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 Calming a rabbit down

Viewing 4 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • Gamestar32
      Participant
      27 posts Send Private Message

        Hey guys. So scooters been doing pretty well for the most part. He’s definitely warming up to me more in the past month than he has in a while, but I can tell he’s still on edge. For example, when I let him run around my room and I’m laying in bed, I might move the slightest bit and he’ll sprint off a few feet like he thinks I’m about to grab him or something (I never hold him, he hates it, and I’m far away so I can’t imagine what’s going through his head). Don’t get me wrong, he definitely loves me. He will come up to me and stick his nose out to be pet, then lay down after I start and sometimes he even chatters his teeth and grooms me. However he never really “flops”, and sometimes he’ll start kicking his feet out when I haven’t done anything to him. It’s the little things that freak him out. Weirdly enough, he even seems to enjoy when I pull fur from him when he sheds (he licks the floor and me sometimes) which I understand most rabbits don’t like.

        Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable? I bought him on a farm so he didn’t grow up around humans, so I understand that this could have something to do with his uneasiness. He still binkies plenty, so I know he’s happy, I just don’t want him to be scared every time I need to stretch or get up to see what he’s doing.


      • Wick & Fable
        Moderator
        5771 posts Send Private Message

          Hi Gamestar32! It’s very apparent Scooter likes you, so definitely don’t take it personally. As a prey animal, rabbits have the tendency to run away every chance they get!! Wick personally hates the sound of the spray bottle I use to clean his pen, but after a little training, he now just scoots 1 ft away so he doesn’t get hit by it.

          Using the same tone of voice, I always pair a “bad” stimuli/reaction to something he finds scary with a coo-ing “It’s okay!” and petting on the head and around the body (a hand “security blanket”); even if it required me to go across the room to get him. For example, Wick was very uncomfortable being put back down on the ground, so if he’d kick on his way down, I’d pin him on the ground with pets, saying it’s okay until he was calm. Once he collected himself, I’d pick him up slightly and gently put him back down. After a few times of this type of reinforcement (he reacts negatively to something harmless >> It’s okay + pet until calm), he doesn’t flinch or freak out while being held, put down, or handled above ground (vigorously tested conclusion; Wick was not harmed in this testing ); he just purrs because he knows he’s safe and it’s okay.

          For the spray bottle, I’d spray it, he’d go across the room, I’d immediately go to him and make sure he was comfortable. After he realized it was harmless, he was all right with it. He’s fine with vacuuming next to him too because of this. Most closely aligning with your specific situation, Wick used to be spooked by movement on our sofa. It’s a metal frame, so it creaks all the time. He would jump off and run into another room if there was sofa movement. I’d track him down, say it’s okay, place him back to his comfy spot and ease him back into calmness. He’s fine with metal creaks now.

          — In short, my advice is to always comfort him following the bad reaction and associate a phrase with the comfort (phrase is helpful if he doesn’t let you approach him, but he still needs to feel okay). Training in rabbits, for Wick at least, works best if there’s as little time lapse between A — B as possible. Once Scooter gets spook, try to comfort him right away; he may be thinking “The danger has passed but may come again”, rather than “That wasn’t actually dangerous” when he calms down without being reinforced. In about a week, Wick picked up “It’s okay” and the vocal tone I used as a comforting sound, so it’s helpful if someone accidentally drops a pan on the ground and I can’t get to him.

          I hope this helps!

          The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


        • Gamestar32
          Participant
          27 posts Send Private Message

            Those are definitely good ideas, I’ll give em a shot. I just find it weird, he’s totally
            calm in most other situations. I’ve had roommates playing music very loud (I asked them to stop) and it didn’t phase him. He went to eat, poop, then started biting the cage because he wanted to play, all while the music was blaring, but I roll over to scratch my forehead and he acts like the sky is falling


          • Wick & Fable
            Moderator
            5771 posts Send Private Message

              Gamestar32 –

              Same sort of experience— I live right next to a train station, and those noises never bothered Wick. I think rabbits have a certain inkling that some noises are just background noises they can’t control or they can readily identify it’s nothing that will hurt them. It’s all about helping them make that same association for noises they decided do seem threatening. Wick hated the sound of peeling tape off a package. I’d never seen him so scared before, but now he’s okay with it.

              The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


            • LittlePuffyTail
              Moderator
              18092 posts Send Private Message

                Make sure he has lots of “hidey places” so he feels safer. Bunnies will feel more secure if they have places they can run too if they are afraid. My bunny’s all love cardboard boxes upside down with a door and window cut in it.

            Viewing 4 reply threads
            • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

            Forum BEHAVIOR Calming a rabbit down