Bunny is afraid of me!

[Noah]

I got my bunny 2.5 weeks ago. At first she was nervous as expected, but started warming up to me after a few days. Eventually she would let me pet her any time, and give me a tooth purr. 

But then, this Monday, I had to take her to the vet for possible GI stasis. She really doesn’t like to be handled, and really freaked out when I gave her her medicine (after that I discovered that she would eat it mixed in with food, so I only had to handle her forcefully one time). 

Since then, she has been growing progressively more afraid of me. I’m not acting any different, but she sometimes startles and runs away when I come toward her. And she isn’t as comfortable with being petted. Often she gets up and hops away instead of letting me pet her like before.

Is this just fallout from the vet episode? Or might I be doing something wrong? Her fear seems to be increasing day by day, not decreasing, so I’m worried.

[Rookie]

just giver her some space but keep trying to pet her again like before. maybe try and approach and giver her some treats so she associates treats with you as opposed to the vet. this is normal though. my bun after the vet would not “speak” to me for hours. it will pass in time hopefully once she realizes that she doesn’t get picked up or handled every time you approach.

how was it when you picked her up for the medication? was it all smooth? could it be that perhaps you held her wrong and she is hurt? you cant rule that out either unfortunately… if you had trouble with it only though.

[Noah]

When I picked her up for the medicine she really struggled. I wrapped her in a towel and tried to be very careful, but she REALLY didn’t like it. She doesn’t seem hurt at all – she races around the room, and binkies, and eats and poops just fine, and I don’t see her favoring any body part. But maybe that experience of being forced to take her medicine traumatized her?

[Rookie]

It’s normal for them to be grumpy after something like that . Try approaching her on your arms and knees and have some treats for her. So that she doesn’t think you are approaching to pick her up again

[Deleted User]

“(after that I discovered that she would eat it mixed in with food, so I only had to handle her forcefully one time). ”

You should never handle your rabbit forcefully, they are very fragile and even twisting the wrong way while being held can result in a broken bone. I understand the need to give medicine, and it can be a real pain, but you have to be patient and stick with trying to gently coerce her into taking it. If she’s not having it, take a brief break and try again, but never use force to handle your rabbit. It’s a good idea to try and give medicine on food, perhaps squirted on a slice of banana or something irresistibly yummy to them. Also, this is more familiar to them than a syringe to the face lol. She is scared. They don’t like to be picked up anyway, so it’s definitely an uncomfortable experience for her. You’ve only had her 2.5 weeks, so I doubt that you have a strong bond with her yet. I’ve had my Quincy for over a month and while he totally lets me pet and snuggle and I get licks, I can tell that he doesn’t trust me the way that my bun Ophelia does, who I have had for about 5 months. You’ve probably “broken” your bond a little, but don’t fret. Spend lots of time hanging around, but not actively trying to touch or pet. Let her learn to trust you again.

[Noah]

Awwww, thanks!!! I’m slowly coaxing her back into liking me…And after that first time, I gave her the medicine mixed with some food, and she at it up! 

[Author]

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