Do buns lick when scared??

[lauren8165]

I have a 13 week old buns that I got 2 weeks ago. I have had 1 bun before him and I don't remember it being this difficult for him getting comfortable with us and his surroundings. Don't get me wrong, it literally took 3-4 months before my 1st bun to be comfortable with me even touching him, but he didn't seem this terrified 24/7.

The times I have to pick him up, he will clearly be scared and try to get away, but then he will start licking me. I am pretty certain it is the fear making him do it, but is it normal? Poor baby breaths so fast just by us being in his line of vision. He thumps at me ALL the time and has lunged, nipped, groweld and even boxed me. If I go to pet him and reach him before getting lunged at, he will tolerate me petting him, but even then still seems scared out of his mind. I have tried giving him treats, sitting in his area without acknowledging him or picking him up and I don't see the least bit of improvement. If anything it seems like it's getting worse. Is there something I should/shouldn't be doing to help? Or is it possible some bunnies aren't good fits for certain environments/won't ever come around? I should probably know these answers, but like I said, I've only had one other bun and I don't remember him being like this.

 

[Bribble]

I wouldn't say that some bunnies just won't ever come around. I've got two does I've had for at least a year and they still won't tolerate me touching them. One is okay with it but she's typically too timid to move and the other is slightly aggressive but they've come a long ways.

My rabbit will lick when I scratch her butt and she's happy with it, but that could also be from growing up/playing with dogs her whole life haha.

To help bond with him I would absolutely not pick him up until he's comfortable with you. The only time a rabbit gets picked up in the wild is when they're being eaten. I know that sometimes they need to be picked up to be moved, so when that happens I would get a box or a cat carrier and shoo him into it to move him. He'll be much more comfortable with that.
Is your rabbit fixed? That usually helps their behaviour. I'm not saying they won't come around if they're not fixed but it might help. I'll be honest and say that none of my rabbits are fixed but they're generally all very good rabbits and the two does I mentioned earlier have come a long ways even with being intact.

Honestly I would just keep doing what you're doing. Just be there with him and just almost pretend he doesn't exist. Come by every now and then and drop him a carrot or something. When you're sitting in there with him, I'd try and lay down instead of sit. It makes you smaller and less intimidating. When he gets adventurous he may even begin to hop on your back or your legs. At least mine did.

 

[Cookiemonster]

bunnies lick to say that they love or trust you

 

[lauren8165]

I wouldn't say that some bunnies just won't ever come around. I've got two does I've had for at least a year and they still won't tolerate me touching them. One is okay with it but she's typically too timid to move and the other is slightly aggressive but they've come a long ways.

My rabbit will lick when I scratch her butt and she's happy with it, but that could also be from growing up/playing with dogs her whole life haha.

To help bond with him I would absolutely not pick him up until he's comfortable with you. The only time a rabbit gets picked up in the wild is when they're being eaten. I know that sometimes they need to be picked up to be moved, so when that happens I would get a box or a cat carrier and shoo him into it to move him. He'll be much more comfortable with that.
Is your rabbit fixed? That usually helps their behaviour. I'm not saying they won't come around if they're not fixed but it might help. I'll be honest and say that none of my rabbits are fixed but they're generally all very good rabbits and the two does I mentioned earlier have come a long ways even with being intact.

Honestly I would just keep doing what you're doing. Just be there with him and just almost pretend he doesn't exist. Come by every now and then and drop him a carrot or something. When you're sitting in there with him, I'd try and lay down instead of sit. It makes you smaller and less intimidating. When he gets adventurous he may even begin to hop on your back or your legs. At least mine did.

Too timid to move as in she's too scared to run off when you start to pet her? Because I think that's what he's doing. When I do get to him without being bit or him running off, he will sit perfectly still and the second I'm done petting, he will back off and almost always thump at me. It really still seems like things are progressively getting worse, with same bits of behavior the make me think there is slight improvement, if that makes any sense. For example: he gone from being content under my dresser where my old bunnys safe place was, to incessantly trying to find a way to get under the bed and hide (I have had chicken wire hidden under the bed, all the way around since my first bun and he found a few spots to get in at, so we had to fix it, but he still refuses to keep trying to get under there again). And then there's moments like about 10 min ago, where he jumped on the bed and started grooming me, stopped for a min, nipped my hand, sat there for a min, started grooming me again. So I'm just having a hard time figuring him out. I am thinking he is just a bunny w an agressive temperament. I hope this gets better. And not for my sake, but his, bc it's sad seeing him act so scared all the time.

Sorry for the rant. Just trying to give you a better idea of what's going on. Thank you for your advice. I will give him more space and try to make myself less intimidating.

 

[lauren8165]

bunnies lick to say that they love or trust you

It's odd then, bc I don't get cuddly/I like and trust you kind of vibes from this bun AT ALL lol

 

[Bribble]

Too timid to move as in she's too scared to run off when you start to pet her? Because I think that's what he's doing. When I do get to him without being bit or him running off, he will sit perfectly still and the second I'm done petting, he will back off and almost always thump at me. It really still seems like things are progressively getting worse, with same bits of behavior the make me think there is slight improvement, if that makes any sense. For example: he gone from being content under my dresser where my old bunnys safe place was, to incessantly trying to find a way to get under the bed and hide (I have had chicken wire hidden under the bed, all the way around since my first bun and he found a few spots to get in at, so we had to fix it, but he still refuses to keep trying to get under there again). And then there's moments like about 10 min ago, where he jumped on the bed and started grooming me, stopped for a min, nipped my hand, sat there for a min, started grooming me again. So I'm just having a hard time figuring him out. I am thinking he is just a bunny w an agressive temperament. I hope this gets better. And not for my sake, but his, bc it's sad seeing him act so scared all the time.

Sorry for the rant. Just trying to give you a better idea of what's going on. Thank you for your advice. I will give him more space and try to make myself less intimidating.

I think she's just too scared to move by the time I get my hand to her. Mine does the same thing when I'm done petting her.
How do you pet him? Full hand? I've found some of mine prefer it when I "groom" them like other rabbits do. Basically you just use your index/thumb and just kinda pinch them together right on their head or ears instead of a full hand over the body. Just don't actually pinch them It basically simulates another rabbit grooming them with their teeth.
When he comes up to groom you and then nips you, they're usually asking for attention. Mine will occasionally nip or nudge my hand when I stop petting. Although if you are petting when he nips he's asking you to back off a little.