avarocks
Well-Known Member
Forgive me, this post is going to be a novel...but I want to help this rabbit...and her new owner...any way I can. I have sent the link to her new mommy, I don't know if she'll join or not but either way I'd like to help her get information.
I volunteer at the animal shelter and just a few days ago, assisted a young lady with the adoption of one of the rabbits. She's not quite a year old yet but she's a full size girl. Sorry I don't know what kind of rabbit she is, just that she's all white with beautiful red eyes. Her name was Snowflake upon arrival at the shelter. She'll be renamed in her new home soon, but until she does, I will just call her Snowflake. Little is known about many shelter animals, as with her. She was surrendered by previous owners, who filled out the form for her but even that says little and a lot of it turned out to be seemingly incorrect, even though it was filled all the way out. For example they said she is 2 pounds, but she is at least four or five. She was only at the shelter a month before adoption, and she was the same size when she came in. They said she was litter trained too but in her new home, that is proving to be untrue.
At the shelter, myself and one other volunteer are the ones who socialize the small animals. While timid, Snowflake is otherwise a great girl. Very snuggly and affectionate. Rubbed her head on me, snuggled, soaked up head massages like you wouldn't believe - she even let me trim her nails with no struggle. When we used a play room she would willingly approach me, walk on my lap, everything and I accomplished this in just a couple of visits with her. She never showed even a hint of aggression. Then a young lady came in and she was interested in Snowflake, so I took her into a play room where she asked me questions and Snowflake hopped around happily. She was perfectly fine, allowed the lady to hug her, everything. She was so great! She jumped on both our laps, she really put on a good air for herself. I had to leave before the lady was done viewing her so I left both in the care of staff. Apparently things have drastically changed. When they tried to take Snowflake back out of her cage she lunged and tried to bite. Even shelter staff had a hard time and I've never heard of Snowflake doing this before. I need to note, this lady has other rabbits at home, she loves animals and she was so good to Snowflake. There was no cause at all for any alarm whatsoever.
Snowflake has been in her new home a few days now and is behaving very aggressively. I gave her new mommy all the usual tips but they aren't working. I realize it will take Snowflake time to run around but they cannot even touch her to confine her again because she will bite. She attacks anything new placed in her cage area, although I am told she's been moved around a bit...but she does it no matter where she is confined. I told her about getting on Snowflake's level but ignoring her and without any provoking, Snowflake lunges and bites. Part of Snowflake's paper work does state that grand children used to get her worked up in her cage. I don't know what this involved but obviously has had an effect on Snowflake. However, she is acting aggressive out of the cage too. Her new mommy and I are back and forth on facebook with me trying to help her. They cannot have her biting...there are children who will be around. Given what was written on that form and given Snowflake's obvious distress I told mom to be very cautious - if she's already this upset, kids just might put her over the top. She is going to tell the children to be very quiet and gentle and allow them just to talk to her and maybe give her food through the cage bars. There are other animals in the house but mum reports that Snowflake doesn't react. There's even other bunnies so mum does have experience with bunnies. Snowflake has her own condo now and is also taken outside to a pen to run around but has to be transported by carrier because she won't allow them to do anything else. I told her how it will take Snowflake awhile and that it is not uncommon. I gave her all the usual tips but no one can figure out where the aggression is coming from. I wish I could go to Snowflake somehow and hug her and tell her everything is going to be okay but I can't do that. She's adopted now and my role is over, aside from the help over the internet I am giving her new mommy, at her request. I said I'd help any way I can. It is the unprovoked lunging, biting, and aggression that is the biggest concern. Snowflake is not currently being allowed direct contact with the other animals in the house because mum is afraid of her biting them.
The only thing I can think of is that things are changing so fast for her that she doesn't know what to do with herself. How can her adoptive family help her best? I told her she obviously doesn't feel secure, at all, and she's acting out. It's so hard to say because I don't know what things were like before she got to the shelter, and she started this at the shelter before going home but she NEVER did that with me, or the other volunteer, even when I was new. Timid, and a little hyper in my arms at first, but she warmed up very fast, and willingly approached to be picked up. I'm not suggesting getting her to be willing to be held, but how can they help her with her obvious stress and aggression? How can they help her get to a point they can easily get her back into her cage and get her to her outside pen without anyone getting injured? She was so good at the shelter, so I know she's got it in her somewhere it's a matter of how to reach her and help her through it at last so she's not biting and lunging for no reason.
The other thing mum tells me is that she is eating out of her hand and will accept the odd pat on the head in cage - eating out of your hand is a sign of trust, so I know the bunny knows in her head somewhere that she can do this. I realize this isn't my bunny (mine's a whole other story...lol) but I want to help this bunny as much as I can. She has a very patient adoptive mommy who just wants her to be happy and they're willing to work with her, so any input would be great! I've told mum the link to here and if she signs up, where she could find a post about her situation in case she wants to, so we may well see a post from her ourselves, I don't know but she knows where you are
In the mean time...help...please myself, a sweet bunny, and the new mommy would all appreciate it very much.
