Grooming ruining bonding?

[Gingerbread Man]

Hey guys,

A bit of advice needed for our new rabbit Simba. She has been with us nearly two weeks now and is settling in very well. She has begun nudging me gently when passing and taking greens from my hand. So I feel she is starting to bond quite well.

However when I try to groom her she gets very grumpy and I don't want to cause her stress and anxiety and ruin the bonding. The only way I can groom her is to pick her up out of her cage. Is this the right way to go about it? Or is there a better less stressful way for her? Last night after I finished grooming her when she moved away she thumped her foot in protest.

As well as this how often should I be grooming her? She is a lionhead rabbit and currently loosing her thick coat since she has come indoors.

Sorry for all the questions, any advice will be very much appreciated

Nyssa and David

 

[Angela lou]

I have a lionhead :wave:, I only groom her about once a week, unless she comes in from the garden with half the hedge in her mane :roll:
Two weeks isn't very long, it can take a while for a bunny to really trust you. It has taken a year for Louise to trust me and now she is easy to handle. The lady I got her from could only catch her using a fishing net :shock:. Now she runs over to me and loves cuddles

I'm not an expert but...you could try grooming her for very short periods of time. Offering her a treat whilst grooming, grooming her on the ground (she will probably feel safer).
Has she been spayed? A spayed doe will be less hormonal and more settled.

Good luck!