I'm getting kind of discouraged...

[rita1234]

I got a baby minilop bunny at the beginning of december. I've spent A LOT of time just sitting quietly trying to bond with her, but even when I don't touch her she seems skittish and she rarely lets me even pet around her face.

I wanted to get her spayed because she's really sweet and I want her to live a long, happy life, so I purchased the operation (for a total of over $260) and I still don't regret it, but I am getting discouraged.

I knew that she didn't like being held, but when I had to give her medication and hand feed her I literally had to wrap her up in a blanket to get her still enough to be able to take care of her. I don't mind being the bad guy to make sure she's healthy, but she was REALLY upset with me after that. It's taken a long while of nuturing for her even to come near me again.

Recently, she's taken to jumping on top of her cage and getting out of her little enclosure. She got out today, and it wouldn't be so bad but I couldn't even grab her she fought so hard! I don't want to scare her, and it frustrates me to tears to see her so scared of me still even when I've spent so much time with her.

I need reccomendations for bonding and how to teach her how handling isn't that bad. I know they don't love being handled in general, but I have to be able to get her when her safety is in danger. I also need to know if it's okay for her to hop on top of her cage or if that's too high of a jump for her.

 

[LakeCondo]

I'm hoping for my Honey to become less skittish, but others have posted that sometimes it takes a year. What I'm trying [& it seems to help] is a quick pickup, including holding the back legs, then putting her down right away the first time & slowly increasing the time a bit, with a treat in my pocket that she gets as soon as she's down.

Honey isn't a jumper, but as long as what Minerva jumps on is steady, & she doesn't jump from there onto something even higher it's ok. Someone posted awhile back about their rabbit falling 4 feet & having chewing issues afterwards.

Getting out is another matter & you'll probably want to make her enclosure higher or fasten a net over it or something.

 

[rita1234]

Okay thanks, yeah it's really hard to even catch her to pick her up she will try to RUN away as fast as she possibly can! I can't even reach her fast enough to pet her

 

[qtipthebun]

Even a snugglebunny has to be caught and wrapped in a towel for medication...Q-tip fought and fought and fought with me every time. Have you tried giving your bunny some treats to bring her closer to you? Q-tip loves raw oats...if I put them in my hand, she'll bounce right over and eat out of my hand. Even skittish bunnies will come over for food. My dad has a bunny that sounds very much like yours, and what we've found with her is that food is ALWAYS the way to her heart. She'll come over to you for food...a big piece of parsley will take her a little while to eat, and if you hold it while she's eating, you can pet her head at the same time. If she starts to associate food with cuddles, and she likes food....

As for the picking up, I picked up Q a lot when she was a baby, so she has no issue with it, but with Smokey, my dad's bun, the only way to get her is to have her nice and calm petting her, and then veeeeery slowly pick her up. She can't be just scooped off the floor like Q can. But if she starts associating you calling her over to you with food, then when she escapes, you can just call for her and shake her favorite treat bag and she'll come flying.

 

[ZRabbits]

:wave:

New to rabbits myself. Know how you feel about learning to handle your bunny and trying to bond. Never dealt with an animal like this. Can bond real good to a dog.

You have had some excellent advise from qtipthebun and Lake Condo which BTW, I wish I had when I got my two. Plus I found out it does take some time for that bonding to occur, plus you think you are getting somewhere, and your bunny, who I found out are also moody, just doesn't want to be bother, then you think you are loosing ground.

You little girl is 4 months old to, so hormones set in. Another additive that I found out made the bonding slower for me. Where you move ahead two steps and then the next day back five. Also don't forget the teenage months. My boys are now 9 months old, and they are trying to show who's the boss. But just think, teenage months don't last long. Come on adulthood.

Don't get discourage. It all takes time. And it's all worth it.

K

 

[LakeCondo]

Honey is rather a rug rat, so she's easy to pick up when she's in her pen & I'm in there to clean up, etc. She will climb up on me for a treat of banana peel when I'm sitting down in her xpen, but I don't think she associates my lap as being a part of me, just a soft, lumpy hill to climb to get to my hand with the food. lol

 

[Sweetie]

What I do with Sweetie when I need her to go back into the rabbit area is herd her back into the rabbit area. Meaning walking towards her acting like I am going to pick her up she runs to the rabbit area. I also tell her to get to the rabbit area.

You can try herding her back into her play area while talking to her gently and telling her to get back in the play area.

 

[Bun Slave]

I have a rabbit with a mental disorder - she doesn't like banana. Banana is my go-to. I managed to get her to come over for dried cranberry, so that's what I'm using.

The rescue I got her from suggested using a box to move her around instead of picking her up. Works much better - she knows to hop in the box and when she hops out she gets her treat. Seems to help calm her down. Not much good for meds, but fact is all pets hate it when we force yucky meds down their throats!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Even with a great temperament most bunnies don't like to be picked up and held. Getting them used to handling is a slow process, but they all do come around. It's just not all will be snugglers. One of the easiest methods we have for putting them up is an apple box with both sides cut out with a hole just big enough for them to get into. We have a litter pan inside full of shredded paper. When it's time to go back to their hutch most will go right into the box and the rest get herded into it--we just hold it up to the hutch door and they usually go right in. I also have all the hutches that are down covered with cardboard on top --that way they can get up there and be comfy with no chance of getting a leg stuck.

 

[BertNErnie]

have you tried laying on the floor being quiet hardly any movement? buns are curious naturally if you have food it makes it hard to resist! be patient buns are prey animals and they see you as the predator, you just have to be very patient.
dont feel discouraged feel encouraged!

