The Rabbit Thread

[SummerRain]

Oh he's just adorable !

Sounds like he finally got a lucky break. I'm surprised the shelter adopted a rabbit out to a classroom, I know that class pets is more common in the USA but usually there are rules with adoption that are quite strict.

How many rabbits do you have?

 

[Lord Snot]

The class pets thing is very strange, is it supposed to teach the children responsibility and how to care for something? I bet they were picking him up all the time and shouting and scaring him... I can't really think of any species that would do well in that environment?

 

[KLS52]

Cody is adorable.

Do, or should I say can, rabbits do well with cats, especially if the cat is very laid back?

 

[RabbitLuvr]

Sounds like he finally got a lucky break. I'm surprised the shelter adopted a rabbit out to a classroom, I know that class pets is more common in the USA but usually there are rules with adoption that are quite strict.

How many rabbits do you have?

She probably didn't tell the shelter she was going to keep him in a classroom. My rescue does home visits and stuff, but the shelter just has a paper application to adopt, and as long as you put the "right" answers and pay the fee, they don't ask a lot of questions.

I've got five rabbits now!

The class pets thing is very strange, is it supposed to teach the children responsibility and how to care for something? I bet they were picking him up all the time and shouting and scaring him... I can't really think of any species that would do well in that environment?

I saw the cage he had been in, it wasn't even big enough for him to have a place to hide, and he didn't know how to use a litter box when I took him. Even if the kids weren't picking him up, he was probably scared all the time. Most children that young don't know how to handle a small animal. He's bitten my hand several times, but I don't blame him one bit.

Cody is adorable.

Do, or should I say can, rabbits do well with cats, especially if the cat is very laid back?

They can! Several of our rabbit foster homes also have cats. I've heard of a rabbit losing her bond mate and then bonding with the family cat, too.

 

[Lord Snot]

The vet visit went very well

Harry is indeed up to 2kg, the vet was as surprised as I was and very pleased. I brought Jessica along and the vet said since she is spayed, Harry doesn't have to be neutered but I want to get it done. Mr Snot is very sensitive to the smell of his pee and neutering should reduce the odour a fair bit. She still could only feel one testicle though and that one is very small (poor Harry) so she said to come back in a month and they will see if they've dropped yet. Jessica was not happy about her husbun being manhandled in that way, she was rattling the carrier door to get out and rescue him. The vet had a look at Jess too and said she is not overweight, and her ear is just a lop ear.

Edit: Forgot to ask. If Harry's balls haven't descended yet, is he probably younger than the 7 months he's supposed to be?

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I'm glad the vet visit went well!!

Neutering should indeed reduce the odor of Harry's urine, plus he won't spray- always a plus! It should also calm him down a bit, less digging, fewer poops outside the litter box. He could be younger than 7 months, or just a bit late to develop.

Since Jessica is a "meat breed," ( ) she will probably always seem a little bulky. I love that she wanted to rescue Harry!
After having bonded rabbits, no one will ever be able to convince me that non-human animals can't feel "love."

 

[Lord Snot]

Oh I agree, they are so in love. They want to be close to each other and you can see their pure joy when they play. I'm finding it much more rewarding watch their love than feeling the love of a cat or a dog myself. I can't really explain why, I just feel very privileged to witness it whereas when animals are devoted to me I feel kind of anxious that their happiness is dependent on me, and I feel like it's pretty unconditional (esp dogs). I'm just babbling now but I hope other bonded bunny mums know what I mean!

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I understand! Sometimes I walk by the rabbit room and see Opal and Benjamin, both of whom couldn't care less about me if I don't have treats, snuggled together. They like to lie cheek to cheek, and sometimes I'll catch her give him a little lick on his nose and go back to snuggling. It makes me so happy to see them happy!

 

[Lord Snot]

Uh oh, they are really sulking hard after their vet visit. They've been in bed for 6 hours and show no signs of coming out to play with us!

 

[RabbitLuvr]

Uh oh, they are really sulking hard after their vet visit. They've been in bed for 6 hours and show no signs of coming out to play with us!

