Bunnies hide in corner

I have had one bunny since March this year and my other one for two months I believe they are bonded since they eat together and cuddle together, but all they do is flop and hide in the corner so I barely see them anymore and they want nothing to do with me. How long until they start wanting to hang around me and be more social? Any tips?

First, consider your rabbit’s nature. You need to understand the “prey mentality.” Rabbits are one of common prey animals that other animals will hunt to eat. They are naturally less outgoing than a dog or cat, because they have to constantly be on the alert for animals that will eat them. Many rabbits do not like to be held or cuddled and may never enjoy sitting on your lap. However, many can learn to enjoy attention and petting from their human caregiver. Imagine if a giant rabbit came toward you and you did not know this strange animal’s intention. Personally, I think I would be so scared that I would try to run away or possibly bite the scary beast! Who knows what you would do if you felt cornered? So, let your rabbit get to know you slowly.

When you are getting to know your rabbit let him choose when to interact with you. Try not to force yourself upon your rabbit. Pushing yourself on a shy bunny can result in your little friend cowering from you, running away or biting out of fear. It may help if you find out as much about your rabbit’s background as you can. For example, your rabbit may have been given to a person who had rabbit allergies, or worse, the previous owner just didn’t want the rabbit and therefore the rabbit was ignored. The rabbit may have lived in an environment that was loud, had too many children or where he was picked up and prodded all the time. Perhaps your rabbit lived outside in a hutch and was not socialized.

If your rabbit has a cage or some other confined living arrangement, instead of reaching in to take him out, open the door and let him choose when he wants to come out; that way your rabbit will feel like he is in control. You should sit quietly in the area where he is living. It may take days or longer before he chooses to come out with you around. Perhaps you can catch up on reading your mail, or find another way to occupy yourself. If you ignore your bunny, he may be curious to see what is going on. Sooner or later his curiosity will get the best of him and he will come out. Always keep the door to his living area open. If he is scared, let him go to his safe space. Rabbits like dark spaces, so you may want to set up a place for your rabbit to bolt to, such as his cage, a hiding place, or a simple corner. Rabbits also love to explore paper bags and may use them as hiding places or even toys. Patience is a virtue when making friends with a shy rabbit. Rabbits really are sociable creatures and their need for human interaction will eventually shine through.

Next, turn on the charm. You should speak calmly and lovingly to your rabbit. In other words, “sweet talk” your rabbit. Do not make sudden moves or noises. If your rabbit approaches you, have a special treat available to see if you can tempt him to come near your hands. When his curiosity gets the best of him, he will come close to you. Praise your rabbit with your “happy” voice for being so brave. When you feel he is getting used to your hand, you can offer him a treat. After a few days of your rabbit accepting a treat from your hand you can slowly try to pet him on his head. If he resists or runs away, try again next time. Your new friend may want to sniff you to learn that you are not a predator. As the days go by, your rabbit will accept more touching, may climb on you, and will soon look for and accept your attention. You will recognize the day that comes when your rabbit acts happy to see you. You will have wonderful feelings when you see bunny binkies or a side-flop near you. A “binky,” when a rabbit does a series of runs and jumps high in the air, is an expression of extreme joy and happiness. When a rabbit side-flops, he is saying, “I am so relaxed that I can flop on my side right next to you.”


As I described above, I love to lie on the floor on my stomach to let my rabbits jump on my back and sniff my hair. They often use my legs as a ramp up to back. Two out of our eight bunnies enjoy this activity. We offer the rabbits a special treat and pet them when they seem to be in the mood for attention. Sometimes they would rather run around and be left alone instead of having our attention. Either way, I enjoy watching their antics.

Finally, there are several important things to remember about rabbits. First of all, they do not like a hand in front of their face. This is because bunnies’ eyes are on the side of their heads, so they can’t see as well directly in front of them. You should speak to your rabbit as you approach so your hand doesn’t take her by surprise. A startled rabbit can give you a painful nip. Do not push your rabbit to be your friend faster than he is ready. Each new person that comes in contact with your rabbit should be introduced to your bunny gradually. Your rabbit may bond with some members of the family but not others. Spending time with your rabbit when you feel the most relaxed will make a difference with the experience, but keep your bunny’s natural waking and sleeping hours. Rabbits are the most active during the dawn and evening time and enjoy rest time during the afternoons. Never shout or holler at your rabbit, even if you think your rabbit is “misbehaving”.

Please be sure to have your male rabbit neutered and your female spayed. Although altering your rabbit is essential for his or her health, it will also improve behavior.

^yup to all that.

Try aligning your bunnies' feeding times with time they get to come out and interact with you. Personally I think what made my bunnies craaazy to see me is because when I let them out to run around and spend time with me, I always feed them. So I'm the first thing they run to when their cage door opens, because they know mama gots food!

Edit; Hang on, you never mentioned if your bunnies have a cage/pen. If they don't, they may be hiding so much because they don't have a "home base" to feel secure in.

Thanks for all you comments. They are free roam bunnies but they do have a cage and hiding place within the cage I just never shut the door to it. I am just getting concerned since I have had them for more than a couple months and still no progress. They are rescued bunnies from the spca so I don't know much of their backgrounds