Jessica is terrifed of my husband now!

[Godiva]

As soon as she sees or smells his hand she starts making a whimpering noise and will start throwing punches with her little front arms. She even bites him! He’s usually the one that handles her to pick her up during cleaning and play time and I think now she sees him as the bad guy who catches her. 

With me she is a totally different bunny. Calm and sweet if I approach her or talk to her and she will come to the cage door and lets me put her head and gives little kisses. Only time she will try to attack me is if I have her favorite treat and she WANTS it NOW. She’s even attacked my much larger cat over a chunk of veggies who was just sniffing around minding her own business. I’m guessing this is food aggression. 

I feel bad for my husband since this is his bunny and he loves her so much and now he’s been feeling a bit down that his bunny dislikes him. How can he gain her trust again? 

[Stickerbunny]

For bunnies that don’t like being picked up the solution to get them to get over you picking them up is … to stop picking them up so much. Does your cage have a door you can open to let her out for play time, instead of picking her up? If not, try enticing her into a carrier or box and carry that. I try to limit the picking up to maintenance and vet care, or my buns won’t have anything to do with me. They tend to forgive the being picked up too often after a few weeks of not picking them up.

[Godiva]

We put her cage on top of a coffee table since she was scared of it being on the floor. She would freak out if we’d walk by her. She seems to be not scared when the cage is waist high with us. The box or carrier is a great idea!

[JackRabbit]

You could also try using a ramp (maybe carpet covered for traction). Have you considered building a NIC condo so she can have more than one level?

[TNC]

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[Godiva]

Posted By JackRabbit on 11/27/2014 7:51 PM

You could also try using a ramp (maybe carpet covered for traction). Have you considered building a NIC condo so she can have more than one level?

My husband made her a ramp that has some traction. I don’t know why they sell rabbit cages with ramps that have no traction! And yes she has more than one level.

We tried to put her cage back on the floor and now she seems to be okay with it. Rabbits…gotta love them. lol

[LBJ10]

I forget. Is Jessica spayed yet? Some of this behavior could be blamed on that if she isn’t. Otherwise, I agree with what the others are saying.

TNC – I don’t want to distract from Godiva’s post too much. But I just wanted to say, please don’t bathe your bunny. It is very stressful, not to mention that it isn’t good for them. Giving a bunny a bath is an emergency situation sort of thing.

[Godiva]

I’m not sure if she is spayed. Her previous owner never got back to me whether she was or not and I read it can be tough even for a vet during exams to see if one has been spayed unless they cut her open.

[Stickerbunny]

Hmm. If she’s been spayed she might have a scar on her tummy from the surgery. You could check that next time you are doing grooming with her. It’s important to get females spayed as their chance of cancer is very high if left intact. Glad she seems OK with the cage on the floor, that should make play time easier.

TNC – Agree with LBJ. Please do NOT ever bathe your bunny unless it’s an emergency situation. They keep themselves clean and bathing them is bad for their skin, soaking them through can make them sick, it’s stressful, potential for struggling that causes injury, etc. Poopy butt or potential risks being removed are the only reasons to bathe a rabbit and generally a butt bath works just fine.

[Godiva]

I tried calling around some local vets but no luck in finding one that can spay rabbits. I even went to a rabbit site that lists vets who do rabbit spaying and called those and still nothing.  I’m looking for a low cost clinic in the northwest part of Houston. I hate not knowing her age or her history. I wish she could talk and tell me. lol

[Godiva]

I don’t see no scars on tummy and no tattoos on her either. I’m gonna go ahead and assume she isn’t spayed. I’ve been doing more research into clinics who will perform the surgery on bunnies but no such luck yet.

[LBJ10]

Have you tried calling animal shelters? If they offer bunnies for adoption, then they must know who can spay/neuter them. I would assume that she isn’t spayed too. Especially since she is exhibiting territorial behaviors. Spayed bunnies can be territorial too, of course. But given her unknown history, her behavior is consistent with an unspayed female.

[Godiva]

I’ve been looking into animal shelters as well. I’ve left some messages but haven’t heard anything back yet. 

[Author]

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