# Advice on Rabbit Rehome!



## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Following the advice of some of the lovely members here I have visited one of the local National Animal Welfare Trust to find a pair of Rabbits to adopt.

I have to say first off I love these people anyways thats a separate issue.

I fell in love with a pair of darling darling goregous Rabbits while I was there. A pair of male and female Lop Eared Rabbits.

Flake is the male and is only 4 months old he is sooo friendly and nuzzled himself deep into my lap and his himself under my scarf just too cute. The advsor said they had no problems with Flake but as he was still young he was still quite quick and jumpy needing some patience with handling.

Daisy is the female and is 18 months old. They said when she first came in she was quite fiesty and they recently had her spayed and since she has calmed down alot but she still bites and nips and isnt quite so handly friendly.

As a first time Rabbit owner I just wanted advice on Daisy. Is the nipping something I can help her get over even though she is 18 months old.

The reasons I ask is that I really want to have a good relationship with any Rabbits I have meaning being able to spend alot of time with them, interacting and playing with them esoecially cuddling an loving them. I also have a little toddler who although obviously wont be taking care of the rabbits I woukd like him to be able to come pet them once in a while and get used to them.

Would be unwise for me to go ahead any further with the adorable Flake and Daisy or do I have a good chance with lots of love and gentle handling getting them both to realise all we want to do is love them?

Please any advice welcome Im going to visit them again tomorrow morning!

You can have a peek at them here!

National Animal Welfare Trust - working towards a future where no animal is refused help

Many Thanks All.


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## scosha37 (Feb 24, 2008)

Aww there lovely ..

I love rabbits:thumbup: i have a house bunny he is litter trained and dosent chew i got a good one...:thumbup:

Nipping ...i never owned a rabbit thats has nipped so sorry i cant help you but i think more handling the better for you...

God luck .xx


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

They do look gorgeous dont they and they are every bit gorgeous in real life.

Oh yes one more thing they said that Daisy sometimes does the Rabbit Growl? I had not heard of Rabbits growling before this.

They said when she first came in they would not have recommended her to go to a house with children but now they think she would do ok after being spayed as she is getting better... Im confused in what to do?

My main concern is that I dont want to end up feeling nervous around Daisy waiting to be bitten of that makes sense as Im sure they will pick up my feelings!

But at the same time who knows with love and attention and careful handling every day she just may come around?


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## scosha37 (Feb 24, 2008)

yeah I know what you mean...she will get used to you and your kids and things will get better......plenty TLC....:thumbup:


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## catty (Feb 6, 2009)

She sounds exactly the same as my lop when I had her. I persevered for months and wanted to give her back for about the first three months because she was so unfriendly and agressive. Now she is the cuddliest rabbit you have ever seen. She growled at me once before I had her spayed. I was shocked as rabbits are usually so quiet. It was a proper growl! My rabbits still nip to get my attention but not as badly as before. One of the reasons I figured out that my rabbit was being agressive was that she wanted my attention. She is the softest, cuddliest rabbit ever now and every time I come in the room she runs to greet me! I hope that encourages you. It can take ages for them to trust you.


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Yes that was alot of help catty thank you! You know its strange as Ive only seen them once in real life although I had seen them a few days ago on the net and since then my heart seems set on them... could it be love at first sight who knows! 

The only down side which in a big way is also a good side lol is that it will still take maybe 3 weeks before we can bring them home if we decide to go ahead. As we have to visit them a few times etc and then someone from the centre comes to check our hutch etc which I do think is fantastic and will even put me at rest having an expert tell me that hopefully what we are providing is good for the buns! I just hope we can bring them home in the 1st week of March as hubby has taken a week off then with rabbit bonding in mind as our plan was to skip a weeks break somewhere and stay at home and get the rabbits then and bond and welcome them into the family!

Oh gosh the more I think about it the more I love them!

::thumbup:


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## catty (Feb 6, 2009)

Bonding can be quite stressful. Could the shelter help you with that? I had to get my husband to do it. He had endless patience and persevered when I was too scared.


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Flake and Daisy have already been bonded. The shelter dont send any rabbits out uness they have been bonded in pairs just so they have a constant companion! Even the lady helping was saying bonding can be quite tough so Im glad they are both getting along just fine!


