Question about Moo - scared of space?

Quick background for those who don't know - Moo is a 8/9 month old spayed female dutch rabbit, she has chest problems, and cage aggression. I got her from a *shop* because the store manager was planning on having her PTS incase she bites someone and they get sued!

Her aggression is getting there, but I think she's more frightened than aggressive. I have got to the point where I can put her food into the cage, and if I take the whole cage top off I can hand feed veg and stroke her back, if the cage top is on I can still hand feed veg, but she won't allow my other hand into the cage. Whenever I approach the cage she runs and hides, but this is also improving.

The thing thats worrying me is how confined she is. She's in a nero 3 currently, which is what she was in at shop. I left her just in that for a week while she settled in and have in the last 4 days added a pen which is covered so she feels safer. She won't come out of the cage at all. I've tried taking the top of the cage off, and I've tried sitting in it. I've sat in it and got her out of the cage, sat her on the floor next to me, 2 minutes later she hopped back into the cage.

The only times she seems to be happy is the 2 times so far I've popped her in a run outside, but it's tough getting her there because so much as touching her makes her breathing bad.

I'm sorry this goes on for a bit, but if you have any advice at all?!

I am glad she is responding to some TLC

Maybe a daft question - are you able to transport her outside in the Nero cage itself?

Probably when o/h is here but would bounce her off doorframes and tables if I attempted myself!!:lol::lol:

Oops :lol:

None of mine like being picked up so BJ and Rosie have now got smart. When they know it is time to go back into the shed from their run, they hop into their litter tray and I carry them in that!

Another idea for Moo, if you took the lid off the pen and put a carrier in would she go into the carrier so you could transport her in that?

I think most aggressive bunnies are just very scared bunnies

Personally I wouldn't push it and just let her take things at her own pace Hugo was a large bunny who had been kept in a 3 ft hutch with another bunny who attacked him. It must have taken him 6 weeks to be brave enough to leave his cage for his run, but once he did himself there was no stopping him

Do you have any idea if she is going into the run when your not there? You may find that she is and is only hiding when your around and that will take time for her to overcome. Otherwise i would suggest the carrier idea to get her outside easily.

when tabby was a bitey bunny i used the carrier method - a small treat at the back and she'd be in there like a shot.

last night, though, when i picked her up, she snuggled up against my cheek for a love....

Thanks to all who have replied, I hadn't even thought of using a carrier even though I used to for my first bunny because she was too big for me to carry!!

To be honest I've got no idea if she's coming out if i'm not there, but theres no evidence to suggest that she has

A good thing tho, I just came in from outside and she was sat munching hay, and I said hello to her as I walked past and she carried on with the hay rather than hide under the logs like normal.

I think I'll just leave things as they are for a few weeks.