Advice please, bun has started growling :(

Help!

Recently my oh and rescued a bun which we ended up deciding to keep. Shortly afterwards I left for America so my oh is caring for her. She was temporarily in the living room until he took the kitchen table down and a few days ago he moved her back to the kitchen. Yesterday he told me that she was running away from him when he tried to pet her (just on the head) and today she has started growling at him when he goes near her when he's cleaning her out. The only thing he has done that could have upset her is moved the cage, but we moved her cage before and she was fine.

Why would she suddenly be like this with him, and what can he do to make her happy?

I'm afraid I don't really have much to offer here....

Is he sure she is growling in anger? Definitely not playing?

Sounds like she is just unsettled and your partner needs to renegotiate the terms of access. She will settle again after a few days, but moving around her cage will be quite worrying for her. Your OH will need to get down to her level and offer petting through the age old route of tapping the floor and waiting for her to come to him. Also get him to try and lure her out of the cage before attempting to clean it. Some buns are just growly - my Flo is - and you become accustomed to what the growls mean. Also is she spayed? Unspayed rabbits are generally more territorial.

She is unspayed (we will get her done later this year). I have given him the link to this thread so hopefully they will be friends again soon

our jasper just started doing this one day, even though I held her from a baby etc, she will not let me hold her not never, I cant even remember the last time i held her as she dont even come in the house now, hope yours gets back to its normal self soon x

The spaying will help hun, she may be be unsettled at being moved though bless her..

A little patience and some TLC and she will be fine again Im sure.

He sent me a picture of her tonight, she was having a lay down in her pen. I noticed that her bed/hide (a cardboard box) was upside down and chewed to bits! It was originally sellotaped to the bars but this made is difficult to clean out and I thought better not have sellotape there in case she chews that. Apparently she's been throwing it about the place. So I am guessing that her bed/hide now being a plaything (and being upside down so having no roof!) probably isn't help with her feeling unsettled so I have ordered her a rabbit tent bed and matching tunnel so she has more places to hide.

I hope this will help until we get her spayed, prior to being moved she was happily running around in the pen with whoever was cleaning her out

This http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130533869582&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
And this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160632880471&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

ive got both these and the tub dont get used much but our twinkle and bunty when I had him loves the tent. think the tube will get used more when they are confined to there house x

also if her pen is a good size another idea for a indistructable home is I had a old toy boy bendy plastic very solid and i sawed a square out of the lip turned it upside down and they all pop in and out for some grub and its waterproof and easy clean xx

If she has been throwing what is supposed to be her bed it sounds to me like she is playing with it instead and using it as a toy bless her.

Velvet.Tears wrote:If she has been throwing what is supposed to be her bed it sounds to me like she is playing with it instead and using it as a toy bless her.

Yup

I don't really know how best to proceed atm
When we first took her it was not meant to be permanent, she was just in the dog cage and she had the box for a bed and I put a pile of shavings in another corner which she uses as a toilet. Now she has the pen as well but her bed and toilet are still in the cage. With her being upset after being moved having the bed and toilet in the cage isn't working as the cage needs cleaned every day out but she hides in there as well.
If we put the new bed in the pen, is she likely to use that as a retreat or will she still try and hide in the cage?

She will probably use the bed as a retreat, she will be ok in a few days and thats a good thing that she is using that box as a toy

I think this little girl is still finding her little paws. All buns need somewhere to try and hide - where they can feel safe. for her - she has been in a small dark space all her life - the bigger world will be a scary place.

As inconvenient as it is having to clean the cage every day - perhaps you should leave things as they are until you get home and then you can work with her.

baby steps.

I would say she is feeling unsettled and also as an unspayed female may be feeling frustrated or even having a phantom pregnancy which may make her not want to be handled. Pregnant doe's can be really funny about being handled and nip and growl. They are just trying to protect the kits in their belly. Is there any chance she could be pregnant for real?

Thumper has a tent like this and she absolutely loves it!

We had one for the house and one for the garden but she chewed the garden one to pieces lol

Another reason for her unusual behaviour could be because she is missing you.

i have 2 of those tunnels and 2 of those tents,mine love the tunnels,its very cute watching them chase in and around them,the tents are good but mine destroy then,they have ripped 2 up to now,need to go to the petshop tom' and buy anouther one

Katieb wrote:I think this little girl is still finding her little paws. All buns need somewhere to try and hide - where they can feel safe. for her - she has been in a small dark space all her life - the bigger world will be a scary place.

As inconvenient as it is having to clean the cage every day - perhaps you should leave things as they are until you get home and then you can work with her.

baby steps.

We'll leave the box in the cage for her to hide in so the cage won't change, but have the tent in the pen so she can get away and hide. She's going to the vet tomo to get her VHD vac so she's going to be even more unhappy

Catsknickers wrote:I would say she is feeling unsettled and also as an unspayed female may be feeling frustrated or even having a phantom pregnancy which may make her not want to be handled. Pregnant doe's can be really funny about being handled and nip and growl. They are just trying to protect the kits in their belly. Is there any chance she could be pregnant for real?

The last time she was with another bun was over a year ago (sadly it never survived the conditions they were kept in) so I don't think so

Luna has phantom pregnancies all the time and she gets super growly and grumpy running up to making her nest! Then she's fine, she made a nest this morning bless her .

She just sounds unsettled, she will be fine and spaying will defo help. You just need to be patient with her.

Ok so my oh has told me that she has not growled at him again, so she must have been having an off day

Her new tent, tunnel and (chewable) hay basket have arrived. I don't know if she's investigated the tent and tunnel yet though!
She was digging in the pile of shavings that is in the cage as her toilet so she's been given a box with shavings in so hopefully she'll dig in that instead (although so far all she has done is chew the box ).

I've ordered her more hanging treats (possibly I said this), some sticks for nomming and a load of dried leaves for making home made toys out of and for putting some in a box of hay so she can forage

She had her VHD vacc and the only update I got was that her name is now changed at the vet and she didn't like going in the box so i am guessing it went well!

The vet has this plan thing where you can pay £5ish a month, this includes 3 vaccs a year and a health check and 10% off anything else needing done. The three vaccs a year are £57 and the plan works out at £62 so I think I'll do that seeing as we are getting her spayed later this year and she will also need her teeth filed.

Sounds like a brilliant plan.

She is going to be so so happy with you both - it really makes me happy to hear she is doing so well.

Thanks!

She's currently free ranging in the living room for the first time (she always has the option when my oh is in but she's never ventured out so today he just put her in the living room), she keeps trying to dig the carpet! Is there any way we can discourage her from doing this?

Apart from a good sharp 'No!' or if that doesn't work a high pitched whistle or if that doesn't work clap loudly and if that doesn't work take a sock off and throw it in her vague direction and if that doesn't work you will have to get up and threaten to pick her up - you'll have to retrieve the sock anyway!I stress I do not attempt to hit Flo with a sock when she is digging the carpet, just for it to land somewhere near her to distract her. But she will probably still continue to dig the carpet periodically. It is something I have only been able to react to rather that prevent.

Thanks, he has been saying 'No', the first few times he had to pick her up and put her back on the blanket, but now just saying 'No' or getting up quickly makes her stop!

Here she is exploring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImSN-Uy4jtY

Ahhh she is overwhelmed bless her! I am loving that big black nose!

Oh bless her heart - she is finding her feet slowly.

Gorgeous little girlie she is.