I want to kill my rabbit!

[rinnono]

You guys should know me before.My rabbit moved in with me.About 15 days or so.But today he is so naughty.He turned over the food bowl.And I have to collect back in again.I hug in and he scratch me when he struggle to get out.I put him in Xpen.He went to poop inside so much.I hit his ass and then he went to poo.WTF!!I quickly shove him off.And carried him in.WHAT SHOULD I DO.I feel like having him as a meal.His heartbeat is very quick now coz he scared.

[RabbitPam]

Yep, you scared him. Bunnies do not respond to punishment, just reward. It’s against our impulse, but the strongest punishment you should ever give them is with your voice, using a firm “NO” that they recognize and will stop them, followed by a “time out”, ie. put him back into his cage.

If you pretend you are a very, very huge animal you can see yourself through your bunny’s eyes. You need to develop a bond of trust with him, otherwise you look exactly like a predator who wants to eat him. He was bred for thousands of years to believe he is your next meal, so any behavior suggesting that will trigger his natural instinct to get away. Do not hit him. Do not come after him with your hands extended like claws to grab him.

If he is being naughty, herd him by shooing him into his cage. To gain his trust, lie down on the floor, let him come to you, and pet him without picking him up and grabbing him. Give him a treat from your hand while down there. Talk to him quietly.

Also, the positive reward method means have some willow balls or sticks, or even toilet paper rolls ready as toys to distract him. If you want him to stop misbehaving but stay out longer, say the No, but then give him a distracting toy to play with. It will be helpful for his energy and attention away from play that is destructive to other things, like his food dish. (Might want to get a heavy ceramic bowl so he can’t lift it, too.)

If he just won’t behave, then he’s in a bad mood and he will feel differently the next day. I am betting he is now a teenager and very ready to be neutered. That will make his behavior much, much better a month after it is done. How old is he? Please make an appointment with your vet to have it done if you haven’t already. You’ll see a good change.
Hang in there. Be patient with him, since we all know teenagers, human as well as bunny, are challenging.

[jerseygirl]

Gosh, I hope you are making a joke!

Do you have a friend who has a house rabbit that could come by and help you out? It takes some time to gain trust with a rabbit and you have to handle them properly from the beginning otherwise things will stay difficult.
Sarita gave you this link before. I hope you’ve had a chance to take a look as it has lots of info about house rabbits. You may be able to contact them on advice also. http://www.hrss.net/index.html
Another good resource is http://www.hrs.org

[Sarita]

Please contact the Singapore House Rabbit Society for some local support and help – don’t wait, it’s good to have local support for your situation. Jersey has posted the link. Don’t wait, contact them now.

No animal responds well to negative reinforcement so just calm down and take a deep breath. You obviously want what is best for your rabbit or you wouldn’t keep seeking help from us.

I think you need to get him neutered first of all to help with his litter training. Also keep in mind that this is new to him so just like any animal he needs to get used to his new place like you are getting used to him.

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

You need to be patient with your bunny. He needs trust and he is probably scared of what just happened.Get him fixed ASAP.It will help his behaivior problems and calm him down.You should never, i repeat NEVER show a physicly violent act with your bunny(better yet any animal or pet)

[RabbitPam]

Hi, again,
I just reread your post where you introduced yourself and Monday (that’s his name, right?) and I realized his background is adding to the situation. If his previous owner didn’t let him out for 1 1/2 years, he doesn’t know how to socialize with humans or what to do in a room with a lot of space. He definitely will need patience, love and lots of time before he trusts you. In addition, you don’t know if the previous owner ever handled him roughly as well, so he could be very very scared.

Please just put him back in his cage, his safety zone in his mind, when you are losing patience. You need to get away from the aggravating impulses. He needs to feel safe slowly and steadily.
Contrary to belief, bunnies are NOT cuddly. They are soft to pet, but difficult to snuggle. You need to change some of your expectations of him in order to start a good relationship. He will come around, but it will be months, not days or even weeks.

Neutering immediately will make a much better life for both of you.

[Lintini]

If you are getting mad because he dumped over his food bowl I don’t think this is the right pet for you. Don’t even tease about eating your rabbit, it is NOT funny. I would poop myself too if something 10 times bigger than me slapped me around. You really need to listen to what RabbitPam and Sarita have been telling you.

