Holding my Bunny

[Bea]

I adopted the Mad Hatter on a shelter about a month ago, he had been left in a box outside. Nobody wanted to adopt him because hes less cudly and makes noises when you try to pet him or hold him.  With a lot of patience Ive managed to make him come to me, pet him if i dont move fast and he sees me and make him eat from my hand.

But I still have two problem:

1)Every time I try to pet him he keeps making sounds, even though hes comfortable with me now.

2) How can I begin to make him feel comfortable with me holding him.

 Thank you very much,

 Bea

[Roberta]

That depends on the sounds. Soft grunting or grinding, huffing some of these can also be sounds of affection or pleasure. When Nermal came home she had turned into a land shark and would bite and lunge all the time. She is great now but still does not like to be held but adores nose and cheek rubs, flops a lot and occasionally grunts softly when she is particularly content.

[LBJ10]

I’m going to second Roberta’s thought. What kind of noises are we talking here?

[Bea]

He grunts and made some noise deep in his throat, I get scared after his abuse that im doing something wrong. This noise is common when i try to approach him and he runs away.

[bunnylova123]

That’s the ‘grumpy’ noise. I had a bunny who did that all the time. It means go away, you’re annoying me, or feed me, silly human. But it might be tooth purring, I can’t be totally sure unless I hear it . Tooth purring is a sign of being comfortable and relaxed. For making him comfortable being held, give him a small treat whenever you pick him up, so he associates being picked up with nice things. Most bunnies never really enjoy being picked up though.

[Bea]

He also makes a whimpery sound, how does tooth purring sound?

[Beka27]

Tooth purring is actually gentle grinding of the teeth, and it’s not really something you hear, but rather something you feel when you’re rubbing their cheeks.

[Bea]

Nope he doesnt do that, just the winning and grunting. That means he wants to be left alone?

[Bea]

And does he seems to you as a lionhead, hes about 3,4 pound and has long hair whiskers but his face i not that hairy

[Beka27]

Can you post a larger picture, I can’t tell from the small avatar…

[Bea]

So do you recommend I leave him alone, or continue trying to make him feel safe with me? The noises he makes are of dislike then?

[Bea]

This is my not very cuddly baby, which I want to make cuddly

[Bea]

[LBJ10]

Looks lionhead or lionhead cross.

Grunting means “stop it” or “leave me alone, you’re annoying me”. It is basically your bun being a grump. Seems like a little bun thing, but that is just from my own personal experience. Wooly will certainly grunt at me when I’m trying to groom him.

[Bea]

He also whimpers. So you thinks i should continue to try and hold him and train him?

[Beka27]

I wouldn’t hold him unless absolutely necessary (for grooming and nail trims), but let him approach you when/if he’s ready.

[Bam]

My bunny whimpered too when he was a newcomer. It was like little sobbing noises. He made them when he was picked up and held, but he could also make them at night or when he was eating. He doesn’t make those noises anymore. It took about a year for him to really feel at home here. Now he LOVES being petted. He still doesn’t like to be picked up but he can very well himself climb into my lap to be petted. Give it time!!

I don’t know if it’s possible to rush these things except by giving him treats when he approaches you on his own initiative.

 

I also just want to say that he’s very very cute =)

[Beka27]

He’s super cute! I do think he’s a lionhead cross.

[Bea]

Thanks all and thanks Bam, ill do waht you say and wait for him to give the signs that hes ready and not stress him more than necessary. Hes already had a ruff patch in life and I just want him to be happy and binky.

Thanks for finding him cute, hes even though he seems to be small even for a lionhead.

[Monkeybun]

3 or 4 lbs is totally normal for a lionhead

[Author]

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