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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A mental health rapidly declining after getting a bunny, what should I do?

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    • bibbuf
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        Ever since I got my bun Suki from a shelter(my local spca) about two weeks ago my mental health has gotten really bad, I’ve been so stressed and anxious, having breakdowns everyday. He has flopped and did binkies so I know he’s getting comfortable, but recently he has been digging up and chewing on his litter box, digging at the flooring, rattling the pen bars at night, even though I free roam him the whole day and gave him chew/digging toys, all of which will cause my my stress and anxiety levels to spike. I managed to litter train him pretty well in the first week, but after he started digging at the litter box and throwing hay, litter and poop everywhere, he’s peeing and pooping everywhere again, which added to my stress. I know that digging is a normal thing, and that bunnies take a lot of time and patience, but in my current mental state I don’t know how much more I can take. It pains me that I feel this way 😥

        I’ve been considering getting a bunny and researching for a year, invested a lot into him, and love him dearly, so I am reluctant to re-home him/ return him to the shelter, I want him to be happy but its been getting really difficult to take care of him because of my mental health (getting up to clean his pen after him digging up his litter box, cleaning the pee, replacing the litter, spending time or playing with him etc). I’m starting to feel that maybe having a bunny is not for me, so I’m considering re-homing him if that’s the best option.

        Is re-homing him the best thing to do? Some advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you so much!


      • prince dorian the bun
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          If you got him from a shelter I would talk to them before re-homing yourself.

          That said mental health and anxiety are difficult to give advice on.  If anxiety is something you have struggled with in the past, only you (and a professional) know how to treat it and if the responsibility of a bun is making it worse. It may be if you are able to work with a therapist that you could find ways to get less stressed by your buns maintenance. It’s also possible that your bun is picking up on your anxiety and mood and maybe even acting up a bit because of it. For me I definitely have had moments of feeling overwhelmed,  but the positives have far outweighed it. But honestly my anxiety regarding my buns is more just worrying too much something bad will happen to them. So probably different than what you’re feeling.

          There may be somethings you can do about some of your buns behaviors. There’s ways to stop digging in his box by using a mesh between the litter and hay. You can provide an actual box for him to dig in too. Dorian is a digger and having places he can dig to his hearts content helps a lot. Bar rattling I can’t help with as my solution is no bars. But sure someone has ideas you could try. Also remember to just breathe and if you need to step away for a bit and take a short walk or something to level out and then just deal with cleaning up after. Usually I just focus on how ridiculous cute mine are despite having just caused havoc and bunstruction. At the end bunnies are a lot of work and taking care of any living thing comes with a lot of responsibility which can be overwhelming. So do what you need to do for you and the bun to be healthy (including mentally) and happy.


        • Bam
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            If you’ve only had him for 2 weeks, I’d talk to the shelter. It might be that you’re just not ready to be a bunowner just now. Rabbits are quite a bit of work, and especially young rabbits can be challenging.

            That said, sometimes getting a pet -any pet -can feel overwhelming at first. People can get “puppy depression” after getting a puppy dog and finding themself overwhelmed. So what you’re experiencing is something many people experience. It’s not a failure on your part, and I’m sure shelters are very well aware that not all adoptions work out despite the absolute best intentions.

             


          • bibbuf
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              Thank you bam for the advice! I definitely am experiencing the “puppy depression” but i’ll try to tough it out for now, if it still lasts after several months i’ll reconsider again.

              Thank you prince dorian the bun for the suggestions! i’ll give the mesh a try and make a digging box for him when i can.

              I also do plan on letting him be fully free roamed in my room in the future, so i may just have to deal with the bar rattling in the mean time. Do you have any advice on transitioning him to be fully free roamed?

               


            • prince dorian the bun
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                Good bunny proofing, be prepared to have to fine tune it. If accidents happen redce space. Keep a space area that is theirs. Oh and sometimes a towel or sheet over the bars can cause them to chill out. Worth a try. You got this and if not that’s OK too.


              • DanaNM
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                  Other’s have give great advice! I second talking to the rescue especially. It might even make more sense to adopt an older bun that doesn’t have so much energy.

                  One tip for bar rattling is to clip a visual barrier to the pen walls, like a sheet or a towel. Those black binder clips work great for this.

                  I also agree that a litter box screen works great for preventing digging in the box.

                  Also, I’m assuming he was neutered already since you got him from a shelter, but if he was neutered recently his hormones could still be settling a bit. A lot of bunnies also get “march hare” syndrome in the spring and act even more crazy than normal.

                  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  


                • RabbitPam
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                    You’ve gotten some great advice already. I’d like to add that sometimes a much more limited habitat space to begin with, with gradual expansion, is helpful in training before free range. I know you have some bars for him – didn’t quite get whether it’s an enclosed cage for a short time or not, but a puppy exercise pen with an open top or a sheet across the top makes a great enclosure. It is big enough for some good play time within it, and actually a secure feeling for your bunny at night. You can be in the room even if your bunny is in the enclosure, giving you both a chance to get comfortable with each other. Limit him to one room also, that he can explore and call his own, before more of your home is introduced.

                    Bunnies are curious, and sometimes it’s less anxiety provoking if you merely hang out on the floor with a book, or in front of the tv, and let him out. Ignore him. Have a treat in your pocket. Do yoga or deep breathing, but don’t focus on him particularly. He will come over to you and sniff, maybe let you pet his head. Maybe wander around you. As you sit or lay comfortably, he will calm down. One tasty chew toy, like an apple twig, could entertain him near you.

                    It’s a relationship that takes time to build up, and as you get more able to relax around him, he will learn that all the best things in life start with you – treats, food, pets and love. You can make your visits short, but a few times a day. He will rest when he’s alone. Let the litter scatter within the habitat, which will be less anxiety provoking for you and will teach him to confine his business to the pan as he gets more used to that as well. Hope this helps.


                  • Felicity0118
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                      I got a cat litter box with plastic screen from Amazon, literally best thing I ever invested in, digging stopped overnight

                      now trying to find a way of giving her a digging box to use as I fear she’s lost a fun thing to do!


                    • pinkiemarie
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                        I’m so glad to hear that! You can get a cardboard box and put some shedded paper in it for a dig box, and you can take it away when it starts to annoy you. Bunny is happy, you’re happy 🙂


                      • bibbuf
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                          thank you so much everyone for the amazing advice! having the litter box screen and clipping sheets to the pen bars solved everything. he now prefers to dig at an old towel and the floor mats instead of the nice dig box I have provided :’) oh well haha!


                        • DanaNM
                          Moderator
                          8901 posts Send Private Message

                            That’s really great!

                            . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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                        Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A mental health rapidly declining after getting a bunny, what should I do?