Making Rabbits Feel Safe

[Mathew]

Boo was abandoned outside in a high traffic area when he was when, around 3-4 months of age. When I took him outside on a leash with a snug harness, he cowered next to/on my feet, and once I kept down, he immediately wanted up. I had never need him so terrified, so I took him inside pretty fast. Boo is afraid of large animals and unexpected loud noises, like many rabbits. He usually has a big attitude and will not hesitate to ignore me or thump his feet at me if I do something displeasing, and will often tease me. I saw none of his attitude when I took him out, though, and not for a little while after I brought him back in. It’s pretty obvious that being abandoned was traumatizing for him, but I’m not sure if it’s just that being out by himself was scary when he was just a kit, or if he’s terrified I’ll abandon him. I don’t want to stress him out by forcing him to be outside, but I really, really don’t want him to be afraid of it forever,either. Is there something I could try to make him feel safer being outside? Dahlia, my female, absolutely adores being outside and I’d like to take them out together once they’re bonded. However, if it’ll cause him too much stress and potentially harm him, I won’t try. I just want him to feel safe and happy, both inside and outside.

As for Dahlia- she’s terrified of being picked up. She loves to cuddle and be held, but the act of being picked up scares her. She’s on the small side for a rabbit, somewhere between a dwarf and lionhead, I think, and I’m kinda tall. Could it just be the distance from the ground to my chest that scares her? Will it be something that gets better the more she trusts me? She doesn’t seem to be all that attached to me, not the way Boo is. Boo trusts me completely and isn’t scared at all when I pick him up, no matter how I do it. He knows that once I lift him, he’ll go directly to my chest and safely back down a little while later. Is this just something she’ll always be afraid of?

[ThorBunny]

When Boo was outside, was the area noisy or high traffic? Most people on here will recommend against a harness for buns, even if it is snug. That’s because if the rabbit is very frightened they can bolt and potentially hurt their spines! If you really want to take him outside, you could try him in a safe pen (both escape and predator proof). It may be he was scared of the harness rather than the outdoors. If he ends up not liking it though, rabbits can do fine inside only, Thor doesn’t get any outside time because we are in a high traffic city

regarding Dahlia, most rabbits don’t like to be picked up. Boo sounds like one of those rare exceptions. Some can be taught to tolerate it, but honestly it might not be worth it. For most buns they are instinctively terrified of being off the ground. If you need to move her around could you train her to get in a box or her carrier instead to be moved? This has worked well for my rabbit, and now I never pick her up. When you stop picking her up, this could help her feel more safe around you and bond with you better!

[Mathew]

I had no idea harnesses could be a problem, I’ll definitely look into safe pens. It wasn’t loud outside, I was worried about that so I chose a time it was really quiet. And I know he wasn’t afraid of the harness, because he was perfectly happy with it inside (with both rabbits, I had them in the harness inside for 10 minutes so they’d get used to it). I’ll find a safe pen for him and try that.

So for the box or carrier, how easy would it be to transfer her from a box to my chest/shoulder? She likes when I walk around with her, which is why I pick her up. If it’ll make her feel safer by using a box to get her up, then I’ll definitely use a box. I’ve probably got 5 dozen for the rabbits, anyways.

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