Timid Bunny

Question
Hi! I adopted my bunny 2 days ago, from a rabbit rescue. Her old family got "bored" of her, and she has been at the rescue for a month. At the rescue the lady picked her up easily and handed her to me. There she was as lovely as could be, and the whole car ride home she let me pick her up and put her down, pet her, and pass her to my sister. When we got home I easily took her out of her carrier and put her on my bed as I set up her cage. Later that night I took her out of her cage easily. Now she won't let me pick her up. She bit me once when I tried (late the first time) and now she will do warning growls or swat her paws at me. I CAN pet her in the cage, as long as my hands dont go down under her and she thinks I'm going to pick her up. I leave her cage open alot and she likes to run around: she won't let me touch her when shes out of the cage though. I thought this might be because shes exploring. My chinchillas, that I've had for 2 years, do that sometimes. They run away from you because they don't want to go back into the cage. But she's different- more timid. What can I do to get her used to me, and be able to pick her up out of her cage?

Answer
Dear Chelsea,

It's very normal for a bunny in a brand new home and unfamiliar territory to be either very timid or aggressive, or both.  She needs time to adjust, and that might mean just leaving her alone to have some time to herself.

Make your contacts with her gradual, gentle, and never forced on her.  You can find step-by-step instructions on how to win her trust here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html

It will take patience, but once she knows you are going to be her forever family, she will calm down.  Just don't force things too quickly, and always interact on her level, not picking her up unnecessarily.

Hope this helps!

Dana