Rabbit change after getting tatoo

[Tosha]

My daughter is in 4H and she had to get her rabbit a tattoo and when he did get it he made the worse noise of pain that I have ever heard a rabbit do.  Before he had this he always came running to us and come to the door for us to pet him in his cage and know he will not come over  to us at all.   Is this because he does not trust us anymore and if so how do we get that trust back he is a mini rex know  If I new that this would have happened I would never of had them do the tatoo our other rabbit was fine when when we had her done. 

[Beka27]

I can imagine that hurt very badly. The rabbit may come around, but he’s probably just afraid that something like this may happen again. It is difficult to gain the trust of a rabbit, and when faced with an unpleasant experience, that trust is even harder to get back.

Is your daughter going to be showing the rabbit? I can’t think of any other reason to tattoo other than for show identification.

[Sarita]

Oh, poor rabbit. Yes, that has to hurt – they should be sedated if you do something like this. One of the sanctuaries I helped at tattooed their rabbits while they were under sedation from their spay or neuter to identify that they had been spayed or neutered and what year, but it was done at the vet under sedation.

[RabbitPam]

a negative association can easily imprint on an animal, but you can overcome it. At risk of spoiling him for a few days, I would suggest that you sit with him on the floor after letting him out, talk very quietly and soothingly to him, and have a treat ready in your hand. Just open your hand, let him smell it, and even take it without reaching for him. Then if he comes back, take another treat and try holding it loosely in a closed hand and see if he will fish it out and then let you pet him. All the while keep talking to him gently. You are trying to reestablish an association with you that you also give treats and pets, not just harm, so he can’t ever be sure what’s going to happen but you probably can be trusted. You just don’t want to follow up the treat with a negative experience for him.

A bunny is more relaxed if you come at him with an open hand, palm up, from below and slightly to the side to start to pet his ears and forehead. They distrust a hand closed from above, and definitely a hand spread out from above looks like a claw to them, so try to avoid that gesture. He’ll forgive you soon.

[Tosha]

I agree about it hurting and yes my daughter is showing her rabbit so they do need to be tattooed. I really do not know if I would ever do that again to one of our rabbits. Our rex is so different from our other one you can hold his head in both hands and pet him he also like to lick you I do hope that he comes around and I do not blame him for being afraid this really has broken my heart to see this.

[Sarita]

I think he’ll come around, just need to get him to trust you again :~) Take it slow and easy and work with him.

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