Sarah
I volunteer at the animal shelter and just a few days ago, assisted a young lady with the adoption of one of the rabbits. She's not quite a year old yet but she's a full size girl. Sorry I don't know what kind of rabbit she is, just that she's all white with beautiful red eyes. Her name was Snowflake upon arrival at the shelter. She'll be renamed in her new home soon, but until she does, I will just call her Snowflake. Little is known about many shelter animals, as with her. She was surrendered by previous owners, who filled out the form for her but even that says little and a lot of it turned out to be seemingly incorrect, even though it was filled all the way out. For example they said she is 2 pounds, but she is at least four or five. She was only at the shelter a month before adoption, and she was the same size when she came in. They said she was litter trained too but in her new home, that is proving to be untrue.
At the shelter, myself and one other volunteer are the ones who socialize the small animals. While timid, Snowflake is otherwise a great girl. Very snuggly and affectionate. Rubbed her head on me, snuggled, soaked up head massages like you wouldn't believe - she even let me trim her nails with no struggle. When we used a play room she would willingly approach me, walk on my lap, everything and I accomplished this in just a couple of visits with her. She never showed even a hint of aggression. Then a young lady came in and she was interested in Snowflake, so I took her into a play room where she asked me questions and Snowflake hopped around happily. She was perfectly fine, allowed the lady to hug her, everything. She was so great! She jumped on both our laps, she really put on a good air for herself. I had to leave before the lady was done viewing her so I left both in the care of staff. Apparently things have drastically changed. When they tried to take Snowflake back out of her cage she lunged and tried to bite. Even shelter staff had a hard time and I've never heard of Snowflake doing this before. I need to note, this lady has other rabbits at home, she loves animals and she was so good to Snowflake. There was no cause at all for any alarm whatsoever.
Snowflake has been in her new home a few days now and is behaving very aggressively. I gave her new mommy all the usual tips but they aren't working. I realize it will take Snowflake time to run around but they cannot even touch her to confine her again because she will bite. She attacks anything new placed in her cage area, although I am told she's been moved around a bit...but she does it no matter where she is confined. I told her about getting on Snowflake's level but ignoring her and without any provoking, Snowflake lunges and bites. Part of Snowflake's paper work does state that grand children used to get her worked up in her cage. I don't know what this involved but obviously has had an effect on Snowflake. However, she is acting aggressive out of the cage too. Her new mommy and I are back and forth on facebook with me trying to help her. They cannot have her biting...there are children who will be around. Given what was written on that form and given Snowflake's obvious distress I told mom to be very cautious - if she's already this upset, kids just might put her over the top. She is going to tell the children to be very quiet and gentle and allow them just to talk to her and maybe give her food through the cage bars. There are other animals in the house but mum reports that Snowflake doesn't react. There's even other bunnies so mum does have experience with bunnies. Snowflake has her own condo now and is also taken outside to a pen to run around but has to be transported by carrier because she won't allow them to do anything else. I told her how it will take Snowflake awhile and that it is not uncommon. I gave her all the usual tips but no one can figure out where the aggression is coming from. I wish I could go to Snowflake somehow and hug her and tell her everything is going to be okay but I can't do that. She's adopted now and my role is over, aside from the help over the internet I am giving her new mommy, at her request. I said I'd help any way I can. It is the unprovoked lunging, biting, and aggression that is the biggest concern. Snowflake is not currently being allowed direct contact with the other animals in the house because mum is afraid of her biting them.
The only thing I can think of is that things are changing so fast for her that she doesn't know what to do with herself. How can her adoptive family help her best? I told her she obviously doesn't feel secure, at all, and she's acting out. It's so hard to say because I don't know what things were like before she got to the shelter, and she started this at the shelter before going home but she NEVER did that with me, or the other volunteer, even when I was new. Timid, and a little hyper in my arms at first, but she warmed up very fast, and willingly approached to be picked up. I'm not suggesting getting her to be willing to be held, but how can they help her with her obvious stress and aggression? How can they help her get to a point they can easily get her back into her cage and get her to her outside pen without anyone getting injured? She was so good at the shelter, so I know she's got it in her somewhere it's a matter of how to reach her and help her through it at last so she's not biting and lunging for no reason.
The other thing mum tells me is that she is eating out of her hand and will accept the odd pat on the head in cage - eating out of your hand is a sign of trust, so I know the bunny knows in her head somewhere that she can do this. I realize this isn't my bunny (mine's a whole other story...lol) but I want to help this bunny as much as I can. She has a very patient adoptive mommy who just wants her to be happy and they're willing to work with her, so any input would be great! I've told mum the link to here and if she signs up, where she could find a post about her situation in case she wants to, so we may well see a post from her ourselves, I don't know but she knows where you are
In the mean time...help...please myself, a sweet bunny, and the new mommy would all appreciate it very much.Sarah
