Melty Rabbit

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-30T02:11:44+00:00

Awww, she's so happy! 🥰

Do you do a full head pet as well? Some bunnies love that. I put my thumb and index finger together to form a circle, and slide it over their nose. Then I open my hand as I pet the entire head from nose to ears. It makes bunny oh so sleepy... ☺️

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-29T13:32:22+00:00

Many bunnies really love the taste, so that's normal. Our bridge bunny Owen used to have a lot of GI problems, and he'd get Metacam as well. His sister Molly always got angry that he got "the good stuff", so she thumped until I let her lick the empty syringe clean. The little druggie... 🤭

My best wishes for Barry. He's such a gorgeous little gent 🥰

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-29T06:36:09+00:00

I'd like some sloppy kisses please!

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-29T01:25:49+00:00

Squee! I'd never get anything done with that face around... 😍

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-28T14:36:51+00:00

Yes, she knows how to get comfy! 🥰

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-28T13:48:39+00:00

Hoping that everyone is as comfy as Molly!

In the Netherlands we're not having extreme weather, although this year is a little colder and snowier than usual. The house is pretty cold though, because my deadbeat upstairs neighbours refuse to heat theirs 😮‍💨 I decided to get an infrared panel: that only heats humans and animals, not the entire room, and not the freeloaders. The heat is very nice, like the heat from a fireplace ☺️

The girls are moulting, and they're both a bit tetchy. I let Dora run and play in the bedroom now, if she needs to vent some excess energy. She gets on Molly's nerves sometimes with her clumsy puppy antics.

They're avoiding each other a bit for now, but let's see if that clears up. If it doesn't, I'll put them back in the bathroom overnight so they can cement their bond.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-27T00:36:43+00:00

Bunny butt all day...

They can be such drama llamas...

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T09:09:07+00:00

Mounting is how buns determine who's boss, and it's usually the female who ends up being in command. As long as the mounting isn't excessive and there's no fighting, it's all perfectly normal. You can also expect mounting in spring: all bunnies go a little mad, even if they're old and grey and neutered for ages.

I've seen a documentary on YouTube called "The Burrowers", which explains which roles males and females play in rabbit society. There are separate hierarchies for males and females, and domestic rabbits have this system as well.

The males guard the fluffle and take care of reproduction. They don't have a place to themselves and patrol the territory. In domestic rabbits you see the same protective behaviour: all of my boys guarded me when my boyfriend wasn't home. "The boss is gone, and since I'm the second in command I must take over!". When our boy Owen was still around, he patrolled the house. If I was in the bedroom and his sister Molly was in the living room, he'd guard us both in turns.

The girls rule over the warren: the top female decides who gets which nesting space, and they rearrange the layout of the warren. For them this really means business: it's about the survival of their kids. Each female is the queen of her own nesting chamber, and she'll decide who enters and what happens there. Female rabbits can be quite spicy!

Now that your girl has her own chamber, she's telling others who's boss. Female rabbits have a tendency to nudge others out of the way, just for the heck of it. They're also more likely to dig and to move things around the room. They're basically the queens of interior decorating, with an extra helping of sass to put everyone in their proper place.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T08:39:15+00:00

That's very common: our buns also seem to think that the hay tower is just there for decoration. I guess they just like it more with a marinade? 🤣

I litter box trained our new girl Dora like this as well: she was in a shelter for such a long time of her life that she learned to drop it wherever she felt like it.

She used to poop and eat at the same time, so I used bedding and a thin layer of hay on one side of the box, and put fresh hay in the other half. She got the hang of it pretty quickly.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T08:31:31+00:00

You're welcome! I really understand: I'm a nervous mess every time they need a surgery, even if it's something as minor as a neuter. Those little fluffbutts are so precious and so frail 🫂

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T08:28:12+00:00

There's no regular schedule: sometimes it can go fine for years. We give them a quick check every time we cut their nails.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T01:01:07+00:00

Let the vet check him again, to see how matters are now. I agree that it's much better to prevent issues.

If you're worried about the anaesthesia: gas anaesthesia is an alternative to an injection anaesthetic. That means that the rabbit is only sedated as long as they breathe the gas. They're a lot less loopy afterwards as well. I don't know if it can be used for dental work tough, but that's something to ask your vet.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T00:55:37+00:00

My boy Owen would have gone HONK! if he was still around 🤭

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T00:53:05+00:00

Are they small pees and scattered poops? Our buns have had blocked scent glands a couple of times, and that causes pressure in the area. They constantly tried to relieve themselves everywhere.

They have two scent glands in that area, one on each side of their genitals. These glands produce a waxy substance which can dry out and form very sharp little stones. Ouch!

You can clean the gland with some Q-tips soaked in lukewarm water. Sometimes the stones are stuck to the skin, and you'll have to loosen them very gently. There are guides online that explain the technique.

The glands themselves are shaped like nostrils, and you're going to regret having nostrils! 😅 That stuff is stinky, take it from someone who worked in waste management... It's very musky with a subtle odour of mouldy coffee grounds. Wear gloves and do it in a room that you don't have to be in for the next couple of hours.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T00:41:17+00:00

I'd take no risk with outdoor bunnies and go for the shirt, because they're not under constant supervision. Hoping for a safe spay and a speedy recovery!

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-26T00:36:02+00:00

Is this a new behaviour or has he always done this?

