New bunny…

[perta]

Hi there. New to the bunny-adopting world, just got a lil guy two days ago and was looking for some general information. My husband and I found him at the local humane society, given up due to owner allergies (says the paper). When we approached his cage, he came up, alert, awake, and friendly. He claimed to be litter trained. So now we have had him home for two days and he is the complete opposite of when we met him. We have a spacious cage, litter pan on one side, water, food, hay rack, treats and toys on the other. We allow him to come out, so the door stays open. Now that he has been home, he is completely anti-social, we cannot get anywhere near him, and if we do he runs away. When you approach him after he runs away he growls and bites at you. He doesn’t take food from your hand but he eats it if you sit it down. He is no longer going in a litter pan either, from one side to the other, basically the opposite that we lay the litter pan. He is neutered, just over a year old, fiarly big, 3-5lbs I’d say. So here’s my concern: is he going to get out of this stage? We are new bunny owners and were told he should be fairly easy to maintain and live with, but so far it has just been stressful on our and I’m sure his part. We are providing him with tons of toys, fresh fruits and veggies every day, fresh water, everything we thought a bunny would need. I thought, perhaps some advice from bunny-owners would put our minds at ease about the new fuzzy friend in the house. Any tips would be appriciated. Thanks so much!

[osprey]

First, on behalf of those of us who try to help and rescue homeless bunnies, THANK YOU for adopting him out of the shelter.  One less homeless animal in the world is a great thing.

In my experience, it can take up to 2 weeks for a bunny to settle into a new home.  Rabbits are creatures of habit, and having their routine changed is very disruptive.  Add to that the unfamiliar smells and sounds of a new home, and he is most likely scared, and "marking" his new territory with pee/poop.  He is also used to living in a VERY small space at the shelter, it will take time for him to get used to his new surroundings.  I would suggest giving him less space initially; keep him in the cage, let him get used to your routine and his new surroundings.  This has the added benefit of helping him with the litterbox problems too.  You can certainly let him out for supervised play time, and if you can, the best way to interact with him during this time is to sit or lie comfortably on the floor without making any advances toward him.  He will come to you eventually, mostly out of curiosity.  You may also offer food treats to entice him to come to you.

Good luck with him and let us know how he is doing.

 

[Deleted User]

Hi Perta. I agree, less freedom is best in the beginning, And lying on the floor is the best way to win their trust. Before long, your bun will have you in his power and well trained.

[Beka27]

welcome here!  i know it can be frustrating when your bun rejects your advances and all you want to do is provide the best way you can.  he’s neutered, so hormones shouldn’t be an issue at all… like osprey said, he probably is just scared… it would be the same as someone taking you from your home, as small as it may be, and plopping you down in an entirely different environment… new smells, new sounds… you’d be frightened also…. lol.  he’s already moved 3 times at least (to the previous owners house, to the shelter, to your house…)  he needs to know that he can trust you and that he won’t be moving again.  it’ll take time… but you have time.  this guy will be with you for quite a long while… so don’t rush things.  follow his lead… esp. like they said, get on the floor and let him explore you… go about your business, while keeping an eye on him, and he’ll figure out that you’re not a threat.  if he goes in the opposite corner of the litterbox, try moving his litterbox to his "chosen spot"  that may help… also put a handful of hay in there to entice him to climb in.  please continue to ask any questions… everyone here has gone thru different situations and they have a lot to offer!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Welcome Perta! I am so happy to hear that you’ve chosen adoption in bringing your pet into your family! The advice you’ve received so far is exactly what I would say too. It’s a new place and environment for your little guy and there is an adjustment period of about 2-3 weeks.  Was the shelter able to tell you if he had any run space at all or was just kept in his cage?

Say, did you know that people who are not typcially allergic to cats or dogs can be allergic to rabbits and more commonly it is the hay and not the rabbit? So if you have some allergy symptoms crop up, let us know, there are actually many here with allergies to the hay (like me) or rabbit and we still keep them in our homes with precautions and simple adjustments and we all live happily together.

Definately try limiting his space with an x-pen or baby pen for a bit until his litterbox habits improve.  If you give them too much freedom at once, they tend to mark up things with feces and pee (to mark territory and expand their ego). What kind of litter are you using and is it the same kind he was using before at the shelter? That might provoke him to not go in the box.  Is your box different than the one he had before? Have you placed a urine soaked towel and some poo in the litterbox?

