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Help - need advice on my neglected bunny!

H

haggismonster

New Kit
Hi - I need some advice.

I bought my bunny from the SSPCA about a year ago. We had a flat at the time and eventually managed to get her litter trained after 3 months although she still continued to pee on the sofa every time she went on (territorial I presume?). She was quite affectionate and would let us pet her although she was always very aggressive when you went near her in her cage.

We moved house in August 06 and as we had a large garden we bought a new hutch for her and put her outside. As she was very territorial we stopped petting her as she wouldn't let you pick her up out of the cage and she ran away from you in the garden. In the winter we brought her back inside but kept her in the conservatory, which we don't use in winter as it has no lights and is a bit too cold for us to sit in.

Anyway we let her out once a day and she runs riot pooing everywhere, and peeing on the conservatory furniture which she also has ripped and nibbled. She doesn't use a litter tray anymore and she runs and hides when we go into the conservatory but I think she could still be friendly as the last time i sat down she jumped up on the sofa beside me and nudged me - the problem is that when we get back from work its too dark to sit in the conservatory to try and get her used to us again and my boyfriend won't let her in the rest of the house as she is too destructive. We have bought her toys and she has our three cats for company too (the kitten especially plays with her quite a lot) but she still continues to destroy everything that is in the same room as her.

Basically as it is now spring I wanted to put her outside again but I am worried that will totally destroy any remaining human contact she has with us. So I know don't know if it is better to try and give her to someone who could spend time with her or put her in the garden and maybe get her another rabbit so she has some company.

Can someone please give me some advice? I don't want to get rid of her - I see too many ads for unwanted bunnies everywhere but I just have no idea of how to get her used to human contact if she can't come into the living area of our house........ And every time I read about other peoples rabbits they talk of how friendly and house trained they are!

Also if i do put her outside/give her a playmate then the problem will be two rabbits that are not used to human contact!

All advice welcomed!
 
Two rabbit not used to human contact is not a problem really...as then they have each other for company. Any rabbit kept outside should have a companion.

Regular grooming and hand feeding helps as does sitting in the run with a book!
 
A few of my buns aren't that friendly. The one I've had longest still hates me :oops: :lol:

If you could get a second neutered bun from a Rescue, they could bond for you - you wouldn't have lonely bun anymore & I've often found that 2 less than friendly buns end up friendlier with humans? Think they are more confident or something if kept in a pair or in a group :D

I only have one single (temporary) bun here - but he gets more attention than anyone, as I don't want him getting lonely
 
The answer is simple really - you have to spend some time getting to know your bunny all over again, talking softly letting her get more use to your voice; sitting near her hutch a letting her out near you (get a lamp in the conservatory - keeping her away from the wire) she will then eventually learn to trust you and not be so territorial when you are near her hutch.

The more time you spend with your bunny the more she will gain trust in you and be sure of herself around you (like the time she nudged you - a sign of wanting attention).

We have our bunny in the garage ( it basically belongs to her and the 2 guinea pigs :lol: ) Thumper comes inside every day without fail, whether we are shattered or not :lol: she spends 2-3hrs running riot and playing with us and the kids until finally she is flat out shattered and weather permitted she is outside enjoying the garden. We are in & out of the garage (granted easy when working from home) but still she has a routine which keeps her happy and she is always happy to see us :D

Good luck - keep perservering (?sp) and she will be just as adorable as all the buns you hear about on her :D
 
Hi, and welcome to the forum. Was she spayed? If not, that could be part of the reason for her aggression.How big is the cage she is in at the moment? If she's allowed out only once a day then she is probably very frustrated and anxious and that will also lead to destructive behaviour.
If it impossible to have her indoors, then try to get her a companion as rabbits do need company. If you don't have anywhere to do the bonding get in touch with a rescue that may be able to help you there. They may also be able(hopefully) to bond her with a laid-back friendly bun which might also help with her attitude. This means, though that you'll need a much larger hutch. Perhaps if it's possible you could also get a run for the garden and when you put the rabbit/s in there you could spend sometime just sitting in there(when the weather's warmer!!) ignoring her so that she is more relaxed with you.
 
