Does your bunny let you pet it?

[Taloan7]

We’ve had our bunny, Bunnius, for a couple months now.  She is pretty chill and seems to be getting used to us.  If you are sitting on the couch she’ll jump up and climb all over you and for some reason – that defies common sense – she gets really curious when my kids are hyper and running around or dancing and she’ll get under foot and check out what they are doing.  She stays in an enclosure at night and has no problems when being taken out, and lets you pet her when you carry her, but otherwise she pretty much runs away if you ever try and pet her.  So my question for people is, does your bunny let you pet it?  Is this something bunnies actually enjoy?  And if so, how long did it take them to become comfortable enough with you to allow it?

[kurottabun]

Bunnius sounds like such a cute bun!

Kurotta has no problems with me petting him for long periods of time. I think he enjoys it as well because I see him grinding his teeth softly (purring) sometimes with his eyes half closed.

That said, he only allows pets when he is lounging, loafing or busy eating. If he’s sniffing around or exploring and I try to pet him, he normally just runs away.

I’ve only had him for a month but he has always been alright with being petted from the start. I suppose it’s not just whether they are comfortable with you or not – personality also makes a difference

[Deleted User]

Like Kurotta said, a lot of it has to do with personality, as well as just letting her continue to warm up to you guys (even though she’s already really comfortable). My Asriel is very much like your bun. I’ve had him almost a year, and he’s still not much of a petter. You can usually find Asriel in the thick of any action or trying to break Olympic record high jumps. He’s very curious and independent. He would much rather explore. However, there are some times he will willingly hop on my lap and nestle in for 15 minutes of snoot rubs, and then he’ll go on his merry way again. If you try to pet him when he doesn’t want it, he will usually scurry away and not go back near you for a solid 30 minutes.

[sarahthegemini]

My boy loves being pet but it did take him a few months. He used to hop away if I touched him so I stopped completely and figured he’s just not into being pet. Which was fine. But then after a few months, it felt okay to try because he was coming up to me for attention. He loves being pet now. Still only on his terms, but that’s a bunny thing

[Taloan7]

It’s just so hard! Haha. She is so cute and fluffy and the automatic reflex is to reach out and pet, but it makes her run away. Yesterday I laid down on the floor to read for a while and she kept coming over and climbing all over and investigating me. Maybe with time she will change her mind, or I just have to interact on her terms. I am discovering that even though she is quite mellow, she definitely has a mind of her own.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Taloan7 on 4/06/2018 11:17 AM

It’s just so hard! Haha. She is so cute and fluffy and the automatic reflex is to reach out and pet, but it makes her run away. Yesterday I laid down on the floor to read for a while and she kept coming over and climbing all over and investigating me. Maybe with time she will change her mind, or I just have to interact on her terms. I am discovering that even though she is quite mellow, she definitely has a mind of her own.

It’s very tempting I know haha! But it will pay off, honestly. I came home after running some errands, and Peanut came booming up to me for attention. He let me pet him and when he was satisfied, he hopped away and bun loafed. Cutest thing ever, seeing how he was so shy and timid before. With some bunnies,  patience is key and you’ll reap the benefits in the end

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