Possible bunny depression? (Sad story)

[abby1332]

Hello. Something incredibly sad happened to me in my bunnies over the weekend. One of them was rather horrifically killed.
I had two outdoor bunnies. I'm pretty sure one is a velveteen and her daughter is a half-lop mutt. The daughter is about 4-5 months old and about 3/4 the size of the momma. I didn't witness the event, but it seems as if a fox or coyote snuck up on the baby while she was sleeping in her favorite corner, bent the bars open, and then attacked her right outside of the play pen.
After I found out I immediately moved the momma bunny inside and kept her in a much smaller cage. She didn't appear to be physically hurt however her behavior has changed. Whenever I'm home, I open up the cage to give her the option to come out and exercise. Shes normally a rather lazy bunny who hates jumping higher than half a foot, but now she doesnt even want to move. She prefers to sit in one spot for hours at a time and has been eating/drinking more than usual. She also appears to be scared of me and honks if my hand gets too close to her face.
I understand that she has just been through a traumatic event, and I would like advice on how to help her. Is she simply grieving or is it something more like depression or PTSD? I am very worried about her and would like some advice.

 

[Maki_p29]

Hello. Something incredibly sad happened to me in my bunnies over the weekend. One of them was rather horrifically killed.
I had two outdoor bunnies. I'm pretty sure one is a velveteen and her daughter is a half-lop mutt. The daughter is about 4-5 months old and about 3/4 the size of the momma. I didn't witness the event, but it seems as if a fox or coyote snuck up on the baby while she was sleeping in her favorite corner, bent the bars open, and then attacked her right outside of the play pen.
After I found out I immediately moved the momma bunny inside and kept her in a much smaller cage. She didn't appear to be physically hurt however her behavior has changed. Whenever I'm home, I open up the cage to give her the option to come out and exercise. Shes normally a rather lazy bunny who hates jumping higher than half a foot, but now she doesnt even want to move. She prefers to sit in one spot for hours at a time and has been eating/drinking more than usual. She also appears to be scared of me and honks if my hand gets too close to her face.
I understand that she has just been through a traumatic event, and I would like advice on how to help her. Is she simply grieving or is it something more like depression or PTSD? I am very worried about her and would like some advice.

They may be traumatized from the event especially if they saw it happen. Take things slow with your bunny and try to help them adjust to the indoor environment since they used to be an outdoor bunny. Create a good schedule for them such as a daily play time and daily time you feed them. Always talk to your bunny in a soothing voice and tell them what is going on in their environment. Don’t try to force interaction with them, let your bunny come to you so it can feel comfortable/ re-gain it’s trust with you. My current bunny Hawkeye was a rescue bunny that survived a hawk attack. She has PTSD and gets very nervous about everything and anything but a lot of the tips I’ve given above I have found helpful when dealing with her and she has come to trust me a lot now. She’s not as scared and knows I will let her know what it is. Try giving your bunny lots of love and let them know they are safe with you , this can help if they are feeling depressed too. Animals grieve too, it takes time. Your rabbit just lost their daughter/bunny companion. I hope it gets better with time and that these tips are helpful. So sorry you lost one of your bunnies to a wild animal attack!