Creating a bond

[sibelabmom]

Help! I got my first Holland lop two weeks ago. When we went to get a bunny, the owner opened the hutch and 13 baby bunnies ran to hide. The fourteenth stood her ground. She was curious and friendly and wanted to know what was going on. She rode home happily parked on my shoulder. She runs around my weaving studio at warp speed, checks in for pets and kisses before she's gone again, climbs all over me like I'm a jungle gym, and has already destroyed my stereo wires, which, to her disgust, got her banished from that section of my studio. We named her Loki, and she's such a loving bun that we went back a week later and got one of her siblings, who we named Bragi.

Bragi is completely the opposite. I feel like he hates me. He thumps and runs when I walk anywhere near him. I can't touch him. He won't take treats from me. If he does come near me, the second he realizes I'm a human, not a statue of one, he recoils like I smell bad, and runs away. He watches my interactions with Loki, which are all love and affection, but he's not having it. I don't know what to do. I leave him alone, I don't approach him or touch him. What can I do to create a bond with him?

 

[LassieBunBun]

They are so cute! Sadly I don't have any advice, it's taken me 5 years to get a decent bond with my buns. Just be patient, it'll take time for skittish rabbits to realize that you're not a threat.

 

[JBun]

The best way to form a trusting bond with a rabbit, is to sit with them in a smallish area, like inside an xpen so they can't just run and hide to avoid you completely, and let them approach you in their own time.

It's best to not try to pick up or pet them, as this will just make a rabbit more nervous and distrustful of you. Then as your bun becomes comfortable being around you, I would slowly offer a hand for him to smell. When he's completely comfortable with that, give a small head scratch, and progress from there.

This can take a lot of time and patience, allowing him to learn to trust you when he's ready. Though it may help him to gain that trust more quickly, seeing his sibling be comfortable with you.

I would recommend reading up on rabbit body language, so you can better understand what he's trying to communicate with you.

https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
If you're currently keeping the bunnies together, they'll need to be separated around 10-12 weeks usually, or whenever his hormones come in and he starts pestering her with humping. After that, if you intend to have them as just pets and a bonded pair, both rabbits will need to be spayed/neutered, wait 4-8 weeks for hormones to fade, before attempting the bonding process.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Choosing_a_rabbit_veterinarian
https://rabbit.org/veterinarians/
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-bunnies.html
https://cottontails-rescue.org.uk/information/bonding-bunnies/
https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Bonding_rabbits_together

 

[Blue eyes]

You've only had him a week, so give him time. If you have something like an exercise pen, take some time daily to have both rabbits in the pen with you sitting inside with them. This forces him to be in proximity. From there, follow the suggestions at the following page of my website:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html
....oooh, just as I was typing, I see Jenny posted. I'll stop here since she's stating same stuff, lol.

 

[samoth]

It took years for my buck to really warm up to me and let me pet him (and actually enjoy it). He's just very independent, and kind of has a teenage boy's attitude towards his parents. We have a bond, but it's very different than that between me & my social butterfly doe.

Just like with kids, parents, and friends, our bonds with rabbits can take many different forms, from affectionate kisses to stoic acknowledgement of one's existence.

 

[sibelabmom]

Bragi let me pet him yesterday and didn't run away!!!! He didn't stick around for cuddles, but neither does Loki, so that's still good progress in my book!!

 

[LassieBunBun]

Bragi let me pet him yesterday and didn't run away!!!! He didn't stick around for cuddles, but neither does Loki, so that's still good progress in my book!!

Congratulations!! That seems like a big thing for him!

 

[Mini_Rex]

Hey,
I'm new here so I'm not too well versed with bunnies, but I can say that for safety reasons, please do not ride with any pet in a moving vehicle in the front seat. When I worked in EMS, I saw a lot of situations where the air bag went off and the force of it snapped the pet's neck. One yorkshire terrier's face got crushed between the air back and window. Please, there's reasons small children are not allowed in the front seat. Your fur, feather, and scale babies should get the same care. Also, they should be crated. If they decided to get lose and under your gas or break petal, that can cause a serious issue as well even an accident that can hurt a pedestrian or another driver.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm trying to keep you safe.

 

[overhear]

Bragi let me pet him yesterday and didn't run away!!!! He didn't stick around for cuddles, but neither does Loki, so that's still good progress in my book!!

YAY!!!