I don't know how to stop

[butterflyx96]

I got a pet rabbit almost a month ago. I love her very very very much. Sometimes she is sweet and wants attention. Other times she wants nothing to do with me. When she runs away from me, or squirms, it just makes me want to hold her more. She makes me so mad, and sometimes I smack her, or shake her, or flick her. The more upset she gets, the angrier I get. After I have "abused" her, I feel so awful... I don't know how to stop. I don't want to tell my therapist because she might tell my mom. Has anyone else dealt with this? Please help me!!! :(

[sherlock holmes]

To be brutally honest I don't think you should have a pet if you are violent towards them.

It sounds like something is going on with you right now that is manifesting in your relationship with your rabbit. But it's important to remember that your rabbit is an animal, not a human. Your rabbit is utterly dependent on you to survive and to have a clean cage, fresh food and water and to be treated properly.

Everyone loves their pets, but do you think you are perhaps going a bit far? Your rabbit might show signs of not wanting to be around you because you are very rough and hit her when you're angry. Obviously that is hurting your rabbit and you can cause her serious harm or even kill her.

I think you need to tell your mum and therapist. Hopefully you can work through this but at the end of the day anyone who hurts their pets shouldn't look after animals until whatever issue is resolved and they can be trusted not to hurt animals again.

[talaiporia]

Do you think you might be able to contact a pet charity and see if they're able to rehome her if you're not able to look after her?

[Snow White.]

I can hear you're very upset about what is going on but also that you have some trouble at the moment in regulating your emotions and behaviors - for example when your rabbit is getting upset that makes you more angry and more violent. To me this says that you should tell your therapist so you can work on the emotions involved.

Sometimes your pet will want nothing to do with you. That's how animals (and people!) Are at times. This sense of what may be being perceived by you as rejection should not warrant a violent reaction. So perhaps with your therapist you need to work on dealing with that sense of "rejection" (although the animal isn't rejecting you, they just want time alone). But if you don't sort this out I worry you could really hurt the rabbit or extend your response to humans.

Shaking an animal is extremely dangerous. Please stop this straight away. If you don't think you can stop I do suggest rehoming the rabbit. And I mean rehoming immediately. Shaking animals can cause brain damage and death.

When your rabbit wants time alone, give it that time. If you can't do that without a large emotional reaction, consider why? And consider giving the rabbit to someone to care for until you can sort it out.