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i have 2 rabbits, brison and charlotte, and i’ve had them for about 2 years, and they still don’t seem to trust me. they act relaxed when i’m around their cage, and they occasionally walk up to me and sniff me a little, but that’s the farthest i’ve gotten over the course of 2 YEARS of taking care of them. whenever they’re near me and i move even a little, they run away as far as possible and hide wherever they can. the sad part is, they trust my dog more than they trust me, and my dog is REALLY hyperactive. i should note that i pamper them to the extreme, but they still couldn’t care less about me. i’m getting really depressed about it. is there something i’m doing wrong?
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Thanks for providing the additional information. Can you also describe how large the cage is, what type of flooring it has, and whether your rabbits are let out the cage at all and if so where and how often? Is the cage outside or inside, and how often is it cleaned?
Additionally, pampering rabbits is such a great activity isn’t it? Can you describe what you’re feeding them and what foods they have access to throughout the day (hay?)?
The fear after two years is not unheard, but learning about how often you interact with them, it seems more justified. You have not spent a lot of time with the rabbits, though you’ve had them for two years. I understand this is making you depressed, so some immediate action is needed to make both you and your rabbits feel happier with this relationship!
It’s important that you interact with them at least once a day. Many users on BB have free roam rabbits, where we spend upwards of 10+ hours with our rabbits. Whether it’s actively engaging with them by grooming and feeding, or just being in the same room as them, this helps establish a better rapport.
And lastly, reiterating Dana’s question, your siblings rabbits. How long have they been together, did you ever separate them or need to, are they spayed/neutered, and do you ever see them “annoyed” with each other (if so, what does that look like?)?
I think it’s definitely possible to establish a closer relationship with your rabbits, but some changes and care routine items need to change for that to happen. The current standing isn’t as conducive to both rabbit and owner happiness.
The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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Posted By Wick on 1/25/2018 7:07 AM
Thanks for providing the additional information. Can you also describe how large the cage is, what type of flooring it has, and whether your rabbits are let out the cage at all and if so where and how often? Is the cage outside or inside, and how often is it cleaned?Additionally, pampering rabbits is such a great activity isn’t it? Can you describe what you’re feeding them and what foods they have access to throughout the day (hay?)?
The fear after two years is not unheard, but learning about how often you interact with them, it seems more justified. You have not spent a lot of time with the rabbits, though you’ve had them for two years. I understand this is making you depressed, so some immediate action is needed to make both you and your rabbits feel happier with this relationship!
It’s important that you interact with them at least once a day. Many users on BB have free roam rabbits, where we spend upwards of 10+ hours with our rabbits. Whether it’s actively engaging with them by grooming and feeding, or just being in the same room as them, this helps establish a better rapport.
And lastly, reiterating Dana’s question, your siblings rabbits. How long have they been together, did you ever separate them or need to, are they spayed/neutered, and do you ever see them “annoyed” with each other (if so, what does that look like?)?
I think it’s definitely possible to establish a closer relationship with your rabbits, but some changes and care routine items need to change for that to happen. The current standing isn’t as conducive to both rabbit and owner happiness.
the cage is about 2 by 3 feet, and 2 feet tall. i put bedding on the floor so they can sit comfortably. i let them out of the cage quite often, in the summer i let them outside on the deck, and during the winter i keep them inside in the kitchen. the cage is inside, and it gets cleaned about once a week. i feed them greens quite often, usually romaine, napa cabbage, or cilantro. i give them enough hay to keep them warm and feed them for the day. i also feed them pellets. i don’t know which foods they REALLY like, because they just eat it without hesitation no matter what vegetable it is. i’m 14 and live with my parents, so i most likely have time to spend with them (i’ll cut down on the video games, as long as it means making my rabbits happy). they are both fixed, and i actually never thought of separating them, so i’ll try that tomorrow. the only time i seen them possibly “annoyed” with each other is one day when they were on the deck, and they were jumping at each other. at first i thought it was just play fighting, but after a while i figured i would just put them back in the cage.
