Tramautised bunny?

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BarneyBabe

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Jan 17, 2020
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Location
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Hi all, I am new to the forum!

Basically, I'm a bit stuck.

I have a 7 month dutch, who I adopted from a pet store. He was up for adoption as whilst he was very friendly to humans, he was very aggressive with other rabbits and would attack any rabbit he was near. He was also a biter - something I am trying to (slowly!) train him out of.

This christmas, we took him back to my in-laws house. He's a house rabbits who mainly lives in an X Pen but has freeroam time daily. He was really friendly, loved cuddles and would sit on my lap for hours.

Sadly, when I was out of the room one of my other-halves relative decided he would capture bunny for 'a cuddle'. Bunny was obviously scared, pooed all over the floor and look terrified. I was very cross, but the damage was already done. Bunny was unharmed, just shaken up.

Anyway - since that day, bunny has no desire to be picked up or sit on the lap and be cuddled. He loves being cuddled on the floor, sitting his head on my leg for ages, and still licks me, circles me, honks at me etc - so I know he still loves me, but just doesn't like being lap cuddled or picked up anymore.

Is there anything I can do? I am so frustrated at the situation, but I'd really love to undo the damage!

Any suggestions welcome, and thanks for listing to my ramble!
 
Just keep on doing what you do, take a few steps back and build up his trust towards you and humans again. Sometimes you meet setbacks but with patience and treats everything will slowly build up again.

Don’t pick him up until he have trust towards you and train him to be used to be picked up again. So don’t force yourself on him and slowly let him adapt again.

Myself had a setback simerly like yours but it was for my bunny Toste. He got so scared by the fireworks during the new year, a year ago. So he started to attack people again, took 1 month to make him stop and 3 months to make him tame and cuddly.

I had lost 6 months of work because of fireworks, which was really frustrated. But it was faster building up his trust the second time than the first time.

And this year new year he didn’t react at all and just chomped on his carrot.
 
Hi Hermelin - I am so sorry for never replying. You reply really helped at the time so please forgive me!

Your advice was exactly right - it's taken a LONG time but here we are four months later and Barney has almost completely returned to his old self. He still hates being lap pet - but I wonder if that is also to do with him growing up a bit. He loves being cuddled on the floor / sofa / bed etc. and will give lots of kisses back - so I think he's happy. I've just grown to accept he prefers it, guess that's okay!

He'll even let me pick him up now - I just have to give him 'prior' warning so he can get into position, ha!

thanks for all your help :) xx
 
@BarneyBabe that’s great everything worked and he have warmed up to you again.

It might just be growing up or he will like it later on. They truly go through different stages ☺️
 

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