"Are you going to eat that?"

[zippy-kat]

Communicating with your bunnie:

(Selections taken from this website:Webhippie (http://www.webhippie.com/rabbit_lang/index.html) )

BEHAVIOR: Rubbing chin on things, such as houseplants, priceless armoirs, Italian leather shoes. A great misconception: It does NOT mean “marking territory”—it’s a rabbit custom, like saying grace in front of a meal.
WHAT IT MEANS: “One day I will eat you.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Give your bunny more sticks and branches, keep your stuff off the floor, and kiss the antiques goodbye.

BEHAVIOR: Male: Hopping around you in circles with tail up. VARIATIONS: Hopping in or out of your legs, possibly carrying a checkbook cover, stick or some other item, biting your feet, trying to get you to hop over him. Spraying.
WHAT IT MEANS: Courting behavior: Those are big sexy feet you have.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Quickly sit down on your feet.

BEHAVIOR: Female: Ripping her own fur out from all over her body, and collecting it in her mouth. Later burying it in your bedsheets when you are not looking. Running around the house with small stuffed animals or socks in her mouth.
WHAT IT MEANS: This is where I am having my babies.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Move out of your bed and sleep on the floor where you will be available for latenight petting.

BEHAVIOR: Balanced on hind legs, little front feet in the air.
WHAT IT MEANS: Classic begging pose. Also means “let’s see if I can grab that food out of your hand.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Lower your hand so that he has a fighting chance.

BEHAVIOR: Biting things (like wires) that she knows are off limits. Or Crazed biting.
WHAT IT MEANS: She is angry. Rabbits have a real temper. Probably comes from being the world’s dinner. Rabbits do not like being overpowered. You must be more gentle.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Hold some paper or wood in front of her mouth that she can rip it to pieces. Try a loud sniff—rabbits sniff when they are angry, show her you are angry.

There's lots more at the above website...ENJOY!!

[aly]

Thats great information. Time to get a bunny so I can put it to use :D

[zippy-kat]

Originally posted by aly
Thats great information. Time to get a bunny so I can put it to use :D

Yes! I agree--you should get one, buns are GREAT!!

[Daisylover]

Yeah, there's nothing like a bunny to put a lot of laughter in your life. Besides being cute, they are real comedians. And contrary to the image of bunnies we all grew up with (soft and cuddly), they can be assertive and independent.....what it comes down to is that really, No one "owns" a bunny, the bunny owns you! :cool:

[tazz1227]

You are SO RIGHT Daisey. Boy Boy and Girl Girl run things. I made an appointment to take them to the vet to get their nails clipped tomorrow and I found out last night, they can't both fit in the carrier anymore....so what do I do. :confused: I have a box and I will buy them a bigger carrier later. :D

[Daisylover]

Tazz, I completely understand about the carrier problem. ONE TIME (and one time only) I decided to take 5 buns in for their yearly check up at the same time....I thought I'd save myself some time...instead it was a zoo. What was I thinkin'???!!! :rolleyes: Daisy had to be by himself, since he is a brat. Then I had 3 bunnies in my large carrier and the 3rd carrier could only fit one....so here's Cathy with 3 carrier's and five bunnies, one of whom hates everyone else. The vet said she was quite entertained by The Gang. But let me assure you that I WILL never do that again...I'd rather make sev. trips....MUCH less stress!
Another thing...it's not like carrier's are inexpensive.......it's always something with rabbits! :p

[tazz1227]

You are so funny. Boy Boy has acquired a very "territorial" thing with me. She doesn't want Girl Girl near me, to touch me and she takes her treats. Boy, sibling rivalry. But they still end up sleeping right under each other. Spoiled brats. :)

[Daisylover]

Sounds like you may need to get Girl Girl away for some "private" lovin'!!! I've tried telling my guys that everyone is equal in my heart and will pet 2 or 3 of them at the same time (that's a trick in itself) so no one feels left out. Jealousy is such a challenge to deal with! :)

That actually sounds like a good thread.....

