I can't get Sisi out of her cage. *Help*

[ThatsMySimi]

HoneyPot wrote:

Sisi is at the age that ALL bunnies go through their hormonal stage. She's territorial and protective of her cage and her stuff - it's not abnormal for this to happen.

It would be unfortunate for you to get rid of her or even consider it based on the fact that
a) the territorial behaviour will likely lessen in time as she grows out of it - you just need to have some patience
b) spaying will likely decrease the territorial behavior, but as you choose not to spay, you are choosing to deal with hormonal bunnies - can't really have it both ways unfortunately.
c) You should probably save up to get the buns fixed if you are really concerned about the behavior ... and the more bunnies you get... the more money it's going ot cost.

Breeding is a bad idea. Sisi is your pet and there can be many things that go wrong during a delivery - then either you will lose sisi or you will spend way more than a spay to try to save her. The result of a successfulbirth is a whole lot of additional unwanted bunnies, bunnies you sell/give as pets that are taking homes away from shelter bunnies,or if you choose to keep them, then you will have a litter of potentially hormonal bunnies on your hands and now your problem has grown exponentially.

I'm sorry if I'm coming across a bit mean, I don't mean to, but you should really keep this stuff in mind.

In answer to your actual question, I would just open up the cage door and then leave - don't reach in (she'll just stop trusting you), just let her be and she'll come out if she wants to. You may have to give her some space just because she really is going through hormonal upheaval and at this age they usually have their own agenda.






Edit: I just re-read my post and it really does sound like I am picking on you - and I just wanted to say that I'm not, I just really don't want anyone else reading this thread and thinking that breeding is the solution to a hormonal bunny... cause it's really not.


____________
Nadia

I know you're not trying to be nasty, andI do know that breeding IS NOT the awnser. However, I was upset when I posted all that, and have now taken time to calm down (plus, Pegs post really hleped!). Breeding her in now out of hte picture along with getting rid of her. I love her greatly and always will, no matter her mood.

I dont mean to sound nasty here, but how do you know that Sisi is at that age when I don't know how old she is. We assume she is around 2-4 years old, but we really have no idea. Sisi is the black one, not my 3-4 month old Lionhead (simi)... Sorry for the confusion, but I think you were thinking Sisi was Simi.

I am going to try the things posted here, and I am going to start with Pegs post.



Sisi is in the biggest cage I have (Shes the biggest bun I have), and no matter where my hand is, she doesn't like it near here.

I have had her around 3 weeks, and we were very bonded at first, she'd come to the door wanting out everytime I was in my room, but now, after her going thorug a false perg, she is like this, I jsut thought I'd say that she wasn't always like this...



I am going in to open her door and sit near her to see if she will come out, then I plan on cleaning her cage...

Thanks again everyone! I really appreaicte you helping me with this whileI am in such a down mood.:inlove:You guys are the best!:group:

 

[HoneyPot]

You're absolutely right Shay, I was thinking of Simi (and the fact that she's so young). Like I said - I just don't want other members to think breeding is the answer to a hormonal bunny. So I do apologize for getting that wrong, but the fact that she is that old really does bring up another set of issues - as she should not be bred for the first time at that age.

And Pegs post is very good, so while I was trying to use soem shock value to get people to pay attention, Peg has some very good points and is a good place to start for sure.



Nadia

 

[naturestee]

Could you show me a picture of the cage? How big is it actually? Mocha was still somewhat aggressive in the 42" dog crate (same size as a 3x2 grid NIC cage) she shared with Loki, but only defends spots in her 4x5 grid pen. I do have to make sure she has enough safe spots or she gets nervous. Boxes, shelves, curtains of cardboard tubes, etc. Sprite improved in her 2x4 grid cage but it was still best for her to be out of it when I was cleaning, especially the first few months. Once she was moved to a 4x5 grid pen she actually liked it when I would come in it to play with her. This may be larger than you have room for, but if you show me what you have I can try to make suggestions.

Sorry about assuming her age, could you share more about her history? There are too many buns on the forum for me to keep track of them all. Especially since your girls have very similar names.

 

[Celestial Wind]

I am sorry you are having all these problems with Sisi I hope it gets better soon, just remember each bunny is diffrent I have one that will jump out the cage as soon as I open it where others will sit in there cage the whole time it is open and refuse to come out.



Hang in there it will get better.

 

[JadeIcing]

If Sisi is 2-4 breeding now would be really bad.

