Rabbit pschology

[bunnytowne]

I am thinking…….  Both times when traveling the only 2 times Cotton stopped eating was when I tied him to something.  When traveling to Louisiana once we settled in at a hotel and he had his cage he did fine he ate and everything. 

When I came back and landed at the airport I couldn’t take his cage but I had his pet carrier.  The airline one is so small.  I brought the one I had for him in my suitcase.    I had to tie his leash to the closet door knob and get an old sheet for him to move around on and his litterbox.  I wasn’t going to coop him up in that pet carrier he had been in the airline one all day.  

Plus at our last trip to masjid there I tied him to pet carrier.  I didn’t want him constantly cooped up.  

Ok I am wondering if the tying him was the catalyst for him not eating.  psychologically a rabbit being a prey animal being in a harness and tied may feel he is caught if panicked and unable to escape and will be eaten

in a cage it is familiar and like their den.  rabbits arent meant to be tied due to their prey animal mindset

what do yall think

also should this post be under behavior

[Sarita]

I’ll move this to Behavior for you BT.

[Megabunny]

Makes sense to me. I’ll have to keep that in mind, as I’ve been thinking of trying Gus on a harness because I’d like to travel, at least by car, with him

[Deleted User]

I have to agree with you both – now that you bought it up BT, it makes sense to me too. No one, no thing likes to be shut away, but I think being tied up would be way more stressful. But I get what you were trying to do bunnytowne, give Cotton more freedom. Shame our pets don’t understand that when we are doing something for them it’s always with best intentions.

PS – Megabunny you can’t get to my place by car, you need to fly! LOL!

[bunnytowne]

true and henri.   

megabunny     i think a bunny (cotton does) would do fine once it is used to harness n leash to play about in the yard away from parking lots roads n such cuz it can move about with you following behind it.  You would have to get it used to the leash n harness inside first just to be sure.

A bunny will never be like a dog and follow you on a leash you will always have to follow it.  Not all bunnies will be ok with this leash busuness tho. Ruby was fine with it.  Both my bunnies were.

I would try the harness first and once they got used to that oh about an hour I would put the leash and let them drag it around.  After a while I would hold the leash.  It was stretchy one.  Once they decided to move around I would hold it when they got to the end then give it slack so they were aware that there was a limit. They got used to that. Then they were fine. 

The harness I use is not the jacket one but the string like one. I should post a picture.  

I dont recommend this for everyone.  If a bunny panics it hits the end of the leash gets turned around faces you and keeps fighting n pulling the harness can come off.  Even the string type one.  So be careful.  Make sure bunny is in safe quiet place.  

In the car i would use a pet carrier.  I usually hold cotton cuz hubby does all the driving.  Cotton enjoys being held outside of the house.  

Being prey animals tho I think that why cotton quit eating.  They aren’t mean to be tied.  It messes with their minds. 

    

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