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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.

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Forum BEHAVIOR The Blossom Behaviour Diaries

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    • IsabellaRobyn
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        Hey guys!  I’ve decided to start a diary type thing monitoring the slow and steady progress that I’m seeing in Blossom.  I was thinking instead of posting new threads with updates I could just post replies to this one with any progress.  If this isn’t allowed then an admin can just delete this thread – but I thought it would be interesting for anyone to read over, especially people that find themselves with another abused bunny.  I welcome suggestions, comments and encouragement from everyone!

        So for a little brief background I know in Blossom’s previous home she was quite badly neglected and also chased regularly for fun – however the more I am getting to know her I fear she may have been more than just chased because she is terrified of human touch.  I’m not certain, it could have just been a year of being chased but something tells me it was more.  She is around two years old and I am her third (and last) home.

        THE COLLECTION (MONDAY)

        When I went to collect Blossom she was a very, very timid bunny.  When I walked into the room she was being kept in she immediately ran from me and hid in a corner.  If I went even remotely close to her she would lunge and growl.  I didn’t invade her space enough, but I am certain she would have bit me had I left my hand exposed.  The actual collection process was very bitter sweet.  On one hand I had to force this poor terrified rabbit into her carrier and I had to witness how adverse to human contact she had become.  On the other I knew it was for the best, and that I was bringing her home to a loving environment, where she would never have to feel threatened again. 

        The journey home was long and tiresome.  I didn’t get to collect her until twenty past eight at night, so by the time I got home with her it was very late.  I think that suited her though, as it meant when we got home she had time to settle without me staring in at my pretty new bunny !

        DAY ONE – TWO (TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY)

        Not much changed over the next two days.  She was very alert for the first day, though was no longer scared.  At the time she was still on paper flooring and grew very attached to her fleece blanket that I had taken with me to collect her.  I put my hand in her cage every now and then, not all the way in, just dangling there.  At first she slapped it away, but gradually stopped and would just stare at it.  By the end of day two she began to nudge my hand with her nose briefly.  At this point I was also allowed to place a finger (super softly – like barely touching) on her head for about a second before she would growl, at which point I would take my hand completely away and leave her be for a while.  I think I started introducing hand feeding basil on day two – which she welcomed quite readily, though was still wary of my hands once she finished the piece of basil she was eating – it was only in between pieces of basil being fed that I was allowed to touch her head with a finger.

        DAY THREE (THURSDAY)

        Day three was a bit of a break through day as far as I’m concerned.  I started the morning by hand feeding her some basil pieces (usually two or three leaves ripped into smaller bits so there was more opportunity to hand feed without overfeeding greens too soon).  Once all her basil was done, I placed her food bowl in and left her in peace to eat.  I’ve noticed that she eats very slowly over the course of the day.  Belle hoovers her pellets in minutes – I think Blossom may have developed this eating pattern as she was often left with no food or water for up to a week at a time.  I think she tries to save it in case she doesn’t get fed again

        I was working a pretty long day so she was left to her own devices for most of it which I think would be fine for her.  When I got home, just before dinner I decided to do another basil feed. I continued with putting my hand in the cage to let her sniff with no attempt at petting over the past few days so this time in between pieces of basil I tried to touch her head again but this time with the back of my fingers.  At first she slapped me away and growled so I just fed her a few more bits with no contact attempt.  After a few of those I tried again, she let me put my hand there for a few seconds before growling, at which point I moved my hand away.  The next time I did it she let me stroke her head with the back of my fingers twice before a growl!  I couldn’t believe it!  After that I fed her the rest of the basil pieces with no contact in between as I figured she’d done well and could use a break.  After the basil I gave her her dinner.

        DAY FOUR (FRIDAY)

        It is day four as I am writing this.  This morning I fed her more basil and I was allowed to stroke her head one more time after a couple of test runs like last night – but this time only one stroke, not two.  Hey, I’ll take what I can get!  When I say strokes, they are very gentle and there isn’t much contact.  When I came in from work and got on my bed she was very interested in what I was doing so I placed my hand in to let her sniff which she seemed to enjoy.  A few minutes later I put my hand in and was allowed another stroke (no basil!) before a growl.  As I am writing this just now, I have just witnessed her doing her first zoomies and actual binkies!!!  I CAN NOT BELIEVE that I am seeing a binky so soon after getting her home!  It just shows you what love can do!  Today she has been very slow with her food but I think that is because she’s going to run out of the muesli soon so I had to up the pellet content and I think it’s a bit strange for her – that said, she seems to eat a lot of her breakfast right before dinner time!

        I’m going to attempt to add a video here with html – hopefully it works! I’m going to do some more basil – stroke attempts tonight and I will let you all know how it goes in the next update.  I’m really enjoying helping this little bunny come out of her shell and feel safe again.  I hope you will all enjoy reading about it!

        I’m going to do some more basil – stroke attempts tonight and I will let you all know how it goes in the next update.  I’m really enjoying helping this little bunny come out of her shell and feel safe again.  I hope you will all enjoy reading about it!


      • MissGabbster
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          It breaks my heart thinking of her in an abusive home. I’m so happy and relieved that you were able to take her in. It sounds like the love and food are slowly winning her over and are making her more comfortable already. Yay binkies! I think this thread is a great idea and I’m looking forward to hearing how she progresses as she gets more settled in and gets used to being loved and spoiled.


