Need advice

[Lemski]

I have two buns who are bonded. I’ve had them about a year. I had the female about 5 months before we got the male. I can’t say she’s ever really bonded with me (not for lack of efforts on my part. Sat and laid on the floor with her daily. Hand feed treats etc).

She use to be pretty social just didn’t like pets. Recently she has been hiding a lot and digging all the time. For example if I open the cage she jumps in the hideout house and digs. She also sheds non stop all the time all year. I’m starting to wonder if she’s unhappy with us. We did adopt a cat after we got her: I’m not sure if that made her more skiddish or what. At first I put the cat in a different room when I let them out but have been letting them all out together in hopes they will all be more comfortably around each other. Both buns seems fine with the cat all day.

She won’t let me pet or brush her either so her fur is all over the cage and it needs wiped down daily but obviously dislikes this.

I guess I’m wondering if she would be happy somewhere else. I know I can’t separate them. Looking for advice.

[Susanne]

Sorry I don’t have enough experience to really help, but thought I’d chime in just in case. I wonder if she had some hard times before getting adopted to you? It may just need more time. I wonder if you could change up her set up that would help. Not sure what kind of cage but they are happier typically with as much room as they can have.  It sounds like you have them out a lot though, so I don’t know :/ (but having hide houses is great).  I feel she would be the same if she was somewhere else, I think maybe experimenting with different things to see if you can make her more comfortable could help? Or try to find some new things or treats she might like? Or maybe she just is not bunny that’s very into people. If the other rabbit acts normal then I really think it’s her personality or trust issues from a previous experience, maybe something she wants that the other rabbit doesn’t, etc… (mine like very different toys, etc)

With my 2, if I start petting the friendlier one the other one sometimes comes for pets too.  Not sure if that would work with yours to get some brushing done. Also you could put her up on a table and try and groom her, I think most commonly they’ll behave a bit in that situation.  I find pet rabbits to have quite complex personalities, and with mine it has really taken a while to figure out their language and how to act around them. They both have different triggers for what will scare them.

 

 

[Lemski]

They definitely have complex personalities lol my last bun took awhile to build trust but nothing like this. They are in a puppy pen so they have space.
I got the male bun thinking it would make her happier and help her personality come out. I think it maybe her personality is just aloof and not into people. She was rescued by the rescue I adopted her from at a few days old and placed in foster. Idk if she wasn’t handled very much in foster or what. Sometimes she will come over when im petting the male but runs away flicking her feet at me if I try to touch her. Sometimes I can get a pet on the head when they are eating but it’s rare.

I’ll try the table suggestion! I’ll order some different toys as well/ we have stacking cups we hide treats in she likes as well as one of those mats. Those are good ideas/ maybe adding another hide out in the living room will help her feel more comfortable out. Hopefully it helps.
The funny thing is she was described as loving and social by the rescue so I keep thinking maybe it’s me, I’m doing something wrong.

[Author]

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