People bonding with Comet

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 10sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 4 months ago by Lara.

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- 11/12/2009 at 2:29 PM
  Jenna, Chubs & Comet
  Participant
  617 posts
  Well- I’m pretty puzzled by my little guy Comet. He is scaredy bun X10 but does seem to have developed some trust with me. He will sometimes let me pet him as long as I like- if I’m quiet and slow in approaching him. Sometimes though, it’s like he forgets that he likes me? And he acts scared of me- just running away or hiding from me when I try to pet him. Food usually over rules fear- he’s quite the eater! However, after taking whatever niblet I have for him, he sometimes then runs and hides anyway. I’ve spent a lot of quiet time just sitting on the floor and letting him do his thing- which is why I think we have somewhat of a bond….BUT how do I keep building on that?? Kc is really frustrated too because he loves Comet but is feeling impatient with how scared he gets. He seems to have had a harder time accepting Kc then me…so he pretty much always runs or hides or both from him. Chubs was easy to bond with and I am feeling somewhat frustrated too, but Kc is less patient and I think kind of hurt that Comet hasn’t started to show him any affection yet. He’s spent a lot of quiet time with him too.
  
  So….ideas would be helpful! Oh and Comet does have more courage when he and Chubs are together, however they are still struggling with bonding so this isn’t all the time yet.
- 11/12/2009 at 3:01 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  My hubby has been complaining about Monkey disliking him too, so I’m making him do the litter box cleaning and treat giving for a bit. Treats to win monkey over, litter box cleaning so it smells like him more, that way his scent is on her stuff and she gets more used to it.
- 11/12/2009 at 4:25 PM
  MarkBun
  Participant
  2842 posts
  Patience is the only way to go. And sometimes the warming up process can take months if not longer. I’ve had Dono for almost 2 years now and he still will not let me approach him. The only time I get to pet him is either when he’s cornered (which I don’t like to do) or if I manage a ninja pet. For some reason if I can get the petting started before he realizes that’s what I’m going to do, he’ll let me do it for a few seconds before running away.
- 11/12/2009 at 7:59 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Yes, patience and time. And learning who Comet is. He may give affection in a different way to Chubs. Do you find Comet will allow you to pet him at certain times of the day? I have found this with Rumball. Sometimes in the evenings he’ll settle nearby and allows me to pat him. I’ve learnt to pick up on the cue but I still try pat him more than he’s ready for it!! Comets personality and what he’s learnt from his past won’t change but in time you will all learn your way round each other. Or become the sort of slave he requires. ;o)
  
  Monkeybun – nice theory you’ve got going there!
- 11/12/2009 at 9:36 PM
  katie, max & penny
  Participant
  956 posts
  penny is similar to dono- no touching. but he loves to come sniff me and run away (sometimes flicking his heels……)
  
  i think taking the time to wait for comet to know you and you to know him is the key. i know its hard- feels like a jab to the heart when they run away in fear. but a member once said, if someone remembers who!, that the longer the process is between you and the bun, the stronger the relationship.
- 11/13/2009 at 1:59 AM
  Karla
  Participant
  1624 posts
  I agree with the rest Patience. Karl was like that as well when we got him. Now 9 months later, he will actually on his own initiative jump on my lap and sit a couple of times a day- he will run off though if I pet him. I can pet him 4 out of 10 times now when he is on the floor and I sit next to him. And I agree with Jerseygirl – see if there is a certain time for pets. Right after sleeping he may be more interested.
  
  I spent a lot of time the first couple of months by hand feeding Karl. That really did the trick for us. And I never try to lift him. I did do that a few times in the beginning, because he didn’t want to use the stairs. But now he knows I won’t do such mean things to him
- 11/14/2009 at 10:37 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  I am on the “patience” bandwagon too.
  
  It took time for Vivian to trust new people too, but she has come around more quickly to new people now. Recently, I had to go out of town for a week and I wasn’t sure how Vivian was going to handle Steve. In the beginning, she liked him, but he got very busy and spent less time with her. So when he came into the bunny room she give him the biggest stink eye I’ve ever seen.
  
  So anyway, when he would come into the bunnyroom, her ears would go down, and she’d get into a defensive stance, ready to pop up and huff and box – like she was saying “Who cometh into my Queendom! I didn’t invite you..OFF with your head!” And then when he approached her she would huff. But then when I was out of town, after two days, she was happy to see him (he was bringing the queen her meals ya know), and then he’d spend time with her and pet her and so now he has the queens permission to enter whenever he wants. And with me, because I enter in throughout the day for little short pets and then in the evening to spend more time petting them, she now runs to me when I come into the room to see if I have a treat or affection to give, and she’s just as happy to receive both. (but again this didn’t happen overnight – it happened over months.)
  
  So just keep up what you are doing, you will begin to see the results with consistency.
- 11/15/2009 at 12:30 AM
  Jenna, Chubs & Comet
  Participant
  617 posts
  Haha- Binky, the way you tell stories just cracks me up. I can see little Vivian giving the stink eye in that story!
  
  Kc is less patient then me, but he gets really excited when he has any little break throughs. I’m trying to share with him what I have figured out about Comet thus far. He will almost always let his love of food override his fear- at least long enough to come gobble up any treat or veggies that you offer him. He will almost always let you pet him for long spans of time when he feels very secure- usually when he is in his little box hut and you go sit next to him and talk quietly and pet. Also, he relaxes, fear-wise, when we have him and Chubs together. For some reason, he seems to have more confidence with another bunny around. He is least likely to let us pet him when he is out of his comfort zone, and if you have to pick him up, he tends to be afriad of you for about an hour afterwards. (It’s like he doesn’t know he’s a bunny! He is so sweet and shows so little
  bun-i-tude, hehe. All of the attitude I get from Chubs is shown as fear from Comet!) We are hoping that patience, and hopefully soon, a bond with Chubs will help us build a better trust with him.
  
  It’s funny because when I wanted a bunny, I of course got Kc’s input, since he lives with me. He said it was fine as long as he didn’t have to do much maintenance with them- if they were pirmarily mine. For some things, I do do more of those things like the litter box cleaning and what not. He’s so fallen for those bunnies though! He lays on the floor with Chubs first thing every morning when he gets up, and sits with Comet almost nightly for a while before bed. He also wanted to take over veggies feeding, and he helps with nail trims and stuff. He loves them just as much as me!
- 11/15/2009 at 1:00 PM
  lwayne
  Participant
  428 posts
  Monkeybun: So thats how you get the hubby to clean the litter box, I love it! I told my S.O. that the bunny loves chasing the broom around the room…
- 11/15/2009 at 8:04 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  hehe isn’t it great?
- 11/20/2009 at 10:59 AM
  Lara
  Participant
  311 posts
  Echo is the same way still… I had made a lot of progress with her before her spay, but the operation freaked her out and sent us backwards. She’s starting to come around again, but it’s frustrating when she acts so afraid. I feel so bad for the little scaredy cat! Plus, I’ve been unwell for several weeks and have not spent any time with her. Hopefully, now that I’m back on my feet, we’ll start making progress again.
  
  I agree that time is probably what it’s going to take to earn his complete trust.
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