Working with a timid bunny?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 2 months ago by Kokaneeandkahlua.

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- 01/20/2012 at 6:05 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  So, West is doing a great job simply being less fearful. When I first brought her home, literally any sound or movement would send her running into her house to hide. It’s been 3 weeks now, and she’s getting more and more comfortable. She will watch me as I move around, but not immediately dive into her house. So that’s definite improvement. .
  
  I’m just wondering what the best way to continue from here is. I feel bad not petting her and giving her lots of attention, but she doesn’t seem quite ready for that. When I pet her, she usually either goes into her house or scrunches up into a little ball with this expression of “ick, alright, I’ll tolerate this I guess”. So I really haven’t done much petting. I mostly talk to her, reach out my hand and let her sniff it, and hand feed her all of her meals (greens, carrots, holding the pellet dish, etc). She does well taking food from me now, when I first got her she wouldn’t even try. She’d wait until I put down the food, then take it and drag it into her house to eat.
  
  Am I on the right track here? Like I said I feel bad for not petting her and showering her with attention like I do Zeus, but that kind of stuff seems overwhelming for her right now. I just don’t want her to feel ignored or neglected, either!
- 01/20/2012 at 6:14 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Definitely on the right track. She needs to trust you first before you start showering her with attention :~) Don’t feel bad, even though I know it’s hard not to, just the fact that you care should make you feel better about it.
  
  She will slowly come around.
  
  It took Bobby about a year to get comfortable with me – he still runs from me much of the time, but he does now let me pet him.
- 01/20/2012 at 6:21 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Posted By Sarita on 01/20/2012 06:14 AM
  Definitely on the right track. She needs to trust you first before you start showering her with attention :~) Don’t feel bad, even though I know it’s hard not to, just the fact that you care should make you feel better about it.
  
  She will slowly come around.
  
  It took Bobby about a year to get comfortable with me – he still runs from me much of the time, but he does now let me pet him.
  
  Thanks for the encouragement and input, I appreciate it. Her and Zeus are such polar opposites.. Zeus is the must trusting, outgoing bun ever. He loves and demands attention from EVERYONE, including complete strangers. . And West is just the total opposite of that. It takes some getting used to, but I love her personality too.
- 01/20/2012 at 3:33 PM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  It sounds like you’re totally on the right track. I think that bunnies change at their own pace. Otto was never skittish, but he was very aloof and didn’t want attention from me. It took him months and months to change that (about 6 months), then I bonded him and he was aloof again for over a year. He’s fairly affectionate now and will sit on my lap for a while even, but he’s done it all on his own time and I’ve had to be very patient.
  
  Just keep doing what you’re doing and West’s personality will come out gradually! I think, more than any other pet I’ve known, that rabbits will teach you infinite patience.
- 01/20/2012 at 4:53 PM
  MimzMum
  Participant
  8029 posts
  I think it’s harder for the wee bunnies to learn to trust. Just a matter of years of ingrained fears to surmount. Lots of us here have just done the ‘sit on the floor ignoring bun and read a book’ thing. If there’s one thing a bun can’t tolerate it’s their slave trying to catch up on their reading!
  I have several books with nibble marks to attest to this.
  Then as she gets more familiar with you she may begin to allow pets and other interactions. Be sure to have healthy treats at the ready for these moments!
- 01/20/2012 at 6:59 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Sounds like you are on the right track!
  
  Two things, sometimes used together, work for fears and timidness…counter conditioning and desensitization. Counter conditioning is changing the conditioning…so something that is scary becomes fun! Like if a rabbit is afraid of the fire alarm going off-when you know it`s going to go off (like say when my boyfriend is cooking) you shower them with treats. The fire alarm instead of meaning `scary`then comes to mean `treats`. Desensitization is where you slowly expose them to what is scary in small amounts until they aren`t afraid anymore
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