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Stroppy bunny - Advice please

Tiger Rabbit

New Kit
Hey guys,

I've done plenty of research and had bunnies before (a long time ago) but I am after a little peace of mind....

Our bunny, Tiger rabbit has always had a strong character.

Due to an odd string of circumstances lives with a Guinea Pig (Jonathan). They have lived together since she was a few weeks old and they are quite happy together but she is definitely the boss out of the two.

We let her out in the garden to play and she's always not thrilled when it's time to go back inside however the last few times she has been growling and lunging at our feet.
When you pick her up she can try to scratch (however quite happy to sit on your lap etc).

I have booked her in to be neutered which hopefully should have a change on her behavior but I was wondering if there is anything else I'm missing or anything else i can do to try help with this.

Thanks in advance :) x
 
Bunnies should not live with guinea pigs I'm afraid, they can hurt each other and pass diseases on too. You could try teaching your rabbit to go into a carrier when you need to take her inside. Does she have plenty of space?
 
We let her out in the garden to play and she's always not thrilled when it's time to go back inside however the last few times she has been growling and lunging at our feet.

Hm, my buns become quite skittish and hard to herd home when it gets too dark, now, with days getting shorter that's an issue. Broad daylight, no problem - dawn, and I've completly different rabbits. Anyway, training them by shaking the pellet bucket before giving them some helps a lot, when they are skittish I shake the bucket, put some pellets in their hutch and go out of sight. They wouldn't return as long as I watch them, but when alone the greed wins after some minutes. Mine get pellets rarly, only as treat.

Also, sometimes they have their moods (none of my rabbits is neutered). Completly normal. Can't tell what neutering actually changes (no experience)

There is so much hearsay about rabbits and guinea pigs, and as with many things on the internet it's always the worst versions that get repeated over and over - trust your experience and what you see and think.

I think that version comes from " a g.p. is not a suitable replacement for a fellow rabbit" and some round of chinese whisper, and behold, rabbits can pass desease much more likely to each other than a quite different species.
 
Bunnies should not live with guinea pigs I'm afraid, they can hurt each other and pass diseases on too. You could try teaching your rabbit to go into a carrier when you need to take her inside. Does she have plenty of space?
Zoobec has brought up some good points. My main concern of guinea pigs being with rabbits is the risk of miscommunication (especially when a rabbit is hormonal). I've seen many injured/dead guinea pigs from living with a rabbit. (Used to be a vet nurse).

Neutering will definitely help, but you may not see improvement for around 6weeks while the hormones subside.

How big is her living space? The RWAF recommend a minimum of 60sqft at all times. (So her 6ft x 2ft hutch with constant access to a 6ft x 8ft run). It could be she's enjoying all her play time, and doesn't want to go back to a smaller environment.

It's easy to box train a rabbit with some treats and lots of patience. Both mine are trained to get into their box when I tell them to.

Once neutered and allowed time to recover she could potentionally be bonded with a relaxed male who could help her burn off energy and make bed time a lot easier. This isn't a certain thing, and it could make it harder but it could really go both ways.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
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