Bad relationship w/ my rabbit

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BlueRiley

BlueRiley

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This same question has been asked many times, and I'm doing my best to read through the other posts but I was hoping for some advice because I'm very frustrated.

Blue is a 1yr old neutered male who I've had since he was a baby bun. He is my first rabbit and has a great big cage & gets good food.
However he is not very friendly and what I really want is a sweet mellow pet. He is not overly aggressive but will bite if you stick your hand in his cage and will sometimes nip when he is out and he will dig at you if you are sitting on the floor while he has play time. He does not like brushing, does not like being held and doesn't really seem to like head rubs. I am a student in college & working so I don't have a ton of time and I have very limited places where it is ok for him to be free so he doesn't get out enough-so that's part of the issue.
I love animals and love my rabbit but I am honestly wishing I could trade him for a sweeter one.

So that's my frustration, what can I do to change things? I am open to suggestions and I want to do what I can to have a happy relationship with my bunny. Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it.
 
Sometimes the person needing help has a different situation, so it's ok to ask the same question :)

Netherland dwarfs are generally not very relaxed, the dwarf breeds tend to be more alert and jumpy.
My holland will tolerate being held. But he doesn't want pet unless you have treats. Will ignore you unless you have treats. He is not very social.

When was he nuetered?

When he nips, does he do it to get your attention? Or are you in his way? Does he bite hard enough to break skin? if not, i wouldnt think hes doing it to be mean. My old nethie would nip me if i was leaning against the wall or couch, if i sat in the middle of the room he wouldnt. I was in his way lol...

When he nips, make a high pitched squel, much like another rabbit would if bitten. Pulling away or being fearful of a possible bite will only encourage the behavior because he gets what he wants.

You can also try treats. Get some cheerios and when he comes up to you give him one. Put it on the ground instead of from your fingers, it might make him nip your fingers thinking you have treats. But thats the best way to a bunnys heart is treats. Just dont give him to many

Rabbits are not sweet and cuddly by nature...every now and then youll see one. But they are a lot like a hermit cat. they come to you when they want something, otherwise leave them be. You have to earn their trust for them to have a relationship with you
 
I can understand your frustration, my rabbit Riza has been particularly hard to bond with.

Where is his cage? Is it on the floor? I found things much easier once i switched my rabbits to an X-pen. Not only do they get more space when the cage is not open but when it is it allows them to come in and out on their own, reducing the amount of times I have to pick them up. They will tolerate it when needed but I try to avoid it if it's not necessary.

When it comes to spending time with them they usually just want me to BE with them. I sit on the floor to do home work or to read and they just love running around me, or over me. They will come to me when they want to be pet, or with the toys they want to play with. But generally they like to play on their own they just want me there to watch.
 
He's being a typical rabbit. They aren't the easiest pet in the world to get to trust people & need time spent with them. A good book might augment what you learn here. Rabbits for Dummies is probably the best general book, but there are other good ones too.
 
So sorry you're having a rough time. Of my 3 bunnies, Humma is the extremely friendly one. He is also 3 years old so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. My Faith will panic if you even attempt to pet her head. She is completely un-handle able. I can hand feed her but that's about it. She's about a year old and we have had her since January. Idk too much about Freckles yet, we've only had him a week. But he is quite pettable, and seems very friendly. Hopefully the experts with not-so-friendly bunnies can give you good advice. I think i saw in another post that Larry has had a few tough ones so maybe he will chime in. :)
 
Neither of "the girls" as I call them really want me to be around them all that much. Bee lives with my mom since being kicked out of the trio and is bonding well with her, but her sister Lil lives with me and her husbun Nelson. She will sometimes allow me to give her a pet or two, but mostly I'm controller of the food and out time. I've had both of them since they were very small.

