Behavior FAQ

HELP! My bunny is not eating, drinking, pooping, or peeing! What do I do?
If your rabbit has not eaten or used the litter box in 12 hours, it is imperative that you immediately take your rabbit to a rabbit-savvy veterinarian. Your rabbit has GI stasis and may not live through the night if he is not seen by a professional ASAP.

How do I make my bunny like me?
"Like" is a rather general term. If we are talking about the inability to be approached, take a look at our answer to "My bunny never wants to come to me. I can never pet him/her. What can I do?". If your bunny does not like being picked up, take a look at our answers in the Handling section.

My bunny never wants to come to me. I can never pet him/her. What can I do?
This is a common issue with new bunny owners. The bunny seems very stand offish and never wants to come to you. People want to think that they are like dogs and like being with people naturally. As a prey animal, bunnies tend to be very skittish towards new environments and people and take time to warm up to you.

The best thing you can do is to make a somewhat small enclosed space where you can sit and spend time with him. Have treats like fresh veggies and pellets or fruits near you on the floor and completely ignore the bunny. Don't try to make any sort of active contact with him, and let him come to you on his own terms. Bunnies are very curious and will sooner or later approach you to figure you out. It might take only a couple minutes, or it might take multiple sessions. If you move, you might scare him away. Placing the treats nearby will give positive reinforcement that it's okay to come near you and that you won't hurt him. In case of boredom, you can read a book or go on your laptop to pass the time. Just be careful of any electronic chargers, as most bunnies love cords and will be tempted to take a nip out of them.

If he seems okay with hanging around you to eat his treats instead of grabbing them and running a bit further away to nibble on them, you can try seeing if he will eat veggies or treats out of your hand. When comfortable with that, try gently petting him over the head to get him used to your touch. Try not to approach him from the side or on his back so that he can see where your hand is and won't be scared. Don't be afraid to go back to a previous step if your bun seems too timid.

Spend time everyday or as often as you can for an hour or so, and you can be guaranteed to see some progress as quick as a couple days or as long as a month or more. All bunnies are capable of bonding with you and become very loving given enough time. The length will depend on previous experiences, so if you adopted your bunny, it may take longer if he had come from a bad place.

If you are motivated enough, you can also try clicker training and playing other games your rabbit to build a stronger bond.

See Understanding Your Rabbit for more resources on decoding bunny behavior.

My rabbit keep chewing and digging in inappropriate places. How do I make her stop?
Chewing and digging are natural habits to bunnies. You can never stop a bunny from acting on his natural instincts. The best thing you can do is to redirect his energies to proper toys to chew and dig in. Take a look at our bunny-proofing article to learn how to keep your bun from destroying your belongings.

Can a rabbit be too old to be litter trained?
Older rabbits are actually easier to train than younger rabbits, especially babies. Rabbits gain longer attention spans and learning ability as they grow. If your rabbit is not spayed or neutered, you may have much more difficulty litter training your bun due to territorial tendencies.

I've been trying to litter train my rabbit for weeks, but he continue to refuse to keep his pee and poop in the litter box. What can I do?
First note that rabbits will not have perfect litter habits. They will drop a poop pellet here and there around their cage if they feel like it is their safe zone. This is how rabbits mark their territory. Poop should not be a big deal since proper poop pellets are dry and hard, easy to sweep or pick up, and do not leave a scent.

If your problem is more serious than the above, then continue reading.

If your rabbit is not spayed or neutered, this fact plays a large part in proper litter habits. When rabbits reach puberty anywhere from 3-6 months, their hormones become active. Unfixed rabbits after this age can get very territorial and spray urine and poop everywhere. Spaying and neutering your rabbit will make it more likely for him to learn proper litter habits.

Another reason your rabbit may have messy litter habits is that you are giving him too much freedom at once. Take a look at the Training Methods section of our  litter training article.

My bunny pees (in some location). How do I make her stop?
Clean the mess up with a mixture of white vinegar and water, club soda, or a pet-safe cleanser. This will decrease the urge to remark the location.

Is your rabbit good with using his litter box? If not, take a look at the Training Methods section of our  litter training article.

If your bun has good litter box habits already, you might consider getting another litter box in that corner. Sometimes bunnies can get lazy to hop back to their cages and pens to eliminate. It can be easier to just adapt to the rabbit than try to train him out of it.

How many litter boxes should I have in my house/apartment/room?
For a one-story location with around three to four rooms, one litter box in your rabbit's enclosure should usually be enough. For more rooms and more than one floor, you might consider having a second litter box in some of the other rooms and on the other floors. Your rabbit will let you know if one is not sufficient.

My bunny always scratches me when I pick her up. How do I make her stop?
Most rabbits do not enjoy being picked up due to improper handling when young. Rabbits are prey animals and associate their feet off the ground with being eaten. If you need to pick him up to get him in and out of his pen or cage, please invest in another type of pen or cage. Take a look at Housing for more information. However, it is important to have a rabbit that is able to tolerate being handled in an emergency and for vital care, so it is still a good idea to do some training for that. See Handling for more information. Over time, your rabbit may even learn to enjoy handling.

But to answer the real question, to protect yourself from scratches when picking your rabbit up, there are several options. The simplest way is to protect yourself with long sleeves and gloves when handling your rabbit. Another option is the popular bunny burrito. In this instance, you would wrap your bunny in a blanket or towel when picking him up and hold his legs close to his body so that he is unable to kick out.

Another concern is proper bunny handling. You should be properly supporting your rabbit so that he feels as secure and safe as he can while being picked up. This means holding him against your chest or snuggled in your arm with contact all along his body.

My rabbit never lets me pick her up. How can I do so?
Similar to the above question, try not to pick up your bunny unless there is a direct need for it if your rabbit does not enjoy handling. Make sure you are on good terms with the bunny first before you try to pick him up, otherwise, you may have a bunny that will never trust you.

If your bunny is struggling a lot when you do so, some tips are as follows:
 * Cover the bunny's eyes and pick him up slowly. When you carefully set her down, give her a treat as a reward.
 * Wrap a towel around the bunny to give more tactile support if he thinks he is going to fall.
 * Don't show hesitation in scooping him up. If you are not sure, the bunny can tell and will consequently also be uneasy about the situation.
 * Try to hold on to the bunny until he stops struggling before you put him down. If you continue to let him get away with it, he will learn that struggling = not get picked up. In the case of an emergency, you will not want him to be difficult.
 * Make sure you are carefully setting the bunny down, and do not let him jump out of your arms. One way is to get to the floor on your knees, and then slide him down your body to the floor. This way he will have your hands and body touching him the whole way down to the floor and may help him feel more secure. Another option is to set him in a box or basket first, and then carefully placing that on the floor.