I want to get groomed!

[NorthernAutumn]

So here I am, looking through all of the bunny blogs at your lovely buns snuggling with you on their backs, sitting patiently in the crook of an arm, sitting on laps, rolling over., watching TV with you...

GAAAAHhh! I would love that! You speak of bunny kisses, and getting groomed. When did this first start for you? How old was the bun? What is grooming specifically in your terms? I need to know how to improve my bunny bonds!

Currently I get:

Annoyed grunts at bedtime, binkies all over the couch (teenager Stuart), ring toss games, attack-the cat toy... Stu runs all over the place like a madman, and won't even stay still enough to pat for a second, until he flops over from exhaustion.

Slatey holes up behind the couch in his cardboard paradise, and alternately snoozes and destroys. Sometimes, I can lay down beside him on my bed, and stick my nose up to his nose, and huff gently into his nose. That makes him grind his teeth as he gets a relaxing massage. He'll stuff himself between the pillows on my bed and watch the occasional romantic film, but...

I think I still have a long way to go... What affectionate behaviour should Iaspire to inspire in these wee fuzzies, and how do I get it?

(tho, I'm not getting bit, so I'm doing something right :biggrin2

 

[juliew19673]

Wow! You have so engergeric buns! But the story you tell is that they are VERY happy (binkies to be had - especially NEAR you and nose closeness tells me they trust you). YOu mention one is a min-rex andfromwhat I've gathered in 5 short monthsis that they are not the "cuddley bun" but there is always expection to the rule"What is your home setup? How much time do they have to "romp about" and where did they come from (breeder or rescue?).

Sounds like you have one "HAPPY" family (at least the buns) and that is half the battle in "THEIR" life, so you might think that they are in a better place than they ever could be and "THAT" might "warm" your heart..

Maybe your looking at "their" life all wrong and they are happy and wondering when you will "fall in line" with their needs and not your own?

Just my suggestion but if I had a bun that needed a home - I would keep yours in mind.

Good luck and PLEASE post your trials and tribulations as it may help (myself) or others.

Edited to suggest: Treats (limited) are known to work wonders.. If you lay on the floor with your bun (get down to "their" level) and hold out the "carrot, dried apple, spinach leaf" whatever gets your buns "rocks" off might make them more "cuddly"..

 

[MyLOVEABLES!!]

AHHHHHHH me too! EVVRYTHING!!!! EVERYTHING EXCATLY THE SAME AS YOU POSTED!!!!!!! (lol sorry hehe)

i mean at times my two wee ones do that, AT TIMES that is but they'l never just sit down or lie on me quietly what can I do as well I mean they have their quiet momnet but its really rare. I never get them, sitting patiently on me or somewher, watching TV with me etc... all they do is run around like a mad bunny and when i catch them its cuz they're too tired to run anymore gosh! I've never been groomed by mine either =[

I dnt mind if they dnt do this to me i guess if they are like that then well they're them and id always love them but id love this bond.

someone please help me as well!!

 

[NorthernAutumn]

You know, I'm very happy with whatever experiences I have with these guys; its just that I think that maybe I'm not doing something that they need me to do, in order to get them to that place of perfect happiness.

I'd be satisfied if nothing ever changed between me and the boys, but if there is something that would make them even happier and trusting, I'll do it. (Mind you, I'd definitely benefit from increased bunny attention, but I want to be sure that they are as happy as they can be)

juliew19637, You asked about the home setup:

At home here, Stu gets at least 1 hr. out every night (no exercise pen yet, but the NIC condo is pretty big!) to run all over the house. Can't really trust him not to wiggle behind the fridge and stove yet, and can't baby-gate the house (I've got 4 room-mates), so he & I go on supervised runs.

Slatey has his own house, and is allowed to go hang out under the couch all day in the cardboard tunnels if he wants to. I know he's too scared of the slippery floor to make it over to the computer, so he does his own thing without risk of wires. I take Slatey outside to hop all over the garden, as he is too big to get thru the boards of the fence.

Haven't taken Stu outside yet tho. I'm worried about his lack of listening skills, in case I needed to get to him (he'd just run away and play TAG) Can't trust them together yet either; came home one day to find both had escaped. Hunks of fur were all over the sofa... definitely, not a bonded pair by any stretch of the imagination.

Slatey is a meat bun/nethie, and came from a disraught farmwife (bunny overload). Stuart was a petstore bunny, sold to unwitting me when the petshop owner said "Buy him, or I'll cook him"[good sales tactic!]

