Concerns About Zoey's Behaviour

[MyBabyBunnies]

As I'm sure most, if not all, of you know thatZoey has been timid since I brought her home. Well I spent the last 2weeks working with her and insisting that she only gets food (otherthan pellets and hay) if she eats it from my hand. It's gotten to apoint where she is much more comfortable around me but petting her isstill a work in progress since I can't get past the top of her head (orsometimes I can't even touch her) and she runs away.

When I go outside and feed her veggies, I only give her veggies whenshe comes to me for them because she is used to me by now and I'm notgoing to put my hand right to where she is and reward her for comingnear my hand because she's been doing that since day 2 of her beinghere. She's progressed past that point.

But yesterday and today I tried to implement something new. I wanted myparents to start feeding her. I instructed them to only feed her,nothing else, not to even attempt to pet her because I do not want hergoing back to where she was with me, too. Yesterday I tried to get herto take a piece of dried fruit from my mom's hand while she was inside.She would sniff it but back off right away. The second I took the fruitfrom my mom, she would come to me and nibble it. We tried for 15minutes for her to take something from my mom with no progress so Itook her back outside and thought about it.

Naturally rabbits feel more secure in their homes so today I decidedthat my mom would go outside with me when I went to feed so that Icould be there to reassure Zoey and watch her but Zoey would not takeanything from my mom unless she put it down and moved her hand away.After 10 minutes of this and Zoey getting quite agitated, I told my momthat it was enough for one night.

My mom stayed outside petting the other boys and as long as my mom wasin sight and hearing range, Zoey would not eat a thing and even ranaway thumping. So I asked my mom to go inside and she did, finally Zoeyate a piece of parsley from me but would not come to me for the rest soI gave it to Mocha and called it quits.

It's sort of bothering me how nervous she is around strangers. I mean,the other day my dad went outside to give them all treats and openedSpice's hutch to give him a treat and all my dad did was talk to Spiceand Zoey FREAKED! She panicked and ran around the cage and knocked overher water. I have no idea why.

On to of that, Zoey is still not keen on me touching her in the rabbitruns. I still have to fool her to get her into a carrier to put heraway. When I bring her inside to play, she'll run around the makeshiftpen but only along the perimeter and if I move, she thumps and runs.

It really, really bothers me to see her like this. Can anyone suggestanything? I already spend a lot of time just sitting outside in the runwith her and doing nothing but talking to her and on occasion rewardingher for letting me touch her. I don't touch her all the time but I doon occasion.

 

[Shuu]

Seems like a pretty bad case. I have to saythough, my one girl, Loki, is the same way. She'll climb on me and eatfood from my hand but when I go to pet her she'll oftentimes back up orrun to the cage. Usually if I can touch her it'll be her cheek or ears.At that point she'll lay down and let me scratch her, but almost alwaysonly her head. She'll also cower in a corner if my brother or fathercome down the stairs or walk at the cage too fast. She also won'taccept even a craisin from anyone but me. Keep in mind I've had hersince April and she's still like this.

It may be that Zoey will never be comfortable getting pats or aroundyour family members. In time she should get more used to them so thatshe doesn't thump or freak out. That is a lot of progress for two weeksand all I can say is don't expect miracles. I have to say that I doubtZoey will be any kind of love-bunny. She'll take a lot of work. Justkeep doing what you're doing and let your folks know that theyshouldn't get discouraged and just avoid her - that won't make theproblem go away. Even if your mom were to try to get her to eatsomething yummy from her every day, it may take a while before Zoeywill.

Don't give up on her and remember: patience is a virtue.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I know that her progress has been miraculous ina way but I have been spending 2-3 hours DAILY with her alone workingon this. I had never expected her to be this far in 2 weeks but I didnot expect her to refuse to even take anything from my mom.

I know it will take a lot of time and work, it took 2 full years to getSpice to where he is now from the wild little baby he came to me as andnow he's laid back.

I don't expect miracles and for her to be my dream bunny over night butI just found how she reacted to be quite concerning to me. I know thebreeder treated her very well but I'm pretty sure that the breeder wasthe only person this little doe had any contact with until she camehere.

