New Dutch - not settling in yet, thumping

[puddlejumperfarm]

Hi,

We just adopted a year old Dutch. We have a mini lop of our own, that we also adopted and he settled in right away...friendly, happy, etc within a day. The Dutch has been with us two days...so I know it's still early! But he is thumping his feet, running around in circles, chewing everything in site, etc. He seems very unsettled still. We got him from a home with 3 kids and he was in a very small cage. He was already neutered by them, before we got him My guess though is he probably has been stir crazy from lack of handling, lack of room, boredom, etc. So my question is...we gave him a dog sized crate, litter box, a wiffle ball and have left him on his own to settle in. Will he get better personality wise? How much longer do you think to relax from all his previous experiences. Also he seems really inquisitive and a super alert compared to the minilop. Are the dutch much more alert, need more stimulation, etc. I put a wiffle ball in our mini lop cage and he just kind of looked at it and chilled out like his normal self. The dutch picks everything up with his teeth, explores the new cage constantly, hyper alert, etc. So from this long question...any advice . . .will he settle in soon (even coming from being trapped in a too small cage for a year). I'm just hoping for some less thumping of the foot and running in circles around the new area we gave him. Thanks!!!!! :bunnyhop: We were told he was sweet and easy before picking him up, but he's been more challenging than the minilop. We are hoping for him to be happy and settled soon though

 

[CWD]

Give him some time.
as the old saying is. Only time will tell.
right now he is in a whole new world, he needs to figure out what has happened to his old world.
Best of luck with him.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

To the best of my (limited) knowledge, Mini Lops and Holland Lops are a lot more "chill" than some other dwarf breeds. All the Dutch I've ever known have been pretty highly strung, so it may just be how he's wired.

As for the settling in and stomping and allsuch...I'd give him time. Let him decompress for a while without too much handling, spend some time getting to know him on his terms. Two days isn't long at ALL...some rabbits act like they're home the instant you bring them in (my buck, Rockstar, is like that...bought him very recently, he settled into his new home in about .02 seconds and has ruled the roost ever since!) others take some time to relax (I also bought a doe named Breezy a few weeks ago...she's JUST starting to come 'round and seek affection from me). Some of them can take a long time to acclimate...they all have their own personalities.

And if he was from a home with a lot of small children, he may need more time than most.

This article (http://rabbits.chandrabeal.com/article_language_of_lagomorphs.htm) may help understand his stamping behavior, but it isn't all inclusive either. My dear little Rockstar likes to stamp his feet right after breeding a doe, letting everyone else in the herd know he's in charge...or if I'm giving attention to the does in the adjacent cages, he'll stamp til I pet him and give him his fair share of treats. Clearly he's not scared, in distress or warning of danger. I recently attended my first show, and when they called for junior bucks, several in the lineup were stamping and snorting, though clearly not distressed. Some of the people around me were joking about how "young bucks are." So take that website with a grain of salt.

However, if he IS stamping because he's stressed, and running in circles because he's trying to "escape," you may have a long road ahead to earn his trust and get him to relax. The best (and for me, ONLY) way I've found to connect with my herd: FOOD. Be the Bearer of Delicious Things, and soon they learn to like you.

Best of luck with your new bunny, and welcome to the forum!!!!!!

 

[ladysown]

dutch rabbits are quite .... well...they are NOT like mini or holland lops. They are a highly curious involved type of rabbit.

give him some time, hopefully he'll come around for you.

 

[Miss M]

I would put a blanket over his cage (not an heirloom... because he might chew it through the wire). Make it nice and dark and cozy in there, so he feels safe. Leave just the side with the door uncovered, so he can still see what's going on.

Give him a cardboard box a little bit bigger than he is, completely glued shut (glue is safer than tape). Cut a hole in the side. That will give him an even safer hidey-hole, and he'll probably use it as a shelf, too. In fact, he may use it as a shelf exclusively... but at least he'll have an option.

Offer small treats, talk, but try not to handle him much for maybe a week. Then maybe pet him, but let picking him up wait a few more days.

I'm sure you'll get lots of helpful suggestions!

You're already getting lots of helpful suggestions! I keep hitting "submit", only to see more replies!

