Bunny Personality

[BinkyBunny]

I know bonding with your rabbit takes time, but is it possible that Charlie just won't ever be friendly with me like my former bunnies? I get upset when I think that he won't be friendly with me and feel I have made some kind of mistake. I know that some people are perfectly content raising grumpy bunnies, but that was not and is not my hope.
Is there something I can do to help him feel warmer toward me? He seems to be much friendlier with me when he is hungry. He's hoping for a treat maybe? In general, I like to keep him well fed with free hay, so he never gets too hungry. He is by no means a mean bunny. He hasn't bitten, and I had my hand right in front of his mouth trimming his nails and cleaning out his scent gland. He just hates to be held/carried so much so that it makes it difficult to care for him because he struggles violently.
He won't hop in and out of the cage on his own no matter what I've gotten for him be it ramp or steps. I have been picking him up to take him out or put him back and he gets scared of this. After he is down on the floor with me he is very happy and binkies and comes to put his paws on me and noses me so I feel he must feel I'm safe and be comfortable - I MEAN BINKIES! Those only come when they don't feel death is imminent LOL :hbunnysmell:
I guess maybe I'm just venting, fretting, and missing my past bunnies I guess I just want him to at least accept being picked up or carried for a few seconds. He doesn't have to love it. That is ok. I understand bunnies don't love to me held and cuddled all the time, but this is so violently scared that it makes caring for him difficult.

 

[missyscove]

What sort of cage is he in? Is it possible to switch him to a cage that sits on the floor that might be easier for him to get in and out of?

I've "trained my rabbits to love me" with their pellets. Once they get used to the idea that pellets only come sometimes, they seem to decide that they are a fantastic treat. Then I started giving them just 1/2 of their daily pellet ration at breakfast time and making them eat the rest of their pellets out of my hand. That got them excited enough about me that they would run over and greet me. Now we're working on learning some tricks.

 

[BinkyBunny]

Maybe in the future it will be possible to do so, but for right now he is in this cage. I will try the feeding him the pellets out of my hand. He took a raisin gently enough from me that I would trust him to do so. Thanks for that advice. Not to sell another member short - someone else recommended this to me, but I didn't give it much thought. I will do this because he does get very excited about his pellets!

 

[JBun]

Your rabbit cage has legs, right? Could you maybe chop the legs off of it?

I don't know if you compare him to your previous rabbit's and I know it can be hard not to do, but it makes it hard to be happy and accept your current rabbit the way he is if you are always doing that. From your description, he actually sounds like he is doing really well. The fact that he comes up to you and puts his paws on you, is not an insignificant thing. He might not be a big snuggle bun at this time, but I've found that isn't a really common trait with most rabbits. Over time, as he becomes more and more comfortable, his responses may change as well. I have rabbits that have become more affectionate and snuggly as they've gotten more comfortable with me, and I have some that just don't have that kind of personality, and the most I can get in is some nose rubs when they are tired and resting. It just has to do with personalities, not necessarily whether or not he likes you. You'll really only be able to tell with time as he really settles into his new home. But from what you described, he is feeling more comfortable already. And the picking up thing may or may not get better. I've had it both ways. I've had some buns get more comfortable with it, and some it just plain makes them nervous, and I've had to learn the best ways to handle them. I have one rabbit that bites whenever she is scared. She gets scared whenever I trim her nails, which can make it tricky. I have to cover up her head so she can't get to me. And she gets scared when I go to pick her up. So I've learned how to do it so I don't get bit. And once I'm holding her, she just snuggles right into me and loves me petting her. So it's not that she doesn't like me, just certain things make her very nervous.

Every rabbit is going to be different and have their own individual quirks. You sometimes just have to discover the best way to handle and deal with those things. And if you think you have a grumpy bun by the behavior you've described, then you haven't really ever experienced a REAL grumpy bun. When Charlie wants to nip you all the time cause he is bugged by something you are doing, or wants to be left alone, then you may have a grumpy bun on your hands. Charlie just sounds a little shy and tentative to me, and usually those kind of buns will come around with enough time and patience. And if he's binkying, those only come when a rabbit is feeling very content and safe in their environment. If he wasn't at least a little happy, he wouldn't be doing them.

With the holding thing, if you are picking him up and holding him out away from you, that makes most rabbits nervous. I will always just scoop mine up quickly and bring them right into my body so they feel more secure.

 

[Imbrium]

if picking him up is the main issue, you might try different methods of picking him up - some bunnies have a preferred method that gets a significantly better response. for example, Nala prefers a one-handed approach - I scoop her up with my hand and tuck her under that arm the way you would with a football if you were going to run somewhere with it.

 

[BinkyBunny]

Thanks for these responses. It really puts my mind at ease to hear you say that he is doing well. I do think he is and he is nudging me and coming up to me. I can tell he desires companionship and interaction he is just unsure if it's safe which will come with time. Thank you for the stories about your bunnies being afraid of being held. Hearing how others have handled it is very helpful to me I guess I have NOT encountered a truly grumpy bunny THANKFULLY!

