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Smoking, Nicotine Smell and Rabbits

The Duchess

Wise Old Thumper
Can those of you who have rabbits and who smoke tell me if you have noticed your bunnies being less likely to take treats from your hands than from those of your family members who don't smoke?

I am dealing with a lady who adopted a bunny, where the bunny will not take treats from her, whereas her original rabbit will.

She smokes (heavily I guess as I can smell her from a few paces away) and the adopted rabbit will approach, get so far and run off without the treat being offered.

I have tried to be tactful about the issues around her not having bonded with this new addition to their family (despite the boy rabbit liking her) but I do wonder if the heavy cigarette smell on her, and in particular on her hands, is preventing the relationship from working.

Any experiences, ideas, please share.

Thanks

Helen
 
i used to smoke and OH still does, my lot are not fussy whos hands feeds them treats, though i will admit to being and garden or kitchen with windows wide open type smoker, OH is only allowed to smoke outside too,

I did use to wash my hands before handleing, even though I used to think it was slightly pointless considering my clothes would smell,

I never noticed a bun put off treats because of that in particular, If the buns in question is used to a fresh air or smoke free area, It is possiable, try the alcohol rub approach you put some on your hands then offer to her, while saying about smells etc ,
 
:wave: Hi Helen, I am a smoker but, not heavy about 10 a day max and I don't smoke in the house, I hate the smell of stale smoke in a house - it makes a huge difference if you smoke outside in terms of carbon monoxide levels aswell - I have been trying to stop and when the clinic did that breating test she said my levels were very low, she thought I only smoked a couple of cigarettes or something like that. I am very anti smoking round animals and children aswell, it is my choice to do it not theirs so I wouldn't ever inflict it on my pets-I tend to wash my hands a lot of the time and actually have just had a cigarette and can't smell it on my hands, I think you have to be smoking a lot to start smelling - most people I meet unless they see me smoking don't realise as I am very conscious not to smell of it.

I would think if she is a heavy smoker then yes it certainly could make a difference, she really shouldn't smoke round her pets at all, it's not fair.
 
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I'm an outdoor smoker.

I've never noticed a problem with the rabbits approaching me.
But I'm not a heavy smoker and regularly wash my hands.
So can't really answer the question.:?
 
I smoke but just either in the kitchen with the door closed and the window open, or outside. Doesn't seem to bother Bobby at all. :?

I don't smoke round her

However my disgusting habit bothers me A LOT! I want to stop:oops:
 
I'm a smoker but an outside one and i've never experienced any differences in the way the buns are with me compared to Ali who doesn't smoke
 
Thank you for your responses.

This lady smokes in the garden, the buns live well away from where smokes and I don't think her clothing or anything smells of cigarettes, it's really just her breath and her hands.

I guess I am grasping at straws to find out why this rabbit won't go near her at all. To the point where she wishes to return her to rescue and break up the bond. :cry: She can't get close enough to pick her up and it's now turning into a battle of wills. I was rather hoping that there might be some evidence for her hands being part of the problem.
 
If the Doe is bonded to her other Rabbit then why cant she just accept that the Doe is not a 'people orientated' Rabbit :?

Surley she would not split them up :cry:
 
Thank you for your responses.

This lady smokes in the garden, the buns live well away from where smokes and I don't think her clothing or anything smells of cigarettes, it's really just her breath and her hands.

I guess I am grasping at straws to find out why this rabbit won't go near her at all. To the point where she wishes to return her to rescue and break up the bond. :cry: She can't get close enough to pick her up and it's now turning into a battle of wills. I was rather hoping that there might be some evidence for her hands being part of the problem.

Yes I agree with Jane, I can't see that being the issue then funnily enough the other day I picked my doe up (needed to bring her in to check her bottom ) - couldn't believe it - so tried it again and again, have been spending a lot of time with her - she is turning into a cuddle bun :shock: and never liked it before ! Clearly me smoking doesn't bother her but, as I said I don't smoke a lot.:)
 
I used to smoke. It never bothered my first bunny but she HATED it if I ate Oranges. She wouldn't go near me and would stamp if I reached into her cage.

The other bunnies Have never really experienced it. However i did come in from a night out after smoking all night and they wouldn't let me stroke them. Mind you they can be a bit moody.

I think rabbits are like humans in some ways they have likes and dislikes...
 
Might be a silly suggestion but is she any different if the lady is wearing thick gloves?

Is she the sort of rabbit that is like that anyway? Some of my lot will follow me around the lawn others I have to follow them if I ever want to catch them
 
Me, my OH, my parents and our friends who visit us don't smoke. Neither of our rabbits have a problem with any of us and they freely come up to us to see what we've got (or in the case of new visitors, see who they are and if they've got anything edible on them :lol:).

My OH's parents smoke heavily and when they visit us, the rabbits seem to jump back from their hands a bit, as if they've smelled something unpleasent and gone 'Eugh!' :? though they will freely sniff at their feet, it's just their hands and fingers they don't like and they usually hop away when they see a hand coming their way.

I have always assumed it's the smell of cigarettes on their hands that's the problem?
 
However my disgusting habit bothers me A LOT! I want to stop:oops:

Good for you! :thumb: Why not give one of those 'quit smoking' helplines a ring?

I've never smoked, none of my family do and nobody's ever smoked in the house. The cleaner just gave me a load of smoke-flavoured newspapers for the rabbit cage though, and the buns are taking great exception to them! They're deliberately peeing on them!! :shock:
 
People always are !! :lol:

Yep, it's often the people and not the rabbits that have the issues.

In making any decision here, my priority will be for the rabbits but in particular for the rabbit that was adopted. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this and get a good outcome.
 
Seph doesn't smoke but I do, I'd say I'm a very heavy smoker. The buns come upto me more then they would do him, take food from my hands, lick me and want nose rubs.
 
Might be a silly suggestion but is she any different if the lady is wearing thick gloves?

Is she the sort of rabbit that is like that anyway? Some of my lot will follow me around the lawn others I have to follow them if I ever want to catch them

But this is the problem - I have explored lots of things with this lady and have given her loads of things to try to build the bond with the bunny. I am now convinced that she doesn't want to and so my energy has to go in getting the best outcome for the rabbits. I have gently suggested that it may be nicotine. She won't have tried anything like this as it's not her but the rabbit that is the issue in her mind.

I am just wondering if I can go to her and say well actually it could be your smoking that is playing a part, but with no anecdotal evidence that it is her smoking, I don't see the point it making things worse. I have already upset her to the point of a breakdown in comms (which I have now rebuilt) but just want to explore all avenues before I give up trying to get the rabbit to like her.
 
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