eat. When he comes in later in the day he jumps into his hutch, has a sniff, eats a bit, and then has a poo before trashing his hutch again!!
We have never seen him sleep only doze with his eyes half open for a few minutes. Is this problem sleep related?

His food is Excel food pellets which he has each morning and then when he comes in he has greens, carrot and apple with the occasional grape or banana.

We really don't know what to do, we have tried most things that the bunny books tell you to do but it seems as though nothing is working. We want to get another bunny as a companion for him but we don't know if he will attack her or teach her to trash the hutch as well. Flying poo frm one bunny we can cope with but two!!

Another question is, what's the nearest bunny shelter to us as we live in Northants and would like to take Splodge to meet his new companion to see if there is one there that he will get on with straight away but until we sort him out we are putting this off.

Anyone got any advice!! :?:

Thanks,

Deon (and Splodge)

I have a Splodge too, and he trashes his house and digs in his tray if the pellets have turned to dust! Tip either replace the pellets more frequently so that they are whole or cover with hay!!! I think a friend would do him good, he's prob a bit bored!

Hiya,

Is it possible for you to attach his hutch to his run? I sounds like he's just got a lot of energy and is taking it out on his hutch.

Does he have anything in his run? If you look at it from his point of view you take him out of his nice safe home (hutch) and put him in the middle of a field with no access to his warren if there is danger. He may just be nervous and that is why he's not using his run more fully. Rabbits won't run laps to give themselves exercise, they need something to interest them.

I'd suggest making over his run, add boxes to hide in, an upturned litter tray to stand on a look out for trouble, tunnels if you can get them. Provide food for foraging... a treatball is excellent. Any toys that encorporate food.

Digging is a very natural behaviour for bunnies - you could provide a digging box in his run.

Take away his food bowl - no more putting his food somewhere that easy to eat. As well as hiding it in his head you can put it in/under/on things.

Another bunny is one of the best playthings I think taking him along to meet some potential partners is a great idea.

Tam

Thanks.

Hi,

Thanks for the tips, we will try this and hope he settles down soon especially when he gets a new friend.

touie said:

I have a Splodge too, and he trashes his house and digs in his tray if the pellets have turned to dust! Tip either replace the pellets more frequently so that they are whole or cover with hay!!! I think a friend would do him good, he's prob a bit bored!

Click to expand...

Toys in run.

Hi,

He has a large tube in his run and a some boxes stuffed with hay which he sniffs and goes back to his corner. He has some balls with bells in which he nudges and then ignores, cardboard tubes which he throws around the run. He does have a compartment in the run where he can run into if it rains, that's where his litter tray is, but he only goes in there to poop. If it rains he just sits out and gets wet which means that we run out and bring him in and towel dry him, which means that we get more wet than he does as its when we go to get him from the run he decides to hide in a tube or the compartment!!!

Will try the other things that you suggested though.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Tamsin said:

Hiya,

Is it possible for you to attach his hutch to his run? I sounds like he's just got a lot of energy and is taking it out on his hutch.

Does he have anything in his run? If you look at it from his point of view you take him out of his nice safe home (hutch) and put him in the middle of a field with no access to his warren if there is danger. He may just be nervous and that is why he's not using his run more fully. Rabbits won't run laps to give themselves exercise, they need something to interest them.

I'd suggest making over his run, add boxes to hide in, an upturned litter tray to stand on a look out for trouble, tunnels if you can get them. Provide food for foraging... a treatball is excellent. Any toys that encorporate food.

Digging is a very natural behaviour for bunnies - you could provide a digging box in his run.

Take away his food bowl - no more putting his food somewhere that easy to eat. As well as hiding it in his head you can put it in/under/on things.

Another bunny is one of the best playthings I think taking him along to meet some potential partners is a great idea.

Tam

Click to expand...