BopperAndRuby
New Kit
Hey. I'm a lot younger than everyone else on this forum, but it looks inviting and helpful, so I'll give this a shot.
I had a bunny called Tilly, who passed away a month ago yesterday. It's still incredibly painful and I miss her dearly. A few days ago, my mum wanted me to go to the store and buy a new rabbit. I didn't really want to, I didn't think I was ready, but my mum was very pressuring for some reason and I felt forced. It wasn't all bad, because when I took the new bunny home some kind of instinct kicked in and i wanted to take care of her and already loved her. I thought things would be okay.
Fast forward a few days, and I don't know what to do with myself. The new rabbit can be quite aggressive to me, even when I keep my distance and try to respect her boundaries. I was cleaning out her cage the other day, and she ran over and started jumping on my hand and scratching me. I've tried to build trust with her, she'll eat from my hand and sometimes lets me stroke her a little when she's eating. But part of me feels I can't do it. As soon as she shows some kind of aggression to me, I just instantly think 'Tilly didn't do that, Tilly wouldn't do that'. I'm clearly not ready for a new rabbit. I know it's horrible to think that, I know she can't help the way she acts, but I just don't feel loved or happy around her. It's not rewarding like it is with Max, and like it was with Tilly.
Tilly was very loving and affectionate. She was very scared at first, but came out of her shell eventually. She was very very young (she was from a rather dodgy seller, and was ill when they sold her to us) but she made me feel so loved and happy. I knew she loved me, because she showed it, and I was the happiest I'd ever been in my life with her. I love the new rabbit regardless, but she doesn't love me. It just amplifies how much I miss Tilly, how lovely she was, how much I regret not doing the things I planned to do with her. I want to bond with this rabbit but everything I do leads nowhere. We take two steps forward, and four steps back.
I don't want to give her away. I'd feel horrible, and I know that it's not the right thing to do in this situation, although I don't know what the right thing is. She has settled in, and seems quite happy in her new place, she just doesn't like me at all. Somebody please help me. I want to bond with her, I want her to be happy with me, but I don't know how at this point.
I had a bunny called Tilly, who passed away a month ago yesterday. It's still incredibly painful and I miss her dearly. A few days ago, my mum wanted me to go to the store and buy a new rabbit. I didn't really want to, I didn't think I was ready, but my mum was very pressuring for some reason and I felt forced. It wasn't all bad, because when I took the new bunny home some kind of instinct kicked in and i wanted to take care of her and already loved her. I thought things would be okay.
Fast forward a few days, and I don't know what to do with myself. The new rabbit can be quite aggressive to me, even when I keep my distance and try to respect her boundaries. I was cleaning out her cage the other day, and she ran over and started jumping on my hand and scratching me. I've tried to build trust with her, she'll eat from my hand and sometimes lets me stroke her a little when she's eating. But part of me feels I can't do it. As soon as she shows some kind of aggression to me, I just instantly think 'Tilly didn't do that, Tilly wouldn't do that'. I'm clearly not ready for a new rabbit. I know it's horrible to think that, I know she can't help the way she acts, but I just don't feel loved or happy around her. It's not rewarding like it is with Max, and like it was with Tilly.
Tilly was very loving and affectionate. She was very scared at first, but came out of her shell eventually. She was very very young (she was from a rather dodgy seller, and was ill when they sold her to us) but she made me feel so loved and happy. I knew she loved me, because she showed it, and I was the happiest I'd ever been in my life with her. I love the new rabbit regardless, but she doesn't love me. It just amplifies how much I miss Tilly, how lovely she was, how much I regret not doing the things I planned to do with her. I want to bond with this rabbit but everything I do leads nowhere. We take two steps forward, and four steps back.
I don't want to give her away. I'd feel horrible, and I know that it's not the right thing to do in this situation, although I don't know what the right thing is. She has settled in, and seems quite happy in her new place, she just doesn't like me at all. Somebody please help me. I want to bond with her, I want her to be happy with me, but I don't know how at this point.
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