[BunnyLiz]

Im with Lintini, if a dumped food bowl and a few poos are making you this upset I dont think you have the right pet. Hammer knocks over his salad bowl almost every day, twice a day, but thats just his habit now. And almost all bunnies will leave a few poos around, just yesterday Mae left a pile in front of my bedroom door, simply to let me know she would prefer that I leave it open. And please do not ever ever hit your bunny, I promise you bunnies do not forget that and you will only make things much worse. Mae was hit in her former home years ago and she stills remembers and still fears people she doesnt know.

[TARM]

[Frankz]

I agree with others. I don’t think this is the right pet for you . A meal, seriously?

Flipping a bowl is just WHAT they do, Sunny does it every now and then. Depending on what kind of flooring you have for your bun, just let him eat it off the ground, if he hasn’t peed in that area. Sunny’s food is on a towel. If she dumps it, I either pick up the bowl and collect it, or pick up the bowl and she can eat it like that.

 

Patience is key, he needs TRUST, don’t rush him.

[mocha200]

if tipping over a food bowl really bothers you, you can get one that clips on to a cadge, that’s what i have for my buns, and if some falls on the floor just let them eat off the floor, but if you really want to keep this rabbit just make sure that if you are frustrated just put him back in his cadge until you are not frustrated any more. and remember bunny’s are not like cats and dogs, they are way harder to take care of and way more fragile. My buns do not like to be picked up at all but i think if you every day just spend tie with your bun he will eventually get used to you cuz 15 days is not very long it takes awhile.

[skibunny8503]

Oh my! I could never look at my pets as a meal. I also agree with the rest. If you can’t look into that cute cuddly face and forgive whatever he/she has done then I don’t think this is the right pet for you. My Archie chewed up part of our curtains and I was so mad but then he was just chewing it because it got in his way and I can’t stay mad at him. Sandy bit my hand the other day but I put my hand in too quickly to get her bowl and she was just protecting what was hers. You have to have a lot of patience to own a rabbit and if you don’t feel you have enough then this isn’t the pet for you. Maybe in a few years or so you’ll have more patience for a rabbit.

[Monkeybun]

NEVER EVER EVER hit an animal!!! They are innocent creatures, what you think is “bad” is just normal for them, knocking over bowls is fun, leaving pellets around is just what they do. I agree… a bunny does not sound like the kind of animal for you. Find him a good home, and get a goldfish.

15 days… is this yet another new bunny? Is it still Monday, or an even newer bunny?

[BinkyBunny]

 You have been given some good advice that I really hope you listen to. I fear that your expectations of what you thought a rabbit would be like is much different than what is and will be. In order for this to change you will need to really take the advice that is given and also change your expectations.

Expectations about:

1. Cuddling: MOST RABBITS DO NOT like to be held at all.  I know this has been said over and over. And even the rare rabbits that do enjoy being held may need to trust the person first. Most of us enjoy our rabbits on the floor. Grab a few pillows and pet them there.

NOTE: When you put a bunny back, put him in tail first so he doesn’t see the ground coming and want to leap out of your arms and accidentally scratch you.

2. Good Litter Habits – Depending on his previous situation, bad litterbox habits may have set in and it will take time.  Plus, even neutered bunnies will mark up a new cage. Also, you really can’t expect a non-neutered bunny to be good at this. Their instincts tell them to mark. Patience with this will be needed even when neutered. This is not him being naughty – this is him dealing with instincts.

3. General Behavior: Rabbits are very individual with opinions and behaviors that at times frustrate us, but they shouldn’t be punished for it. It’s part of just being a rabbit. If a rabbit is bored, or if a rabbit wants easier access to eating his food, he may tip over the bowl. Rabbits have short necks and so they may have a harder time reaching the inner edges. This will not be the first irritating thing he does. It is one of many.

And though neutering may help with some of these habits,  I think the biggest change here though needs to be with your expectations of what having a rabbit is really like. It doesn’t sound like he had a very loving and social life, and this must be hard on him. You must learn to be more patient and loving in a way that HE understands love. 

