Bun only comes when i have treats…

[Desdemona Militia]

Stella is a 5 month old dwarf rabbit. I have had her for 3 weeks and she seems comfortable in my home. Shes very smart and already knows her name. Shes giving me mixed signals because she will come up to me when shes curious but usually scampers away before i can pet her. She lets me pet her while inside her cage tho and shows no signs of aggression. She wont come when I call unless I am offering a treat which she will then take and run away. My question is, is it possible to grow closer with Stella so she will come when i call (without treat in hand, of course)? If so, how?

[Hopzandbig]

3 weeks isn’t long at all. Be patient, sometimes it takes months to grow a close bond with your rabbit. When she is out just sit (or even lay) in one spot and let her sniff and climb on your lap. Have you tried giving her head rubs? My female didn’t like to be pet anywhere but her head when I first got her. Make sure she has adequate chew toys as well so her teethe aren’t bothering her! I used to also set up new obstacles and fun toys to get her interested in what I’m doing. For instance, I got a large box and cut holes in it and put hay. Or even hay in a toilet paper roll. They love exploring new things. Rabbit bonds can take Awhile to form but they are so worth the wait!

[sarahthegemini]

Three weeks is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Be patient. Having said that, my bunnies only respond to their name being called if I have a treat. Otherwise they come only when they want too 

[Deleted User]

Yep, 3 weeks isn’t long at all. Ophelia wasn’t truly comfortable with me for almost 2 months. I’ve had her for 5 months now and every night we have before bed cuddles, she’s usually laying in a loaf and I just go snuggle my head up to her and we sit there for a bit My other bun Quincy is a totally chill little dude lol. He was snuggling up to me and licking me in the first week. It depends on the bun, but usually as a rule it can take months for your bunny to feel bonded to you!

[Pinkbun]

Hi
You could use the treats to yr advantage! Try clicker training! That’ll help you bond with yr rabbit but I agree with the other posts, that 3 weeks isn’t long. But clicker training can work. You can teach the rabbit to come on command, like a dog >.< basically most the tricks the dog can learn, rabbits can learn 'em too. Not many people know that you can try teach come, stand and jump for starters. Sry if written wierd kinda in a rush XD

[joea64]

Agreed with all of the above. Fernando is pretty extraordinary in that he’s already apparently taken to me big time (like Quincy!), but Panda, though friendly, is still rather cautious of me, not at all to my surprise, so I’ve got some work to do to earn her trust. Hopefully it’ll only be a matter of weeks rather than months, but we shall see.

[sarahthegemini]

Just adding that my Peanut took months til he actually started wanting to be pet/have physical attention. Now I can squeeze his little bum and he is quite happy…most of the time

[joea64]

Posted By sarahthegemini on 8/11/2017 9:38 AM

Just adding that my Peanut took months til he actually started wanting to be pet/have physical attention. Now I can squeeze his little bum and he is quite happy…most of the time

It’s a rare bunny that accepts having their butt squeezed, to be sure!

[Deleted User]

I think the best way to approach the bonding situation is to just let them be. Often we get impatient and want to reach out for pets every time they come near. I just would lay on the floor with a book or my tablet and read or watch a show, just letting her come up to me as she wanted, and always feed snacks by hand. When it was time to introduce veggies, I always fed those by hand. Now I put her salads in a bowl for her, but if I’m giving bell pepper or a few matchstick carrots, always by hand! She’s very tolerant of me coming for pets and snuggles whenever I want, even if she’s not in the mood at the moment. If she’s not feeling it I can tell cause she won’t just melt into the floor.. I love a pancake bunny

[Desdemona Militia]

Thank you all soo much. Maybe I was just being paranoid. Lol

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