Loveable bun?

[Heather]

I was wondering if maybe ya’ll could give some ideas how to encourage sweetness and affection from our rabbit. My boys rabbit’s fickel and sometimes he wants to be loved, but as quickly as he wants it he’ll grunt and box your hand. He doesn’t hurt anyone or anything and it’s cute, but I really want him to be more loving and I know there’s got to be a good way to get him to be the sweetheart that must be locked in those fuzzy cheeks.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

1. Don’t force petting on him, if he hops away let him
2. Carry some treats with you and if he comes to you to ask for pets you could reward that behavier with a treat.
3. Lye or sit on the floor and read a book or newspaper or get a pillow and sleep on the floor (believe me I have done it) he will most likly be curious about what you are doing and become more comfortable with you just sitting there not trying to pet him.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Is the bunny neutered? Most unneutered bunnies have the horomones to deal with and that can cause them to be wishy-washy and horomonal. Once they are fixed they are much easier to handle and train, and just be around.

[Beka27]

It’s hard for some people to comprehend that bunnies are not always sweet anbd lovable and cuddly. Society and the media have “sold” us this image of bunnies being that way. Try not to feel bad, it’s not uncommon for rabbits to seem apathetic towards their humans.

I agree with KokaneeandKahlua, if he’s not neutered yet, that is your first step towards having a rabbit that is easier to live with. 

Regarding spay/neuters:  Spay or Neuter My Rabbit? - Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

Beyond that, it will take some work to get him so he enjoys being interacted with.

This is a great article you can read on the topic:  Winning Over A Shy Bunny - Dana Krempels, Ph.D.

[Balefulregards]

Some if it is Time. I’ve had Coco a year and there are times when she pretends I don’t even exist.

But a Bun is nothing, nothing, nothing like a cat or dog. Which was hard for me to figure out at first as a first timer with Rabbits. A year in and I can read her body language a great deal better. Rabbits are subtle creatures.

[Heather]

Huey is neutered, he was like a wrecking ball before he was neutered he was boxing, biteing or spraying anything that came near him . I got him from a pet store they said he was about 3 months old, but he was pretty good size, and I think now looking back he was older then that. I dont think he’d had much contact with humans, and what he had I’m pretty sure wasn’t totally pleasent.  I dont want the wrong idea, he isn’t mean. I just want a way to give him signals to be more loving like bunny signs I guess lol. I dont get around very well, I have a bad knee, so I spend a lot of time wth him on the floor, and he likes to be petted, he’ll stiff nose, but he waits for me to come to him, he never comes to me. He’ll lay in the floor just out of reach and hold his nose out, like come here already, and I always go lol.  He actually will come over to my hair and lick it as though he’s grooming me. But this never last long and usually ends up with some kind of nudge or nip. Also when he comes to me he will only allow my fingers to graze him before he runs away. I used to pick him up to put him in his cage, but I’ve totally stopped that and it’s been several months now since we did that. He never really enjoyed being picked up but he didn’t thrash around and struggle the way some rabbits do when you hold them, but I stopped immediatly when I really thought about how he must feel beig held so high in the air, see I’m scared of heights so, like I said it’s been several months since he’s been picked up for anyhting like that, tho I do hold him to clip his nails.He spends a good amount of time outside his cage, he’s really quite spoiled . We have had him a little over a year now, and he’s come a long way in a year, much sweeter now then he was when we first got him. I just want to find new ways to encourage the behavior I want from him. i know he’s not going to be a teddy bear, but I sitll would like to be licked instead of lick, lick nip! haha Also any specific places rabbits like to be petted more then others, he gives the “stiff nose” which seems to be his favorite but everywhere else he likes til he doesn’t haha. Maybe my bunny is just moody :  Really good article by the way, I really enjoyed it, I wanted to comment on the face to face stuff, I kiss Huey a lot on the top of his head, and sometiems he’s sweet and seems to enjoy this and sometimes he’ll jerk his head, and I’m scared he’s going to bite my face, and he seems to go from… ohhhh I love you, to get away! really quickly haha I hope I’ve explained a little better this time, thanks you guys so much for all the help!

[peepi&warri]

Warri used to be a really shy bun and would barely let me pet him. What finally won him over was discovering he liked to be pet on his lower back and around his tail. After he realized he liked being pet there and that I was the one who did it, he’s not shy around me anymore. He’ll even come up to me and ask for pets now. I’d say it took about 2 and a half years to get him over his shyness. I tried petting Peepi in the same spot, and he loves it now too. So I would try petting around the base of the tail. Both of my boys like being pet pretty hard there, with me digging my fingers into their fur and rubbing with my finger tips.

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