Help- my buns changed colour overnight

This picture i just took



that grey spot has come on his nose over the last 2 days. really fast. what could it be?

hes not malting surely. his last malt hasnt even finished- its round his tail end still.

is my flat too warm for him? help- im worried im doing something wrong- his fur has been so shabby and i know this is a sign of ill health but i also thought it was because of the malt.

this might not be related but hes also become very aggressive recently.
(hes very moody anyway but he has tried to bit me 4 or 5 times in the last ten minutes- Fair enough i did put my hand in his cage)

he normally loks like this ->

OMG that upward bunny pic is AMAZING - dunno if it is just a malt

Our buck Billy has changed colour on his nose, its gone darker. i'll try and get a pic later.

I don't think its anything particular to worry about.

Someone else might know,

Nicola

its just happened so very suddenly

sorry to pester but any advice at all? my partner is concerned also,

What temperature is the flat that Theo is living in?

maybe 18oC at night- never more than 22/23

Trip recently had a dark line across his nose when he was moulting, but its gone now. And it appeared in like a day He also had a dark patch in between his ears if you know what I mean but it only lasted about a week.

my black rabbits turning grey, I think they can still mault slightly even if they are indoor bunnies. I wouldnt worry unless he is off colour.

How old is he? And is he neutered? If he has recently reached sexual maturity and hasn't been nuetered this will explain the sudden agression. Also the patch on his nose looks like he has been rubbing it (poss on the bars of his cage). Is he ever shut in his cage? If so he is probably feeling very territorial and bored. I think the best thing you can do for him is to get him neutered, another rabbit friend (rabbits need to be bonded on neutral territory, most rescues will bond rabbits for you when you adopt from them). Also make sure your house is bunnyproofed and then take off the door of his cage, you can limit him to one room while you are not in if this helps.

hes about 8 months and is neutered and jabbed.

His cage has no bars (its a zoo-zone) He has a run about 1.7m x 1m and is in it for 3-4 hours a day and also gets free roam of the largest room in the house twice weekly.

Hes a netherland and his run is plenty big enough- like i said it came up practically overnight. i never see him rubbing it in any bars though.

Plus he has toys galore, chubes, jingle ball- jungle dunbells- willow ball- parsley bedd- fluffy bed and a card dig box filled with sawdust- oh and an igloo- a cuddly carrot and a frankie ferret feeding ball.

hes plenty to do - he he

There is still the possibliity he is finding something to rub on. Also you say he has a dig box filled with sawdust. It is excellent that you have given him an opportunity to dig, but sawdust and shavings are unsuitable for rabbits (and most other animals). Instead you could use childrens play sand in his dig box.

Although he is gettng out to play his cage is not big enough to be shut into for any length of time and will be making him feel very territorial (hence biting your hand when you put it in his cage). Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk so unless he is getting freedom at these times you are shutting him in when he is most active and letting him out when ideally he would like to be resting.

Also getting him a spayed girlfriend will greatly help, as I am sure he is also bored and lonely.

he comes out about 6/7 pm and goes to bed when we do - 10/11 pm.

the dig box is only available as a treat- i never though of using sand. is that ok to do so-

wont it go in his eyes?

his face doesnt look sore- but fair comment about the terrotorial part- im only allowed to put my hand in if im gna stroke him- and even then he has to be in the mood.

i think his cage is fine for the day- hes a nethie- can stand in it and sometimes he runs in it too - in circles

Sand is fine for a dig box (make sure it is the sort you buy for children's sandpits). Sawdust will cause a lot more of a problem to his eyes and respiratory system.

Although he is a small breed rabbit he does not need any smaller accomadation than a bigger breed as smaller breeds tend to be more active. If he is running in circles at times this is an indication that he feels trapped- his accomadation is too small. He is being let out for on average 4 hours a day which means he is shut in for 20 hours a day. This is just too long and as you have said as he has reached adulthood he has begun to show you he is unhappy- the biting.

he is out 4 hours in the evening (at least),

about 6/7 hours a day at weekends

he gets a huge room to play in at least twice a week.

rabbits sleep during the day and night - in the day- hes in his cage- in the evening- hes out.

im so cruel for keeping him in this tiny cage all day arent i?

the zoozone i have is the largest they make- he has ROOM to run- not saying he makes a habbit of it but he can- he can stand up etc and has plenty to play with.

he has access to his dig box under supervision- and uses it for no more than 5 mins befor ehe gets bored

call the flaming rspca- ive spoiled him to death

aww i am sure the change in colour it to do with moutling - my buns change colour in winter also dont worry

You need to calm down, and not take what I am saying as a personal insult. The cages that are sold comercially for rabbits to live in are not big enough. This is not your fault, but I am trying to explain to you why your rabbit is biting you and is unhappy.

It is great you want to spoil him, but to spoil him properly you need to first understand his needs. The size cage he is in is the same as you shutting yourself in a box room for 20 hours a day. Yes you have room to move around, but you will still feel very confined.

I am not saying you are being intentially cruel to your rabbit by any means, but you are being unfair to him if you are unable to accept and listen to advice from people who know what they are talking about when it comes to rabbit behaviour.

ok, ill just magic mary poppins in to mind him in the daytime.

I know how to take advice, but i also know how to care for my animals.

Please do not get sarcastic. If you really want your rabbit to have a good life then why not change your attitude towards what you can do. It is easy to come up with problems, but harder (yet more rewarding) to come up with solutions.

Is there not one room in your flat (kitchen tends to be a good place) or a spare bedroom you could completely bunny proof for him. I am not having a go at you, please stop thinkin I am, I am trying to improve the life of your rabbit, which will mean you will end up with a much happier, rabbit, which in turn will make him much more rewarding.

There is a massive problem with people getting rabbits before fully researching what is required to care for the rabbit properly. The big difference between "good" and "bad" owners is their willingness to learn how to do it right and put time, money and effort into doing so. Please make yourself a "good" owner and see that maybe you made a mistake by not fully researching how practical it would be to get a rabbit when you live in a flat (not impossible if you are happy with the rabbit being free range even when you are not at home). You can now correct your mistake by rethinking his accomadation to make it suitable.