No more binkies?!

[luvmyhunybuny]

When we first got Tillie she was a zooming and binkying fool.  Now? Northing. She is a free range bunny (of the entire huge gameroom) and only put in her condo at night when we are all sleeping. She was doing most of her binkying when I expanded her area (pen around her condo before she was free range). Is she depressed? She seems to do a lot laying around and eating, of course.

I am also struggling. I hope I don’t get “bashed” for this… I love Tillie, but she is just not the bunny I ever pictured having. I know it takes them a long while to warm up to humans. I am trying to be patient, but I find myself wishing she was a different bunny. Admitting this makes me feel horrible. I have contemplated taking her back to the rescue and finding a “better fit” but then I will worry that Tillie won’t get placed in a good home. Or the next person won’t care for her as well. So while I comtemplate it, I just don’t see myself doing it. Any advice for me?

Thanks everyone!

 

[LoveChaCha]

Hehe, no bashing at all.

It is typical rabbit behavior :3

When a rabbit is comfortable, they will flop and relax.

After turning 1, Chacha began to chill out more. She didn’t binky as much, but she would flop and flop, and do her bunny runs.

I was worried about that too, but then I realized that Chacha bun is very content with her surroundings. She occasionally binkies – when she plays in her flannel blanket, but that is about it.

I felt the same way too when I first got Chacha. I didn’t think she was the right bunny for me.. but as time went by, I realized that I was terribly wrong. I accepted her as she is.

[Sarita]

She sounds like a normal content rabbit to me. I can tell you love Tillie or else you wouldn’t be concerned that she’s not happy. I think as far as finding a rabbit who is a good fit, most rabbit owners I think just give in and accept that their rabbit, that they love, isn’t exactly what they expected, because probably they weren’t really sure what to expect.

It’s been so long since I’ve had my first rabbit that I honestly don’t remember what I expected rabbits to be like. Since then I’ve had so many rabbits with so many different personalities, that I still don’t know what to expect :~)

[Silly Sungura]

We have fewer binkies here, too. Hodari has just grown out of them a bit, I guess. For the most part, she spends her time lounging near me. When she binkies at all it is usually just a head binky in response to being petted. 

I’m sorry that you’re having a tough time bonding with Tillie. Maybe it’d help if you try to keep your relationship with her open and free of expectations, and just approach Tillie like she’s entirely mysterious and new. Just sit together and share each other’s company. It’s normal for there to be some disappointment on your part, wishing she’d be more affectionate or active, or whatever; so don’t feel bad when you find yourself wishing those things. I do it, too. But each day has opportunities for pleasant surprises. Hodari is often doing something that surprises me, that’s for sure! Like, yesterday, when she approached me to snatch at the book I was reading; she was obviously teasing me, because when I started to pet her, she would spring away (in one big, sideways leap) and then spring back to do it again. Quite a surprise when she looked, only moments earlier, dead to the world.

Bottom line: It sounds like Tillie is happy, and you love her, so that’s a pretty good fit, imho.

[Elrohwen]

I agree with everyone else that she sounds perfectly content! Mine aren’t big binkiers either and spend most of their time just lying around and looking cute. Free range buns, especially, tend to get enough exercise just moving around and don’t seem as likely to do big displays of energy.

I know how you feel about not getting the bunny you expected. I don’t think most of us do, really. Otto isn’t affectionate, isn’t active, and most of the time wishes we would leave him alone, but somehow I love him more than anything. It does make me sad occasionally when I just want to love him and he’s a huge stinker, but he’s my baby and I forgive him. When I first got Hannah I wasn’t sure about her at all and seriously considered giving her back, but now I love her too and realize she has the affectionate and silly personality we were missing with Otto (and he has traits that she doesn’t, like being calm and laid back no matter what’s going on around him).

I think part of owning bunnies is having a sort of zen acceptance of who they are and who they want to be, instead of expecting them to act one way or another. In my experience, dogs can be molded and are more like each other than different, but rabbits are all over the map. We need to figure out how they want to interact with us, whether that’s petting, snuggling, tricks, or just laying in the same room.

