Super-shy rabbit

NZminilops · May 14, 2006

Hey everybody!

I got a new bunny yesterday (no name yet) from a breeder and he ispainfully shy and scared of people. He's about 13-14 weeks old and is amini lop. He either runs when he sees someone coming towards him orhunkers down frozen to the spot. I don't know if he was ever let out ofhis cage or not but is really nervous about big open spaces like thelounge etc. His cage was at eye level and in a garage at the breedersplace. She had lots of other bunnies that were perfectly sociable andnot timid at all so I think it might just be this guys personality.

I had him on the couch last night with the TV on quietly and just satnext to him and let him come to me fora sniff if he felt like it, and Ijust left my hand sitting there so he could learn that hands arn'tscary, and he slowly moved around a bit and even jumped on my leg onceor twice.

Also when I bring him into the house to interact I give him this emptybeer box to hide it and he loves it, he spends most of the time sittingin it grooming himself or digging at the bottom.

What are some other ideas for getting him to come out of his shell abit? Or should I just accept that this is the way he is and leave himalone? He is also an outside rabbit as I have plenty of hutches but noindoor cages.

queenadreena · May 14, 2006

Its just going to take time really. Perhaps youcould start him off in a smaller room, for running around in andgetting used to you. A technique that I found very useful, was to layon the floor, perfectly still, and just let the bunny examine yourface/legs/arm/whatever! Once they recognise you're not a threat, theysoon get far more brave. Its good that you give him a little box tohide and dig in, because he'll feel much safer with a familiar itemaround, and somewhere to bolt intoshould he feel the need. Ithink time is the answer for this one!

NZminilops · May 14, 2006

Thanks for that idea

, I havn't let him ontothe floor yet but he's been on the couch and table, he doesn't seem toeven know how to run! He gingerly tiptoes everywhere.

Heres some pictures if him riping up his box. I've made sure to not putmy hands in it and leave him alone when he goes in there so he knowsit's his personal safe zone.

queenadreena · May 14, 2006

Ohh, he's really cute! I see he's keeping oneeye on the camera in that first pic.

Definitely try the'play dead' thing when you let him on the floor!

naturestee · May 14, 2006

Aww, cutie!!!

I like to "play dead" with my buns too. It really helped themlearn that I wasn't a threat when I first got them. Fey andSprites' last owner was neclectful and, I think, somewhat physicallyabusive. I had to keep my hands very still, although if I hada newspaper that they could steal from me they were cool withit. They started investigating me and would jump up on me.

NZminilops · May 15, 2006

Things were going well till this afternoon:growl:. I chose to call him Sooty and he was almost tollerating mepatting his head, and did a lot of binkies.

But seeing as it's kind of cold and wet here right now I have my twooutdoor hutches very close to eachother so I can wrap tarps around themand help keep my rabbits nice and warm. My lop girl Dodge(she is a lotbigger than him) managed to yank some of the wire away from the side ofher hutch so she could get closer to him and took a big chunk ofSooty's fur off his bum! He is now totally terrified of anything thatcomes near him and I cant even pet him on the head let alone pick himup and bring him inside. I know it's only his first real day here butit's depressing, I'm not sure if this bun will ever trust anyone:tears2:. So I rang my mum to have a moan and groan and all she coulddo was tell me to grow up and that it was 'only a rabbit'. Grr!