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Everyone pretty much hit the nail on the head but I just wanted to emphasize how important it is for you to spend as much time as possible down on your bunnies level (so on the floor with them if they’re on the floor) every single day. Be consistant. Bunnies are naturally curious creatures so they will eventually come check you out. Even if it’s just for a minute.
While you’re on the floor interact with them. Talk to them. If you don’t know what to say them (I personally always have something to say to my bun) then read them a story or sing them some songs. Go on Facebook and read them the Facebook posts. Anything that lets them know you are interacting with them.
And if you get bored sitting in the floor try watching movies or going on Pinterest. Make a collage. Watch YouTube.
And continue hand feeding as much as possible. I feel like some people shy away from this because they don’t want the bunny to only love them because they give food. That’s not exactly what’s happening in your buns mind when you’re feeding them. They start to associate you with good, safe things that make them happy. And that’s a step in the right direction. Don’t give up! Perseverance and patience. Good luck
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Posted By HexagonalMilo10 on 1/25/2018 8:14 PM
Posted By GinandWhiskey on 1/25/2018 7:04 AM
What happens if you try to pick them up? And how often have you tried?when i try to pick them up, they squirm around and struggle, and when i hold one on it’s back (which i heard from a friend of mine blisses out the rabbit), they remain calm, but their heart beats really quickly and their facial expression and movements probably show that they dont like it. i pick them up usually when i just want them out of a certain room that they somehow crawled into.
Everyone covered things well and thank you for answering everything so thoroughly! I don’t think anyone addressed this yet, but try not to pick your bunnies up unless necessary for nail trims or other medical reasons. It is also a myth that holding a bunny on it’s back “blisses” it out. It is actually in what is called “tonic immobility”, or trancing, which is basically playing dead out of fear.
It sounds like you picked up on this as you mention the rapid heart rate, you sound like a very observant owner!Trancing is somewhat controversial. Some think it should never be done, but most agree that if done at all it should be reserved for special circumstances (like a medical need that cannot be done otherwise, or if the only other option is a trip to the vet for a nail trim, etc.). When I had bunnies growing up, before I knew the were actually stressed by this, I always used to trance my bunnies for nail trims. I no longer do, and have found other ways to handle them safely for nail trims etc.
When they get into a place they aren’t supposed to, try to “shoo” them back out of that area, or lure them into the safe area with treats. That way they don’t associate you with being grabbed when you come towards them. My go-to when Bertha won’t budge (she’s a stubborn girl), is to mimic a gentle nip on her bum with my fingers, much like another bunny would do if she was in their way. I’ll actually use it as an opportunity to pull any tufts of loose fur on her bum so it’s a win-win. I don’t actually pinch her skin or hurt her in anyway!
I think most of these have been covered, and I do think you have been trying some of these already, but to summarize, here are the tried and true tips for bonding with your bunnies:
– Only pick up when necessary for health and safety reasons. Make sure your bunnies can get in and out of their cage without you handling them. When you do pick them up, hold them as firmly as possible. Often bunnies squirm because they feel insecure, and provide stability will help. When I pick up my bunnies , I start with their heads facing me. I’m right handed, so I’ll place my left forearm along their left side. I’ll simultaneously use my right hand to left their front half (from under their arm pits), and left hand to scoop up their bum (allowing the back legs to hang). I press them against my forearm so they feel very stable and secure. Most bunnies don’t struggle when you pick them up like this as they know they won’t get anywhere! Once I’ve got them off the ground if I need to carry them somewhere I kinda tuck them under my left arm, almost like I’m running a foot ball!
– Floor time! Lay or sit on the floor with your buns, read a book, watch a video, etc. Allow them to come near you and explore without reaching for them.
– Hand feeding veggies and pellets!
– Try not to clean or organize their cage when they are inside it. Wait until they are running around playing to clean the cage.
– When they get to the point where they will relax near you on the ground, don’t immediately try to pet them. Play hard to get. Keep ignoring them. You are building trust at this point.
