Smoking, Nicotine Smell and Rabbits

[weeble]

Does the rabbit have to like her? I enjoy just watching my lot be rabbits

 

[angeleyes]

Its such a shame this is happening Helen Especially as the buns have a good bond, sometimes thats hard to come by as we know!

Robert smokes only outside as well and all the rabbits take treats etc from him :?

Such a shame she can't see that the rabbit doesn't need to like her, its her loss really. Lolly doesn't really like us, we can stroke her on the odd occasion but she will wash straight after :lol: I would never dream of getting rid of her though and she loves Lionel so much

 

[areia]

Its such a shame this is happening Helen Especially as the buns have a good bond, sometimes thats hard to come by as we know!

Robert smokes only outside as well and all the rabbits take treats etc from him :?

Such a shame she can't see that the rabbit doesn't need to like her, its her loss really. Lolly doesn't really like us, we can stroke her on the odd occasion but she will wash straight after :lol: I would never dream of getting rid of her though and she loves Lionel so much

I agree carrie isn't a people person, me an j have scars to prove it :lol: but wouldnt consider splitting up a bond for that reason

 

[Rachie]

Does the rabbit have to like her? I enjoy just watching my lot be rabbits

Ditto this! My boy rabbit was quite a fuss pot before we got him a wifey bun but now his bonded; they both hate me and aren't interested unless we've got food. I just accept it as being the way it is

 

[moss]

Do you know why the bun was given up for adoption in the first place?

I wonder if the previous owners may have offered treats as an attempt to catch the bun to pick her up? We used to have to do this with Bunny to get her into her carry cage - she played ball at first, then when she realised that we were only giving her the treats to put her in the carry cage, she stopped coming over. I guess in my situation, her ears perked up and she came running when she I rustled the raisin packet, then I guess she associated it with going in a carry cage and backed off... could this be what is happening here? Just a thought

 

[bunlover]

i think its a shsame when people wont let bunnies be bunnies it took me a long time to gain my first ever rabbits trust many many months and even if i never had of done i would not have given her up. chelsea(rip) didnt ever like human touch she was not scared of us just didnt like people at all i loved her so much anyway. was the bunny funny about treats before leaving the rescue or only since new home? could their be any underlying health issues (teeth etc?) i dont think i would eat off a plate smelling smokey and i know my buns turn thir noses up at food that smlls plasticy from shops before. how about just lying on the floor with the bunnys and giving them a chance to cme to her on thier own i find dora who doesnt like strokes will come sit on me provided i dont touch her if im reading a book as she is nosey its only meds vets and weekly checks i pick her up from and she hates it tho randomly when donna(one of alices fosterers) came over dora went up to her nudging her for a stroke! most unusual!!!! x

 

[lottielouise]

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. 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.

I can't handle Sophie, and to a point Granite, by my bunny sitter can She will come up to the front of the run/hutch, but doesn't when there is nothing between us I do wonder if it is past issues, but having had her from 8 weeks, it just can't be. We did have a rough time during the teen 'years' with her chewing, and a problematic spay.

Some bunnies just don't like some people.

As for those being garden smokers. I wonder if this would be of interest to you

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7813124.stm

 

[Jenova]

One of my really good friends is a very heavy smoker, to the point where if she strokes my rabbits I can smell it on them afterwards. They have no issues taking treats from her, but my buns are very food obsessed. Could it be the treats she doesn't like?

She also has her own bun and no problems there either.

And as we're all really nosey here on RU could you tell us what the outcome is if that's appropriate please.

 

[luvabun]

Tough one Helen. It looks from the responses here that smelling of smoke is not a contributory factor and it's more the bunnies personality. I sort of get where she's coming from as I was in a similar situation with the Pretty Boys and I was a bit disappointed initially. I've had to come to terms with them not being cuddle buns like my others and once I realised and accepted that, then allowed them to be bunnies in their own right and watched them from a distance, I love them in a different way as their interaction with each other is lovely to behold, it's humans they're not too fussed with.

It would be such a shame to split up two bonded bunnies because of a humans preference and I hope you find a solution that helps this pair.

Sorry, not much of a helpful post

 

[The Duchess]

Thanks for all the posts.

My question is probably answered in that most of you smokers don't feel it's an issue with your rabbits so thank you for that.

With regard to all other posts about not splitting up a bonded pair. I completely agree. I don't feel that it's a topic that I personally need to be explore on this thread in particular as I would never, ever choose to do it, unless one of the rabbits was at real risk from health or injury issues.

Safe to say, every situation is different and in this case, the best option for the rescue rabbit involved may indeed end up being to be returned to the rescue for rehoming to a family that will love her unconditionally, even if it means breaking a bond.

