Rabbit has no interest in human interaction

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This topic has 2sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 4 months ago by Deleted User.

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- 12/02/2017 at 5:39 AM
  BugzNBinks
  Participant
  1 posts
  Hi all,
  
  This is my first time posting, I find this forum so useful for tips and tricks to owning a house rabbit, so thank you Binky Bunny members! I’ve seen similar posts to this but would like to see if my circumstance makes any difference to the answers..
  
  I bought two bunnies from a pet shop at roughly 3 months old in September, so I’m guessing they weren’t ever handled. One is very curious, the other very timid. Fast forwarding to December, they are not scared and I’ve taught them several tricks which I think they enjoy. They’re not currently spayed.
  
  The issue is, unless there is food involved they have no interest in any kind of interaction with me. If there is food, they let me stroke them (only until they finish what they’re chewing), jump on my lap etc and they only come up to me if they think there is food, the minute they realise there isn’t, they hop off.
  
  I’ve tried some of the suggestions on previous forums which is to stroke them after food when they’re lying down but they go away to lie down and if I approach them, hop off.
  
  My Partner is getting fed up of having rabbits that we can’t interact with and wants to give them to someone who may connect with them better, which I’m starting to agree with.
  
  Can anyone advise on how long it took their rabbits to enjoy cuddles and petting? My second question would be, would it be worth separating them for a short while and try to bond with them individually as they have no need for human interaction when they have each other.. I don’t want to make them lonely for my benefit or reverse their bonding somehow..
  
  Any advice or anecdotes from people in similar situations will be gratefully received!
  
  Thanks in advance
- 12/02/2017 at 8:25 AM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  It’s pretty unfair to want to get rid of your rabbits just because they don’t interact much with you yet tbh. You’ve only had them a couple of months, you need to be patient. You can’t rush or force them to bond with you, it takes as long as it takes.
- 12/02/2017 at 9:47 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Bonding with your buns takes extreme amounts of patients. Some buns may be very cuddly and want lots of attention and other buns are more independent. They aren’t dogs or cats, and that’s a common misconception. They would rather be exploring then be laying still for long periods of time in a lap. If you sit on the floor with them they’ll eventually come to you. Resist the urge to touch them because they’ll stop going near you if they think you’re going to constantly touch them. Buns are curious. They’ll warm up eventually.
  Side note, you shouldn’t even have your buns together. They are going to start going through puberty soon and could possibly start fighting. So they should be separate at all time until after they have been fixed.
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