Hello, and welcome to the forums (and bunny parenthood!). Buns can be a bit unpredictable. Not wanting to be picked up or held isn’t uncommon. Of course, it’s confusing for you because she didn’t mind it before, but now she does. I’ve found they often change their minds about things, it’s just their nature. The one thing I wouldn’t do is try to force the issue. Assuming she can get out of the cage on her own through a floor level door, I think the best approach would be to open the door while you’re in the room and let her decide when she wants to come out and interact. Let her come to you and sniff around so that she’s gets comfortable interacting with you. Take it slow and go from there. Also, has she been to see a vet yet? If she otherwise seems healthy, then it’s probably just a change in her temperament, but sometimes big changes in behavior can be health related. I’m no expert by any means so keep checking this thread for other suggestions.

My lionhead Max hates being held as well and is generally somewhat hand shy. We stopped trying to pick him up all the time and he became a lot more friendly around us! Now when you put your hand down he comes for pets rather than running away because you are trying to catch him!

We got him used to us by luring him onto our laps and around our hands while we were feeding him treats.

Welcome! How old is your bunny? What you described isn’t uncommon at all – it sounds like your bunny is just beginning to grow out of the phase where she is amenable to being held. While baby bunnies will tolerate and seem to enjoy being held, most adult bunnies prefer to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground (though many still love being petted on the ground). This doesn’t mean that you have to stop playing with her though! There are plenty of ways to interact with your bunny without holding her. Aside from treats and pets, most bunnies can be taught simple tricks with some training.

I agree with Peppy. Baby buns will often accept being held. Then one day, it’s as if a switch is flipped and they don’t want anything to do with being held. It’s very normal. I would encourage you to not push the issue and try to get to know your bun by interacting with them on the floor. You don’t want to break their trust.

We honestly went through the exact same thing with our bunny, who is also a female rex. She just decided she didn’t like it, so we had to work with her. We would get down on the ground with her and let her come to us. Sometimes it just takes them a while to get used to you and their new home, so just give her time.

Enjoy your new bunny!

We honestly went through the exact same thing with our bunny, who is also a female rex. She just decided she didn’t like it, so we had to work with her. We would get down on the ground with her and let her come to us. Sometimes it just takes them a while to get used to you and their new home, so just give her time.

Enjoy your new bunny!