Odd behavior from new Bunny

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This topic has 2sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 10 months ago by LizzyGC.

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- 12/28/2018 at 4:32 AM
  LizzyGC
  Participant
  2 posts
  Hello! My husband and I just adopted a new bunny (he is about 2 years old and very over weight). Previous owners reported he was a very picky eater and that they had to surrender him because they got a new puppy and the puppy “stressed the bunny out”. I believe we will be his third home (and his forever home I’m sure of it) but I worry that he isn’t happy. He has free reign of our house when we are home, and a 4 foot by 4 foot area when we are not home. However, during the day he stays in his area (even though it is open so he could leave and explore/play) and rarely comes out from his hidey hole in there. He comes out to play and run and bunny every night around 11pm (almost exactly when I go to bed and just my husband is in the living room on the computer). Should I be concerned about this? He seems so unhappy during the day, growling and swiping when I attempt to pet him, but then he seems so happy at night. Is he just persnickety? We have only had him about a week, and I am sure he is experiencing a lot of stress, so I am trying to give him space but also get him to trust me (sitting near him and talking to him quietly or reading to him).
  
  Should I be doing anything else to help him acclimate and be comfortable? I am also irrationally convinced that he is sick, because we lost our previous bunny very suddenly and I worry about losing this one too.
  
  Thanks so much!
- 12/28/2018 at 7:21 AM
  Asriel and Bombur
  Participant
  1104 posts
  Honestly a lot of it is that he’s new, and he does need to settle in. Don’t try to pet him, especially if he’s lunging at you. Just take it slow. He’s a shelter bun, so you can’t be completely sure how rough or not his past is. Just let him be, and he’ll come to you when he wants attention. It took my boy Asriel a good year to open up to us, and even now he’s not big on being pet. The first 3 months we had him he refused to leave his cage for more than an hour or two. He prefers to have his home base, and if you let him out before 11pm-12am he will hop around the room once for about 5 minutes then just go back in and lay in his litter box. I can only pet him really either when he’s in his cage or when the lights are all off for bed time and he comes on the bed. Some bunnies prefer to be independent and just play when the people aren’t awake. It’s frustrating, I know, and you feel like they won’t know you love them or care, but just be patient. It’s only been a week.
- 12/29/2018 at 12:40 AM
  LizzyGC
  Participant
  2 posts
  Thank you so much! That’s what I assumed, I think I just needed to hear it from someone else who understands. I’ll give him his space and let him open up when he’s ready, and if he is never ready that’s okay too!
  Thanks
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