Help with an antisocial rabbit??

[weaponzmastah]

I adopted Kaz back in September 2014, and he’s honestly been a big positive in my life. Back then he was the friendliest, bravest rabbit I had ever met. He didn’t care about the size of the animal or person, he thought he could take them all on. He even kicked out in the ultimate comfortable position in front of me and my dog on his first day with us. He also wasn’t neutered though, and I could only handle the spraying for so long before I finally took him in to be fixed. I’ve always kept up to date on how to care for rabbits, knowing bonding with Kaz would take time, learning about how he reacts to things and what he likes and doesn’t like, so when he started hiding more in his cage and exercising less I already knew it was because of the procedure and that I needed to encourage him more. He’s still friendly with myself, my animals, and my best friend, but I’ve found he still isolates himself when I open his cage door so he can come out and play. I don’t like to pull him out unless necessary because he’s terrified of being held (though he’s not too bad anymore with me) so I could have the cage door open for four hours and he’ll either never leave, or only leave when I leave the room a lot of the time. Then he’ll either try to leave the room or sit in one of his favourite spots and refuse to move unless I’m suddenly looking interesting. I only ever see him binky anymore every once in awhile, and honestly I’m scared for him. It’s not like he refuses to socialize with me – I provide him with a treat every two days, he constantly wants to be where I am and craves attention like a person craves water. If he does come out and hang with me, he’s attached to my side getting a long nose rub. But the thing is that it’s either he wants to be with me or no one at all and I don’t know how to feel about that. I’ve looked up solutions to this issue, because I’m scared that if he only ever leaves his cage to hang out with me that he isn’t getting enough exercise, or enough play time and socializing time since there are times I can only let him out for half an hour or an hour rather than four. The only solutions I’ve found to this issue is “bonding with him more’ or ‘getting another rabbit to bond with’ but I definitely can’t afford to get a second rabbit fixed so it’d have to be one already fixed, and considering he definitely likes me I don’t know how else I could bond with him.

If anyone has any ideas, please please help! Even if it’s telling me to get another rabbit for him, I just want all the ideas I can find so he’ll exercise again and be the happy little social bun he was only half a year ago.

[Gina.Jenny]

How old is he? It could just be he is being a teenager bunny, and nothing too much to worry about. One of our girl buns, Gina, won’t come out while you watch, its just how she is. It sounds like he is fine letting you know when he wants you attentions/affections, which is a big positive.

As far as ‘getting another bunny’ goes, most rescues fix buns before adoption, and not all charge high adoption fees. Otherwise, a soft cuddly toy works for some bunnies, or even something soft that smells of you, such as an old jumper, that he can cuddle into if he wants?

[weaponzmastah]

He’s going to be three in a week or two now, but yeah that’s what I’ve noticed Kaz do at times. He’ll sometimes come out without issue but he doesn’t even bother to chew the bars anymore or act like he wants out, which I guess is what worries me because it’s such a stark difference from how he was only eight months ago.

Yeah I rescued Kaz from a local shelter and he was only five dollars, but he was most definitely not fixed, and I think that’s because they don’t have a vet on site and have to send them off to do such procedures maybe? I know it’s 300 to fix a female bun here, and it would’ve been 250 for Kaz if I hadn’t taken him to a difference province to get him done for cheaper while on vacation. So the thought of getting a second one from this area and having to potentially spend that much on him or her is a little nerve wracking as well.

But thank you so much for the reply! It definitely makes me feel better to know it may just be a phase he’s going through considering he’s still pretty young.

[Gina.Jenny]

Have you got an old jumper or blanket or something else soft he could have in his cage? Gina loves having the corner of an old duvet to snuggle into and I guess it smells a bit of me?

[weaponzmastah]

That sounds so cute haha! I don’t think I really have any sort of blankets or jumpers he could use, more likely old t shirts if anything – he does snuggle into the towel that I put at the bottom a lot though. But I think I’m definitely going to try and give him one of my similar sized old stuffed animals and see how he likes since I know he’s always been enamoured by a giant frog I keep nearby his cage.

