How do you appease your offended rabbit?

[bpash89]

 What do you guys do to get back in your bunnies good graces when you, for whatever reason, seemed to have mortally offended them?  My little one has been very upset that I left her home alone one afternoon this weekend (yet she doesn’t care when I go to work – go figure) and has been giving me the cold shoulder ever since.  I’ve offered her treats which she gladly eats and then goes back to ignoring me and any offer to touch her has been met with a rather violent head shake of ‘absolutely not’ before she hops away.  She seems to have calmed down a bit tonight (did let me pet her for a bit) but still not all-together pleased with me.  So how exactly do you ‘apologize’ to your bunny?

[Sarita]

I don’t think you can actually apologize. I think just getting back into the regular routine is about all you can do.

[Bam]

I usually apologize with a craisin after nail-clipping or other gruesome procedures. In your case I don’t know if a craisin would help. I once knew a dog who would be heartily offended when he couldn’t accompany his master to work – most often he could bu sometimes he had to stay home. The dog would then demonstrate his offendedness by refusing to go inside. His eyes got all red and he scorned even the juiciest of meaty bones offered to him. The next day he was ready to accept his master’s apologies though.

So I’d say, act normally and give it time.

[BonnieSue]

I am so glad I am not the only one with a bunny diva at home!

She was mad at me on Friday – most days she can’t wait to get in her bag and go for a ride. However, it wasn’t a “choice” per se – I was going to a friend’s to pick up some clothing she had borrowed and she is my bunny nail clipping expert. So not only did Hazel not want to go – then it just got worse!

She was really good to have her nails done, but promptly bit me in the ear when I was holding her afterwards (just a nibble) and gave me the cold shoulder when we got home. She was even being sneaky about eating her food! I tried to bribe her with a snack, and got nervous for a minute when she didn’t eat it right away, thinking maybe she was feeling poorly and that was the root of the whole deal. Well, I left the room to go to the bathroom and when I came back all the goodies were GONE – she just wasn’t going to eat them while I was the one offering them.

By the next day, she was over it… but geez. She was just in a huge bunny sulk until she decided not to be, I guess!

[MoveDiagonally]

I poke them with carrots.

I think your bunny will come around once you get back into your routine.

[Elrohwen]

I just offer a treat, then ignore them and go about my business. One of mine always acts offended and the other never acts offended, so I just let them act how they want.

[Eucalyptus]

I feel so lucky that Java is so laid back! Even after an overly long nail clipping session, Java doesn’t get mad! Sheesh, we have it so easy.

Whenever I get toe-flicks, though, I just get really low and reach a hand out. He always takes the offering.

[hannaroo]

My bunnies are teens and have proper tantrums. Suri once got VERY offended at me smelling like Buttons, ran away and thumped and growled for half an hour! I’m currently being shunned after getting her nails clipped, although she is improving after 4 days

[Baxter n Boos Mom]

I read on the Language of Lagomorphs that you can use typical bunny behavior to try to communicate back with our buns. And what was suggested to reconcile with our bun..was to sit near them, and groom ourselves 🙂 For example, stroke your hair, as if grooming.

They also suggested if we’re upset with our buns – to turn our backs on them, or even flick our feet at them while leaving. LOL! I’ve done this to my husband as a joke, but not to my buns yet 🙂

[LittlePuffyTail]

When I do something that ticks off my buns (medicine, grooming, etc) I give a small treat and am immediately forgiven. Nothing says “I;m sorry” like a piece of dried papaya.

[JustineT]

The title of this thread made me laugh My bun bun was so offended months back when my husband and I spend the day at home cleaning! That night, once we could spend time with her, every time we tried to stroke her, she ran off to her cage. When we approached her cage or walked by, she would flop on her back, get up, and flop on her back again. She repeated this over and over again and I’m sure she was saying “I don’t need you in my life to be happy! I’m just fine on my own!”. We tried giving her herbs and a raspberry (her favorite!) and she would refuse to take them from us. She also wouldn’t hop around her cage and just sat around. We were worried she wasn’t feeling well!

Then, we left the raspberry and herbs in the cage, closed it up, and turned off the lights to go to bed, and talking about calling the vet in the morning if she was still not accepting her treats and barely hopping around. Of course, when my husband came out to get a glass of water before bed, he caught Willow happily bouncing around her cage and all of her treats were gone! The second she saw him though, she got very subdued.

The next day though, she was fine and had decided to forgive us because she wanted to be stroked. Basically, I don’t think there’s anyway to appease them. They hold all of the cards and decide when it’s time to forgive you.

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