Calm Your Rabbit in 11 Ways

Learning how to calm your rabbit is essential as a pet owner. A frightened bunny may suffer from extreme shock, a condition that can be fatal to rabbits. In this blog post, you will also be able to answer this common question: do fireworks bother rabbits? Keep reading to learn managing stress in rabbits!

Calm Your Rabbit by Providing a Hiding Place

Rabbits may feel scared due to a couple of reasons. Since they are prey animals, they don’t like to feel cornered. Although you don’t attack them, they will feel intense stress. Hence, providing a hiding place inside its hutch can help in managing stress in rabbits. They would have the option to go to a safe place to hide from danger. As much as possible, put a tunnel or a cardboard box inside the enclosure.

The tunnel must be high enough for your rabbit to be accessible. But it must be low enough for your pet to feel secure. If you have more than one bunny, ensure each pet has a hiding place. The hiding places must have at least two exits. It would help to prevent dominant rabbits from being territorial. You can also put a hiding place that is large enough for the bunnies to gather together.

Calm Your Rabbit by Keeping it Away from Bigger Household Pets

A barking dog can cause extreme terror to a rabbit, which can be fatal to your pet. If your dog or cat is aggressive and territorial, you should keep it away from your rabbit. It may not only scare your bunny, but your bigger household pet may also harm it. Letting an aggressive dog or cat stay with your rabbit may result in stress. It may affect its overall health. Before getting a rabbit, ensure you can provide it with a quiet place despite the presence of other pets.

Calm Your Rabbit by Holding It Properly

Proper handling is vital in managing stress in rabbits. Picking your pet by holding its ears or the scruff of its neck can be painful. Instead of earning your rabbit’s trust, it will be a traumatic experience for your pet. The right way to pick up your bunny is by putting your hand on its chest while the other is under its bottom. You must also refrain from holding your pet often since most don’t like to be held and picked up. These furry pets can also sense your emotions when you are holding them. Handling them while you are angry or stressed can make them feel uncomfortable. Hence, you must handle them as gently as possible, reassuring them that they are safe.

Calm Your Rabbit by Sticking to a Daily Routine

Unlike other pets, rabbits are uncomfortable with changes. They become anxious whenever they are in new places and exposed to new activities. Thus, it is vital to stick to a daily routine. You must feed and train your bunny at the same time every day. You must also set a schedule for grooming your pet and letting it out of its enclosure. Doing these things in the early morning and late afternoon would be better.

Contrary to popular’s belief, rabbits are not nocturnal. They are crepuscular animals. Hence, they are most active around sunrise and sunset. It is an anti-predator tactic that limits them from encountering predators. Knowing the sleeping pattern of your pet helps set its daily routine.

Calm Your Rabbit by Respecting its Privacy

Many pet owners love rabbits because they are friendly and sociable. However, these furry pets may want time to be alone and enjoy their privacy. Although you and your bunny already have a strong bond, you must still respect its personal space. Forcing your pet to interact with you, even if it doesn’t want to, can make it jumpy and scared. To protect itself, it may show aggressive behaviors like biting and scratching.

Let your rabbit stay in its tunnels to enjoy its time alone. Also, don’t disturb it when it is sleeping or resting. Understanding your bunny’s behavior is vital to know when to give it attention and leave it alone. If you have children at home, you must advise them not to always hold and pick up the bunny.

Calm your Rabbit by Covering it With a Towel

Activities such as grooming and administering medicines can frighten bunnies. But covering them with a towel is a good way of managing stress in rabbits. If you are about to trim your pet’s nails, ensure it is calm to prevent rabbit injuries. You can place a soft towel above its head to make it calm. But if you observe that your pet is too stressed, you can reschedule the grooming session.

Unfortunately, many owners find it challenging to administer medicine. It is because bunnies tend to get scared. But wrapping them like a burrito can help to ease their nerves. The cloth you should use must be soft to make your bunny comfortable. Also, never wrap it too tight since it may compress your pet’s abdomen. It would make it difficult for your pet to breathe.

