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The taming of Cookie -to be continued

molly35

Mama Doe
Some of you may know I took in a foster bun called Cookie on bank holiday monday. Being a not very experienced bunny mam I have never come across or handled a bun like Cookie. The first few days I had her she wouldn't let me near her, the hutch, the run which doesn't help with feeding, cleaning etc. She would just lunge at me and try to bite me. So I started off by sitting next to the hutch/run just talking to her a few times a day.

I then tried to venture into her run and got chased out for the first few times but I persevered and got to sit in the run without moving (you move you get bitten!) and just let her walk around and sniff me and learn I wasn't going to hurt her. Moving on a few days she eventually let me stroke her head through the bars on the hutch - still couldn't put my hand in the hutch or yes you guessed it i'd be bitten. Kept on with this for a while till a couple of days later she would come out in the run and let me stroke her there. At this time I can't put food in the hutch (she attacks the bag of hay, food bowl and yes my hand), can't sweep poo from the run (she attacks the brush and pan).

She spent Sunday in the run in the garden where I tried brushing her with a soft brush (she will let me brush most of her but not her cheeks or the very back of her - guessing this is a flight instinct not wanting legs to be caught) but I kept on talking to her and showing her that the brush wasn't going to hurt her. We did pretty well though I wouldn't use my hand to brush her face/back end yet!!!

This morning I managed to brush her run clean without her attacking the brush and pan and pick her bowl out of the hutch to put some food in and put it back down again without her attacking me or them. I am so happy, feel like she's really come on so much. Still feel like we are a little way off picking up yet. I think I may need to invest in a pair of thick gloves!
 
Sounds like your patience is beginning to be rewarded. :wave: My rabbit does not like having his front brushed, but is OK about his back. When I try to brush his front (dangle a kitchen roll tube so that he jumps up, allowing me to dive in with the brush) either I or the brush gets bitten. :roll::roll:
 
It sounds like she's come on in leaps and bounds. I have a bitey bun and last night she flopped out next to me, it makes it all worthwhile.

I've found that leading with your head helps as she has a fear of hands, I started stroking her head with my nose and now we can do hands with hardly any problems.
 
Maia is also afraid of hands but will come up for a nose-to-nose. You might try!
I also found that if I blow in her face immediately after she bites me, she almost stops biting at all. Bunnies don't like that and it's a way to tell them they're doing no good without hurting them. But one should resort to it only when the rabbit is being really vicious.
 
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