Bunny in a trance

Best way I can describe it - I have kept bunnies for quite a few years in the past and a few months ago adopted a neighbours unwanted and neglected pair of rabbits - neutered male (6yrs old) and femaile (4 yrs old). They are lovely rabbits and getting very tame although hate being handled due to never having been handled. They have gone from being in a small cage and one bunny is huge to having run of a large enclosed area which they love and are noticeably happy.

The older male rabbit does something I have never encoutered before - if I go to them and it is snuggled up with other rabbit the other rabbit is instantly alert and rushes over to me but the other one although it has its eyes open does not move. I can stroke it - rub it - waggle its ears and it just sits there like stone with its eyes open but nobody at home! It only wakes up if I literally pick it up and then panics and looks around as if where am I.

I used to look after these rabbits for past year on and off with their old owners and noticed it was doing it then so its not something new.

It is seems otherwise healthy - lovely coat - eating and lively at all other times.

Is this normal for some rabbits???

Maybe he is deaf. My lops are similar, if they are deep asleep they won't move unless I give them a gentle push.

Oh sorry I just saw 'with his eyes open' :shock: I have no idea then!

I was wondering maybe a few other things - one maybe being a bit of a nervous bunny if his/her experiences in the former home were not good?

Second thought is whether he is a bit bored or depressed - do they have enough toys and space now to keep them occupied? If not you could buy some or you can make your own out of cardboard boxes, or toilet rolls stuffed with hay, or other ways of making their accommodation more interesting but still with space to run around in.

Or else maybe he/she is in some discomfort? Have they been checked by a vet?

Lastly, maybe he/she is just super happy and chilled out? One of my bunnies didnt used to move all that much during the daytime, it was mostly in the evening that he would be more active and even then not always, he was just really chilled out...that was before a got a neutered friend to play with, mind.

Thanks both - bunnies are so happy and better now since we rescued them - before they were literally stuck in a small cage barely able to move three paces either way - when we first got them and bought them a big double decker hutch and then fenced off large area around the hutch so they could be outside all day if they wished one of the rabbits the big one could hardly run around - I honestly thought I was going to kill it as it would hop about 10 paces then have to have a lay down out of breath!! thankfully over about 6 weeks it got fitter and fitter and now jumps and leaps around.

The little one with the trance trouble only seems to be like this if I wake it up from sleep - it is fine and active otherwise. As I say I noticed it doing it over a year ago when I used to holiday sit for them so its probably always done it - I have to say its a lovely bunny but exceptionally dim at the best of times!!!

I am not to worried and if it got worse I would get a vet to see it but as the only time this one has seen a vet was as a baby when it was neutered I do not want to cause unecessary stress as it is quite old for a bunny.

I just wondered if it was part of bunny behaviour that I did not know about.

Ah bless, thats so lovely, it sounds like they have a life better than they could have imagined in their previous home

If a bunny is snoozing in what I call the 'mother hen' position (ie in a ball with all paws tucked under - like a hen sitting on an heg! :lol then they are super-chilled. So if you are stroking him then its like having a little massage while snoozing.....so it sounds to me like being super- super- chilled out

Just wondered about your run, do you know if it is fox-proofed with a roof on, as unfortunately foxes can come in to gardens even in daylight

Sorry if you've posted elsewhere, but do we get to see any pics of your bunnies? We like pics on here!!

I've only seen mine do something like what you describe twice. On both occasions it was "predator escape" behaviour.
a) I went to let him out of his run for free range - the garden was clear, nothing around. Thumps was totally motionless, sat in his run, staring a a rear garden fence panel - no response when I touched him anywhere. A few mins later a cat jumped onto the fence from the other side. :shock: He was fine when I'd seen the cat off.

b) Identical except I was watching from indoors & heard bird alarm calls 1st. Cat was very "interested" in Thumps in terms of stalking him, but Thumper's sustained immobility fooled the cat into complete loss of interest & leaving.

OK you're not a cat but these types of behaviour are ingrained instinct, & can be triggered by non predators. eg My bun instinctively freezes flat even if I accidentally lean over him when we're in the garden. It's the "big bird of prey overhead merge into the background NOW & perhaps he won't see me" instinct. I've no idea whether that helps.