 

[rita1234]

Thank you for all of the advice guys! It's just hard sometimes because I feel like all the hard work I put in isn't paying off, but I know eventually she'll come around. I'm also a little scared that after such an expensive surgery if she doesn't end up liking me it will be even more dissapointing!

I'll try the treat thing, she'll already eat raw oats out of my hand and sometimes she'll come up and sniff. She still doesn't let me pet anywhere but right on her nose even when she's having oats, but I'm hoping eventually that will improve.

 

[windryder201]

Hey I don't really have any advice for you, but I just want you to know that even if your bun never really bonds with you like you hope, she can still be a fun and friendly pet to have around the house.

I adopted a fuzzy lop to bond with my lionhead after he was constantly destroying everything. I figured it was a gamble, but I was hoping a "friend" would level him out. Luckily it worked swimmingly.

Now, my lionhead, Yoshi, has never been very cuddly, but he's always up for a nice head scratch and will regularly come "Check in with me".

My fuzzy lop's name is Peach. Princess Peach. Emphasis on the Princess. She is the Diva of the room and she will not be touched by filthy human hands.

She will come up and say "hi" and "feed me". She is definitely not scared of me! But she will fly across the room the moment I try to pet her and brushing her coat is always a wrestling match to start!!

But you know what? She amuses the HELL out of me. With her floppy yet perky little ears and her standoffish "I can't believe I just got HUMAN ON ME" glares...She's just too damned adorable

So...even if your bunny doesn't end up bonding with you like you want, she can still be a joy

 

[MiniLopHop]

Sounds like fairly typical teenaged bun behavior to me. Gary is about the same age. I have to chase him around the room to pick him up, yet he will let me pet him if I'm petting Becky (jealous much?). I had to trim his nails over the weekend, he acted like I was killing him until the crasins came out. I had to ply him with a crasin per paw to get them trimmed, but then he was just fine. There's something a bit magical about the year mark. At least for Houdini when he turned a year old he because much calmer for his brushing and nail trims.

 

[1357rabbitlover]

My bunny used to be extremely scared of me, of everything.
She is nearly 1 year old now and she is A LOT better, she still isnt as comfortable around me as my other buns but all you need is patience.
What i did was...
Act like you bun isn't even there. Don't talk to her, don't touch her, don't look at her.
It helps if you have other buns too, because you can encourage your other buns over with food and then she will enventually come over to see. It took her 4 months just for her to come near me, then when she does give her her favourite treat, or at first just let her smell you.
With buns you just need patience, she will eventually start to become more trusting.
My bun doesn't kiss me or sit on my lap yet, but she nudges me to stroke her and begs for food.. So hopefully this helps you the way it helped my bun

 

[jujub793]

all great advise from everyone. Sounds like you just need an aBUNdence of time patience and treats :agree

 

[LakeCondo]

They like aBUNdence of treats. lol. Mine will climb up on lap just enough to get the treat I'm holding, then take it with her. But I'm working for more. So do we train them or is it vise versa?

 

[NorthernAutumn]

Vice versa

 

[tamsin]

It takes awhile for the hormones in her body to go down, so don't expect instant change with the spay, as the effects might not kick in for 4-6 weeks.

I'd recommend holding off on the picking up as much as possible and just hanging around with her - sit on the floor when she's exploring and offer her treats. Do you feed pellets? Try only putting half in the bowl and feed the rest during the day as treats. That way you can make lots of positive associations without over feeding.

It takes bunnies time to settle, so its fairly normal to take a couple of months for them to feel really at home

 

[juliew19673]

So sorry your having such a rough time! Have been in your postion myself and its so Fruststing!

One thing I know, is "Less is More" with buns. That translates to, you have to make yourself available to the bun in question, but NEVER try to touch them for weeks/months. My personal go to choice is to read books out loud to them while you lay in their area (Harry Potter books, or Huck Fin, has worked for me).

I've done this with 2 that after 6 weeks and a year and half, they came around to the point where they each let me pet them/cuddle - they came to me while reading said books.

You might purchase "Understanding Your Rabbits Habits" written by an RO Author, Tasmin; look for the Amazon link in the library, its briliant; will give you alot of info that your looking for.

Hope the best and post again.

Every bun is different; and how you deal with them is different from everyone elses experience, thus the fun, of learing your buns language!.

It might sound like a long time, but I saw growth every week from each of mine and it was alot of fun, if you have the patience.

Post how its going and feel free to PM if needed.

 

[ZRabbits]

juliew19673 wrote:

So sorry your having such a rough time! Have been in your postion myself and its so Fruststing!

One thing I know, is "Less is More" with buns. That translates to, you have to make yourself available to the bun in question, but NEVER try to touch them for weeks/months. My personal go to choice is to read books out loud to them while you lay in their area (Harry Potter books, or Huck Fin, has worked for me).

I've done this with 2 that after 6 weeks and a year and half, they came around to the point where they each let me pet them/cuddle - they came to me while reading said books.

You might purchase "Understanding Your Rabbits Habits" written by an RO Author, Tasmin; look for the Amazon link in the library, its briliant; will give you alot of info that your looking for.

Hope the best and post again.

Every bun is different; and how you deal with them is different from everyone elses experience, thus the fun, of learing your buns language!.

It might sound like a long time, but I saw growth every week from each of mine and it was alot of fun, if you have the patience.

Post how its going and feel free to PM if needed.

Wonderful idea. Actually did it myself with my boys. You need to go slow and the more they hear your voice (while reading, and BTW LOVE Harry Potter series) the more they associate the noise (your voice) to your visits with food or grooming.

It does take time to get trust from a bunny, but it's so well worth the effort.

Good Luck. Wishing you all the luck.

K