        • IsabellaRobyn
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            Me too!  It’s so sad!  I found a picture my friend had sent me of her ages ago before I even knew I would ever take her and she is being kept in a horrid little room with full binbags spilling out around her  Breaks my heart!  I just have to think of how much happier she is here now, and she’ll never have to go through anything like that again!

            So I didn’t realise it had been so long since I last updated, so I’ll have to chunk a lot of progress together because I can’t really remember what happened on what day etc!  

            DAY FIVE – SIX (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY)

            Another break through day on Saturday!  Just one day after being allowed a proper stroke, I was allowed more than one!  I went about it the same way as normal by offering pieces of basil and after each one attempting to stroke her head.  After a couple of tries she allowed it, then proceeded to allow me to continue with stroking.  She didn’t stop me at all – no growl or slaps!  I stopped after about maybe six or seven strokes because I didn’t want to push my luck!  Sunday was more of the same – but she did get a little more grumpy so I didn’t try so hard and just hand fed her basil with less stroke attempts.

            DAY SEVEN – WEEK TWO BEGINS

            Week two!  It came around so quickly!  It’s really quite amazing how far she came in one week – from being terrified of a hand over a foot away, to allowing me to both hand feed and stroke her.  As far as the petting goes, we kept that as more of the same – working our way towards completely grunt and slap free interaction.  

            I allowed Blossom and Belle to see each other for the first time on Monday.  I think Belle loves Blossom already – she ran up to Blossoms cage (I had to keep scooting her away so Blossom couldn’t reach her!) and was quite inquisitive.  To keep her from sticking her nose up to the bars I stroked Belle – who tooth purred a lot and also groomed the mirror in front of her while looking at Blossom the whole time.  Blossom had mixed reviews I think – though to be fair to her she was in her cage in her territory, so she was bound to be a little defensive.  If Belle got too close to the bars she would grunt and stick her nose through, sniffing a lot.  She also chewed at the bars a lot – but I’m not sure if she was being aggressive or just wanted out to get a better look at Belle.  When I stroked Belle a little further from the bars, Blossom would hop around her cage and even binkied a few times!  During the whole interaction she kept sitting up and looking at me, and allowed me to put my hand in to her to be sniffed.  I posted a pic of the two in the photo thread.

            DAY EIGHT – NINE (TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY)

            Tuesday was back to normal.  More basil – stroke work.  I noticed that she is a lot more comfortable with me around now too.  She also went completely onto pellets on Tuesday (yay no more muesli) and seems to be enjoying the switch.  I’ve noticed her eating some more hay too – I bought a dandelion variety of the kind I normally buy to entice her to eat more – and it has a little.  A little bit of hay is better than no hay!  Still taking it slow with the strokes and interaction.  I am allowed to stroke her for quite a long time and instead of grunting/slapping me when she has had enough she now just moves her head away or out of my reach which I see as a positive.

            Wednesday (today) has been more of the same.  I cleaned out her cage today which meant bunny jail for her.  Bunny jail is her carrier, which she actually seems to like.  I put her in the carrier to tidy her out because she still doesn’t like me to touch her things, or move my hands around near her.  She is very sensitive to quick movements – everything needs to be very slow.  Getting her food and water bowl out in the mornings/nights is a battle of wills haha!  She likes to bat my hands and give me a fright, but I’ve stopped pulling them out now.  Whenever she slaps me it doesn’t actually hurt so I just let her do it and leave my hand still for her to sniff afterwards so that she learns that I’m not trying to hurt her, just getting her bowls out!  I would let her out to run around when I tidy her out but I haven’t got anything to block off Belles cage and they would probably bite through the bars !  I feel a little cruel keeping her in the cage all the time, but I actually think she kind of likes it.  It’s fairly small and I think it makes her feel safe to be in there.  She has enough room to stretch out and hop around so I’m not too worried about it.

            I have been pushing through a little bit today with two new things added to the mix.  The first thing I did a little absent mindedly this morning when I put her food bowl down.  I stroked the top of her head then down her ears and onto her back a little bit.  It was really gentle.  She snapped her little head up pretty quick, but she didn’t growl or hit me.  This was pretty big because it was the first time I stroked anything other than her head.  Then later on in the afternoon I put my hand in and let her sniff it.  I stroked her head with no basil – she growled so I took my hand away.  I tried again about a minute later, and although she did a little grunt at first, she sat and let me stroke her head a few times.  I thought that was pretty cool because up until now I haven’t been allowed to stroke her without some basil before it.

            Progress is going pretty slow just now but I think it is pretty amazing how far she has come.  She’s actually a very kind bunny I think.  Despite her growls and slaps, she has never once bitten me which just proves that her behaviour comes from fear rather than aggression.  At the minute we are just going to be working on stroking the head and me being able to put my hands in her cage without her whipping round and growling or slapping my hands.  We’re slowly getting there – but those are the main focus areas for this week!  I will post another update soon!  Thanks for reading !


          • Samara87
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              That poor baby. I chase mine all the time, but he loves playing chases with me. He binkies and runs around in circles. I can’t imagine chasing him if he didn’t enjoy it I can’t imagine getting any sort of enjoyment of something being afraid of me. That’s disgusting. I’m so happy you have her now.

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          Forum BEHAVIOR The Blossom Behaviour Diaries