HOW TO HELP ANXIOUS RABBITS
By Fiona Murphy, The Bunny Coach
This is another question I get asked all the time - bunnies are prey animals and therefore, new situations and environments can really upset them, and in serious cases cause them to go into GI stasis, where their gut slows down or stops moving altogether which can be fatal. They are extremely sensitive little souls, but of course, are all individuals and some handle changes and new situations better than others!
Rabbits in general though, really don't like change, so the less we can change things for them the better - which is why they thrive on routine, and why they like things 'just so' in their set up!
If change needs to happen, breaking things down into bite size steps for them it can really help. For example, if they hate visiting the vet or groomer, then getting them used to the carrier and then car rides, and being handled can really make a big difference, as a lot of the process is then something that they are used to.
Here are some extra things which might help if you have an anxious rabbit
RABBIT MUSIC - On Spotify and Youtube, there are several rabbit music playlists, ideal for playing in the car when travelling with your bun, while bonding, or to drown out background DIY noise which might upset them!
PET REMEDY - Some people swear by this, and some feel it doesn't make any difference, but it's worth a try, right?! You can get plug ins, sprays and wipes and you can also add some drops of Rescue Remedy to their water. (I have a great class inside Fiona's Happy Bunny Club by a Holistic Animal Therapist with some amazing alternative therapies and essential oils and how exactly to use them safely if you are interested in trying these!)
NATURAL FORAGE - Lavender and Chamomile both have natural calming properties, so adding them to your rabbit's diet or forage can really help. If you are interested in providing a more natural diet for your rabbit, and using natural remedies to support their health and wellbeing, there is a class inside the Club on that too!
MEDICAL INTERVENTION - Here is a very interesting article on the use of Gabepentin in rabbits to help decrease stress for vet visits. It is often used as a painkiller for issues such as nerve pain and arthritis in bunnies, and to reduce seizures, but it seems it is becoming more wide spread for use in reducing anxiety as well. Read the article here
Hope this helps!
Fiona x
To give your rabbit the A+ Bun Life they really deserve, hop on over to Fiona's Happy Bunny Club, - your safe, one of a kind space to get Personalised, One to One Guidance and Feedback on your exact situation, from a Rabbit Expert, who has been exactly where you are and now supports hundreds of rabbits every year!
Fiona's Happy Bunny Club is an amazing fun and supportive community of other bunny nutters with no drama (Because we all know that people who aren't crazy about bunnies just don't get us!!), a whole library of bunny care classes for you to learn more about and develop an amazing bond with your precious fur baby, PLUS REGULAR LIVE BUNNY CARE MASTERCLASSES, QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH GUEST RABBIT EXPERTS
Find out all the amazing benefits here -
FIONA'S HAPPY BUNNY CLUB - MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP
THE ONLY BUNNY CLUB LIKE IT IN THE WORLD,
COME ON OVER - YOU'LL LOVE IT!!
PS Sign up for my Weekly Newsletter for Care Tips, Special Offers and Fun Stuff here