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Issues bonding with your own rabbit?

This is a bit of a weird question - but has anyone ever had issues bonding with their own rabbit?

I have 3 that have now been bonded. However my original doe (Myrtle) I have had the longest, I have just never got along with. The only reason I feel it could be is her personality. It is one of the reasons that I have a group of bunnies, is because she hates people (she isn't aggressive).

Its hard to pin point the reason - she gets the same care as the others. However because of her personality I have never really been able to get to know her. She is one of these rabbits that come across as 'rude', very avoidant, never really seems loving, overly dramatic over everything, is a bit of a loner, but will at the same time push your buttons in a very naughty sense. I am not talking about your regular skittish bunny, its different to that. Despite my efforts to work on her confidents, she doesn't want to know. So I have over the years just let her get on with it and don't interact with her which she is happy about.

However I do feel my dislike is more focused towards her then the others. The truth is - her attitude stinks and has been enough to put me off Lionheads, but at the same time she stresses me out because of her behavior. I am not sure if you can get autism in rabbits or any other behavior issues - but she's defiantly not 'normal'. I have had many bunnies and she is defiantly unique!
 
This is a bit of a weird question - but has anyone ever had issues bonding with their own rabbit?

I have 3 that have now been bonded. However my original doe (Myrtle) I have had the longest, I have just never got along with. The only reason I feel it could be is her personality. It is one of the reasons that I have a group of bunnies, is because she hates people (she isn't aggressive).

Its hard to pin point the reason - she gets the same care as the others. However because of her personality I have never really been able to get to know her. She is one of these rabbits that come across as 'rude', very avoidant, never really seems loving, overly dramatic over everything, is a bit of a loner, but will at the same time push your buttons in a very naughty sense. I am not talking about your regular skittish bunny, its different to that. Despite my efforts to work on her confidents, she doesn't want to know. So I have over the years just let her get on with it and don't interact with her which she is happy about.

However I do feel my dislike is more focused towards her then the others. The truth is - her attitude stinks and has been enough to put me off Lionheads, but at the same time she stresses me out because of her behavior. I am not sure if you can get autism in rabbits or any other behavior issues - but she's defiantly not 'normal'. I have had many bunnies and she is defiantly unique!
Sounds like a rabbit to me [emoji51] they're all different, my first female bun was not really a people bun..

I've never personally had trouble bonding with an animal myself.. The only thing I can liken it too is maybe our hamster Pepper, she was mistreated and rehomed over and over and hates people basically, screams at them.. So obviously we aren't close (altho made some progress, she doesn't attack me anymore, and tolerates a single finger touching her sometimes, and will take a certain food out of my hand before zooming away [emoji38]) but I love watching her and love her to pieces even though we aren't exactly close and never will be. My rabbit Penelope isn't super keen on humans either. And Atticus can be outright vicious sometimes...randomly.. [emoji38] I guess I've bonded to all 6 of my animals but its all a unique bond with that individual animal, none are the same, they all like different treatment, and tolerate /like different stuff and I've just learnt that and have found ways to accept them and love them for who they are as individuals. Idk if that's helpful really [emoji51][emoji38]

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Sounds like a rabbit to me [emoji51] they're all different, my first female bun was not really a people bun..

I've never personally had trouble bonding with an animal myself.. The only thing I can liken it too is maybe our hamster Pepper, she was mistreated and rehomed over and over and hates people basically, screams at them.. So obviously we aren't close (altho made some progress, she doesn't attack me anymore, and tolerates a single finger touching her sometimes, and will take a certain food out of my hand before zooming away [emoji38]) but I love watching her and love her to pieces even though we aren't exactly close and never will be. My rabbit Penelope isn't super keen on humans either. And Atticus can be outright vicious sometimes...randomly.. [emoji38] I guess I've bonded to all 6 of my animals but its all a unique bond with that individual animal, none are the same, they all like different treatment, and tolerate /like different stuff and I've just learnt that and have found ways to accept them and love them for who they are as individuals. Idk if that's helpful really [emoji51][emoji38]

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Defiantly not the same as other bunnies I have ever had :lol:. She just very slow, she spends all her time alone.

Again, its very difficult to explain - but other people that have had her have picked up on her behavior. Its weird and very unsocial for a rabbit.

