Annoying friends destroying my progress with Cupcake!

[happatk]

So, as some of you know, I got Cupcake yesterday and have been bonding with her since then. I've gained some of her trust, but just now one of my friends and her loud mother visited me and Cupcake and started trying to pick her up. I told them to stop, but the mom assured me she knew what she was doing. Well, poor Cupcake was terrified and hasn't left the corner of her cage since then. I'm afraid all of my progress with Cupcake has been lost now, and my friend plans on coming back later to see her again! I really just want to tell her to stay away from Cupcake, but I don't have the heart to.

GAHH, I'm so mad right now. :X It was SOOO obvious Cupcake didn't liked being cornered and grabbed at, but my friend and her mom wouldn't stop trying. It was like watching a train wreck, I felt so powerless. What should I tell my friend to keep her away without being too bitchy? I don't want to lose her as a friend, but I don't want her around my rabbit. She's too handsy and loud.

 

[Seras]

If you can put the rabbit away somewhere. Tell the person that the rabbit is "sleeping". Just keep her away and if she goes near the rabbit just tell her no the rabbit is scared and needs to get used to everything which is true. When i have ppl over i usually keep them in other rooms of the house. Also my door locks so no one but me whose has the key can get in. I hope this helps. I would SCREAM if i saw someone holding my bunny and he/she didnt want anything to do with it.

 

[mardigraskisses]

Just tell her the rabbit bites. Keeps my obnoxious friends from messing with my rabbit.

 

[kahlin]

I've had friends do that before, so I know it's really frustrating. You will still do ok with Cupcake. And then she'll learn how great you are and to avoid strangers.

 

[SablePoint]

Same thing with my nieces and nephew. They are obnoxious and want to mess with Mr. Bun all the time. I tell them that Bun Bun bites - and he does when pestered, esp. when he's in his cage. They don't mess with him, even though they really want too!

 

[bunnybunbunb]

I will be right rude about it, I honestly do not care. I am pretty dominate around other people, when I say no they normally do not ask why *shrugs*. Just tell them you said no and you mean no, that you do not have to give a reason.

 

[JadeIcing]

bunnybunbunb wrote:

I will be right rude about it, I honestly do not care. I am pretty dominate around other people, when I say no they normally do not ask why *shrugs*. Just tell them you said no and you mean no, that you do not have to give a reason.

Sounds like me. My resposibilty is to my animals not to people who can't take no for an answer. Ha I smacked my cousin for picking up one of my guys after I said no. Was an abused rescue.

 

[Orchid]

Bad situation...and I have been there with a friend who said he grew up on a rabbit farm .....I so didnt want him touching Simon...so I just started saying...Simon is sick, leave him alone...etc
Good luck

 

[RexLovables]

Ohhh that would p*ss me off BAD! I would tell my friend straight up "I JUST got my rabbit and she is new to everything and is VERY scared and i am in the bonding process so she needs to be messed with by ME only" and then id say "That means you cant mess with her at all, im sorry but i know a lot more about rabbits than you and since she is MY rabbit i have the say so on what goes on with her" If you friend gets p*ssed and wants to be a little winy baby about it tell her to leave and then if she want to pull the annoying "fine! Im not friends with you anymore!" crap then she isnt a very good friend that would throw you out all because she didnt get to hold a rabbit.

 

[undergunfire]

It sounds like you really need to talk to your friend. If I had a friend that didn't respect me & my pets in my house....they would no longer be my friend anymore. That is just me, though.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I agree with everyone else.

I would probably feel to scared to tell her not to mess with the bunny if it were me as well, but things just need to be done.

A few weeks ago I had two kids over looking at my rabbits and the little boy kept opening the cages himself...I was going to tell him to knock it off but his mom was standing there too and I didn't want to sound like a b*tch. I do regret not telling him and I'm going to bring my voice into effect the next time I see someone doing that...

Emily

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Emily, when people are in my barn I tell them do NOT open the cages without asking. If they do I have no problem with making them leave. It is always just family/friends but I have made a few leave. After once/twice they normally get that I mean what I say.

 

[l.lai]

Me too, if i know i have guests coming i move Racer to a smaller cage or have him running around in my room instead. Dont want unexperienced people grabbing at my bunny or dropping him!

 

[happatk]

Thanks for the advice guys. I told her that Cupcake's new and scared, but she didn't care and kept grabbing at her anyways. I'm just going to the lock the door to my room and not let her in until Cupcake gets comfortable and falls in love with me. She thinks that just because she's my friend, she can be a "mommy" to Cupcake, too, but it doesn't work like that. -.-* It freakin takes time to develop a bond with a bun, forcing it does nothing!! (sorry for venting, I'm passive-agressive and I had to let it out!!)

It doesn't help that she owned a rex a few years ago, so now she thinks she knows everything about buns. Her rex died from some "mysterious" disease, but now I suspect she might of contributed to its premature death. It was only a year old. : /

 

[happatk]

kahlin wrote:

I've had friends do that before, so I know it's really frustrating. You will still do ok with Cupcake. And then she'll learn how great you are and to avoid strangers.

I think you're right about that, because after my friend and her mom left, Cupcake started moving around and playing with her toys instead of cowering in her corner. Still, I can't help but worry about what kind of effect obnoxious people will have on her feelings about me.

 

[Konotashi]

There are little neighbor kids around here that try to harass Salem all the time when I take him outside. If they try to pick him up, I say no. If they keep trying, I say, "If you try it again, he's going back inside and no one will get to see him." Normally they stop at that point, but there's this one that's persistent. If they try it after that, I just pick him up and go back inside without saying another word.
I don't want to seem like I'm mean to them, but he's my pet and I care about his safety, and I don't want kids from 4-8 picking him up. Not only for his safety, but for theirs also, because he does tend to kick if he's not on his back.

I think that you should explain to them that rabbits are very shy critters and tend to be a bit nervous and easily frightened, so they should be calm and quiet around her. Not whispering, but not being loud and obnoxious, either. Also, hold her in your lap and allow them to pet her, just don't let them try to pick her up. Explain to them that she's still getting used to everything and you don't want to put her through too much too soon and stress her out.
Hm, just saw the other post. If she refuses to listen to you, pick her up, take her in the cage, and tell them that they can't see her anymore until they listen to you.

She's YOUR baby, therefore they should listen to you. If not, then they don't get to see her. There's my 2 cents.

 

[tonyshuman]

I had a friend who once GROWLED at Tony, like he was a wild bear or something. I was so mad. He no longer got to spend time with Tony--if Tony was out and he came to visit, I'd put Tony away in my room. Only the friends who were calm, quiet, and respected that Tony doesn't like to be picked up got to spend time with him. Luckily, this guy wasn't my best friend or anything, so it was a bit easier.