My bun hates me!

[Paige]

My bun, Willow, is about a year and a half. Up until about two months ago, we had a perfect relationship. She loved to give me cuddles! However, I kept her cage in my room and that is where she was let out to exercise a few hours every day. Willow developed a habit of peeing on my bed regularly. I tried numerous techniques to fix this problem (soaking up the urine and putting the tissue in her cage, putting a litter box on the bed, and ultimately not allowing her on the bed but she would jump back up as soon as I shooed her off). Eventually, I decided it would be best to move her to my study room. However, she has taken this change rather hard. She is out of her cage the same amount, if not more, than when she was in my bedroom but she never wants to go near me. She runs away when I approach her and will literally only come near me if I have a treat.

This week it has gotten even worse as Willow got spayed and I have to give her pain medication daily. Giving her the medication is an absolute nightmare as she thrashes. Even after I tried the bunny burrito technique, she still just thrashed so hard under the blanket I was worried she was going to rip her stitches. The vet even said that Willow is one of the feistiest buns she has ever seen. It honestly feels like torture. I have just given her her second dosage and she is hiding out in a corner, breathing hard, and not moving. I have three more days of her medication and I am afraid I have permanently damaged our relationship and she will always see me as a threat and I will never be able to get my sweet bun back who loves cuddling. 

Please help! I am feeling so discouraged and at a loss as to what I should do. 

[Tony's Mum]

I think you need to focus on getting her over her surgery first, then start working on your relationship. There’s no point trying to regain trust if you then have to force feed her antibiotics lol.

I had a similar issue with Tony when he got sick and we moved house at the same time. He became really clingy when he was ill and started climbing into my bed every night, then he started peeing in it. I tried to stop him for a bit but it didn’t work, and a few days later when we moved house and he was no longer allowed near the bed, he was extremely offended.

I found the best solution was to start all over again. Lie down quietly on the floor near Willow and let her explore you and come to the realisation that maybe you aren’t such a big mean bully after all. Use carpet shampoo, vinegar, anything you need to thoroughly clean the smell of her off the bed too.

After a little bit, she’ll be less angry at you, then you can start letting her in to your room when you’re there if you like. She probably misses the extra time spent around you.

Eventually she’ll forget she was ever made at you, it ever liked to pee on the bed, and once she stops holding a grudge against you, she’ll go back to cuddles and kisses ?

[Deleted User]

I can understand that moving to a new area is a little chaotic for her. Add the spay on top of that and it totally explains her frustration! She probably just needs some time to settle in and make the new room her “home”. As for the medication, I guess I don’t understand because my bunnies love metacam. It smells sweet to me so maybe here in the U.S. they add some flavor to it to make it more enticing. I’m not sure, but that could be it. Is she eating and pooping? If she is then I don’t know if it’s really necessary to restrain her and force the medication. Unless it’s antibiotics or something that she HAS to have. If she is eating, pooping, moving around comfortably then I would vote hold off on the medication because her thrashing and having it forced may just make things worse.

Best of luck working on rebuilding that bond!

[Deleted User]

Bombur loved the metacam and Asriel hated it. You could try squirting on her favorite fruit or on a carrot. That’s the only way we could get Asriel to take it.

[Author]

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