New Bunny Owner...Earning Trust

[Chelw114]

Hello,

I just got a male Holland Lop a few days ago. I've never owned a bunny before so I'm not quite sure what to expect. I did a ton of research before I got him but was finding mixed info about how long it takes a bunny to "bond" with a human and how to go about it. So far Thomas will let me hold him for about 30 seconds before he starts trying to squirm out of my arms, although I do have to quickly swoop him up or he tries to hop away. He won't let me pet him if he's in the living room but will tolerate it if he's in a small space like his hutch or cat carrier. When he's in the living room he does frequently come over and sniff me and will even put his front paws on my leg and nibble on my clothes. Does it sound like he's headed in the right direction? Should I be doing something differently? I'm totally committed to earning his trust but I just want to make sure I'm going about it the right way.

 

[Chelw114]

Can someone please give me some feedback?

 

[Ivythelionhead]

Every rabbit is different and so each one takes a different amount of time to get used to you, right now I wouldn't pick him up unless he comes to you, I'd jut try and get him to come over to you, try a veggie or some fruit and make him see that your not a threat but his friend and he will in time come to see you has someone he loves, it's important not to get frustrated.

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

It sounds like you are moving in the right direction. I'm not a fan of too many treats or bribing my rabbit. She gets a treat if she earns it by doing a trick or coming when she's called. Invaluable when she's gotten loose somewhere or is exploring under the bed! To bond with her I spent time with her down on her own level. I'd read on the floor and let her explore me and learn to trust.
Good luck with your new bun!

 

[Aki]

Holland lops are generally pretty friendly and laidback compared to some other rabbits (like Nethies, who are the greatest and have very often just no patience for silly humans). Nevertheless, don't expect too much from your rabbit in terms of bonding. It's not a dog or a cat, as you know. He probably hates being held and probably will never get used to it. If he squirmes, don't hold him while standing unless it is absolutely necessary as it can be very dangerous if you let him fall or if you press the wrong part of his belly while attempting to catch him (and it can give you some nasty wounds too - I still have a scar from my wrist to my elbow from 4 years ago when I had to pick up one of my monsters to put him in the pet carrier). I very seldom hold my rabbits. They don't enjoy it and I don't want to force them.
Laying down on the floor and letting the rabbit come to you might be a good idea. That way, you're letting him set the pace and you're in a non threatening position. You can take treats with you, but rabbits are terribly nosy so it's probably not necessary. You can pet softly the nose of your rabbit - not all rabbits like to be petted, but I've yet to meet a rabbit who doesn't like to be told he's the boss. Like Ivy said, each rabbit is different and the time Thomas will take to warm up to you is difficult to predict. If it's a baby, the deaded teenage phase might also make you go back from square 1 in a month or 2. Once again, some rabbits barely change when the hormones kick in while some others become horrible horrible peeing biting monsters of destruction (Aki didn't change at all, but I felt like killing Tybalt about 20 times a day from his 3rd month until he was neutered)
Also, "bonding" with a rabbit means different things for different people. For me, Tybalt was easy because he wasn't scared of anything. He was very lazy and nosy from the start so it was a piece of cake to hold him and stuff and he was sleeping on his back beside me after 2 days. I felt like Aki really trusted me the first time she didn't got up when I went to pet her while she was laying down. It took three years. But then again, she's a Nethie and a particularly distrustful one (she was born in an actual burrow in someone's garden and it shows - vets fear her, strangers in my house don't see the shadow of her tail ever, she's got crazy survival instincts and she's awesome ^^)
If you haven't read it yet and want to know more about rabbit/human interactions, you can read those articles which are entertaining and useful (the rest of the website is also very informative, especially about the diet / housing)
http://rabbit.org/category/behavior/rabbit-personality/

 

[Chelw114]

Thanks for all your help! I've been trying to take it slow but I can't avoid picking him up since his hutch is off the ground. This morning he wasn't freaking out when my hands were near him and he'll let me nuzzle his face with my nose. I guess rabbits like that? I'm so glad I got him! 🙂

 

[Nancy McClelland]

All of ours are rescues, mostly from less than good situations. We take it slow and let them come to us. I use herbs, such as Cilantro to get them to come to me til they will do it on their own. We also lay on the floor and have had they climb up on my back and "bed" down. It's a time and patience thing and not all bunnies are the same. If you rub, do it on the top of the head and along the jaw bone--this will get them grinding their teeth or "tooth purring". You do have to get him used to being picked up and held, so again, time and patience. Remember, you are the alpha, so don't let the bunny train you. Several came to us from "death row" as they were biters, but I cured them of that behavior by treating them like an alpha rabbit would. Pin them down and talk harshly(almost a grunt) just like they do. Some of ours required harsher measures, so I would pin them and roll them on their back while doing the grunting thing. I no longer get bitten and they all come when called and love head rubs, and some even like neck and belly rubs. I have had 2 mini Rexes that will walk on their back legs if Cilantro is involved. Don't forget about neutering either, as it makes them much better companions as well as preventing cancer. :goodluck

 

[ts786]

As rabbits are prey animals, they can be slower than a dog or cat when it comes to the rabbit-human relationship. It's not uncommon for this bond to gradually increase over a period of years. When a rabbit is picked up, a rabbit not yet comfortable with their surroundings may assume that they are about to be eaten by a predatory animal. The speed of development here has no average time. If a rabbit was mistreated when younger, even if given a second chance with a loving forever home, they may have some degree of fear or anxiety.

Exposure to new elements can be beneficial IMO. I take my rabbit most places with me, and given all she really needs is a litter tray and some food, I often take her on overnight trips. Upon adopting her, it seemed she only had limited experience riding in a car. By frequently taking her out with me on smaller trips, she quickly learned to enjoy traveling.

Another thing I tried to do early on was introducing my rabbit to the people I interact with, and their pets (including dogs and cats.) This way, I was able to control the stimuli, be able to reduce the stimuli if I saw distress, and now she has lost almost all fear of people.