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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 Please help- nearly at the verge of getting rabbit rehomed. :(

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    • Rubberducky
      Participant
      2 posts Send Private Message

        Hello everyone,

         I am a member but cannot, for the life of me, remember my username or password so I am unable to use my other account. Anyways, I am having issues with Patch . He is about 9 months old and has been neutered. I believed that once he was neutered it would calm him down but he is still temperamental. Basically he grunts and lunges/ goes for me sometimes when i go to stroke him. I don’t understand, when I first got him, he was a shy bunny and sometimes got a fright if i stroked him if he didn’t realise I was there. Now he is grumpy and temperamental. I tried giving him treats which he used to take from my hand/fingers but now I genuinely feel he is going to bite me. I gave him a chocolate drop earlier and another one, he then grunted, and took another one. The last drop i had, i held about 25cm away from him and he leaped/ lunched towards my hand and knocked the treat out of my hand. I have no idea what to do. I want to be able to hold him and have cuddles, but i just get the impression he totally hates it. I read an article online that states that a rabbit is still classed as a teenager when they are between 6 and 12 months old. I feel the best thing is for Patch to be rehomed. I feel heartbroken as I think of Patch as a child. He has also went for my niece, she is 2 and a half. He was on the couch and she walked over (didn’t make any loud noises- and has stroked Patch in the past) and he went for her, she got a fright and luckily he didn’t bit her – but I feel like he isn’t safe to be around anymore… i am really concerned. Is there any advice? Has anyone been in this situation?

        Thanks


      • Jillian191j
        Participant
        21 posts Send Private Message

          I know this is not the answer you want to hear, but you need to give Patch some time. He’s moody like all teenagers (of every species) are. All the rabbits I’ve had only liked to be touched on their terms. They’re prey animals. That “fight or flight” instinct is going to be really high. You might need to take it down a notch. Just be around Patch without pestering him. Talk to him. Give him treats and food in a way that is non-threatening. Leave them near you or just put them in his cage. You’ll find him starting to warm up to you again. Best of luck!

          P.S. I would keep small children away from him until he settles down again.


        • LBJ10
          Moderator
          16870 posts Send Private Message

            How long ago was he neutered?


          • Beka27
            Participant
            16016 posts Send Private Message

              I do think he needs more time. He going to continue to nature and calm down as times goes by. Dogs can be considered in the ‘puppy stage’ for 2-3 years, and bunnies are the same in some instances!

              I do think that he may just have more of a timid personality. Rabbits who truly enjoy being held and cuddled are very rare. Try to interact with him at floor level instead. Be confident when petting him and giving him treats, and if he does bite, let out a loud “yelp” to signal your displeasure.


            • Fiona
              Participant
              75 posts Send Private Message

                Just keep him in his pen when children are around for now and don’t let him out to go at your niece, first of all. All animals are different, and you need to set him up for success and start from square one for now. Just treats and petting in a safe and consistent location for him. Some dogs hate other dogs, some horses dislike men, some dogs are scared of kids and will snap at them- it doesn’t mean they all need to be rehomed, just for that. More often than not, any pet will not be all perfect flowers and sunshine. Train and manage them at their pace.

                Also, +1 on an actually cuddly bunny who likes being held is very rare… LOL. If you are working with a bunny, get a new bunny, get another new bunny, chances are that they all won’t genuinely like being cuddled. That’s just bunnies. Mine tolerated cuddling and seemed to like cuddling for about two days, until I let him out for a run in the room and he became confident in his environment. Now he is full of sass too.

                Also, I think it’s worth noting that MANY intelligent animals are skittish and dislike children under 6. They’re small, move weird, run weird, and are unpredictable, to the eyes of a dog/horse/bunny/cat. We simply need to realize this and seperate them, set them up for success amd safety.


              • tobyluv
                Participant
                3310 posts Send Private Message

                  You’ve gotten some good advice here. I just wanted to comment on the fact that you are giving chocolate to Patch. That is not healthy, and could be dangerous. For treats, you can buy Oxbow barley biscuits or veggie treats or any of their baked treats, or you can give him a small piece of fruit.


                • lexi
                  Participant
                  19 posts Send Private Message

                    So there are a few issues here, as another member said, chocolate is very bad for bunnies. I would take a look at his diet and make sure there is plenty of hay, healthy veggies, a little fruit, and pellets. It might be that he is not feeling well from his diet.

                    As far as him not liking you, I would agree that bunnies need things on their on their own terms. I always advise people to sit or lay on the floor and let their bunny approach them. Unless they come up to you and clearly want to be pet, don’t touch them. Just let him be his bunny self. It’s your way of speaking bunny and showing him that you are not a threat. Try to “herd” him back into his house when outside time is done, not pick him up.


                  • Mikey
                    Participant
                    3186 posts Send Private Message

                      I didnt read all of the posts, but i didnt see this mentioned when i skimmed: he could be angry because hes in pain. As i saw mentioned, rabbits arnt supposed to have chocolate. With 2 out of 3 of my bunnies, if theyre having tummy problems (Bombur has chronic tummy pains on and off due to bad genetics, and Blue likes to try to eat everything), theyll get aggressive with me if i touch them. I would quit it with the chocolate and feed him extra hay to help him pass everything. Im thinking that might help him out

                      This has also probly been mentioned, but not all rabbits like to be held or cuddled. Theyre prey animals so being picked up is almost always going to be frightening for them. They think theyre going to be eaten so they thrash about to get loose


                    • Love4Bunny
                      Participant
                      878 posts Send Private Message

                        My rabbit has bitten me, lunged at me, and growled at me – more than once, so I hear that it’s frustrating, and probably surprising to see Patch respond this way. For the record, I never was bitten again by my rabbit once I figured out the trigger, and what I needed to do differently.

                        If the rabbit vet gives Patch the all clear (it’s prudent to make sure there are no health issues, like Mikey suggested), it’s most likely behavioural, and not because they are “red zone” cases like some dogs. I’ve only read one story about a psycho rabbit, who – yes – was rehabbed and became adjusted after 3 years of consistent effort (that was an extreme behavioural case). Don’t give up – try to think of it strategically. I don’t really allow small children near my rabbit (except for my teen nephews and on occasion, my nieces, but they all know that I want them to sit on the floor and let Thor or Crysta approach them), and much like when a child has a melt down, you have to troubleshoot and figure out why they’re reacting a certain way. My rabbit dislikes being lifted off the ground, and I had to come to terms with it, and accept it.

                        Also, if you are putting your hand directly in front of Patch’s face, he can’t see what’s coming, so that might account for him lunging. Approaching Patch from the side, when you need to, is the best way. Everybody else has given sound advice. Let Patch come to you on ground level in his own timing. Truly, patience will yield positive results when it comes to rabbits. In a way, it’s “rabbit currency”.

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                    Forum BEHAVIOR Please help- nearly at the verge of getting rabbit rehomed. :(