I could cut the legs off of his cage I suppose, but how might I do this ??? I am open to whatever will make this easier for him. That isn't a bad idea, but the legs do NOT come off and it is a solid single rod on the corners. Cutting is the only option.

 

[Imbrium]

can you post a picture of your cage so we can look at what you're dealing with? a dremel is probably one of the better options if you have or can borrow one - those things can cut through pretty much everything except glass.

 

[JBun]

Charlie may come around to feeling comfortable coming out of the cage and down steps eventually, but it you think chopping off the legs is going to be your best option, then I would go with a jig saw if you have one or have access to one. If not, you can just buy a cheap hack saw and saw them off by hand. It's a little harder to do than if you use a power tool, but it will work, just takes longer.

 

[Katielovesleo3]

Don't be discouraged. After I made the steps for Buster, then I clicker moraines him to come out onto the steps, 2-3 click treats in one spot then move a half an inch then another 2-3 then he might get startled and run back but I would stay where I was...wait and eventually he would come back get his click and treat and I would end the session and wait til later and do another. It took....a long while..but he has two doors and jumps through one and uses steps for the other one. And he is now comfortable moving about his dining room and will make the occassional visit to the kitchen. I'm sad too bc this is my first rabbit and he is very timid and shy, but there's nothing I can do about it now but learn from my situation and hope that one day he will at least let me pet him..even if on his own terms

 

[Imbrium]

you forgot the part about "and take solace in the fact that I have one of the most gorgeous lionheads ever"

 

[mochajoe]

Over the years, I have had a couple of bunnies that, despite all our efforts, were never cuddly lovey covey by Miss....and or didn't like being picked up. Our mini lop, for one, was very affectionate, but he did not like being picked up or carried around. We found the way he tolerated being picked up the best and went with it. He loved being out, hopping around the house....so we would get down on the floor with him. He would interact with us that way and when he was done he would sprawl out on the floor like he owned the place. From my experience, meet them where they are at and go from there.

My other question is, is your bunny neutered? Again, in my experience our bunnies that were more stand off ish were not spayed or neutered as they were show bunnies. Spaying or neutering can make a huge difference.

As others have mentioned, some of it is personalty. Patience and persistence....a little bit every day will go a long way! Good luck!

As others have mentioned, some of it is personality....but I am a believer in patience and persistance! A little bit every day...goes a long way! Good luck!

 

[BinkyBunny]

Charlie is getting neutered this coming Tuesday. I am trying to meet him where he is at currently. I fed him his pellets by hand today and he was very gentle and did well. He seemed relaxed and interested in me. I could tell he was afraid hand would trick him and pick him up. Again I'm not desiring him to enjoy it but it is hard to care for a rabbit so terrified of being held. He came from a bad situation and I wonder if he was dropped? If he could tolerate a 30 second carry calmly that is all I ask!

 

[mochajoe]

I will venture a guess that after he recovers from his surgery (my little Reeses just had it done a few weeks ago) that Charlie will settle down even more....if he came from a bad place, I would guess that he may very well have had something happen to him. However, having said that, one of our bunnies, Carrot, he was a minilop and the one I referred to in my previous post....we got him at 8 weeks old....was never dropped or had anything bad happen to him. Some bunnies just are not as cuddly....but I think meeting him in the middle and at his level....will take you far! If he had something happen....trust is a hard thing to earn (we have a horse we rescued...so can relate to that....) Another suggestion....(and I do this with all my bunnies) sit on the floor with him....at some point pick him up for a minute, pat him tell him he is a good boy and put him back down and let him run around again....obviously at some point you have to put him back...but he knows that 1) you are not going to hurt him and 2) just because you pick him up doesn't mean he is going to go back in his cage. This is working really well with my new babies. Another thing we have been doing with them is along the lines of what you stated at the end of your post.....randomly throughout the day....I will pick up Reeses, hold him for a few minutes (it is more for me....a bunny "fix") and then put him down, either in his cage or on the floor. Again, you are showing him that you are not going to hurt him....he is safe....and doing it randomly is to your benefit! Lastly....just thinking as I am typing....do you have multiple doors on your cage? as in one on the side and the top opens up? A couple of our bunnies had issues with the side doors but were fine coming out the top door of the cage. Keep us posted!!!!

 

[agnesthelion]

I have to add that I compare my rabbits too so don't feel bad Agnes, my female, is SO loving and chill and just so darn easy to love! Nothing upsets her and she shows her love. Whereas Archie....not so much. He is opinionated and bossy and is not as loving. He seems to always be complaining about something.

So I catch myself comparing them. I hate that I do it but I can't help it. And (shhh don't tellArchie) but Agnes is my favorite

Anyway, I just wanted to also echo that it's not about them not liking you, it's just their personality. I know Archie loves me, he's just different than Agnes. I don't think I'm going to get any further with him, and that's okay.

Oh and also I wanted to ditto the picking up thing. I have to pick them up in two completely different ways. And it took me awhile to learn. At first I thought Archie hated being picked but then I learned it was because I was trying to carry him like Agnes. So experiement with different ways.

