09/22/2020
It seems like I get so many people inquiring about adopting a rabbit, with no idea what a rabbit is like our what raising one well entails. Take Big G. For example. He is a hand raised baby, from parents with sweet temperaments, in the house, owned by a 12 year old girl. But I am a former teacher. And an not going to send him off with children and a parent that doesn't know that rabbits are actually LIVE animals. They eat. They p**p. They p*e. Usually they will attempt to hold their urine in when being handled, but a 3 pound animals had a tiny bladder. They don't hold it for long. So anytime anyone hold Rabbit they should plan their attire accordingly. Male rabbits between 4 and 6 months are like adolescent males of any species (and that definitely includes humans.) Their minds are on love. And I mean that euphemistically, of course. And generally. That is their only job, except for loving their people. (That one I mean literally.) We give ours a stuffed animal to snuggle, to keep them happy. We have had multiple bucks, intact, handled daily by a child that started off at 10 years old. She was nipped once (broke the skin but not enough to bleed) by a youngster in a s*xual frenzy. We have witnessed bucks "spraying" about 4 times. I noticed that our bucks that were total lunatics last year have calmed right down. Like any animal, including, again, people, rabbits take time to feel at home in new surroundings, and to feel trust for new people. Children have little arms and legs, a tentative feeling because it is new for them too. A rabbit feels those same things. I feel sorry for any rabbit adopted by people that expect it to act just like a stuffed animal.
Does are also tentative to new people. As they age the can get territorial. Honestly, the only one of ours that are territorial was our first one, that we adopted at four months. She calmed right down after being bred. But if course, breeding had built in risks and not the best way to get your doe docile. That said, we put any combination of does together in the play yard. They spend the time trying to prove dominance by hu***ng one another. Usually the ones that get sick of that find one of the many tubes, stools and play houses to get into where being mounted is not possible. After being moved to a new family and environment, my guess is that territorial behavior might arise for awhile. If a doe makes angry grunt noises. She is communicating to people that she doesn't feel comfortable with your hand in HER home, it touching HER bowl. Lectures from yo on appropriate behavior is unlikely to phase her at all. I suggest putting on a leather garden glove or cooking mitt. Happily, this usually only applies to her territory.
Well, it is getting late, so for today I will leave to with a bit of wisdom that any pet book will tell you. The best way to get rid of s*x and hormone based behavior is spay or neutering. However, my word of wisdom is that this is probably not needed if you are always kind and understanding. Don't panic the first time you are sprayed it grunted at. We have never seen behavior that my 12 year old can't handle. However, I do require and agreement that if and hormone related behavior that interferes with your relationship with your rabbit, that you will look into neutering and not just dump him or her for doing exactly what rabbits are famous for.
Sadly, when I give people some very basic understanding that poor G is ALIVE and an adolescent, he gets dumped for some rabbit with a breeder willing to let their rabbit go to people that will almost definitely get rid of it, one way or another, when it wiggles in their arms or p**ps on their floor. And that makes me sad, because they aren't going to find a more affectionate or loving pretty than Big G. We just have too many in the house and he wants more love and affection than we can give to him. But I believe we will find the perfect human for him. Without compromising his safety.
