BigOlStink
Member
Posted a thread a while back but no one answered my concerns, so here’s another shot. I have a one year old Lionhead named Stinky. She is spayed, a freeroaming rabbit, and has her own room to herself. It’s an understatement when I say I tend to spoil my rabbit a bit. I bought her several tunnels that she loves to hide in and run in and out of, she has the biggest cage so she can be a queen, and when I leave the house I think of how much I want to get back to see my pooprat.
About five months ago I went away to college to get my associates degree and that left Stinky alone with my sister and mom, who don’t spend as much time with her as I did, but Stinky was never alone. I got to come home every two weeks to see the Stink and Stinky suddenly became standoffish and less likely to go near me.
She started becoming more aggressive and growling every time I reached to pet her (not reaching my hand in her tunnel or her cage, which would upset a rabbit, but generally leaning down and saying “pets for stink” which stinky would bow her head and let me pet her). She tended to stay as far away from me as she could, but sitting down where she could keep an eye on me.
Then the aggression heightened when I came home after five weeks from college. I stayed up there extra long because my family caught the flu and couldn’t come get me. Stinky immediately flew into her tunnel when I came into the room and didn’t come out for several hours. When I walked near her tunnel to clean her litterbox out, Stinky flew out and charged at me, growling several times like I was a threat. She even bumped her teeth against my ankle like she was going to bite me. If I get too close to Stinky, she’ll growl and charge at me.
I thought it was my scent that upset Stinky because it was different than what I had when I left, so I took a shower and wore clothes in my closet that never left with me, but that didn’t do anything. Apparently, she also growls and thumps at my mom and sister, but not as bad with me. I tried to take steps to gain her trust back by sitting near her and not reaching out to her, just letting Stinky get used to my presence and scent. She comes up and bumps her nose against me about two-three times, and she’ll even lay across from me by my feet in a very relaxed stretched out pose with her ears relaxed.
I think the aggression intensified when I had to cut some hair around Stinkys butt and neck because she will let NO ONE brush down there without an intense fight, so I had to cut poop matts out that left my floor stained with her masterpieces when she jumps out of the litterbox. Stinky fought really hard, which is understandable, as it is stressful for rabbits, so I did so with rounded scissors and gave her long breaks as to not overstress my Stink. I think I just made everything worse by doing this and I really regret cutting the matts.
Stinky was honestly never a cuddlebunny like many other rabbits I’ve seen on here. She accepted head strokes and treats given to her from my hand, but never gave me kisses like she does to my sister for some reason. She was always temperamental when it came to her litterbox as that was her prime territory and defended it when I had to clean it out, but Stinky’s behaviour was NEVER this bad. I feel like the worst pet owner and I know I’m doing something wrong, but I don’t know what to change or why Stinky is revolted by me.
About five months ago I went away to college to get my associates degree and that left Stinky alone with my sister and mom, who don’t spend as much time with her as I did, but Stinky was never alone. I got to come home every two weeks to see the Stink and Stinky suddenly became standoffish and less likely to go near me.
She started becoming more aggressive and growling every time I reached to pet her (not reaching my hand in her tunnel or her cage, which would upset a rabbit, but generally leaning down and saying “pets for stink” which stinky would bow her head and let me pet her). She tended to stay as far away from me as she could, but sitting down where she could keep an eye on me.
Then the aggression heightened when I came home after five weeks from college. I stayed up there extra long because my family caught the flu and couldn’t come get me. Stinky immediately flew into her tunnel when I came into the room and didn’t come out for several hours. When I walked near her tunnel to clean her litterbox out, Stinky flew out and charged at me, growling several times like I was a threat. She even bumped her teeth against my ankle like she was going to bite me. If I get too close to Stinky, she’ll growl and charge at me.
I thought it was my scent that upset Stinky because it was different than what I had when I left, so I took a shower and wore clothes in my closet that never left with me, but that didn’t do anything. Apparently, she also growls and thumps at my mom and sister, but not as bad with me. I tried to take steps to gain her trust back by sitting near her and not reaching out to her, just letting Stinky get used to my presence and scent. She comes up and bumps her nose against me about two-three times, and she’ll even lay across from me by my feet in a very relaxed stretched out pose with her ears relaxed.
I think the aggression intensified when I had to cut some hair around Stinkys butt and neck because she will let NO ONE brush down there without an intense fight, so I had to cut poop matts out that left my floor stained with her masterpieces when she jumps out of the litterbox. Stinky fought really hard, which is understandable, as it is stressful for rabbits, so I did so with rounded scissors and gave her long breaks as to not overstress my Stink. I think I just made everything worse by doing this and I really regret cutting the matts.
Stinky was honestly never a cuddlebunny like many other rabbits I’ve seen on here. She accepted head strokes and treats given to her from my hand, but never gave me kisses like she does to my sister for some reason. She was always temperamental when it came to her litterbox as that was her prime territory and defended it when I had to clean it out, but Stinky’s behaviour was NEVER this bad. I feel like the worst pet owner and I know I’m doing something wrong, but I don’t know what to change or why Stinky is revolted by me.
