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April seems to hate me..

BigBunnyBenji

Mama Doe
Ok, so I got April on the 21st of April (duh), so I know it isn't that long, but I really feel like she is getting worse with me.

Her and Benji get on great and share the downstairs front room, which is the room with the TV and where people spend a lot of time. I thought keeping her around people would help get her used to us, as I did it with Benji and he is very friendly. I kept her in my spare bedroom at first to let her settle in, but now that her and Benji are pretty much bonded, I didn't want to split them up as they spend all almost their time together now, by choice. While she gets on great with Benji, she seems to be growing to hate me and my OH. Just people in general. She does have somewhere to hide in the room, she can run behind the sofa and underneath a chest of drawers, and she seems to spend most of her time there.

When we first got her, she was very nervous obviously, but she was never violent towards us, just scared. Now, she has actually started growling if I try and touch her, she won't even let me stroke her, let alone pick her up. When my OH picked her up the other day, to try and get her used to us, she actually bit him. The lady at the rescue said that she had never been violent and had never bitten anyone so far. I really don't know what to do, I feel like I can't make any progress with her because she runs away whenever I even come near her. :( We have never done anything horrible to her, I know she obviously isn't used to people, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. :(

Also, she is making Benji more nervous of us, as now when I go to pick him up, he will thump and run behind the sofa, which is exactly what she does.
 
Have you tried just sitting on the floor and ignoring her but with some treats on your leg? This is how I got my buns to come to me and gradually increasing their confidence, no touching, stroking etc to start with and build it up.
 
I think the fact you've been picking her up won't have helped at all :( I won't even think about picking up Molly until she trusts me a lot more; I never pick my buns up unless I really have to as they all hate it, but I can do most things I need to do (even trimming dirty bums!) whilst they sit on the floor. They all love bring snuggled on the floor :love: I would go right back to basics and do as others have said, just sit there with some treats, for ages, and she will get better. Don't pick her up anymore while you are gaining her trust. Just give her time, she will get there xxx
 
Brill, thanks. :) I thought picking her up would get her used to us, but what you're saying makes great sense. We did pick her up at the rescue and she was fine, she just seems distressed now though.

And I'm going to try sitting with dandelion leaves on me, they are the only thing she seems to go mental for.
 
Brill, thanks. :) I thought picking her up would get her used to us, but what you're saying makes great sense. We did pick her up at the rescue and she was fine, she just seems distressed now though.

And I'm going to try sitting with dandelion leaves on me, they are the only thing she seems to go mental for.

A lot of bunnies will never like being picked up, you just have to live with it and love them the way they are :love: I would love to pick mine up and give them big cuddles, but they would be terrified and that would defeat the object. For example, I have a giant bunny, Digby, who used to let me pick him up when I first adopted him, but I realise now that he only let me because he was scared. Now, he will not be picked up, but if I tickle his cheeks and make a big fuss, he collapses in a big bunny flop with his legs in the air, and I can do anything to him, even stroke the bottom of his big furry feet! :love: he just lies there blissfully :love: and that makes it all worthwhile :love:
 
My Buster hates being picked up too, but i can now put both my arms around him and he will lay his head on an arm and let me give him lots of nose kisses and fuss. He would let me fuss him for hours and does the loudest tooth purrs, but the odd times ive tried to even just lift him on my lap he freaks. I think if you need to pick a rabbit up its going to be for a reason its not going to like so it may be just my opinion but i dont think its worth getting them used to being picked up unless they dont mind it. When i first got Buster he used to like me lying on the floor, he would investigate me from head to toe, now if i do that and put my hair over my face he will sometimes groom it away so he can get to my forehead :wave:
 
Yep. My girl Peaches will now eat when I am near by and will stay around when I talk to her and her companion but it has taken over a month for her to do this. She would always run behind the sofa as soon as she saw/heard me before. I am just starting to touch the air round her head when she eats pellets, in preparation for strokes. Tessie and Daisy will now let me stroke their foreheads whilst they eat pellets (they have been here just under a month). Frosty is the only one of my six that will let me stroke his head without food being around. It all takes time and patience as others have said. Its great that they get on so well together. Love their pic in your signature :wave:
 
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