Progress with a nervous rabbit

Since we got Oli last year (end of October), he has calmed down enormously and finally I feel I am making progress with him. He was from a rescue and was so nervous when we got him that he just hated to be around humans at all. He would run away every time you went near him, thump, tremble and generally was a very scared little bunny.

I don’t know whether this was because he hadn’t been handled much at his previous home or whether he was handled badly. But since we’ve had him as a house rabbit, he’s really got used to us and now finally will let me sit and stroke him, as long as I’m at arm’s length. He likes to nose nudge me too and play with his toys, he is very interactive in that way. He also loves Sylvia and seems really happy. He follows her about everywhere and seems to be more confident when she is nearby.

He will now come out and sit in the hallway by the door, looking out of the window. He has learned to go up and down the stairs (very adventurous!) He is much less nervous of us when we’re going around the house. Before he used to jump whenever he heard footsteps, but he has got used to the environment and become much less nervy. He lounges about a lot, does the most amount of stretching I have ever seen (he often does this when I stroke him too), and rolls over too - he is just the cutest little bunny and such a lovely friend for Sylvia.

He is still a little nervous of being stroked and will only let me stroke him, much to my b/f’s dismay. But I hope he will come round and get used to him too. I am really pleased he has settled into his new home, he now seems to be a really happy and relaxed little bunny.

Does anyone else have a nervous bunny?

I have two, Velvet and Milly. I also have Milly's sister Plum and Plum is very outgoing and has snuggles and things but Milly hates it as does Velvet they really do not like people or cuddles and trying to pick them up for a check or groom is a nightmare. i have tried everything with them and it just stresses them so i leave them to it they love the other buns they just don't like humans! Its very weird!

My Nala is still very nervous. She will come right up to my feet when i enter the room and is now usually the first out of her cage when i open it up. However.. as soon as i move my hand towards her she runs away. She will happily come and sniff my hand if i offer it to her (probably hoping i have food in it) but if i move to touch her nose/head she runs off again. She is alot better than she was but i still cant catch her to pick her up unless i manage to corner her somewhere which i hate to do. Once she is on my lap she doesnt bite or try to escape but lays out on my lap quite contented while i stroke/groom/clean her etc. Dont know if she will ever get the idea that im not going to hurt her or not. :?

Gypsy is very outgoing when it comes to most things and she'll come and see you when you go near her house when I first got her she didn't at all like being picked up though. She'd run if you went to pick her up or she thought you were thinking about it. If you got your hands around her to pick her up she wouldn't turning into a kicking, wriggling ball.

She's much better now though, I started by putting by stoking her whilst she was eating or I was hand feeding at dinner time. Then putting my hand under her chest but not picking her up. It took longer for her to allow a hand on her bottom too. The picking her front up a little etc. etc. all over several weeks. Now most of the time I can pick her up without a fuss although she doesn't like it as much if she's been racing around.

She loves her food so I can hold one end of a SS pellet and she'll grip on to the other and it means she stays still long enough for a quick stroke or whatever I'm trying to do. I went with 2/3 pellets worth of touching once or twice a day and she improved gradually over a few weeks.

Congratulations on your work with Oli, it sounds like he's really blossumed in your care. I bet its great to see him so happy. Well done!!

Tam

what a sweet adorable bunny . he,s hiding in that pic . :lol: . he does sound as though he is very very happy tho .

I have a very nervous bunny. She thumps when you come near and runs away, and she is very scrabbly especially when you put her back into her cage. She gets handled quite a lot, but i think some of it's just her temperament!!! But when ur cuddling her in your lap she seems ok, shes just a bit shaky!! :roll: :?:

My two outside bunnies don't like to be picked up at all, but they do come and nudge me. Nougat's getting used to me stroking her, but I've never been able to touch Bobby. He'll come to me and take food from me, and he's not scared, but he won't be touched.
Oli looks gorgeous by the way!

One of our three (Bluebell) is very nervous. I put it down to her being housed with a dominate female. She got better when I speparated them, but has recently become more nervous of me. This is thanks to having her spayed and the need for me to keep picking her up for her daily check and medicene.

I want to try to spend some more time with her, but with 2 other rabbits, a guinea pig, three children (oh and the missus) it's not easy!

Cristian

Eleanor is the most nervous bunny I have. She'll be sitting in her hutch chilling out, but as soon as she hears me opening the latch of her hutch, she's up and hopping over to the back of the hutch. She's done that for as long as I can remember.
I've tried, and still do try being quiet around her, making her aware I'm by her hutch before opening it so as not to startle her, but she always hops to the back of the hutch.

She's perfectly happy to be handled, carried, sit on my lap....she's just shy on first meeting and prefers to watch from a distance, rather than come up and greet you.


Zeubin also hops to the back of his hutch when he hears it open, but once he sees its me, he comes straight to the front to be nosey! hehe!




Veronica

This is my shy guy Smudge.



He came from rescue, and had been rehomed on 2 occasions but sent back every time because he kept biting people.
He only becomes agressive when he's scared (or he sees my O/H :lol: ).
I usually wait for him to sniff my hand before stroking him, but he did take a shine to the vet the other day (he even licked him after his injection )

Phoenix is a little on the nervous side, he only came to us in May. In his last home he fathered a litter and was naturally rejected by his partner when the babies came along. I think possibly he was kept in with her too long and suffered the consequences which is why he seems so wary when we are trying to bond him with Hermione.

He is not too nervous when we stroke him though and always seems pleased to see us in the mornings.