How am I doing? Any help would be great!

[Sazzle]

Hi all,

Just came across this forum today and hoped there might be some people out there who can give me a bit of advice!

I have an Opal French Lop called Harry who is 9 months old and has lived indoors as a house rabbit for about 8 weeks now.  He is enclosed during the day whilst myself and my partner are out but has 30-45 mins freedom in the morning and free run of the lounge whenever we are at home.  He has a number of toys and we also kept the box his cage came in and cut a ‘door’ in it – he loves running round in it and tearing it apart!!!

The thing is he still seems quite wary of us.  Sometimes he’ll be happy to wander over and have a sniff but others whenever we move however slightly he freezes for a time.  He did even join us on the sofa once or twice although he did start digging so got a telling off and hasn’t since.

I really don’t want him to be uncomfortable around us but can’t work out how to fix the situation – does it simply take a long time for a house rabbit to really settle?  Also – he is happy to sit still for a stroke at times but has never enjoyed being handled and so this doesn’t happen that often.  I am sure that I need to fix this to make him more comfortable with us??

Thanks to anyone who’s read through my huge message – would really appreciate any advice, I want my bun to be happy!! 

[Beka27]

the best thing you can do is just take it slow. do a quiet activity on the floor when he’s out so he gets used to your presence. if he comes up to see what you’re doing, resist the urge to reach out for a week or so. just let him realize that you’re not a threat to him. slowly you can start reaching your hand out to pet him. talk to him in a soft voice. offer him a treat. if he won’t take a treat from your hand, put it down in front of him.

it’s awesome that he’s indoors now. you will enjoy him much more and he has a better chance at a long, happy, and healthy life.

[bunnytowne]

 is this his first time livign indoors? he may be unused to house noises just yet. he will.  rabbits need time to learn they can trust you. the prev advice is what we offer to sit on the floor reading or watching tv for aabout 30 minutes or so he will go check you out and smell you all over and will get comfy enuf to jump on you hopefully soon.  just let him be and after he calms down around you hopefully a week you will be able to tell you can try petting him slowly and yes offer him a food treat. he will associate your hand with something pleasant.  it does take time for them. it will be ok. enjoy him. oh thats good he has toys to play with and on bb here lots of people luv to see pics of your buns and hear stories and welcome questions no matter how silly you may think the question is. it is still important to ask.

[bunnytowne]

oh about the diggin when they dig on you either they are grooming you or annoyed it won’t take long for you to figure out which one. mine digs on me all the time showing his affection and grooms my shirt and I have 2 shirts with holes one I dont’ dare wear outside. ahhaa. we call them our Ibun really loves us  shirts.  he also when I take him out in public and put him down  on a counter or table he jumps back in my arms and digs to show his annoyance. yes the couch i know it is a no no for any rabbit to dig on. hey try putting a phone book in a box for him to dig and chew on. that might help with the urge to dig and chew too.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yeh, take it slow and ensure every time you handle him it’s a positive experience…otherwise you’re back-peddling.

I generally pick my bunnies up for a quick snuggle ( a minute or two depending on how comfortable they are) a couple of times a day. If you pick them up and put them down confidently enough they soon get used to being picked up and held. None of mine liked it at first and now they are all easy to handle. My friend’s young daughter can even hold them easily and when they were at the vet all the staff came to tell me how calm and easy to handle they were.

Everytime you interact with your bunny, make it positive by not getting nervous yourself, offering a treat during or after; And knowing how long they can tolerate before doing the ‘bunny freakout’ -always end your cuddle a few seconds before they freak out.
Should they start to freak out, settle them in your arms or on the ground quickly. Once settled -soothe them with some pets and nice talking and give them a treat-Never let them freak out and run off-they’ll soon learn freaking out means getting free which is not what you want.

It definitely does take time, but is totally doable.

And welcome to Binkybunny!! We’d love to see some pictures of your bunny!

[skunklionshow]

He sounds like a happy bunny already!  This is his way of getting to know you.  They can be fickle little beasts that can seem very affectionate one day and standoffish the next.  For the past 2 days mine have seldom left their cage and now their jumping around on the cat bed!

Digging for me always means their pissed off w/ me.  When Leo does it, it’s his way of saying “cuddle time is officially over”.  You will start to pick up on their language…I highly suggest that link for the Language of Lagomorphs.  You’ll find that a bunny’s communication is VERY different from ours.

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