I’m very new to bunnies but experienced in rescue…and one thing you MUST have is patience and consistancy. It takes more than a week for an animal to acclimate to a new home.

As far as potty training goes…it can take anywhere from a month to a year to housebreak a puppy. Bunnies are most probably easier to train than that. You have to be patient and follow the steps. Put the box where she mostly goes. Clean up poop from the floor and put it in her box. Clean the pee up the same way. Putting hay and veggies in the litter box will probably lure her in there and make her want to stay a while. If she still isn’t used to hay try teeny little bits of friut. Make the litter box the coolest place to hang out.

Cage aggression, I’ve read and been told, can sometimes be solved by housing her in a pen instead of a cage. I’ve also heard that females tend to be more territorial in that way than males. I think I might have also read that the rex breed is also pretty independant but don’t hold me to that. Sorry I can’t offer any more insight there, if she were a dog or a ferret I could give you tons of explanations. I’ll be interested to see what some others have to say.

It could also be that you’re expecting too much from her too soon. Why not try backing off a little, let her enjoy her cage space and slowly start paying more attention to her. She’s probably scared out of her mind. Imagine how you would feel in her place.

I totally agree with Tank and Ranger’s mom on all those points.

Give her time – I think you are expecting way too much too soon. She is only 9 weeks old too and just a baby so her attention span is pretty low.

She needs to be an inside girl too – outside is VERY dangerous for rabbits. She will learn to love the inside if you keep her there.

Give her plenty of toys to entertain herself.

Do you sit on the floor with her when she’s out for play time? Maybe if you let her out, sit or lay on the floor to watch TV or read a book without paying attention to her she’ll approach you at her own pace. I sat on the floor last night with my laptop and one of my babies perched on the bottom part of my leg and sat there for a good 10 minutes, the other hopped RIGHT on my keyboard.

Do bunnies get UTI’s? I know cats will sometimes refuse to potty in their litter box because they associate it with pain. Has Trixie been looked at by a vet?

Rabbits do get UTI’s.

I would try the get on the ground thing too and just be patient.

What does she do when she’s in bunny attack mode? Can you be more specific.

Okay, firstly, a week is NOTHING in terms of enough time. Rabbits are very territorial by nature and when they are in a new area, they will poop everywhere just to mark their territory and make themselves feel more secure. This will disipate with time.

Also, for optimal litter trianing, she needs to be spayed. This will reduce her hormone level and she won’t feel the need to mark territory as much. She is too young to spay right now – you will have to wait until she is a few months old – so perfect litter habits won’t happen until then. And even then, “perfect” is a pretty strong word.

Tank and Rangers Mom is right on the money with laying down on the floor with her. I have a very grumpy bunny who sounds a lot like yours. Lay on the floor on your tummy and let your bunny come up and sniff you. This way, she will get to know you on her level and on her own terms. It’s only been a week and she needs much more time to build up enough trust with you.

Don’t give up on her – give her enough time and she will surprise you….

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

Here’s a very good article that might help explain some of Trixie’s behavior.

I am not too sure on this but her aggression outside the pen sounds like it might be her way of trying to interact with you. I know when Smudge was young she used to scare the berjeebees out of my mom by lunging at her feet and then turning around to run away, she continuously do this to the point where my mom didn’t like to go around her when she was out. One day she tried it with me so I got down on the floor and when she turned to run I did a playful “lunge” back. To my surprise Smudge thought this was wonderful! She came right back to do a binkie and some more lunge and runs and it turned into a game. I also found that Smudge really likes to play “tug” I got a small dogs tug rope and basically i wiggle it in front of her and she pounces on it and will actually pick it up and tug with me. She loves throwing it around and will grunt and then go chase it again. As for inside the pen… my bun is almost two and spayed and she still lets me know shes ticked off when I clean her or invade her space with noises and some thumps her peeing habits were not great when I got her (she had just recently been spayed) but after her hormones calmed down she is now 100% with peeing in the box.. the poops are a little less.. more like 90% she likes to kick and dig in her box lol

Awwww, you’re not a bunny failure! Bunnies are more complex than many people could ever understand. They each have their own quirks and personalities. There are breed traits that come into play and then there is past history that can long affect behaviour. They can be picky, moody, funny, angry, playful, comical, evil and entertaining all in one day!

