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Susan - I am probably just worrying / paranoid

Cuthbert&Dillon said:
I am not sure at all how Fred is doing, I have never seen a rabbit sleep like he does. I woke him this morning!! I came downstairs into the dining room- he was led in his tray. I was chatting away asking him if he wanted parsley whilst I made coffee, switched the radio and the washer on and then went to open Susan's front door - nothing. I put my hand on him thinking he was dead as he hadnt moved.This made him jump up and box me - I dont know who was more scared him or me.
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He may be very hard of hearing/deaf. It is not uncommon in Lop eared Rabbits xx
 
Jack's-Jane said:
He may be very hard of hearing/deaf. It is not uncommon in Lop eared Rabbits xx
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Yes, it made me think of my dear bridge bunny, Boots, he was a lop and pretty deaf, and could sleep through anything! I would try always try to make sure he was aware that I was there before I touched him to avoid making him jump!
 
Yes, I wondered too if Fred might be a member of deaf bunny club. I think it often goes unnoticed - it took me a while to twig with Boo & its sooo obvious. The RSPCA hadn't noticed either. I'm not sure vets are so great at diagnosing deafness, its prob easier to test at home, esp before bonding to Susan as they take so many cues from each other & copy. Mouse is deaf too but I'm not so sure its as extreme as Boo's.

If he is, please don't worry, you learn to work with it really quickly
 
Treacle is deaf, I learnt that from experience. I can clap my hands behind her ears-nothing, use the really load Vax behind her -nothing. She's fine though, as I'm sure your boy will be :)
 
Pets mum said:
Treacle is deaf, I learnt that from experience. I can clap my hands behind her ears-nothing, use the really load Vax behind her -nothing. She's fine though, as I'm sure your boy will be :)
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It clicked in to place when I hovered all round Boo & she didn't move - when she got up there was a Boo shaped hairy patch :lol: The fact that its so easy to miss must be testament to how well they coped. When I was trying quad bonding the boys ears reacted to noises in exactly the same way, the girls - nada. It is more fun talking to hearing bunnies though. Boo understands a few signs
 
Thank you - I did blow gently at him (very gently it caused his nose to wiffle) and then he sat up and bumped my hand. I think you are correct. When he is bonded (if) with Susan they will be living in the lounge this is a wooden floor, the dining room is a concrete floor so he doesnt even "feel" me walking into the room.

Boo understands signs? Does BSL stand for Boo Sign Language in your house :) I will have to look at this for Fred.
 
Cuthbert&Dillon said:
Thank you - I did blow gently at him (very gently it caused his nose to wiffle) and then he sat up and bumped my hand. I think you are correct. When he is bonded (if) with Susan they will be living in the lounge this is a wooden floor, the dining room is a concrete floor so he doesnt even "feel" me walking into the room.

Boo understands signs? Does BSL stand for Boo Sign Language in your house :) I will have to look at this for Fred.
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Boots would sense me coming by feel, I’m sure, as you say, on the wooden floor. Also his sense of smell was incredible, he could smell a banana being peeled 2 rooms away :lol:
 
Omi said:
How are you all getting on?
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Truth be told, I dont know, Fred is FIERCE - we have had bites and scratches daily. We are giving him time to realise we are here but sometimes he is just grumpy. It is very early days and all new but I wish I knew how to ease his mind.
I gave him a piece off the "posh" hay (its got foliage flowers in it) yesterday he was nomming it up - today he scratched and bounce on it - wouldnt eat it. Susan and I are a little confused but we just hope its teenage angst and unsettledness. Thank you for asking that is really kind.
 
To me it sounds as though he is very unsettled and that is making him frightened. I don't think it's that surprising, as he's been through quite a lot in his young life. I imagine that the broken leg and treatment will have been very painful, plus the stress of the change in his environment are probably the causes of his aggression towards you. If he's also deaf, that will add to the problem.

Do you know much about his history, in particular the circumstances around the injury? Do you know if his behaviour was similar to this with the foster?

I think all you can do is to give him lots of time and try to avoid getting hurt. Once he realises that he's OK with you both and Susan, I think he should start to relax.
 
I agree with Omi. Rabbits can take a long time to settle and get used to us and a new environment. Don't give him a chance to scratch/bite you, keep your distance for now. Try to be patient.
 
I echo what omi has said. It’s a huge emotional upheaval and very few rabbits will be viscous just for the hell of it. He’s possibly just confused about all the changes, not sure himself if this is ‘home’ but I’m sure that he will feel the warmth and abundance of love and there are some signs for your posts that Fred is gentle inside.
Sending vibes for some calming days and hope Fred starts to feel more settled.xx
 
Omi said:
To me it sounds as though he is very unsettled and that is making him frightened. I don't think it's that surprising, as he's been through quite a lot in his young life. I imagine that the broken leg and treatment will have been very painful, plus the stress of the change in his environment are probably the causes of his aggression towards you. If he's also deaf, that will add to the problem.

Do you know much about his history, in particular the circumstances around the injury? Do you know if his behaviour was similar to this with the foster?

I think all you can do is to give him lots of time and try to avoid getting hurt. Once he realises that he's OK with you both and Susan, I think he should start to relax.
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I agree with this. It took Fern a little while to get used to us all and settle, I’m sure he will relax soon once he realises everything is calm and none threatening.
 
Cuthbert&Dillon said:
Truth be told, I dont know, Fred is FIERCE - we have had bites and scratches daily. We are giving him time to realise we are here but sometimes he is just grumpy. It is very early days and all new but I wish I knew how to ease his mind.
I gave him a piece off the "posh" hay (its got foliage flowers in it) yesterday he was nomming it up - today he scratched and bounce on it - wouldnt eat it. Susan and I are a little confused but we just hope its teenage angst and unsettledness. Thank you for asking that is really kind.
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When Atticus was aggressive, I gave up with him, the bites, scratches, lunges and grunting was too much.. I just ignored him, and became the bringer of food, treats too, after a while he started to associate me with food, and someone who did nothing but that, and he's come around a lot, he's very friendly now.. Might be worth a go, it's upsetting and sad but it's the only way he learnt to re trust me after what happened to him.


May not work for you, just thought I'd say what we did here. What I learnt from Atticus was if a rabbit was genuinely terrified and felt cornered(as in they're in a room or enclosure), they can do some real damage. They're not as gentle as they look [emoji38]


I really hope things improve x

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
 
Thanks chaps, I have been just sitting in with him with treats, veg and letting him come to me. If he doesnt want to then I am not going to make him. We have added more cardboard boxes and tunnels so he can hide away.
Today I took a photo and he heard the click on the camera. So maybe deafened rather than deaf?

Our Fred!
20200201_103125[1] by mark andra, on Flickr

You can see Susan in the background.
20200202_162837[1] by mark andra, on Flickr
 
Cuthbert&Dillon said:
Thanks chaps, I have been just sitting in with him with treats, veg and letting him come to me. If he doesnt want to then I am not going to make him. We have added more cardboard boxes and tunnels so he can hide away.
Today I took a photo and he heard the click on the camera. So maybe deafened rather than deaf?

Our Fred!
20200201_103125[1] by mark andra, on Flickr

You can see Susan in the background.
20200202_162837[1] by mark andra, on Flickr
Click to expand...


Yes I know I have no wallpaper at the bottom - its been rabbited
 
I think this is a great strategy. I’m sure he will settle down and he will learn to trust you.
 
I'm sure patience will win out. Its a lot for a bunny to adjust to - they might even be grieving for their foster carer. Lots of calm Fred vibes xx
 
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