Stressed Out!
It's always important to take a mental snapshot of your bunny when they are happy and healthy. You know, the afternoon when he was outside, running around in the grass and kept binkying. Or the lazy Sunday morning when she fell asleep, draped across your lap while you were petting her. Take note of the way your bunny looks with bright eyes and how it behaves when it has lots of energy. Having that snapshot prepares you to notice the subtle differences that crop up when something is wrong. Since bunnies are prey animals, they have a natural inclination to hide their weaknesses - even from you. The earlier you notice something, the more tools you have to turn things around. In this article we will be focusing on stress. Stress isn't a crisis. It's a chronic, tax on your bunny's health.
What are common sources of stress for bunnies?
* Moving to a new home or environment.
* New animals or people - including additional bunnies
* Life stage changes: bunnies do have teenage years and hormonal issues
* Molting
* Exhaustion
* Injury
What can I do to help my bunny?
* Peaceful Environment. You can make a lot of small adjustments to your bunny's environment that could have a lot of value add. Play peaceful music helps provide a calm environment, but also reduces the stress of unknown sounds (traffic, garbage trucks, school buses, water softeners, etc). Make sure your bunny's cage is in a lower traffic area. It's hard to sleep when people are always coming and going right by your bed. Consider moving your bunny's cage to a corner, where they can feel the safety of two solid walls. Tonto, my blue buck, gets stressed if he lives in a cage with an open back. It took me weeks to figure out that a simple piece of semi-opaque coroplast on the back of his cage would help him relax.
* Make sure your Bunny Has Adequate Space and Time to Adjust to new Animals and People. Introductions should be slow, or at least gentle. Allow your bunny to acclimate to new family members and visitors on its own timeline. Short sessions that gradually increase work best if your bunny shows hesitation, nervousness, or aggression.
* Help Maintain Health Injuries, molting and change can all level your bunny's energy. If this seems to be happening, try to support your bunny's body systems with vitamins and minerals in whole food forms: dandelion, plantain, celery leaves, sprouted wheat, comfrey (do your research on comfrey) If your bunny is going through the junior to adult phase, or having trouble with hormones, consider herbs. Dried Organic Chamomile flowers can be purchased online and added to fresh greens or just sprinkled on dry food. Borage and Rosemary can also have a calming influence.
* Give Extra Love Ten minutes of extra love and attention can make a huge difference. However, be aware of your own stress levels. If you are anxious or frustrated, your bunny will pick up on that energy. Try to be calm and relaxed. If your bunny senses that you are peaceful, it will feel safe.
A stressed out bunny is not as uncommon as it might sound. As prey animals, bunnies are fragile and hard wired to be alert and wary of change. In fact, I would go so far as to say that most bunnies will deal with stress a few times throughout their lives - whether induced by health problems, moving, or change. By keeping that mental snapshot of your happy healthy bunny, you can identify, reduce and manage those times more efficiently.