I have tried accepting her but I am struggling - so I allow her to come near me in the very rare times she does, but otherwise I just don't interact with her. She has just made it to difficult. She's a dream to handle and hasn't got an aggressive bone in her body. But its her social abilities.
She wasn't rehomed and from a good breeder so she hasn't got a history at all.
 
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Yes, I have had a few bunnies like this. Two of which I have at the moment - surely they don’t have to be interactive and friendly to be loved though?! I love all my buns equally, regardless of their personality :)
 
Also she sounds like she may be unhappy? :(
I'm wondering this, does she live indoors? Some rabbits seem happier outdoors ime, others more so indoors, some don't seem to mind either way.

Does she zoom and binky about much?

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I wonder if it would help if you adjusted your expectations of her? Instead of seeing her as a bunny who fails to be like your other bunnies, you could just enjoy watching her, like Graciee does with her hamster? It's sad to me that you can say you dislike her when she's not even doing anything wrong, when she's just being her own bunny self, even if she's not as physically loving and social like your others, and does things you consider naughty.


I am not sure if you can get autism in rabbits or any other behavior issues - but she's defiantly not 'normal'. I have had many bunnies and she is defiantly unique!
Autism isn't a behaviour issue, by the way. We just experience the world differently; there's nothing wrong with the way we naturally behave. It doesn't sound like Myrtle has a behaviour issue to me, either, to be honest. A lot of the things people consider to be naughty is just rabbits being rabbits, and some rabbits are just not as social as others.
 
Lilac is like this, I've had her almost 3 years and she just 8snt a dan of people. She doesn't particularly like being stroked or touched at all. My other half thinks she "just has to get used to it" but she's about 6 and I think she's happier left alone so that's what I do unless she comes over to me! They just have different personalities.
 
Does she interact ok with your other rabbits? As a previous member said perhaps check her eyesight, make sure she is comfortable around the other rabbits etc. Does she engage in enrichment etc?

I have loved all my rabbits the same regardless of whether they seem to like me :lol: I've had a really aggressive rabbit (my first actually) and although she did mellow when was older she did still regularly bite etc but tbh I'd be concerned if she didn't and enjoyed her character. I have one with behaviour problems atm being investigated, she is spayed but she sprays, regularly does scent poo's everywhere, fights with my other two which resulted in her being separated, has caused a lot of damage to my house and lunges and bites but again that's just who she is! She has had hundreds spent (from insurance luckily!) to test for medical reasons and none found, we've actually moved her from upstairs with my other two to downstairs free range in our kitchen and she's recently mellowed loads, stopped a lot of her 'angry' behaviours, tries to socialise with my dog (always separated!) and binkies and flops :love: I hand reared her so perhaps she didn't learn correct social things etc as had no mum/was split from her siblings early because they were males who began to hump her a lot.

My older pair enjoy being stroked, but one is very skittish due to poor eyesight (blue eyes) and the other seems to dislike me and actively avoid me but loves my partner :lol:

Although not 'loving' I get enjoyment through just watching them be bunnies.
 
It’s not that I don’t like her – but not all personalities click. Keep in mind I have made every effort. When Finn passed away (her original bonded bunny), I really used this time to give her my attention and work on her issues. I would lay on the floor with her, sit in her pen with her, handle her and have her on my lap. But she’s just not happy with attention. I feel I have to remove myself just so she can settle down and feel free to move around. When I feed then, I have to move out of the way quickly so she gets fed otherwise the other two will eat everything (they are vultures!). I have tried separating them during meal times but she then just focuses on going back with the other 2 and leaves her food until she is back with them. I have had to fight to get her weight back as she lost a lot of weight due to sitting back and not eating as I would be around. Thankfully she has gained some weight due to a few changes.

She has been an outdoor bunny before she was an indoor bunny and she was a lot worse! She has improved a lot since the work I have on her, all I am saying is that I don’t feel as strong a click with her – which is something I can’t help despite trying.

She does binky and zoom around the place, but not as often as the younger ones and doesn’t appear to be unhappy from what I can see. She doesn’t appear depressed, and her eating (when I am out of the way!) is fine, more like she lacks any kind of self-awareness even if that is on bunny scale. Id say she dislikes me more then i dislike her! It makes it hard to click with a pet that doesn't appear to like you - yes it could be their way but again personalities can clash a bit.

