New baby bunny is acting weird

[Auburnie]

The first night I had Harlow home he did pretty well. Didn’t struggle getting in and out of his cage at all. He spooked a little bit when he was picked up to go back to the cage though. I had a day trip during the second day so that was really his first time alone in my room for a long time. He recently started making this weird sound and running away when you try to pet him. It took a few scratches and “you’re okay”s to get him out but once i got him he snuggled up to me and calmed down a bit. This morning i went to pet him and he did the same thing, grumbles and running away. So i sat down and just gently talked to him for a bit until he calmed down, and didn’t end up getting him out.

i’m worried he’s going to grow to not like me and i feel like i’m not doing this whole “bonding” thing very well.
i get him out every day for “play time” but he’s exploring on his own and not too interested in interacting with me.

is it because he’s a baby and it’s all new? Should this eventually pass over time? What more can i do to make him comfortable and actually like me? He seemed so calm at first. He’s still a very wonderful rabbit. i’m just worried he’s gonna hate me.

[Bam]

He will not grow to not like you  The first day you had him he was probably subdued by all the new impressions. It’s a good instinct to lay low the first time in a new and unknown environment. For many buns, this stage lasts a week, but Harlow seems to have snapped out of it in a day only. If he calms down when you talk to him, that’s really great.

The best thing to get a bun to trust and like you is to do nothing but sit with him when he has out-time. You can read a book or a magazine. Don’t touch, don’t try to grab – don’t even look at him, really (predators eye their prey before they pounce). Rabbits are very inquisitive and he won’t be able to resist coming to check you out sooner or later. But he will probably want to explore his new environment first. You can lie down on the floor and let him use you as a jungle-gym, that’s often irresistible for a young bun.

You can help him feel more comfortable in his new environment by providing one or two card-board houses, i e cardboard boxes with exit and entrance holes cut in them (they tend to want two holes or they can feel trapped. A bunny burrow always have two exits.) If a bunny has a safe place to withdraw to, it often feels more courageous.

To me, the way you describe his behavior sounds very normal and very promising.

[StachesMommy]

Hi, how long have you had him home for? I’m also curious as to what sound he is making…before running away? If he is eating normally, going to the bathroom fine, etc. it may just be because everything is new to him and a bit scary. Some bunnies take a bit longer to bond with their humans. Every bunny has their own particular personality as well. The first couple of days I brought my bunny home I let her do what she felt comfortable with. If she didn’t want to come out I didn’t take her out or force her. I did pet her for about 10 minutes a day then gradually interacted with her more and more as time went by. I also just sat by her and just watched her. I would fix her hay, add more alfalfa, etc but I didn’t touch her every time my hand went in her cage either because I didn’t want her to associate my hand with annoyance. (not that that’s what bunnies would feel… but you just never know) I didn’t pick her up either until a full week has passed. I think for me it took about a week for her to come out of her shell. My husband on the other hand kept trying to pick her up and it took her a good month to trust him. I think in his situation, him forcing her to do things she didn’t want to scared her and made her associate negative things such as being picked up with him. She wouldn’t even come out of her cage if he was close by. They are good friends now. Sometimes it just takes some time. I’m almost positive it will pass just give him time. You can also try hand feeding him his pellets to gain more trust that way. If he is old enough def. give him treats too by hand Don’t worry, he doesn’t hate you and won’t hate you. You just have to be patient. You have to remember that going to a new home and all that is a huge stress factor.

[Bam]

I totally agree with stachesmommy, you don’t want him to associate you hands with something negative. And hand-feeding pellets is really a great way to make your bun regard you as an important resource. Food really is the best and quickest way to a bunny’s heart.

A bunny won’t instantly love you like a puppy dog will, but that’s because rabbits are a prey species and have to be very cautious all the time so they don’t end up as somebody’s dinner. The rabbit’s history as a companion-animal is very very much shorter than the dog’s, so they haven’t evolved alongside us as companions for very long. So you will need more patience when you try to gain a rabbit’s trust. It is very worth it though.

[Auburnie]

Well after finally being able to check “he” appears to be a “she” lol

From what I’ve read online, she seems to be doing exceptionally well for only being her third day here. Both me and my boyfriend have gotten kisses from her many times. I took the advice from someone online and pet her and hand fed her some hay. She is eating fine and pooping fine. The noises she was making last night and earlier today were grumbling sounds. I’m not quite sure how to explain that sound but it made me very nervous. I made sure I didn’t chase her around her cage and spook her, so when she grumbled i pulled away. When I got back home today, i talked to her and sat there petting her for a few minutes before eventually scooping her up and getting her out of her cage. I moved her cage to the floor so i could avoid getting her out on my own terms to help the stress of that. She loves to lay on her blanket while sitting me and has kicked her feet back which shocks me because i’ve read that they don’t necessarily like to “cuddle” and she will snuggle right up to whoever is holding her.

i finally got around to giving her own “designated area” in my room earlier today giving her a lot of space to run and some toys to play with while i laid on the floor and she ran from her cage to her play space for about an hour. After that she hasn’t made that sound when i put my hand in her cage so maybe just being cooped up in the cage for the day while i was gone freaked her out a bit since it was only her second day here?

[LBJ10]

Bunnies grunt when they are displeased with something. Was she flicking her back feet as she went away as well?

[Author]

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