No, this is how rabbits are – it’s instinct.

You have to earn his trust. The best thing is to let him come to you…sit on the floor and allow him to get curious and approach you BUT don’t try to grab him then because he will run. Don’t expect him to trust you right away either. Trust takes time and patience.

Sarita is totally right. He doesn’t hate you. Rabbits are prey animals and are naturally scared of… just about everything that isn’t completely familiar to them. Therefore, the goal is to become completely familiar to them!

Try a few of these tricks –

1) Let him out and don’t approach him. Lie on the floor a little ways away from him and stay completely still. It might take several minutes, but he may approach you out of curiosity. If he does, do NOT move… not at all. He may sniff you and even nip you a little. Try to stay calm and still. The first few times, he’ll probably run away after these first few curious approaches, but don’t lose hope. Practice this move, called “On the floor, ignore,” several times a day, and it’s almost certain that he’ll become more and more comfortable with you and may even jump on your back. The main thing, however, is not to move, reach out to him, or startle him in any way.

2) Treats! The main thing here is not to overdo it, because too many treats can make rabbits ill, but a couple of raisins every few days go a long way.

3) Talk to him. A lot. Our bunnies respond *so* much to speech, tone of voice, and even a few words that they seem to have learned. Even if you’re not interacting with him, keep talking to him. Not only will he get used to your voice, he’ll come to associate it with home, safety, and… treats!

I remember it was so hard not to approach Remy when we first got him. I wanted to play with him and love on him, but he was just too scared. I learned that you have to wait patiently for them to come to you. It’s very difficult… but the rewards are amazing!! Once they do end up trusting you, you’ll get plenty of interaction and affection, and you’ll be glad you waited and worked so hard for it.

Good luck!!

Rabbits are intelligent creatures with a good memory and coming from the pound who knows what Jake has been through. I have one rabbit who was super-aggressive and super-scared for his first few months with me but he is now completely changed, happy and sassy and trusting me.

If he is in a cage where you have to pick him up to get him out, I highly suggest getting a different cage, or an exercise pen, where he can go in and out of the door on his own, after you open it. Most bunnies HATE being picked up. They much prefer hanging out with you on the floor on their terms