 

[luvmyhunybuny]

Thank you everyone! I am so wishy washy with how I feel, when it comes to Tillie. She will do something super cute and I will fall in love all over again. Then she will foot flick me and run and I get discouraged. I *know* this is typical rabbitude, but she does the foot flick more times than cute stuff

We are still learning from each other and I understand this takes time. But I have never been a patient person (lol). So, she is teaching a few lessons and with that comes a stronger bond, though I think me to her more than the other way around!

Thanks again for sharing your insight, it makes me feel tons better!!

[LoveChaCha]

I am exactly the same – I am not a patient person at atll, but Chacha has taught me that. Elhrowen is very correct, rabbits are all over the place, and are not afraid of express their emotions.

I get footflicks on a daily basis.. even after I give a treat T___T

[Elrohwen]

I agree that my bunnies have taught me to be more patient. They’ve also taught me to really appreciate the small things. Instead of just being happy and excited when they’re being nice to me, I get happy just watching Otto lay around with his feet out. He might not want me to come close to him, but seeing him lay there so content just makes me feel relaxed and happy all over. It’s those moments that I love having bunnies, in addition to the silly moments, or the times they let me snuggle them.

[Sarita]

I kind of think the foot flicking is rather cute. Tillie sounds like she has alot of personality.

[CapnRis]

Rory is still binky-ing quite a bit whenever he has the run of the bedroom (though he now wants to explore beyond the door, which may be problematic). While I’m a little bummed to hear the crazy twisting jumps he performs will be slowing down, I’m glad for the forewarning.

My expectations with Rory were way off base, probably because I’ve had cats all my life and was expecting him to act something like a cat, which he of course does not (one of my cats has actually taking to mimicking the rabbit at times, for reasons beyond my ken). He isn’t very fond of pets yet, he’ll generally only approach me if I’m ignoring him or if I have a piece of apple for him, and his name means about as much to him as any other word that comes out of my mouth, which is to say, nothing. But for all his aloofness, he is still for certain the bun for me and my fiancee.

[Stickerbunny]

I don’t get binkies very often anymore – I get them in the morning when I let Powder out from the bedroom area (he gets locked into the bedroom/bathroom because I don’t want him to nibble anything in the night, like our computers!) and when I let Stickers out of her normal area to run when Powder goes up for his afternoon nap… but being free range, they are quite content to just flop if they are in their normal areas and nothing has changed.

I get foot flicked and thumped at all the time by my girl – she just loves to give me rabbitude! But I laugh at her when she does it and after a few minutes she comes back for a pet, sniff or to hop around my feet. Don’t get discouraged – it’s like a little kid being told “no” and turning his back to you with arms folded… just accept it as cute grumpiness and they always forgive! lol

Now I will admit I give more attention to Powder (my calm, somewhat affectionate male) than Stickers… but that is because mainly, he will take it more often. After 3ish months though Stickers is starting to learn if I walk up to her, I am not going to eat her, I just want to pet her soft velvet fur! But as often as not I get a thump, or she runs away and hides in her den if I try to pet her. She’d rather I just lay on the floor and let her walk all over me and sniff me. They are what they are and just like with kids, we accept them rather than try to change them.

[LoveChaCha]

Oh stickerbunny, we are in the same about when it comes to the girls. They have an attitude problem

[Huckleberry]

I think owning a rabbit, especially if you’re used to cats and dogs, is a major adjustment. It’s hard to accept that they don’t wag their tails and worship the ground you walk on or run up and snuggle up in your lap for pets. It’s a lot more like having a totally independent being living with you, a roommate that is cool with eating your food but borrows your sweater without asking. Or maybe they want to hang out one day but not the next. I think that you have to accept them for what they are while still continuing to be loving and not turn your back on them.
I know you wouldn’t do that and you love tillie, I’m just saying that you have to change your expectations for her and a relationship will develop between you two over time.
huckles had me thinking the same way for a long time. Good luck!!! Binkies and hugs!!!

[Beka27]

Depending on what your prior pet experience has been, rabbits can be a big adjustment. I compare them to a very, very aloof cat. They come out when it’s dinner time and frequent the litterbox, but other than that, people can be in your home and never know you have a cat. We had a couple cats growing up and that’s what they were like. They were not leg-rubbing, lap-snuggling cats. We never saw the cats. I think that’s why to this day I’m not a big fan of cats. I like other people’s cats and I will definitely pet them if I’m over their house, but they are not the pet for me. So it’s odd that I am so taken with rabbits who can act just as aloof…

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