– After it seems like they consistently relax near you, you can “ask” to pet them by placing your hand on the ground in front of them, so that your pinky is touching the ground and the back of your hand is facing their face. If they place their head down low, that means they want you to pet their head! Stick to the head and ears only, the back is a sensitive area for bunnies. If they flinch or pull away, don’t try to pet and leave them be.
. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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Posted By Wick on 1/25/2018 9:14 PM
Great job going through and answering and reading through all the long responses… There’s a lot of text, haha.Admittedly I did skim, but there are some good positives. Making sure they’re inside in the winter, and getting them a large xpen are excellent ideas to keep on doing. Also, budgeting out more time to spend it good. If you have a portable gaming device, you can even just leisurely play while in their presence! Being there matters a lot.
Is it possible to make the cage any larger? If not, a good solution is keeping the cage open but making their new “caged” enclosure the entire new xpen. The cage you have doesn’t let your rabbits move around very much, and this can cause them to get very painful and damaging sores on their feet, as well as get fat due to lack of running room.
Does the cage or set up include a litter box where your rabbits usually go to the bathroom or do they go to the bathroom throughout the cage? It’d be better to clean more than once a week, as a rabbit sitting in it’s urine or in a general environment with a lot of poop/pee can be dangerous. It can attract bugs to them and some may burrow inside and infect your rabbits, and also rabbits can contract skin issues from prolonged dirty environments. It’d be good to know how dirty you find the cage to be when you go to clean it each week. A lot of people find short, daily maintenance cleaning to be more time efficient and make the environment much cleaner and more safe for their rabbits.
A diet of hay, veggies, and pellets is quite good. You hit the three necessary elements. Rabbits obviously become quite happy and trusting of owners who feed them in a way that makes him feel good and energetic. Instead of seeing hay as a source of bedding/warmth, think of it primarily as a food so it can be more prioritized. If you think of everything a rabbit eats in a day, 80-90% of it should be hay. This keeps rabbits healthy and prevents a lot of diseases. Do you buy more hay often and give them fresh hay often?I A bit of veggies and some pellets (1/4 cup per 2lbs of rabbit; a 4lb rabbit would get 1/2 cup for example) are good as well. Out of curiosity and to see how your rabbits are agreeing with their diet, what does your rabbits’ poop and pee look like? Are the poops round, liquidy, runny, small, large, consistent looking or really varied..? And how about the pees? Does it dry yellow, clear, leaves a gel, powder…?
In terms of separating them, if you’ve seen them fighting, biting each other, pulling out hair, or chasing/bullying behavior, then yes, separating them and trying to rebond them slowly is best. There’s a whole section on starting the bonding process properly on this websites BUNNY INFO section. Read that for more info if you haven’t already!
EDIT: Were the purchased together as an already bonded pair? Both already fixed and living together? They’ve been together for a while based on what you’ve said, so potentially the jumping may have been rabbit binkying. If you YouTube rabbit binky, you’ll see what they look like. It could have been both of them being happy to be out of the cage, rather than fighting each other. The more details you can provide, the better!
i remember using an old dog cage for the rabbits at one point. so tomorrow i’ll get that out and see if they’re comfortable in there. there is a litter box in there, and i clean it whenever i can (whenever my mom tells me to
) their poop is small and round, which from what i know is normal and healthy. i never got a chance to see what their urine looks like, because by the time i look, it already soaks in to the litter. they were adopted together as siblings, and they were already neutered/spayed. i can completely understand the whole “being happy to be out of the cage” thing, as i seen them hop around and chase each other a lot -
Posted By DanaNM on 1/26/2018 11:29 AM
Posted By HexagonalMilo10 on 1/25/2018 8:14 PM
Posted By GinandWhiskey on 1/25/2018 7:04 AM
What happens if you try to pick them up? And how often have you tried?when i try to pick them up, they squirm around and struggle, and when i hold one on it’s back (which i heard from a friend of mine blisses out the rabbit), they remain calm, but their heart beats really quickly and their facial expression and movements probably show that they dont like it. i pick them up usually when i just want them out of a certain room that they somehow crawled into.