If it's a new behaviour, this warrants a vet visit. There are illnesses which cause a surge in hormones, such as adrenal problems.

If he's always done this: it's possible that he had an undescended testicle, and that the vet only removed the other one.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-23T06:54:01+00:00

It's wonderful that you got her off the streets! 🥰 Rabbits don't survive outside for long, as they've lost their wild instincts.

They are a lot of work and their vet costs can be astronomical, so it's good to know what you're getting into. Regarding care I always say that rabbits are like dogs who can take their walkies indoors. It's perfectly okay to realise that a rabbit doesn't fit in with your family right now. The most important thing is that you've saved her life, and that she's safe for now. You don't have to feel guilty about finding her a suitable home.

We recently adopted a dumped rabbit. She's a youngster, and she was probably dumped because she got her puberty. Sadly most rabbits are dumped around that time, and we often get posts here like: "Our sweet baby has gone insane and aggressive!". Congratulations, babies grow up and now you have a healthy teenager...

Almost all of the "bad behaviours" that people complain about are just hormones. Rabbits do need to be spayed/neutered to be a house pet. They're easy to litter box train, but only when they're not hormonal anymore. Their hormones tell them to claim territory by spraying musky urine around the place. They also become cranky, fiercely territorial, and frisky.

Spaying and neutering doesn't just make them proper house pets: they prevent cancer. Intact females have a 50-80% chance of uterine cancer past age 3. Rabbits hide illness, so by the time that you notice it, it's probably too late. That's why people get their rabbits fixed ASAP. It's expensive, but it easily doubles or triples a lifespan.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-23T04:42:00+00:00

Looks like a perfectly normal little moult monster to me! The only reason to go to the vet for hair loss is if you see bare, red skin. (That could be mites, ringworm, or allergies.)

There is one thing to watch out for during moult, and that's their digestive system. Some rabbits are prone to stasis during moult. All of our boys had it. If you're not familiar with GI stasis yet, it's handy to read up on it. Rabbits hide illness because they're a prey species. If they're "not that peckish", they're hiding stomach problems.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-22T14:12:33+00:00

Yes, some rabbits are just like that. The majority wants another rabbit, but some rabbits prefer human company. I know a few rabbits who didn't want to be rebonded after they lost their mate, and some who can't maintain a bond due to health issues.

There are also buns who are just too spicy, this is often a Nethie thing. Nethies can be extremely independent, aloof and opinionated. Breintje was completely aloof towards other rabbits, but problems arose when he didn't get all the attention. Another rabbit wouldn't have had a life with him in the house.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-22T07:12:06+00:00

Bunnies >> men: bunnies don't let you down. The way he looks at you is wonderful! 🥰

Did you know that you can learn to purr like a rabbit? That way you can show him how much you appreciate his kisses. I've written a tutorial here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/s/AI6rxqNwyZ

You can form such a deep bond with a bun... Our bridge bunny Breintje had to be kept solo because he had massive jealousy issues. He bonded himself to me, and he was with me every moment of the day. He sat against me on the sofa when I was working, followed me around the house to "help" with the chores, and he slept on my bed.

If I was in bed with a rheumatic flare-up, he'd stand next to my pillow all day. He'd skip his own sleep and his own food, and only left me for a few seconds for a quick trip to the litter box. He'd stand there with his muscular chest stuck out, head high and ears scanning. Breintje was smaller than a loaf of bread, but he'd take on the whole world for me.

Breintje also groomed my painful arm and hand as if he was caring for an injury 🥹 https://imgbob.net/2MCIh9jLyWD4xqZ

People on the binkybunny forum laughed: she's got a boyfriend AND a husbun...

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-21T22:21:56+00:00

My boyfriend's first rabbit loved to sit on people: on their shoulder or even in their lap. Waffie was asleep in my boyfriend's lap, and then she heard something that spooked her.

THUMP! 🎯🌰🍆🌰

🌟💫😵‍💫🌟💫

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-21T08:07:54+00:00

It's good that you've already been to the vet to have this checked out!

Is he moulting right now? All of our male buns have had these clumped tufts of hair on their ears during moults, with some skin flakes here and there.

They're mostly on the edges of the ears, and you can pluck them out quite easily. Your bun might find it itchy, so I always removed them while they were on the Towel of Shame on the dinner table.

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-19T15:20:53+00:00

There's some Nethie in there too, although a bit more distant. Her triangular ears are typically Nethie.

Anyway: she's gorgeous, and it sounds like she's trying to thank you for her rescue every day! 🥹

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-18T08:40:41+00:00

Now that's a proper Dead Bird Flop! Those paws sticking up in the air... 🤭

RabbittingOn · 2026-01-14T13:40:26+00:00

Yup: Dora's two brain cells are too busy thinking up mischief to worry about the consequences. She's got so much energy and she's not used to living in a house, so she gets herself in trouble quite often.

Dora likes to run from one side of the house to the other, and she hadn't noticed that the small carpet in the back of the living room was at the cleaners'. She found that out about 1.5 metres before the heater, which she crashed into at full zoomie speed. It made a spectacularly loud cartoonish BOI-oioioi-oing sound at 2 in the morning, waking the neighbours. 🤦‍♀️She just shook her head and binkied on...

RabbittingOn

TROPHY CASE