[Azerane]

He sounds pretty normal to me. Often when opened Bandit’s cage after getting home from work, he would just continue lounging in his cage, and it may only be hours later that he would come out. That’s the thing with bunnies, if they don’t feel like coming out, they just won’t, even if it means missing out on playtime. If it’s of particular concern to you, perhaps when you open his cage for playtime you could offer incentives such as his greens or a few pellets as a reason to come out and play. That would at least get him out of the cage and then he might stay out, or just go back in.

Once Bandit reached adulthood, he was mischievous, but he wasn’t big on binkies. He would do them, but it was more of a rare “crazy time” treat every few days/once a week. Most of the time when I let him out to play, he would investigate a few things, maybe do some chewing in one of his boxes, maybe play with a toy but often he would just flop by my feet or under the coffee table. Then other times I would let him out he would be always busy, chewing, playing, causing trouble, jumping on couches, running around etc.

I don’t think your bunny is really antisocial, more just relaxed. Sitting on the couch using my laptop Bandit often just chilled nearby, but if I sat on the floor to do something such as reading, writing something or anything, he would always come over and investigate.

[Paradigm]

Out of interest, is there any pattern to time of day? My buns generally want to sleep all afternoon (unless food is offered).

I also find that shutting them away for a while makes them more interested in coming out – once they’ve got used to having freedom they’re less fussed about it. (Mine are an incredibly naughty bunch and destroy things if they’re not supervised).

I think some buns are just more sociable than others – Charlie is the most sociable, George loves attention and will put her head next to Charlie’s for strokes – but she only wants it on the group and Albus is more hyperactive (I would say skittish, but he’s much the same way with the other two – he’s constantly exploring). He only really wants attention when he wants to sleep. We do pick him up and cuddle him which he tolerates.

George got quite depressed when Fred died and didn’t perk up until we got Charlie. She was definitely more active once we got Charlie, but your bun sounds pretty normal.

My trio still binky, but less than when we first got them. I think it might be part novelty (our flat is old hat now) and part age. Rabbits mature relatively quickly, so changes around neutering (as well as changing their hormones) also coincide with naturally calming down.

Prior to Fred and George, we had a rabbit called Mr Roger who loved to sleep with us but was very all or nothing in his attention. He was ill (as we later discovered) but I think had a lot more to do with his personality. I only ever saw Mr Roger binky once when I awoke in the middle of the night. We got Mr Roger at “3” years old (we suspect he was much older) and he was pretty calm even before we neutered him.

[weaponzmastah]

With Kaz, he doesn’t really seem to be too excited by anything that has to do with food or toys – I’ve found with him he’s constantly more interested in living things than food or toys. He always comes out for these carrot drops I give him every few days (literally climbs all over me for those) but unless I close the cage door when he comes out for them he runs right back in and won’t leave again until he really wants a nose rub.

That’s what I noticed with Kaz as well, he only rarely binkies – which is a lot less lately than eight months ago when we moved. Even after the operation although he came out less he was still binkying whenever he was out and as socialable as the first day I got him. I guess I’m just sort of afraid that I’ve made him into a couch potato since he only likes to cause destruction to my phone wires or bed, and again doesn’t really come out or play with toys. He wants a nose rub at any time of the day but just doesn’t seem bothered to leave his cage much for it anymore.

That sounds a lot like how Kaz was a few months ago even though – even before being fixed he only wanted nose rubs from me. He used to come out a lot more just to hang out with me, but now it feels ike a struggle just to get him to come out of the cage, which ultimately is my worry. If that’s normal for a rabbit though, I’m totally cool with it since he and I can be chill friends together. I just wanna make sure I’m not doing anything wrong I guess, or that he needs something else to get him to be more active. Though my only solution for that at this point would be another bun, since again he really doesn’t care for toys at all.

