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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Unfriendly Rabbit

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    • whitesatinbunny
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        I have had my rabbit for almost a year now. I bought her from a pet store when she was 3 weeks old, and I got her spayed when she was 7 months old. I am a first time rabbit owner, and I had no idea that Macy would be such a handful. She has always destroyed the carpet in my house, no matter what I do she just goes after it. I have tried getting her attention with other toys and tried sitting in the floor to play with her but she ignores me and continues to chew and dig. When I approach her, she either runs, or she just ignores me and keeps doing it, and if I try to touch her to make her stop she turns around and tries to bite. She has bitten my boyfriend a few times when he tries to make her stop too. I have bought her cat beds to destroy, along with grass mats, wood, and everything else I could think of and I  even put garlic powder on the floor to make her stop but she just moves to another spot and starts chewing. Its not like I can cover my whole floor with garlic powder! Macy is litter box trained, yet she has been pooping right beside her litterbox instead of in it. It seemed like she was better about that before she was spayed. If she doesn’t want to be petted, no one can get near her, she runs from me all the time and she is always making me late because I can’t get her back in her cage. I can’t even pick her up anymore. She will not let me even try to pick her up, she kicks me in the chest and scratches the blood out of my arms. I have tried giving her treats and her favorite snacks, and nothing works. I just don’t understand why she is like that. I have always been so good to her, I have never swatted or dropped her or anything like that. Why does she act so scared of me? I love her and I will never give up on her, but she is really stressing me out. Does anyone know what to do?


      • RabbitPam
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          To begin with, a bunny is not an animal that basically likes to be held, and some not at all, so that is not unusual. My bunny of 4 years barely lets me pick her up, and it’s only to transport her somewhere (quickly). She doesn’t like to be pet on the sides, tummy or rear. When I respect that, she does want to be pet on her nose, between her ears and on her face. Your bunny may respond more favorably if you limit where you pet her gently. Also, some bunnies don’t really like heights, so try covering her eyes when you have to pick her up, and support her very firmly under her back end. You have to give up any expectation of having a lap pet. They look cuddly, but they are not.

          Are you sure she was 3 weeks old in the pet store? A bunny isn’t weaned from its mother for about a minimum of 6 weeks, and the healthiest age to get one is 9 weeks old. Prior to that, there can be some difficulties that arise from the separation too early, and if it really was only 3 weeks that may be a factor. (I want to say that it’s illegal at that young, but it’s probably not, just not right.) Some developmental issues may have resulted.

          Be sure to have a bunny expert vet, one who treats “exotics” check her thoroughly. Tell her your bunny’s history and her recent and prolonged behavior. Make sure she doesn’t have any teeth issues, for example. Don’t bother with the garlic. Try a spray bottle of 50/50% white vinegar and water and spray it on the carpet and baseboards. It’s not going to smell to you, but is more repellent to a bunny. Continue to substitute chew toys, particularly willow.

          Is she getting unlimited hay? Hay will help with chewing and keep her digestion running smoothly.
          I would urge you as a fairly new bunny owner to read all the Info sections here on the site to get to know the basic natures of bunnies and what to expect. It’s hard to adjust your desires for a pet, and I understand that. They really have different personalities. My first bunny turned out to be an exception, so I was very surprised by my second bunny’s lack of calm and ease with touching, etc. I have come to accept her personality as she is, and she is truly a devoted and loveable bunny. It took some getting used to on my part, however.


        • whitesatinbunny
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            Thank you for the help! The pet store that I got her from was a horrible place. They told me that she was only 3 weeks old, but I really have no idea. She was so small, and skinny. I bought her because she was in a super small cage with other rabbits that were twice her size. She wasn’t eating or drinking and the owner didn’t seem to care. I went there just to look around, and I had no idea that I would go home with a bunny. Im not sure what happened to her mother, but Macy was the only girl in the cage. I was watching her and she was pressed up against the corner of the cage shaking and the other rabbits would take food away from her whenever she would try to get some. She was starving to death, I could see her bones and I just couldn’t leave her there to die. I reported the petsore but no one seemed to care. She had diarrhea for the first 3 days that I had her and I took her to the vet. I had to feed her with a syringe for a few days until she started eating on her own. My vet is a rabbit certified vet that I found here on the forum. She seemed to think that Macy would grow out of her skittish phase but she hasn’t so far. I give her a pile of fresh timothy everyday and she loves it. I will try the vinegar and water, I appreciate it!


          • LBJ10
            Moderator
            16869 posts Send Private Message

              I agree with RabbitPam. If your bun was that young or even a little older, there may have been some developmental issues. Still, I wouldn’t say she is “unfriendly”. I think she is probably just misunderstood. She is obviously sensitive. Have you tried getting down on her level and letting her explore you on her own terms?


            • whitesatinbunny
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                Yea, I’v been doing that for the past month. When I let her out of her cage I lay in the floor and she will sometimes come over and sniff me and let me pet her face if I have treats. That doesn’t always work though. Sometimes I will be sitting in the floor for a good 45mins and she wont even look at me, I even shake the treat bag but she still doesn’t come over to me.Maybe I am just wanting to believe this, but I swear it seems like she was more playful before she was spayed.


              • LBJ10
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                16869 posts Send Private Message

                  Have you communicating with her in bunny language to let her know everything is okay? You can do a slow nose wiggle and see if you get a response. Or you could try doing a tooth purr at her. She sounds unsure of herself, maybe she needs some confidence boosting?

                  How long ago was she spayed? You think she was more friendly before. Could be it hormone related if it was recent. Your description sounds like it was 3 months ago, so it probably isn’t. Hmm… maybe she is holding a grudge? LOL Does she give you the bunny butt? Or is she simply disinterested in your presence?


                • mia
                  Participant
                  519 posts Send Private Message

                    Just be patient, work with her, and keep in mind she just may be more independent.

                    For one of my buns, to try to bond, I had wore thick pants and long sleeve shirt (didn’t help THAT much) and sat in a confined area that’s so small she can only interact, climb/sit, on me or remain in sitting in the same spot. I remained still so that she knew her scratching would not make me move. I also didn’t attempt to pet her at all. We did this for hours a day and for months.

                    As for the carpet digging, my buns have their own area and though it’s already carpeted, I put a very thick area rug on top so she can dig to her content. Nothing will stop her; it’s her favorite hobby and her favorite times have been when she gets to dig (in sand at the beach, in dirt at a park).

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                Forum BEHAVIOR Unfriendly Rabbit