Advice on how to bond with 3-4 week old baby

[SnowWhiteBunny]

I was brought a couple of little ones about a week ago that couldn’t have been more than 2-3 weeks old at the time, one died a day later but the other one survived. They were orphans as the mother passed away. They had to contact with humans before they were brought to me. The little one that’s left was very resistant to eating at first but now when it comes to feeding time, especially milk time it loves it and is very comfortable, it will even eat benebac off my finger.
However, when it comes to anything else it is very skittish, jumps away from my hand, when I try to hold it all it wants to do is get away. I have had success in having it sit with me a couple of times when it looked half relaxed but that’s the best I’ve been able to achieve so far.

Any advice on how to bond with this little one would be greatly appreciated, I have its cage in our laundry room which is quiet all day and no one really goes there. That was where my previous bunny’s home was and I figured that was a good spot as I don’t want the bunny to be stressed out as my home is busy and loud all day (I run a home daycare). When the house is quiet and its just my family I have put the bunny in a spare playpen in our living room but all it does for the most part is hide when its in there.

I would really like to bond with this baby and will do whatever it takes to help it learn to trust us and love us. My previous bunny had to trouble bonding, she loved us from the start so I don’t really have any experience doing this. 

Once again any help and advice would be appreciated 

[SnowWhiteBunny]

hah I just read a few posts and realized everyone is talking about bonding rabbits together, I am looking for advice on bunny to human bonding haha

[Abby1987]

My advice would be to spend as much time with your new rabbit as possible. I’ve got mine in a room where there Anouilh going on. I have 2 rabbits one lame and one female I plan to bind them. I’ve moved my female down into the living room now as I thought it was too quiet upstairs. She’s skittish too I just leave her alone and feed her dandy lions. Hoping she will come out of her shell. Some bunnys are just shy though. They are prey animals. My make however is bonded to me won’t leave me along but even he won’t let me pick him up. But will happily sit next to me if I’m willing to continuously stroke him. Otherwise he will either bite me or hop of kicking his back legs at me.

I think that every rabbit is different give it time, space, love and lots of treats. Trust in the band that feeds

Good luck xxx

[Azerane]

She’s still very young so it will just take a bit of time. Handle her if you have to, but otherwise it’s generally recommended not to pick them up until they’re more accustomed to you. So things like just sitting down in the room with her, not even paying attention just reading a book or something. Rabbits are terribly curious and nosy animals and eventually she’ll want to see what it is you’re up to. And she’ll gain more confidence knowing she can approach you if you don’t react when she does (no petting etc at first), it helps to reinforce that something scary doesn’t always happen when she approaches. When you feed her, instead of picking her up, entice her to climb up onto your lap for the food, it will help her to become more confident around you as well

Otherwise it’s simply a matter of time.

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