I know you just want to show you care by holding and petting him, but I think by feeding him, making sure he is warm and safe, (even from your own anger) is what he really needs right now.  

If anything, your reaction to him may end up making him even more extremely fearful and/or aggressive. (Do not ever hit your bunny) It’s not fair to him – he’s been through enough already. Just listen to what others are saying here, take a deep breath, stay calm, and keep your expectations realistic so that you can be more understanding and caring.

My worry though is that we’ve offered some of this advice before and I’m not sure if there has been a misunderstanding due to a language barrier or not, but if you are unable to change your expectations, follow some of the tips given (about holding a bunny, gaining trust, neutering, checking out the Singapore HRS site, etc, etc) then for your bunny’s own safety maybe it would be in the best interest of both you and your bunny to find a rescue group that may take him in for you. Otherwise, i urge you to be much more patient and please follow the advice given.

Keep us updated

[Bkysiu]

Bonding with a bunny does take time. My bunny disliked being petted and held for like a week. I just sat next to him and talked to him for long periods of time. Now he doesn’t flinch when I want to pet him or pick him up! Bonding is a very important aspect to people forming good relationships with pets.

I found adopting bunny body language to be useful at communicating to your bunny that some of his behaviours are unacceptable. If the bun misbehaves you just turn ur back towards them, or say no and clap your hands. When you give them enough warning and they are still misbehaving, herd them back to their cage flick your feet to let them know you are offended and give them time out!! They’ll slowly come round, and before you know it they’ll be a sweetie!!

[Monkeybun]

Monkey, my netherland dwarf, still hates being touched, picked up, petted… and we’ve had her for 8 months now. Some bunnies do NOT like being cuddled, period.

[shlbysmom]

well sounds like u dont need a bunny if ur that upset over that my sugguestion would b to give him to someone who cares and will take good care of him and not hit him they take patience and kindness and care and u dont sound like u have it

[shlbysmom]

shew im so upset about this post tho more i think about the more i worry about your poor rabbit i really hope u arnt gonna hit him again that is UNACPETABLE and very disturbing anybody who thinks its ok to hit an animal shouldnt b around them this is just terrable and i hope u get him a better home

[boogercj]

rinnono, I really hope you have read ALL of this. Some people have reacted quite emotionally to your post, and with good reason. NEVER use physical violence no matter how soft you think it is. Your rabbit may never forgive you.

Please do some research, starting with the excellent advice on the Binky Bunny website, and if you still feel like you want to “kill your rabbit” then give it up for adoption. You’ve got a lot of people worried now, as it’s been a couple of days since your first post. Please reply.

[Binkles]

Yeah, you definitely need to do some research on how to care for a pet rabbit because this is NOT the way. The way you are trying to train him right now may work for a dog or a cat, but bunnies are a different story ENTIRELY. Bunnies are prey animals, so they are already prone to be scared and nervous, so punishing him will only result in a chronically scared animal who’s afraid of human contact.

[Deleted User]

Posted By Binkles on 01/12/2010 10:36 AM
The way you are trying to train him right now may work for a dog or a cat, but bunnies are a different story ENTIRELY.

 

I don’t think so. No animal potty-trains by being hit. It only learns to get shy and scared of people. Dog, cat, bunny, whatever. Never hit an animal, it will only resent you for it.

[amygabrielle]

Sounds like your bunny was just being a bunny. Maybe you should reconsider having a pet in general if you are sooo upset about an overturned food bowl.

[kralspace]

Bunnies don’t behave like cats or dogs. Truthfully, they are more like rebellious teenagers destined to push your every button and drive you nuts. and I love the little suckers.

[KytKattin]

Posted By kralspace on 01/12/2010 11:17 AM
Bunnies don’t behave like cats or dogs. Truthfully, they are more like rebellious teenagers destined to push your every button and drive you nuts. and I love the little suckers.

Idk, I’ve always thought they acted more like 2 year olds. If you tell them “no” they will do it anyways. Plus while some teens are self centered, EVERY 2 year old I’ve met is self centered (as they are supposed to be). And with rabbits, it is all about them all the time. If I had to compare a rabbit to any animal though, it would be a parrot. They are both increadibly intelligent (parrots maybe more so, but rabbits are underrated), mischievous, and certainly NOT the right pet for everyone. Their needs and personalities are too forgien to most people. You literally have to learn a new language in order to communicate and understand them.

