Getting a rabbit used to petting?

[Josh]

So I got my now 4 month old bunny a month ago and things have been great so far! Within 2 days the little genius was litter trained, hes pretty good about what he chews (so far) and he is totally comfortable around people. Let me just say this IS my first rabbit and I did research how to care for one for about a year before I got Asher. With that said there was one thing I never found or at least when I did it didn’t exactly answer my question, and that is: how do I get a rabbit used to being pet? Basically Asher is comfortable playing with toys with me, licking me, booping and sniffing me, eating right out of my hand, hoping around me, and following me, but if I slowly approach from the side with just a finger, the second my finger touches he kind of backs up his head awkwardly and maybe moves about a foot away, but then will hop back up to me once I let him sniff my hand or just put my hand down. So here is the main point of this post: Does a rabbit just eventually want to be pet after enough time with you OR do I need to get him used to my hands on him? This post might make it sound like im really bugging him, but I rarely try to do this, I pretty well just let him do his own thing (he has free roam of my room and occasionally the apartment when I let him out). Let me know if I need to clarify anything or elaborate more but this is just a question about handling him, he already is very used to my presence.

Thanks  

[Taloan7]

With my first bunny it took her a good six months to tolerate being pet. I would pretty much leave her alone and let her dictate how much attention she would tolerate, then randomly one day discovered she only liked being pet when she was sitting in her litter box. I think some bunnies like being pet, some take longer to warm up to it and others never warm up.

[Josh]

Yeah I just wasn’t sure if I needed to actively being trying or not. Just to clarify he has no problem being pet while im feeding him or hes just eating in general. Thank you for the response!

[RaybundReddington]

When i first got my rabbit she was as curious as anything but as soon as I touched her or tried to touch her she’d jump away and freak out. Then one day I was just sitting with her and I tried to pat her once, which didn’t work so I tried again about two or three times and eventually she did the ‘submission stance’ where she bowed her head and her ears were pinned back and let me pat her. Once she did this she realised she actually quite liked being pet and now demands head rubs haha. I’m not suggesting to force her to be pet, but a little persistence sometimes goes a long way. Also my rabbit is free roam, so she has become a lot less sensitive to movements and sounds and people walking around compared to where she was before which I think has helped a lot in her confidence around people. I know that often bunnies kept in hutches or in areas away from people they can be more jumpy and frighten more easily. (I’m not sure what your rabbits living situation is though)

[Nutmeg]

My first bunny was a rescue at over 4 years old… after about a month of getting used to me she loved to be pet (NEVER Picked up or held though) she would lay be side me (not on my lap) and would just let me pet her for hours.

She passed away earlier this year and a while later my hubby surprised me with 2 new little ones. They were 2 months and 3 months old. They are not a fan of being petted and are now, only recently, are ok with me petting them if they are already laying down. But that is very rare lol.

** It does happen more now that they have been spayed and neutered…

So here is my thoughts… its a combination of 3 things….

1. Their age and energy and hormone levels… my senior bunny was way more relaxed and didn’t have the speedy energy that these two have. Now I can’t say for sure if she was snuggly when she was younger though. But I do think being fixed and growing up will calm them down a bit lol.

2. Their personality. Some bunny’s will just never be the pet me kind and some will love the attention.

3. Yes, they do need to get used to it a bit. I started off by just trying to lay down beside them when they would lay down. Then I would just slowly try to pet them between their ears and eyes at the top of their head. We haven’t made it to much of a full body pet yet as they’ll jump away lol.

So my answer is Yes, they do need some warming up to the idea of a giant hand coming at them LOL, but a lot of it is going to come down to their personality and their age. (they have been more friendly with me now that they have been fixed and their hormones have calmed down lol)

Congrats on your new bunny.

[Bam]

Posted By Josh on 9/16/2018 2:22 PM

Yeah I just wasn’t sure if I needed to actively being trying or not. Just to clarify he has no problem being pet while im feeding him or hes just eating in general. Thank you for the response!

I think that’s a very good start. My Bam was the same way. It took him a long time to accept pets when he wasn’t eating. But once he realized he actually liked head rubs etc, he transformed into a VERY cuddly bunny. 

[Josh]

Thank you so much everyone! Definitely a lot more than I could ever find googling. 

[Meg]

I’ve had my Teddy for more than 9 years and I’m still trying to figure out when he does/doesn’t want to be petted, haha! Here are a few things that have helped:

– Experiment and try to notice the positions/places where Asher is more receptive to being petted. For Teddy, it’s when he’s lying down with his head up and his back legs stretched out; or sometimes when he’s in sphynx pose. If he’s standing up, forget it.

