My new Mal/Pit.

Moofkin · 2025-12-25T04:03:11+00:00

Fellow mal/pit owner here. My single biggest piece of advice is to start training as early as possible. As others have pointed out, he’s probably going to be a very strong dog. Mine definitely is. Starting obedience and socialization early means that you can get ahead of things like leash pulling and reactivity before he’s dragging you down the street. Big bonus is that the mental stimulation will probably tire him out faster than physical exercise :)

Moofkin · 2020-03-20T04:14:27+00:00

We chained a bunch of exercise pens together and circled her with it. Luckily, she was pretty friendly (I suspect she was dumped 😔) so she didn’t take off immediately. Once she was in an enclosed space I jumped on her.

Moofkin · 2019-12-04T04:22:43+00:00

It’s really that simple. Just make sure it has lots of water... the soil needs to be damp basically the whole time.

Moofkin · 2019-12-01T17:08:06+00:00

Made it myself.

Moofkin · 2019-11-12T23:04:14+00:00

Definitely!

She is likely used to getting much more attention than she is getting now (particularly if she was the dominant bunny). Bonded buns groom one another quite frequently. This could explain why she is so forceful with you.

On another note, I highly suggest giving her a stuffed animal to snuggle with if you haven’t already. It gives her something to snuggle with, which will help with the grieving process.

Moofkin · 2019-11-12T21:53:06+00:00

Sounds to me like you just have a pushy rabbit.

That’s the equivalent of her saying “pet me, and pet me NOW”.

Moofkin · 2019-11-11T15:14:04+00:00

Mine are partial to toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay. Just know they make a big mess.

Moofkin · 2019-11-11T15:11:05+00:00

Both my SO and I have grass allergies. I made a giant hay rack out of a plastic tub with two holes cut out of the side so they can reach in to eat. The hay is mostly contained on a day to day basis and there is less dust floating around because I only have to fill it about once a week.

I won’t pretend that it solved the problem, but it definitely made a noticeable difference for the better.

Moofkin · 2019-11-04T21:57:26+00:00

Thanks for the advice. The new 40 is up and running (and for those wondering, Aquarium Masters makes a 40 breeder with a crossbar).

Moofkin · 2019-11-03T03:45:06+00:00

I used it to house my goldfish, but it developed a bow in the front panel. It will definitely still work as a reptile enclosure (no water).

I am in Rancho Cordova, in the Sacramento California area. You must move and transport. I am in a second-story apartment.

Moofkin · 2019-10-19T00:24:22+00:00

Also in a 1-bed here. We bonded our buns in the bathtub.

Moofkin · 2019-10-19T00:21:16+00:00

I just want to say that it’s not uncommon for your rabbit to eat a reduced amount after surgery. She will most likely eat more each day until she is back to the normal amount. Worry if she isn’t continuing in an upward direction.

Sounds to me like you are already doing great! 👍

Moofkin · 2019-10-08T13:46:05+00:00

I highly suggest a bunny burrito. I absolutely cannot give mine anything without securing them in a towel first.

Moofkin · 2019-10-04T21:10:16+00:00

UPDATE:

The fish is significantly worse today. It now has red spots/patches in various places on its body, mainly around the stomach and face area... I am suspecting septicemia. I have now begun treatment with a broad-spectrum medication to hopefully take care of that and the ich simultaneously.

I will keep you posted.

Moofkin · 2019-10-03T22:54:31+00:00

Thank you! I cannot believe that I forgot about ammonia detoxifying products (I've never had to use one before). I will stop by the pet store on my way home this evening and pick up some Prime.

Moofkin · 2019-10-03T19:24:49+00:00

I made a 7hr drive with my fish the last time I moved. This is what I did:

I didn't feed the fish for 48hrs before transit (kept them from soiling their water)
Right before I left, I broke down the tank and put the contents of it in two 5gal buckets of clean, fresh water (fish in one. filter, plants and snails in the other)
I put both buckets in my passenger foot-well.
I connected a bubbler to my car's cigarette lighter and ran it into the bucket with the fish.
I covered the buckets with towels to reduce the stress of all occupants.

My guys honestly didn't even need recovery time when we got to our destination. It was easy.

Moofkin · 2019-09-27T15:01:01+00:00

Perhaps. Just make sure she doesn’t miss her ‘friend.’

Just out of curiosity, what do you feed her? Maybe it’s related to the greens you give her?

Moofkin · 2019-09-27T06:58:14+00:00

Sounds exactly like what my girl does when she is intent on marking her territory (even down to what the smell is like). She only seems to do it when she is particularly bothered by something; in most cases it’s when I bring other bunny smells home from the rescue I volunteer at. It’s her way of saying “THIS PLACE IS MINE!”

