Connecting with bunny

[mynameisjeff]

We have two male rabbits with two verydifferent personalities. One of our bunnies, Austin, is justnow starting to open up around us, after about 16 months in ourhome. Our other rabbit, Simon, became comfortable after about4 weeks. Over the past couple of months Austin hasstarted allowing me to scratch him on the head, and sometimes he evenseems to enjoy it! He's always been very playfulwith binkies and marathon runs, but just recently has started becomingmore interactive with us humans.

I'm curious what your experiences have been with new adopts.Truly one of the joys of having house rabbits is seeing theirpersonalities evolve over time.

Jeff

 

[BunnyFofo]

This is a good idea for a post! I got a 7wk oldrabbit about 3weeks ago. I asked the same question! My rabbit startedreally feeling comfy with us after 1 week. He is still a baby though,but ha is sooo sweet! He loves being held, tolerates me clipping hisnails and brushing him. HE loves my daughter! They chase eachothergently around the livingroom and play "tag". He likes to climb on hernow. He does not like to sit in her lap though, I think he feels alittle too nervous still for that. But I can see a huge difference inhis comfort level just in the past 3 weeks.

When we first got him, he did not like to be handled, and would run from us like a wild rabbit! Now he hops all over our feet!

Liz & Bunny Fufu

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Well mine are not technically house rabbitssince they are outside but I spend every waking hour that I possiblycan out there with them so I have also had the pleasure of watching myrabbits personalities evolve.

I got Mocha as a baby, he was much more curious about his surroundingsthat people but he was never afraid of people. As he got older, hecalmed down a lot and became that bunny who always begged for attentionand bit you if you ignored him. Now he's 3.5 years old and he is somellow -- he flops on his side and I can do what ever I want to him.

I got Spice when he was 3 - 4 months old. He had not been handled atall and was very shy and skittish. Slowly he began to like beingscratched but he still ran when I opened his hutch door but he wouldcome over and investigate and let me scratch him while in the run. Hetoo is now 3.5 years old and has mellowed drastically. He no longerruns away from me and he flops on occasion. He isn't as calm as Mochaso he rarely stays completely flopped over when I approach but he lovesme scratching him. He is the friendliest rabbit you will meet, he runsto greet you and will not move as long as your petting him.

I got Zoey at 4 months old. She was well handled but shy andskittish.I spent hours with her every night just sitting withher and not touching her. Slowly she went from the rabbit that I couldnot even get within 5' of to the rabbit who was so eager for attentionthat she would chase me. I taught her how to tell me she wanted to bepet or picked up (by hoping on her wooden hutch in the run). Then I gother spayed and she reverted completely back to the shy bunny I startedwith after 6 months of hard work. 4 months later, she is improving andlets me touch her on occasion. She is the most curious rabbit I haveever met, she just does not want a lot of human contact. I'm stillworking hard with her but I hope that once she reaches 2-3 years oldshe will mellow as well.

 

[pinksalamander]

I've had Will for a month and he is lovely mostof the time. He doesn't really like being held but he hops around andsniffs me, spends time on my lap, licks me and purrs. I think sometimeshe just likes to hop and explore but during the day he is a bitsleepier and likes to cuddle on my lap.

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

Like MBB I keep my rabbits outside but I stillspend hours every day with them! I got Ruby and Millie when they were 4months old, they were very nervous around humans, didn't like beinghandled, and would run away when I open their hutch door. I had to workfor months with them getting them used to being around humans and beinghandled but now they are completely different rabbits! I call Ruby mylittle love bug because she always races up to me when I go out to seethem and tries to climb on my knee wanting attention. Millie is alsomuch more friendly and curious, she will sit there and let me pet herall over and she loves getting me to play games with her, especiallywhere she hides behind me then pops her head out from under my arm orleg! Some rabbits take longer to win over than others, but don't giveup on them, they can turn into the sweetest, mostfriendlybunnies!

 

[Cazarty]

Wicked new Post

I got Sammy when she was 8-10 wks old, when we saw her at theshop she was the only one the shop assistant could pick up and she wasthe only breed (new Zealand White) that hardly anyone werebuying. We took to her instantly and althoguh i was thinknigabout getting a little lop i fell in love immediately, so she came homethat day with us and we left her alone to roam the house (she livesindoors and has her own bedroom) we didnt want to keep grabbing her andpicking her up for the first week. but the day she came homeshe started grooming herself in front of us (good sign she iscomfortable with us) about a week or so later we were able topick her up without too much of a struggle and give her lots ofkisses. She would then start jumping up on the sofa and laywith us. She was very loving at an early stage. ANDTHEN she got ill and was unable to jump up on the sofa. NOWshe is hormonal and is very skittish racing around the living room,running away from me when i go near her and pooineeverywhere. She has calmed down again now and lets me pickher up all the time i put her on the sofa and we lay there for ageshaving cuddles she is now able to jump on and off the sofa noproblems. She is finishing her meidcation in 3 weeks (beingslowly taken off) and then when she has been off the medi for a weekand providing all goes well (she has a head tilt) she can get spayedand hopefully she will calm down again.