Regarding socializing with my other bunnies – again not as much. Of course she will socialise with them more then me, but she is quite happy to sit on her own in a dark corner, and because of her behavior I have to stop bullying, as the other two are completely dominant over her and she allows it. However that said, she will insist on stirring up trouble by attempting to mount them both while they are all settled knowing what the outcome will be, then when they try to mount her back she will moan grim-death like someone is killing her – so I have to constantly step in. I know this is normal with bunnies (mounting), but again its her over reactive response. She didn't have to do that. During the bonding process she didn’t interact and just allowed them to have their way. When Finn died I felt really sad for her as she was grieving his loss, but insisted on sitting on her own. She’s a very stubborn bunny – and I think it’s the years of what feels like disrespect or gratitude for help or effort.

As for sight – I am not to sure! I have thought about this however and trimmed the fur around her eyes. If this can be tested I will get my vet to take a look.

Its not that I don't lover her - she just frustrates me.
 
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I'm wondering how she was with Finn? When you say you have to stop bullying from the other two bunnies, and that she gets really upset when they try to mount her after she mounts them, it doesn't sound like a very happy bond for her, to be honest. It's not unusual for one bunny to be left out when you have a trio, and so I wonder if she's alone so much because she just doesn't have a great bond with the other two? Since you say she grieved Finn's loss, it sounds like the two of them were close?
 
I'm wondering how she was with Finn? When you say you have to stop bullying from the other two bunnies, and that she gets really upset when they try to mount her after she mounts them, it doesn't sound like a very happy bond for her, to be honest. It's not unusual for one bunny to be left out when you have a trio, and so I wonder if she's alone so much because she just doesn't have a great bond with the other two? Since you say she grieved Finn's loss, it sounds like the two of them were close?


No, no - she mounts them! They retaliate to her. She is already lower on the pecking order as during bonding she made no effort and just sat there. So to help her we had to bond the other 2 first, and then Myrtle to the new doe and then all 3 together. However, she is (not surprising) lower on the pecking order. However she will insist on mounting the other 2 when they are sleeping which displeases them. So then they will chase her off or mount her and she completely over reacts to something she started off. Its so annoying.
The bond otherwise is very chilled providing she doesn't annoy them! https://www.instagram.com/p/CFcpO_5lfDK/

All my buns get 5 star everything, they get vet checked once a month and get the checked for everything. So any illnesses i would know - but it would be interesting to see about eye sight.
 
No, no - she mounts them! They retaliate to her. She is already lower on the pecking order as during bonding she made no effort and just sat there. So to help her we had to bond the other 2 first, and then Myrtle to the new doe and then all 3 together. However, she is (not surprising) lower on the pecking order. However she will insist on mounting the other 2 when they are sleeping which displeases them. So then they will chase her off or mount her and she completely over reacts to something she started off. Its so annoying.
The bond otherwise is very chilled providing she doesn't annoy them! https://www.instagram.com/p/CFcpO_5lfDK/

All my buns get 5 star everything, they get vet checked once a month and get the checked for everything. So any illnesses i would know - but it would be interesting to see about eye sight.
I know, that's what I said, that they mount her after she mounts them. I don't really think you can say she overreacts when you don't know what's going on in her head, though. I can see why it's annoying to you that she gets upset after something she started, but you can't expect a bunny to reason like a human. She might mount them for a reason that's obvious to her, but their mounting or chasing her in return might scare her. I'm glad their bond is otherwise very chilled. They look very cute in that photo. =)

Edit: If she gets checked by a vet once a month, it'd be unlikely that they missed any problems with her sight, but it would be worth it to ask about it specifically.
 
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I think it’s understandable to want a close bond with your bunny and it is disappointing when they don’t show much care for you. I’ve had both kinds even though I treated them the same. I had a female who literally turned her back to me or sat furtherest away every time. Never came for rubs. Her bonded male however was much more sociable and fun but he seemed torn between staying with her and coming to us to interact and play. Eventually he just sat with her too and that was it, they were just happy together and that was without us and I accepted that. It was a bit like having a pet that you care for, provide for but it’s quite one sided. It’s true they all have different personalities and it’s the best thing when they interact with you socially, this is why my Lionhead is my favourite, but also different people want different things from their pets too.
 
Have you considered rehoming her, to give someone else a chance to work with her and potentially give her a happier life if she isn’t seeming to be happy at the moment?
 
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