Change in attitude

[Lati]

Hey everyone,

I just have a quick question about my bunny.

She is a very happy and very healthy bunny and spends a lot of time playing, receiving cuddles and generally bunnying about.

My question, or rather query is this:

When she was younger she was happy to let us pick her up, she would sit for hours on my chest, bury under my chin and lick me constantly, she used to lay on my partners chest every morning and groom his chest hair and lick him, but now she doesn't liked to be picked up and refuses to sit on us like she used to and we really miss laying on the sofa with her on top of us and cuddling her. Now she will only accept cuddles if we get down on the floor and do it. Why has she changed? We haven't done anything, she was never dropped or hurt whilst being cuddled, in fact she used to come to us when she wanted cuddles.
We really miss cuddling her the way we used to and wondered if there is anyway we can do it with her again?

Is it because she is no longer a baby? She is now three and she stopped sitting on us about 6 months ago.

We just miss having her on the sofa and in bed with us!

Any help or ideas would be great!

 

[Lati]

My little angel.

 

[pani]

Ohhh my goodness, she's so lovely! :hearts:

Has she been desexed?

 

[ChocoClover]

If she's not de sexed she could be just getting grumpier or more hormonal.

 

[Lati]

Aww, thanks guys!

We had her spayed a couple of months ago, the behaviour started before this and has continued after.

She loves receiving cuddles, both on the floor, or on the sofa, bed, table, windowsill. So she doesn't mind being on high places, in fact she loves it.

We just can't put our finger on it, she adores us both and follows us around and climbs up us and gets really snuggly with us, for example, if we're laid next to her on the bed, she just won't sit on us anymore.

 

[MikeScone]

It's not unusual for a young rabbit to be very cuddly, and to have that change to a more "rabbitty" attitude once they reach maturity. Young bunnies seem to need more physical contact than older buns.

I had exactly the same experience with Natasha Rabbitova at exactly the same age, three, after she was spayed. When she first came here at age two I couldn't get her out of my lap. She'd let me hold her for half an hour or more, and every time I'd sit at the computer or the dinner table she'd jump up into my arms and demand petting. I had to coax her to jump down off the couch and explore on her own. Not any more. She's still loving and wants attention, and she kisses as much as ever, but she's not as clingy as she was when she first came to live with me. She wants to be where I am - she's lying on the floor next to me as I type - but she's much more independent at the same time.

 

[Lati]

Thanks!

I'm glad to know it's just because she is growing up and nothing we have done.

We just couldn't understand it as she follows us everywhere and has to be where ever we are, but won't sit on us, she lets us pick her up for a few seconds, yesterday she came to the sofa and started scoping and climbing up our legs, my partner picked her up and put her on him, and she immediately jumped down and ran under her favourite chair and flopped. Such an odd little thing.

Thanks for you information