Grumpy Marley

My lovely big boy Marley is a total monster.
He came in with a little girlie (Katie, a nethie cross) in March last year. He was castrated, she wasn't spayed. he was 12 months old, she was 2 yrs.
All was fine and wonderful. They would groom each other and snuggle up together. He was about 3 times as big as she was, but it seemed like a match made in heaven. But I couldn't rehome them.
I got them fully vaccinated and (eventually) got katie spayed.
That is when the problems started.
Marley objected strongly to katie's new "status" of being spayed. he started bullying her. Not letting her eat, not letting her near him, biting and growling.
Eventually, I seperated them. She had been beaten up and was underweight. He was hogging all the food.
Katie was rehomed recently as a companion to another (gentle) house bunny. It is going really well and she is very happy with her new boy.
But Marley is still a problem.
He growls at me and tries to bite when I put my hand near his food dish... toys... litter tray.... etc.
I really don't mind this, as he is such a lovey.... but it's hard to find a home for him when he attacks any person who dares to go anywhere near him.
Any ideas, anyone???
This pic taken on arrival - he's no longer in this hutch.

Ha! Flo is just like this (not the beating up bit). Bruce has taken to purposefully winding her up. Early evening you hear this grunt, then another and then another and in between you hear pattering feet. Bruce is running in front of where she is lying causing her to growl at him. It seems to amuse him!

I guess you advertise him as having behavioural problems and needing an experienced home. Someone will want him and love him. Have you tried him with balls? I am wondering whether he is actually attacking you in a territorial way or whether he is attacking you to amuse himself. If it is the latter treat balls etc can really help.

How does he react to other female rabbits?

I have not tried him with other doe rabbits, because i don't have any girlies who are not already bonded.
he throws around treat balls (or any toys). he growls at the toys.
He attacks me if i try to take anything out of his home - such as a litter tray, or a food dish.
For me, it is not a problem. he's a grumpy boy, but I love him for who is is.
But it does make him harder to rehome.

Could there be an underlying cause to it maybe? Like a health problem? Perhaps, just an idea. Stacy was like how he is then one day i found out the cause and she had an abscess after that was cleared she was such a loving gentle bun.

I was wondering about this. I will get him checked over. He's not lost weight, he's eating well, he plays a lot, (he has lots of toys), and he doesn't SEEM unwell.... but I want him checked.
Anyone any other ideas - Will report back after a vet check (but this might be mid/late next week due to other emergencies.
Jan

When Katie was spayed did you have her in a cage next to Marley so that he could see her? If so it could be a situation like our Rosie & Murphy they were so in love and she went off to the vet's to have a major Op to remove a blockage and came home smelling of anything but the bunny he loved, she wasn't his Rosie as she didn't smell like her and even though I have had them next to each other so that they can still see and smell each other...he now attacks her and she attacks him.

I don't know Marley's background but he seems to sound like a rabbit that has spent a lot of time in a hutch or indoor cage and has become quite territorial of it because sadly that's all he has known and this is also why he goes for your hand when you put his food in.

When Katie came back from the vets after her spay, she was eating well and hopping about nicely - so i popped her back in the same cage as Marley. I hadn't thought about the possible problems associated with not smelling right.
Marley ignored her for 2-3 days post op. No aggression, just kept his distance from her. Whenever she approached him, he would turn his back on her.
This went on for about 3 days. Then he suddenly started taking notice of her... sniffing her and following her about, grunting at her if she moved.
It was after this that he started bullying her, not letting her near the food dish (so I put a second one in) and chasing and biting her if she came near to him.
She wanted his company. He was being horrid....
In hindsight, I perhaps should have handled it differently. This was before maysie and mike had problems with Rosie and Murphy.
The good news is that Katie now has a new husbun. But I am stuck with a maniac bunny who will be difficult to rehome.
His background.... All I was told is that the owners were emigrating the next day, and if I didn't take the rabbits they would be released on the moors.
Obviously they cared enough to castrate Marley.... but not enough to actually do what was best for their bunnies. No vaccinations, didn't know that Katie needed spaying, and prepared to abandon them on the moors.....
Sometimes I don't ask too many questions - i just take the animals and get them safe.
At the moment I can't give him more room. At the moment I can't give him another bunny-friend.
But I know I am not doing my best for marley.

He may well settle with another girly in time. My pair normally always go to the vet together. Even though the vet is only around the corner and if Bruce is having a teeth check. When his teeth were done earlier this month I woke up late and couldn't be doing with catching 2 buns so I took Bruce on his own - he was kept in but I thought it would be ok as I was at home with Flo all day. She was distinctly off with him when he came home. I would say even take the pair in when one is being neutered. I think it is important for the other to see that their friend has been through a serious op and experience tightens the bond.

FarplaceRescue wrote:But I know I am not doing my best for marley.

I do think you are doing the best you can in the current situation and a whole lot better than being dumped on the moors

If you get a single girl come in, I would be inclined to try him with her - I wonder if he is lonely and grumpy.

Rosie and Murphy both went to the vet's together when Rosie went for her Op but because it was a major Op she had to be split up from Murphy. Some rabbits do tend to ignore their bonded partner after one has had a major Op and they are apart for awhile while one is healing it's the smell. Although they have been next to each other since and seem to sit near each other and love each other still it's a different story when they are now out in a pen together and we have tried everything apart from the bath and the pet carrier and drive around the block. We are not to keen on putting them in the bath to bond them that may be a last resort.

