Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

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.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

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 Problem rabbit

Viewing 3 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • Skye727
      Participant
      10 posts Send Private Message

        I have a bunny named Angel who is really a little devil! She is destroying cords. She has chewed through the tv cord, computer cord and my disabled Daughter’s oxygen monitor cord! She is not friendly at all. She thinks I’m going to eat her. She even bites me when I do manage to catch her and try to hold her. I want to rehome her but she’s bonded with my little lionhead boy. Would it cruel to find her a good home if she is so bonded with him? My other girl, a rex that I rescued is also afraid of me. It’s so frustrating! I give them treats, talk nice to them, and try to cuddle but they are not getting tame. It’s been a few months. The lionhead is easier to catch probably because he’s fixed and is calmer. I’m wondering why I even have the girls!


      • JackRabbit
        Participant
        5451 posts Send Private Message

          The problem is that you are trying to catch them and cuddle them. If you want to bond with them, you have to do it on their terms . . . Try sitting or laying on the floor (read a book, surf the web, etc.) with a bunny out to play. Do not reach for or pet the bunny! Just let her explore. She will eventually become curious about you and will come over to check you out. You can talk softly to her, but still do not reach for the bunny! She needs to learn that its safe to be near you and that you’re not going to grab her or try to touch her every time she does. Once she’s more comfortable, hand feed her treats. You really need to take it slow and let her take the lead. Being prey animals, they instinctively assume you are going to eat them, so until you earn their trust, that’s how they will react. In the wild, whatever chases a bunny and picks it up eats the bunny.

          Chewing cords, etc. Chewing is also instinctive (those cords are roots!). Some bunnies are heavy chewers and others are light chewers, but cords ate never safe with bunnies and bunnies are never safe chewing cords. If your want your bunnies to be free roam, then you should do some bunny proofing. Check out the Bunny Info section on this website for some bunny proofing tips.


        • Flopsie
          Participant
          388 posts Send Private Message

            I second what Jack Rabbit has said.

            Rabbits are prey animals meaning that they are eaten and not the ones eating. This means that when they are captured or picked up, they are goners. Their defense is to run away. When you go and catch them, it signals their flight response. If you consistently are working on catching them then its hard for them to build trust.

            It’s important for them to trust you for them to interact, this may seem hard at first, but with time trust can be built.

            Also, you have to understand that most, not all, bunnies do not like to be held and cuddled. They don’t like their feet not touching the ground. Try to avoid doing this as they feel like they will be eaten.

            As far as chords go, understand that they have a knack for chewing. It would be best to prevent this by blocking off areas that have the cords beforehand.

            I wish you good luck and hope you reconsider separating them


          • litheandgraphic
            Participant
            608 posts Send Private Message

              I completely agree with what JackRabbit and Flopsie have said.

              Re-homing Angel is the worst decision in this case, because it will bring the Lionhead great distress that could affect his heath.

              Speaking of health, are the girls not spayed? You will want to consider getting them spayed if not – this will greatly reduce their otherwise very high chances of getting reproductive cancers.

              But JR and Flopsie are right – you are acting too predatory to what seem to be very skittish rabbits. Spend some quiet time in the same room with them and allow them to come to you. Do not attempt to pick them up too much or cuddle them too much – they will decide when they want attention from you

              As JR and Flopsie have said, electric cords are natural targets for rabbits, because their instincts tell them that they are chew-able roots. You will want to block off any areas with exposed cords. If they are free-range rabbits, consider keeping them in a single room without accessible cords or enclosing them with x-pens (or one x-pen if they are all bonded). Not only is chewing cords extremely inconvenient for you, but it is also extremely dangerous for them and may result in electrocution. 

          Viewing 3 reply threads
          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

          Forum BEHAVIOR Problem rabbit