Shy Bunny

[Miles MizMo]

Hello, 

I’m new here but i was reading some of the forms when searching for answers to my minor dilemma. I have a year old, Holland lop, Miles. He’s super shy and I’ve sat on the floor and tried to get him used to me , which kinda worked. He jumped all over me and nuzzled me a few times and he’s very curios. But I still can’t pet him. I’m able to when I have a treat but often times he’ll run away. I’ve had him for around 6 months, is it still too late to try and bond with him? 

He’s also been very lonely lately and just sleeps all day because he’s bored. I was going to bond him within the next week. I’ve contacted an adoption center and talked to someone there. Should I bond with him before i get a new bunny friend? 

Please help, Thanks.

[hportland]

Well, you can really do this either way. It is really odd that he still won’t let you pet him after six months, how disappointing :/ Can you explain the situations that you two are in when you’re trying to pet him? For example, my New Zealand is very eager to be pet when he’s in his pen. He’ll come right up to me. But weirdly, he won’t really when I let him out to roam my room. Usually I sit on my bed and read or something, but sometimes I’ll sit down on the floor and try to coax him. He’ll come up and sniff me, sure, and will maybe let me give him a pat on the head or two, but he doesn’t care for any actual petting in that situation. And like yours, he’ll just grab a treat and run when I offer it. I have no idea why, but that’s how he is. Mu Dutch rabbit is the same way. He only lets me pet him in certain situations. So here’s what I would do: Pet your bun when he’s in his cage or pen. It needs to be a smaller space, because you want to show him that being pet is a pleasurable, safe thing. I know you’re supposed to give them space to run, but he clearly is having problems with giving you a chance. I mean, how else are you supposed to prove that you mean him no harm?

Also, you could get a bunny to bond him with and focus on making that bunny like you. If your shy bunny sees that the new bunny is letting you pet him (and enjoying the attention), he could come out of his shell more. Some bunnies are very picky about when they want attention, so perhaps you’ve just been trying at the wrong time. So try the first idea and see how that goes. Good luck!

[hportland]

Oh, wait, I also had a couple of other suggestions. Try putting some treats in your pocket (give him hints that they’re in there) and then let him get them out without touching him. This will show that you respect his space. Then do it again the next day, and slowly start trying to pet him. Let him sniff you first (put your hand on the ground, not above him) and then maybe start trying to pet his back or rump. The face might just be a sensitive spot for him that requires more trust.
As for the boredom: Does he have many toys? You can buy them very cheaply at pet stores (you can even use cat toys or small dog toys), or make them yourself. One thing that usually entertains my Dutch rabbit (who only likes toys he can eat – frustrating!) is taking a ping pong ball, cutting a small hole in it, and putting a small amount of pellets or treats in it. Roll it around in front of your bun to show that the food will come out. He should start playing with it when he sees how it works. Or you could get rubber balls (for dogs) that have holes in them and put treats in there. Your rabbit will try getting them out. Try Google for DIY toy ideas as well

[Miles MizMo]

Thank you for your advise. I’ll be sure to try those things. He does have a few toys but he’d rather throw my shoes around the room than play with his toys, whether they are edible or not. He seems more frightened when he is in his cage so I guess ill try to earn his trust outside of it. It might be taking me so long because I’ve had to pick him up to groom and and take him to the vet so it kinda put our relationship on hold, bunny grudge gotta love it . Thanks again. 

[drwil]

Just a suggestion but the rabbit shelter in our area will allow someone to bring their rabbit in to visit other unpaired rabbits. They do not even have to be placed in the same cage just near each other.
Then he can pick out a friend–the shelter operator could suggest a match based on your rabbit’s behavior towards the other bunnies.
If he does not find a friend it will not cost you anything for trying.

[Miles MizMo]

Thanks.  I actually have a shelter near me that kinda does that. But thanks for the advice. 

[Author]

Messages