Is it weird that I love that rabbits hold grudges?
I also like that they turn their back to me when they're mad. I know they can see me!

 

[Lord Snot]

Is it weird that I love that rabbits hold grudges?
I also like that they turn their back to me when they're mad. I know they can see me!

I love it too, they are like toddlers throwing tantrums

Even better, I went in there to see them and Jessica hopped in front of Harry and turned her back to me, like "you'll have to get past ME if you want to take him again!"

Nearly 8 hours now, and it's 15 minutes until veggie time. I wonder if that will tempt them out...

 

[Lord Snot]

Ha just witnessed such a funny bunny fight. They're eating their evening veggies and Harry dragged out the last bit of mint and was munching it, when Jessica hopped in behind him and snatched it ninja-style. Harry finished chewing, looked down and saw his mint was gone, then looked at Jessica and tried to grab it out of her mouth. She kept moving her head to stop him, and Harry was going crazy trying to get to her mouth. Jessica won, she ate all the mint

Harry then jumped on her back for revenge and she ran off, but they made up a few seconds later.

Edit: I caught the end of it on video, you can kinda see what happened

 

[SummerRain]

haha aww adorable he did look pretty miffed at the end! (also somebody was watching the apprentice!)

I used two have two other bunnies, both girls, and one used to steal food right out of the mouth of the other. Just grab the end and tear it out. It was rather rude.

 

[Lord Snot]

How embarrassing. So when we took the bunnies in earlier in the week the vet couldn't feel Harry's testicles. She looked at his genitals and said she thought it was a ***** but she wasn't entirely sure because the difference between a ***** and a vagina in bunnies is not big. She asked us to come back in a month to see if the testicles had developed.

I got a call this morning saying she had spoken to the other vet who is a rabbit expert and they want to see Harry to check if he is a hermaphrodite

 

[ledboots]

How embarrassing. So when we took the bunnies in earlier in the week the vet couldn't feel Harry's testicles. She looked at his genitals and said she thought it was a ***** but she wasn't entirely sure because the difference between a ***** and a vagina in bunnies is not big. She asked us to come back in a month to see if the testicles had developed.

I got a call this morning saying she had spoken to the other vet who is a rabbit expert and they want to see Harry to check if he is a hermaphrodite

That's kind of cool. They might do an ultrasound to check.

 

[Lord Snot]

That's kind of cool. They might do an ultrasound to check.

It'll be cool if they don't want me to pay for it. They said the sex check is free, but if they can't determine the sex visually I don't know if further tests would be free.

I'm kinda anxious about it. I don't care what sex he is but I really really want him to be neutered because his pee smell is really bothering Mr Snot. I don't know if it will even be possible to neuter him if he's a hermaphrodite

 

[ledboots]

It'll be cool if they don't want me to pay for it. They said the sex check is free, but if they can't determine the sex visually I don't know if further tests would be free.

I'm kinda anxious about it. I don't care what sex he is but I really really want him to be neutered because his pee smell is really bothering Mr Snot. I don't know if it will even be possible to neuter him if he's a hermaphrodite

In humans, it would be much more common to have undescended testicles than hermaphroditism. It seems as if they could neuter him in that case, but it might be a little more intense surgery than with the usual male.

ETA, sorry about the "cool" comment. Nurse, always interested in the rare. I once had a patient with 2 uteruses, complete with working ovaries, etc. She was pregnant in one of them.

 

[Lord Snot]

In humans, it would be much more common to have undescended testicles than hermaphroditism. It seems as if they could neuter him in that case, but it might be a little more intense surgery than with the usual male.

ETA, sorry about the "cool" comment. Nurse, always interested in the rare. I once had a patient with 2 uteruses, complete with working ovaries, etc. She was pregnant in one of them.

No I agree, it is pretty cool in a wow-biology-is-awesome way! I don't think it's hugely likely that he is intersexed, hopefully the vet can put my mind at rest on Thursday

 

[Lord Snot]

What a gorgeous bunny

 

[SummerRain]

Nawww those Rex bunnies (I think he's a Rex?) look like they're made of velvet!