Found bunny - ill or shy?

Hello there...
Rescued a rabbit yesterday that's clearly a domestic bun, was loose in the local park.
Have him (?) set up temporarily in a spare cage, in small bunny proof room. He was shut in the cage overnight and left to settle, today cage has been open but he hasn't ventured out (small cage - too small really). Have sat him on the sofa next to me right now and actually he is showing a bit more interest but still shaking a bit! He seems nervous when we are around him, but will just sit there and let us pick him up rather than run off, which seems odd to me!
Just wondering if this is normal (my other rabbits have always wanted to explore new places, and run off at attempts to pick them up) or if he needs to see a vet quickly? (If his owner can't be traced he will go for a check up in due course anyway)

Advice welcome!

Awww, bless him. i think its a good idea to get him checked over by a vet who could also scan him in case he is microchipped & lost. Is he eating & pooing ok? His ears are a good guide to temperature - are they cold / warm ?

Eating and pooing fine, ears feel normal temp. He's cuddled up enjoying a stroke and contentedly grinding his teeth now. But he's still shaking non-stop.

As I'm typing he's started having an explore!

Will be taking him to the vet anyway in the next few days.

Thank you

He does sound friendly but I've not much idea about the shaking. If he is eating, pooing, drinking & starting to explore that sounds positive. Hopefully he is just settling in. Good luck, keep us posted

Well done for taking him in! He may have been a dumped bunny and has never had a nice indoor home, just shoved in a hutch in a garden, so all this indoor spoiltness is a bit new and terrifying.

Definitely get a full vet MOT and scan for microchip.

He seemed quite happy/healthy bounding around in the park. Was coming up to take food from our hands so used to people I guess... cried thinking someone might have abandoned him. We're going to put up signs saying we've found a bunny but I'm not letting him go without checking it's a suitable home!
My buns keep sneezing (otherwise fine) so all three are off to the vet later.

Will keep you posted...

Melon_Pip said:

Eating and pooing fine, ears feel normal temp. He's cuddled up enjoying a stroke and contentedly grinding his teeth now. But he's still shaking non-stop.

As I'm typing he's started having an explore!

Will be taking him to the vet anyway in the next few days.

Thank you

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Does he never stop shaking? Not even to lay down and relax? Shaking is often associated with stress and heavy breathing where there is no obvious health issue.

I should let a vet see him, even though the trip may cause more stress.

Well done you for looking after him

Good luck with finding his owners! I hope he has a forever home and hasn’t been abandoned…

My gran’s neighbours used to have a pet rabbit, so when they went on holiday, I’d help take care of him. Unfortunately I had him out one day, and a cat came into the garden and the poor thing bolted into someone else’s garden! Thankfully he came back when the coast was clear, and I hope this is a similar case of accidental escape. I know how frantic my Gran and I were in that half hour, so I’d really encourage you to try finding his owner/care-giver as soon as you can! I’d hate to be in their shoes…

Having said that, I had a childhood friend who used to “train” her rabbits to find food, and after a few months release them in the wild. She’d gloat about what a great animal welfare champion she was, sending the rabbit back where it belongs (!!!). There was absolutely no arguing with her! With this in mind, I fully support you finding out what happened, but I would just warn you to be careful how you tread – legally you would have no right to refuse to give them their rabbit back, so if you feel it is an inappropriate home you are better to approach the RSPCA or SSPCA, who do have legal powers. I’m sure they would be happy to let you adopt him if you wished to!

He - definitely a he - has stopped shaking. Think he was just terrified. On the way to the vets he was so scared his whole box was shaking - poor thing! But he's exploring his new home, and starting to use his litter tray.
Thanks for the advice re. RSPCA etc. I guess I was thinking it might be a situation where kids have begged for a pet and the adult might be pleased it has a decent home to go to! If someone has lost him why haven't they put posters up? I don't know what else to do apart from that.

Melon-pip, I'm curious whether you found bunny's owners yet? Any update?

