Is my bunny happy and content??

lauren8165 · Jan 19, 2018

My bun isn't playful AT ALL. Every once in a blue moon, I will get an occasional binky when he is ouside. Other than that, he basically just lounges and eats. He does accept my affection about 50% of the time (and I try like 100000 times a day lol) and will groom me, but I'm always wondering if he is fulfilled and happy. He hasn't played with the tons of toys I have made/bought for him. He gets alot of outside time, but doesn't ever seem happy and playful out there. Do you think there is anything more I could do to play/bond with him and is his temperament normal or could he possibly be unhappy and bored? He is my first bun, so I have absolutely nothing to compare him to, but I am always seeing people talk about their bunnies favorite toys and their binkies, so I just want to make sure I give him the happiest life possible. My daughter and husband aren't involved with him whatsoever, so me being all he has just fuels my concerns even more.

samoth · Jan 19, 2018

I have two bonded rabbits: a female dutch and male harley mix.

The male isn't very receptive to being pet, but tolerates it on occasion for short periods. He's independent and values his space. He's never once licked me. And I'm usually in his way, regardless of where I am.

The female is outgoing, energetic, insanely curious, and loves attention and pets for as long as it takes my hand to cramp up. She reciprocates by grooming me, and circles my feet when I get home whilst humming contentedly.

Despite their personality differences and interactions with their human caretaker, I think they're both happy. I liken their personalities to those of humans: a boisterous, extroverted girl who talks to everyone she meets and a quiet, introverted guy who mostly hangs out on his own can both be happy (or sad); they're just being their natural selfs.

I will say this: my rabbits' interactions with me are very different from their interactions with each other. My quiet, standoffish male adores the female's attention, loves being groomed by her, and chases her around. They hang out for hours in near proximity or, sometimes, face-to-face. They communicate with each other in a way I cannot, and it's obvious to me that their friendship -- their bond -- gives them more happiness than I could ever give either one.

Have you considered getting your guy a rabbit friend? He may indeed be perfectly happy... but you may not see his true personality emerge unless he's with someone who can speak his own language, someone with whom he can interact on a rabbit-to-rabbit level.

Perhaps give him time to open up, too. How long have you had him? Mine both took months to really get comfortable with me and their surroundings... and our relationships continue to evolve 1.5 years later

lauren8165 · Jan 19, 2018

I have had him about 8-9 months. Some days he's more affectionate than others, but for the most part is is a few 5-10 min petting /grooming sessions a day. He runs off when he's had enough. Some days he won't stop grooming me. I will even want him to stop after like 30 min of it, but he will just come right back and be a little aggressive about wanting to groom me. Lol. I just never know what I'm going to get day to day, bc it varies so sporadically.

Regarding getting a rabbit friend for him: I have been seriously considering it for a while now, but haven't pulled the trigger, bc I also have 3 dogs and a 4 yr old, but after reading what you said, I am pretty sure I am going to get another. I just spend soooo much time cleaning out litter boxes and sweeping up an insane amount of droppings, that the thought of more droppings being added to the mix is scary. Lol

Aki · Jan 20, 2018

i agree getting him a girlfriend might be the best for him. I don't think you will see a big difference with the cleaning - to begin with, with rabbits like with all species,most girls are a lot cleaner than males (sorry, it's just a fact

). The only thing is that you absolutely need to neuter your boy if he isn't already (if he isn't, he could be better with the litterbox afterwards) before introducing a (this is important) SPAYED female.
Nevertheless, it's hard to gauge the level of happiness of a rabbit. My male is very nosy but he mostly like to sleep on his pillow and to eat - nothing gets him excited like me taking out the pellets from the cupboard, he once broke the bowl by trying to jump on it while I was carrying it to the eating area of the rabbits' room ^^'.

lauren8165 · Jan 21, 2018

Hahaha. Females of all species are definitely more clean! He would do better with a female rather than a male?

Preitler · Jan 21, 2018

lauren8165 said:
Hahaha. Females of all species are definitely more clean! He would do better with a female rather than a male?

What?

I had a female house bunny for 8 months, most destructive pet ever, soiled and destroyed everything, now my herd buck lives free range in my house and garden, perfectly house broken, doesnt nibble anything. I'm pretty sure it would have been more difficult when he was younger, promoted him to house bunny when he was about 3yo.