Need help with scared bunny!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 11 months ago by Hazel.

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- 02/13/2021 at 9:08 AM
  Vinni
  Participant
  9 posts
  Hello all 🙂
  
  My bun Rumchatta is just now approaching 4.5 months old. When she was younger, she loved being picked up and didn’t mind it at all and would even kiss my face when lifted! However, now it’s become a chasing chore!! I’ve read that you should try to build your bunnies tolerance to it for nail clippings and such so I’ve been trying to do that. I lift her and she kicks and scratches really bad… When she calms down I let her down to hop away and give her a yummy treat. Then for the rest of the day however, she is scared of me! She won’t let me come close and bolts away from me and hides. 🙁 Sometimes she gets so scared she will run in her hidey or her cage and flop over and lay there breathing and quickly. During these bouts of her resentment of me, she will run up to my mom and accept pets from her but if I try she runs and hides… so I give her a few days and she’s back to accepting pets and treats and playing with me. I try lifting again and she gets terrified of me again! Should I just let her be and only pick her up when absolutely necessary even if she hates it? Or should I keep trying to train her? It’s so weird because she used to love it when I got her. However I don’t want her to hate or be afraid of me! Please help 🙁
- 02/13/2021 at 10:27 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17025 posts
  I think you should stop trying to train her. It doesnt seem to be the right method for your particular bun.
  
  Baby buns are very friendly and unafraid and easy to handle. When they reach puberty (puberty can set in from 3 months of age), they become a lot less interested in being lifted up and held etc.
  
  To adult or semi-adult rabbits, being grabbed and lifted up is very stressful. Their deepest instincts tell them they’re about to become somebody’s dinner. This is a perfectly normal reaction for a rabbit, but it is indeed impractical for the human.
  
  I think you should stop the handling and work on gaining her trust. Don’t grab her and pick her up unless you must.
  
  Rabbits can learn to be handled, but by now she has rather learned the opposite thing. Since she panicks in such a big way when you catch her and grab her, her fear makes her unable to learn that being held is ok. It’s common for humans as well as animals to “go blank” in very stressful situations.
  
  That she eventually gives in and calms down may be a fear response, and not a sign of relaxation.
  
  Anyhow, you seem to love her very much, and she “forgives” you after a few days where you don’t grab her. She also seems to like your mother. These things mean you have the necessary foundation to build a good trusting relationship on.
  
  I’m sure other members here will be happy to give you tips on how to bond with your bun. It is often a slow process, but it is very rewarding!
  
  P.S: She’s absolutely adorable! 🥰
  - 02/13/2021 at 1:50 PM
    Vinni
    Participant
    9 posts
    Thank you so much for your input! That’s what I was thinking but I just needed some more opinions. She will be a happy floor bunny! Thank you again 🙂
- 02/14/2021 at 4:52 AM
  Hazel
  Participant
  2587 posts
  She will be very happy with that. 🙂 There’s no point ruining your relationship with her trying to make her like something she’s instinctively terrified of. It’s a “the cure is worse than the disease” kind of situation in my opinion.
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