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first-time bun owner - i think i've messed everything up!

M

miloandsimba

New Kit
my male 8 week old bunny doesn't seem to be bonding with me, he seems really scared of me. thing is i have to pick him up to bring him into the house from his hutch and vice versa, and every time i pick him up he kicks his legs and gets scared and any progress i have made is undone. i just want to cry every time he runs into a corner and hides from me with his eyes wide, scared stiff. it upsets me so much because i really want him to be comfortable with me. :cry:
 
two males = mayhem?

oh just want to add that simba (8wks) is paired with another male rabbit of different breed (14wks) called milo and im getting them neutered as soon as possible. when they are neutered what are the chances of them getting along together? i dont want to separate them and they get along well at the moment although milo seems a bit pushy around simba though he doesnt bite or scratch or anything. sometimes i see them lying down together in relaxation so surely they are bonding?
 
Is there any way you can get him out of the hutch into your house without picking him up. Most rabbits hate being picked up, Doughnut certainly does. You need to pick them up so they feel safe but doesn't mean they will ever like it and it's scary for them. He is running away as doesn't want to be picked up as that's how a fox picks them up, since rabbits are prey animals.

Doughnut is an indoor rabbit so to get her to her outside run I put her in her carrier. I put treats in the carrier, she hops in and then into the run. She sometimes jumps in the carrier hoping to be taken outside! Have you got a carrier that you can put him in to transport him.

I don't pick Doughnut up unless absolutely necessary as it stresses her out. She does jump on my lap though for treats so you can build your bond up by hand feeding but like you say if you keep picking him up then he will associate your hands with that and not want to come over again!
 
Most rabbits hate to be picked up. In the wild they are prey animals, so it is natural to them to hate being picked up. Even rabbits that have a strong bond with their owners still hate being picked up. My Benji had a very close bond with me, yet that all when out the window when it came to picking him up. :roll:
My rabbit April used to be very similar, running away and thumping if anyone came near her, but with time she has got better. She still won't sit and let me stroke her or pick her up, but she doesn't run away as much anymore.

It sounds like your bunny isn't used to human company. You'll have to start with small steps, such as offering food out of your hand and waiting for them to take it. If you sit in the same room as your bunny and let him approach you rather than you approach him, that might help a bit. I would try and avoid picking him up as it sounds like it stresses him out a lot.

In answer to your second question, male rabbits shouldn't really be put together until they are neutered as the hormones can cause fights between them. It is strongly advised in most books I've read not to do so. Neutering should help, but even then it would take a while for the hormones to die down. Once they have both been neutered, there's no reason why they shouldn't get along really.
 
cpayne said:
Is there any way you can get him out of the hutch into your house without picking him up. Most rabbits hate being picked up, Doughnut certainly does. You need to pick them up so they feel safe but doesn't mean they will ever like it and it's scary for them. He is running away as doesn't want to be picked up as that's how a fox picks them up, since rabbits are prey animals.
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I have a cardboard box that Simba was put in when I got him from the pet shop so perhaps I could use that :) I really don't want to frighten him off permanently as that would be awful. Today I sat with him for a couple of hours and he stayed in a corner for most of it but came over to sniff me a few times before hopping away again. Just wondering if this is normal or if he's still scared of me because maybe he's associating my scent with being picked up?
 
I originally had a cardboard box but with vet trips it's easier to get a carrier which opens as the front so they can just jump in.

He just doesn't want to be picked up but if you can avoid that then I'm sure you will gain his trust. Maybe try the box for the time being but my trouble was getting Doughnut in it, if you have to pick him up to get him in then it sort of defeats the point
 
BigBunnyBenji said:
In answer to your second question, male rabbits shouldn't really be put together until they are neutered as the hormones can cause fights between them. It is strongly advised in most books I've read not to do so. Neutering should help, but even then it would take a while for the hormones to die down. Once they have both been neutered, there's no reason why they shouldn't get along really.
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That is music to my ears! Everyone has told me there is no way it will work even when they are neutered but they are the perfect bun buns for me so I was really keen for them to get along!
Just a quick question about Simba's behaviour, sometimes when he is next to someone who is sitting down he will climb on their legs and perch there for a while. I'm not sure why he does this but I have a hunch that it's something to do with him missing his mum, as he seems attached to our body heat. Most other times though, he runs away from everyone.
 
cpayne said:
I originally had a cardboard box but with vet trips it's easier to get a carrier which opens as the front so they can just jump in.

