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Worried i have no bond with my buns

Sugar

New Kit
Hi,

I got my boy Louis a wee friend a couple of months ago, originally i thought my new addition was a female but im convinced he's a boy now as they never hump. They have bonded very quickly however im now worried that my boy Louis has no interest in me, he seems content to hang out with my new bun Luca who is still really timid & does not like to be handled much at all. Neither of them come near me unless im feeding them. I previously had a girl lop Lola who would snuggle in bed with me for long periods so im starting to wonder whats the point in having my buns if they're not interested in being petted or handled? (They are both indoor buns & have the spare room to themselves)
Should i find them another home where the owner will have more time to spend with them as i work full time??
 
Hi,

I got my boy Louis a wee friend a couple of months ago, originally i thought my new addition was a female but im convinced he's a boy now as they never hump. They have bonded very quickly however im now worried that my boy Louis has no interest in me, he seems content to hang out with my new bun Luca who is still really timid & does not like to be handled much at all. Neither of them come near me unless im feeding them. I previously had a girl lop Lola who would snuggle in bed with me for long periods so im starting to wonder whats the point in having my buns if they're not interested in being petted or handled? (They are both indoor buns & have the spare room to themselves)
Should i find them another home where the owner will have more time to spend with them as i work full time??

Welcome to the forum. It sounds as if your rabbits are very happy with each other's company. Surely if you work full time that is ideal, as it means they're not reliant on you for company as they have each other? A rabbit that DID want lots of attention from you would be more of a problem - these two can keep each other company...:?
 
Thanks for the reply Tinsel,

They do seem happy & im glad Louis now has a companion as they get on so well.
I just feel like having them is not a pleasure anymore but more of a chore.
I know that sounds awful but they destroy all my furniture & cost a lot of money & i also can never
go on a holiday or even a long weekend away as there is no one available to care for them.
I must sound so selfish but the bond i had with my 1st bun Lola was so special that i cant help but compare.
 
Unfotunately rabbits are high maintenance pets. It sounds as if your first bun was very special but also a bit a-typical - a lot of buns are happy without human contact. Mine are only ever interested in food, and never in contact with me. Is there any chance your buns could live outside with a hutch/large run so that they had plenty of freedom but do not destroy your house? You won't be able to move them out until April/May time, as they won't have thick enough winter coats or the right distribution of body fat to cope, so it would be fatal to move them out now.

It's always a shame when there's a mismatch between a pet and their owner's expectations. I guess you now have to try to find a way of making things work, even though it may mean giving up on the tame bun, like your first, that you'd set your heart on... :?
 
The point in having them is to give them the best life you possibly can, and to make them happy. Watching them be happy together should make you happy. It shouldn't be about whether they snuggle up with you or not. Yes, that would be nice, but you have to accept them for who they are, and not expect them to be something that they're not. If you are able to spend more time just sitting with them, gradually they will start to come over and maybe interact a little more. Offer them treats from your hand but don't attempt to touch them for a while, until they are used to your presence a bit more. I hope you don't give up on them x
 
Tinsel, unfortunately putting them outdoors in the spring is not an option as my back garden is shared & I dont think it's safe enough. I do love them both & i am extremely happy that they both seem so settled & content. I don't plan on giving up on them however i cant help but wonder if they are the right type of pet for me :?
 
Give them time :) fuss them every time you go past but pick them up as little as possible. Are they both neutered? Sit on the floor with them but don't approach them, let them approach you. Maybe even stick a couple of treats in your pocket to encourage them to come over. Don't raise your hand to stroke when they do come over, just let them explore you initially.

Stick with it. I initially felt with Mischa I had no bond but that bond grew SO much that two months on from loosing him I still feel utterly bereft without him.
 
I do handle them daily & Louis loves a wee rub of his cheeks now & then, they do explore me when i lay/sit in their room. I suppose it's just a different experience to my last few months with my girl Lola who was much more tactile & followed me everywhere. Thanks for the replies!
 
I do handle them daily & Louis loves a wee rub of his cheeks now & then, they do explore me when i lay/sit in their room. I suppose it's just a different experience to my last few months with my girl Lola who was much more tactile & followed me everywhere. Thanks for the replies!

What do you mean by 'handle'? Picking up?
 
pet them mostly but i do pick them up too as my vet said that my previous bun was not handled enough & made her difficult to treat.
 
I never pick up my buns, we have our own agreement with jumping the carrier. As long as you can distract them with food, or get behind them and hold their bum area while the vet inspects teeth etc, they shouldn't move too much once they trust you!

The best way is to spend as much time as possible on ground level with them but don't interact until they are comfortable with being very near you. When I first got Bailey, he would never come near me. Eventually, I could touch his head but never his back. I spent all my spare time with him for about a week and by the end of it he was jumping up onto my shoulders like a parrot :lol:

Even though they jump all over me now for food etc, I still never pick them up. They hate it and so long as they get into the carriers when needed, i'm happy to respect their wishes.

Should be easy enough since they are indoors, just read a book or something on the floor!

Good luck :wave:
 
I was a bit worried too after losing a soulbun, but I decided to take things slowly and sit with the new bun and just read the newspapers etc, if he wanted me he knew where I was. Eventually he became more interested especially when magical dried leaves and herbs appeared in my hands. I've only had him for 16 days and now he's perfectly happy with me, loves being petted (when he's tired himself out first), but I have sat with him for many hours to get to this point and will continue to do so.

About picking up, the way my garden and run and cabin is set up I have to be able to pick up my pets securely. I've found that Ludo has become absolutely fine with being picked up but I think this is because a) I never chase him around trying to grab him, I calmly approach and let him see and smell the hands first. b) Often he'll get a treat when he's picked up c) I put him down and continue to let him run around after being picked up, i.e. being picked up doesn't always mean something bad will happen like get put in the cat carrier d) He's happiest when I handle him, I think he can sense that I'm confident and strong and that he's not going to be dropped or dangled.

So, my advice is just take it very slowly. As you can see in my case, patience and hours of time have paid off. I actually just have a fishing stool I sit on when with Ludo- it's low to the ground so he can sniff and interact with me, but comfortable for me to read the papers on too!
 
pet them mostly but i do pick them up too as my vet said that my previous bun was not handled enough & made her difficult to treat.

Honestly my one who enjoyed being cuddled the most (Mischa) was always the one who would fidget the most at the vets and would regularly jump off the table flinging himself into someone's arms! (usually me but once he headbutted the vet :oops:)

I don't think how they are at home has any bearing on how they are in a stressful situation such at the vets. Handling them only makes it harder for them to trust you.
 
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