Wednesday, May 12, 2010

How do you make a lonely rabbit happy?

I have just recently had to have one of my rabbits ('Smudge') put to sleep, it has broken my heart as i still have another rabbit and i hate to see him unhappy. Smudge used to always look after him, as the rabbit i have left is very shy. I want to build a relationship with him so he isn't lonely, and that so he isn't scared of me now that the other rabbit isn't here to protect him (Smudge would always guard him).


Please help me!


Thanks from my rabbitHow do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
So sorry to hear about Smudge, it's always hard to have to put a loved pet to sleep. I have had the same problem a few times myself, with both rabbit and guinea pigs. Keep an eye on his food, as when I had this problem with a rabbit he stopped eating and had to be syringe-fed for a while. Not saying this will happen to you but it's better to keep an eye on his eating habits.





As your rabbit is very shy, treat him like you would a rabbit you've just met. Start with the basics, let him sniff your hand without picking him up. If you can, sit in his cage/run and let him get used to your scent. When he dosen't run away from you, stroke him, pick him up, hand feed him, basically give him lots of cuddles and attention. Spend as much time as you can with him, and talk to him. My bunny loves the sound of my voice, it's a familiar sound which is comforting to a rabbit.





For when you're not there, give him lots of toys. Tunnels (made of beer containers or bits of plastic pipe, ask people doing roadworks for cut-offs), sticks, and cardboard boxes are all free and very entertaining toys. My rabbit loves loo roll tubes stuffed with hay with treats in the middle, she has to chew through to get them out. Anything that rolls and makes a noise is a winner too.





You could also try adopting another rabbit, I know you might not want to at the moment but you may feel differently later. It can be a lot of work to pair rabbits, especially as he's already been bonded, he might not be too keen on another partner but then again it could work really well, it really does depend on every individual rabbit.





Best of luck and hope you and your bunny feel better.How do you make a lonely rabbit happy?
Hi there.





There are a number of things to make your rabbit respect you and become friends:


1. Hand-feed your rabbit. This will show your rabbit you're not there to hurt it and it will grow in confidence when you do this.


2. Play with it. Bring it indoors and sit it on your lap.


3. Talk to it. This may sound strange, but a familiar voice is comforting to an upset bunny!


4. Get a rattle/ball/small toy for your rabbit. Rabbits love toys and they are very stimulating.





I hope I helped you out - good luck :)
The first two answers given are both really excellent and should help greatly.


I am so sorry for your loss - all I can add is that I had much the same a few years ago and the survivor stopped eating! A combination of treats, toys and spending hours and hours with her helped her. After a good few days she bonded with me and lived well into old age.





Another idea might be to try adopting a companion - your nearest shelter will be able to advise you on this and some even offer you the chance to take your rabbit along.
Also when the rabbit is out of his cage and just in the same area as you, make sure you're quite low to the ground - lying down is best, or at least sitting. Just wait for him to come to you. It will take time, but if you're patient and gentle he will learn to trust you.
Start by just walking up to and past the cage. After a few times of doing this, open and close the cage. After the rabbit is comfortable with that move on to stroking it and picking it up. This way you can desensitize your rabbit to you. :) Good luck

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