Suddenly very skittish?

[earthisours]

I’ve noticed lately one of my bunnies (Dylan, of course, he’s the one with all the problems) has become extremely skittish. He’s always been a little skittish, fairly cautious. But now it’s just crazy. He’ll run for a treat, for example, and startle and run back for nothing at all. I’d made sure I’m not moving. He’s especially skittish if there’s something different in his way (like a shoe or something, which never bothered him before).

Is it just age now? Something else? His appetite is very good now, and he’s been good otherwise.

But yeah. He scares himself a lot too now, I’d be in another room, and I’ll hear him scamper under the bed from who knows what. =/

[bunnytowne]

Hmmm I have no idea.   I am guessing could he be losing his site or his hearing and getting more scared from that?  It is the only thing I can think of.

Maybe someone else has a better idea.         I do know rabbits dont’ like change.   Cotton thumps like crazy and won’t move from the middle of the room when I put the fan on in the room.  I have to go move it.

Also strong vinegar cooking smells scare him so bad he was stiff.  

Could it be something outside in a window he may see going by like a bird?

[earthisours]

It’s something that’s steadily been getting worse over the month or so…

Nothing’s changed, except for the fan being turned on for few days during a heat wave. =/

No, his hearing is quite good. He’ll hear the quietest wrinkling of paper and perks up thinking it might be a treat.

[bunnytowne]

Could it be the fan?  Do you have other pets?  I wish I knew  what to tell you and what it is that is bothering him.

Cotton thumps at the fan until I move it away from his area.   I wonder if it is something like the frigie turning off n on.   I am really guessing as to what it is that is bothering him so much.

Someone else Please any more ideas?

[bunnytowne]

You know the only thing that changed you mentioned was the fan.  It could be that.  Is it a ceiling fan?   Also around 3 or 4 months old their behavior changes somewhat.  Til they mature then they settle down some.

Their hearing is very very good better than ours.  Could be he is hearing something you can’t hear? Since you confirmed he does hear good.

This is really puzzling.

[RabbitPam]

Are you certain that he is alarmed? Your description reminds me of when a bunny exercises. They often run, then reverse direction, then run again, then hide under something, then dart out. Sometimes they’ll do a binky in the middle of it all.

If that’s it, then he’s fine and just keeping his running and serpentine skills honed.
But he may also be hearing a neighbor, or animal outside that you aren’t noticing. Take a look at his body language – position of ears, tail, breathing, to get an idea if it’s fear.

[bunnytowne]

Good going RabbitPam I never thought of that.   There are videos of bunnies doing binky’s on you tube.   Yu could compare and see if that is like what  your bunny is doing. 

Some love to dart and play and change directions a lot.  

[TaraBunny]

I hope everything turns out okay. I’m thinking the ceiling fan might be a culprerate. Do bunnies go cenial? Have you taken him to the vet for a regular check-up?  I hope he’s just going through a phase… Let us know?

[earthisours]

Yeah, it’s a ceiling fan. But we only had it on for a few days, and we’ve stopped it since, and he’s still skitterish. And before we turned the thing on too.

No, he’s not young. He’s about 6 years old.

He’s defintely scared. I can recongize a lot of his body language, had him for a while now, and he IS afraid. But it’s very sudden, he’ll sudden spook, and ususally with no hint. It might be something outside, but it’s just odd, he’s never been so extremely skittish before. Now, he barely leaves from underneath the bed (except to eat) and if we lure him out with treats, he’ll usually scare himself somehow and run back in.

He’s done binkies before, and it’s defintely not this.

He recently went to the vet about a month or so ago, he was well then. Aside from the spooking, he’s doing very well. So I don’t know… =/

I was thinking MAYBE it’s his sight… I’ve had suspicions for the last year or so that he might have lost some vision. It would make sense, he tends to spook when he goes near something he doesn’t expect. (Like a shoe) But still, no idea. =/

[bunnytowne]

Does he run into the shoe ?  Or does he not notice it til he is up close?    Seems like their sight would go gradually though.  You never know one day out of the blue a cataract may appear on a bunny.  Whereas the bunny was fine a week ago.  I wish there was a good way to test his sight. 

That way you would know for sure.  Some bunnies do good with sight loss.  They memorize things and where they are so they can get around.   That could be why he startles when coming upon an object that wasn’t there b4.  It wasn’t there yesterday then suddenly it is here today and yikes.

He is a mature bun about right for senior bun age.   Could be his sight.    I dont’ know about buns going senile.  That would be interesting. 

[RabbitPam]

when he went to the vet, was he checked for sight and hearing? Is he breathing normally, or could his sense of smell be deteriorating? It does sound like he has some sense loss, but not sure which one. Unless he is hiding an illness so is afraid you are going to catch him when he’s vulnerable. I think a return to the vet may be in order.

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