Many of us realize that we don’t “own” our bunnies, our bunnies “own” us! They are the ones who are really in charge!

You have a young bunny who is full of energy, a new bunny who is still apprehensive and a loving bunny how doesn’t know how to show it yet. It will be a wonderful discovery period for the both of you – trust me! Bunnies are the most wonderful pets in the world!

here are a couple articles about what house rabbits are like…

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/like-a-rabbit.html

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

and the Language of Lagomorphs site which is like the “Bunny Behavior Bible”…

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

i really wonder if you are patient enough for having a rabbit.  rabbits are never one way or another.  they need to be allowed to be themselves.  while some can do different tricks, they cannot be trained like a dog.  much of it is just capturing the rabbits natural behavior.

she is still a very small baby.  you are going to need to be patient and realize that her behavior and personality will probably not be “set” until she is spayed AND grown up (at least one year old).  if you cannot put up with some of the less than ideal behaviors for the entire first year, AKA “bunny adolescence” (and possibly forever if that is her personality) then i agree you should find her another home that will be able to care for her better and LOVE HER for who she is. 

just b/c bunnies like being outside, does not mean she will hate being indoors.  she is young enough to become accustomed to being inside only.  she does not need any playtime outside, just make sure she is getting plenty of exercise inside.  marking may continue while she grows accustomed to the house, or it may continue until she is spayed.  i’d suggest you invest in a good cordless hand vacuum, it’ll make cleaning up a breeze.

i know the way we talk and gloat about our bunnies on BinkyBunny, it is easy to believe that we all have THE PERFECT BUNNY, and you might be thinking, “why is MINE defective?”  this is not the case.  everyone of us has something that is less than ideal about our bunnies, but we don’t dwell on it because the positive far outweighs the negative.  for example: some bunnies only become halfway littertrained, even after altering.  having bunnies really is “for better or worse”. 

here is a personal example:  my spayed, adult mini rex is a chewer and a digger, and has the tendency to bite and lunge when she is not happy.  she will ALWAYS be a chewer, a digger, and a biter.  i realize this and i love her in spite of it.  YOUR mini rex may always be like this, or she may not… only time will tell.

why don’t you give her a chance?  at least one to two months?  or better yet until two months after she is spayed…

***this is yet another reason why adopting adult, altered bunnies form a shelter is such a great idea.  you know what you are getting ahead of time.***

An idea on the litter training… the rabbit rescue I got one of my buns from used 2 litter boxes in the cage: imagine the cage being a rectangle divided into 3 rectangles side by side, the two outer “rectangles” are litter boxes and the middle “rectangle” is cage space- that way ALL corners are a litter box spot. When she finally decides on a corner then you can always reduce the litter boxes. My lionhead that I got at 3 months old refused to be litter trained until he was neutered at 4 months, then after that it was insanely easy to litter train him. So I would also reccomend anyway you can make it easier to clean up after her until she’s spayed and just know that the chances are in the future she’ll do much better.

I also think its normal for a lot of people to go through a “Oh my gosh why did I ever get this crazy pet!” phase in the beginning… but if you give it time to get to know her then I think you’ll figure out the issues and also start bonding with her more so the issues that do stay you won’t care about as much!

