bunny screamed:( (RIP)

[kikibunny]

i have a baby bunny (shes about 45-50 days old) and i got her a couple of days ago and i was supposed to go to the vet in a few hours anyways but, she was just walking around and she sped up a little, but since she has long nails she kept sliding and before i could pick her up she started screaming and then she played dead

i held her and comforted her and put her on my bed and she breathes rather normally right now and she didnt eat for the first few minutes (she ate just a little as i was writing) and idk i am a little confused and very much worried

also i feel like her nose might be stuffed too which makes me worry (she makes weird noises when she breathes) but idk if its related to the scream im just really worried

im a first time bunny owner and this is my first time ever hearing a bunny scream and i am big time freaking out !!! pls someone help ;-;

edit: she seemed okay for a while but then she started speeding up again and her nails did the thing again and she screamed and played dead again so idk if shes sick or scared and i cant go to the vet rn i need to wait at least two hours idk what to do

 

[JBun]

The speeding up could be bunny zoomies from being happy, or it could be she's scared and trying to find somewhere safe. Which one depends on what other body language she's showing.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Understanding_your_rabbit
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html


It sounds like she panicked from not being able to get traction on a slippery floor. The 'playing dead' is actually a prey response as they go into a bit of shock.

I would strongly recommend that you put a blanket or rug of some sort down for the bunny to hop on. It's not healthy for her to keep experiencing that amount of severe panic. Rabbits can go into cardiac arrest from things that induce that amount of shock and panic.

 

[kikibunny]

The speeding up could be bunny zoomies from being happy, or it could be she's scared and trying to find somewhere safe. Which one depends on what other body language she's showing.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Understanding_your_rabbit
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html


It sounds like she panicked from not being able to get traction on a slippery floor. The 'playing dead' is actually a prey response as they go into a bit of shock.

I would strongly recommend that you put a blanket or rug of some sort down for the bunny to hop on. It's not healthy for her to keep experiencing that amount of severe panic. Rabbits can go into cardiac arrest from things that induce that amount of shock and panic.

thank you so much !!!! i will definitely put a rug in her corner so she wont slip again ;-; also think she has gas and that might have been the reason she was screaming (she looked in pain as well as stressed) so i have been massaging her and she seems calmer and hasnt screamed since i massaged her so if you also have any tips on how to deal with that i would really appreciate it

 

[Mileybun]

If you think she is in pain a vet visit may be in order

 

[kikibunny]

If you think she is in pain a vet visit may be in order

thank you !! i went like 10 minutes after posting this and the vet said shes okay she might just have a tiny teeny little cold im guessing the pain was just gas because after i massaged her she calmed down a lot
i put a little hot water bottle under her blanket and she is napping right now, hasnt screamed since

 

[Preitler]

......, she was just walking around and she sped up a little, but since she has long nails she kept sliding and before i could pick her up she started screaming and then she played dead

Hm, to me this sounds somewhat unusual, in my experience screanming is solely for defense when an attacker, real or presumed, is very close. Like, some kits are just screamers, when I take them out of the nestbox, it's rare but some are that way. My first buck screamed once - when a fox attacked him (he got away). If it was a reaction to you trying to pick her up while she was not able to get away due to slippery ground, well, might have been that.

The other thing is,imo rabbits do not "play dead" like opossums. Not one of their defense strategies. They wouldn't survive it, a fox would eat them anyway. Rabbits are sprinters, a short dash to cover and then, if they feel safe enough, thump or stay quite. That's why they like to always know the way to a safe place, and good traction to get there. Some rabbits don't like slick floors, many don't care much once used to it.

Giving her a floor with good traction is a good idea, to avoid stress, but if that happens again and wasn't just a freak occorance I would think it's possible that it was kind of a seizure, but I don't know much about that.

Another point, rabbits prefer it cool, so if you give her a heating bottle be sure she can get away from it if she wants to. .)

 

[kikibunny]

Hm, to me this sounds somewhat unusual, in my experience screanming is solely for defense when an attacker, real or presumed, is very close. Like, some kits are just screamers, when I take them out of the nestbox, it's rare but some are that way. My first buck screamed once - when a fox attacked him (he got away). If it was a reaction to you trying to pick her up while she was not able to get away due to slippery ground, well, might have been that.

The other thing is,imo rabbits do not "play dead" like opossums. Not one of their defense strategies. They wouldn't survive it, a fox would eat them anyway. Rabbits are sprinters, a short dash to cover and then, if they feel safe enough, thump or stay quite. That's why they like to always know the way to a safe place, and good traction to get there. Some rabbits don't like slick floors, many don't care much once used to it.

Giving her a floor with good traction is a good idea, to avoid stress, but if that happens again and wasn't just a freak occorance I would think it's possible that it was kind of a seizure, but I don't know much about that.

Another point, rabbits prefer it cool, so if you give her a heating bottle be sure she can get away from it if she wants to. .)

thank you!! as of right now im almost 100% sure that it was just gas pain though, i hope it doesnt happen again it was really scary ;-;

 

[Preitler]

That would be an unusual reaction to pain, normally they just go quite, loaf up somewhere in a corner or hiding spot, and don't draw any attention (would otherwise be first on every predators menue). Acute pain, like an injury, makes them look startled, shocked. I guess that's why many old folks think it's ok to lift them up on their ears, they seemingly stay calm and when they put them down they don't even run away or act like one would expect a dog would act, that's one big misunderstanding.


If it just happened once, well, there will be some more wtf moments over the years .

 

[samoth]

I'm not experienced enough to give any advice here... but I would think it would be more common/normal for a young rabbit to scream than an adult, as the world's much newer (and scarier). I imagine putting a toddler on ice for the first time might elicit a similar response.