i was going to ask if she was speyed too - that could be a problem if not.
How much room does she have when she's in her hutch? Ideally you need a 5 or 6 foot hutch with at least 2 feet of head height and an attatched and secure run/pen that she has access to all day. Perhpas she feels very frustrated beign locked up on her own in a relatively small place?
I would say that getting her a friend would definitely be an improvement for her if you are going to keep her. Even if she has the cats to play with its not the same - they don't speak the same "language"!
Bear in mind that rabbits need at leaast 4 or 5 hours of excercise a day.
If you really feel that you can't give her the time she needs than there is no shame in asking a rescue to rehome her. You obviously care about her welfare.
 
I don't actually know if she has been spayed or not? I can take her to the vet and find out. The cage she is in is about 4ft by 2ft high - it was the biggest cage we could get- she is quite a big bunny though. Thats why i always make sure she gets out for as long as possible every day. I have bought her toys/give her the inside of loo rolls/have even given her twigs to play with but she seems to ignore them after the initial attacking of them (how dare they enter her cage) and shredding to bits!

When she was outside she would come inside occasionally. We didn't have a run for her - we just let her out of her hutch and sealed up the gaps in the garden. My boyfriend and I would then spend at least 10 minutes every night chasing her round the garden to get her back into her outdoor hutch! And she ate every single plant that we planted in the garden!

I think what I will do is try and get her used to me again before sticking her in the garden. I really don't want to send her to the home again as I am sure it will just take time and effort to make her friendly.

Does anyone have any web addresses of somewhere that I could get a large hutch and 6ft run with it? Are there any bunny rescue centres in the south of scotland apart from the SSPCA?
 
Id see if she is spayed if not get her spayed as this will reduce terrotorial behaviour. It may be that shell never be a snuggly really friendly bunny due to her nature or the way she was brought up as a kitten. Spend time with her even just sitting on the ground near her as most bunnies are curious. But Id get her a friend. I have a female bunny who is skittish and scared of me who I avoid picking up and who doesnt really enjoy being stroked but will happily jump on me, nudge me and try and chew my jeans and a super chilled cuddly bunny who loves strokes and cuddles on the ground he doesnt like to be picked up but will put up with it and it doesnt terrify him. Youll worry less about her being lonely if she has a friend but to do that she and he will need to be neutered.

Also get a shed and attach a run. Cheaper, warmer with more space.
 
At what age did you get her from the SSPCA? That might give you some indication as to whether she has been spayed.
 
One of my bunnies was very territorial when I got her and a quite a biter. Since being spayed she never bites, and is no longer territorial with the hutch. However, she is still nervy, and definitely not cuddly. She prefers the contact of her sister than us humans, although we're quite useful for bringing food and treats! :)

Much as I'd love her to enjoy cuddles (for my own selfish reasons), I know that she is happy in her own way.
 
I suppose all bunnies are different; mine has always been a 90% house rabbit, but once she had matured, her 'territorial' pooing and peeing would drive me mad. She got neutered end of Jan - and it made all the difference - I confirm she hasn't ONCE pee'd outside her litter tray and only dropped a few accidental poo's (but they are easy to handle :)) All in all she's been a star pupil ever since. Neutering does help.
 
Hi - I am not sure how old she is - the SSPCA didn't know - we are taking her to the vet to see if she is spayed.

She was always quite destructive even when she was in the flat when we were spending a lot of time with her. She eats every cable she comes across, rips sofa covers, nibbles through the cords on blinds and pees on the sofas too! We have given up buying her toys as she doesn't seem to use them at all!


We are thinking of going to an animal rescue place to get her a friend and taking her with us so we can see how they get on first........
 
Hi that's a good idea, but have her spayed first as that will help to calm her down. Keep us posted :)
 
I think it's hard to tell if a doe has been spayed - I've heard the only way the vet can tell without operating on her is to look for a scar which you could do. Some does after spaying have a little ridge about 1.5" long running down their tummy between their back legs. If you can hold her and have a quick feel it might answer your question. If she isn't spayed then I definately agree with others on here, doing so should significantly reduce her territorial and aggressive behaviour.
 
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