 

[lauraocal]

I smoke and my bunny doesnt mind taking treats off me.
Although, this is going to sound stupid, but I bite my nails and if I have been at my nails she wont take a treat off me.. same as if I bit a biscuit first she wont take it but snatches them off me when they havent been near my mouth.
It's a long shot but I have noticed it with my bunny.

Going to be a bit weird telling asking her if she has spittle on her hands though, cant you ask her to wash her hands first for a while whilest trying then see if the bunny takes them?

 

[The Duchess]

I smoke and my bunny doesnt mind taking treats off me.
Although, this is going to sound stupid, but I bite my nails and if I have been at my nails she wont take a treat off me.. same as if I bit a biscuit first she wont take it but snatches them off me when they havent been near my mouth.
It's a long shot but I have noticed it with my bunny.

thanks for this.

I guess I was just kinda hoping that there would be one last thing I could suggest to them as being an issue. Doesn't seem that it's founded and I think it's most likely that the bunny knows that they don't like her and so she (quite rightly) doesn't like them back. Very, very sad.

 

[Jenova]

It's sad but it seems they have it in their head. And by being so stubborn they're passing that emotion onto their bun.

If you take her would they get another mate for their boy?

 

[Buuny_Friend]

thanks for this.

I guess I was just kinda hoping that there would be one last thing I could suggest to them as being an issue. Doesn't seem that it's founded and I think it's most likely that the bunny knows that they don't like her and so she (quite rightly) doesn't like them back. Very, very sad.

I think there is a lot to be said for this.

All animals are very intuitive and can easily sense atmospheres and people's emotions.

If this woman is adament she will never be able to build some sort of a relationship with this rabbit, the rabbit will pick up on this.

How long has the bunny been living with her?

 

[sidereus7]

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...

Milo *hates* the smell of lemons on my hands. He looked rather offended when i tried to give him a carrot with lemony hands. :lol:

I think some buns have different smell preferences, though. Maybe like humans and the smell of gasoline? So you might be right that this bun just really doesn't like the smell.

Also, smell is a powerful trigger for memory. Is it possible the bun has a history of abuse with someone who smoked?

 

[Buuny_Friend]

Milo *hates* the smell of lemons on my hands. He looked rather offended when i tried to give him a carrot with lemony hands. :lol:

I think some buns have different smell preferences, though. Maybe like humans and the smell of gasoline? So you might be right that this bun just really doesn't like the smell.

Also, smell is a powerful trigger for memory. Is it possible the bun has a history of abuse with someone who smoked?

Very good point!

 

[Bavarian Bunny]

Yeah, what is the previous history of the rabbit?

Could the woman smell of something else, not just smoke? Some perfume maybe? I jump backwards when someone wearing perfume gets too close to me. My oldie bunny never wanted to be touched by humans, and that did not change in all the 12 years we had him for, he did come and pick treats from our hands, though. I don't know what happened to him in the first few weeks of his life, I think he may have been a Christmas present baby bunny, who got returned to the garden centre a week later.

 

[susieb1]

I have to throw a spanner in the works. I do not smoke or anyone who comes into daily contact with my bunnies. My Cookie an extremely people friendly bun will go to anyone BUT if my Mum goes near him when she pops in he runs a mile and won't come out. Oddly enough she is a smoker and we had put it down to that reason that he doesn't like the smell. We never have the problem with anyone else including the V E T.:wave:

 

[The Duchess]

I have to throw a spanner in the works. I do not smoke or anyone who comes into daily contact with my bunnies. My Cookie an extremely people friendly bun will go to anyone BUT if my Mum goes near him when she pops in he runs a mile and won't come out. Oddly enough she is a smoker and we had put it down to that reason that he doesn't like the smell. We never have the problem with anyone else including the V E T.:wave:

Very interesting thank you!

 

[VickiP]

Yeah, what is the previous history of the rabbit?

Could the woman smell of something else, not just smoke? Some perfume maybe? I jump backwards when someone wearing perfume gets too close to me. My oldie bunny never wanted to be touched by humans, and that did not change in all the 12 years we had him for, he did come and pick treats from our hands, though. I don't know what happened to him in the first few weeks of his life, I think he may have been a Christmas present baby bunny, who got returned to the garden centre a week later.

Sorry I know it wasn't meant to be funny but, I just have a picture of you physically jumping backwards and someone saying what's wrong and you saying - your perfume :lol::lol:

I think it could be a bit of both things possibly - her vibes to the bunny and the cigarette smells which could be linked to past negative experience. Sad for bunsters whichever way it is - moreso almost for the one staying with her.