Nelson loves snuggles and I've had him since he was maybe 4 months old (easter reject). It all has to come down to personality, which can vary greatly, but breeds tend to give a general idea of what to expect (obviously not all buns would adhere to that standard). But, if I wanted a cuddler, I wouldn't have looked into a Netherland dwarf. I know that's hard to contemplate because they're so widely popular. But people tend to pick for size and appearance rather than temp, which is how they are the ones populating pet stores.

I still love having Lil and Bee, though, even if they aren't snuggly. They run the bunny 500s like champs, Binky like crazy, and generally make me crack up with their antics.

I can understand your frustration, though, since you feel as if this was not what you signed up for . However, you do get out what you put in. I'm a busy college student myself, so i understand where you're coming from, but without much out time and chance to engage with you, you can't really expect an animal programmed to think that the world is going to eat them really trusts you?
 
Derby is a french lop, and compared to our last bunny pretty antisocial. He will let you pet him, lean over him and snuggle him if he is on the floor, but unlike Benjamin he will not spoon or like being picked up. He is still pretty young, only 7 months so I am hoping that will change with time. I have been pretty presestant in the last couple of weeks about picking him up and sitting him on the big chair beside me. He snorts at first but then will settle in for a 5-10 minute pet depending on his mood. We have had similar rabbits in the past and find perseverance is the best policy. Believe me, I know just how you feel, especially after having a real snuggle bun. Some rabbits take longer than others to become more social. Derby's biggest trick would be to hide under the deck, so you couldn't catch him at nights to bring him in. I usually tried to get him about 8, so that we could have some socializing time. We just finished putting in "catch the wabbit" doors in the floor of the deck so that I could reach him easier. Needless to say, that did not impress him. Derby is the type of rabbit that will do bunny binkies to hear you laugh, flop in the middle of the bedroom floor and be pet, jump on the bed and run to the headboard to be pet. But on his terms. Just don't pick him up. Good luck, just keep at it.
 
Big Louis, Willow and Opal were all like that, but I spent every spare moment with them and they now get very excited to do anything with me. What I did was I slowly eased them into it. I well sit by their cages and just read, they learn to know my smell by doing this and slowly I start talking to them and only pet them for a little bit. They will learn, you just have to put some commitment into it. Hope this helps.
 
Thank you for replies, these are all helpful in different ways and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

It's difficult to know what to do about "undesirable behaviors" like nipping/biting and digging @ people. I've heard of shrieking, what about a squirt bottle?
 
BlueRiley wrote:
Thank you for replies, these are all helpful in different ways and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

It's difficult to know what to do about "undesirable behaviors" like nipping/biting and digging @ people. I've heard of shrieking, what about a squirt bottle?
Click to expand...
Shrieking works for nipping. If they have a dig box they should dig at people less.

A squirt bottle might be necessary once the rabbit has been socialized. I'd never use it before then, except if 2 animals were fighting. The only thing I've had to do with Honey, other than a shriek for nipping or a loud voice for pushing me when I'm cleaning the litter box, is a slight, gentle holding her head down for half a minute. This is rabbit for "I'm the boss of you."
 
Sorry to hear about your frustrations. Everybody prety much covered it though. You just need to be patient. Acacia nips if I'm in her way but when I move I won't touch her for a minute and I'll tell her why. Bunnies, above all, need to hear you talking to them. When you have a lone bunny they bond with you! They need to hear you talk, sing, hum, everything. I read to my bunny and I do my homework with her in the room. It kills my bum because I sit on the floor but I love my bunny.
Honestly, I got Acacia when she was 4 months old. She was spayed at 6 months and she was about a year or more when I could finally trick her into picking her up. Bunnies are NOT cuddly.
I suggest you give your bunny an open space to run around in and sit with him and hand offer some treats. I make my own bunny treats and Acacia finds them irrisitible. It's only in the last couple of years she will come to me for grooming. She's nearly 6 years old now, I like mature bunnies. Don't give up on your bunny though!! He's just being a bunny. Maybe, if space allows, you can get him a bunny friend to bond with.
 
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