Does rabbits personality adapt to the owner?

[Hermelin]

Hey

I wonder if a rabbits personalities adapt to the owner in some way.

Myself have the view rabbits are the most affectionate and cuddle pets you can own. This view come from after owning 4 bunnies.

When I watch YouTube about bunnies or read about them, it always come up that they hate being picked up. But, I have never had any problem of picking up my bunnies or take one and just snuggle up with them whenever I want. They will always give kisses or do bunny purring.

My personality its more towards the antisocial spectrum of a person because I have quite a lot of anxiety, extremely shy and gets extremely uncomfortable among people.

While my bunnies always love cuddles and I can spend an hour or more cuddling with them. It’s like all my bunnies I’ve ever owned have always been the same with cuddles, clinginess and easily to handle for me.

I’ve met people owning bunnies and when they meet mine they are always surprised on how affectionate they are.

I often hear that their bunnies they owned would bite them and would never be calm when being handled.

I’m starting to think my view on bunnies are wrong or I’m just lucky getting the bunnies that loves cuddles and showing affection.

Or does my bunnies become such affectionate bunnies because on how I treat them and me as a person.

So how are your rabbits personalities?
How do they act towards you?

Think it would be fun hearing yours opinion and thoughts about it.

 

[zuppa]

Hi, I also have four rabbits and I've no problem to pick up three of them.

Leo was 8 weeks when I adopted him he liked me from first minute and he let me do anything I want.

Fred's age is unknown he was found on street in a cardboard box and after a couple weeks people who found him brought him to me. He was very quiet for first week I thought he's very old or ill so I just let him be he didn't like any actions was staying in his corner for days without any movement, it was in January. Now he's absolutely no fear and let me do anything he even likes clipping nails and generally likes to be on my lap not trying to escape or anything. Very happy rabbit.

Bernie is 11 months now I adopted her 2 months ago she was generally friendly but I didn't push her, her family brought her to me was about an hour long drive they so worried if she will be okay with me she was very fat and slow, nice and slow staying in her hutch all day country girl. I didn't push her either, after a week or so she was comfortable with me but didn't like when I entered her cage she grunted at me, now she's fine and let me do whatever I want, and I can also pick her up anytime. She loves staying on my laps for hours, not every day as I have more rabbits here.

Smokey is the only one. She knows me and likes me she lets me to touch her nose through the bars in the morning coming to say hello, but other than that she gets stressed and scared and trying to defence herself immediately, she's very quick like a tigress she attacks my hand and bites me I am all covered with scars. So I am trying not to disturb her unless it is absolutely necessary, I can pick her up but she'll try to escape and will scratch and bite and she gets frightened looking just insane so scared. I need to work with her, I don't want to force just watching her and we communicate through bars mostly, well she loves to be out as well, exploring my space. She's also very greedy on food I think it is somehow connected with her stress too, and she's getting fat sometimes and her weight is changing depending on her mood. Hopefully I will find a way to her someday, it's already 4 months she's with me, I've got her she was 8-9 weeks but I think maybe she was a bit older just people wanted to get rid of her. She was always nervous the house where she was born was very noisy and people coming and going and barking dog and ts horrible smell of heavy smoking in the living room where their cage was I believe she had some bad experience with nasty boys too. Poor girl she's so scared of everything. She's about 5-6 months now I think, when I got her I was told she's a boy actually, but she's not

What was the question? Yes, I think my rabbits just know I love them and they can take me as I am tolerate my actions, I talk to them, if I want to do something like clipping nails I'd explain why we need to do that and we counting together. For Smokey I wrap her into a blanket to do that, other rabbits kinda enjoy.

 

[somebunnylovesme]

Every rabbit has a different personality and enjoys doing different things. I cringe when I hear repeated stuff that rabbits shouldn't be around small children, rabbits don't like to be picked up, rabbits get scared easily...etc..

I had one bunny that enjoyed being picked up, cuddled and love to sit on my lap. She would wanted her back feet cupped in my hands when I picked her up. She demanded it. My other 2 rabbits didn't enjoy being picked up. But again, it depends on the rabbit. Every rabbit has their own personality ,enjoys different actives and shows affection in different ways.

 

[Hermelin]

What was the question? Yes, I think my rabbits just know I love them and they can take me as I am tolerate my actions, I talk to them, if I want to do something like clipping nails I'd explain why we need to do that and we counting together. For Smokey I wrap her into a blanket to do that, other rabbits kinda enjoy.

I can’t trim my bunnies nails alone, because they need me to distract them. I taught them to be calm during nail trimming when they are in my arms and others trimming their nails.

But, If I do it alone all my rabbits will flip, jump away, hiding their paws, start grooming me or just run around me.

I think Smokey will one day open up, just slowly building your bond and you will be rewarded later [emoji5]

 

[Hermelin]

Every rabbit has a different personality and enjoys doing different things. I cringe when I hear repeated stuff that rabbits shouldn't be around small children, rabbits don't like to be picked up, rabbits get scared easily...etc..

That’s so true, but I also think rabbits personalities will depend a lot on their owner. You can’t change a really skittish bunny but you can build up their trust, make them more confident and calm.

None of my bunnies in the beginning liked being picked up, but after a time they tolerated it and became more relaxed.

 

[lavendertealatte]

I think my rabbit is nervous.. like.. me. lol. My neighbor's kid has a rabbit and she carries her around like a baby! She's also a very sweet kid and easy going.. sometimes I do wonder if that has something to do with it.

How did you train your buns to tolerate nail clipping? It is a fight every time for me with Bunster. I trained him to tolerate me touching his front paws and sometimes can get a clip in if I'm fast enough, but I can not touch his back paws at ALL.