Everyone covered things well and thank you for answering everything so thoroughly! I don’t think anyone addressed this yet, but try not to pick your bunnies up unless necessary for nail trims or other medical reasons. It is also a myth that holding a bunny on it’s back “blisses” it out. It is actually in what is called “tonic immobility”, or trancing, which is basically playing dead out of fear.
It sounds like you picked up on this as you mention the rapid heart rate, you sound like a very observant owner!Trancing is somewhat controversial. Some think it should never be done, but most agree that if done at all it should be reserved for special circumstances (like a medical need that cannot be done otherwise, or if the only other option is a trip to the vet for a nail trim, etc.). When I had bunnies growing up, before I knew the were actually stressed by this, I always used to trance my bunnies for nail trims. I no longer do, and have found other ways to handle them safely for nail trims etc.
When they get into a place they aren’t supposed to, try to “shoo” them back out of that area, or lure them into the safe area with treats. That way they don’t associate you with being grabbed when you come towards them. My go-to when Bertha won’t budge (she’s a stubborn girl), is to mimic a gentle nip on her bum with my fingers, much like another bunny would do if she was in their way. I’ll actually use it as an opportunity to pull any tufts of loose fur on her bum so it’s a win-win. I don’t actually pinch her skin or hurt her in anyway!
I think most of these have been covered, and I do think you have been trying some of these already, but to summarize, here are the tried and true tips for bonding with your bunnies:
– Only pick up when necessary for health and safety reasons. Make sure your bunnies can get in and out of their cage without you handling them. When you do pick them up, hold them as firmly as possible. Often bunnies squirm because they feel insecure, and provide stability will help. When I pick up my bunnies , I start with their heads facing me. I’m right handed, so I’ll place my left forearm along their left side. I’ll simultaneously use my right hand to left their front half (from under their arm pits), and left hand to scoop up their bum (allowing the back legs to hang). I press them against my forearm so they feel very stable and secure. Most bunnies don’t struggle when you pick them up like this as they know they won’t get anywhere! Once I’ve got them off the ground if I need to carry them somewhere I kinda tuck them under my left arm, almost like I’m running a foot ball!
– Floor time! Lay or sit on the floor with your buns, read a book, watch a video, etc. Allow them to come near you and explore without reaching for them.
– Hand feeding veggies and pellets!
– Try not to clean or organize their cage when they are inside it. Wait until they are running around playing to clean the cage.
– When they get to the point where they will relax near you on the ground, don’t immediately try to pet them. Play hard to get. Keep ignoring them. You are building trust at this point.
– After it seems like they consistently relax near you, you can “ask” to pet them by placing your hand on the ground in front of them, so that your pinky is touching the ground and the back of your hand is facing their face. If they place their head down low, that means they want you to pet their head! Stick to the head and ears only, the back is a sensitive area for bunnies. If they flinch or pull away, don’t try to pet and leave them be.
thanks for the advice. i don’t want my bunnies playing dead on me
. i’ll be sure to rarely pick them up, and lure them back to the cage. they’re pretty stubborn rabbits (especially charlotte, the more skittish of the two.), but i’m sure it will work. -
It does depend, but it will happen! It honestly helps to play “hard to get”. Don’t try to pet them every time you approach, but do let them sniff you and explore.
Things with buns (in my experience) tend to improve in steps. You just made some big improvements, so things might seem to not change for a few weeks, and then one day there will be another big improvement.
I’ve had it take anywhere from 2 -5 months of hand feeding, playing hard to get, and floor time for bunnies to really start opening up. The ones that open up immediately are the exception.
Don’t worry about the hand feeding building a bad habit, it’s all building trust and positive associations. Think of it as a way of communicating to them that you are to be trusted and will not hurt them.
. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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