Scared rabbit

[auntie]

My 1 year old rabbit is an indoor bunny and he got very scared last night apparently. We had a bad wind storm last night and this morning when I went to let him out of his cage he was laying in his litter box and his ears felt cool. He normally comes running out and wanting his pellets. This morning I got him out of his cage and he hides and won’t eat his pellets.
is this normal? I know he is healthy he did lay in my lap which is normal and after patting him his ears temp went back to normal. He just seems really freaked out.

unfortunately today I’m not him til this afternoon because my daughter has a field trip that I’m going on with her.

i just want to make sure he will be okay.
i just lost my 2 nd bunny due to cancer he was 3 and I lost his brother this past April.
I just spent $300 to find out I had to put my rabbit down.

please don’t take this the wrong way but with Christmas and other unexpected expenses I just can’t afford to go to the vet

[BrunosMama]

Hello!

I’m so sorry to hear your little guy got scared last night! The wind was terrible here all night as well and it had our buns on edge all night. I know sometimes when buns are stressed, they will lay in their box (something about their own smell is comforting, I believe).

I would keep an eye on him this afternoon when you get home to make sure he resumes his normal eating/pooping behaviors. But, he may just need some time to relax again. 🙂 I’ve found a few treats and some pets usually helps with freaked out buns.

Does he have a hidey spot in his cage/enclosure? If not, this may help in the future with things like storms and other loud noises. Sometimes just tucking in to a safe spot will help them stay calm. 🙂 Also, I’ve found some of my single buns find comfort in snuggling/grooming a plushie/stuffed animal (just be sure it doesn’t have any parts that could be chewed off and swallowed, like eyes or noses).

On a personal note, I know its very disheartening to have a large vet bill, only to still lose your bun. I have also had this happen and it can be even more tough when finances are tight around the holidays (or any time, really). But, it sounds like perhaps he was just scared by the storm and will hopefully resume his normal cheerful self very soon. :)<!–/data/user/0/com.samsung.android.app.notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_bodytext_241212_085438_167.sdocx–>

[LBJ10]

Sometimes bunnies get scared and they go into survival mode. It is unwise to eat/forage or even come out of hiding when there is an active threat. And sometimes it takes awhile for them to calm down and resume their bunny activities after the threat is gone. I agree it’s probably best to just monitor foe now. Perhaps no activity in the house this morning will be helpful.

[auntie]

When I got home my bunny had eaten all his food😊 and is laying on top of his hideout.
When I pay him his ears feel warm like normal and not cold. He also ate the treat I left him this morning because it was gone when I checked. This time of day he just lays around.
im so relieved.

he has a hideout in his cage and he loves paper bags so I have a couple of those in his pen area and he hides in those too.

when I went to bed last night I didn’t even think about him being scared because of being in our living room.

Any suggestions for next time

[BrunosMama]

I wonder if leaving a small night light or lamp turned on would help? I know bunnies don’t have fabulous vision at night and loud noises outside, in addition to strange shadows caused by wind blowing trees etc., could startle him more.

I’m glad to hear he is feeling much better this afternoon! 😀

[Author]

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