 

[puddlejumperfarm]

Thanks so much! treats and quiet time I can handle that... it's reassuring getting some advice. I wasn't expecting this, since our other rabbits as babies were so easy and the mini lop we adopted as a year old like this one was also easy. The dutch had me doing the "oh, no!" thoughts in my head. We have kids too, but they are so good with the rabbits. We also make sure our rabbits have big hutches, litter boxes, etc. This guy had a tiny cage (smaller than our guinea pigs) and the smell of pee was terrible on the bottom. If I had to live in there for a year, I'd be acting a little wild too! Just hoping to get some advice and reassurance that a rabbit with some baggage in the past, can settle down and be happy/easy going.<br /><br />__________ Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:11 pm __________<br /><br />He's also our first dutch ... and seems to pick EVERYTHING up with his teeth...the litter box, the ball, the toilet paper roll I put in there, the wood chew he came with, etc. Sort of like a hyper active child at the moment. He's on the go, go, go when he's not thumping. But we are going to leave him quiet to settle in and hope it all works out!

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Thanks so much! treats and quiet time I can handle that... it's reassuring getting some advice. I wasn't expecting this, since our other rabbits as babies were so easy and the mini lop we adopted as a year old like this one was also easy. The dutch had me doing the "oh, no!" thoughts in my head. We have kids too, but they are so good with the rabbits. We also make sure our rabbits have big hutches, litter boxes, etc. This guy had a tiny cage (smaller than our guinea pigs) and the smell of pee was terrible on the bottom. If I had to live in there for a year, I'd be acting a little wild too! Just hoping to get some advice and reassurance that a rabbit with some baggage in the past, can settle down and be happy/easy going.

__________ Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:11 pm __________

He's also our first dutch ... and seems to pick EVERYTHING up with his teeth...the litter box, the ball, the toilet paper roll I put in there, the wood chew he came with, etc. Sort of like a hyper active child at the moment. He's on the go, go, go when he's not thumping. But we are going to leave him quiet to settle in and hope it all works out!

For what it's worth, all my Mini Rex do that too. They love tossing things around and my one doe Gem, when she's done eating her pellets, always carefully puts her pellet dish into her water dish. :roll: Some rabbits like carrying things in their mouth, LOL! None of my larger rabbits do it, so I'm left to wonder if it's a small rabbit thing.

"Busy" rabbits can be fun! They're always doing something, and often it'll make you smile!

 

[Miss M]

Somebunny on here gives empty tuna cans (with the sharp edge bent down) to her buns as toys. They like to throw them against the sides of the cages to make lots of noise!

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Somebunny on here gives empty tuna cans (with the sharp edge bent down) to her buns as toys. They like to throw them against the sides of the cages to make lots of noise!

I bet Rockstar would LOVE that. By virtue of being at the end of the row, he always gets his pellets last, so he's started yanking his pellet dish off the side of his cage and banging it on the door. Like literally holding it in his mouth and whacking it on the door to make noise. Interspersed with the occasional stamp. :roll: He REALLY likes being the center of attention, LOL!!!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Adult rabbits take longer to settle in....it took ours about a month or so.

 

[puddlejumperfarm]

He's getting much more relaxed and settled...thanks!! Just took some time, like you guys had said. Our other rabbits were just quicker to adjust to all the change in a new home...but thankfully, he is warming up a lot now

 

[Dood]

In my experience, Dutch are one of the more high strung ADHD type of rabbits.

I suggest you give him alot of excercies, maybe teach him agility or get a 'rabbit roller' so he can cruise around the yard.

I have attached a picture of a rabbit roller I made, this is a smaller one for my 3 pound house bunny (I also have 12 pound AmChin size). In the summer she can roll round the yard in complete safety and I have even taken her to local parks and attached a chain leash tethered to the ground or a lawn chair so she cannot go too far.

 

[Prisma]

That's cool! Wonder if all bunnies can learn to use one of those...would make it sooo much easier than moving huge exercise pens.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

In my experience, Dutch are one of the more high strung ADHD type of rabbits.

I suggest you give him alot of excercies, maybe teach him agility or get a 'rabbit roller' so he can cruise around the yard.

I have attached a picture of a rabbit roller I made, this is a smaller one for my 3 pound house bunny (I also have 12 pound AmChin size). In the summer she can roll round the yard in complete safety and I have even taken her to local parks and attached a chain leash tethered to the ground or a lawn chair so she cannot go too far.

That thing is AWESOME.