– Feeling like he can predict when you’re about to pet him, and make you stop whenever he wants, can help him relax. Because Teddy and I don’t communicate seamlessly, I try to do my part by making these two things really obvious. Before I pet him, I always ask “Can I pet you a little?” in the same tone of voice, so he knows it’s coming, and I can see whether he tenses or stays relaxed. Then, if he does welcome petting for a little I will go for it, but the moment he tenses or shifts position, I stop immediately and back away. This way he’s learning that he doesn’t have to run away.

It’s still a process, haha! But Asher must really love you, since he licks you. That’s great! In time I bet you can teach him that when you’re petting him you’re just doing a weird-human form of grooming — I think that’s the name of the game.

[Cas]

I brought my first bunny home a little over a month ago. The first week we wouldn’t touch him at all. We would just say “Hey Pepper” as we walked past him. Then we started walking by, gently stroke his head once or twice and call him a good boy, then walk away. We would also stroke his head once or twice each time we gave him food. Before we knew it he was coming up to us and bumping us with his head.

[kurottabun]

Like what many have already said, I think it’s individual preference and personality with a combination of total time spent

Kurotta loves pets and cheek rubs when he’s lounging, loafing, daydreaming or eating, but 90% of the time he moves away when we try to pet him while he’s out and about. 10% of the time he actually stops running and stays still for pets :p

[BuckyLuna12]

I have had five rabbits in my lifetime: my first was the SWEETEST rabbit ever ( although we all obviously think our rabbits are the best) and he loved to be pet. I got him in the summer when he was young and I watch tv with him all day. Although I understand that most people (probably all) don’t have that kind of time, that is how I bonded with him. He loved getting head scrubs and would give you face kisses. My second rabbit was not a nice rabbit at all. I got her to bond with my first and I never tried to bond with her when she was young. She never liked to be pet and hated being held. I tried and tried to get her to bond with me, and it never worked. She probably was just not a rabbit who wanted to be pet. But that was my point of my rant: if you’re bunny is continuously rejecting your e love (and I mean on a scale of many months to even years) he/she probably do like being pet. Idk how often this occurs in the personality of rabbits though. My three current bunnies love being pet and groomed and held (which makes my life easier as they are angoras). But it you want to get your e rabbit used to you, I would suggest my way: put in the time! Watch a movie with your bun on your e lap and let them. Read a book while they run around. Hand feed them a liberal amount of healthy treats. Get them used to you, pet them, and love on them. Of course, it this is a TERRIBLE way to get your e bunny used to you pls correct me! But, this method has worked for every bunny i have used it on.

[Meg]

That’s really helpful, thanks, FluffyAngora! I have a related question people on this thread might have thoughts on: How do I get my bunny to let him wipe away the little bit of goop he gets under his eyes? (Or should I leave it be?)

Thanks! It doesn’t look like anything’s wrong. It’s just that we recently lost his bonded partner, and she always used to wash his face/eyes for him. I want to take good care of him, but he (understandably) flinches and moves away if I try to go there.

[BuckyLuna12]

Thanks, Meg! Here is what I’ve always done with my rabbits:

One of my angoras (Minnie) once got goop in her eyes while I was at a friend’s house. The goop caused her hair to cover her eyes. To remove the hair (this may not apply to you, but any other angora owners out there with this problem may want to know) I rubbed it with a warm, wet washcloth and then slowly cut the fur off. As for the goop, using a warm washcloth to rub the goop away will work.

As for dried goop, I always just pull, pick, or scratch it off. This has NEVER hurt my rabbits, but if you try it, and your bunny gets hurt or acts hurt, please tell me and I will immediately stop. But those three methods have worked for me, and my rabbits have never been hurt with them, but they are a little indignant when you give them a butt bath.

And I am so sorry for your lost! Losing a rabbit is one of the worst pet experiences you can have, especially if you had many years with the said rabbit. 

[Meg]

Thank you so much, FluffyAngora! I will try the warm washcloth technique. Teddy is a lot less into being handled or petted so baby steps, I guess.

And thank you so much, I really appreciate it. This is the first time I’ve gone through this, and I am totally heartbroken. Athena was my first bunny (we got Teddy 3 months later) and we’d been together for over 9 years. I adore her and Teddy and I both miss her terribly.

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