Timid 2nd bunny

[MarMar & TimTam's Mom]

We brought home our second bunny, Mallowmar, this past weekend, and already we’re seeing a huge difference in his behavior vs. Timtam, who is only 2 weeks older. Timtam is very active and engaged–he demolishes his chew toys, runs and binkies during playtime, eats plenty of food, and comes up to sniff us when we come near the cage. But Marmar seems to be a picky eater, mostly ignores his toys, and runs away if we show any indication of opening his cage. During playtime he will explore a little and will come up to us, but doesn’t run or let us touch him, and usually will flop down for a nap after about ten minutes. I’m getting a little worried–Timtam adapted much more quickly to us. 

I know part of this may be Marmar’s trepidation about the other bunny who was here first, though we are doing are best to make sure they have separate toys/towels/anything that gets marked. But I think really the big thing is that he is just nervous about us. I’ve been reading a lot about bonding with your rabbit and I know that the big thing is to avoid picking him up, but unfortunately he lives on the 2nd floor of a duplex hutch with Timtam, so we have to pick him up in order to put him in the playpen for playtime! Does anyone have any suggestions for how to gain his trust while still picking him up?

[tobyluv]

It can take weeks or even many months before some rabbits are comfortable around people and want to be near them and be petted. One rabbit can be very different from another. What most of them share in common is their dislike of being picked up. It can be scary to them and they can injure themselves if they struggle hard enough. I’m not sure how you can easily and safely transport him from a second floor hutch to the play pen. Maybe you should let him settle in for a few more days and see if he becomes more comfortable around you, before moving him back and forth. Is his hutch an adequate size that gives him room to hop and exercise?

If you are planning to bond your bunnies, they will of course need to be neutered and have a few weeks recovery time before you can start that. If there is any way that they can reach each other through the cage bars, you need to be careful. Once they reach puberty and have to deal with all the hormones, there can be aggression and fighting, which can lead to severe injuries. Noses and ears can be bitten through cage bars. And some people have thought or been told that their bunnies are the same gender, then they are surprised with a litter a few weeks later, so that’s another reason to keep the bunnies apart until they have been altered.

[MarMar & TimTam's Mom]

It’s big enough for him to hop and run a little bit, but not as much as a playpen! I’ll try leaving him alone for a couple days, as you suggest, and see if that helps. He has a carrier that maybe we could use to transport him between hutch and playpen, though holding it up in front of his cage door for ages until he decides to go in sounds exhausting! We can also cover him in a towel before picking him up, which I understand makes them struggle less, but I don’t know if that will really help with the trust issue…

I’m still worried about how inactive he is in his hutch. Might he need a different kind of toy or stimulation? I just gave him a small cardboard box in hopes that he might feel more comfortable hiding in it (there is an enclosed part of the cage, but I know they sometimes like even smaller spaces to nest). So far he’s been nibbling at it more than his other toys, so fingers crossed he takes a liking to it. 

We definitely hope to bond them after they’re neutered in a few months, but for now they are being kept strictly separate–no visual contact, although of course they can hear and smell each other. I really hope they will like each other! If they bond, we can open up the hutch’s ramp and give them both access to both floors, and then Marmar will be able to use the playpen without being picked up.

[tobyluv]

I had suggested using a carrier for transporting a bunny from room to room to another member in the past, but I thought it might be awkward to use since your bunny is up in a second floor hutch. He probably wouldn’t go in on his own, though, so you might still have to reach into the hutch and pick him up long enough to get him in the carrier. You could try the towel method, but be sure you have a really good grip on him, so that he doesn’t slip out of the towel and fall.

You said that Marmar is a picky eater. Do you think that he is eating enough to maintain his weight and health? Do his poops look good? If he is not eating like he should and not making good poops, plus being rather inactive, you may want to schedule a vet visit to have him checked out. He may still just be settling in and not feeling secure in his new environment yet, but after a few more days, if you are concerned that he isn’t eating right and not being as active as he should be, it would probably be good to take him to the vet.

Regarding toys – some rabbits just don’t care for toys, or they only play with them for a few seconds, then lose interest.

Rabbits do need exercise and the playpen is good for Marmar to get some exercise in, but some articles do recommend keeping a rabbit penned up or confined to a smaller area for the first few days after you bring them home.  Coming into a new place can be scary and some rabbits are more sensitive than others.

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