 

[Raspberry82]

I didn't catch the age of your buns but if they're 1-2 1/2 yrs old or younger it sounds like they're just being young bunnies. When they're young they're often more interested in everything around them and running and playing than interested in chilling out with their humans. Once they reach 2-2 1/2 they'll *hopefully* chill out more nitceably and lounge with you a bit more and become much more snuggly.

I'd keep at the bonding with them. I think it might just take longer with some particular buns to enjoy snuggling and being held too. Keep at it, don't ever stop trying to bond with them, eventually they'll come around.

Max was like your's until he was about 2 and then he turned more into a laid back chilled out super-snuggle bun, but at the same time he'll only lay down and chill out for maybe 10-15min periods, then want petting and snuggles and exploring, then back to 10-15min sitting still. When I let him out to play/run in our kitchen (his 2nd room ) he'll often just lay down on the floor and chill for hours. And Max still has moods of days when he want to be left alone to his own thoughts or not wanting snuggles, though they're pretty rare.

Might just be an age thing.

 

[Raspberry82]

Do they let you pick them up and hold them willingly? If not I'd start there.. get them used to being held more and more often even if it makes them nervous or fidgity.. they'll start to enjoy having you hold them after a while and want to be picked up all the time . At least that's what Max did. In the beginning he hated it, but it just took time. Now he's like a potato sack in your arms unless he wants to be put down to play or do something

 

[ilovetoeatchocolate]

Ahh I wouldn't worry about it too much. They sound pretty happy if they are doing binkies. A lot of people (especially those who are first time rabbit owners) expect things from their buns but that may not be their personality. Instead of wanting them to groom you you can try doing things that they seem to enjoy. Sounds like they like to play and run around so you could interact with them that way. I sneak up on my bunnies, give them a tiny tap and run away. At first they looked at me like I was nuts but now we run around.

 

[Raspberry82]

lol, I love doing that too. My bun is now always ready to dart after us when we do it to him! It used to be a lot easier before he out-smarted us.. hehe. He was never much of a groomer either. He loves to be heald, loves being chased, and loves snuggling with us, loves playing "tag", but he's only licked me maybe 4-5 times in 3 1/2 yrs. He does love to groom our pant legs though when he's out and about playing, the silly goose .

 

[MyLOVEABLES!!]

hehe i play tag wid my rabbits too they love it!

 

[Sabine]

My buns Magic and Miracle used to lick us to death between around 7-9 weeks when they found it entertaining enough to jump around on the couch between our too laps. They are too energetic now to bother with that but hare around like wild things in their outside pen. Never tried to play tag with them.
My little fluffball Lint started the licking now. He wants to be picked up all the time, like a baby. Magic and Miracle come up for a stroke and wants I pick them up they seem to enjoy being held up to a point. A shame my first rabbit Coco doesn't like anyone touching her but seems to remain still once we caught her.

 

[MyLOVEABLES!!]

Woohoo!! i got groomed!! for the first time today =]

 

[Becca]

Thats great Prisca!

Dippy has only just started grooming me and i've had him 5 or 6 months fluffballs a pushy little miss'is so likes to be comfy and rearranges my clothes to how she wants them to be LOL

 

[MyLOVEABLES!!]

hehe dippy dippy dippy

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Unfortunately, they have the ultimate freakout if I try to hold them+pet them. Stu will come put his foot on my leg for a split second, then he runs like the wind. Slatey would rather get a massage while lying on the couch.

They try to kick like crazy if I pick them up .

(Haha, sorry if I sounded fixated on "grooming" per se:shock:. I meant just more closeness, or some sign of affection. Whoo, now the forum thinks I'm a desperate bunny-attention seeker:biggrin2

 

[juliew19673]

NO NOT AT ALL!!! I've read SO many posts of the BEST homes for Buns and they are dealing with your same grief - but you MUST keep in mind that you "saved" these 2 buns from being FOOD (or at least one) so they did not have the best upbringing so they are like human kids that were not socialized and it is up to you to do so.

At least KNOW that everyone see's them as being VERY happy buns (binkying about) and perhaps if you need to have that "cuddly" bun, go to your local shelter and indulge yourself and "pick one out".. Its not a bad thing and perhaps if you found one that was "mature and self-assured" it could act like a "counselour" to the other two?!

Can't wait to hear more about your life with these two - might not be what you wish it to be - but they sound pretty entertaining!

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Thanks for taking the time to write, juliew19637, your posts are always so encouraging

BTW, Stu finally laid down for some petting yesterday. First time I've touched him for more than a few seconds:biggrin2:.