(also, does anyone actually understand cats? )

[kralspace]

about the cats? no. we just obey them.

After reading your comments, I tend to agree. Since my kids are pretty grown I guess the teenage years are the most recent, but you are right about the 2 year olds. especially the potty training sometimes….lol

[Nat]

I don’t have a rabbit and I know its wrong. :S If you’re getting soooo upset over a young, playful bunny not using the litter box perfectly and tipping the food bowl, AND not wanting to be cuddled, you might wanna stick to a cuddly fish. Yeah, I know it’s not possible.

You will only become more frustrated with your bun if you hit him. He will want to cuddle even less, plus might accidentally tip the food bowl in fear and fear poop. Yeah, outside of the litterbox! Gasp so terrible.

Please have patience with your bunny. He deserves it.

[MooBunnay]

I agree with what everyone else has mentioned, bunnies require a very high level of patience, and you need to learn how they communicate and play. If you think that you are likely to hit your rabbit again, you probably need to consider getting some help from a local rescue on how to understand and work with your rabbit. I can understand losing your patience, we all do sometimes, but hitting your bunny really is quite cruel, you are much larger, and they will not understand why you are doing it.

I recommend taking some time to just sit on the floor and hang out with your bunny without touching, petting or touching him. You are going to need to work on building up trust, because your bunny probably does not trust you right now. Hand feeding some treats is a great way to bond with your bunny.

[FluffyBunny]

Bunnies cannot understand punishment, or little things like not playing with the food dish or being littertrained just right at first. You have to understand that as a young animal, your rabbit is just doing what comes naturally to him. Using physical punishment won’t fix that and will only make your bond weaker. Bunnies don’t easily forget when something bad is done to them.

Owning and training bunnies requires patience, time and understanding. Your bunny will occasionally make a big mess, not want to be cuddled, or chew your belongings, clothing and furniture. In my opinion, that just adds to the experience of having a pet rabbit. You should also understand that if owning a rabbit doesn’t feel right for you, it’s OK to rehome him and try another creature, like fish, other small animals or plants. I’m sure that the folks at BinkyBunny or your local rabbit rescue would be happy to help you with any problems you have with him.

Also, just a suggestion for the food dish…I strongly recommend the plastic food dishes that screw or clip on to the cage, like these http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752724&lmdn=Small+Pet . They solve the whole problem of food bowl tipping. I’ve been using two for over a year without replacing them!

[boogercj]

Still no reply? C’mon, at least tell everyone what’s going on so they can help

[Sage Cat]

rinnono – sometime we come across a bit harsh on this forum with out intending to. I am sorry if you have felt offended in any way.

We just want to help.
Please, Let us know what is going on.

[Bkysiu]

I believe everyone has officially scared her off!

[shlbysmom]

yea come on u could reply u tell us this horrable thing then never tell us if the poor thing is ok and u have put it up for adoption or what thats kinda scarey im am very worried about ur bunny

[Juli]

you scared him badly and it will be hard to regain his trust.I suggest you put him up for adoption so he can find a family that will love him.

[Beka27]

This post should not have taken this turn. I steered clear b/c I was taken aback by the awful subject line… but I can see now that this person was just overreacting to a small bunny mishap. Absolutely, we all agree that you should not physically harm your pets, regardless of what type of pet.

Rinnono: If you can tell us exactly what the issues are (calmly and in detail) and what you have done to try and fix them, we may be able to direct you towards other methods that will help. Your first step is going to be neutering your rabbit. This is necessary and potty issues/destruction/aggression is probably going to happen until that is done. After that is done, your bun needs to be allowed to heal for a month or so. At that point, if you are still having these problems, we can suggest other things.

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

We want to help but u need to reply first>

[FluffyBunny]

Any updates on how Monday is doing?

[mocha200]

we aren’t saying you should get rid of your bun we are just saying maybe. but if you post on how its going we can tell you how you can get closer to your bun but you have to post for us to help you. we are so sorry if we intimidated you please post and tell us on how its going.

[Author]

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