I dont think my buns like me…

[Lori Anne]

i have two lion head girls they are not even a year old yet and i got them in july. At first they were alittle shy but they did come up to me and let me pet them and now months later there has been little change they just stick together and thunp at me constantly like saying leave us alone. I dont understand what I am doing wrong they have free run of the bedroom and they still seem to not even like me. what should i do?? my last bun Lucy was amazing she was the sweatest thing ever i cold hold her like a baby all day and she loved it and these two are some serious bratts

[MarkBun]

Rabbits like to bond. With a single rabbit, it will bond with you more closely than two rabbits that have bonded with one another. Don’t take it personally. Your best bet is to do what I call the “Floor Ignore”. Just sit or lie down on the floor in the bedroom and read a book or do some paperwork. Ignore them 100% – even if they come up to see what you’re doing. If they begin to see you around and not reaching for them, they’ll begin to accept you more.

[Sarita]

I think some rabbits, like people, are just less sociable. It doesn’t really make them brats though. Sometimes pairs too feel more secure with each other too.

Try not to take it personally either. Rabbits just think differently than humans – it’s really more of a security thing to them than an I like you or don’t like you – they don’t think in that way.

Many times at this age as well they are just going through adolescence – being teenagers with raging hormones – have you had them spayed yet?

[Lori Anne]

yes they are spayed. Also I dont force attention on them, if they want to come up to me i let them and if not i just let them do their thing. i have heard that lionheads dont usually like to be handles but im sure its differents for each bun..?

[MarkBun]

Yup, every bun is different. I have one who I have to trick into petting and even then he still doesn’t want anything to do with me. I hope things will change but it’s been over a year now. However, I know he’s happy as I catch him binkying when he thinks I’m not watching so to me it is enough that he’s happy.

[Sarita]

Aging can sometimes make a difference too.

I’ve not heard that about lionheads but in general I think rabbits like pets but don’t like to be picked up.

I have a pair of Dutch rabbits that hate to be petted – they try to hide when they hear people they don’t know – I call them my ostrich rabbits. I do get a little sad that they seem so timid but they are content to be left alone and like to sit next to each other so I have just come to accept that makes them happy. Me, I want to just cuddle them because they are so cute, but I don’t since they hate it.

[dmh426]

try the floor ignore. it helps if you have a treat in your hand too. This is why I am so glad I never bonded Sophie. She is so incredibly loving with me, grooms me and thumps when my boyfriend is over and we’re on the couch snuggled up watching a movie. Quite funny to watch, actually. She hopped on his chest last week and nudged his arm away from me.

[Karla]

What about trying to hand feed them? Sit down with some treats or pellets and tempt them to get close to you. At first they may only sit hby your feet and eat, but eventually you can get them to eat closer to you – and by the end you may be able to get them to sit on your lap. Do it for 2-3 weeks every day. It is a great trick. I always encourage people to try this.

They will associate you with treats and be happy to see you and jump on your lap when you sit down.

Also, I like MarkBuns trick. We have done that a lot at home as well. Whenever the bunnies ignore me, and I want to cuddle, I lie down and ignore them – and they will come running to sit on my back.

[Pebble and Dante]

Lori Ann – when Pebbles came to live with me she was snotty too …. of course after her though training of me I learned that she did actually like me and when I backed off a bit she would come and asked to be groomed. Yeah she’s the boss. I worked hard and found that providing a treat in one hand and petting with the other was a good way to start a conversation. Also I spent lots of hours sitting in her space, and laying on the floor pretending to sleep so that she could come up to me without me reacting. This went on for a few weeks. Now she runs up to greet me, and is always watching the fridge to see what I pull out – also if a rattle any kind of plastic bag -she comes looking to see if it is something for her. Hang in there. They love you.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Don’t take it personally. Rabbits are not dogs or cats, and don’t show affection (nor are they anywhere near as dependant on us for affection) as dogs and cats do.

Do what Markbun suggested, just hang out with them on the floor. Spend lots of time with them, they’ll become used to you.

Also, my lionhead is a huge stomper. They just seem to be that way. I don’t know that she’s trying to be a stuck up snob-just stomps at any little indignity

[MarkBun]

I hate to be a man here, but I often attribute a rabbit’s want for affection somewhat the same as that to a girl’s. It seems that the more I would want to date a girl, the less she’d want to be around me. But the moment that girl found out that I wasn’t interested in her, she suddenly would always be there. I feel that if you ignore the rabbit, the rabbit will demand the attention – even if they don’t want you paying attention to them. They want to know that they are the center of your universe – just that they don’t want you to be the center of theirs.

[Monkeybun]

LOL We aren’t THAT bad, us girls! hehe

[Adalaide]

Well, not all girls are anyway. But that does sound just like a bun. Freya is not a fan of being petted at all and if I do pet her it is on HER terms. It’s when and where and how she wants it or it’s not at all. The other night she binkied from one side of the room to the other so I know she’s happy, which makes me happy. Then again, she did binky into the end of the couch and I laughed at her and she went to the back corner of her condo to sulk the rest of the night. Also like a girl. She forgave me when I gave her a present, at least raisins are cheaper than flowers. I get the impression from Freya that I am not important to her but that it is of vital importance that she be the most important thing in the world to me. Stuck up little….. GRRRRRR!!! (It almost makes me feel bad for men. Almost. Maybe I would if I got flowers more often.)