 

[Spring]

The progress seems fairly good. This past summerI had an expierence with a wild bunny. She was probably only four orfive weeks old. I was picking blackberries on our property when Iturned around and I saw her there eating blackberry leaves a few metersaway from me. I was shocked and turned around and looked at her. I putdown the strainer I had to carry blackberries and I kneeled down toget a better look at her. She saw me and darted away. Thenext day, i came out at the same time and sure enough around the patchof blackberry bushes there she was eating grass. I turned my backagainst her and turned my shoulder sin so I looked small but stillstood straight. I'm not sure what happend because my back turned, but Ithen walked away. I had a feeling I was getting a bond started withthis little bunny so I went back out there a few days later and Ididn't see her. I came back a week later and then there she was. Ikneeled down and she ran away a bit and looked back. She stood frozen,staring at me then ran towards me at an angle and turned the other wayand skittered off. I haven't seen her since.

This little creature gave me a priceless expierence, and showedme about patience. Try with your mom, if she can stand nearthe cage, or in view of it and turn her back towards it and stand therefor a bit of time then walk away. Maybe try her coming back the nextday and standing facing the cage. She could tyr to quietly talk to her.Then fi the rabbit doesn't freak otu tyr going closer to the cage andseeing what happends. If everything seems fine try opening the door tothe cage and let your mom stand near it. If she comes up even a bittalk to her quietly. If she is comfortable with this, try putting yourhand in the cage with a treat.

This may take awhi;e but if she gets comfortable with ltos of people itdoes help. Just have patience. Rabbits are prey animals, and from thisif they are unsure about things you can usually get them comfortablewith it with being patient and letting the bunny tell you when shefeels comfortable. Hopefully she gets more comfortable! I want to seehow the progress comes!

 

[jyrenze]

It all boils down to patience. It was a fewmonths before Smurfy would not run away panicking when I approach heroutside her cage. Actually it was because of a bad experience she had,but after that she became very nervous around people. She is muchbetter now but still timid.

 

[naturestee]

You know, she kind of sounds like Fey and Spritewhen I got them in September. It'll just take time.They were afraid to come out of their cage while I was in the room andwould defend their cage while I was cleaning, especially their hay rackand water bowl. After a bit, they started investigatingme. They were really into licking my clothes, but one move ofmy hand sent them flying away at top speed.

Sprite still doesn't like to be touched much and throws a fit if I tryto pick her up. Fey likes to be petted but still flinchessometimes, as if she's afraid I'll hurt her. I finally got myfirst tooth purr from her about a week ago. James doesn'tspend as much time with them, and he can't pet Fey unless I pet herfirst and then he starts in.

I'm wondering if she had a bad experience with people? Feyand Sprite were neglected and essentially abandoned in an outsidecage. They reacted with alarm and aggression to the man thatowned them in a way that I never really saw at home, not even when theywere defending their cage from me. It could also be thatshe's just naturally shy. Either way, time will help her.

Edit: One more thing. They way you describe hernervousness when she plays in the house and such reminds me ofTank. Tank was not comfortable without a roof over her headbecause that was all she was used to. Maybe Zoey issimilar? Are there boxes for her to hide in? Thatmight make her feel more confident.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Well she freaked out worse in her hutch when my dad came near than she does inside the house. So it can't be the roof thing.

I've had people suggest that it was a bad experience but I don'tbelieve that. I saw her with the breeder and she was completelycomfortable with her so that's why I just think she had not been aroundanyone else but the breeder for the first 4 months of her life. I tendto think the prime time for socializing a rabbit is between 6 and 12weeks of age. That seems to be when they are most easily socialized andI tend to believe that's why both Eli and Mocha (I got them both at 6weeks)were never like this but why both Spice and Zoey (I gotthem both around 4 months)are or were both like this.

Now if the breeders the only person she's been around for that periodof time, it also explains why she's more calm around women because thebreeder was a woman and she may not have heard many if any men's voicesbefore. But since the breeder hasa lot of rabbits, Iunderstand why Zoey is not used to too much attention. She wasobviously handled a lot but she was just not spent a lot of one on onetime with which is completely understandable and I expected that.

Anyways, I'm not complaining about her behaviour, I knew it would belike this (actually I expected worse) and if I wasn't prepared for it,I would never have gotten an older rabbit. If anything, it's almostmore rewarding to get an older rabbit. I worked my butt off to getSpice to where he is today. He had not been handled at all when I gothim but now he just CRAVES attention and hates if I ignore him. I neverhad to do that with Mocha and Mocha loves everyone but Spice is my boyfor sure. I burst with pride everytime I go outside and see my baby boyright there because I know I earned that. And that's what I'm going towork towards with Zoey no matter how long it takes.

I do bring her in for about half an hour to an hour everyday and justhold her. That way she gets used to being pet and being with me. It'sworked good so far and I've already gotten tooth purrs from her.

I had just posted for other tips on what to do, otherwise I'll just keep doing what I'm doing since it is working.