He just doesn't want to be picked up but if you can avoid that then I'm sure you will gain his trust. Maybe try the box for the time being but my trouble was getting Doughnut in it, if you have to pick him up to get him in then it sort of defeats the point
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I have a cat carrier as I also own two cats so is this suitable? I just put Simba back in his hutch a few minutes ago using the cardboard box and I had to lift him into it as he was being stubborn but when I got to the hutch he just hopped out of it nice and easily. I could definitely get used to this arrangement as he seems to like it more than being clamped with two hands and swiftly deposited back home :lol:
 
miloandsimba said:
I have a cat carrier as I also own two cats so is this suitable? I just put Simba back in his hutch a few minutes ago using the cardboard box and I had to lift him into it as he was being stubborn but when I got to the hutch he just hopped out of it nice and easily. I could definitely get used to this arrangement as he seems to like it more than being clamped with two hands and swiftly deposited back home :lol:
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That's good then, anything to keep it to the minimal. Yes a cat carrier is what I have, although if it smells of the cats he may not like it. Maybe transfer him with the cardboard box then put the carrier in the house with treats in it to see if he goes in it.
 
cpayne said:
That's good then, anything to keep it to the minimal. Yes a cat carrier is what I have, although if it smells of the cats he may not like it. Maybe transfer him with the cardboard box then put the carrier in the house with treats in it to see if he goes in it.
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It'll need a good scrub then :p Thank you for your help, I was truly clueless! ^.^
 
You have to adapt when you get a rabbit who hates being picked up.

You still get a great bond with them though. Doughnut loves being stroked on the floor and having her nose rubbed. She gives me kisses then she puts her head down for me to return the favour, I then give her kisses up her nose to her forehead.Normally have to keep going for a while, she closes her eyes, chin hits the floor then I hear chattering teeth which means she is very happy and enjoying it. It's just about learning what your rabbit is trying to tell you. If you give it a stroke and it stays near you then it means it likes it.

Your rabbit now just has to know you won't keep picking it up so will then come to you. I know some people say to keep doing it and they get used to it but I prefer to avoid it as it stresses her out. If I have picked her up then she avoids me for ages after and I can't get near her!
 
cpayne said:
You have to adapt when you get a rabbit who hates being picked up.

You still get a great bond with them though. Doughnut loves being stroked on the floor and having her nose rubbed. She gives me kisses then she puts her head down for me to return the favour, I then give her kisses up her nose to her forehead.Normally have to keep going for a while, she closes her eyes, chin hits the floor then I hear chattering teeth which means she is very happy and enjoying it. It's just about learning what your rabbit is trying to tell you. If you give it a stroke and it stays near you then it means it likes it.

Your rabbit now just has to know you won't keep picking it up so will then come to you. I know some people say to keep doing it and they get used to it but I prefer to avoid it as it stresses her out. If I have picked her up then she avoids me for ages after and I can't get near her!
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Doughnut is gorgeous! She looks a bit like Milo :)
My family is a bit of a problem :? They also think that the bunnies will get used to being picked up and will eventually become comfortable around us if we sit them on our laps and things like that. They pick them up a lot.
 
Ailstar said:
Personally I would buy them their own carrier, that may you can use it with them all the time so they get used to it. I got this one for mine and its brill. I've had loads of comments about how good it is. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B003ACHN0U/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1377877244&sr=1-10&pi=AC_SX110_SY165 I bought it from my local pet shop and it cost me £24. Definitely worth it.
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That seems like a good idea as my cats may not want to be smelling rabbit every time they take a trip to the vets! I'll contact the family treasury :lol:
 
As for running and hiding in the corner, you have to remember that everything is still so new to him so it will take a while to adjust! We got our Oscar at 8 weeks and he was terrified of us to start with, so we used to just sit on the floor with him and read, completely ignoring him and sometimes reading out loud so he got used to our voices. He soon came over sniffing as curiosity got the better of him.

As he started coming up more we would give him a treat, so he soon associated us with nice things! After he was happy taking treats out our hand, we would try stroking him while he was eating- just on the nose to start with, then all over. He now loves his nose rubs and jumps onto our laps for food, and even licks us sometimes too :love::love: It's all baby steps and slowly building trust.

None of ours like being picked up particularly though, Poppy and Oscar tolerate it but Jessie hates it. Carriers are the best way!
 
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