Question from the Audience: The New Bunny

A question from Murat D. in Crangston, RI:

Q: We just bought a 7 month old, male, neutered lionhead rabbit yesterday. He is so scared from us because whenever I leave him to go out from the cage, he hits his legs on the floor strongly and never come near us. Can you tell me what to do in the first days of adopting a rabbit? Do we need to keep him in the cage all the time or stay near his cage? I really do not know what to do. Also when I want to put him back in the cage do I need to follow and catch him or wait for him to go by himself.

A: A new bunny is going to be terrified when it's first brought home and will probably need a few days to adjust. The thumping behavior is indicating that he feels scared and threatened. The best thing to do is leave him alone, and never force him out of his cage. After a few days, he should calm down a little. When he looks more relaxed, open the cage door and sit down next to his cage. You don't need to initiate any interaction with him; in fact, it's best if you just ignore him, and read a book or watch TV. Eventually, your rabbit will come out and explore the area, and ultimately approach you. When he does, let him sniff around and wait some time before petting his head and cheeks. The key is to let him approach you while you wait patiently.

Mental stimulation is crucial for keeping your bunny happy, so make sure your bunny is getting plenty of daily free time out of his cage. As for getting him back in his cage, don't chase him in. Try using a treat (a raisin, a piece of banana, apple, a stalk of cilantro, or a commercial rabbit treat like Yogurt Drops) to lure him back. Or try to work feedings around the time you need to get him back in his cage. If you're having trouble, you can try "herding" him in, but it's not a good idea to pick him up and physically put him in his cage. For further advice on interacting with your pet rabbit, read "Holding and Aggression" and "The Essentials: Approach," which outline how various human behaviors can be interpreted by your bunny.

Question from the Audience: Bunny Friends

A question from Greg S. in Boston, MA:

Q: I currently have a male lionhead rabbit, and he lives alone, is an indoor rabbit and gets a lot of time out of his cage. However, there are still a few hours he is home alone and I was considering getting a bonding candidate for him. I was wondering whether there is any sort of sign that finding a mate would be good? He has been introduced to another rabbit before and seemed very interested and gentle, the other rabbit on the other hand was not interested and too dominant. Do you think this submissiveness would be with all rabbits or was that an isolated example?

A: If you ever observed a bonded pair of rabbits, you immediately understand that rabbits are social creatures who love and enjoy each others' company. And if you didn't think there was anything cuter than your bunny flopping down next to you, you have to see two bunnies cuddling up with each other. The cuteness increases exponentially!

Exponential Cuteness

But before you do adopt, you should first have your rabbit fixed. Neutering eliminates numerous medical problems, halts unwanted behaviors, and also reduces aggression and tension between rabbit companions. Unneutered males can be quite aggressive, though females can be just as violent, and the only sure thing you can do to ease a transition to two bunnies is spay and neuter. Also be aware that it takes roughly six weeks for the hormones to filter out of the body, so you'll have to wait a month or two after the surgery before the introduction. The best combination for a neutered male would be a spayed female, though it's not impossible for two neutered males to get along.

While dominance and submissiveness are relative qualities, they do tend to stay consistent in individuals and seem tied to personality. Since your rabbit reacted calmly and gently during a previous introduction, you can mostly expect he will behave similarly in the future. However, if the introduction with the "too-dominant" rabbit took place in a non-neutral territory, such as on the "too-dominant" bunny's home turf, the meeting was biased, and the circumstances would have affected their personalities. However, their reactions could still resonate in general terms.

The best way to determine how your bunny would react to others is to find out. Many shelters, such as the Boston MSPCA, allow potential adopters to bring in their current pets for a meet and greet. This is a good neutral ground for an introduction and a good way to see which rabbits your pet would get along well with.

While considering a second rabbit, don't forget that you will need a neutral space for them to have their first few interactions, a second cage, and a separate area for the second cage. It will reduce stress levels greatly if the rabbits can get used to each others' smells before the new one moves into your first bunny's territory.

All in all, since rabbits are social creatures, your bunny would most likely greatly enjoy having a pal to hang with. And with adopting another rabbit, you are saving an another life! What could be better than that?

Welcome!

Welcome to The Rabbit Advocate! Rabbits are becoming increasingly popular pets. And they should be! As a long time rabbit (and many other dog/cat-substituting pets, including fish, hamsters, frogs, and an iguana) owner, I can attest to the singular joy these adorable creatures can bring. The problem--and the inspiration behind this newborn blog--is that rabbits are all too often misunderstood. They are commonly viewed as soft stuffed animal toys, as big-eared cats, or even as rampant rodents with little awareness.
This blog attempts to explore, explain and educate about the intricacies of bunny behavior in order to encourage strong, loving relationships between pet and owner. It is my belief that if humans better understood their floppy-eared companions, shelters would not be flooded with rabbits abandoned as a result of common misunderstandings which have led to broken bonds, or bonds that were never created.
I will attempt to explore an area of rabbit behavior each week, and answer specific questions posted by you.