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worried about new bunny

lottielouise

Wise Old Thumper
ok so I have been watching my new bun for a few days (I am taking him home tomorrow), but I am worried about him already.

Charlie doesnt seem very active, and tends to sit in the corner of his run for most of the day. My aunty has bought him some jingle balls and he has a igloo and a plastic tube to run through, but doesn't bother.

He doesn't eat much. He will eat his flakes, selectively, doesn't eat much hay and is not very interested in veg, although he loves strawberry leaves. The flake, is not what I think is best for him it is a fruity mix from the veg stall, and I am going to gradually move him over to allen and page. I wonder if the food he is on now is not only too sweet, but fills him up, so he is not eating hay and veg. His teeth seem fine, which I am surprised about, if he is not eating the usual amounts of hay.

His poos seem fine, and he eats his morning ones.

My aunty has been looking after him for the past 4 weeks, after my cousin, her niece, decided she didn't want it back after going on holiday. My aunty said he has been like this for as long as she has been looking after him.

My cousin has been neglecting him since the novelty wore off, and doing the bare minimum, under pressure from her mum. I am really shocked that this is such a nice rabbit, it loves fuss and attention, is easily handled, dispite not being handled much etc. You could do anything to it and it would n't be bothered. I have looked at its teeth, checked nails etc, did nothing.

I wonder if it is depressed? if a human was not doing much and not eating much, it would be, so why not bunnys.

I have been spending time with him each day and he is good on a lead, so we have been going out for ten minutes on that, although I think he is scared of soo much space. I was just wondering if someone more experienced could give me some advice as to how to help Charlie.

thanks

Louise
 
I can't give you any advice I'm sorry, but I wanted to say well done you for being so caring about him and wanting to do the right thing by him - you will definitely get the right advice from here!
 
A Book I Read

Hm... I read this book called Association of Holland Lop Rabbits or something like that. I suppose most of the methods would work on other breeds of rabbits. They said if you have a two week old (or older) that's wasting away in the corner of the cage, or not eating properly, then you might want to get a siringe and fil it with Baby Food Spinach. You put a drop on it's nose, ad it should lick it off. It's supposed to help them gain weight, and gain an aditude. I think the bunny might be depressed, though. Hope all works out.
 
thanks I will try that, I assume, blended spinach will be just the same, (!?!?) and I will see what books I can find when I go to the library, see if they say anything.
 
He sounds miserable doesn't he and afraid ! I'm certainly no expert on bunnies, but I wouldn't mind betting that his previous owner has kept him in a way that has made him/trained him into being sullen, fearful and inactive. If, from a youngster, he has been kept with very little stimulation and very little attention, he may have 'learnt' to just sit there and do nothing much. Who knows what thoughtless behaviour in the past has caused him to react this way ?! It sounds like you are going to have to teach him to have fun and play, and be very patient in getting him to start becoming more confident abd 'bunnyish'. Is there a rabbit behaviour book that could help with this ?
 
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