10-wk-old bunny has started avoiding me

[kayelleess]

Hello! One week ago my boyfriend and I adopted a 10 week old Holland Lop buck from a breeder (he has malocclusion, so he was free).

When I met him at the breeder's house, he was so calm and sweet. He never resisted being held, and he cuddled right up to me. The first 2 days after I brought him home, he stayed cuddly. I kept him in a temporary pet carrier as I was waiting for his cage to come in the mail. I could reach in and pet him, and take him out and cuddle him on the couch. He would sit on my lap and my boyfriend's lap calmly without problems for upwards of 30 minutes. We loved it!

2 days after he came home, we put him in his new cage. It's very big, and has 3 stories. He seemed to like it right away. But it's around this time that his behavior changed. That night, our friend came over and I let him hold the rabbit. After a few minutes, my rabbit peed on him! This was the first time our rabbit has ever showed signs of distress before, so we were surprised. We put him back in his cage calmly, but this seemed to be the turning point in his behavior.

After that night, he started running away and flailing when I'd try to pick him up. I'd reach into his cage and he'd sprint all over the cage to avoid me. If I try to pick him up when he's outside the cage he'll freak and sprint back into his cage. He won't even let me pet him anymore. When we finally succeed in picking him up, he immediately pees on us! I haven't been able to pick him up without him peeing on me since.

I do everything I can to help my rabbit trust me. We open the door to his cage and let him hop around freely in the kitchen when we're able to watch him. He seems to really like this. When I sit in the kitchen with him, he'll sometimes hop over to me and smell me, but he won't stay long. He won't really let me pet him. And he certainly won't let me pick him up.

So I have a few questions, and it would be so amazing if someone could give their input...
1) Is it common for rabbits to change their behavior after leaving the breeder, or have we done something wrong?
2) Our rabbit is 10 weeks old, so is it common for young rabbits to be more cautious and shy than they will be once they're older?
3) Since we've only had him 1 week, is it possible he's still adjusting? Or should he be more trusting of us by now?
4) When he flinches away from being petted or picked up, should we keep persisting? Or should we just leave him alone? I want to get him used to being handled while he's young, but many people caution against pushing the rabbit when they're not comfortable.
5) What's the best way to encourage him to want to be around us? I need him to accept being picked up because he has malocclusion so he'll need to visit the vet, and we need to groom his fur occasionally. So what's the best way to encourage him to let us pick him up?
6) Is he peeing on me just because he's scared? Or is he doing it on purpose, to try to be returned to his cage?
7) Is it possible the change in cage is partially responsible? Is he maybe adjusting to all the new freedom in such a large cage?

Thank you SO much for your help! I just want our rabbit to be as happy as possible.

 

[PaGal]

1> Since you just brought him home, yes, he may have been calmer at first due to being in a new place and with new people. His behavior may have changed once he started feeling comfortable. It could simply be hormones. He's at that age and spraying is typical behavior once the hormones kick in.

2. A buns personality can change over time. When my bun was young like yours he would not sit still so much to be petted. As he got older he started to run around and play less and enjoyed lying and being petted more.

3. Although buns are similar they each have their own personalities just like people do. Some are more skittish while others are calmer. It may just be that he is young and wants to run around and play. You can help with bonding by sitting quietly while in the room with him whether he is free roaming or in his cage. Read a book or surf the web. You can talk to him. Keep some pellets nearby and offer one when he comes near. Check the site The Language of Lagomorphs for learning what your bun is telling you.

6. I think he is peeing on you because he is hormonal and that is what some buns do at that age.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:they do change! You just need to be patient and persistent.

 

[whiskylollipop]

It sounds like your bunny is hitting puberty early. These behavioural changes are normal as hormones develop, and bunnies tend to be more rebellious/solitary at this stage, much like human teens. The peeing is about to get a whole lot worse - watch out for spraying in the coming weeks! As PaGal said, be patient and calm with him. And get him neutered when you can, that should calm him down and stop the hormonal behaviours.

 

[DUSTBUNNY-CLYDE]

mine were like that too! after their neuters they did calm down and dont mind being picked up and snuggled!

 

[Blue eyes]

Yup, I wish this behavior would be explained to new owners so they know to expect it.
A baby bunny is nothing like an adult bunny. Almost all babies are compliant and docile. I don't think I've ever met an adult rabbit that could also be described as compliant and docile. It's nothing you've done, it's just what happens when hormones begin to kick in. It will likely get worse until the time you can get him neutered. Just be patient and give him some space.
Once he's neutered, he will be a new bunny --seriously, this is when things will change (after several weeks post surgery). Neutered rabbits litter train easily, are not ruled by hormones, and their true personality will finally start to reveal itself.
In the meantime, don't read too much into his behavior. He can't help but be cranky and ornery with those hormones raging. So don't take it personally or as any bad reflection on you.

 

[Jackelope]

Rabbits take longer to adjust to people than cats or dogs. If he's still like this a month from now, I'd start to worry. Sometimes animals with defects have unpleasant temperaments. I've been raising rabbits for 10 years and have noticed it happens. I've had some born with malocclusion, blindness, never growing testicles, etc. and strangely, most of those particular rabbits had different temperaments. They were more flighty, and some were very aggressive. Not always, though. Definitely give him a chance. But keep in mind that he does have a defect and it may or may not impact his temperament.

Young bucks also go through hormonal changes usually between 3-6 months of age, so his temperament may be unstable.

As far as living space goes, the best way I've found for keeping my rabbits friendly and calm around people is to have their living space be smaller and private, a place that simulates a rabbit hole wherethey can hide and feel safe. I use the 36x36 cage with a blanket over at least half of it. Then I let them run in the playpen frequently (1-3 times a day, putting them back in the cage when they lay down after a good usually half hour run), and they look forward to being picked up because that's how I move them into the pen. They seem to appreciate having lots of space more when it's not always available to them, making them more appreciative of me as well as giving them something to look forward to everyday. That's also when they get treats. Though that's just me. Other people use big cages and it seems to work fine for them and their rabbits. =p

He's only 10 weeks old, though. It's pretty typical for baby rabbits to be like that. The baby rabbits I've had who were always eager to see me were usually very large breeds, like Flemish Giants. They'd crowd the cage door every time I walked by. Not as often have I seen that in small breeds.