They are beautiful bunnies. It's really hard when you have so much love to give and they just won't let you in!
My first rabbit and I had an incredible bond. She followed me everywhere and wanted to be held and petted more than anything. She passed away three months ago and I now have two new rabbits--a bonded pair, male and female. It was disconcerting to me when they first arrived and they didn't trust me the way my first bunny did.
Sometimes it does take time. What has worked for me is to sit on the floor reading a book or newspaper and let them free range around me. If I pretend to ignore them, they'll get curious and start to sniff and climb over me. While I'm down there, I give them a treat or two and gradually they relax and I try a pet if they seem receptive. I think it works best to let them come to you. When they come close, I whisper to them and they seem to like that.
I try not to have expectations about how it will go. The only goal is time together and the opportunity to watch them being themselves. The more time I spend with them, the more they let me see them being bunnies. That's worth celebrating. That's fun! And that's how they show their love
I think it helps to follow their lead. Just relax and know that your bond will grow if you give it time. Some rabbits are more snuggly than others but a bond will eventually grow. Early life experiences can effect how long the process takes.
You might also try hand feeding them some of their greens, too. Reading aloud with them in the room or talking on the phone really helps for some reason. Also, bringing new and interesting things in and going through them together helps...a huge paper bag filled with smaller boxes, rattley toys, maybe a veggie or two, paper, phone book
, whatever...and sit on the floor and let them watch you rumple through it and pack and unpack it
A big hit in my house.
Gradually, they learn you're a predictable source of treats, magical toys, interesting adventures and food. They'll learn you have amazing powers that can be very useful to them
I think it really matters how much time they have out of the cage and how much time they have with their human. It really helps if their human is part of a nice long playtime.
Hope it all goes well and you start feeling some real bunnylove real soon! They may not be able to show it yet but I know they appreciate all you're doing for them.