[Sage Cat]

Do try the “floor ignore”!!
Another thing that works well for me is t get their favorite treat, sit cross legged on the floor and lure the bunnies onto my lap to give them the treat. However, DO NOT pet them while doing this until you have been doing this for a while and they are running to your lap for the treat.

I have had Kay & Winston for 1 year and 9 months – just last month Winston started to really let me and J pet him.
Be patient!!!!!

[Michelle B]

I feel your pain. I have two bunnies, Rui loves me but I am convinced that Emrys hates me. He flinches when he sniffs me, he thumps at me when I come near, and generally makes it known that my attention is not appreciated. However, he often jumps up on my back when I lay on the floor and sometimes when I feign sleep I open my eyes to find him right in my face. I do think that he’s very, very, very, slowly coming to accept me after six months.

Something that I have done is made the cage a ‘safe’ place. I never grab him or pick him up out of the cage. I try not to chase him into his cage and use food and treats as bribes instead. Since he feels safe in the cage I can sit and talk to him when he’s in there and he doesn’t usually run away. I can also sometimes get in a few pets too. I’m trying to teach him that nose rubs are good.

[wendyzski]

If it helps, I had Pepper for almost a year before she decided that head-pets were ok, almost 2 before she came up to me and asked for them, 2.5 before she hopped up on the couch to ask for skritches and only this past weekend (almost 3.5 years) did she ask for pets from someone who wasn’t me.

[hooty22]

Haha, this thread is cracking me up. Seriously, just start from the beginning and read through. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US!?!?
We put up with attitude, being ignored, being disliked and we shovel affection, treats and love in hopes of one little binky, or a flop. Seriously, I think that an interesting psychological study would be finding out the personality traits/mental disorders common to bunny slaves.

[Karla]

Posted By hooty22 on 11/24/2009 08:50 AM
Haha, this thread is cracking me up. Seriously, just start from the beginning and read through. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US!?!?
We put up with attitude, being ignored, being disliked and we shovel affection, treats and love in hopes of one little binky, or a flop. Seriously, I think that an interesting psychological study would be finding out the personality traits/mental disorders common to bunny slaves.

 That is such a funny observation! We are a strange people in here 
 

[Quantum]

 Seconding (or maybe fifteenthing) the floor ignore.  Also–do you wear perfume or is your soap/shampoo strongly scented?  Buns hate strong smells.  Bean always gets miffed if I get home having used scented soap somewhere.  I have to go wash or he runs off doing, “Ewwww!  What’s that smell??!??  It’s messing up my beautiful noooooooose!!!!” thumps.  He’s fine with the cheapo liquid hand-soap I buy at Costco, but anything with a fragrance……

No, no, Karla!  It’s the non-bunny-owned that are strange.  We’re the normal ones!

[Deannaline]

oh my… I read all of this.. bunny not likeing me stuff…………………. sad!

I can walk over and pick (Newton) my bunnie any time. He goes limp, and I cradle him in my arms like a baby. No problems. I kiss his face, rub noses, and put him back down on the floor in seconds. Just so he knows that picking him up doesn’t mean cage time.
My Newton got Neutered on Monday Nov 23rd. His Ball’s are like grapes.. I could not see them before the surgery. They or vet say’s this is normal and the swell will go down. It is Thursday and I hope so.

Like some other said here .. I do believe a bunny that has another will bond with them.. Newton has me.. and I luv him to death and feel guilty for my poor dog. I’d let him down with us but Newton attached him ………….. and that is the main reason why I did the spay. So maybe in January of 2010 I will let my dog down and see how it goes..

I too wanted two bunnies so they were not alone. Yet so many told me they will fight if same sex or spay.. so thought.. I have the luv…
Then the person who I got my bunnie from should me the results from a bunnie fight. wow.. they go for blood…..

Anyway getting off track… I just got my first bunny in Aug.. and I am not experienced at all in the topic…………just luv talking about bunny experinces. I bet it is cus they have a pal………… and yur not that important….

[DawnT]

i had a lionlop Bear he was part of suprise liter any way he was like that he thought he was the alpha bunny.  he was mean to everyone except his mother that he bonded with.  when he would see he would pace back and forth in his cage and growl at people that was paying attention to oreo.  he didn’t like me since i was main human in oreo’s world.  i would give him food etc in his cage and he was boxing me, this went on for awhile.  so one day i decided to box him we went round and round for a few days till he realized i wasn’t going to back down from him.  Even when i let him out i would be sitting on the floor reading the news paper he would get up on his hind lets his little paws in the air and we wold box after that he wold lay right on my news paper and want me give him a massage i would get my fingers and start at the top of his shoulders and work all the way down.  he was fine after he knew i wasn’t going to back down.  i always told i was going to send to ange management classes.

As for advice you just hasve to keep trying.  i had a total 4 buns living with me and all were different and were handled differently

[bunnymama]

I have 2 females that each took about a full year before they felt totally comfortable with me, so that they were not afraid and didn’t run or shy away from me. Once my female lions head got a mate, Dino, now she does not care so much about me anymore cuz she has him. Still wants attention from me tho but only sometimes. Don’t take it too personal. You might just need to get closer to the 1 year mark of having them.

[Author]

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