Stress

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

Hey all, I'm new to the board, and sorta new to rabbits (4h when I was a kid over 20 years ago). Anyways, I'm in the process of acquiring stock for meat rabbits to raise for my family, and I brought home my first buck two days ago.

Now, I know that rabbits are prone to stress and anxiety, but 'Buck' (I know, original, right? lol.. he's named after Nathan Fillion's character from Halo: ODST) seems a bit more stressed than I remember my previous rabbits. He came from a rabbitry that had a bunny barn complete with an AC where they kept it a steady 64 degrees so he's currently housed in a hutch in my sewing room that's rarely used due to the 105+ heat. I figured it would be best to not stress him with the additional heat on top of the move.

He's incredibly jumpy, which I expected, but seems VERY nervous! The simple act of opening his cage to put food in his bowl sends him into a panic attack which leaves him breathing heavily for a few hours afterwards. I don't know what to do for him short of leaving him alone, which I am except for feeding/cleaning.

Any suggestions?

 

[Secuono]

Did you not pick him out yourself?
Some rabbits are just not handled and thus jumpy. Either way, with time, he'll be fine.

 

[Miss M]

Hi, Kitty! Welcome to RabbitTalk! :welcomewagon:

Wow, sounds like he's even more frightened than the average bunny in a new home... he does need to have contact with you, though, in order to learn that you're not scary.

You could put a radio in the room with him, set on low, preferably a talk station, so he gets used to hearing voices and different sounds. When you feed him, leave a couple of raisins behind in the top of his bowl. Hopefully, he will start associating you with treats instead of terrifying scariness.

 

[Desert Rose Rabbits]

Did you not pick him out yourself?
Some rabbits are just not handled and thus jumpy. Either way, with time, he'll be fine.

I picked him out myself, and handled him quite a bit before leaving. Once he was out of familiar surroundings, though, it all changed. All of my rabbits growing up were acquired when they were around 8ish weeks old and handled constantly. Buck was born 02/2012 so he's significantly older than I'm used to.

Hi, Kitty! Welcome to RabbitTalk! :welcomewagon:

Wow, sounds like he's even more frightened than the average bunny in a new home... he does need to have contact with you, though, in order to learn that you're not scary.

You could put a radio in the room with him, set on low, preferably a talk station, so he gets used to hearing voices and different sounds. When you feed him, leave a couple of raisins behind in the top of his bowl. Hopefully, he will start associating you with treats instead of terrifying scariness.

I'll give the treats a go. He's definitely curious about me, but absolutely terrified all at the same time. He's eating and drinking very well, so it's a good sign. I'll leave him be for the rest of today, short of some treats, and then tomorrow start working with him. I was just afraid of stressing him out even more.

 

[ladysown]

see and I'd take my work into that room with him and just do stuff around him so he chills out.

Leaving him along is good for the first couple of days to let him settle, but after that you just need to carry on working around him or he won't get used to you. He needs to hear your voice and learn that it doesn't mean you are coming to bug him (aka feed/water/be near him). He needs to get used to your moving around and knowing that it means nothing, and oh...once in a while good things happen.. like treats!

 

[Marinea]

Welcome Kitty to RT!

I agree with Ladysown. Let him get more used to you, slowly. Talk to him, and let him get used to your movements.

Oh, and we like pictures of buns here