PDA

View Full Version : young bunny playing dead?



dk4joy
07-25-2005, 12:03 PM
My daughter got an adorable 4 month old lop eared bunny last week. She seemed healthy, happy & energetic - until this morning when I went in to feed her some timothy hay. She was laying down, in her indoor cage, eyes open, & when I pet her she felt stiff, like dead. She didn't blink or move!! I rubbed her vigorously, but she still didn't move. So I picked her up & she finally snapped out of it & seemed ok. I set her down & she hopped around then ate her hay & drank some water like nothing was wrong.

Is this normal? It sure scared the wits out of me! Do rabbits sleep so hard they appear dead? Or what could it be? Has anyone seen this happen before? Should I take her to a vet?

wolfie
07-25-2005, 03:14 PM
Okay, I'm not a rabbit expert, but I know that sometimes when rabbits are scared they will play dead. And some owners are able to put their bunny in a "trance" by laying the bun on his back. But I'm not sure if your bunny was scared, and probably no one put her in a trance...

I would say not to worry, but I'm not 100% sure. Do you have a vet? Here is a list of rabbit vets by state, if you want to call. http://www.rabbit.org/care/vets.html

dk4joy
07-25-2005, 03:31 PM
Thank you! That does make me feel better. Our vet doesn't work w/ rabbits, but I could ask her for a referral of someone who does. It sure did give me a scare!

moosmom
07-25-2005, 03:40 PM
I've heard that bunnies can go into a trance-like state. But don't take my word for it. Ask the Mayor of Pet Talk!! I'm sure she can confirm or deny it. Afterall, Miss Hoppy IS the distinguished mascot of this website.