Taming an abused bun

[Badger]

Hi everyone.

I’ll be getting a bunny in two days! I’m very excited and can’t wait to pick her up.

I volunteer at an animal shelter where we take care of pets who’s owners can’t take care of them due to psychological issues. You can imagine that not every animal that comes in has had a nice past. Little Dixie was a rabbit that has been at the shelter for such a long time and now, finally, her owner gave the rights to us. Making her ours now. I decided that i wanted to give her a second chance. So this wednesday she’ll be the newest member of our family! She’s extremely afraid of people and if you come too close to her she’ll even start screaming. It has been a long time since i’ve had bunnies and would appreciate tips on how to tame her and making the first few weeks as pleasant as possible a lot! Because she’s getting a new chance i’ve decided to give her a new name also. She now goes by Ellie.

Thank you for all the tips 

Here’s a picture for everyone who’s curious 

[JustineT]

I haven’t had a bunny that afraid but our rabbit was very skiddish when we first got her from the shelter.

We gave her a lot of her own space, let her approach us, and over time, she started realizing we were nice and the ones giving her food…once a bunny knows you as the barer of food, they get friendly! We then would approach her with things like fennel, a treat like fruit or a carrot, mint leaves, etc.

She now only gets timid around new people and hides unless they give her something as a peace offering! Once they feed her, she’s happy as can be!

We also avoided picking Willow up because that’s where a lot of her fear seems to stem from. To this day, we don’t hold her and she’s now comfortable flopping stomach side up directly in front of us. She has full run of our house, except when we’re asleep, and she’s incredibly social at this point.

So I definitely say just let your bunny get comfortable with you and realize you’re not a threat. Treats and sitting on the floor and letting her approach you seem to work really well. Good luck with your new bunny!!

[JackRabbit]

So nice of you to give her a chance at a good life.

What will her living area be like when you take her home? It’s a little easier to offer tips if we have a better idea what her cage or room will be like.

[Little Lion Head]

Start off with a small space for Ellie and slowly work your way into giving her more space. Pumpkin was very skittish and it took her weeks to get comfortable. To this day we call out to the buns to let them know we are home (because they can’t see the back door). I don’t know if it really does, but I’m convinced it’s helped our bond.

Take it slow and be patient. When you start letting Ellie out sit in the room with her and let her decide when she wants to come to you.

How wonderful of you to give this sweetie a new life! The pic didn’t show up, but I look forward to more pics and to hear how it’s going!

[Roberta]

A nice hidey box will go a long way towards making her feel safe and secure too.

[LittlePuffyTail]

My best advice is: let her come to you. Don’t try to pat her or handle her more than necessary. It took well over a year for my Olivia, whom I strongly suspect was abused due to her very nervous attitude towards us at first. She’s still skittish at times, but she trusts us and enjoys snuggles often, but on her terms.

Try to arrange your set up so that Bunny can let herself in and out for run time. And I would keep her in her own space for at least a week so she gets comfortable. A quiet spot in the house is best.

[Author]

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