[weaponzmastah]

Your buns sound absolutely adorable! (And I’m suspecting you may be a bit of a Harry Potter fan? XD) I’m so sorry for your losses though! But I’m glad George has gotten better!

I find with Kaz it doesn’t really matter what time of day it is, he just doesn’t seem to want to leave much. He’s definitely a bit of a clever little anarchist though as I call him – he loves trying to be sneaky and finds innovative ways to either escape the room or destroy my phone cords despite me always hiding them on him. To be honest he’s a big fan of doing everything he knows he isn’t allowed to do, and loves to sneak around and see if he can get away with what he should know by now that he won’t. I’ve watched him do this thing where he waits until he thinks I’m not looking before becoming this destructive rebellious thing who gets into everything. Somehow, he’s actually not too bad if he isn’t supervised, but that only counts if the door is open. He destroys things for the thrill of potentially being caught, apparently. If he can’t get to me, he seeks revenge and will usually pee on my bed then run and hide in his cage (since he knows he’ll be going in there when I see it). He thinks if he’s already in the cage by his own free will than he isn’t being punished.

I think I’m worried about him not coming out mostly because before we moved he was the most socialable bun around. He’d meet any dog and run straight to them for a nose rub (and has gotten bopped on the head a few times by my father’s cat for doing the same with him). He also always adored coming out of his cage no matter who opened it. Even the first day I got him I climbed into the pen he was playing in and let him run around me and greet me and when I climbed out he freaked out and literally jumped onto the fence and almost fell right off. (Thank God for quick reflexes). When he was fixed he did slow down, but he’s never been so introverted I guess would be the best word until most recently. He still loves to run with the littler dogs and will greet my father’s cat just the same, but when it comes to humans it’s either me or my best friend or no one at all. And even then he only comes out if he ‘really’ feels like it, which seems to only be right when I’m about to go to bed sometimes.I’ve had his cage open for a full four hours at times and it’ll be night and he just won’t leave. Which is so strange to me considering again he was the same rabbit who when recooperating from getting fixed ran straight to the front of the cage at the vets to greet one of the vets dogs there for a visit. He’s just never been skittish or antisocial until more recently, and even then it’s only with humans. It seems like he’s solely attached to me and my best friend which I guess is because we’re who he mostly sees, but a lot of the time he just won’t come out for me either.

I think I’d think it was more normal if he at least liked to play with toys or destroy boxes, but for the most part he only seems to care for living interactions rather than inanimate ones. I think he doesn’t like to play by himself, which may be due to being locked in a garage and being so isolated by his last owners. I guess it’s one of those things where I’m sitting here so lost and wondering if I should get him a bunny friend (which will take a lot of convincing to my father since we’re moving back in with him soon) or see if by keeping his cage door closed for a day or two makes him want to come out more.

[Love4Bunny]

I’m sure you feel like you did the wrong thing by getting Kaz neutered, but I think you did the right thing. I would visit the vet again, in a bit, if you feel like it could be medical.

It sounds like Kaz has calmed down a bit, but I don’t think it’s a major cause for concern. My friends rabbit (who is also a male) is a grumpy bunny, who doesn’t like to come out of the cage when it’s opened. His teeth were pulled by the vet (malocclusion), so maybe that’s part of his deal.

My male is chill. He prefers to be the adventurer or lie down next to me, and doesn’t care much for toys, unless *some other bunny* is chewing them, or unless it’s carpet or baseboards (smh). I think Kaz is normal. He may perk up in a bit, but at least he’s friendly with the people/animals he knows. As long as Kaz is interacting with you in a healthy way, and eating and pooping normally, it’s a good sign.

A rabbit friend may help Kaz. You do need to be able to afford twice the vet bills, and you need lots of time (and space) in the beginning to invest in bonding (my experience), but I never regretted it at all.