Owners haven't been found. He's now been neutered and vaccinated. He's such a timid little thing, I am wondering if he has been mistreated or was living in the park alone for some time. He was gobbling down his food asap but is now leaving bits until later.

I'm after more advice actually - he is so different to my other two bunnies. One of them is outgoing, comes up for cuddles, wants to explore and/or destroy everything! The other seemed very timid in comparison. But this new bunny is something else!

He just sits there and lets you stroke him, but doesn't exactly encourage it/respond. He makes me think of a cuddly toy that is half-alive, not a fully fledged bun. He seems to just sit still unless he's outside then he runs and jumps. However, if we leave the door open he doesn't leave 'his' room - we actually have to physically take him outside. We're actually wondering if he is blind, can wave hand in front of his eyes and no reaction unless you accidentally touch a whisker or make a noise.

It's hard to tell sometimes whether he likes being stroked or not - but has started to do the teeth grinding/purr type noise which is encouraging. As he is a lionhead he looks quite different to my other two as well, which may add to the impression he's not interacting in the same way.

He was neutered ten days ago and in a few days will be coming to live at mine, with some access to my two through a baby gate (this will be when they are having their 'outside' time and going through the corridor). I thought this was best to suss out what my two think of him before attempting bonding... Thing is, I imagine he'll just stay well away from the gate and not interact at all...

I understand I may not be able to bond them, which means he will have to go to a rescue (sob!) most likey as I don't have the spce for two pairs, and he needs bunny company I am sure - he seems a bit depressed now.

Ok just reading the bonding a trio thread thread and realising the baby gate may be a terrible idea! May just wait until I'm ready to see it through and straight on with the neutral territory!

Melon_Pip said:

Ok just reading the bonding a trio thread thread and realising the baby gate may be a terrible idea! May just wait until I'm ready to see it through and straight on with the neutral territory!

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Yes you are probably right. :thumb:

Oh what a shame! Poor wee thing, it's no wonder he's been so nervous. What a lucky guy to have been found by you!

Hope bonding goes well, he could do with a happy ending

When I first met Boo Boo she was sat next to me on the sofa and she literally did not move. She just sat there exactly like you're saying your one does. I took her home a few weeks later and she was exactly the same way. I'm assuming she wasn't hugely used to human interaction - she'd been in a small hutch in a shed for about 7 months and before that had a different owner but I know nothing about that situation.
But, when I gave her a new hutch and a big aviary run and toys etc she became more confident after a few weeks. It took a little while but now if I put her on the sofa she hops straight off and runs around! Like a completely different bunny! So patience and space will hopefully help

When he was in the park he was running around quite happily, I felt a bit mean for rescuing him in a way, though I know it's for the best! Thought I'd share a pic. He's called Bunson. [/IMG]

Aw he's lovely, well done for taking him in and good luck bonding him with your existing pair

He's gorgeous and lucky that you found him. Hope the bonding goes well.

He's beautiful

Bonding is underway! Started yesterday eve, thinking it would be a 'date' and they'd go back to their separate homes afterwards. But seemed to go better than that so I've spent the night sleeping on the bathroom floor as that was the only available neutral place..!

Of my pair, timid bun (Pip) and new bun (Bunson) hit it off straight away - Pip grooming him.
However, dominant bun (Mel) and he seem to be at a stalemate. There was circling, and Bunson was mounting Pip to show his dominance (my original pair never mounted), but I think it's just fear? When Mel approaches him and sniffs he backs off.
So... in the middle of the night we took them for a walk around the local area in a box all together... that seemed to help. (Made sure Bunson and Mel were next to each other).
After that they were sniffing each other and not circling anymore, just grunting occasionally. However they seem to have staked out corners of the neutral territory as their own, and are not moving from them, apart form the odd sniff of each other. Territory is approx 1m x 60cm.
Right now they are in the box again, on top of my washing machine...

My plan is to set up new neutral territory in the spare room that would have been Bunson's (so I can sleep tonight, in part!) and make it even smaller. Possibly interspersed with more washing machine or just box time.

Any thoughts?