Nest Building

[Sasami]

I had posted this somewhere else and no one could figure it out so I'm trying here .

Elvis builds nests. Huge, elabarote nests all over my room. He even pulls out his fur and gathers stuffed animals.

Any idea why? He's a neutered male and has been neutered for nearly a year .

His nests get bigger every day and it's really weird (not to mention annoying trying to clean up all the black fur everywhere).

Here is a picture I took before. I had already started cleaning his nests so it's not really together but you get the point:

[Millimi]

Sorry, but I think that is hilarious. I have no clue why he would do that, though...

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Millimi Sorry, but I think that is hilarious. I have no clue why he would do that, though...

Isn't it crazy? He makes them all the time! His favorite place right now is on the dog bed.

[ratty_ratkins]

i know why!!!
he is haveing a major identity crisses oviously!! lol, but i dont know what you can do about that.
yeah, sorry but that is very funny

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by ratty_ratkins i know why!!! he is haveing a major identity crisses oviously!! lol, but i dont know what you can do about that. yeah, sorry but that is very funny

That's what my mom thinks.

[Angelnstuff]

um, midlife crisis? lol i dunno, thats too funny tho! might wanna talk to a vet about that tho, i hope nothings really wrong

[ratty_ratkins]

do male rabbits have nipples?
is he lactating?

[purplebumble]

male rabbits neutered or not do NOT have nipples..its true!

I would seek the vets advice..oscar pulls all his teddies into little nests and sleeps with them..even takes a titbit back to share...
this has got better since getting bif...however now they have both "adopted" one particular cuddly toy bunny..as their baby!!

i would suggest the fur pulling is in fact NOT nesting but a stress reaction and he is pilinmg up his favourite things as he feels terribly insecure or threatened..have you moved house..have you got a new click of friends..new baby..visiting children..barking dog next door..the list goes on..
oscar developed stress anxiety syndrome because of picking up on us being distraught over losing one cat then another and my dad all in the space of a few months..try as we might he picked up on the grief and anger and beacme ill himself. He was over mooulting and leaving piles of fur and making himself sick ingesting his own fur..it was not a normal heavy moult..nor was it mites..but stress...
of course it could be a hormone imbalance in your bunny...best seek the vet out!!

btw our neuter tom mothered all his siters kittens..top and tailed them and even let them suckle at his nipples!1 Theres always one!

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by purplebumble male rabbits neutered or not do NOT have nipples..its true! I would seek the vets advice..oscar pulls all his teddies into little nests and sleeps with them..even takes a titbit back to share... this has got better since getting bif...however now they have both "adopted" one particular cuddly toy bunny..as their baby!! i would suggest the fur pulling is in fact NOT nesting but a stress reaction and he is pilinmg up his favourite things as he feels terribly insecure or threatened..have you moved house..have you got a new click of friends..new baby..visiting children..barking dog next door..the list goes on.. oscar developed stress anxiety syndrome because of picking up on us being distraught over losing one cat then another and my dad all in the space of a few months..try as we might he picked up on the grief and anger and beacme ill himself. He was over mooulting and leaving piles of fur and making himself sick ingesting his own fur..it was not a normal heavy moult..nor was it mites..but stress... of course it could be a hormone imbalance in your bunny...best seek the vet out!! btw our neuter tom mothered all his siters kittens..top and tailed them and even let them suckle at his nipples!1 Theres always one!

I don't think it's anxiety...he's an extremely relaxed bunny and nothing has changed recently. Also, he's actually making nests. With bedding and everything. I'll try to get a picture next time he makes a big one. That pic I posted was more to show the amount of fur he was pulling out.

I'll try to talk to the vet at his next check-up but honestly I don't think anything is wrong medically...he's been doing this for a while and has never had any health problems. I'd rather not take him into the vet and stress him out just because he's making nests...you know what I mean? Especially since my vet would probably charge a ton of money just for coming in .

I'll keep an eye on him but I don't think it's stress. He's acting normally otherwise...eating, playing, hanging out with the other rabbits, etc.

[purplebumble]

in other words...fruitloop!

like i said we had a cat who was unsure of his gender etc..and made a wonderful mummy! maybe this is elvis problem!!
And i thought oscars nests were weird!!
Please let us know if you find out what the cause is..its fascinating to know im not the only person whos ever owned a fruitloop pet!!

[jewels]

Charlie will go through spells of nesting - he'll only do it for about a week every month or so. He doesn't pull out a lot of hair, it's more of just what he sheds in that week. He grooms himself before I have a chance to and keeps the fur in his favorite box. It's not all over the floor so I usually just leave it alone until we change out his boxes (after he has chewed them to death). The weird thing now is that he has started to use Daisy's fur too! She's got a bit more fur than him and she sheds more - it's kind of ingenious actually. He's not pulling it off of her though, he gets it off of her cage where it builds up beside her litterbox and where she keeps her toys and a little nest of her own. He's done this since I've had him (almost 3 years) and he's happy and healthy, too. I only know what I've learned from having my buns, and I never thought anything of him nesting other than he just wanted a soft place to sit.