My new bunny is moderately tempered- Should I be concerned?

[Barrett]

Greetings all! Patton has been with our family for a week now. I’m taking stock of his behavior 1 week later and some of the things aren’t unfolding quite as I imagined so I thought I would trawl for opinions because I’m not even sure I SHOULD be concerned about anything at this early date.

On one hand, I recognize that as a French Lop, Patton is probably prone to being more calm and relaxed than most bunny breeds. That’s certainly no problem. I see a lot of good signs with his behavior pointing to the conclusion that I have a happy bunny. 

On the other hand, he came to us SO tame and adapted to humans, that he seems afraid of nothing (I was shocked to catch my son tugging on his hind legs as he lay on his stomach and Patton did NOTHING to react! Never thought any bunny could be patient with that! Of course I stopped my son right away). This tameness made me think that Patton’s integration (and relaxed happiness) would come relatively quickly for a new bunny.

So after a week, here’s what we have:
– Patton has scampered around playfully but sporadically with lots of laying around relaxing in between. Short bursts of playful energy.

– 1 popcorn binky of springing straight in the air.

– LOVES to be pet until our wrists are numb.

– Picked 2 locations in the house he loves to relax for long periods of time (cool hard floor areas).

– Eats frequently.

 

And here’s what we don’t have:

– Aside from 2 half hearted attempts, he hasn’t had a full-on FLOP yet. He has had what looked like a flop twice but both times he came to rest upright on his front legs.

– Never thumped his foot yet.

 

In summary, it sounds to me like Patton is relaxed, but not truly happy enough to binky and flop yet. Remembering how tame he was from the beginning, am I worrying too soon? Will he eventually binky and flop often or is it just rare for French Lops to binky and flop?

Anyone else reading this with French Lop experience? How long should I be giving it before I even ask these questions?

 

OH YEAH- Patton is 3 months old. Un-neutered male.

 

Thanks everyone!

[Mikey]

Not all rabbits will binky or flop. If you feel he is happy and relaxed, then he probly is. Some rabbits also take a long time to fully relax in their new homes. I dont think breeds matter with binkies and flopping

[Vienna Blue in France]

If there’s no danger or he’s not angry, then he won’t thump ! lol

Mine doesn’t flop everywhere, just in a specific place, so maybe he hasn’t found his ‘place’ yet….. or maybe he’s shy and does it when no-one’s looking !

Yes Barrett, you’re a worry wart
Chill and enjoy !

[Odette]

Patton sounds calm and well-adjusted.

Odette has thumped once since she came home in July.

Also, I am often up later than my fiancé. She waits for him and the cat that accompanies him to bed to leave before she does her binkies and zoomies. He takes it personally, but she bonded to me and the other cat. Plus, I think that has to do with time. She does her wild playing late at night and since I’m up, I get to see it.

That said, I never saw my last bunny binky in her eight years and she was a happy, affectionate rabbit. Some don’t.

No worries. Patton is being Patton. You’re learning his individual personality and it sounds quite perfect.

[Q8bunny]

Patton sounds perfect. Sphinxy flops are still a sign of chilling out. I’m with Vienna. Enjoy your well adjusted bunny (once his pre-neuter hormones kick in, you might see some interesting behaviours lol).

[Barrett]

THANK you all!

In hindsight, I feel a little silly starting the thread. “My bunny is happy and relaxed! What’s wrong???” LOL.

I think it’s the way his behavior leveled off so soon that made me wonder if I could expect him to do ‘the fun things’ that made me ask the questions.

 

Some things to update- this morning before I left for work, we let Patton out and he went straight for favorite spot number 2; the upstairs bathroom. While there, we saw the most sincere ‘flop’ yet, though he still didn’t stay down. I’m not nitpicking it anymore. What will be will be. It won’t surprise me if weeks from now, he starts flopping regularly and binkying several times a day.

I have also begun to notice what I THINK is ‘bored’ behavior, notably biting the gate of his hutch wanting to be let out, and (this may not be ‘bored’ behavior I admit) digging frantically at the hard plastic floor of his hutch and the tile floor of the bathroom.

 

Soooooo, we set up a pen (run) out in the yard and turned him loose for about an hour. He definitely appreciated it and at least for now, he was not angry to come back inside.

 

For now…

 

P.S.- I mentioned the thing about not thumping his foot to point out that he’s never been overtly angry or frightened since arriving with us.

[Azerane]

You have nothing to worry about

Some bunnies just don’t binky or flop as much as others. I’ve had both Apollo and Luna for about 2 months now. Pretty much a day or two within bringing them home, Apollo started doing binkies and flopped a few times. Luna is very different and only binkies about once a week, and I still haven’t seen her flop at all.

[Barrett]

Life?

 

Life is good. 

This just happened this afternoon.

[Q8bunny]

I could squeeze him, he’s so darling.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Awwww…..great flop…..

Agree with the others. Stop worrying so much! Bunnies are all individuals and they all flop and binky different amounts.

[Author]

Messages