Bunnies scared or actually okay with being pet?

[jmnava]

I just recently got two new bunnies that are around 3 months old and ive had them for 4 days now. Recently they’ve been letting me pet them and get near them but I’m not sure if they are actually okay with it or if they are scared. Before petting them what I do is show my hand next to their heads to see if they back away and if they don’t seem to mind I would tap their head before petting them. I’m not sure if were actually bonded a bit but they do seem to be fine getting near me when I sit down with them (they have climbed onto me before and also lied down next to me).

I heard rabbit usually take a while to bond with especially when they’ve been in their new home for only a week. Or is it just they are still young and haven’t really matured yet ( they are not spayed/neutered yet)?

[Wick & Fable]

In terms of bunny-to-bunny relationship, they may get along well now, but if they are not spayed/neutered, you need to separate them to avoid pregnancy. It happens in a matter of moments. If pregnancy is not a possibility (potential male-male or female-female), there is still a high possibility that when their hormones do develop, fights will begin, which can be disastrous. Once the spay/neuter procedures are done, navigate to this website’s bonding information pages to review how to start the process officially.

In terms of bunny-to-human relationship, your approaches thus far seem good. As long as you don’t observe bulging eyes from your rabbits (big eyes = alert, potentially frozen in fear/panic), then generally speaking, your rabbits probably don’t mind the pets.

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.

[Deleted User]

Yep look for those “fear-struck” eyes. Creating a true bond with your rabbits takes time. Spend lots of time on the floor with them at their level, feed by hand when you can, and just pretty much hang around without trying to reach for a pet every time they come close

[joea64]

It can be a bit difficult to tell just from the eyes with some breeds. My newly-adopted Panda, for example, is a Polish rabbit, who are known for their big, expressive eyes, so I’ve had her surveying me during our previous meetings with wide eyes that might look fearful, except that the rest of her body posture is relaxed; I’ve had her giving me those big round eyes when she’s eagerly sniffing around and exploring me. So you need to watch the way they hold their bodies too.

[Author]

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