Bun is acting different

[Stewart<3]

Hi! I have a bun his name is Stewart, I got him about 2 1/2 months ago when he was about 9 months old the lady had him for maybe 3 months. she said that he was great with people loved being held never bit and was just perfect all around. So, since I have had him, he’s been sweet and all but now he wants nothing to do with me every time I try and hold him, he tries to jump out of my arms, and he scratches me in the face and sometimes bites me and I’m not forcing him to let me hold him I sometimes pick him up and he acts as if I’m torturing him which I’m not. I know most rabbits don’t like being held but the person I got him from said he did so I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong or if I’m somehow spoiling him with something and he’s neutered so I don’t know what’s up does anyone have a clue?

I don’t know if this will help at all but before he went to the person, I got him from he was a gift from a mother to her kids and he was starved nearly to death and so now I give him a little more food than the lady I got him from normally gave him. So again, I don’t know if it’s just because he’s growing up or because I’m somehow spoiling him in some way or doing something wrong so if someone could please help me out by giving me an idea of what could be wrong that would be great!

[DanaNM]

Most rabbits don’t like to be held, you’re right. When you got him it sounds like he was in bad shape and was likely in poor health (thank you for rescuing him, btw!).

Can you describe his housing set up and his daily routine? If he is handled every day, he could be learning to resent it as he grows older.

The best way to interact with your bun is to let them come to you on the floor, and then you can pet them there once they trust you.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Stewart<3]

He lives in my room in an encloser which is 36 inches tall and about 60 inches long I want to say 30 inches wide which is on top of the vinyl. He hangs out in there when I go to bed and when I’m not home other than that he is a free roamer. He is litter trained so when he free roams if he needs to go, he will go in his litter box, and for the litter part, he uses horse stall pellets which I think are great cause they won’t make the smell as bad, and it absorbs everything. And he has a Lixit Rabbit Water Fountain & Bowl which he drinks out of, and he has a metal food bowl that attaches to the pen so he can’t knock the food over.  I wake up around 7:00 I get out of bed around 7:30 then I feed him his food. He eats Purina rabbit food (a little more than 1/4 cup) along with unlimited timothy hay. I don’t know If rabbits have a certain vegetable they like to eat or something because Stewart won’t eat vegetables he just won’t, and it was the same with my first rabbit he would eat nothing but his hay and pellets until his final year when he got sick, he had a stroke and then would eat anything you put in front of him. Stewart eats fruit just won’t eat anything dried he will eat raspberries and bananas if I were to give him a little as a treat, I’m planning on taking him outside when it’s not so wet and when the grass grows back because right now it’s all mud basically. I do have dogs so I leave him in his thing for a few hours so my dogs can run around but then I will put them outside or in their crates so he can run around for a few hours. When it comes to holding him, I admit I hold him in a way a lot but not a lot like at most I hold him like 2 hours total but not all at once so like I could hold him for 5-10 minutes put him down and repeat that a few times in the daytime. Do you think that because he is free to roam, and he is kind of new to living with me that he wants to explore everything there is to explore that he does not like to be held as much anymore?

[DanaNM]

You have a great set-up for him!

And yeah, I think that holding him multiple times during the day is stressing him out. Rabbits are prey animals, so when they are picked up it makes them feel threatened.

It is important to be able to pick up your rabbits if needed, but I only pick mine up for nail trims or when they need a deep grooming. I would stop holding him so much and just let him come to you while he’s roaming.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Stewart<3]

Ok, thanks so much!

[prince dorian the bun]

I was told both my buns liked being held when I got them. It wasn’t true for either! Dorian who I have had for a while is pretty tolerant of it now, but I general avoid it.  Miu my new bun, would just freeze initially. I think she was terrified.  Now she kicks and makes a big fuss like it sounds like yours does! I take it as a sign she is not terrified of me and letting me know she isn’t ok with it. In time I hope she trust me enough to tolerate it when I have to do it.

[Stewart<3]

Thank you so much for telling me this because yeah Stewart is not scared to tell me that he does not want to be held he makes it clear in every way.

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