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candice136

candice136

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My rabbit dosnt seem to bond with me he wont let us pick him up and when he does he kicks and wants to be put down again he dosnt get alot of attention and I would love to be ale to give him all the attention he needs any ideas on how me and my rabbit tommy can.bond well please
 
It's not uncommon for rabbits to not like being held. Even the most bonded ones to their human slaves sometimes will fight being picked up.

To form a closer relationship with him though, you are going to have to give him attention first to get him to bond, not wait for him to be bonded to you and then give attnetion--as that will never happen. If he doesn't get lots of attention then that will bring out his skittishness even more.

A good way to build that trust is to just sit with bunny and let him explore you without attempting to pet him or pick him up. You can offer food as a reward, but just let him explore on his own.

Another good way to build trust is to not reach in his cage to get him or put him back. Have the cage floor level and let him jump in and out on his own. You can lure back in with food when he needs to be put back.

Bonding with a rabbit is all about time and patience.
 
Most rabbits do not like to be picked up. They are a prey animal and in their minds being picked up means they are going to be eaten. You can work with them however, so that they will tolerate it because it is necessary at times for trimming nails, etc.

Try just sitting or lying in the room while your bun is out of it's cage. Just read a book or read posts hear on RO. Rabbits can be very curious creatures. If you sit quietly and ignore your bun he should eventually get curious and start to approach you. Over time he will start to trust that you are not a threat.

You can try keeping some treats ready to give him when he comes near. If he is too young for veggies or small fruit treats just keep some pellets ready as treats.
 
PaGal said:
Most rabbits do not like to be picked up. They are a prey animal and in their minds being picked up means they are going to be eaten. You can work with them however, so that they will tolerate it because it is necessary at times for trimming nails, etc.

Try just sitting or lying in the room while your bun is out of it's cage. Just read a book or read posts hear on RO. Rabbits can be very curious creatures. If you sit quietly and ignore your bun he should eventually get curious and start to approach you. Over time he will start to trust that you are not a threat.

You can try keeping some treats ready to give him when he comes near. If he is too young for veggies or small fruit treats just keep some pellets ready as treats.
Click to expand...

Tommy is 2 years old and would carrots work ?
 
agnesthelion said:
It's not uncommon for rabbits to not like being held. Even the most bonded ones to their human slaves sometimes will fight being picked up.

To form a closer relationship with him though, you are going to have to give him attention first to get him to bond, not wait for him to be bonded to you and then give attnetion--as that will never happen. If he doesn't get lots of attention then that will bring out his skittishness even more.

A good way to build that trust is to just sit with bunny and let him explore you without attempting to pet him or pick him up. You can offer food as a reward, but just let him explore on his own.

Another good way to build trust is to not reach in his cage to get him or put him back. Have the cage floor level and let him jump in and out on his own. You can lure back in with food when he needs to be put back.

Bonding with a rabbit is all about time and patience.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice will try it x :agree
 
treat guidelines:
~ fruit should be limited to no more than 1 tsp per 2 lbs body weight per day and non-leafy greens should be limited to no more than 1 tbsp per 2 lbs body weight per day; carrots are very sugary on top of being non-leafy greens, so they should only be fed maybe 3-4x a week at the most and you shouldn't give a full serving of fruit and a full serving of carrots on the same day (ie do either/or or half and half).
~ if you use dried fruit, craisins, raisins, etc. then keep in mind that dried fruits have a more concentrated sugar content than fresh fruit (in other words, you need to feed a little less than the maximum amount allowed)
~ be wary of pet store treats, as they tend to be crammed full of extra sugar and are very unhealthy (for example, yogurt drops often have a picture of a rabbit on them but are actually a big no-no for rabbits) - your best bet is to stick with plain fruit. bunnies love it and it's healthier for them.
~ don't feed carb-heavy treats, like cheerios or other cereals.

my girls' favorite treats are fresh banana and pomegranate-infused craisins :D
 
You shouldn't start the bonding process by picking him up. Most bunnies don't like it.
As PaGal suggested, sitting on the floor with him and just letting him explore on his own is the best way to start. Try to make him associate you with food so offer fruit treats or any healthy rabbit treats in limited quantities.
 
My holland hated to be picked up, as most rabbtis do, but tolerates it now though still fights it. I spent a lot of one on one time with him and hand fed treats spaced throughout the day. I would also hand feed his pellet feed and then slowly get him to eat them off my stomach or lap. He's no longer scared but still fights to be picked up, maybe if you need to pick your rabbit up is get them in a small space where they can't run off and then scoop them up. Once I pull my rabbit into my chest quickly the kicking and fighting stops, I try to do this once a day then place him back down on a positive note. I place him down when he isn't fighting and reward with a treat. It's tough and some will always put some type of fight up but you just have to keep working at it I think.
 
Pigglebread said:
My holland hated to be picked up, as most rabbtis do, but tolerates it now though still fights it. I spent a lot of one on one time with him and hand fed treats spaced throughout the day. I would also hand feed his pellet feed and then slowly get him to eat them off my stomach or lap. He's no longer scared but still fights to be picked up, maybe if you need to pick your rabbit up is get them in a small space where they can't run off and then scoop them up. Once I pull my rabbit into my chest quickly the kicking and fighting stops, I try to do this once a day then place him back down on a positive note. I place him down when he isn't fighting and reward with a treat. It's tough and some will always put some type of fight up but you just have to keep working at it I think.
Click to expand...

Hello thanks for the advice i will try that asap and let you know how he reacts :bambiandthumper:bambiandthumper:attention:
 
Today i tried picking him up and holding him against me and when he kicked i kept hold of him and after a couple of times of picking him up and putting him down i think he realised that we are not a threat to him and are picking him up for cuddles he was really good and bonded well after he has got used to us more any advice on what to do next with him?
 
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