Daniel asks…
Why is my rabbit/bunny doing this?
Whenever I hold my new rabbit (my aunt gave to me about a month ago, and she had for a few months before that, I beleive she is still a baby rabbit) I try to make her comfortable because she is always nervous. I usually sit on the couch and put her on my stomach and pet her. She runs all over, and she scratches at my clothes like she is trying to dig, and she also bites me shirt. I have to sit with a blanket over me because I am scared that she will bite through to my skin or rip my clothes. Why is she doing this?
admin answers:
She is playing and inviting you to play (when she digs in your clothes) but she is being naughty by chewing your clothes. Just like you would not let a puppy pee on the floor and chew your good shoes, you should not let the rabbit do whatever it wants.
You need to learn how to properly handle a rabbit and practice, practice, practice so you can do it with ease. Do not let her chew your clothes. Tell her “No” and give her a little touch above the nose then redirect her when she tries to chew clothes. It’s like teaching a child. They do something naughty, you tell them “No” and don’t harp on it but redirect them to a new, more fun activity.
Rabbits are smart and learn quickly…..but they ARE smart and will take advantage of a push-over so learn good handling techniques and take charge and direct the play in the way you want it to go.
It can be fun teaching a rabbit to do tricks. Try training your rabbit with tiny treats. You can do rabbit agility or rabbit hopping (see YouTube). Those activities are more constructive and fun than chewing clothes.
Joseph asks…
Can my guinea pig get bordetella from migrating rabbit hair?
I keep a guinea pig in the downstairs of my house, and I’m currently fostering a bunny that I keep upstairs. But the bunny sheds a lot; when I pet her hair gets all over my clothes. And the hair isn’t easy to brush off, it’s really wispy and fuzzy, not like…dog hair, or something…. It sticks to EVERYTHING.
So I was wondering, if I pick up my guinea pig to play with her, and there’s bunny hair all over my clothes, can she get bordetella?
Bordetella = an Upper Respitory Infection (URI) that guinea pigs can get from rabbits.
I’ve read a lot about bordetella…apparently guinea pigs can catch it through the air if they’re near enough to a bunny…. But I haven’t found any information on how the infection is carried by the bunny, so I don’t know if the hair is dangerous in itself.
[Afterthought: It would be neat if somebody could tell me how bunnies carry bordetella (in their skin, mouth, etc). Like, what part of them is dangerous for piggies to touch.]
I dunno for sure if the bunny has it. I heard they can “carry” it without showing any symptoms.
admin answers:
Yes, they can get bordetella (causes Kennel Cough in dogs) from hair. Actually, it is so contagious to other animals that it can be transferred on clothes. If you were holding your rabbit and then went to your GP, there’s a chance it could be on your shirt and your GP can catch it.
It’s a respiratory infection, so most of the bacteria is in their lungs. That being said, since rabbits breathe, it can get on their fur, face, feet, etc. Healthy animals should not be allowed anywhere near an animal with bordetella.
If you want to learn more about bordetella check out these sites:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&articleid=452 (dogs, but still applicable)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordetella
Hope that helps!
Carol asks…
Female rabbit…Why is she doing this?
I adopted a 2 year old female Rex Rabbit and she is VERY friendly and falls over on her back when i pet her. She binkies around and shakes her head and falls asleep on my leg. She seems happy and at home here. One thing is she kicks pee at me and its very fustrating having to change my clothes a few times a day. Why is she kicking pee at me? I love everything about her other then that.
she is not spayed. I am nerves to spay her because i lost my first rabbit a month ago (he was almost 6 years old). He didnt make it after surgrey for an overgrown mollar. My vet said it wasnt nessessary to spay her so i hope she stops peeing on me.
admin answers:
She’s spraying you or “marking you”. Not all rabbit do this and, yes, its extremely annoying. Doe’s do it more rarely. It is usually the bucks that do it if at all.
I’ve decided to take it as a compliment and move faster. You’ll get bothered by it enough to begin to look for the signs that she’s starting to do her little dance before spraying and move faster, too.
She may grow out of it if she keeps missing or you hold her down when she begins her little pee dance.
Robert asks…
Any ideas about rabbit lice/mites?
OK, I have a grey lionhead rabbit. Today I was petting her and looked into her hair and spread some a little to see down to her skin.
I noticed tiny white dots – about a pin head size and I saw one def move away as if I had disturbed it.
What is this? Could I have caught this condition from her? I have been trying to find out stuff online but not had much luck. I have changed all my clothes and been hoovering and putting anything she touched in black bags to keep in one place.
These dots I saw weren’t confined to her ears or the back of the neck. The ones I saw were more on her back. There is no flakey dandruff or anything or hair loss. I have see her scratch but not obsesively.
Any ideas? Please let me know. She is due a trip to vet very soon so don’t worry about that but would just like to know ahead of time, esp. the risk to humans.
Thanks.
My sis is taking Poppy to the vet tomorrow.
She def. came from the pet shop with mites and she even has a bed leg too so the shop are paying the bill. She has a good home now. Poor thing.
admin answers:
I think it is definitely serious. Make sure you notify your vet about this. They will most likely give you some medicine to treat her with and soon, she’ll be good as new.
Good luck!
David asks…
Aren’t Chinchilla Coats awfully cruel to them Chinchillas!!?
I used to have a pet rabbit, rabbits are very similar to chinchillas and I would be outraged at someone killing just one bunny to look good… Ughh they are small it would take ALOT of them to make a coat… I consider myself to ba a fasionister (instead of fashionista) and I’m sorry if you wear something that had to bleed to be made, you have NO TASTE IN CLOTHES WHATSOEVER
admin answers:
You know what, IT IS CRUEL and that “A silent reminder” guy left that comment is ball sucking fagot. He’s obviously an animal abuser. He can kiss my big fat ass.
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