Help me please! new bunny owner

mesheebean · Jul 16, 2010

Hello everybody! My name is Michele and I am new to the forum. I am a veterinary technician and a client of mine said this forum was the best. About a year ago I got a mini lop bunny. I had never owned one before, so I tried to do all my reseasrch to make sure that I was doing everything right. I have two isssues...

1. When Shamus (my bunny) was a baby he was very skittish and didn't like to be held. He loves my maltese and three cat, but anytime I try and hold him or even pet him he runs away. It breaks my heart because I feel like hes scared of me or doesn't trust me and I've owned him for a year now. So if anyone has any helpful hints to help my bunny trust me would be great.

2. My second problem is a liter training problem...I honestly feel like a failure..I've owned all different kinds of animals my whole life and have never had a problem with them trusting me or litter box training. At first he refused to use a litterbox so I went online and had read that I should change the litter. I was using woodypet and have switched to carefresh. Once I switched he started using the litterbox. Now he will only use the litterbox thats in his cage, if he is out of his cage he will go to the bathroom wherever he wants to. Even though I have two other litterboxes out of the cage.

Again if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears. I feel bad because I want him to be part of the family and have more time out of his cage but I can't have him going to the bathroom everywhere and anywhere.

please help

thanks

michele

Happi Bun · Jul 16, 2010

Welcome to RO, Michele! Rabbits are prey animals, humans are predators, so his response is actually quite natural. Under what circumstances did Shamus come into your life? This may provide a glimpse into his fear. Some bunnies are just unsocialized. They require time and a little TLC to come around. It's important I mention some rabbits just do not like to be held and would rather you sit on the floor and interact with them. I have one that will hyperventilate. Though I find some will get much more comfortable with it if you do daily handling.

I find the quickest way to a rabbits heart is through his stomach; in other words, food. Try putting him in a decent sized room and blocking off the entrance. Sit on the floor and entice him with goodies (veggies or a bit of fruit) to come to you. I would try getting him to come to you and be comfortable in your presence before you work on petting or holding.

Rabbits are also very curious creatures. You can try sitting on the floor with your back turned to him and read a book. Eventually curiosity will get the better of him and he will come check you out. It's all about patience and waiting for him to come to you. Once he does you can slowly offer a treat which he will hopefully take; positive reinforcement.

Is Shamus neutered? I'm wondering if when he is out he is marking. You can try putting some of his soiled litter from his box in the cage in the ones around the house. Perhaps he gets confused when he is out.

AquaticRex · Jul 16, 2010

if he was scared of you he'd prolly cower. when rabbits get scared (which is almost from nearly everything) they're eyes go really wide and will dart away or cower under your hand. my bun does not like being held either, don't worry it's normal. try reading a book near him, sorta ignoring him. lay on your stomach so your at his level. he'll come up to you, sniff you, climb on ur back and so on. just ignore him. let him get to know that you are safe. thats what i had to do. no loud noises or sudden movements. read a book out loud. it will get him to know your voice and know that it means you are safe.

with litter box training is pretty easy. if you have more then one box in a room, thats the problem. he's getting confused. if he is in the room with the cage, just have the one in the cage. no more then one per room. as well with training him. is his litter near his food? most times rabbits will refuse to do their business when near their food. pick a corner away from the food and place him in the litter box every 15 minutes or so. any droppings that happen outside of it, have him watch you place those into the box then place him in the box right after.

it may take a while to get him used to all of this, but it takes patients. for litter training it took my bun a few days, while it may take 1-2 weeks for another bun.
the trust depends on the bun. be patient and gentle and BE CALM when around him. he'll come around.

Wabbitdad12 · Jul 21, 2010

Let me welcome you to Rabbits Online, my name is Dave and I am a moderator on the forum. So if I can be of any help please let me know. This is a terrific website for rabbits and their slaves, not only is it very active but also friendly. I am so glad youâre here and I know you will enjoy it.

Many bunny's recommend their slaves to this site so we may learn of others methods to keeping our furry masters happy.

If you everhave a sick bunny, please post in The Infirmary and include your rabbit's age, breed and health history as well diet and output details leading up to the problem.

I have listed some links I thought you might find interesting:

*For reference the Library section

*To brag or tell everyone about the antics of your bunny or just to talk about your day here is where to start a Bunny Blog, you can also look back at it later and remember when you had a life before your bunny.

*Now all the bunnyâs like talk to each other when we mere slaves arenât around in the Bunny Chat is the spot to be.

*Rabbits Online also has regional forums , this a good way to find a vet in your area that has experience with rabbits and to find out from other nearby of good sources of rabbit supplies.

The Let Your Hare Down section is for anything non-bunny related.

Here is a link tothat will help you and your bunny to connect, How To Bond With Your Bunny.

Now every forum has rules and ours can be found with this link Rabbits Online Forum Rules. This gives guidelines on what is acceptable, what is not and how we hope everyone will treat each other.

Everyone on this forum loves to see pictures of each otherâs bunnies. So if you would like to post a picture this link will help you do that, Upload Photo's to Photo Gallery. Then in the post, you click on the "G" in the tool bar to insert your photo. Many people also use Photobucket. You just copy the img file and paste it into the post.

I am glad you have joined rabbits online and I look forward to seeing you around.

NorthernAutumn · Jul 22, 2010

Hi :wave:

So great that you found your way here! I hope we can help you and Shamus out a bit.

I wonder if Shamus was neutered if he would calm down a bit.... I can relate to the untouchable bunny thing a bit. One of my guys has to wear himself out completely, running around like a madman, before I can pet him.

I think this article might help you out a bit: Bonding with your Bunny

Here is a link to the regional forum for your area: US Mid Atlantic: New York

Nancy McClelland · Jul 22, 2010

hello and welcome to RO. One way I've gotten our to use a litter box is by placing it inside a cardboard box. Cut holes in two sides so they can go in and out and we take the top off daily to clean it. Very popular with all the bunnies.