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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Scared baby bunny, and I may have made it worse

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    • Valetinesmom
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        OK, so this might be a little long, fair warning. 

        I got an 11 week old baby bunny last week. She was very timid at first, and for the most part she still is. For the first few days, I just let her get used to her cage and new surroundings. She picked up the litter box really quick and is already great with that. On Friday, I decided to try to open her cage and have some basil handy to give her. She came out and sniffed me but showed no interest in the basil. On Saturday, I tried again. This time, I put her on my bed. She crawled all over me and sniffed me and even accepted some pets. She still wouldn’t take the basil from me. If I put the basil in her pen, she eats it right up. But she will not eat it from my hand. 

        So, after what I thought was a bonding experience (the crawling, the sniffing, etc) she is still terrified of me when I go by her cage. She runs away if I am reaching in to change water/food/etc.

        Well, here is where I think I made things worse. Yesterday I had her on my bed for some play time. I tried to put her on my lap and feed some basil. But she just would not eat it! Even though she had just eaten a leaf that I had put in her pen. So, I kind of…followed her face around with it when she turned away. She got scared and bolted from my lap, and I tried to catch her for a second. I feel like now she is even MORE scared of me. I feel really bad. I just kept reading that you want your bunny to associate you with good food, so I wanted her to eat it . Should I go back to just leaving her alone? Her pen is in my living room. So I already spend a lot of time sitting near it. 


      • Linette
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          I don’t think you did any damage to the relationship. Baby bunnies are a bit like kittens, at times “practicing” being scared and running like mad from the least shadow or noise. I think it is a stage of development they go through, as prey animals to be ready and practiced should they need to do it.

          When they live in groups they chase one another and take turns dashing off etc. Young deer do it as well. It’s the funniest thing to watch.

          It’s not uncommon for rabbits to not take a food, even one they like, out of a hand. Some get over it, others don’t, but it doesn’t have any intrinsic meaning. She may, in a week or two, be all over you begging you for yummies, or she may remain reserved about that but still be super friendly. I recently adopted a doe, and she will not take goodies out of my hand, but she will nudge me for petting and lick my led when I am working in the kitchen.

          Sounds like you are doing great. I don’t know how much rabbit experience you have, but a heads up, in another month or two she will probably start going through puberty, and may get extremely jumpy, stop using the litter box as well, and generally act rather crazy and obnoxious. It’s just a stage.

          When I was the local “rabbit lady” SO many people called me or asked if I would take their rabbit because it had suddenly gone mad and wild. It was just their “teen age ” stage. Getting them neutered or spayed at that time usually brings a close to it.


        • manic_muncher
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            Don’t worry that she won’t take food from your hand yet. Keep sitting with her and place the piece beside you or use a few of her pellets. It takes time to earn the trust. Believe me, I was in your shoes just this past August, and Bumpy is only JUST now starting to actually hang around me and hopping up onto chairs to sit next to me.

            Each rabbit is different, and as bunnies mature they will change as they mature. Try not to get upset if she runs from your hands, it may simply be that she has reached the age where she isn’t going to tolerate being picked up or held without a fuss.

            I KNOW it’s incredibly hard to leave them alone, but it really works. They are too curious to ignore you forever!


          • LopNessMonster
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              I wouldn’t worry too much, you are going to scare her sometimes and that’s ok. You are also the source of food and pets and as long as you keep spending playtimes with her and giving her plenty of love, a couple of scaredy bunny incidents are just fine. Was she stomping? If she was running without doing any stomping at all she might not have been scared even. If there was lots of stomping she was probably scared or irritated. Either way, those emotions are important and will help you understand her better over time as you come to learn her individual personality.
              Do not worry too much if she won’t eat from your hand. I’ve had many bunnies in the past who won’t eat outside of their cage at all, no matter how tasty the treat. MM is right about leaving her alone a bit too. Try sitting in her area reading a book or something. She will get curious and come see you. Let her do a bit of exploring before petting her. If you get a nudge, you are doing well! Don’t be surprised if she runs away when you reach out to pet her though, this is pretty normal when she’s getting to know you. If she has a spot she likes to hang out in, sit next to it. This is how I got my Nessie to hang out with me. When I had her out, she would flop by the wall in the living room but as soon as I would walk over to her, she would jump up and run under the couch. If I sat on the floor by her spot she’d eventually hop out and after sniffing me she’d flop back down. Eventually she got so comfortable with us that she lets me pet her while she’s still flopped.
              If you are really determined to feed her from your hand you can try an even tastier treat like apple, banana, or oats. These are like dessert for bunnies though, so make sure you don’t give her too much in one day.


            • Valetinesmom
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                She wasn’t stomping! Just maybe breathing heavier? She kind of head butted me the other day a few times! Maybe I am doing something right. Haha.

                Thanks for all the advice guys! This is my first bunny, so I just want to do it right and be a good bunny mama. I am glad this site exists for times like this! I feel a lot better.


              • LopNessMonster
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                  Head butts are good! You are doing a great job already. A lot of it is just time and patience and waiting for your bunny to get used to her new area and new people.


                • Elrohwen
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                    Just take things very slow – you’ll get there! It can take months for rabbits to bond with people. For now just sit quietly and let her approach you. If she’ll take a treat, great, but if she won’t, just let her move off on her own. She will learn to trust you with time and maturity.

                    Have you tried other treats? Maybe she would take something else from your hand.


                  • Valetinesmom
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                      I have tries strawberries and bananas. She will eat the strawberries if I leave them in her pen. I am going to try raisins soon!


                    • Ellekke
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                        Feeding pellets works just as fine as special treats like strawberries or banana for me.

                        I’ve gotten to te bonding point where they jump on my lap to give me kisses or to get pets. They’ve been with me for 5 weeks. So hang in there and soon she’ll be one of your best buddies!

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                    Forum BEHAVIOR Scared baby bunny, and I may have made it worse