But all in all I think it sounds like he is doing great and the fact that he puts his legs on you and comes up to you is huge

 

[Chrisdoc]

They are all different and you notice it more when you´ve got more than one. Mine are the same, Snowy will let you pick him up anytime and lets you cuddle him. Houdini is not keen on you picking him up but is up for a cuddle when he feels like it. Bandy hates being picked up but now, he does stay still for around 30 seconds to a minute for a cuddle and then tells you he wants down. When I go to their level, they´ll all come up for a sniff and a hop over, under or around me and they are quite OK with me stroking and cuddling them while they are on the floor. You just have to try loads of things to encourage them to trust you and the idea of picking them up randomly is a good one. Give him time, he needs to get to know you a bit better.

 

[BinkyBunny]

The feeding of the pellets is making a huge different. He has come right up to me and taken the pellets. It seems to have changed his mind about me quite a bit I did carry him out to living room today and he tolerated being carried fairly well. He was just much calmer after I fed him pellets like it was a peace offering. I'm currently feeding him his night time portion by hand as well. He is hopping around the living room and keeping it very tidy. He has nudged me a couple times and is performing generous amounts of air leaps and binkies I hope today is the same!

 

[whitelop]

It sounds like he's coming around a little, which is great!
Like most people said, bunnies don't like to be picked up.

Little Elvira is my second rabbit and she is completely different from Foo, my first. Foo was a mini lop. She HATED being picked up. I didn't have to get her out of her cage by hand, she pretty much just lived in my kitchen, so I rarely picked her up. But when I had to cut her nails or wash her bum, she would go nuts. Sometimes she would be okay if I was petting her first, then picked her up. But other times, it was a race to get her to my chest fast enough to stabilize her. But once I got her into the crook of my arm she was fine. With Foo, I never really had to "bond" with her. I got her when she was 16 or so weeks and we were together all the time from day one. She was out a lot where we lived when I first got her, she got to know me pretty well. She was so friendly to all people too, she would run up to anyone and sniff them and chin their feet. She followed me around too. She was really easy going.

Now, Ellie, she is a different story. I had Ellie for 2 days before Foo passed and I didn't know her. She was tiny and cute, thats it. So I did a lot of comparing her to Foo when I first got her. She is completely different than Foo. I'm actually having to bond with Ellie. She is scared when my husband walks into the kitchen, she is scared of our other animals. Things Foo was never scared of. She naps in the corner a lot and not in the middle of the floor, like Foo.
To get her to come up to me, I have to sit on the floor with her. I can ignore her or I can interact, it doesn't matter what I do, she's just happy to have me around. But when I go to pet her sometimes, she will run off. If I try to pick her up, she'll tolerate it a little, but sometimes shes run off. Its been a learning experience with her, but it sounds like its going about the same as with you and Charlie.
I just have to keep in mind that it takes time for them to give us their hearts, even though we wear our hearts on our sleeves for the bunnies to take; they're just a little more reserved.

You'll get to the point where he'll want to be with you more and where he'll follow you around and snuggle with you. But until then, it just takes time. I know you know that, but it is hard! Because as people we just want them to love us as much as we love them, INSTANTLY. I've heard of some bunnies taking months or a year to 'bond' to their humans, I don't think it will take Charlie that long. Just have patience.

 

[Katielovesleo3]

you forgot the part about "and take solace in the fact that I have one of the most gorgeous lionheads ever"

Lol, ahh yes I forgot that part, he's quite the handsome fellow, I caught the funniest picture of him today go check my blog it's cute.


At least Charlie does air leaps and binkies. I have never ever seen Buster do those. maybe bc he was in a tiny cage his whole life and never had enough room to shake his groove thing
Also I know how you feel when they come from a bad situation. The man I got Buster from picked up all his rabbits by the scruff (he has winkles there now, is that even normal?) and I do believe that's why he hates being picked up now. Poor guy. I need a tutorial on how to pick up rabbits each different way, come in guys come move to Houston it's not that bad.

 

[agnesthelion]

I need a tutorial on how to pick up rabbits each different way, come in guys come move to Houston it's not that bad.

LOL! I know, every rabbit is so different! Sometimes it isn't about a tutorial, it's just about experimenting, ya know? Like I said, I first was trying to hold Archie like Agnes, I learned really quick it didn't work.

I also think sometimes when you pick up a rabbit....you have to *mean* it. Which, what I'm trying to say is follow through and be determined (is that the right word?) because if bunny feels like you are unsure about it....they might feel more unsure about it. Make sense? For example, Archie is a little more headstrong than Agnes, so when I pick him up I have to be more deliberate about it. I'm not saying to be mean or aggressive or anything, just more thorough. Hard to explain but hopefully you get what I mean

I'm sure you'll get there. I remember thinking I couldn't ever pick Archie up and carry him around. Now I can with no struggle at all. He even seems to enjoy it!

 

[missyscove]

I'm so glad to hear you're having some success. When I only had one rabbit, I worked on clicker training him which may also work for you two. I also have a bunny that doesn't like to be carried. When I first got him his breathing would get really fast as would his heart rate whenever I picked him up. Eventually he got used to it. He's not really a cuddler, but he's okay enough with it for me to move him or trim his nails.