Bunnies are really creatures of habit and routine, if something changes they can seem a bit rebellious to us when they are really scared and trying to adjust. Laying on the floor is a stellar idea and prompting with a treat as a reward for coming up to the "big bad human" wouldn’t hurt.  Since the previous owner was allergic, I am thinking that he didn’t get to much in-the-face time with humans so it may take a bit for him to get used to a 180 degree change from what he was used to. Thus I think it is why he is growling and lunging at you.  Here are some places to check out for more information:

http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-9/rebel-with-paws.html

We’ve had several discussions about aggression and here are the links to them (it’s from our FAQ section):

Aggression:

Luey Part 1: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=7139#7313

Luey Part 2: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=9962#9962

Lilly https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=6&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=3922#3943

Also check on our BUNNY INFO tab at the top of this page and Litterbox Training.  It may help to try and start over to reinforce it.

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=62

It might be worthy to note that even at 1 year old, your rabbit is a junior and won’t hit adulthood until about 2-3 years old and could be why he is still really acting out even though he is neutered (on top of the new environment).  Do your best to be patient and try some of the suggestions. I can imagine you’re at your wits end but I am really, really glad you came here for advice and are putting effort into understanding him and trying to work through it rather than dumping him back at the shelter. Thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. If you have any other questions or want to share progess (We love pictures!) please do not hesitate to ask, we’re here to help!

[Thumpers_Mom]

Seems like you have gotten great info! Just wanted to stop in and welcome you to binky bunny. Thank you for saving a precious bun. They can be a lot to handle sometimes, but with some patience it will all be worth it.

I myself just adopted a bun, Peaches from the same shelter I adopted my Thumper two months ago.

Good luck!

[MooBunnay]

Hello Perta – Welcome to Binky Bunny!

And as Osprey said – thanks so much for helping out homeless bunnies PLUS thanks so much for not dumping the poor little guy again when his behavior was not so good

I see you have already gotten many of the tips that I would have suggested. Keeping him in his cage for a few days won’t hurt him, and I think it will help him settle down a bit. To really help reinforce the litterbox training when he is in his cage – I would recommend the following steps:

1. Put a layer of hay over his litter, and if you have a hay rack put that over the litterbox. Bunnies tend to poop when they are eating, so keeping the hay in and over the litterbox will start him in the right place.
2. Any time he poops or pees outside the litterbox, clean it up as soon as you can. Put the poops right back into the box (don’t throw them away, just put them all into the litterbox) and use vinegar to blot up the pee stains.

These two steps really help the bunny understand that the box is where the poops and pees go, and the floor is supposed to STAY CLEAN!! Keeping him in his cage during this time will help you out because you will have a small amount of space to clean, and that way can clean more frequently.

[BinkyBunny]

You’ve gotten some great advice. And I too want to give you a big welcome to BinkyBunny! Regarding the aggression, if after reading the provided links from Scarlet, and you still have any questions, then let us know. It is important that your bunny does not realize that biting works with you. The best way to do that is to not react, don’t punish, just don’t react – This may mean that you wear gloves during times that you feel he may bite, so if he bites or goes to bite, you don’t pull away. Doesn’t mean you keep forcing yourself in his space which won’t help him feel safe with you, but you just don’t pull away as a reaction to his bite.

The littertraining issue – totally in a new space and it is normal for him to want to mark up the place. Also limiting freedom as everyone has suggested is great advice. Check out the littertraining section of this site (under Bunny Info)

Keep us updated!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

All great advice!
Just want to add that it might make him feel more comfortable if you drape a towel or two over his cage, so that half of it is covered up (generally the half where he will sleep and poop)…Rabbits feel safer when hidden, and wire cages are generally pretty open for them. This may make his adjustment time faster.
When we moved apartments, I kept Kokanee in her cage for three days, just so she could get used to everything from inside her safe spot.

[MarkBun]

Hello there.

As to the lying on the ground – I found that frustrating to myself because I was just there, waiting for her and when she wasn’t coming around I began to get impatient.

What I did find that worked is that I got a book I wanted to read and sat down on the floor, propped my back against the couch and began reading. I wasn’t done with the first chapter before I felt the tickle of her whiskers on my elbow. Of course the moment I turned to her, she darted away but the next time, she didn’t run until I made a move to pet her. Finally, I just sat reading with a small pile of rasins on my belly. When I felt the tickle, without looking away from the book, I took a rasin and held it out where the tickle was (if tickled on the right arm, I used my left hand and crossed over). She took it and ran away. Within a single night, it got to a point where she’d let me pet her nose and within a week, whenever I would sit down with a book, she’d eventually (within an hour) come and hop on my belly looking for rasins but quite happy just getting nose rubs instead.

Of course, your mileage may vary but that is one way I found to get a bunny to come to you without it feeling like a chore.

