Working on behavior

[FreddysMom]

Ok so we've had Vicky for a few months now and she was skiddish from the first day we brought her home and still is... We work with her daily trying to establish that we're not out to eat her and she doesn't have to be scared.I apologize in advance cuz this might be a little lengthy but i want to make sure i dont leave anything out.

I don't know if she had some traumatic event in her life that made her so scared and timid. She is missing the top of her ear and also has a large hole beneath that. So I don't know if whatever caused that is the source of her behavior.

She is always eager to come out of her cage. She puts her feet up on the door, chews the doors etc. but when you go to open the door orif you even walk past her she freaks out and huddles ina corner. She generally takes a few minutes to realize she's okay and then she comes out and is okay. My concern with this is that right now she is extremely docile but im worried as she gets older her fright will be displayed with aggresiveness.

Next once she's out comes the handling/playing. She flattens out like she is terrified and it's not that flattened out pet me pose. She's definately scared cuz her eyes bug out. This lasts a few minutes until she realizes she is okay again and thenshebinkies and kisses. We never try to approach her. We always let her come to us but she still freaks out for those like first 5 mins. Her most comfortable spot with us isup onthe bed.I guess she finds this place the most familiar but it's unpractical b/c she's not fully litter trained and if i have to resolve the mattress one more time i might have no hair left. So we moved onto working on this big area rug(my b/f's house has hardwood floors) on a funny note she is hysterical b/c she will not leave the rug. She HATES walking on the hardwoodfloors.

Surprisingly, she is okay with being held. We learned veryquickly she has to be placed in her cage butt first or she jumps outta your hands like a kernel popping!

My dilemma here is this: she is still young only 4 - 4 1/2months. Should I continue working how I have with her? Or does anyone have suggestions on something i should incorporate or not do.And is thisas far as iam going to get with herbehavior with being scared?I know she's never going to be a huge snuggle bun she's very passive and timid i know that's her personality and that is okay b/c she really does love getting rubbed and giving kisses but I don't want her to be scared of us and also whatI mentioned before I'm afraidthat once hormones kick in, her fright will instead being expressed by cowering that she will become agressive.

Again sorry this is so long.Any help would be much appreciated!! thanx!!

 

[naturestee]

When she's out on the floor, what do youdo? Do you sit or lay down? Mocha was shywhenI first got her but would come over toinvestigateme whenI was lying down.Eventually she started jumping all over me, using me as a junglegym. She still does, and she has taught Loki to do it alittle too.

She might calm down after she has been spayed. Most females hit puberty by now- has she shown any signs?

I'm sorry I can't suggest any more than that. It sounds like you're doing a really good job with her.

 

[FreddysMom]

yes while shes out well just sit in an area nearher and shell evenually come over...nudge us with her head, butassoon as you touch her she flattens and bugs her eyes like ahawk just grabbed her or something...but then once she realizes shesokay her eyes relax and shes all lovey dovey.........

up to now she has never shown any agressive/bad behavior ...she nipssometimes after kisses but i think thats more, "hey pet me now!" thananything else

 

[naturestee]

James here,
I have to say, our Mocha (polish dwarf of under a year) still hidessometimes the first time she sees me in a garish colored set ofclothes, then sees its me and comes out (I think its funny, a bunnywith fashion sense). She just sometimes doesn't recognize meat first. When she does this I walk up to the cage and sit infront of it until she sees who I am (and sometimes she then begs atreat out of me).
She also was scared to death of our linolium floor in our bathroom forthe first couple months, then she began trying to follow us in when wewent into it even though you could see she didn't like to.But after awhile she got better and now she plays in there regularly

 

[FreddysMom]

shes funny b/c if you put her on the hardwoodfloors so just stays there and eventually all her legs slide out andshe just looks so pitiful lol....freddy navigates on there with noproblem so its not impossible for her to move around

 

[naturestee]

FreddysMom wrote:

shes funny b/c if you put her on the hardwood floors so juststays there and eventually all her legs slide out and she just looks sopitiful lol....freddy navigates on there with no problem so its notimpossible for her to move around

:laugh:Mocha looked like that too. Especially when she wasstanding with her hind feet on the carpet and her front feet on thelinoleum. She'd slowly put more weight on her front feet, andtheyed slowly slide out in front of her till her belly touched thefloor. She's usually better now, but sometimes she forgetshow to get on the slippery floor. Loki is just fine- thebottom of his cage is a bit slippery so he's used to it.

 

[FreddysMom]

*bump*

 

[Snuggys Mom]

Some bunnies remain skiddish their whole lives. I wish we knew what exactly happened to her ear and when.

My Holland Lop is sweet and friendly, but you CAN NOT pick herup. She freaks every time. I put her on a chairlast week to brush her and I thought she was having a heartattack. She was panting like a dog with her mouthopen. It scared me to death. We've now had her forover seven months and she hasn't gotten any better. The onlyway I can interact with her is if I lay in the floor and let her cometo me. Even then, if I pet her more than a few seconds, shebolts. She likes to sniff, kiss and put her paws up on me,but she doesn't like my hands on her.

It sounds like you're doing everything right with Vicky. Maybe she'll start to trust you and overcome her fear soon.

Best of luck,

Laura

 

[FreddysMom]

i hope so... i feel almost like im doingsomething wrong b/c she hasnt completely warmed up to us...i will admitshe had gotten tons better since weve brought her home........i justfeel so bad that she is so scared of us still like im notdoing enough of something...

 

[Bassetluv]

Sounds like you are doing whatever you can tohelp Vicky with her timidness. I agree that lying on the floor is agood idea too...go down to the bunny's level so there is nothing forher to concoct fears over, and it just might help her. Some rabbitsalways remain this way no matter the amount of coaxing and reassurance,but some do respond well after a while.

After all the talk here on the forum about craisins, I decided to trysome with Raph...and wow, does he love them! He's now learning to comewhen I call his name because he is associating me with a yummy treat.Perhaps you could try this with Vicky. Every time you let her out ofthe cage, stay a fair distance away, but lie on the floor and have somecraisins ready. Call her name and allow her to come to you; after a fewsessions of this it might help to alleviate those initial fears,because she should begin to associate coming out of the cage with goingstraight to you and getting a treat. It might just help her to forgether fears.

 

[LuvaBun]

It sounds as if you're doing all you can to makeVicky feel less scared. When we got Pernod and Perry, Pernod acceptedus straight away, but Perry was very nervous (both are rescues thatwere dumped, so not sure as to their background). It took months forhim to accept being cuddled. He especially hated his head being touched(we think that he used to get hit on the nose). I think seeing us petPernod gave him the confidence to approach us, and at first we madesure they were together when we petted them. Gradually, he let us pethim more and more, but it did take a long time.

Patience is the main thing, and you obviously have that. Once Vickyfeels totally comfortable then things will improve. I don't think hernervousness will necessarily turn to aggression, as even the sweetestbuns can turn aggressive once the terrible teens start. Just continuedoing what you are, and I'm sure she will come around!

Jan