After pouring cold water on my pet rabbit repeatedly, it screamed at the top of its lungs. Will it die?

Question

I continually poured cold water on my pet rabbit while it was in a cage. After repeating several times, it thrashed about, jumped high, and screeched in a high pitched tone I've never heard before. Subsequently it ran into a little house inside the cage where it refused to come out. It was shivering and trembling. My question is: can this type of stress kill the rabbit? Is it really true that fright alone can kill a rabbit? Many will wonder why I did this in the first place. The reason is that I want to make this rabbit develop into a super-rabbit that can tolerate many kinds of stressful situations better than ordinary pet rabbits. You know, like Navy SEALs--their training involves being drenched with water repeatedly and all that other stressful stuff. It toughens them up!

OK, but seriously, I know people are going to be like "Oh you are so cruel" and whatever but I seriously want a direct answer. I mean, has anyone actually tried to make a rabbit tougher?

Jesus. See, I knew this sort of knee-jerk reaction would immediately ensue. People criticizing my actions without actually thinking about them for a few seconds. I just want people to consider for a moment that maybe this is actually a good thing that I'm doing. Consider human children, for example. You don't want them to develop into wimps, do you? That's why children are sometimes put into stressful situations so that they can learn how to tolerate tough situations and thus develop into better adapted adults. If it were a "cruel" thing to subject children to stress, then we should keep them inside our houses 24/7, not give them homework or let them play outside, and generally make their lives a boring hell. Think about it!

Answer 1

Yes, your rabbit can die from stress alone. Rabbits are a PREY species. They lack the 'will to survive' that many carnivore or omnivore species possess. They are very delicate creatures. Their hearts can stop if they are bombarded with too much stimuli (ie: stress). In their attempts to get free, they can also break their own backs with a wrongly aimed thrust of their hind legs.

When a rabbit screams, it does so because it believes it is dying (ie: It's -incredibly- frightened) and it's warning other rabbits in the area that it is in distress. Sometimes it forces whatever animal is harming it to leave it alone---often times it doesn't. Screaming is a last resort for the rabbit---whose liveliehood depends on its ability to be quiet.

That all said, you cannot make a rabbit 'tougher'. They are not dogs. They are not cats. And they certainly aren't humans. Rabbits, again, as a prey species, lack the ability to learn or comprehend that being drenched in water doesn't mean it's not drowning---they will ALWAYS believe they're drowning. Likewise, you cannot grasp a rabbit roughly or otherwise mistreat it to get it 'used to' it...it will always believe harm is befalling it and it will act accordingly (by struggling to get away, screaming, ect.). They have smaller brains as compared to most carnivoric/omnivoric species---they simply don't have the mental capacity to learn what it is you're trying to teach.

So what you're doing IS cruel. Rabbits should not be submerged in water---even baths are to be avoided at all costs. Rabbits do not swim---they are burrowing animals and never come into contact with water unless it's to drink. All you're doing is instilling fear of water into your rabbit to the point where it may never drink from a water dish now. You could also kill your rabbit---by drenching the rabbits' undercoat with cold water and not drying it immediately, your rabbit could now catch pneumonia, hypothermia, or even digestive-related problems because of the stress you've placed upon it.

Do your rabbit a favor...find it another home and then YOU go join the military so YOU can be tougher.

Answer 2

With all do respect and also this was answered ten years ago i am a minor and even I would not try that. If the poor rabbit is screaming wouldnt that ne a first sign that its hurt or scared, wouldn't you as a human being scream and shout if you had ice cold water pourred over you im sorry that rabbit is not an olympic swimmer from antarctica... Excuse my spelling errors i'm not the best...

Answer 3

Hell yea dude all these old ***** don't know what they are talking about, I had a ***** rabbit I poured cold water on it daily and took it out in the freezing winter with me, he'll we went through spartan training togethure yea the rabbit was scared at first but now he is a strong rabbit, all these people have weak rabbits.

Answer 4

I'd love to think that this is your idea of a joke. But just in case it isn't, the odds of you turning an ordinary rabbit into "SuperBunny" aren't good.

That's done by selectively breeding for specific traits, and each generation should be stronger and tougher than the last. It's a matter of genetics more than 'training.'

Now, do us all a favor and go stand under a waterfall for a couple of hours, then let us know how much stronger you feel.

Answer 5

Wow, I regret being nice to you on the last question. This is called Animal Abuse. I hope you get reported to ASPCA or the police. Rabbits CAN die of fright alone, and they are NOT capable of building up resistances like people. If you did this to a child, it would be child abuse, so you don't have a comparison there. Rabbits are not mean to be made tougher. My rabbit is 10 goddamn years old, which is close to the world record, and I didn't have to f*cking scare him to do it.

Answer 6

Rabbits are just sweet little animals. They were not put on this earth for someone like you to pour cold water on it to make it "tough". Someone needs to pour freezing cold water on you in the dead of winter, out in the snow with all your clothes off to make you a decent human being because obviously you are a mean cruel heartless person. And yes, just to answer your very stupid question, it will kill the rabbit, they cannot endure any kind of stress. Please give the rabbit to someone who will care for it properly.

Answer 7

Just to point out, that what you have done does constitue animal abuse in most states. Most people don't realize that animal abuse and neglect can be a FELONY in much of America, and people also don't think that abuse or neglect of rabbits, ferrets, parrots, and even hamsters is grounds for arrest.

And, as was stated before, rabbits are prey animals; they do not 'toughen up'. Not to mention, rabbits are part of the rodent family, and are not usually swimmers. Most rodents will catch a cold if wet, and most colds in rodents are deadly.

So, yes, you can stress a rabbit to death. If yours doesn't die from the stress of having his parent/caregiver torture him by pouring freezing water over his fur, then it will probably die of pneumonia. Good job, man. Good job. And you are that cruel.

Answer 8

People who volunteer for tough-up training are dedicated to that training. Your rabbit did not volunteer and has no idea what this treatment is all about. They just do not have the mental capacity of humans. If you continue mistreating a pet that only wants to love you, I can only hope someone takes pity on the both of you and seeks a kind owner for the little defenseless animal and professional counseling for you.

Answer 9

Oh my gosh! Were you raised by rattlesnakes? What kind of an idiot are you? I hope your mother shows up at your house and finds nothing left but your rotted carcass with a bunny rabbit eating the remains! Why don't you become a superhuman Navy SEAL and throw yourself into rush hour traffic? You pestiforous jerk!

Answer 10

How DARE you do that to an innocent life.
Yes, stress and fright CAN kill a rabbit, and, no, you can NOT "toughen up" a rabbit, it's just not in their nature, instinct, or psycology.
And when a rabbit screams, it is either because it is incredibly scared or hurt, or because it is about to die.