[perta]

Hey all,
first off, wow, thanks everyone this is just, makes me so happy to have this resource available to help me and my new furry out, to everyone that posted BIG thanks. So ya’ll were right, the hay in the litter box has worked!!! I now have a potty trained bunny. The shelter said he was trained I guess he just had to get acculumated to his new pottybox. So step one is down….now the big step, getting bunny to like me lol. I’ve been confining him to his cage more, and now he notices when I walk up to the cage. I got him to take some lettuce from my hand this morning thru the cage bars! I think he is learning when he sees me in the morning he gets his fruits and vegs. I let him out a little when I am home to at least stretch his legs a little more. I don’t have a pen tho, or child gates to keep him constrained just to one little area-any thoughts on that? Would you recommend having that for him instead of giving him the run of the dining/living area of the apartment? At first, he went under a dresser and behind the couch, and now we can’t break him of that habit even though we block everything off he still gets there or tries to go to those spots. So any suggestions about ‘freedom areas’ would be appriciated. Oh, another random q-do they have a certain activity level? Ie how much do they sleep, lay down, hop, etc. He doesn’t seem terribly curious, even when we sit down while he’s hoppin about. Anyways, BIG thanks again, and I’m sure I’ll b becoming a frequent flyer to this wonderful resource : )

[Scarlet_Rose]

Cool perta, welcome aboard!  I’m so glad we were able to help your furkid re-potty train OK.  That is great he is also getting used to you too and your routine! I don’t let my two have free run of the house all the time (only supervised), otherwise I have a baby gate accross the kitchen and they have the run of that which is plenty big.  Exercise is important so he doesn’t get overweight. You can use either a baby gate (make sure it is a sturdy one that won’t get chewed through), an x-pen, carboard, board with hinges, Neat Idea Cube (NIC) panels or whatever you can creatively come up with to confine them to a space or make a run area. Runs are nice if you have a dedicated spot for them to run free.

Rabbits are diurnal animals, meaning that they are most active at dusk and dawn. He could just be getting used to things and taking it easy too if it is at those same times he’s quiet, throughout the day though they just normally flop and lounge. Do you have any toys for stimulation at all? Rabbits do get curious with certain things like exploring a cardboard box, paper bag, draped towel or natural wicker basket (no dye, stain, paint or coating). I have a natural wicker laundery basket where I cut the hand-holds to the size of my bunnies, lay a bunny towel down and place it upside down.  They love to go in there as a "safe" zone and bunch up the blanket or towel too as a digging exercise. Bonzai will also play destructo manly-bun and chew away at it until it’s nothing.  The pieces that they chew off can be sharp so with it being on the towel or blanket, I just take it outside to shake off. Anyways, those are just some ideas to help him get a little more playful. Oh also, bunnies explore their environment by chewing.  Check out the bunny-proofing section above under the title BUNNY INFO. That will give you tips and hints on bunny proofing areas of your home.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

It’s definitely hard to break them of a habit-once they’ve explored somewhere darned if you are going to stop them going there again!! My two happened to get behind our couch a couple of weeks ago and it’s taken this long to break them again. I caught them last night trying again!!
I have found that if you block off an area where they want to go but can’t, they keep trying. So when they try, you can discourage them by clapping or saying “no!” and then re-direct them to something else to do, like chewing a toy or having a treat in another area. Eventually you will frustrate their efforts (hopefully before they frustrate you)!

[perta]

Hey again…alright as of tomorrow it is the start of week two with -stillunnamed- bunny. Progress: He comes and sniffs around when you go to the cage. I can put my hand in the cage, move things around, without him spazzing. I clap and he looks at me like he knows he did something. But still, unable to touch him with him goin nuts. He is more restrained in his area of freedom and i think that has helped, he hasn’t growled or anything. I think I’m making progress to get him back into his cage once he is out (its hard to wrangle bunnies lol). He is 100% litterbox trained and i loooove it. He knows I give him his fruit and veg dish in the morning so he hops up and stands on his hind legs to meet me. So I guess my biggest question is…in order to handle him, should i start petting him or ‘trying’ to pick him up or will this just be a natural thing that happens eventually. I am concerned about the time frame for that because he was adopted from a shelter who said they’d looked him over but I’d like to be able to see how his nails and teeth are doing and such and for that requires contact. Anyways, pics to come as soon as I can find the cord to connect to my pc heh, so thanks again.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Wow Perta that is progess! Wonderful news and the litterbox, isn’t that just great!? It makes things so much easier. I would start approaching him and stroking his head to calm him and let him know you are there and are not going to hurt him.  Then pet him more so you two can bond more and gain that trust factor. Believe me, I totally understand your concern over wanting to check him over.  Which come to think of it, have you booked an appointment with the vet?  They can give him a good look over and exam, even demonstrate what to look for as well. Also, a lot of vets will give you the first initial exam free or at a discount with an adoption (bring the papers and ask over the phone) It is often a little-known thing that they don’t advertise. Anyway, that is just a thought. Does he have dark colored nails or light? Try to take a peek at them when he climbs up the side of the cage for his treats.

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