I have a young dwarf lop, Earnest. He's totally unafraid of us but not that interested, its pretty much 'Hi! oh your not interesting, lets go eat something.' We are about as interesting as the furniture.
and I do bribe and pat him but he tolerates being patted, doesn't like it.
Q1. Will this change, as he is young and not desexed yet? or do we just have an unsociable rabbit.
The real probem is that he hates being picked up. he was never handled as a young rabbit, although he was well care for and talked to [thus the lack of fear] but i CAN'T pick him up. he freaks. i can't gradually accomodate him to it because he doesn't enjoy being patted and I have to actually grab him quickly and securely [and safely of course] or he struggles and gets away. which I think is counterproductive.
THis is a real problem as he was intended to be an inside/outside rabbit as we don't have the space inside to give him a large cage. He in inside at the moment in small cage and is out for most of the day, but this is impossible in the long run as we also have a budgie and they can't be let out at the same time as the budge hassels Earnest, which we did NOT expect, and presently the budgie isn't getting enough time out of HIS cage.
so
Q2. Do i have any chance or getting Earnest to accept being picked up? If i persist will he just freak and become terrified of me? whenever i have had to pick him up he's been shy around me for a day.
This is is real problem, I'm worried that if he can't be handled he may eventually become a hutch bunny. Which is not something I'm confortable with. I'd prefer it if he didn't particularly like me but could be brought inside.
Would it help if my only my partner picked him up at first? so he would be the scary one
and I do bribe and pat him but he tolerates being patted, doesn't like it.
Q1. Will this change, as he is young and not desexed yet? or do we just have an unsociable rabbit.
The real probem is that he hates being picked up. he was never handled as a young rabbit, although he was well care for and talked to [thus the lack of fear] but i CAN'T pick him up. he freaks. i can't gradually accomodate him to it because he doesn't enjoy being patted and I have to actually grab him quickly and securely [and safely of course] or he struggles and gets away. which I think is counterproductive.
THis is a real problem as he was intended to be an inside/outside rabbit as we don't have the space inside to give him a large cage. He in inside at the moment in small cage and is out for most of the day, but this is impossible in the long run as we also have a budgie and they can't be let out at the same time as the budge hassels Earnest, which we did NOT expect, and presently the budgie isn't getting enough time out of HIS cage.
so
Q2. Do i have any chance or getting Earnest to accept being picked up? If i persist will he just freak and become terrified of me? whenever i have had to pick him up he's been shy around me for a day.
This is is real problem, I'm worried that if he can't be handled he may eventually become a hutch bunny. Which is not something I'm confortable with. I'd prefer it if he didn't particularly like me but could be brought inside.
Would it help if my only my partner picked him up at first? so he would be the scary one