Scared to be touched

Hello

After losing my rabbit Chewy in September to cancer I decided a had to get a new friend for his partner Lulu. Whilst Lulu is certainly the boss, the bonding went better than expected and Winston and Lulu get on fine.

However, in Winston I have never experienced such a timid rabbit. Even if I approach the run or hutch with food he runs to the back, cowering in the corner almost panting. If I touch him he jumps, absolutely terrified and sometime risks injury in the panic to escape me. Once I do pick him up he will sit there and is non agressive but I can tell he is still terrified.

He is 18 months old and a rescue rabbit so I dont know whats happened to him before I became his mum. I just wish there was something I could do to gain his trust, its upsetting that he's so terrified of me. I have tried approaching the run and just sitting talking to him but he runs away once I come within a metre of the hutch or run. I have had him over a month now and theres no improvement.

Any suggestions?

I have a 9 week old bubba that sounds identical to yours She's tried to jump out of her nest box before because shes been so scared.

I have mine in a double hutch so the scaredy girl is on top while my very friendly buck is underneath. I put him in the run while i clean him out and open both her top doors so that she can investigate everything. I end up spending about two hours out there with them cleaning them both out and generally talking to her and she gets a little braver every time i do this.

Lots of talking has really helped her as she used to bolt as soon as she heard the back door open. Now i open it and call and shes just about brave enough to stick her nose through the bars (i ignore her and feed the buck underneath which seems to get her even more curious) The sound of the door opening now means food

When we first got my little buck i held the bowl of food for him until he was brave enough to be stroked all over while eating - only took him three days Food is always a good incentive to be friends!

Be patient, it can take a lot longer than a month to gain their trust. All of my rabbits are very skittish and it took them a long time to trust me. Now they all trust me for the most part, Lilly is even quite friendly but Wally still keeps his distance if he can.

He would learn to trust you quicker if he lived inside, but when they spend most of their day away from you it just takes longer I'm afraid.

It is hard with a shy bun isn't it?
Earlier post have made some great suggestions. To add I'd probably go back to the start with this shy lad & stop picking him up until he is less fearful.
By getting down on the floor with treats & allowing Winston to approach you on his own terms he will be able to build up trust. Once he knows he is still safe around you you can progress to eventually picking him up.
Some of these links may help too.
Wishing you patience & the best of luck with this.

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/shy.shtml
http://www.coloradohrs.com/articles/care_making_friends.asp
http://www.bunnymomma.com/play_time.htm
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/newsletters/RT_Summer2006.pdf
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/shy.html

we are also attempting to gain the trust of a rescue bun who must have never experienced human love before.

After 3 mnths (as an indoor bun) he will now let me stroke his head . . but no-one else can.

Again it is being indoors with us all the time that has really made a difference.

I got my bunny June from Bunny Burrow rescue six months ago, i have never known such a timid bunny. If it wasnt for her very domestic markings I would think she was crossed with a wildie, her ears are constantly on the go looking for danger.
She lives in a very large outhouse with her companion Rupert with acssess to outdoors, they are never in a hutch, so since the day i brought her home i have never been able to touch her . (apart from the day i had to catch her for vaccs). She would hide when i entred her space. However recently, if i speak first so as not so spook her, somtimes i can walk past her quite close without her running for cover, and yesterday while they were both eating i was stroking Ruperts head i sneakily moved my finger accoss and momentarily touched her nose She backed off but didnt run away. My point is , i think if i was forcing myself on her, where she felt trapped i think this would have made her more nervous, this way she is learning to trust me in her own time, but it is going to take a long time.

parsnipbun said:

we are also attempting to gain the trust of a rescue bun who must have never experienced human love before.

After 3 mnths (as an indoor bun) he will now let me stroke his head . . but no-one else can.

Again it is being indoors with us all the time that has really made a difference.

Click to expand...

Agree with this. Becoming a house rabbit and having a confident bunny friend can help nervous buns no end. It took Poppy a year to let us touch her head, and usually only my husband not me unless she's feeling particularly confident.
Gaining trust with a psychologically damaged bunny can take months - years so don't expect too much too soon, just take it at bunny's pace. :wave:

I have a rescue bun, no idea what his previous history was so no idea if he was handled. He was very quiet would sit hunched up in a corner of his hutch not even leaving to go into his run, he is much better now only had him 3 weeks but i would bring him in so he could get use to us , now he climbs all over me for his food even pins my hand down so i cant move it lol. I didn't hold him cos that would make him scared i just sat down next to him and gave him little bits of food he soon gained my trust . some will take longer than others and he may never be 100% ok with you but it will take time .