[tazz1227]

She doesn't want love. She doesn't want you to touch her. I tried to just keep doing it so she could get used to it but she is having no parts of it. Boy Boy will sit on my stomach and eat treats and Girl Girl will come on the side, get the treat and run. So Boy Boy gets the rubs and kisses. :) But she will let me rub her if they are laying together. I have just resolved that she is determined not to be a cuddly bunny. hee hee

[Daisylover]

Yeah, I've had that experience myself. I kind of feel bad that Robbie, my shy one, misses out on bunny massages.... I've struggled with how to handle this. What I do occasinally (and probably should do more often) is to force myself on him by picking him up and talking softly to him. My hope is that he will see that me and the bunny massage is really a nice experience. But somedays that works and somedays it doesn't....I kinda think I don't keep at it enough to get him used to me. So am I being mean by insisting on handling him??? I can't decide. :confused:

[tazz1227]

Well I was going to ask YOU...the expert this. I currently work 2 jobs and I don't get as much time as I would like with them but I try hard to lay on the floor with them and play whenever I can. I only have one more week at my second job so I will be able to come home and spend more time and hoefully she will be more receptive. I want to just pick her up and let her deal with it but she fights so bad to get away that I feel bad when I do it. :( They just turned 6 months and I still think they are "trainable" to be loved. What do you think?

[Daisylover]

I think you might want to pursue picking Girl Girl up and getting her used to you as she is still young. Robbie is 2 yrs old and when I got him I too had 2 jobs and he kinda got lost in the shuffle. So I have more of a problem now getting him used to me since he's older. I will ask the director of the sanctuary about this.... I really don't think it's harmful or otherswise I wouldn't do it. I just feel guilty. :(

[tazz1227]

So you don't think by 6 months they are "stuck in their ways"? I feel like I am traumatizing her. :) She does like to be chased though. When I chase her on my hands and knees and touch her feet, she jumps up in the air and runs. Once she goes under the bed, I know play time is over. She knows I do not climb under the bed after her. My girlfriend's children do and my boyfriend does, but I do not. :) And with the weather getting nice I want to take them out but if I can't pick them up and put a harness them, then they can't go out.

[Daisylover]

Tazz, I had a wonderful experience with Robbie last Saturday evening. (I put this under a different thread but will put it here again since I want you to see it....)

I was sitting on the floor with Chocolate, petting her and another bunny came up to be petted, so I started petting the second one...and after a moment or two, realized it was Robbie!!! To say I was shocked is putting it mildly. He only stayed a minute or two, but this is SUCH progress for him. Of course, he has continued to run away when I am standing.... I'm thinking the secret with him is that I absolutely must be on the floor (at his level) and that I don't force myself on him every day. So don't give up on Girl Girl :D :D :D !!!

So my answer to your question are 6 mo. old bunnies stuck in their ways..is NO! Robbie will be 3 years old this month (party time!!!!!)

[tazz1227]

I am so happy to hear of ANY bunny progress !!! :D :D :D

[Daisylover]

Tazz, after that great experience of finally being able to pet Robbie...he hasn't let me get close to him again. He's back to acting like I beat him once a day and twice on Sundays. Success was fleeting....... :(
I am going to keep after him though. ;)

[tazz1227]

You are so crazy. I just started laughing and people wanted to know what I was laughing at. :) :) Girl Girl is still "stand offish" too. Boy Boy is clingy !! This morning she kept nudging me with his nose but she didn't want treats and I couldn't figure out what she wanted so I rubbed her but I don't think that was it. They didn't have much use for me yesterday since I had been gone all weekend. :( :( Mommy needed a break too. Went to North Carolina to visit a girlfriend and went to a day spa and had a ball!! :) :)

[Daisylover]

Girl Girl was probably trying to tell you she missed you! Even if she is not a warm, snug cuddler she was probably wondering where you were and why weren't your trying to win her over. She obviously feels you need to prove yourself and is making you WORK for her affection!!! ;)

Hope you had a great bunny sitter. A day at the spa, huh? Sounds absolutely wonderful!

[tazz1227]

I have been "sucking up" since I got back!! I geve them a banana and they were happy but then when the treat was gone...they were gone off into their own world and left me alone !! :( :( I will suck up some more today. Why don't they love me??:confused: :confused:

[Daisylover]

I'm sure they do love you....in their own bunny way. You might try I'd try sitting on the floor with them more often and talking to them while watching tv or reading. I just now saw you email from March on Tunnels! My apologies.

The answer is--go to Lowe's or Home Depot or someplace that sells home improvement stuff and buy a concrete form...they use them to set mail box posts or deck footings. They come in different sizes so even BIG buns can get through them. Bunny Bytes has a great tunnel made of willow, which they can chew on and Busy Bunny has a triangular tunnel that's real good too.
The only problem with the concrete form is that it's round so it rolls. I ended up putting theirs between the wall and then put something heavy in front of it so it wouldn't roll why they are in there. Hope this helps.