Hey everyone!
So my partner and I got two new bunnies about 6 days ago. Every day we make sure they get time out of their cage so they can get used to us and the house. But every time we try to take them out, they completely freak out ,they run away and don’t want to be picked up at all.
Once they’re finally out though, they’ll sometimes flinch or move away from us if we approach them… but funny enough, if we put them on the bed, they hop all over us and get super cuddly!
We’ve been trying really hard to give them space and not force interactions ,even though we’d love to cuddle them all day 😅 because we want them to see that we’re safe and nothing bad will happen.
It just feels like every day we’re starting from zero again instead of picking up where we left off. Has anyone else gone through this? How long did it take your bunnies to really start trusting you?
Any tips to help them feel more comfortable being handled or just being around us would be super appreciated!
by mcv2002
9 Comments
Don’t force the touching, cuddling etc. just be around them while they’re out, lay on the ground next to them and let them do the sniff sniff
If you’re letting them run around in a large area, they’re probably not very confident yet and just need to get used to it and get to know it a lil better to be more confident
For the most part bunnies, which are prey animals do not liked to be picked up. When you pick them up, t’s a genetic reminder of being picked up by a predator. Sure some will freeze and seem to not be bothered while others may actually allow you to do it. But that’s rare.
To Rabbits, anything not a rabbit is a predator, even you. What you need to do is stop coming at them with the intention of picking them up.
Instead, grab a phone or ereader or book or whatever, lay on the floor and ignore them. Sure you can talk with them but stop grabbing them or even trying to pet them. They will come to you, sniffing your hands or sides or even try to climb your back. The lower you are the more bunny like you’ll be to them.
I have 4 buns. 3 for over 3 years and they do not like being picked up at all. They tolerate it for a few minutes but one will nip, one will wiggle until let go, and the other, a small female, will just freeze up. On the other hand, I have a 1 year old foster fail that doesn’t mind me picking him up and will sit on my chest, will pur when I kiss and snuggle his ears and forhead.
With rabbits, like cats, you take what they give.
don’t pick them up you’re scaring them! let them approach you… honestly best advice, pretend the floor is your bed, lay on your stomach or just sit with them and let them come to you! don’t try to touch them too much, even petting them can scare them off.
Your doing just fine, stay consistent and your good
One thing that I learned the hard way is to limit the amount of kale that they eat.
I didn’t realize this until the vet explained it but the reason three of my bunnies had died was because I fed them too much kale , and there is a crap on of calcium in kale and that causes bladder stones.
I feed my Bunny 1 or 2 leaves of kale a month and that’s about it.
I have some questions about the habitat and play area!
just drawing from context, it seems that you’re mainly interacting with the buns on your bed, which is a very limited space for them. if the habitat is in a bedroom, is this the only/best space for them? they should have at least 4 hours of free run time in a space that’s at least 48 sqft.
I’m also wondering if the habitat might not be species-appropriate. is there a reason they can’t get out on their own? there should be exits at or near floor-level, a solid ramp (not a wire/wooden ladder) if needed, or a solid platform with textured stairs that don’t exceed 2 feet tall for a multi-level enclosure. if they’re just choosing not to exit, don’t worry! they’re just stinking up the place how they like. they can take a few months to really settle in.
not liking to be picked up is super normal, and you can try to train them to be okay with it over time. but outside of practice and necessity, let them come to you instead. they’ll start liking you really fast if you don’t have to piss them off every day 😂
Don’t approach them. Sit on the floor and let them come to you. Then pet them if they let you. You may find they’ll start to lick your hand or ankles lol. Give a treat by hand.
This. I had one rescue who took two years to warm up to me holding her.
So first off unless the door is high up or something you can leave it open and say some kind of word to let them know that it’s alright to come out, that way they can come out on their own and feel more comfortable.
Another trick is simply sitting nearby and offering a treat on occasion when one of the buns comes by and touches you on their terms.
After time you’ll be able to handle buns relatively easy but know that bunnies are prey animals and being picked up causes them anxiety. It’s good to get them used to some level of handling for things like vet visits or emergencies like a fire or a tornado, something like that.
Bunnies are essentially long eared cats.