5 month old rabbit will move away when pet

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This topic has 6sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 11 months ago by Ellie from The Netherlands.

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- 11/15/2022 at 1:35 PM
  Rora
  Participant
  5 posts
  Around 3 months ago my rabbit of 7 years passed away of gi stasis treatment complications. She was such a wonderful friend to me and I still miss her so much. She left behind her almost 3 year old brother who has been very lonely ever since.
  
  Almost a month ago I made the decision to make the 8 hour round trip to the nearest rabbitry to get him a friend, a 4 month old doe who he will meet her after shes old enough to be spayed.
  
  Everyday I spend a few hours floor time with her, she’ll zoom, binkey, and flop around me so I believe she must be somewhat comfortable with my presence. She’ll even boop me as well as sniff and chin my fingers when offered to her. However, she will move away when I try to pet her. She will only allow me to stroke her if I feed her a treat while doing so but will leave once she has finished. I am having some issues with this seeing as the bunny who has passed and her brother have loved being pet since they were babies.
  
  I know I cant expect this new baby to be the rabbit I lost, but it feels awful when I had such a loving affectionate rabbit and now one that seems to not want to interact with me unless I have treats.
  
  I am genuinely worried that our relationship will just be me feeding her, letting her out of her pen and cleaning up after her.
  
  Any advice for my situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
- 11/15/2022 at 2:18 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9055 posts
  I’m very sorry for your loss. 🙁
  
  You have only had your new bunny for a month, give her more time. Many rabbits take a while to warm up to their humans, especially to petting, but I promise those are the most rewarding ones to earn the trust of. 🙂
  
  I find it works best to play “hard to get”, so don’t try to pet her just yet. Just keep doing as you’ve been doing by spending time on the floor with her and letting her explore. Once you get to the point where she will relax on the ground near you regularly you can “ask” to pet her by placing your hand in a small fist near her head (usually just off to the side of her nose works). If she puts her head down, you can pet. If not, then don’t force the issue.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 11/16/2022 at 2:43 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  16972 posts
  I agree with Dana, there’s no rush, really. I’ve had buns that needed time before they were interested in pets unless they were engaged in eating 😄 Doubtful if they even knew they were being pet while they ate, yummy food tends to distract rabbits from pretty much everything else.
  
  It’s great that she seems so comfortable near you. I think you’ll develop a loving relationship with time, but some buns really need quite a bit of time.
- 11/20/2022 at 9:28 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17046 posts
  I wouldn’t be alarmed by her behavior. Some bunnies just need more time to warm up. Are they all super affectionate? No. Each bunny will love their owner in their own way. But her behavior right now (as a bunny that recently moved to a new home) doesn’t mean she will never accept pets from you.
- 01/09/2023 at 9:21 AM
  Rora
  Participant
  5 posts
  I wanted to provide an update on this since it’s been awhile.
  
  I have some very good news, she is letting me pet her and will now come over to me for attention. It was like flipping a switch, one day she was alittle uncertain of me and the next she was all on board with the idea of getting a head scratch. I continued doing as mentioned in the original message but played a little more hard to get and the pieces just kind of fell into place. Thank you everyone for you advice it makes me so happy that she will now accept a small cuddle from me now. She is such a wonderful little bun and I can only hope the one I lost watches over her.
- 01/09/2023 at 10:23 AM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9055 posts
  Awww that’s wonderful! Thank you for the update! I love when buns just “suddenly” decide they are safe. 🙂
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 01/14/2023 at 2:43 PM
  Ellie from The Netherlands
  Participant
  2512 posts
  That’s amazing, I’m so happy to read this! Well done, it’s difficult to get a bunny to trust you.
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