Need help with bunny!

[floppybuns]

Hi! I’m new here, so I’m not sure if I’m posting this in the right place.

 Well, where to start. I rescued my female bun 6 months ago from a very dirty breeder. She is my first ever rabbit, and I had done well over a year of research before getting her. The first month or two was good. We built trust and she learned that she was a queen bunny.  It felt like we were getting somewhere. However, now, I feel like we’re just stuck in limbo. She’s nothing that I expected. We don’t really have a bond, and I just feel so disconnected from her. She binkies, flops, eats and all that that good stuff, but she NEVER shows ANY affection towards me. All I do is feed her and provide a home for her. Its really upsetting because I’ve tried everything to create a bond with her, but nothing works. She doesn’t really like pets, she doesn’t give kisses, and the only time she really purrs is if I pet her and she’s half asleep. She pretty much avoids me at all costs unless I have food. Its come to the point where I think about getting rid of her every day. All she does is frustrate me because she chews everything, makes messes, pees outside the litter box, etc (she is spayed). I know these things are normal bunny behaviors (even the litter box mistakes ), but it just seems like it isn’t worth it. I wanted companionship and love when I got a rabbit, but all I’m getting are expensive bills and ruined items. I don’t want to be the kind of person who just gives up on an animal when things don’t go as planned, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.s. I have thought that getting her a rabbit friend might help (like the other buns behavior might rub off?) but because of my experience with her, I’m not so sure I want another rabbit. As far as I know, she has never been with other rabbits (except for breeding purposes), so I feel like maybe she doesn’t know certain behaviors? 

[Luna]

Hi! We all feel frustrated at times . Are you sure she is spayed? (did you take her to be spayed or did the breeder tell you she was spayed) When you say you’ve tried to create a bond with her, what types of things have you tried so far?

[floppybuns]

Yes, she’s spayed. I took her to a vet about two months ago
As for bonding, I’ve tried hand feeding her treats/ veggies, playing with her (jingling her favorite key toys around and tossing cups n’ such), letting her come to me and rewarding her, mimicking rabbit behavior, sharing food, getting down on her level (laying flat on the floor), sitting outside/inside of her cage and just reading a book, and oh so much more

[Wick & Fable]

I’m curious about her housing situation. So where is she housed, how often is she enclosed versus roaming around, and how often are you passively and actively around her.

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.

[floppybuns]

She is in a very large pen inside my room, but I have been working on making her free roam. The time she is out of her cage really depends. Some days I can only have her out for an hour or two, and other days she’ll be out for 10+ hours. When she is out, I usually just sit on the floor reading and try petting her if she comes up to me. Her playtime setup includes lots of toys (pine cones, crinkly tunnels, etc) so she often doesn’t have much interest in me. She’s around me 24/7, and her cage is not far from my bed so I always talk to her and hand feed her. 

[Deleted User]

Along with what has been said above, 6 months isn’t that long for her to be with you. Some bunnies can take a very long time to open up and feel comfortable, especially if they came from a bad situation. A bunny from a situation that you described may take a long time to show affection, or may never show affection at all. Some bunnies in general aren’t very affectionate. Typically bunnies do love from afar. Most bunnies want pets or love on their terms not yours. You have to be patient sometimes.

[floppybuns]

I know I just want to make sure I’m not missing out on something. She seems rather comfortable in my presence, but just isn’t that interested. I figured it might take more time  thanks

[professorzap]

I agree that it can take time and some bunnies are never that affectionate with their people. My current bunny is the sixth bunny I’ve had (I’ve had two bonded pairs and 2 individual bunnies) and only the second that actually wanted lots of attention. Three previous bunnies (a bonded pair and a female of a bonded pair) seemed like they didn’t care if I even touched them, though they did seem to “like” me in the sense that they allowed me to put them in their carriers, give them medicine if necessary, etc. The only other male I had (one of a bonded pair) before my current male bunny seemed to like being petted OK, but mostly preferred to interact with his mate. So only my current bunny and just previous bunny ever sought out attention regularly.

When you said that “the only time she really purrs is if I pet her and she’s half asleep,” I actually found that very encouraging. As A&B said, 6 months isn’t very long considering that she was in (as you say) a dirty breeding situation. She probably doesn’t trust people at all and that she has purred for you at all is a good sign IMO. It’s also not surprising that she’s not good with her litter box yet considering that she was probably not litter trained at all in her previous situation. I appreciate that you rescued her from that situation and are trying with her!!!

[Author]

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