We went throught this with Ruby and Charlie when Ruby went to have her polyps removed although they were together all the time when she returned from the vets and they were put back together Charlie just chased her and was trying to bite her where she had the operation. It took us ages to get them back together and we did it by just letting them both out in the garden together and that worked.

You know Jan if Marley's owner said that they would dump him on the moors then I dare say they were not that kind to him as they obviously didn't love him enough if they could dump him, no wonder he is so unhappy. Had we the space we would have took him Jan as we usually take the rabbits that rescues can't rehome but we are lacking space and at the moment we just can't afford to take another on it's the vet bills that take a lot of our money.

Maysie.... if you have room to take marley we can pay for his upkeep - vet care, food, everything.
A lot depends on if you have room.
He's a sweet boy. I love him to bits.
He is big (not giant, but BIG) and was loving and sweet. He's now a maniac with teeth and claws.
This is not a problem for me - he's still my Marley.
I just want him to be happy.
I have a cat dental at the vets on Mon morning.
Perhaps Tuesday I can get Marley in for a check-up.
Will keep you posted.

We have discussed it Jan and we don't really have the room he would have to go in the boarding shed and we have already a bonded pair of huge Chinchilla buns in there who's owners asked us if we would take them on as they had a premature baby that was poorly and the buns were getting neglected. We need the boarding shed as that is our only income. We also have to remember there is only 2 of us to take care and look after 23 bunnies, and when we are full of boarders that's even more work and we are not complaining but we are also not getting any younger .

There is a three legged one on the forum now needing a special home and we talked about taking him on yesterday but we haven't the space.

I hate having to not be able to take special bunnies on and I feel so guilty in letting them down but we just can't do it at the moment. When we lost Pud we brought Lucy Rose into the house from the boarding shed and she now has Pud's indoor hutch.

Sorry Jan I feel so awful now

Jan why don't you put some of your buns in the rabbits in need section for rehoming you never know. Marley look's like a Continental Giant Cross by his ears.

Maysie, there will always be one more special bun out there than you are able to look after. Don't feel bad - you are already helping 23 of them have a far better life than they would have had otherwise.

Humum says that in a few weeks, when they have been able to progress with the garden renovation, she might be in a position to take Marley on, if that is ok with Jan. I will be spayed and looking for a husbun, but if he just won't bond with anyone, he could have the chalet and his own run at the bottom end of the garden. (Hudad has just agreed with this too ) and no need to pay anything towards his upkeep...

Sparky how many suitors do you have now?

Sparky wrote:Maysie, there will always be one more special bun out there than you are able to look after. Don't feel bad - you are already helping 23 of them have a far better life than they would have had otherwise.

Humum says that in a few weeks, when they have been able to progress with the garden renovation, she might be in a position to take Marley on, if that is ok with Jan. I will be spayed and looking for a husbun, but if he just won't bond with anyone, he could have the chalet and his own run at the bottom end of the garden. (Hudad has just agreed with this too ) and no need to pay anything towards his upkeep...

Oh Sparky I love you

cheryl'n'bruce'flo wrote:Sparky how many suitors do you have now?

Humum spots loads of bunnies that she would love to bring home, but would rather take one that others would not. She has already decided that if I end up picking a husbun from a rescue, it will either be a long-term resident who nobody else has wanted or one who needs special care. After all, we have given her a fair amount of practice

Tuckerbunnies wrote:Oh Sparky I love you

And all us bunnies love you and appreciate all you do for us

Sparky are you going to go and visit Jan to date all her lovely boys?

I think Sparky & Marley should go on a date

Oh gosh, don't encourage her!

She would willingly take Marley anyway, as she could give him a home on his own if that is what he turned out to want, and spend lots of time with him herself - she likes a challenge

Hudad would fall in love with Ebony, as he has always wanted a black rabbit. So probably Bramble as well.

Then, of course, I would pick somebody completely different, and before you know it we would be coming home with a car full of buns, and a plan to take over half of next-doors garden without them noticing

Well, there's a lot to choose from... and at the moment, all in sub-standard accommodation. All I ask, for anyone who is interested in taking any of our bunnies, is that they get a better life than I am able to give them.
Here they get vet care, including neutering and vaccinations. They get an OK diet - 80% hay, plus pellets |(or mix) plus lots of veg.
They get toys (lots) changed often. Litter trays, changed daily. But they don't get the one to one care than SOME folks can give, because we have all the other animals to care for.
I wish I knew more about rabbits before i started this job - I think I would have spacialised in rabbits, and done it right.

Sparky wrote:Oh gosh, don't encourage her!

She would willingly take Marley anyway, as she could give him a home on his own if that is what he turned out to want, and spend lots of time with him herself - she likes a challenge

Hudad would fall in love with Ebony, as he has always wanted a black rabbit. So probably Bramble as well.

Then, of course, I would pick somebody completely different, and before you know it we would be coming home with a car full of buns, and a plan to take over half of next-doors garden without them noticing

I think your Mummy should give Marley a lovely home

I am like you Tuckerbunnies love, I would always go for the disadvantaged bun but like you, we are limited on space. For reasons I have explained before about my bunny (e cuniculi carrier) I am unable to take anymore on whilst he is wirh us. Like you, I would so love to help.

Hugfs

Jo xx

More pics of the Grumpy lad marley.

Hudad says: