it is not easy trying to get an abused bunny who has never been humanised to accept you..so i made her bond with oscar first..i figured once shed bonded with him and saw how he is with us and vice versa it would work better than bonding with her right off...and sometimes i feel this has been the problem..but then she makes up for it by trying to copy whatever hes just done with us..but shies away sometimes instead but the thought is there.
I spend a lot of time on the floor with a beanbag behind my back as i badly injured it at christmas..so im in prime position!
She comes to her name but wont get near enough to touch her..but thats fine cos sometimes i call her and she comes and nudges my fingers gently and runs off and turns to watch me.
She let me put treats in front of her and then she let me feed her one..but it all went pear shaped at the weekend..

they are used to me rushing around and flying past the cage to answer door phone etc and cooking and i have so 2 long cardigans and 2 coats one of which i hardly use cos its a little small for my huge butt!
Any how i was going past slowly and collecting my bag going to the door when Bif went nuts absolutely nuts and she had a massive panicking session...she knew it was me but as soon as the coat came into view even being hung up she was squeaking and throwing the litter pans around and tripped up the water bowl completely and the food id just fed them..oscar was horrified he didnt know how to calm her down.
I came back and left the coat in the porch and she was still scared so i sat down near the cage talking to them and offering oscar a treat..and when she seemed calmer i went to let her out..mu daughter said whilst i was out she did it a few more times when no one was near the crate.
Shes a bit better with me now..in fact we moved the tv as shed nicked a c able..other cables are bunny proofed..anyhoo weve given them their own play corner and they love it and they even sleep in the other end near the door..she let us walk past her without running and has been coming up and sniffing us regularly.
Waqs it the fact she didnt recognise me even tho she could smell and hear me..or did the coat make her have nasty flashbacks?
We have had her since March 27th this year and her and oscar have been bonded for a month i think maybe a bit longer but not much..but i wont give up on her..shes mad and cute and hates going in the dog crate overnight..she thinkls shes never having freedom again..but ive shown her thats not true and now she even takes the odd nap in there with the door open..

heres Bif n Oscar....loved upxxxxx

oscar goin walkies!

They are so cute!
My friend had a little dog for years that freaked out every time a guy would enter the house with a hat on. They guessed that she was abused before they got her. She lived to a ripe old age but never lost the fear of men in hats.
Good luck with her.
I do believe that time heals all wounds and she will learn to trust again.

awwww!
good luck!

i believe it was the coat that got to her. rabbits dont have the bets vision and when they see an unfamiliar shape walk into a room they *can* go on red alert. my rabbit Thimble doesn't alarm much about anything- she thinks she is the queen of the world- haha- however- my rabbit Sniffles is VERY skittish and she loves to be loved and cuddled but she bolts behind the bookcase every time myself or someone else walks into my bedroom carrying any type of object in their hands. but all i have to do is sit on my floor and call her and she realizes it was just me and she's okay. i think the longer you have Bif, the faster she will calm down after a scare. hehe- even though it shouldn't be a scare of coarse!

plus i think Oscar will help her calm down because she finds comfort in him. it is so wonderful that they are bonded so she will learn to trust and come near you for pets and cuddles by watching him do it. hopefully see will mimick his actions with you. I do believe in time she will become very loving with you. she is soooo adorable!!! and so is Oscar, of coarse!

has anyone ever read of how much memory a rabbit keeps?

one of my new little bunnies, Creepies, is a total lap bunny, but a few times when i've reached to pet him on his nose he will not only cower but start shaking violently and close his eyes very tight as if he was bracing himself to be hit... my other bunnies will cower if i move too quick or make too much noise, but not like this. other than these few times he has more than welcomed any gesture of affection and almost begs to be picked up - he climbs my leg, stands up to be picked up when i ask him to come to me....

i hate to think that someone would hit this poor bunny so hard that he would react like that... when he's done this i've just gently rubbed my finger across his cheek, he'll open his eyes and snap out of it and crawl into my lap and get as close to me as he can... it almost makes me cry just thinking about it... i have had to pop by other bunnies from time to time when multiple snaps, "hey's", or "quit it's" don't work and they know they're doing something wrong - but never more than a quick pat just to get their attention, not enough to make them scared, not enough to make them rare back at me, and never ever hard... i just hate the thought of what he might have went through.... it makes me wonder if it might be more than the coat for your sweet little Bif...

i would have put it down to not recognising me but i wear long cardigans..long coat..diff jumpers fleeces(hey it is british summer guys! ) and she never minds and my daughter has a balck jacket..but its that coat that does it.
aww thank you..her and oscar will get big headed now

aww sounds like something is playing on buns mind there and then he forgets...
Bif too panicks then seems to change and remeber we dont eat her!
shes coming along slowly now but i know shell never be like oscar..hes more like an affectionate little puppy!!