She seems like she really likes you from the snuggles/licks you describe… so maybe she’s feeling threatened when she lunges? Have you noticed whether it tends to happen when you stand up, move fast, make a sudden noise, basically anything that doesn’t seem like a big deal but might look “scary” to a tiny bun? That’s the only thing I can think of that people haven’t already suggested… (my one bun gets terrified everytime I sneeze, or stand up, or move… but he’s quite calm if I’m laying down, not moving, not making any noise! He’s also scared of cell phones ringing and wind chimes… it’s amazing what can be scary when you only weigh 2 lbs!!!)

Oh yeah, forgot to add… maybe to make it easier to clean-up after any accidents when you have her out you could get somekind of sheet to lay down on the floor? My first bun injured his spine and the last year he stopped using his litter box, so I would interact with him in the kitchen (tile floor was easy to wipe up) or on this blue floor thing that came with an x-pen I had. You may just have to make her outside time more limited space-wise at first than you were originally planning (may also help with getting her back in her cage if she’s in a smaller area)

I hope it works out for you

Katydidz – you may want to re-think the way that you appear to your bunny. If you think about rabbits in nature, they see “animals” such as us people as predators, so when you come at her in certain ways, such as your hand approaching her quickly from above (like in a cage) she may actually feel threatened because she doesn’t really know yet if you are a friend or a predator. She could definitely feel scared of you at this point and not understand exactly what yours and her relationship is like.

In order to build a more comfortable environment when you are around, it is VERY effective to practice the “ignore” technique. By sitting near your bunny and ignoring her, you are actually speaking bunny language and saying that you are not posing a threat to her. This is how other bunnies communicate to other bunnies that they do not mean any harm, they will ignore each other and groom themselves and just sit, and let the other bunny approach them. So, just sit on the ground and let her approach you, even if she comes up and sniffs you, just ignore her! Its hard because they are extra cute, but I tamed my extremely skittish bunny this way, and now she loves pets from me.

Also, if you’ve ever seen baby bunnies play, they jump and run and binky and snort all over the place. I raised two baby bunnies, and they definitely did not have the complete hang of litter training by the end of the 4 weeks that I had them. It requires some consistent practicing of the techniques for awhile – but all 7 of my bunnies are now perfectly litter trained – so you can do it!

Finally – it is very smart of you to let your bunny get out to run around and play – how big is her cage? If you purchase a larger pen for her that she can get excercise INSIDE of, you might be able to make more progress. First, by limiting her to the pen, she learns where her “home” is and is more likely to return once you start letting her out, and second, it will help you litter train her if you can keep her confined to one area for awhile. If you can get her a pen, I would recommend a week or two of keeping her in her pen and playing with her in her pen (assuming the pen is big enough to let her get a little exercise).

What mooBunnay mentioned is along the lines of what I was wondering. I thought perhaps you could start smaller and confined in terms of the exercise space. If you can, get a dog exercise pen, the wire ones that set up with about 8 sides and an opening and are from 24-42″ high. (Higher means she can’t jump over it when she grows.) Then give her several litter boxes; inside her cage, have the door open to the exercise pen, then put more in other areas of the exercise pen. Make the pen big enough that you can be inside it and lie down so she can explore you. Outside play can come eventually after she’s learned her basics. And Outside to a house bunny usually just means getting to run around the living room or under the bed. Give them their hay and they don’t instinctively miss grass – and definitely don’t miss the dangers out there!

I don’t mean keep her caged up – just a set space to be in for a little while since she’s so young. Also, if you can put a machine-washable throw rug down, or buy a specially absorbent rug piece that’s sold for incontinent animals, you put that on the floor of the X-pen to catch any pee that escapes the litter boxes. It will make you relax more to not have to worry about her little accidents.

Truly a week is no time at all. And you’ll find that you need to get used to this new permanent addition to your life as well. But if you really feel uncomfortable and just don’t want a bunny after all, give her to a loving home sooner rather than later. She obviously likes you! (Licks and binkies – the sign of a happy bun.)

This is all excellent advice…how are things coming for you?

Don’t worry about litter training for the moment just Don’t give her up My bun Easter was the same way you made the comentment to get her dont give up on her she is young.

