Can a year old bunny be tamed?

[Kim_perkins]

I lost my soul bunny last week and she was one in a million, she was bonded with one of my girls Thumper who is a year old, she's never been a human bun and I hate it!

She will sniff you but if you stroke her she will grunt and run off try and touch her more and she will bite you!

She's spayed and I'm wanting to make her a bit more friendly - purely because the other day she escaped and the agg I had trying to catch her in my garden!! I'm hoping to bond her with a new husbun in the future after Candys passing but for now want some offers of advice on trying to tame her - even just a little bit!

 

[Shimmer]

Persistence. Tiny, tiny steps. Eventually it gets better. She may never be a snuggly bun (most of mine aren't) but they do get used to being handled the more they experience it. Maybe start by hand feeding any favourites - pellets, fenugreek crunchies, dandelion leaves - whatever she will come for, and will only get if she comes to you (ie not in her bowl later). Maybe pick her up and put her somewhere to feed her (your lap, a box, sofa..) to increase the contact.

I have had to get some grumpy buns handleable fairly quickly when they needed medical attention. Even just picking them up twice a day to put them in and out of the runs makes a huge difference. Animals that are never picked up because they don't need to be (eg rabbits that have adjoining runs or freerange inside) don't get to be handled at all and you tend to forget that they are not used to it. Mine expect to be handled for short periods, and I can build on it, even if they are really not keen. It makes the difference when you have to take them to the vet, etc. Can't really help with catching them in the garden - ours are impossible as well if they escape. Sometimes they will 'go to bed', but more by luck than training.

 

[tonibun]

Sorry for your loss. It's very difficult to "tame" some rabbits if this is the way they are. Tracey is a rabbit I bred over 10 years ago and she always runs away if you are approaching her. Her and Freddy were indoors last winter but it made no difference. Luckily it doesn't bother me if that's the way they are, I don't think it's anything personal! We can never always make a rabbit be or do exactly what we want them to be and I think we have to respect that, as they are prey animals. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[Kim_perkins]

That's okay, I understand she's never going to be a "human" bun but she is impossible especially getting to the vets so it's an issue! She is very curious she does come over to you and then I put my hand out and she runs, she does eventually come back! She's a bit of a loose cannon ha! I've always said she has emotional issues she's a bit like "I want you but I don't, no I definitely want you, nope i definitely don't *bites* "!

 

[SarahP]

Persistence. Tiny, tiny steps. Eventually it gets better. She may never be a snuggly bun (most of mine aren't) but they do get used to being handled the more they experience it. Maybe start by hand feeding any favourites - pellets, fenugreek crunchies, dandelion leaves - whatever she will come for, and will only get if she comes to you (ie not in her bowl later). Maybe pick her up and put her somewhere to feed her (your lap, a box, sofa..) to increase the contact.

I have had to get some grumpy buns handleable fairly quickly when they needed medical attention. Even just picking them up twice a day to put them in and out of the runs makes a huge difference. Animals that are never picked up because they don't need to be (eg rabbits that have adjoining runs or freerange inside) don't get to be handled at all and you tend to forget that they are not used to it. Mine expect to be handled for short periods, and I can build on it, even if they are really not keen. It makes the difference when you have to take them to the vet, etc. Can't really help with catching them in the garden - ours are impossible as well if they escape. Sometimes they will 'go to bed', but more by luck than training.

I agree with this. My two rabbits were like this - neither were particularly human-friendly bunnies that were used to a lot of handling. But when they became sick and needed daily meds they most definitely became so much easier to handle over time just because they became used to it.

 

[Lea-Anne]

Oh no Kim I never knew you had lost Candy. I'm so sorry. She was such a character, I loved hearing about her antics.

Can't you bond the two you have left?

 

[Rupert & Tia]

Tiny steps, slowly, at her pace. My tia is a rescue, when we first got them, she ran away if we even looked at her.... that was four years ago, last week, for the first time, she jumped on me and allowed me to touch her! She's amazing! love her so much x

 

[Kim_perkins]

Oh no Kim I never knew you had lost Candy. I'm so sorry. She was such a character, I loved hearing about her antics.

Can't you bond the two you have left?

Ah thank you my House isn't the same without her :'(

Cagney is just a single bunny she prefers to look through the fence at thumper and that's it! I spent months trying to bond and she is just so vicious to other rabbits, I tried her with candy aswell but no go! She loves human contact though so that's a bonus!