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katiecrna

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I just got a new bunny and she is pissed at me. She is 3 months old. I bought her at a festival, and she was in a cage with 3 other rabbits. I brought her home and naturally I could tell she was scared. I put her in her cage which was set up perfectly for her, fresh hay, water, pellets. But when I look at her, she literally turns around. Like turns her back toward me every time. Her body language is telling me she's upset. I know that I need to let her adjust and not pick her up and just leave her be. But is this normal behavior? Does she just need time?
 
i would say she just needs time, and keep her in a quiet place while she's adjusting (cage up against a wall so they don't feel a predator could sneak up on them)
 
Yeah, definitely give it some time. It's a scary thing to be in a new place (imagine if a giant took you and put you in an entirely new place with no explanation- I'd take a while to warm up too!). If you do need to approach her (e.g. for feeding) do it slowly and if you do speak, do it very quietly. Eventually she will warm up to normal movements and sounds (my two even actually like to by chased by us- and then to chase us!). I'm sure she will warm up soon!
 
Considering a rabbit needs more than 5 hours out of their cages everyday, I suggest you leave her alone when she's in her cage (so she knows it's her safe place) and you let her come to you when she's free so that she doesn't feel cornered. The best is to put yourself 'to her level' by sitting down or even laying down on the floor - she will feel safer approaching you if you are not towering over her. Having a treat like a pellet or a small piece of vegetable that you can give her might help.
After that, it can take days, weeks or months for her to warm up to you. Teenagers aren't the easiest because hormones tend to ruin all your efforts for a while (she can become all nice next week and an absolute nightmare next month until you get her spayed).
For now, your rabbit is just skittish, so she's avoiding you hoping you won't hurt her. Relationships between humans and rabbits are trust-based which is why it takes time and patience to build them.
About picking her up, it's probable she'll never like it. A lot of rabbits hate to be handled...
 
She just needs time to settle in her new home it's perfectly normal for rabbits to act like that.
 

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