My bunny comes to me but runs away when I go to him

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 7 months ago by Harveybunny.

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- 08/07/2018 at 5:22 PM
  Cherrygreen
  Participant
  14 posts
  I got my bunny last Thursday. He is free to run around my place. He has a little corner for himself. At first he was scared of me of course. It’s been 5 days since I got him. I think he’s use to me. If I give him blue berry he’ll smell it and eat it off my hand, before he would just smell it and turn away and when I’ll put it next to him and walk away he’ll eat the blueberry. He still doesn’t really like me petting him but he let me. I’ll call out his name and pet him. He’s fine with it but when he’s running around and rather I get up or just to walk pass/near him. He run away and hid from me, but when I sit next to him and talk to him. He’s come up to me and smell me and let me pet him. But when I try to grab him or move. Just to turn around he run away from me. He’s about 13 weeks old and he’s a lionhead. It Make me so sad cause I feel I can’t bond with him. I know bunny take time to get use to us, but I feel like he should be use to me now. I let he do whatever he wants. Run around my place. He jump and I can tell when’s he’s happy. Do I need to give him more time to get use to me? I talk to the lady who give me him and she said becuase I let him have too much freedom. Is that true? He’s my first bunny. I don’t like putting him in a cage or confine him in an area. So I try putting him in his areas and put a dogging door to block him. Well he wasn’t too happy. He destroyed his little areas. Break my heart to see him in his “jail” house. The lady said I should leave him in there for a month and maybe his behavior will change. I would love for a second or third opinion. Oh and he has bite me once and my bf once because he was upset/scared. I hope he won’t become aggressive.
- 08/08/2018 at 3:47 AM
  Sirius&Luna
  Participant
  2320 posts
  You’ve had him less than a week so it’s not surprising. It often takes bunnies a lot of time to warm up to people, often weeks or months.
  
  Generally, rabbits don’t like to be picked up. It scares them because in the wild, if they were picked up it would be by a predator and means they’re about to be eaten. So when you grab him, he instinctively feels very fearful and runs away. He won’t grow to like or trust you if you keep trying to grab him, he’ll learn to run away and be scared of you.
  
  If he doesn’t like being pet, then don’t do it, just sit on the floor with him, and gradually try out petting him in different places. When I say gradually, I mean over a week at least, not a day. Sit on the floor and give him the occasional treat, and just let him hop around you and get used to you.
  
  The woman who you got him from is completely wrong. Rabbits need time outside their cage to run around everyday. It won’t teach him anything to keep him confined.
  
  Rabbits bite out of fear, not aggression.
  
  I suggest reading the BUNNY INFO section of the site for more information on behaviour, diet and bonding with your bunny since he’s brand new
- 08/09/2018 at 12:12 AM
  kurottabun
  Participant
  908 posts
  I’ve not heard of bunnies having “too much freedom” before, only the other way round. Bunnies can become destructive when confined (e.g. biting cage bars, digging and chewing on things etc). They may also become aggressive out of frustration.
  
  Yes you need to give him more time to get used to you. Definitely don’t try to grab him – most rabbits hate that. It will also cause them to fear you especially if they’re new to you.
- 08/09/2018 at 11:59 PM
  Cherrygreen
  Participant
  14 posts
  Thanks for the reply. Since my post, my blue (my bunny) have been letting me pet him and when I walk around or up to him he isn’t running away from me anymore. He’s still kind of jumping around us but getting use to us. Well it seem like he like me more than my bf and he isn’t too happy about that. He’s the one who’s wanted blue. Blue has been coming up to me and jumping around me. Doing his happy dance I guess. I have been reading a lot about bunny so he can be well taken care of. The first night we put him in his little corner. He wasn’t too happy. Broke my heart. He destroyed his little areas. Eating his dogging pad. So I took him out. He was really happy. Also he came up to me and starting to poop and pee on me. I freak out but he didn’t get freak out by me. So I guess I took that as a good sign. I hope he’ll learn to love to cuddle. I hope he’s come around soon. Again thanks. Blue is very spoil and love?
- 08/10/2018 at 7:22 AM
  MountainBuns
  Participant
  513 posts
  Don’t rush things, Just let him come to you (not you to him),he should warm up to you in a couple months
- 08/12/2018 at 10:41 PM
  Harveybunny
  Participant
  47 posts
  I can sympathize because I have a grouchy old Netherland Dwarf who took a long time to warm up to me. You are doing really well and I encourage you to keep trying. Bunnies can take a very long time to warm up to you. If you neuter him when he’s older, that will also help.
  
  “I talk to the lady who give me him and she said because I let him have too much freedom.” That, (to put it lightly) is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Especially the telling you to jail him up for a month!? She clearly had NO idea what she was talking about.
  
  Good job with Blue. You are getting off on the right foot, (er, paw) and will be a foundation for your relationship for years to come.
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