Is My Bunny Crazy?

[Star-xX]

I got a baby dwarf bunny 4 days ago from PetValu. He is 8 or so weeks old, and super cute. His name is Hamilton. He and I have already bonded pretty well for 4 days of being together. But I have started to notice little things that aren’t normal (or what I see as being normal, I have one rabbit before Hamilton). He twitches his head ALOT, as is there is water in his ear but there isn’t. He is very clam most of the time but sometimes, out of the blue, he gets very wide eyed and nervous. Yesterday I got off my bed (his cage is in my bedroom) and he flipped out, trying to run away to the furthest part of his cage, very wide eyed and burrying his head under the stuffed animal in his cage. When I woke up today, nothing.  Then an hour later I had to get my ipod off my bed and as I was getting off he flipped out again. Like very severe mood swings, they are anywhere from 5-60 minutes long. From where he is a nromal baby bunny to a crazy, nervous and jumpy bunny.
Its like stuff that didn’t bother him 5 minutes ago freak him out now. It isn’t all the time, though, it is really random. Also I have noticed, when he is out of his cage, he jusst stops moving and his head starts swaying from side to side. About an hour ago when I was sitting on the floor while he was out, Hamilton came up to make leg to sniff me and just went all wide eyed and started scratching at my leg (as if he was trying to dig), he looked really crazy, and about 5 minutes later he did it again. That has never happend to me, with my last bunny or with Hamilton with the 4 days I’ve had him.  He has also been circling me when I am sitting on the floor with him.
Is Hamilton crazy? Does he have some mental problem, or is this normal? I bought him 4 days ago and I have a 5 day warentee with him. If he isn’t healthy I can take him back withing 5 days. Should I take him back to the pet store? Does he seem unhealthy? Or is he just a nervous little baby bunny? I love him already but I would like to know if these crazy moods swings will last forever. I would take him to a vet but the one in my town doesnt work on small animals. Can you help me figure out why Hamilton is acting crazy?

[Elrohwen]

The being startled thing is normal for some bunnies. They can hear a new noise, or see you move in a new way and it scares them. Mine did that when they were new to my house and I’ve also had gerbils do it. You can walk by the cage 20 times and get no reaction, then the 21st time they freak out. I would let it go and see if he calms down as he gets more used to your house.

The ear flicking could be normal – bunnies will do a head flick as a mini-binky. It could also be a sign that he has mites or another ear issue, so I would definitely take him to the vet for a wellness exam, even if you have to drive further away.

The circling and digging is common unneutered male behavior. Actually, many bunnies dig even when older and fixed, so that’s normal. The circling specifically is like a mating dance 😛

In general, it sounds like pretty normal nervous bunny behavior. I would watch the ear flicking though to see if he starts to scratch or bother his ears more, because it could be a sign of trouble.

[hooty22]

The digging is normal. I’ve been with Felony for over 4 years now and he does the crazy digging, mainly to my boyf’s chest, but that’s just because he wants to be closer to his heart :-P. The head swaying is called ‘scanning’ all bunnies do this. As far as the spazzy behavior when you got off the bed, you just scared him. He’s only been with you for 4 days. He’s still getting used to things. Even after all this time, if someone gets off the couch too quickly, occasionally Felony will spaz out and take off running for his life. Rabbits are naturally prey animals, and that fear instinct I don’t think ever goes completely away. Also, the ‘circle dance’ is also known as the ‘I love you and let’s have babies dance.’ Circling is one of their ‘frisky’ behaviors. You probably need to get him to a vet bc pet stores are terrible and normally can’t properly sex animals, especially rabbits and to get him scheduled for the big snip. Boy rabbits are notorious for marking their territory and being a little too ‘lovey’ when they are still intact.

[Otti]

If it can help, for the first month or so that i had my bunny, I found that it made a difference in how comfortable he was around me if I was extra-cautious about making sudden movements or loud noises. I made sure not to bang cabinets, walk quickly or run around my apartment, reach for him too quickly, in general, anything that didn’t give the impression of complete calm. I think it helped him feel safe around me quicker than he would have otherwise. Sometimes I literally felt like I was moving in slow motion, because I’m usually trying to be so time-efficient that I move around quickly getting things done. However, I think it’s beneficial to any animal that you’re exuding a relaxed and calm attitude, so I made myself do it.

You’re going to need to find a vet that you can take him to both for an initial checkup (which I think is just necessary anytime you get a new pet) and for neutering in a few months. Also, you’ll obviously need to know of someone you can take him to in case of emergencies. Your bunny seems healthy, except for the ear thing which needs to be monitored and probably looked at by a vet to be sure, like Elrohwen suggested.

Unless he’s just doing the head twist half binky thing rabbits do. You might want to look online at some youtube videos of baby bunnies to see their normal attitudes/behavior.

