My rabbit is healthy but scared of me. Is it depressed or unhappy?

Question

My rabbit seems okay and is healthy, but it is scared of us. We keep it outside in our backyard (there are no predators around, we have had rabbits before and all of them survived). However, when we are near the rabbit in question, it becomes wary around us and runs away from us and looks very scared of us and just stays shaking next to the rabbit we are trying to bond it with. At night he lets us bring him in the house to his cage. I am scared he is depressed and scared and has a bad life. Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | neutered

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

I wouldn't feel too bad. Rabbits are born scared; it's in their nature to be constantly on high-alert for predators, because they are a prey species. Unfortunately, humans are some rather scary predators and the rabbits' reflex will always have them scared of you. While there are some rather social rabbits out there, I'd say the vast majority of them are not that interested in people and prefer to do their own thing. They naturally like to hide, because it makes them feel protected. All rabbits have their own levels of anxiety and ability to form bonds with other animals and humans. It sounds like Leo is one that does not bond easy and may be a bit more anxious than the others. You can help him feel comfortable by providing him plenty of places to hide. If you want to get her more comfortable with you, then it will take a great deal of time. Essentially, you need to be in the same area as the rabbit for hours before they start becoming more and more comfortable with you. I don't think she has a very bad quality of life from what you're describing. She will be happy enoug to have plenty of space to hop around, food and shelter. Having a bond with another rabbit would be good too, as they are usually social creatures. However, sometimes they won't bond with particular rabbits, so you can't force it.

My rabbit is healthy but scared of me. Is it depressed or unhappy?

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