I’ve only had my bunny for 6 weeks, and we are still in a state of constant re-negotiation. If you check out my thread (I think it got moved to Behavior Forum) called, “When Will My New Bunny Like Me”, you will see that I experienced a lot of the same things you are experiencing as far as aggression/territorialism. My rabbit also seems to really like being out and playing with me, but also snarls at me for no apparent reason. She is getting better, and I’m constantly trying different things. Taking some space away from her in one way, but giving her more opportunities for being social in others, etc.

I got directed to a lot of “Shy Bunny” websites, too, when I asked for advice. I do not have a shy bunny. She flopped within 10 minutes of moving in with me. She binkied the first time I let her into the living room. And she snarled whenever she thought she could get away with it. I just took her to the vet for the first time last week (just for a checkup), and she caused havoc! There were people there from local bunny rescues who said, “wow, NONE of my bunnies has every behaved that way!”. She wasn’t afraid of the carrier box, the vet, or the environment…she was just PISSED that I wouldn’t let her out of the box upon her command. And proceeded to push all of her litter out of her box in retaliation. And then leapt straight up out the top of the box when I opened it and tried to climb me cat-style. And then was thrilled when she got to explore every corner of the examining room. This bunny feels no fear…

I’m not sure what my point is, other than that I am continually frustrated and challenged. I love my rabbit, but yes, I do often wish she wasn’t psycho diva bunny. And I keep trying. And I’m sorry that you feel like you have a freakish rabbit and that you feel you’re a bad bunny-parent and that nobody understands.

Believe me, I’m right there with you! If I come up with any answers, I’ll be sure to share.

I think part of it is to try not to take your rabbit’s behavior so personally. I am NOT SAYING THAT YOU ARE EXPECTING TOO MUCH! (That one hurt me a lot when I asked the same questions you are asking.) I am suggesting that your rabbit is doing what SHE wants to do…that she’s not judging you. She’s not aggressive toward you because she hates you or because you are a bad bunny-mommy. She’s just…being her…at the moment. Maybe the moment and the circumstances will change, and you will find new ways to deal with her, and her behavior will change. I wish I had my own personal bunny-whisperer, but I don’t, so I keep guessing. I grew up with dogs, horses, birds, and rats, and I swear, rabbits are the hardest to link to cause-and-effect (your action, their reaction). Try not to be too hard on yourself.

(My bun is 1 year and fixed, so maybe once you get yours spayed some of your problems will go away. I’ve never had another bun, so I wouldn’t know.)

Hang in there.

Just keep repeating to yourself “She’s just a baby”.  She probably won’t “get” litter training for a while, and she has the attention span of a gnat on speed.

Calmness and consistancy is the key.  This is a partnership.  Lunging and snorting may be her way of asking to play.  My Pepper was very inquititive and nibbly when she first came to me.  Now, I’m the one with the big brain and opposable thumbs, so it was up to me to figure out how to explain to her that the big pink naked rabbit she lived with now was too delicate for that kind of play.  I highly recommend “The Language of Lagomprphs” site – it can really help you understand her body language and even respond in ways she can understand. 

Once you can figure out what she is trying to tell you, you’ll both be a lot happier.

I agree my netherland would try to bite my fingers off if I got near her and she was 12 weeks old she was in a breeding facility and the owner wasn’t quite nice so it could have been her owners before who made her like that…she was a total brat but if you stick with the litter training and everything you should be ok.

She’s definitely better off with you than in her prior situation.

Do try playing with her when she grunts and growls too. I have a friend who has a Holland Lop and she sounds like this. I would get on the ground and snort back at her and she thought it was fun. I’ve never played with a rabbit that way either but it seemed to suit her personality and she seemed to be entertained – I felt like an idiot but she was amused.

