QuestionHi Lee!
I've owned dogs and cats all my life but its my first time having a bunny as a pet and I'm still trying to figure out her behaviour. Mica is a female dwarf bunny. We've had her since she was six weeks old and she's ten weeks old now. She's an only-pet (no other animals share our attention). I've been reading up on rabbits since I got her but I have a few questions I haven't been able to find answers to.
Most sites portray bunnies as being quite independent but Mica so far has been very affectionate, she spends most of her time when she's out of the cage cuddling with us (which I love!) but I'm worried whether she might not be getting enough exercise, I've got her lots of toys (natural sponge, palm leaf mat, cat balls, toilet paper rolls, woven ball, wooden block, I've made her tunnels out of cardboard boxes, a digging box, etc.) but she only has a passing interest in them. Is she just a needy bunny or am I missing something. She also doesn't seem to mind being picked up of having any part of her touched. I know with cats and dogs you should pet them daily in more sensitive areas like ears and feet so they feel more comfortable when you need to give them ear drops or trim nails but should I do the same for my bunny?
Also she has a litter box for when she's out of the cage but only uses it occasionally, and pees on the sofa about once a day. Can we train her to be on the sofa without peeing? (She doesn't pee when she sits on our laps by the way, so she knows how to control it). A few website just suggest banning her from the sofa but I wouldn't like to do that.
We live in an apartment and I would like to grow some grass for her in a shallow tray on the balcony (we've already bunny-proofed it with platic netting) so she can jump up on it and eat or dig, can I buy any type of grass seeds? What about clover?
Lastly she'll be approaching maturity soon and I want to have her spayed. I know she'll reach sexual maturity at about 4 months old but I've read conflicting opinions about not spaying her too soon. How will I know when is the best time?
AnswerHi Angela,
if she likes being held right now that's fine. She will most likely grow to like playing more as she gets older. She'll get more interested in the tunnels and wood toys. The oly places I wouldn't touch would be her hip area (joint) and her rear legs (hocks). Most bunnies don't like that and if she tolerates it now probably won't later, so don't get in the habit. Also most don't like being touched around whiskers and underthe chin where their scent glands are. So avoid those as well.
The couch: she's marking/overmarking a scent there. Adding hers, or trying to overmark. You could try putting the litterpan on the sofa where she marks. If she goes next to it, you'll haveto put down some bunny-dedicated towels and when she goes give immediate correction (No Mica) and put her onto the floor gently. She will learn it is not the behavior you want. Don't be mad, but don't hop right down and play with her, otherwise she'll learn if I pee they come onto the floor and play with me.
To encourage litterpan use, make sure she can eat hay while in the pan, either put hay in the pan with her or hang around it. Also the bigger the pan the better. She will get bigger. All my guys use a large cat litterpan. On one end I put their hay. Top off with fresh a couple times a day, morning and at bedtime, clean out any wet stuff at bedtime when giving fresh hay.
Litter: use hardwood wood stove fuel pellets. Safe for them, absorbent, easy to just remove the used stuff, and inexpensive at $5-6 per 40 pound bag. Good litter and safe and saves money.
Do not get grass. You don't want to encourage digging in dirt and mud. That will come in with her, and you can't know for sure what bugs are in the soil and on the grass. You are begging for more medical problems. One of the key positives of an indoor house rabbit is that they are not exposed to bugs and illnesses present outdoors. Don't ruin the advantage. You will haveto go to the vet a lot more often, and you will have a dirty bunny you won't want running around on your carpet. Best thing to do is make a diggy pile, or diggy box. Cut up old (but clean) cotton tshirts (without glitter, external junk) and cut up old clean cotton towels, in a pile, or in a box with some entrance and exit holes, and many rabbits love to get in the pile/box and nibble and dig. It won't make them any more inclined to chew on clothing than they already are (won't make things worse). Every few weeks/month wash them and replace the really chewed up pieces with fresh pieces.
You need to get her spayed. You all will be happier. You'll notice behavior changes, most notably cage aggression will increase, sh'ell not like hands in her cage when she's in there. Just get a good rabbit vet (not all are) to do the surgery. Read up on the before and after stuff. They need extra attention and love after the procedure. If you can be there in recovery right after the operation for them that helps.
To find a good rabbit vet go here:
www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html
for a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.
Pick up the books I recommend if you don't already have them. rabbits are very different than dogs and cats - more delicate, their gut is extremely sensitive comparatively, they are a prey animal with different instincts. They also have lots in common - they are social, they are hierarchical (someone's always in charge), they like play, have unique personalities, express joy, happiness, fear, etc.