bunny flop

[Bville]

My kids and I went to our local SPCA to look for a lop eared rabbit for my daughter. They had one that was cute, but she was doing the "dead bunny flop" so intensely that you could see the whites of her eyes. She really did look dead! My rabbits are never that relaxed so it seemed strange to me. Has anyone else seen a rabbit do such an extreme bunny flop?

We didn't have time to visit with her because they were closing, but will be going back tomorrow. We are looking for a bunny for my daughter that doesn't mind being handled so that will be the deciding factor in our adopting another rabbit. The two we have now do not like to be picked up by anyone, although I can do it safely, and they are pretty particular about being petted too.

 

[JBun]

My old rabbit does a pretty good DBF, totally passed out I would think that it is a good sign for a rabbit to feel relaxed enough to DBF in a place like that.

I think when picking out a bun, pay close attention to it's body language when it's interacting with your daughter. It shouldn't be too hard to tell if it is nervous by the interaction.

 

[whitelop]

Foo used to flop out like that. It took her a long time to do that though, but so asleep that I could walk into the kitchen and make all kinds of noise and she wouldn't get up. haha. She was a good flopper.
Ellie isn't like that yet, but shes getting there.

I think a bunny that is comfortable in a place like that, would probably make a good pet. But you would have to see how it did with your daughter to know for sure. But for a bun to be SO comfortable in a shelter is a good sign, in my opinion. That means that the sounds your family makes probably wouldn't phase that bun at all!

 

[PaGal]

Thumper has done that several times but it is always when either I am the only one home or if the kids are in their rooms and have been for a while.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We've had several that have been that "relaxed". I used to check Ted to see if he was still breathing all the time. Nikki, our avatar is the queen of DBF--that's her, asleep on her back. She will sleep next to the shop vac while it's on and we have lots of poopers so it's a big vacuum. Serena, Coal, Bambi and Lilli are pretty much the same too. That doesn't guarantee that you'll get a bunny that likes to be picked up and handled though. That you'll have to find by trial and error.

 

[aozora]

Mocha does that sometimes-- I try to snap a pic every time he does it just for memory's sake! He tends to get up quickly if I move too close or make sudden movements, though... that and I find that he tends to do it more when the weather is warm, which probably contributes in making him drowsy on top of being relaxed!