• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

So my mum thinks my rabbit hates her...

casu consulto

Mama Doe
I have two rabboits - Barney and Amber. Barney is 2 years old, and he's always been very affectionate towards me. He's always let other people handle him. but when I'm carrying him, he's very relaxed and nosy, and likes to take a look around at everything, or lick my face and neck. Amber is starting to behave in the same way. But Amber is more easily caught by others, whereas Barney tends to give everyone a bit of a run around beforehand. He does the same with me.

Recently, though, he's decided he doesn't like it when my mum tries to pick him up. Which is fine. Apart from she's getting really insulted - she's taking it very personally. He also grunts at her when she tries to pick him up. I'm used to him being a bit awkward - but it's like he thinks it's a game with me. He calms down after a bit, and if I say 'please' he settles down or practically jumps into my arms. Then, yesterday, he decided to nip at my mum when she tried to pick him up, which made her drop him. Which has done nothing for their relationship.

I go away for 5 days tomorrow, and have to leave him with her. She says if he won't play nicely and let her pick him up, then he simply won't go out. She keeps saying Amber is much nicer, and that Barney hates her. I think she's just upset that he'll behave for her, and not for me. She's always felt a bit left out because he's very licky with me, but rarely licks her. And I can't help this - I've done everything to try and make him behave the same with her. But now I'm worried about leaving them both alone. :lol: Any advice?
 
My Lily's the same with my mum, she wont let her any were near her. Mum does not go near her now, and I don't know how lilys going to be able to go out when I go back to work:roll:

vikki:)
 
It's strange.
Barney doesn't mind my mum usually. He bounds across to greet her and everything. She keeps asking how he can dislike her when she takes out treats for them, in the shape of a chunk of papaya, or carrot, or romaine lettuce, etc. He's just... awkward.
 
I don't believe this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:lol: What is it with Barney's?

My daughter's Barney actively attacks me! He is no problem at all with Louise my daughter but lunges at me as soon as I enter 'his' space. I bear the bite and scratch marks from his latest assault this week:cry:

He has also attacked my mother, but is fine with my son. I am now scared of him :( How can I be so intimidated by something so small?????????????

He is probably sharpening his teeth as I write! :lol:
 
Husband calls him wererabbit. I can't print what I call him!

It's my birthday next week, I want some super thick gardening gloves. :lol:
 
Make sure they are really thick. Barney went through my mum's thin ones - they are still blood stained!

Hope all goes OK for your Mum. Mine looked after the buns when we were on holiday, I felt so awful that she had been savaged.:( :( :(
 
Hiya,

I think rabbits are perfectly capable of telling people apart so they can have different relationships with different people. Tell your mum that this week away is an ideal opportunity for her to become his best friend ;) ... don't worry he won't really forget you ;)

Suggest that she had feeds him his favourite foods, e.g. give him a pellet by hand before putting them in the bowl. That she sits with them whilst they're out and offers food and talks to them.

She can use a carrier to transport him rather than picking him up, that way she'll be safer and he won't associate him with the experience he doesn't like.

It might just be you hold him slightly differently and that makes him feel more secure.

Tam
 
Actually, I've considered the holding him different thing. ^^ and I know we hold rabbits differently - he holds him, and when I hold him, I'm holding him against me so there's added security there... I just daren't suggest this to her. She's very sensitive of any criticism. As for the carrier... I'd been taking them both out, in the cat carrier, for the past week at times, because without a second person, there's trouble with the lid. But Barney especially hates it. Everytime I went to put him in, he'd shrink back against me and nuzzle under my chin - and make me feel like a big mean monster. o_o; But I've told her to try that anyway, if needs must. I'd rather he got out, albeit disgruntled, rather than not go out at all. He needs the grass and exercise especially at the moment, due to his long, mega-moult.

She's often the one who feeds him nice foods. In fact, I have to catch her preparing these treats before I get a chance to feed them to him myself. o_o; But whilst I'm gone, she's under instruction to give him many noserubs and go talk to him - we figured he might be a bit jealous, as she makes more fuss of Amber than him.

And ouch, yes. :? My first bunny, Benji-girl, was a little nipper at first... had some incidents like that with gardening gloves, where they were bit right through...
 
Back
Top