Someone help....please....

[rabbitgirl]

Bub was as usual running around my legs in therun and climbing all over me. He was at the other side of the run whenI heard a loud thump and saw him flatten out on the ground, head, tailand ears up, hindquarters flat. Then he gave another thump and began torun in what appeared to be blind panic. He smashed into severalobstacles he usually dodges easily.

And he didn't know me.

I called him, walked over and tried to grab him, and he darted away insheer terror. He was flat out running and acted like a wild thing.

After some minutes of this, during which he ran madly around, sidesheaving and eyes wild, not even hearing me call him (Bub knows his nameand usually comes immediately when called), his eyes seemed to changeand some recognition returned. He came over to me, smelled my hands,and became unusually sexually aggressive. He appeared to be stillnervous, as his sides were heaving.

I picked him up and held him--another strange thing, as I usually can'thold onto him. I held him tight and covered his eyes and he seemed tocalm down. Put him back in the cage, and--although still sexuallyoverexcited--he recognized me and was beginning to act like himself. Ileft him eating and drinking, but still jittery.

The crows were calling in the trees (they do this time of year), andI'm wondering if that's what set him off in the first place.

But why didn't my boy know me?

 

[DaisyNBuster]

I'm sorry Rose, I really don't know what happenedto Bub. I know my cats have mad half hours where they go mental, butI've never seen it with my rabbits.I hope he's ok. Anyoneelse any ideas?

Vickie

 

[VNess2010]

Sounds crazy....maybe you were wearing a newheavy coat he didn't recognize...were you carrying any foreignobjects? Whenever I pull duffle bags, full trash bags,laundry bags, etc..out in front of Cosmo, he goes crazy andthumps once or twice. He hates big objects and doesn't knowthat they won't hurt him. I guess that sometimes what we knowis safe, really seems like a threat to them.

My two cents,

Vanessa

 

[pamnock]

Sounds like somethingalarmedhim. Our rabbits get scared if I walk into therabbitry with a different coat and they don't recognize me.

The crows may have alarmed him that something was wrong and that he needed to escape.

Pam

 

[rabbitgirl]

pamnock wrote:

Sounds like somethingalarmedhim. Our rabbits get scared if I walk into therabbitry with a different coat and they don't recognize me.

The crows may have alarmed him that something was wrong and that he needed to escape.

Pam

I think you're right about escaping. I had all the same clothes (theyeven smelled like him)--and a moment before he'd been acting perfectlynormal and all over me.

Apparently he heard something....probably was those stupid crows. Andthen instinct took over and everything seemed a predator. I'll check onhim after church....I think he'll be ok....and won't let him out forthe next couple weeks because of the crow convention in the back yard.

Rose

 

[DaisyNBuster]

I hate crows. They are such eerie birds, they really creep me out.

Vickie

 

[VNess2010]

I went to the tower of london and saw theravens....supposedly if they leave, the tower will fall....however Iheard that they clip their wings so they can't leave....hmmmmmm

 

[Elf Mommy]

If Elf hears a hawk or eagle or turkey vulture orowl....she does the same thing (sorry the list got long, I keptremembering other birds). Usually, though, she runs to me, jumps intomy arms and hides her head under my hair. Even the sound of a strangevehicle or airplane can set her off.

 

[rabbitgirl]

I wish he'd have run to me...I was trying to get him to.

It was just heartbreaking and scary to watch him run around smashinginto things and not daring to do anything for fear of making it worse.It wasn't until he snapped out of it and recognized me again that Icould get near him.

 

[Cinnabun]

Thats what my other two Rabbits would do.. ifthey heard an Airplane, Bugs would take off.. Missey would just flattenout.. but over time she got used to it.

i love Crows.. i love anything big really! lol

 

[LuvaBun]

Awww, my poor Bub. Sounds like he had a real fright (so did his mommy)!

When Pernod and Perry are outside, and blackbirds give the 'warning'call, both of them run around like crazy and go into hiding. Perhaps thcrows were doing warning calls, and it was a natural reaction for Bubto get away. - Jan

 

[*nepo*]

Nepo did something like thatonce. He started thumping because he heard a strange soundandthen ran, but he didn't bump into things. I tried to pick him up, buthe kept on running untilI finally picked him up and startedcalming him down. He wasn't aggressive either, I think Bub was justreally scared.

