bluebellfarm
New Kit
Hi all,
I have been fostering a bonded pair of rescued rabbits for roughly 7 or 8 months now. I also have 10 buns of my own, so Im reasonably well versed in rabbit behaviour Although every bun is different so despite having 10, I am still baffled when it comes to this problem as I havent experienced it with any of my others!
Acorn and Silver are the bonded foster pair. They are both neutered, this took place whilst they were still at the rescue. They have been with the rescue for 2 years now and have had no interest, despite being a very handsome pair. The female is a silver lionhead with a very interesting face, the male looks like he might be a lop mix. He is brownish and very cute. They were rescued from quite miserable circumstances: a tiny hutch (probably a 2 footer or 3 footer at most) where their heads touched the ceiling and they were crammed in with 5 other rabbits! They had been bought as entertainment for a young child, so had been treated like toys and not had a good time. The rescue stressed to me that they would need to be in a large shed as they get very stressed in closed surroundings, even a large hutch. So they have a nice big 9ft by 5ft shed at my place, which I've customised with mezzanine levels and tunnels and hides and so on. They were previously at another foster home where they were also well taken care of and had a big shed to live in.
The difficulties Im having with them are that, despite spending a fair amount of time trying to bond with them and bring them out of their shells, I havent had much luck! The female (who I think had the hardest time prior to being rescued) has never been at all keen on people, which i hoped to improve upon but so far havent. there have been times when there has seemed to have been a breakthrough, where shes accepted a piece of veg from my hand or has accepted a head rub. But currently she hides whenever I come into the shed and if I try to coax her out with a nice piece of veg or something similar, she either ignores me or bites me. I've more or less concluded that its better to leave her alone and let her seek me out if shes interested, which she occasionally is.
Im more concerned about the male (Acorn) because I had made good progress with him (he was definitely the more laid back of the two to begin with) and for a long while we had a bond where he would have strokes and fuss each time I came in and was happy to take food from my hand and generally spend time around me. But in the last week or so hes started biting me! Its usually when I'm returning the food bowl having filled it up. Hes also hiding from me and stamping his foot and seeming very cross about my presence. I know theres no sense in taking it personally, but Im quite upset about this. I had been on the verge of considering adopting them, as Ive gotten attached to them over the past 7/8 months. But I must admit the sudden biting is giving me second thoughts. Nothing has changed, they have a similar routine with the exception that I have been working on their diet recently, which has basically meant more hay and veg now that they dont have access to grass as much. Other than that I havent been doing anything differently.
My only ideas so far are that they are either bored with the shed and need more toys, and/or I just need to go back to square one and start trying to gently acquaint myself with them again.
Does anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance
I have been fostering a bonded pair of rescued rabbits for roughly 7 or 8 months now. I also have 10 buns of my own, so Im reasonably well versed in rabbit behaviour Although every bun is different so despite having 10, I am still baffled when it comes to this problem as I havent experienced it with any of my others!
Acorn and Silver are the bonded foster pair. They are both neutered, this took place whilst they were still at the rescue. They have been with the rescue for 2 years now and have had no interest, despite being a very handsome pair. The female is a silver lionhead with a very interesting face, the male looks like he might be a lop mix. He is brownish and very cute. They were rescued from quite miserable circumstances: a tiny hutch (probably a 2 footer or 3 footer at most) where their heads touched the ceiling and they were crammed in with 5 other rabbits! They had been bought as entertainment for a young child, so had been treated like toys and not had a good time. The rescue stressed to me that they would need to be in a large shed as they get very stressed in closed surroundings, even a large hutch. So they have a nice big 9ft by 5ft shed at my place, which I've customised with mezzanine levels and tunnels and hides and so on. They were previously at another foster home where they were also well taken care of and had a big shed to live in.
The difficulties Im having with them are that, despite spending a fair amount of time trying to bond with them and bring them out of their shells, I havent had much luck! The female (who I think had the hardest time prior to being rescued) has never been at all keen on people, which i hoped to improve upon but so far havent. there have been times when there has seemed to have been a breakthrough, where shes accepted a piece of veg from my hand or has accepted a head rub. But currently she hides whenever I come into the shed and if I try to coax her out with a nice piece of veg or something similar, she either ignores me or bites me. I've more or less concluded that its better to leave her alone and let her seek me out if shes interested, which she occasionally is.
Im more concerned about the male (Acorn) because I had made good progress with him (he was definitely the more laid back of the two to begin with) and for a long while we had a bond where he would have strokes and fuss each time I came in and was happy to take food from my hand and generally spend time around me. But in the last week or so hes started biting me! Its usually when I'm returning the food bowl having filled it up. Hes also hiding from me and stamping his foot and seeming very cross about my presence. I know theres no sense in taking it personally, but Im quite upset about this. I had been on the verge of considering adopting them, as Ive gotten attached to them over the past 7/8 months. But I must admit the sudden biting is giving me second thoughts. Nothing has changed, they have a similar routine with the exception that I have been working on their diet recently, which has basically meant more hay and veg now that they dont have access to grass as much. Other than that I havent been doing anything differently.
My only ideas so far are that they are either bored with the shed and need more toys, and/or I just need to go back to square one and start trying to gently acquaint myself with them again.
Does anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance
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