[Beka27]

The thing that catches my attention most is not anything he is doing, but that you don’t have a vet available. Like my “colleagues” here have mentioned, it’s incredibly important you have a vet to take him to. We’re very knowledgeable on this site (much of it thru trial and error), and there is some good health info online, but the truth is that we are not vets, so we cannot offer specific diagnoses or treatments for your bunny. It is true that petstore rabbits are notorious for being sickly. Fortunately, common things like mites or coccidia (an intestinal parasite) can be treated if caught early enough, but we have also seen cases where the young bunny ended up passing away because vet care was not sought in time. You may want to return him and wait to have a bunny until a future time when you will be prepared for any situation that may arise.

You had a bunny previously, where did you take him/her? Did this bunny pass away or do you still have it?

[Star-xX]

I did what Otti said, and looked on youtube for baby bunny behavior. The head twitchy movements do look like “half-binkies”. I took my previous bunny to the closest vet who is 30 mins away. The bunny passed away when she was 6 years a 11 months old, two years ago. I got her when she was 3 so I am not used to baby behaviors.
Hamilton (my baby bunny I have now) is alot more jumpy than my previous bunny, I guess. I might have just assumed he would be like my previous bunny. I have to clip his nails soon because they are very sharp and hurt when he digs at me, should I do it now or will it make it worse? Are the mood swings normal? They happen at anytime for any reason or no reason. Like when I am sleeping I will wake up to him running around his cage in fear, is that weird??

[Monkeybun]

30 minutes away isn’t that bad for a bunny vet. I drive 20 minutes to mine, and I’m in a city with several.

Definitely get him going on nail trims, the sooner he gets used to it the better. I slacked on doing Monkeys myself, and now its tot he point where I can’t and have to take her out to get them done. Had I started when she was young, she’d likely be better at it.

Running around isn’t always fear. He could be just happy and full of energy. Moose will race around his pen at odd hours, and he’s just having fun. Bunnies love to run!

[LoveChaCha]

Not all bunnies are the same. They’re personalities are just as different as we humans

I got my bunny as a baby, so I understand your concern. I got mine into a wellness appointment to get her checked up. He may calm down as soon as he is neutered. It happens. Bunnies can be naughty teenagers, but will remain teenagers until spayed/neutered.

My bunny detests nail trimmings. I had a friend help me, but I just trance by myself now to get the job done. Your vet may be able to help you deal with a finicky bunny.

If you re asleep and your bunny is running around  in his cage, that means he is happy. Rabbits tend to want to play at night/early morning time.

But if you are really concerned, I would take him to the vet asap to feel more at ease.

[Elrohwen]

I’m starting to wonder if he’s doing “bunny 500s” rather than running in fear. Bunnies will often run super fast in circles as a form of play. Is it possible this is what he’s doing? In your youtube search I’m sure you can find video of bunnies doing this. The fact that he does it at night is what tipped me off, because bunnies are often more active in the late evening/very early morning, so it would make sense that he’s running in circles to play and expend energy during this time.

I also agree that 30min from a vet isn’t a lot. My vet is 30min from my house and over an hour from work (if I have to leave work, pick up the buns, then drive to the vet). I think that’s a reasonable distance for a qualified bunny vet.

I would also work on the nail trimming now. They’re typically easier to pick up and handle while small, so you’ll build your confidence and get him used to it. They’ll need to be done soon anyway and either you do it or you can take him to the vet, but it will need to happen either way. Getting it over with now and building your confidence that you can do it is a good idea.

[RabbitPam]

You say he’s a baby, but how old is he exactly? Babies have changeable behavior as they adjust to a new environment. Also, they are crazy funny like kittens are, so it does sound quite normal. Plus, bunnies have much better hearing than we do, and he may be hearing something outside (like a dog barking) that you don’t notice that startles him. If he doesn’t know you yet, and you change your silhouette like wearing a hat or a hoodie, he may have trouble recognizing you.

The vet 30 minutes away is fine, and I would urge you to take him in for a baseline exam immediately. If the vet finds anything wrong with him, you may need to ask the pet store to take him back or pay for a condition they didn’t tell you about. But except for the shaking ears, he sound healthy and spunky.

If he’s a budding teenager, his hormones will start to kick in and he really will have mood swings. Be prepared for that to happen within a few months at the most. Then it’s time for a neuter.

[Beka27]

I think among the members here, a 30-60 minute drive to the (rabbit-savvy) vet is pretty normal.

[Balefulregards]

Regarding Bolting – We have had Jackson for nearly a year and a half and he still bolts. Even if he is looking at you walking in the door, he will bolt.

Its just “him” – Coco, our girl, is laid back, calm and not at all a bolter.

He is still nervous if we approach him too fast ( they are free roam) and I have to be careful how I offer him ear rubs. I think some buns just have different internal guidelines and for Jackson, everything is potentially dangerous.

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