That would be an unusual reaction to pain

I experienced my first rabbit scream a couple weeks ago giving my doe a butt bath in the sink. I think I might've been pulling some of the fur a bit too hard (after the skin there got accidentally cut a bit by the vet techs who gave her a trim down there a couple months prior). The situation wasn't new to her at all, so I'm pretty sure it was a cry of pain.

I've never experienced it before, so it was rather shocking. She calmed down quickly after emitting around 8 guinea pig-like squeals though.

 

[kikibunny]

i have a baby bunny (shes about 45-50 days old) and i got her a couple of days ago and i was supposed to go to the vet in a few hours anyways but, she was just walking around and she sped up a little, but since she has long nails she kept sliding and before i could pick her up she started screaming and then she played dead

i held her and comforted her and put her on my bed and she breathes rather normally right now and she didnt eat for the first few minutes (she ate just a little as i was writing) and idk i am a little confused and very much worried

also i feel like her nose might be stuffed too which makes me worry (she makes weird noises when she breathes) but idk if its related to the scream im just really worried

im a first time bunny owner and this is my first time ever hearing a bunny scream and i am big time freaking out !!! pls someone help ;-;

edit: she seemed okay for a while but then she started speeding up again and her nails did the thing again and she screamed and played dead again so idk if shes sick or scared and i cant go to the vet rn i need to wait at least two hours idk what to do

thanks to everyone who replied to this but sadly she passed away...
she was okay ever since this happened, literally nothing went wrong she was the most playful and cuddly bunny ever. she would follow me around and give me kisses and come onto my lap or in my arms the moment i sat down but half an hour ago she started screaming and twitching a lot harder than before and i did my best to comfort her but nothing worked, with how good she was feeling after tummy massages i thought it was just a tummy ache and she was a bit dramatic considering the vet couldnt find anything wrong with her
i did my best and so did she, im very proud of her for how full of love she was even though she was feeling bad, i dont know what was wrong with her and i dont think i ever will but i hope shes happy now in bunny heaven..
i only had her for a few days but i will miss her so much, i recently had a pet pass away and she was my family's gift to me to make me feel better about it so idk how to deal with this rn lmao

 

[Preitler]

Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't think there was anything you could have done, my guess is that it was something like a congenital heart defect, or something like it.

 

[kikibunny]

thank you, i guessed so too ;-; it hurts a lot to lose her so suddenly and so fast when i thought i got a new little best friend for at least a few years

 

[Mom to Minx]

thank you, i guessed so too ;-; it hurts a lot to lose her so suddenly and so fast when i thought i got a new little best friend for at least a few years

I am so sorry for your loss! It’s never easy to lose our pets and you had her for such a short time. She is binky free now and out of any pain but I know your heart is grieving for your precious bun!

 

[Mom to Minx]

I am so sorry for your loss! It’s never easy to lose our pets and you had her for such a short time. She is binky free now and out of any pain but I know your heart is grieving for your precious bun!

 

[Tinytailsrabbits]

thanks to everyone who replied to this but sadly she passed away...
she was okay ever since this happened, literally nothing went wrong she was the most playful and cuddly bunny ever. she would follow me around and give me kisses and come onto my lap or in my arms the moment i sat down but half an hour ago she started screaming and twitching a lot harder than before and i did my best to comfort her but nothing worked, with how good she was feeling after tummy massages i thought it was just a tummy ache and she was a bit dramatic considering the vet couldnt find anything wrong with her
i did my best and so did she, im very proud of her for how full of love she was even though she was feeling bad, i dont know what was wrong with her and i dont think i ever will but i hope shes happy now in bunny heaven..
i only had her for a few days but i will miss her so much, i recently had a pet pass away and she was my family's gift to me to make me feel better about it so idk how to deal with this rn lmao

I am so sorry. I lost a bunny 4 years ago who was irreplaceable. I would do everything with him. I hope you can get another one (not as a replacement ofc because nothing can replace a bond between a human and their pet). Do you have a dog? Dogs are great at sensing their owners emotions and comforting them when they need it. When I lost my bunny, my dog would not leave my side if she could help it so I just held her tight and cried until I could not cry any more.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Mileybun]

Aw I'm so sorry
RIP little bunny, over the Rainbow Bridge

 

[Blue eyes]

Baby buns are such delicate little creatures. If you are considering another rabbit in your future, I'd recommend getting one that is over 6 or 7 months of age. By then they aren't quite so delicate, plus that is the ideal time to bond with them. Unlike other critters, rabbits train best and bond best once they are past that age.

Rabbit rescues (different than regular animal shelters) have rabbits around that age that are already fixed (saving you vet costs). At a rescue, you can meet individual rabbits and see which one you are drawn to (and which one seems to like you too). Even a rabbit a few years old is suitable. They can live 10 years or more.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

When Cosmo passed to the bridge, my grandson went with me to the Animal Foundation--we adopted a 7 month old neutered male and he's one sweet little guy. We have been doing rescue for 3 decades and have only had 2 very young bunnies--most that need a home are older.

 

[kikibunny]

I am so sorry. I lost a bunny 4 years ago who was irreplaceable. I would do everything with him. I hope you can get another one (not as a replacement ofc because nothing can replace a bond between a human and their pet). Do you have a dog? Dogs are great at sensing their owners emotions and comforting them when they need it. When I lost my bunny, my dog would not leave my side if she could help it so I just held her tight and cried until I could not cry any more.

i wanna get another one at some point but just not right now,,, i dont have a dog but i have budgies and theyre very good at understanding emotions as well and even though theyre cranky little babies theyve been more affectionate with me and its very sweet :') couldnt get through this without them honestly.. and i am so sorry for your loss, and your dog sounds like the sweetest angel ever