I guess most people don’t expect rabbit to be nippers and such so it does come as a surprise when you end up with one like that. I have a rabbit that came to me as a young adult and she was not spayed and she would whimper at me and lunge at me – spaying and age I think changed her behavior.

you absolutely did the best thing by rescuing her, whether she has a forever home with you or not. like i said, you will just need to be patient. rabbits are a learning experience, even people who have had them for years don’t always know EVERYTHING. we all learn something new everyday.

Any time you remove an animal from an abusive, neglectful, or just plain bad situation and place it in a loving, responsible home (whether it’s yours or someone else’s) it’s considered rescuing. A person doesn’t have to adopt a pet from a shelter or organization to have a rescued animal.

You did a wonderful thing for your bunny and if you can hang in there she’ll realize that she can trust you…despite her previous experience (or lack thereof) with people.

Awwww Trixie has a really sad story. You know what, it explains a lot about her. You should be so very proud that you saved her from such a horrible life.

You are definitely not alone – bunnies can be very hard to understand, but I know that there will come a day when she and you reach a wonderful and mutual place of understanding. She has been through so much.

The rabbit rescue I volunteer for rescued a bunch of rabbits from a meat farm a few months back. All of them had social difficulties and took time to settle in their new foster homes. One rabbit refused to leave his carrier for 3 entire days! But before long, every single one of them soon realized that their horrible life was over, replaced with love, trust and understanding. They are the most lovable bunnies we’ve ever rescued! And in time, Trixie will also realize where she is and who she is with and how wonderful her life now is with you!

Do you have any pictures? I’d love to see her!!!

She’s gorgeous!

she is beautiful

Trixie reminds me of Jessica’s former cagemate, Oreo.  Let me give you the darker side of rabbits…Jessica & I have never really gotten along.  We are now going on almost 3 years together, 2 of which living in my home w/ DH & 4 cats.  At this point, we have reached  a mutual understanding.  Where as she used to attack me to the point that I would bleed so bad, I once needed stitches, ironically that happened on Easter.  She no longer breaks my skin and will only lunge at me when I am cleaning out the old uneaten veggies in the morning.  I acknowledge it’s her way of saying, “these are MY veggies, I don’t care if they’re gross!”  I know tap the side of the cage before I go in and grab and she’s ok w/ that.  I’ve also learned the power of treats (she’s a real chunky monkey now).  And I accept her for who she is and the space she wants.  She went back & forth w/ litter training and only stabilized once she was spayed. 

I also wonder if her cage is too small?  I know she’s a baby, but she may just be very territorial w/ her little abode.  I agree w/ everything here.  Definately keep working on it.  Rabbits are not like dogs, dogs have a tendancy of licking every stranger they meet.  Rabbits are much more discerning.  Give her her space and she will come around.  What toys does she have?  Have you found that she is more of a nibbler or a digger? 

wait… i don’t understand, SLS.

you are saying that Jessica has uneaten veggies in the morning?!

i don’t even know what uneaten veggies look like.. i’ve never seen any… LMAO!

It usually happens when I slip in those…going to die soon veggies….imagine that those veggies don’t live up to her highnesses standards

haha – I always see un-eaten veggies when I so happen to put in those “gross” veggies like the collard greens, or the turnip greens!

Katydidz, you are definitely not the first to experience “rabbit-tude” – in fact, its so common that that is the designated word for it! Now that you mentioned her background, I am nt surprised that she can be territorial. Imagine if you had been living in really terrible house, and it was hot and you were suffering and then all of a sudden someone took you and put you in a fantastic mansion! Wouldn’t you want to defend that house from other “invaders” ? As soon as she begins to realize that you want to share the house with her, and that you aren’t going to take her back to that awful place, I think you’ll really start to bond.

I have noticed that in my experience, it is the bunnies with the most attitude that can really become best friends with humans. As long as you try to create a relationship with her on her terms as opposed to what you want her to be, then I think there is a lot of potential for you to learn a lot about her, and have a great friendship!