My coworker's roommate is caring for her rabbit incorrectly. How should I approach her about it? (Or should I?)

I would talk to her about it. And maybe even share some resources to see if she'd be willing to talk to the roommate. Let it be known you understand the person is trying to do the right thing for the bunny and that it's acceptable to not be well educated about rabbits because most people are not.

Did you offer to come by and assist? Would that be too forward. I guess in the worst case you could see if they really still want the pet and if not get it to a good rescue to give it the home it deserves.

It could be aggressive because it’s being put in a small cage and humans are reaching their hands in and invading their safe space See video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1abIFF_fgpY

I would just gently offer some information. Maybe print some stuff out regarding their care. There is a good care guide by DinkaAnimalLover that you could give them. “Hey I see you have recently acquired a rabbit, if it helps any, let me offer you some care guides that provide a lot of detailed information”

I personally think she should surrender the rabbit to a rescue or take a bunny basics class.. but that’s my over-protective parent showing through...

They probably don’t know how to properly care for a rabbit and think it’s like a gerbil or hamster.

I think it is worth it, rabbits live a long time and to have the poor thing in such conditions is sad, and you would be giving the bunny a voice and advocating for their health. Misconceptions about rabbits cannot be fixed unless people take a stand and educate people

Try talking to her and helping guide her.. ask her if she wants to keep the bunny or if she would mind it if you took the bunny yourself and you could visit. :)

Tell her that she saved his life by getting him off the streets and he really need her to care for him properly now. Offer to help..

Share with her the my bunny care guide here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z_IvDuy5Fr-VOKwBVBSmZih0m1ATCIquIMhYyFl4aIw/. As a new parent this will really help her... I really tried to include all the info a new bunny parent might want into this guide... It has all she really needs to know for his diet, how to set up housing, how to litter train, how to bond with him. I think she would find it really helpful if she wanted to give it a try. :)

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Tell her that they have very delicate GI systems and their teeth never stop growing so feeding him correctly is not only good for him but also for her as it will save her a huge amount of money on vet bills... The ideal diet for an adult bunny of about 6 lbs in size is - UNLIMITED hay, 1/4 cup MAX of pain pellets per day (not colorful bits or seed in them), 1 to 2 cups of green leafy veggies. Carrot, kale, and fruit only as occasional very small treats. No yogurt drops or processed sugars. and My guide has all the details for her.

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Try not to keep the bunny in a cage.. you need a bigger space. Bunnies are smart and like toys and space to explore. You need a LARGE space for your bunny! An XXL dog crate might work, but best to use an xpen. My guide linked below has advice and examples of how to set up their enclose.

This is true during the night also and when you are sleeping. Rabbits are crepuscular - meaning most active at night and early mornings as prey animals, so they are quite active often when humans sleep...

I totally understand the idea of having the bun in a more secure space when you are asleep but given the crepuscular schedule I mentioned above try to expand that space from just a cage. You can get an xpen or some NIC grids and attach them to the cage edges with some zipties such that the hutch door always leads to a larger but still more secure space for her.

Kind of like in here or this picture or this or this.

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As far as bonding with the bonny and him being aggressive, share with her some tips below:

1. When kept in a tiny space a bunny will naturally be very protective of it as his whole world shrinks down to this tiny space. If she expanded it like I suggested above and took some time to bond with him, the bunny she would see almost immediate changes in his behavior.
2. Also your bunny may have reached puberty or will have reached it by about 4 to 5 months! He will become hormonal teenager and that will make it harder to bond with him. He may have urges to pee to mark his territory and to hump... all this will be fixed by getting him neutered. Please the section on this in my guide.
3. There are some specific ways in which to bond with the bunny.. it's not hard and she would find it very rewarding if she tried

Some things to do and not to do:

1. Bunnies don't like to be picked up or held at all as prey animals! They are not cuddly lap animals, though they will come to you for pets once they trust you but it will take time and effort to build trust. Bunnies are very fragile and picking them incorrectly of chasing them will result in serious injury.
   1. Please avoid picking up and holding the bunny unless you must like for a vet trip.
   2. Do not ever chase him, always let him come to you when he wants to. You need to respect him! Let him come to you on his own terms when he feels safe... If you chase him and pick him up he will develop very negative associations with you. He will think every time you are close he will get sprung into the air and chased and he will mostly hide and avoid you. You don't want that. :)
   3. Give him a hidy house - even a cardboard house and never chase him if he goes in there - this his safe spot.

To build a bond with him: Do the things below and I promise you will see progress.

First of all don't give up on him... bunnies are prey animals and as such timid by nature and it takes them quite a while to get used to people depending on the situation they come from. I am guessing his situation was far from ideal and he is understandably unsure and weary of people. But with some patience, the right approach and diligence you can change that. :)

What works best with bunnies is always always letting them come to you instead of you going to them... silly as it is, that is what makes them feel most secure around anyone who is trying to bond with them. The best way to encourage them to do this is another silly thing - get on the floor. Literally just sprawl out and do your own thing and wait for him to come and explore you (I promise he will if you are patient). On the floor you are on his own level and you feel both safe and curious for them explore. Instead of kneeling down when you get close to him, get on all fours further away to sort of say - I am low I am safe, I will not pick you up, and then just kind of stay there and wait for him to come and explore you.

I would honestly suggest trying to really focus for the next few week on spending lots of time on the floor with him when you are home. Anything you usually do just do it on the floor. The floor is their level and where they feel the safest and that is best for bonding. Sprawl out and let him hop all over you. Watch TV on the floor and lean against the sofa for comfort or even when you are on your laptop. Basically just make a real effort to spend lots of time with him on the floor for a couple weeks and see if that makes a difference I think it will. :) Always let him come to you on his own terms when he feels safe, don't reach for him if you feel like he is not feeling safe in that moment (kind of anticipate his feelings)... some greens will help make you feel more inviting and attractive, and over time you will be able to pet him while he is eating, and then he will learn that humans mean yummies and they are safe and he will pop by for pets from you more often. :)

Watch a couple videos below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3rlWno7B8g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9HcoC19h4

It's really about the amount of time you spend around and with your bunny on his level (the floor) - the more the better.. The food is not a way to bond, but something that initially helps lure him to you to learn more about you and what to expect from - this of it this way… To bond with the bunny, grab some treats (I suggest cilantro or small pieces of dried apple) and sit on the floor in the same room as the bunny. Spend lots of time on the ground with it in spaced out sessions. Just read or watch Netflix, and wait for the bun to come to you. Eventually, he will probably come up and sniff you all over. Sit still and let him do that, then he'll hop away. The next time he comes, offer him treats from your hand. Repeat several times, just sitting and waiting for him to come get treats. When he's comfortable with that, and maybe flopping or binkying in your presence and close to you, reach out and pet his head as he is eating a treat. Almost all rabbits love having their heads pet/massaged. If you're lucky, after a while He'll be coming to you and asking for it by putting his head near your hand.

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If you get the sense she just does not care and will not change, offer to take the bunny and find him a better home yourself if needed.. and if she refuses, call animal control. Thank you for caring!!! This little guy is 100% dependent on you now to help his human love him and care for him... he is helpless alone!