You can adopt from a place that does desexing, so the initial cost doesn’t have to be a deterrent. In my opinion, it’s the stuff that comes after that which can cost a lot (as you discovered with buying vs. neutering).

[Paradigm]

Another thought – is the flooring a different type where you’ve moved. Mine almost exclusively binky on carpets.

They will hop/run around on our vinyl floor, but the floor at my dad’s (a different type of vinyl) they are much more tentative on. We put down yet another type of vinyl when we visit him.

[weaponzmastah]

Honestly I think the one thing I will absolutely never regret is getting him fixed. Although it was beyond hilarious to watch him spray my cousin once, I could only handle the spraying for so long before something needed to be done. I knew it was going to calm him down going in, I think I just didn’t realize by /how much/.

Hahahahahaha that sounds a little too much like Kaz when he does leave the cage. Doesn’t seem to care for toys but carpets and my phone cords are apparently just delightful things to touch, especially when I hide the latter because then it’s a sneaky adventure for him. I think he lives just to be rebellious, because he either wants all the attention or to cause destruction.

Last night for the first time in weeks actually he came out only minutes after I opened the cage door and followed me and sat where I sat with little breaks in between for about five hours. He also for once wasn’t actually willing to just go back in his cage when I went to lead him back in, which is great because that’s exactly how he was before we moved – calm but ready to sin as I like to call it.

I found out already from my local shelter (where I initially got Kaz) that they won’t fix the rabbits they take in there, which I guess is the reason I got Kaz for five dollars. So if Kaz falls back into the pattern again I’ll likely look at shelters farther away for rabbits that they do fix while there since I definitely cannot handle 250 dollars just for another neutering, on top of twice the vet bills and such. There’s this one that does it where the rabbits all cost 60 dollars there, and I think that’s a lot more worth it than paying the 250 – 300 depending on the sex later on.

[weaponzmastah]

It’s definitely a different type of carpet. The one at my dad’s is more shaggy – which Kaz thinks is fun to pull – while the one here is one of those very short and a bit tougher on your feet ones that he can’t pick up. I think he’s actually only binkied two or three times in the eight months we’ve been here, and most of those have actually happened in the tiled bathroom where there’s a shaggier carpet in front of the bath tub. So yeah, actually it could be that. Which won’t be a problem for too much longer since we’re moving in a week or two. I would’ve never even thought of that either, since he’s still on carpet, just a different kind.

[Love4Bunny]

Posted By Paradigm on 2/09/2016 4:54 AM
Another thought – is the flooring a different type where you’ve moved. Mine almost exclusively binky on carpets.

They will hop/run around on our vinyl floor, but the floor at my dad’s (a different type of vinyl) they are much more tentative on. We put down yet another type of vinyl when we visit him.

I want to second that my bunnies also binky a lot more on carpet. It’s too hard for them to binky on a smooth surface. I think bunnies need traction.

Yes, I agree with seeking a shelter further out Weaponzmastah, if you decide to go that route. One of my rabbits (unbeknownst to me) was altered by a dog and cat vet. He is fine, but I would doublecheck for a rabbit vet as the surgeon, because they actually know what they are doing. I’ve heard of a vet who made an incision for neutering in the wrong place – that sorta thing. I’m glad to hear Kaz is getting back to his mischievous side. That is so much better than a hunched, sick bunny in the corner!

[LupinTheRabbit]

I am having a similar issue. I just moved and now it seems like my bunny wants nothing to do with me. He is free roam but he stays in one spot most if the time. He used to be very lovey and would run up to me any time I was on the ground. Now he will hop around me. He will come out to check things out and see what’s up, but other than that, he doesn’t love on me anymore. Did you find a solution to your problem?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Hi, Lupin and Welcome to BB. We ask that members please not respond to old threads (this one is from 2016) as it can cause confusion and these members may no longer be active. Please start your own thread and you will also get more attention that way. Thanks

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