 

[Fergi]

Aww my poor Bub, and poor Rose too. That musthave been really horrible to experience. I am glad that Bub once againcame to his senses! Has he ever heard the crows before? Maybe he sawsomething that you didn't.

Poor guy, I hope his personality recovers to it's former state quickly. Keep us posted please.

Fergi's mom

 

[m.e.]

I experienced something similar with one of our cats:

I was putting the rabbits back in their cage for the night, andhad just brought the cats into my room when I noticed Miko appeared abit....nervous. As I was bringing Scully in, Miko bolted out the doorand hid under the bureau in the entry way.

*sigh* So I put Scully in my room, and tried to get Miko out from underthe bureau. Toys - didn't work. Food - didn't work. After ten longminutes trying to figure out why she was just sitting there with hugepupils, she got close enough for me to grab. I had thought she was justtrying to avoid being locked in for the night, but I realized that shewas absolutely terrified. I mean wide eyes, stiffened body, tremblingin my arms terrified. I put her on top of the bureau for a sec, and shetried diving under it again. I barely managed to catch her.

Her heart was racing and she continued to shake, literally digging intomy arms with her claws. I was getting freaked that she was so freaked.I brought her back into my room, and she clung to me for a few minutes,before jumping down and bolting for the (now tightly shut) door. Herwhole body was puffed up and she was very, very scared looking. I justpicked her up and held her close to me for a few minutes, talking toher gently. I put her down again, and she tentatively climbed up to mybed. For the next few mintues, she continued to be edgy.

I got several responses, but the main thing was, sometimes things "justscare them". Could be a funny shadow, a shift in the breeze or astrange sound - it's a real challenge to read their triggers, becausesometimes they're inconsistent or so small as to be undetectable...andtry as you might, you can never reconstruct the situation.

 

[rabbitgirl]

Thanks all! Jan, that's interesting about the "warning call"--I'll bet that was the trigger.

My boy is fine, just went out to say hi and he was his normal self.Izzy, on the other hand, flipped out. Sheeeesh. Everyone's edgy! Stupidbirds....happens every spring, but the reaction to them isn't usuallyso scary.

I also noticed Izzy's eyes turning the same fuzzy bluish color asPandemonium's....all she probably sees now is a big dark blob coming ather cage. Sigh. I think it's best probably not to breed from this lineanymore. Not that I planned to, but I'm realizing more and more thatthere's something funny about my trio's genetics.

Oh well, all serene for now.:?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

My poor bubbers! He wasscared! I wonder why the sexual thing happened tho, maybe just thewhole stimulation thing?

He didn't get bitten by a spider did he? That was one thing I thoughtof but the flat thing seems to be more hiding. Stupid birds!:X

 

[rabbitgirl]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

My poor bubbers! He was scared! Iwonder why the sexual thing happened tho, maybe just the wholestimulation thing?

He didn't get bitten by a spider did he? That was one thing I thoughtof but the flat thing seems to be more hiding. Stupid birds!:X

Yeah, I think he was just overexcited and wasn't really "all there" atthe moment. His mood swung rapidly several times within about twominutes after that....it was really really weird to watch. I thoughthe'd gone mad. I guess he had!

No, we're covered in snow, so no "pideys" around to bite himat the moment. I'm thinking bird too.:X:X

Rose

 

[Bo B Bunny]

They are so small that I bet when they get that"rush of adrenaline" like we do ... it totally freaks them out! Poorguy!

You need a scare crow.

 

[2bunmom]

Rose, So sorry that Bub was so scared.I really think that is what happened because of an incident thathappened with my little guy Trouble. I think thattheyget so scared that they cannot even hear you. Ikeep my litter scooper in a plastic grocery bag when not inuse. One day I got it out to use andI laid the bagdown. Trouble came over and started digging in it and bitingit and the next thing I know he is flying around the room with the baghandlecaught around his ear! I called tohim and literally had to chase him down! The bagwas flying behind him and making noise. The poor littleguy! If he had not been soterrified it would havebeen funny now thatI think back on it. Itwas just like you were describing, it waslike he could nothear or see me. It is heart wrenching to see them in such afrenzy of terror. It made me feel very helpless and I was soglad when I was able tocatch him to get the bag off and gethim calmed down.To this day he is edgywhen he hears a bag rustle. Hope this story helps you in someway. Beckie

 

[BunnyMommy]

Oh, my sweet precious Bub! :shock:

So glad to read that he's back to normal now.

Please give him a big hug for me.