New Bunny – New Behaviours – Help Appreciated

[Kate258]

Hey!  We adopted a new rabbit on Wednesday this week so very early days here!!  We have had a rabbit before (he died back in Aug 2019),  just the one though so were certainly not experts!  He died really suddenly too so I am pretty anxious about everything!

Firstly, our previous rescued bun was super timid and nervous, it took months for him to start being a bit brave and actually allow us to pet him so that’s all I have to go on in regards to regular rabbit behaviour.  In contrast – the newly adopted bun seems super confident already, shes more than happy to come and play / be petted already….  she will also occasionally run full pelt at me which is my first concern.  I’m worried she could be charging / possibly aggressive!  Do some rabbits just do that?  Is she just super confident or is there anything to look out for here?  I only have our old rabbit to base this on so this really is pretty new for us but certainly wasn’t expecting her to have settled in by day 2 and was definitely expecting her to be timider for a while yet!

Also our old rabbit pooped ALOT – Id say 3 x as much as this one.  I am worried about GI Stasis but do some rabbits just poop a lot less than others?  She’s eating a lot, but doesn’t seem to poop much – should I be concerned?

Hopefully, you guys will be able to help!  K x

[Kate258]

I’m just going to add that since writing this I have just sat down on the floor with her and she has done 2 massive bunny flops right next to me (followed by much smoothing from me!) so shes clearly feeling relaxed and may well just be a super friendly and relaxed rabbit!

[DanaNM]

She sounds very happy indeed! Some bunnies are very outgoing like that!

. . . 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.  

[Kate258]

today – https://vimeo.com/487666714

[prince dorian the bun]

look at that velvety fur! I want to pet her! And she looks happy and confident.

[Bam]

Congratulations on your new bun!! She is super cute!

It is a bit unusual for buns to be very social and outgoing after just 2 days in a new home, but its not a sign of anything bad. The bun I have now needed 4-5 days, which is also a short time. It is lovely when a bun wants to be pet and hang out with their human!

Fearful rabbits tend to lunge or charge if they feel cornered and cant run away or hide, but there are the odd few that will attack. This primarily occurs if you do sth in the rabbit’s territory (“cage aggression”). Your girl doesn’t seem fearful.

Rabbits can however nip to get a point across, for example if you are in their way or if you have the audacity to stop petting them too soon 😃 When a rabbit nips as a means of communication, it can hurt  because we dont have fur to protect us. It is however not an act of aggression. If you let out a squeak, it can help your bun understand when a nip is too hard.

Rabbits should produce lots of round poop, 200-300 per day for an adult medium sized bun. More poop is better than few poop. Moving to a new home can affect the stomach and the eating habits. Water consumption is also important for poop. Does she have a bowl or a bottle? Did she have a bowl or a bottle in her old home? Is she eating hay?

 

 

[LBJ10]

Running up to you can also be excitement, particularly if they think you have something for them. One of the reasons I can never get good pictures. They are always blurs…

[Bam]

Haha, exactly as LBJ says. You get a picture of a blur with whiskers, if you’re lucky!

[Author]

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