New bun owner to Californian white

[Calirabbit2019]

Hey I’m New to this community, I have a Californian rabbit he’s 4 months he’s very playful and binkies all around the house he doesn’t mind pets and he’s not afraid of me but my family is very loud and This scares him so I can only let him out when they are gone (in a cage until he’s neutered ) he also eats my wooden furniture and carpets I go to school so I can’t spend that much time with him but I feel we have really bonded and I only got him 2 weeks ago, He doesn’t mind being picked up but once he’s in open space he bolt every time I try to pick him.doesn’t let me brush him either and half my family is allergic to his fur, (sorry this is long) do u have any tips on 1. How to create a stronger bond 2. How to stop him chewing the furniture and carpets 3. How to groom him easier 4. How to tolerate being picked up Thanks sorry its so long I’m New to being a rabbit parent 

[DarthVadar]

The best way to bond with a new bunny is getting down to his level. Lay on the floor and let him come up to you and investigate. Even the shyest bunnies will sniff you out and probably end up jumping on you. During this time, do not attempt to pick him up. The point of this is to make him trust you. Once he trusts you, you can start picking him up more. To scoop up a resistant bunny, NEVER pick him up by the ears or exclusively the scruff of his neck. Put one hand under his butt and one under his chest behind his front legs; in this position, it is nearly impossible for him to get away or hurt himself.
It’s easiest to brush a rabbit if he is sitting on a table on a towel or carpet square. Doing it while he is on the floor is an exercise in futility; he’ll just leave.
Rabbits will never actually like being picked up. They are prey animals; its scary. But if you pick him up enough, he will eventually tolerate it.
As for chewing, I can’t answer that, cause my bunnies aren’t house rabbits. Anyway, good luck with your bunny!!!

[Bam]

Congratulations on your new bunny!

I agree with what Darth Vadar says about bonding with your rabbit.

As for chewing things – could you make a play pen for him in your room so he can’t get to your furniture or the carpet? It’s often best to keep a young bun in a somewhat restricted area until he’s litter trained. Rabbits are diggers and chewers – and young buns are the “worst” because they are exploring the world and trying to learn about it. Like young human babies they often do this by tasting everything around them. Wood chew toys or twigs from pesticide free trees such as willow or apple can give the bun an outlet for his need to chew and gnaw. He should also have hay available all at all times, because chewing on hay is really important for rabbits and good habits should preferably be laid down early.

It’s very normal for rabbits to bolt when you try to catch them and pick them up. Their instincts tell them they are about to become dinner to a predator. You obviously have to pick him up for nail clipping and grooming though, and he will get used to that, just try to make the experiences as pleasant as possible for him, for example by offering him a few treats.

[Calirabbit2019]

Thank you for the advice on bonding it really helped he still chews on the carpets but is slowly looking interest, the only problem now is that he keeps nipping my clothes and digging at me and I’m afraid he will hurt someone once he gets older do you have any advice on how to discourage the behaviour ??

[Bam]

The nipping and digging at your clothes is typical of young buns. I would gently remove him when he does it. Just gently put him down on the floor or away from you if you already are on the floor. Repeat until he understands digging and nipping is not an acceptable form of social interaction. Buns are often nippy when they’re young, much like puppy dogs. It’s not an aggressive thing, and it shouldn’t be punished. It should just be discouraged. If he bites you, you can yelp, that works with some buns but not all.

Sometimes a bun will nip and dig when it’s in a person’s lap because it wants to be put down on the floor or as a way of saying “I need to pee”. In my opinion it is best to put the bun back on the floor, because cuddling should never be forced on a rabbit. If he knows he’s free to go when he wants to, he’ll feel much more relaxed near you and he’ll be more likely to seek you out for pets.

Most rabbits really like being pet, but they are also instinctively wary of being caught and held, and this creates a conflict in their little heads. Cats are somewhat the same way, some cats more than others. It’s like a battle between the domesticated side of the animal and the wild side. With time and persistence and patience from you, the domesticated side will eventually win. But it can take several months before the rabbit realizes he can trust his human.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I have nothing additional to add except that Calis are great bunnies.

[DarthVadar]

I wish I had known this when I first got Panda. So many destroyed t-shirts…..

[Calirabbit2019]

Omg Gus today I was brushing my bunny and I started stroking his back and he kind of stretched his body and let me pet him he was also grinding his teeth is that a good thing???

[DarthVadar]

The stretched out body is a sign of relaxation; thats good. Teeth grinding accompanied with laying down is a sign of contentment, but teethe grinding by itself may be a sign that he’s in pain.

[Bam]

How lovely that he stretched out and tooth purred!

A young rabbit can tooth purr spontaneously as wellas when he’s being pet, but as DV says, tooth grinding can be a sign of pain too. But when it’s a sign of pain it’s usually coupled with other signs as well, such as a hunched up position, hiding away and unwillingness to come out even for the yummiest treat.

[Calirabbit2019]

So tooth purring means he’s happy I’m glad
But I also have a problem my bunny keeps moving his litter box and does his business behind it its really annoying when I have to clean any tips

[Author]

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