He trusts you. New people haven’t earned that trust yet. He may be overwhelmed because there are news smells and sounds that come with this new person in the room that is 10-20 times his size. Remember, rabbits arent on the top of the food chain, it is in their nature to be alert and act quickly.
Have the new person stay calm and quiet. Have them get down on the floor at the same level as Sir. Sit next to the new person, maybe a little bit between Sir and the new person to show Sir that you are there to protect him. Stroke him gently and calmly talk to him, the same way that you would if you two were alone. You can touch your friend and show him that you trust this person, that the new person isn’t a threat. Give the new person a treat to give to Sir. The new person can’t set it on the floor in front of them and offer it as a gift, not a bribe. Sir will probably warm up to people but it will take time. The new person may be wearing a smell he finds offensive, a perfume, a lotion, another animal… all of these things might keep your bun from getting too close. Give him time and patience and understanding and he will blossom.
Good luck with him!
-Casey and Huckleberry

This is normal behavior. He doesn’t know these new humans and a rabbit’s first instinct is to HIDE.

What the people can do is, to just sit around and go on with their business. Bunnies are naturally curious and nosy animals, so they’ll eventually come out and inspect the new humans.

I would leave him alone when company comes over. If it’s just the occasional person, there’s no reason to bother him and get him anxious or upset. If it’s a more permanent fixture (roommate, pet-sitter, someone who will be over multiple times per week), over time he will become accustomed to their scent and sight. As prey animals, they have to be weary of strangers, that’s how they survive. Forcing him to interact will only harm your relationship with him.

I usually tell guests, “If you’re LUCKY, you might have a bunny sighting today!” I never guarantee they will see the bunnies, and I would never pull them out of hiding places, or subject the buns to strangers holding them (I rarely ever hold them and they KNOW me).

Like Beka said, don’t force him to come out. If the people REALLY want him to come out and see him, have them sit on the floor and BE QUIET. lol I know mine never came out if someone was loud. Also, I’ve found that the more a person comes over, the more Lolli gets used to them.

And like LoveChaCha said, bunnies are so freaking curious. After he gets over his initial fear, he’ll get curious and may eventually come out. He might not do tricks or interact much, but he’ll want to come out and check things out. It just might take some time.

I used to have my cousin over to watch movies and the first couple of times she came over, it took mine the length of the movie to come out. By then, she was leaving. LOL After several visits, they came back out almost immediately.

My bunnies are similar. We had a party over the weekend and they were so freaked out that they didn’t even want to come out for dinner. We try to put them in a quiet part of the house, but it’s still loud and they don’t like being out of their normal environment.

I think the only thing you can do is keep inviting people over so he gets used to it. Start small with only one or two people and he’ll gradually learn not to be scared. Mine are to the point where one or two people doesn’t really bother them, though they’re still more reserved than usual. I do let people pet them quickly if they want, but generally visitors leave the bunnies alone unless approached and the bunnies prefer it that way.

Hahha, well if boyfriend lays on the carpet, it is almost a guarantee that bunny will become curious. My dad is 6′ tall and my bunny is frightened of him.. unless he lays on the ground or gives her treats!

Don’t be surprised if Sir gets a bit jealous of your boyfriend. Eddie was bonded to me and got totally pissed off and jealous whenever I dated. LOL But Eddie was a nut though.

Michelle! How could you cheat on that sweet little Eddie?! I mean, look at that face! 😉

My boyfriend and I got Huckleberry after we moved in together so I never had to introduce her to him. He is bearded though, she likes to tug on his whiskers which makes him scream! He gets nervous when she gets in his face and sniffs him because he is afraid she will try to groom him again.

LOL Hucklebunny! Making a human scream!

Michelle! How could you cheat on that sweet little Eddie?!

I know right. He was such a jealous little goofball. He’d chase Lolli out of the room if I so much as looked at her. LOL

strvngartist5 – I’m glad Sir is coming out and being curious. Bunnies are like cats in regards to other people – some don’t mind being out and about with a new person, some hide and then come out, others don’t want anything to do with any new people.

 Ah….you learned the trick — treat bribing.   Jack and Viv are always ccautious of new people, so I always arm friends with some treats.  My bunnies aren’t overjoyed with the “newbie” but at least they come over and say hi instead of giving new people the cold shoulder.