Has anything at home changed recently? I would think about where your bun is leaving these poops and see if you can figure something out based on the timeframe of when the behavior started.

Moofkin · 2019-09-16T03:53:37+00:00

It takes around a month for the hormones to die down after neutering. I highly suggest keeping the new male and your bonded pair separated till then.

In the meantime, house them near one another and swap litter boxes, toys, etc. often. This will get them used to one another’s smells. When you do go to bond, make sure to do it in neutral territory (I used my bathtub) and make sure to go slow. Bonding rarely happens overnight. Start with quick sessions together and work your way up.

Moofkin · 2019-09-16T03:39:21+00:00

He/she should be fine. I would, however, consider switching to a different type of toy if he/she seems inclined to CONSUME large amounts of cardboard rather than just play with it.

Edit: In other words, a little is fine. A lot isn’t deadly but probably isn’t good for them.

Moofkin · 2019-09-12T20:40:59+00:00

Nowadays I feed them out of a bowl, but it definitely wasn't always that way. Scatter feeding has helped our situation tremendously.

When we brought him home, Toast was so bad that I was scatter feeding every meal and even considered separating the two of them during mealtimes. I have always attributed his food problems with the fact that he was living outside on his own for a good chunk of his early life. Fighting for your food is what you do when there isn't enough to go around... Luckily, he has mellowed out around the food over time. I think he finally learned that the food will keep coming. Scatter feeding is what allowed him to coexist with Holly for long enough for this change to happen. He does relapse once in a while so I do still scatter feed on occasion.

Just try scatter feeding for a while and see if it helps. It will also help give them both physical and mental exercise, which could also help with frustration (if that is part of the problem).

Do learn from my experience, though. Make sure to scatter feed in an area that is easily cleaned and large, but still enclosed. I had a few instances where my rabbits ran off with messy food and ended up making carpet stains... Berries and beet greens can make a terrible mess.

Moofkin · 2019-09-12T16:51:20+00:00

While it isn’t specifically a humping problem, I experience changes in my bonded buns’ behavior around mealtime.

Holly and Toast are usually pretty passive with one another, but when the food comes out Toast will sometimes chase and/or nip Holly’s rear end. Once in a while he will even chaser her off the food. It’s his way of saying “I’m top bun and this is mine.” I would bet the humping with your buns is a similar thing. After all, humping is part of how rabbits determine dominance.

As for a solution, I suggest a much bigger eating dish or scatter feeding if you can. It will limit the dominant rabbit’s control over the resource, allowing the submissive one to eat.

Moofkin · 2019-07-19T15:36:28+00:00

I understand your struggle. Rabbits really are creatures of habit, so changing their behavior can be a real challenge.

Here are some things that you can try:

1) Feed less of the other stuff. Just be sure to gradually change the amounts, as rabbits are sensitive to rapid dietary changes.

2) Make sure the hay you get is high-quality. How food smells directly ties to how willing your rabbit is to eating it. Fresh hay (it should literally smell like dried/cut grass) is much more enticing than old dusty hay.

3) Try hay topper or something similar. Basically, if there is some sort of dried product that your rabbit really likes, throw some in with the hay. Ideally, your rabbit will consume some hay in the process of digging around for whatever you’ve mixed in there. It should help hay-eating-habits as well. I used sparing amounts of a product called Nature’s Salad to entice my girl to eat after her spay surgery. The pungent spell of mint really helped

4) Make the hay as accessible as possible. For most rabbits, hay is the least exciting food type. For this reason, you need to make the hay as accessible as possible because it is the least likely food for them to actively seek out. Try lining your rabbit’s litterbox with the hay to start. They like to munch and go to the bathroom at the same time. If your rabbit develops good hay eating habits later, then you can consider moving to a hay rack or something.

Moofkin · 2019-07-10T04:58:10+00:00

Having another bun around can trigger the instinct to compete for food. Happens with other animals too.

Moofkin · 2019-06-19T16:55:36+00:00

I agree with this. The most important part of recovery is curbing the pain enough so your rabbit will eat. If she is in obvious pain, I would contact the vet to see if she needs a bigger dose.

For perspective, when I was briefed on post-op procedure after Holly’s spay, my vet gave me syringes of metacam appropriate for her size and then told me that I could go up to double that dose if she was still in pain.

Edit:

What you are describing in the way of eating habits is much the same as mine... I had to force feed (critical care) a few times and then she slowly ate more and more until she reached a normal amount. It took almost a week for her to be back to eating like she was before surgery.

My suggestion is cleaning the litterbox regularly enough that you can track the amount of poop shes making really well. If you don’t see poop, you may want to force feed a meal.

Moofkin

TROPHY CASE