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Do rabbits play dead when scared? WORRIED! HELP!

lexxiesmith

Young Bun
Okay, so I will attempt to explain what Quinn has just frightened me to death by doing...

Our fire alarm has just gone off in the kitchen so I opened the back door to allow air to circulate. The buns hutch and run are bang by my back door. I could hear a lot of thrashing around so ran straight out to see Quinn dive into his moutain of straw in his sleeping quarters bury his head and flop on one side.
I then tried to comfort him just by stroking but there was no response. His legs and body were all floppy and his eyes were glazed and I honestly, honestly thought he was dead :(

Began shouting his name and crying and he eventually lifted his head up, obviously then I grabbed him in my arms and walked right down the bottom of the garden with him to get away from the noise of the fire alarm. He was trembling and his heart was going 10 to the dozen.
When the alarm had finally stopped I brought him inside and he's now hopping around but is flinching at quick movements and noises on the tv.

Just wondering if anyone could suggest what on earth has just happened?
Do I need to keep a close eye on him?
Obviously I need to put him back outdoors tonight and I especially don't want him to be scared out there...:(
 
Hmmm.Sheer fright I think.I havent ever had that response before with my buns.:shock:
I would keep him quiet for a while and give a few nice treats.Im sure he will calm down.
Failing that, a chat with your vet???
Sorry Im not much use.xx
 
Yeah he was playing dead...check out this site for more info. Funny enough you can put your rabbit in this kind of trance so he chills out when you trim his nails.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2099556_trance-rabbit.html

Ugh. Another trance site.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TRANCE YOUR RABBIT LIKE THAT.

I could do many things i wont say to people who say this is 'healthy' and 'good for bunny' and think they are 'chilled out'.

This is NOT HEALTHY at all. It actually increases the heart rate, increases hormones and puts the rabbit into an uncontrolled stress state that they cannot control.

Please please please please please please do not do this to any rabbit.

:cry::cry::cry:

Disclaimer: im nursing a sick bunny right now, so emotions are running high, this is not an attack i just needed you to hear me.
 
Ugh. Another trance site.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TRANCE YOUR RABBIT LIKE THAT.

I could do many things i wont say to people who say this is 'healthy' and 'good for bunny' and think they are 'chilled out'.

This is NOT HEALTHY at all. It actually increases the heart rate, increases hormones and puts the rabbit into an uncontrolled stress state that they cannot control.

Please please please please please please do not do this to any rabbit.

:cry::cry::cry:

Disclaimer: im nursing a sick bunny right now, so emotions are running high, this is not an attack i just needed you to hear me.

Agree, please don't it is a bunny's ultimate fear response x

ETA there is a lot of incorrect and awful literature and sources out there saying it is ok so it is understandable that new owners think it's ok :wave:
 
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I wasn't intending on doing so... Was just worried about my boy and what happened, described above.
Why I'd ever need to 'trance' him at any rate is beyond me, seems completely un-natural.
 
I wasn't intending on doing so... Was just worried about my boy and what happened, described above.
Why I'd ever need to 'trance' him at any rate is beyond me, seems completely un-natural.

This exactly. I think Graham and Nicola were putting a warning for people who may stumble on this thread in search engines and think it's good advice...
 
Could he have hit his head or something when he was thrashing around? :?

I've never heard of that happening before? My mum found one of my buns floppy and unresponsive once and picked her up and was calling her name then she came to again but that was heat related mid summer.
 
No sorry, no worries, I didn't mean for that to come across as abruptly as it might have... (how typing can get us into trouble, huh? haha) more that I was confused; it doesn;t take much :D I definately agree, brilliant advice! ;)
 
Could he have hit his head or something when he was thrashing around? :?

I've never heard of that happening before? My mum found one of my buns floppy and unresponsive once and picked her up and was calling her name then she came to again but that was heat related mid summer.

I guess he could have?? I didn't see him do it though :?
He has been indoors now for the past 2hours and is motoring around like a mad 'un :) and also munching his carrot tops, so seems to be okay. If I notice anything un usual I will phone the vets immediately. He will be indoors with me until I go to bed at around 12/1ish :D
 
Okay, so I will attempt to explain what Quinn has just frightened me to death by doing...

Our fire alarm has just gone off in the kitchen so I opened the back door to allow air to circulate. The buns hutch and run are bang by my back door. I could hear a lot of thrashing around so ran straight out to see Quinn dive into his moutain of straw in his sleeping quarters bury his head and flop on one side.
I then tried to comfort him just by stroking but there was no response. His legs and body were all floppy and his eyes were glazed and I honestly, honestly thought he was dead :(

Began shouting his name and crying and he eventually lifted his head up, obviously then I grabbed him in my arms and walked right down the bottom of the garden with him to get away from the noise of the fire alarm. He was trembling and his heart was going 10 to the dozen.
When the alarm had finally stopped I brought him inside and he's now hopping around but is flinching at quick movements and noises on the tv.

Just wondering if anyone could suggest what on earth has just happened?
Do I need to keep a close eye on him?
Obviously I need to put him back outdoors tonight and I especially don't want him to be scared out there...:(

Clearly the thumping was an alarm but, the flop over was probably because you went out and reassured them, I think you may have over-reacted slightly - (in a good way) but, I'd put your rabbit straight back out asap and back to normality with some yummy things - they'll be fine ;)
 
Hi, I havne't read the whole thread yet just the OP post. And this is what happened to my bunny, Jack, when he was frightened so much he screamed and then I was holding him and he was totally limp. It was really scary so I understand your fright!!!
 
sorry!!

Ugh. Another trance site.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TRANCE YOUR RABBIT LIKE THAT.
[...]

This is NOT HEALTHY at all. It actually increases the heart rate, increases hormones and puts the rabbit into an uncontrolled stress state that they cannot control.
.

I had no idea! That's terrible
No worries Graham, I understand...I have never tranced my rabbit and I wouldn't do anything to them without understanding what I was doing...which is why I shouldn't advise others on things I wouldn't do...

So you are right I shouldn't have recommended that when I didn't really know what it was :oops: apologies
 
I don't think he was playing dead, I think he was just so frightened and stressed. He might've flopped because he exhausted himself.
 
Muscular relaxation and tachycardia are a response to fear, fright or stress. The sudden sounding of an alarm, particularly if the bun was relaxed at the time, would be sufficient to cause such a reaction. It is a natural prey animal response and what Charles Darwin described as the "death feint", intended to lull a predator into assuming the prey is dead and momentarily releasing its grip enough for the animal to have one last chance of escape.

Trancing or tonic immobility engender similar response as well as elevating plasma corticosterone levels. That is why it is not considered necessary or acceptable because of the stress it places on our pets.
 
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