 

[ThatsMySimi]

naturestee wrote:

Could you show me a picture of the cage? How big is it actually? Mocha was still somewhat aggressive in the 42" dog crate (same size as a 3x2 grid NIC cage) she shared with Loki, but only defends spots in her 4x5 grid pen. I do have to make sure she has enough safe spots or she gets nervous. Boxes, shelves, curtains of cardboard tubes, etc. Sprite improved in her 2x4 grid cage but it was still best for her to be out of it when I was cleaning, especially the first few months. Once she was moved to a 4x5 grid pen she actually liked it when I would come in it to play with her. This may be larger than you have room for, but if you show me what you have I can try to make suggestions.

Sorry about assuming her age, could you share more about her history? There are too many buns on the forum for me to keep track of them all. Especially since your girls have very similar names.

I don't have a picture of her cage at the moment, and my camera is dead at the moment... If I get a chance I'll take a pic once its "alive" again... Sisi has a big cage, and its about as big as I can make it at the moment due to clutter in my room.

To be honest, I don't know much about her history.. I have only had her for a little while, before I had her she was with a person who got her from a woman who had her and a Jersey wooly buck as pets. I'm not sure about the size of her cage at her first home, but her cage now is bigger than it was at her second home.

I am thinking she doesn't trust me anymore and all that is needed is some bonding time again. Once shes out of her cage she isnt agressive at all...

Also, I just recently put a Litter box in her cage, and thats about when she started this.I am thinking she might be "protecting" her litter box.... She doesn't use it as a litter box, more or less its a bed to her... Anyway.

I am going to keep trying.

 

[Michaela]

ThatsMySimi wrote:

Thanks, and just let me say here, me saying I will get rid of her is just because I am upset and feeling low... I wouldn't get rid of her, but I may breed her.... And if all else fails, save money for the rest of my teen years to get her spayed...:?

I hope you've definitely decided against breeding, you've been given so many great reasons not to.

Just wanted to add, that breeding her could end up being an awful lot more expensive than a spay. What if Sisi has a difficult pregnancy? What if she needs an emergency c-section, or has a stuck kit? Or the babies get sick? Could you afford that? You could end up losing her, if she's older that makes a serious problem more likely.

Hope it works out, and you can get her spayed.

 

[ThatsMySimi]

Just thought I'd say:

I HAVE DECIDED AGAINST BREEDING - I KNOW IT IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND I DON'T WANT TO RISK LOOSING SISI.



Thanks to everyone who helped me.

 

[TinysMom]

EDITED TO ADD THIS:

It looks like we were both typing at the same time and you posted your answer shortly before I hit "send". I am glad that I was able to help in my earlier message.

I'm going to go ahead and leave this here - not so much because of you - but in case there are other people reading this who have been toying with the idea of breeding a pet bunny. Sometimes it sounds like such a "fun" idea....but they may not be prepared for problems, etc.

Also, I hope you know that I wasn't trying to say you're a bad person for thinking about breeding, etc. I know that some of the things I suggested - others will disagree with....like putting your hand in and stuff to work with the rabbit. In my case - because I had bred Miss Bea - I had 30 days to get her to the point where she would allow me in the cage...you aren't in that situation and you can work with her by opening the door and letting her come out, etc. But if you were to have bred her - you would've been on a timeline like I was!

Enjoy your bunnies -they're such cuties....and if you can't spay the girls - to keep from having accidents - maybe you can consider saving your money and neutering the buck? That might be something to consider since it is usually less expensive to neuter a buck and less intrusive. Of course, I do still agree with getting the does spayed....but I'm just thinking that if you can't afford that right now - at least neuter the boy so you don't wind up with "accidents" and then maybe an emergency vet visit!

Peg


I hope you don't mind me popping my head back in here - I was napping and just wanted to see if my post came across ok since I was pretty tired when I wrote it. I hope I didn't sound at all offensive.

I see where you're posting that your rabbit is an older doe. I would definitely encourage you to NOT breed her then. First of all, her pelvic bones are probably set and from what I've alwasy been told - does should be bred before a certain age (different breeds have different ages). I have bred does for a first time litter that were around a year old - BUT - they were larger does and I had them mate with the buck enough times that I felt I would get smaller babies (more babies usually = smaller size and hopefully more matings with the buck will = more babies). Notice though that I said "hopefully".

But something else is that aggression can be passed on to the babies if it is in the genes. Instead of getting a gentle doe - you may wind up getting angry doe and angry babies.

I tend to believe that agression comes from both nature and nurture (and enviroment). I think a rabbit can come from lines that tend to be aggressive and be that way - but that a small cage can make a rabbit aggressive - or poor handling can make them aggressive.

