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Coco Likes us Less Each Day help?!

qski

Young Bun
Coco has been with us now for 10 days, every day she seems to like us less. I am having a real tough time getting her into her hutch to sleep at night or taking her from inside to outside to hang out in the sunshine, because she is so jumpy about being handled.

When we lay on the ground near her, she comes up to both of us and grooms us (I think she was trying to pull out some of my hair this morning) she licks feet, arms, faces everything and climbs over us. She will come to an extended hand and sniff checking for food, but if we try to touch her she freaks out. She grabs her food out of the bowl retreats to a corner as if someone will steal it. And its ok to pat her head, but if your hand goes any where near her butt she thinks you may pick her up and she bolts.

She wasn't like this to begin with.

In every other way she seems very happy. She is very curious about everything, investigates all her toys and tunnels and hidey holes. Peeks over and under things, munches her hay. Repeats the same laps around things every day.

Her hutch is a 2 storey smallish 'standard' thing, but its only for sleeping in inside. Two nights we tricked her getting in by leaving trails of treats and then closing the door when she gets in, now she doesnt fall for that, so when its sleepy time or play time outside, she freaks because we pick her up to put her in it or in her play pen outside.

She doesnt do the angry kicking thing one she is put down (not in the play pen anyway, there is no room in the hutch).

Does she hate us? How do we make it better?
At the moment there is no way to groom her or to check that everything is ok, with her teeth, bottom or anything else, because we cant get near her.
 
It sounds like she's a pretty smart bunny. She doesn't like being picked up and she knows exactly how to avoid it ;)

I'd start using a carry case to get her in/out. That way she can hop in (with a nudge if needed) and she doesn't have the being held part that she doesn't like and is putting her off interacting with you. The reward for hopping in t going out time is going out and the reward for bed time could be dinner :)

You can then build up her confidence in you and being picked up gradually, info here on picking up: http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/handling.asp

For checks you probably find you can use the carrier to move her to a table where you can give her a once over :)
 
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