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

I had a rescue rabbit that bit but with alot of handling and i know people are proberly not going to like this but a few times when she nipped me(on the stomach i may add!) i gave her a little pinch on the ear and after 3 or 4 times she realised what was happening and thought twice about nipping. she got better and better and became quite a loving bunny. she wasnt much of a growler but i have got a new zealand that growls, i just ignore her and pick her up anyway, to be honest the bite doesnt hurt that much, so if you go in confident and just carry on what you need to do(pick up, move etc..) they should realise there is no point to it. 

*Heidi*


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## catty (Feb 6, 2009)

I have to be honest, rabbits don't understand punishment and it could just make them afraid of you. Squealing is supposed to stop them but it didn't work for me ...That's brilliant that they are already bonded. Please let us know how you get on with her.


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Thanks for the advice Heidi and the confindence boost about the bite not hurting that much!

We have decided to go ahead with Flake and Daisy and I just pray that no one else has reserved them in the mean while. Im going to be waiting there at opening time 2mrw morning and fingers crossed lay my claim on these 2 gorgeous bundles of bunny goregeousness!

Im so excited! 

And I have to say if Crofty if you skim through these posts.... A Big Thank You to You for emphasising the importance of rehoming Bunnies! THANK YOU!


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

catty said:


> I have to be honest, rabbits don't understand punishment and it could just make them afraid of you. Squealing is supposed to stop them but it didn't work for me ...That's brilliant that they are already bonded. Please let us know how you get on with her.


i knew people wouldnt like it but i can only say what worked for me, this one understood perfectly, it was just as if another rabbit had nipped to say don't do that which my pairs do all the time. it certinally never made her shy away(even as i went to get her out of the hutch) it just made her a bit calmer when she was being handled. i had tried everything else for weeks and weeks, i think it was something to do with her being a stray, she had been free running in a load of gardens. she also was a screamer when she first came into the centre(i was volunteering) but she soon settled and she didnt scream once she came home.

I'm definately not saying that is what you should do, but it was a last resort and it worked in this particular case, so I thought I would share it.

*Heidi*


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

umber said:


> Thanks for the advice Heidi and the confindence boost about the bite not hurting that much!
> 
> We have decided to go ahead with Flake and Daisy and I just pray that no one else has reserved them in the mean while. Im going to be waiting there at opening time 2mrw morning and fingers crossed lay my claim on these 2 gorgeous bundles of bunny goregeousness!
> 
> Im so excited!


You are welcome, a scratch is worse than a bite I think  I've never had a rabbit bite that broke skin(although it made a hole in a fleece once!) and I've had some buggers! lol.

Congrats on making the decision to have them, let us know how you get on ok? and we want pictures!

*Heidi*


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Yup shall deff keep the forum updated! and no doubt to badger everyone asking for non stop advice! lol

Yup ill deff post pictures too but prob wont be for a few weeks until I get to bring them home! 

Thanks So much!

Yay!


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## penny2607 (Aug 31, 2008)

OOOO, how exciting!!! Sorry if its already been posted but when do you get them? They look lovely, bet your little one is excited about getting them as well?

For the first time in 8 years I find myself with out bunnies, trying really hard to get the OH to let me have a pair again... not very successful yet but I'll keep trying!


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Yes its super exciting Penny and I cant wait. Well im off to the rescue center in about 1 hour and hopefully they will still be unclaimed ready for me to love and cherish! 

Then from today I think its about 2 weeks until I get to bring them home! Im hoping they will allow us to bring them home 1st week of March as my husband took that whole week off when we decided to buy buns from the petshop so that we could all spend an intense first weel bonding as a family! So I hope they will aloow us if not I guess he will try and change his time off!

I hope they are still available and Good luck with getting a pair!

x


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## umber (Feb 15, 2009)

Just returned from the Animal Shelter and Woooo Hoooooo Ive reserved Flake and Daisy for adoption! I am so happy and I even got to hold and cuddle Daisy today and although I was expecting a few nibbles she didnt which was really great although when she went back into the hutch she did give a big thump wih her back paws to show she wasnt in the best of moods!

HOpefully it should be about 2 weeks before my babies come home! Im off to visit them either 2mrw or Monday and Im going to take some treats for each of them either a toy or something yummy... any ideas?


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

aww they are both very very cute, i wish you lots of happy times with them, i bet your excited about bringing them home,


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

A treat ball with some treats are liked by all of mine, or something they can throw around is always good.

*Heidi*


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