Grudges?

[isibell12]

Hello!

I have 2 bonded rabbits. Patches and Buttons. Right now they are in a large cage on top of 2 tables. My mom wont allow me to put the cage on the ground. They both hate being picked up so when I try to bond with them we may make a little process and then I have to chase them around to put them back in their cage at the end of the night and to get them out of the cage os a nightmare too. I am getting a custom ramp made for them. Will I ever have a good relationship with them? Due to possibly traumatizing them everytime I have to pick them up? They happily take treats from me but still wont allow me to pet them.

 

[Hermelin]

You will manage to build a better bond with them after you stop picking them up. They seem to be food motivated which will make it easier to build the bond.

Often picking up, you will practice when you have a bit of trust and built a bond. You need to do it slow and teach them ^^

 

[Shubox]

A lot of the rabbits you see that like to be handled are often that way because they were already handled a lot when they were babies. It's hard to teach an old bun new tricks, and sometimes you're lucky to manage to pick them up at all lol. You can maybe work them up to it by giving them treats when they let you handle their tummy and over ( a lot) of time maybe you can lift them.

Either way you can mange to develop a bond with your rabbits even if they never like to be picked up. Just pet their noses and give them treats

 

[Blue eyes]

A lot of the rabbits you see that like to be handled are often that way because they were already handled a lot when they were babies. It's hard to teach an old bun new tricks,

Actually that is a common misconception. Handling babies a lot when young does not make then "handle-able." And older buns actually tend to train more easily.

[Founder of Bunny Bunch Rescue stated in Rabbits USA magazine, "People often think a rabbit must be held often as a baby in order to like being held as an adult. I don't find this true at all. Over the years, The Bunny Bunch Rescue I founded has saved many mother and baby rabbits from shelters. All the babies were treated the same. When they became adults, their personalities varied-- some liked to be held, some hated to be held, and some tolerated being held."]

Getting a ramp should certainly help. A series of boxes set up as steps can also work. I once had a raised cage but the supplies box was tucked under the cage. If I pulled out the box, the rabbit could hop onto the box and then down to the floor or up to the cage.

 

[JBun]

Actually that is a common misconception. Handling babies a lot when young does not make then "handle-able." And older buns actually tend to train more easily.

[Founder of Bunny Bunch Rescue stated in Rabbits USA magazine, "People often think a rabbit must be held often as a baby in order to like being held as an adult. I don't find this true at all. Over the years, The Bunny Bunch Rescue I founded has saved many mother and baby rabbits from shelters. All the babies were treated the same. When they became adults, their personalities varied-- some liked to be held, some hated to be held, and some tolerated being held."]

This is so true! Even though it would seem to make sense that holding a bunny a lot when younger would help make it calmer to be handled when older because it is used to it, it usually doesn't work out that way. I have a bun that I held all the time when she was a baby. She didn't mind at all, loved the attention, but boy when she hit maturity and the teenage bun phase, she did a 180 and completely changed. From that point on she absolutely detested being picked up and held. She's 7 now and still hates it to this day.

Being exposed to people and being around them when bunnies are young, does certainly help a lot making them used to being with and around people. Without that exposure, a lot of times they can become very skittish with people. It's just picking up and handling when young doesn't usually have any benefit once they mature.