Will by bunny ever like me?

[Carlen Nielsen]

I got my sweet boy Binx this most recent summer, and he is my first rabbit. I got him when he was 11 weeks old, got him neutered as soon as he was old enough, and have done so much research on bonding with rabbits. I have laid on the floor with him every day for hours, hand fed him treats, and let him come to me when it comes to petting and affection. it’s only been five months of me having him, but i’m really doubting if he will ever fully trust me or love me. Right now I can’t pet him at all, only for a second or two when i am giving him a treat. he is a lionhead so i have to groom him weekly and he always seems to think im just going to try and catch him whenever i approach. Will he ever let me pet him? I just love him so much and wish he returned the feelings lol.

[Rabby_Rabb]

I recommend letting him come to you, I have had the same problem with my rabbit so I let him approach me. Some rabbits are just more shy than others. Although you may feel that it is you it’s not, and rabbits are natural prey animals. Hope this helps 🙂

[Bam]

Some rabbits are extra skittish. There’s a hereditary component to this. Rabbits as a rule mellow with age though. It can take a long time, but most rabbits -especially males it seems -do eventually figure out that it really is rather nice to get the odd head scritches and ear rubs. It will always be the rabbit that decides when, though. And when they do decide they want to be pet, they can become quite cross if the human doesn’t comply 😄

The best road to a buns heart is via food. It doesnt have to be fancy treats. Handfeeding the daily pellets or some daily herbs can help quite a bit. It’s important that he sees you as a valuable asset.

He may never appreciate being brushed though. Since he’s still rather young he still hasnt set his adult fur.  Both fur quality and his attitude towards being brushed might improve.

[DanaNM]

Sorry it took a while for someone to reply to this, I thought I had already but it must not have gone through!

Some rabbits do take a long time to warm up, and they are all different personalities so there will be variability in how much interaction they want from you.

Since he will take a treat from you, perhaps you can do even more hand feeding? You can hand-feed his salads and even his pellets each day to help him associate you with more “good things”. Doing some clicker training might also be a fun way to bond with him that doesn’t involve petting.

It is really hard when you have to handle them for grooming. One of my buns HATES being picked up and has a bit of past trauma associated with it so I try to minimize handling her as much as possible. Thankfully she has a short coat so she can get away with less grooming. Perhaps you can incorporate some desensitization to the brush into your clicker training? In time you may find you can groom a little each day rather than having to catch him for a full on grooming. I would also experiment with different types of brushes/combs. Buns have preferences about which they like more, so you may be able to find one that’s more enjoyable for him. For example, some buns really like the glove type brushes even if they hate being combed.

. . . 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.  

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