Calm your Rabbit by Giving its Favorite Treats

In managing stress in rabbits, distracting them is one of the effective ways. Giving your bunny its favorite treats can divert its focus, calming it. This trick can help if you trim your pet’s nails and bring your bunny on a short trip. But as a reminder, you should feed treats to your pet in small amounts only. Also, choose a healthy treat for your bunny. Prevent giving it with too much sweets and junk food. A slice of fruit is a good treat for your bunny. 

Calm Your Rabbit by Providing it with a Safe Shelter

Rabbits living in poor environmental conditions tend to be more nervous and scared. Thus, you must ensure that your pet lives in a healthy environment. It must have a suitable cage to stretch comfortably and hop around. The enclosure must also have proper materials to make the cage well-ventilated. It must also have solid flooring to prevent your bunny from having sore hocks. Aside from that, your pet must also have complete supplies in its enclosure. A food bowl and a water bottle are necessary.

If your pet is staying outdoors, ensure that your bunny is safe. Its hutch must be sturdy enough to prevent the predators from attacking it. Also, place the enclosure under the shade to protect it from the sun’s direct heat. Since rabbits are afraid of loud noises, put their hutch far away from busy and noisy roads.

Calm Your Rabbit by Preventing Loud Noises

For rabbits, loud noises are signals of danger. Their sensitive ears help them sense if there are predators around. Although their hearing keeps them alive, hearing loud noises can make them stressed. Rabbits experiencing fear play dead, become aggressive and stamp their hind feet.

If your rabbit is staying indoors, avoid playing loud music. Choose soothing music instead. You can also limit the noises indoors by closing the doors and windows. Prevent shouting at your pet since it may get scared of you, thinking you are a threat to its safety. Speaking to your pet with a soothing voice can help it to become calm when you are around. 

Calm Your Rabbit by Knowing what is Scaring it

There are different reasons why a bunny is scared. By knowing the primary cause of its fear, you will be able to address it and help your pet. An unfamiliar object may cause anxiety to your pet. Suppose you want to walk with your pet by using a leash. It would be better to introduce the leash for a couple of days before putting it on your pet. Do the same for other new objects you would want your pet to use. 

Your bunny may also get frightened by sudden movements. When you are around your pet, ensure that you move gently. Another way your pet can get scared is because of unfamiliar smells. They also tend to mistake cooking smells for new rabbits. If you are cooking, it would be better to place your pet where it cannot smell what you are cooking.

Calm Your Rabbit by Bringing it to the Vet

Sick bunnies tend to get more jumpy and scared because of the pain they are experiencing. If you have done everything, but your bunny remains uncomfortable, it would be better to bring it to the vet. Aggressive behavior may also be a sign of an underlying disease. Let the vet provide the proper treatment until your bunny feels good again. 

Because of improper diet, bunnies become sickly. Ensure that you feed your bunny enough fiber. It improves the gut’s motility and keeps the bunny’s teeth strong and trim. You can also add leafy greens to your pet’s diet. Besides the vitamins and minerals, they also keep the rabbits hydrated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do fireworks bother rabbits?

Yes. Fireworks bother rabbits too much that they can die in some rare cases. If there are scheduled fireworks displays in your area, it would be better to prepare your pet. Put it inside your house or an insulated shed for an outdoor bunny. Moreover, providing your bunny a hiding place will help it to hide once it hears the loud noises.

How do you calm an angry rabbit?

To calm an angry rabbit, you must make your pet feel safe. Instead of hurting it, you should speak to it gently and reassure it that it is secure. If your rabbit still needs to prepare to socialize with you, never force it. Give it enough time to adapt to you and its surroundings.

Conclusion

As a bunny owner, knowing how to calm your rabbit is one of the things that you must learn. Knowing what to do can prevent your pet from experiencing extreme terror. Also, you must know the answer to the question: do fireworks bother rabbits? Thus, you will learn how to calm your rabbit during fireworks displays.

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