The thing is - with your doe - you don't know what is making her aggressive - whether it is coming from her genetics or not. So you don't know if you'd wind up getting aggressive kits out of her.

I'm going to say two more things and I hope you'll understand the way I mean them and why I'm saying them. I'm only saying them because I care...

Breeding can be fun when the babies are born and then you get to watch them grow up. I can understand why people want to breed...why...I'm a breeder!

But...if I remember right - you're in high school - right? It seems like you're in high school and you're dependent on your parents for help financially and stuff.

Don't breed for the next few years....enjoy playing with your rabbits and enjoy the time you have with them. But don't breed.

Why? Here are a few reasons..

a. It's going to take time and energy away from these years of your life when you can be having "fun". There's not only babies to socialize (the fun part) but cages to clean and other responsibilities. (For instance - one of my does, Sundae, just had an abcess come up....she has 6 week old babies. I now have to pull them away from her AND drain her abcess every day....along with giving her shots. The more bunnies you have - the more things like this can happen. At least 15-30 minutes each day is spent now taking care of the abcess...NOT fun!)

b. Its going to be discouraging at times. We had 31 babies born about 6 weeks ago - and lost 18 of them over the next two weeks. Its a long complicated story - but it got to the point where the last thing I wanted to do was walk into the rabbitry and see who else had lost a baby. I started sending Art in to check on them....

Now add that to the hormones YOU are going to be feeling as you are in the teen years and things are changing - friends are changing - school will be hectic, etc. I just think it is too much stress to add to your life.

c. If I remember right - your mom is against taking animals to a vet? I may be wrong here....ok....but here is the point I'm making.

If you don't have your own job and transportation - you are dependent upon your parents for things like vet visits and medications and stuff.

Now lets say you have a doe have a stuck kit....only your parents don't want to take you to the vet and say, "Let's help her out on our own...." and maybe they get the stuck kit out.... but there are others inside and the doe winds up with an infection and going septic and you have to watch her suffer. Maybe you don't catch the infection in time...or something like that.

Last night when Robin told me that Sundae had an abcess - I was in SHOCK. But it is huge and it started draining on its own (Sundae has a lot of fur and she had been deliberately keeping that side turned away from me when I would go in her cage...she knew if I saw it - I would treat it).

My point is - there can be things that come up that you won't know about - or that you don't have the money for....and then you wind up watching the animal suffer - and it is heartbreaking. Or maybe you wind up putting the animal down and dealing with guilt.

(In Sundae's case - she has had abcesses before and I've treated them and she's gotten better - but I have NO idea how she got this one....I don't know if it came up suddenly or what...but she is under treatment and I can already see it improving).

Anyway - things can happen - and without the funds and/or the transportation to the vet's place....you're setting yourself up for lots of hurting when things happen. And trust me - they WILL happen.

Now I know what you're going to say...."but my mom used to breed...". I understand.

But as a breeder - I will tell you the same thing I would tell my own daughter if she came to me at your approximate age and said she wanted to breed....

"Wait until you have your license and a job and way to pay for things. Then we'll talk again..".

And that's my advice to you....if you really want to get into breeding - wait until you have your driver's license and a job and at least $500 set aside for emergency funds for a vet. THEN - find young rabbits from a responsible breeder and work on breeding.

But trust me - if you start breeding - it isn't all fun and I honestly think that at your age - you will wind up not enjoying your life as much as you do now.....

At first it is fun due to the novelty...but after a short while - it beomes "work" and is discouraging.

Just my .02 with lots of extra words thrown in....

Peg

 

[ec]

Just a thought: if you really would like to be around baby rabbits, you might want to try volunteering for a rescue/shelter.

So many pregnant, unwanted rabbits are dumped every year - a few lucky ones make it into shelters and foster care. The moms are spayed after the babies are old enough to be weaned. you would be able to learn to care for moms and kits, and watch the little ones grow. The babies need to be socialized and fussed over.

There are a number of babies at the rescue where I adopted my bun, and believe me, I'm awfully tempted .... (to adopt another, that is, but I can't right now.)

Enjoy the girls you've got now - and I know you will. What you're experiencing re. territoriality and hormones is normal. I know that it can be very frustrating, but... bunnies, like humans, need lots of time, patience and love. Try hanging out on the floor with her, allowing her to come in and out of her cage when she wants to... You can be reading, watching TV, talking on the phone, and she will come over to explore.

I'm sure there's a link to this article in Bunny 101, but I'll send you right to it - it's about getting a shy rabbit to trust you, but the things in the article apply to all rabbits.... (This article helped me a lot when I was dealing with a crazy "teen" bun, not so long ago. )

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html