Skittish and Non Cuddly Bunnies

[LinnieBunny]

HI I have my 3 bunnies living in my bedroom. They currently have cages but one day will be able to roam the whole room together. Two of them are bonded and 1 month apart in age.(5 months and 6 months old) They came from the same place where their parents were outdoor breeding rabbits in small terrible cages. Due to not being handled a lot the parents were very skittish and un-loving. Both of my girls have inherited that trait and do not like even being petted or near you. My other lion head was a rescue from Craigslist and is 3 years old. She lived all of her life in a small dog crate with little human interaction, so she is also skittish and does not know how to love a human.

I plan on bonding the 3 together but am waiting for the right time so I don't break the relationship of the duo. I cannot handle any of them without being scratched and deprived of all my energy. It really hurts to see them not being trustworthy of me whatsoever. Am I doing anything wrong, or are they always going to be this way? Any tips or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Other info on them:
Linnie is a lion head aged 6 months bonded with Libbie
Libbie is a mix of sorts??? Aged 5 months bonded with Linnie
Lizzie is a 3 year old lionhead soon to be bonded with the others
They are fed a healthy diet consisting mostly of hay and vegetables with a small portion of pellets each day. The duos cage is 5ft by 6ft and Lizzie cage is about 4ft by 5.5ft. They will have access to a room about 25ft by 17ft once bonded together. They cannot have the full house due to us having several cats. If you have any other questions please ask. Thanks:runningrabbit:

 

[Aki]

Your diet sounds fine and and the plan to make them live in a room is good too. I did that when I lived with my parents, who have a serial killer cat. ^^
Unless you just forgot to mention it, the does you talk about are intact. I don't know if you are aware, but you are going to have to spay them. First, it will protect them from cancer (which is a 80% risk if you don't), it will also help with bonding them because 3 intact does will be really tough to manage (does can be very territorial, even more when they are not spayed), and last but not least it can really help with the bonding with you as they will be calmer. This point aside, 'loving rabbits who like being handled' are very rare. Rabbits aren't cats or dogs, they were bred for their fur and meat for a very long time and no real selection was ever made on the grounds of character or friendliness. In a lot of ways, domestic rabbits have evolved very little from their wild cousins. Most rabbits (and ALL rabbits I've ever personnally met) hate being handled past babyhood. Honestly, I don't think that's surprising at all - just imagine being a small creature being raised ten meters in the air by a creature you instinctively know can (and will, in occasions) eat you. I wouldn't be so gung-ho about that, I think. You'll need to be very patient. It can take years to establish a relationship with a rabbit. And I think of it more as 'trust' than as 'love', which is already a lot considering our respective place in the food chain.
Those articles are all very good on the subject :
http://rabbit.org/category/behavior/rabbit-personality/
(they also have good articles about bonding, considering that a trio can be challenging)

 

[LinnieBunny]

Thanks for the tips. I do know that they will need to be spayed, but am still working on figuring out when that could happen. I know the risks of cancer and am aware it is life threatening. Unfortunately I live with my parents still only being a teenager and am not sure I'll be able to afford it until I can get a job. I'll try to continue the bonding very slowly and continue to try to build more of a relationship with them. I understand rabbits don't like being picked up but these 3 don't even like being petted. Thanks for the tip and general information. I will read up a bit on that article.

 

[Aki]

It's best to spay as early as possible once the rabbit is about grown up, because cancer can take root really early make the operation a lot riskier if the vet has to take out the whole uterus and tumors. It is expensive - with three does, you picked the worst financial configuration, as spaying is more expensive than neutering. I don't know if that's the case where you live, but I know some vets who make discounts on spays / neuters when you have several rabbits to do around the same time. It might be worth it to phone vets in your area to ask about it when you have some money. I do get your problem, I got my first rabbits when I was still living with my parents and I gave private lessons to a bunch of snobby kids to pay for their expense. Still, spaying aside, it might be wise to find a way to make some money and set it aside - the rabbits probably won't wait for you to get a job to get sick and the vet cost can pile up horribly in a very short amount of time. A lot of people come here describing a sick bunny and saying they can't afford to go to the vet which is problematic, to say the least, so... better be safe than sorry is mainly what I'm trying ot say here.

 

[LinnieBunny]

I really do truly understand the need to have them spayed. I will do so as soon as readily possible. I simply currently do not have the funds to provide that aspect of their life to them yet. Your reply didn't at all respond to the question I was asking, but instead repeated what I already know. It is sad that I cannot provide to have them spayed just yet, but as soon as I can I will. I ask anyone who is going to respond to my article not to state the facts I already know about having them spayed. Thanks for understanding.

 

[ladysown]

the spaying aside, the chances of bonding all three rabbits together isn't particularly high. Your best bet is to let the two bondeds out for run around time, and then put them up while you let out the third.

 

[Blue eyes]

Your reply didn't at all respond to the question I was asking, but instead repeated what I already know.

Aki's second post was not repeating what you already know - that bunnies should be spayed -- but was letting you know the benefits of spaying as early as possible. Then she also offered some helpful suggestions such as seeing if a vet might offer a "group discount" for spaying your 3 rabbits at one time. She also sympathized with your predicament and explained how she began setting aside money as she was able to in order to help with future vet needs - another good suggestion.

 

[samoth]

I cannot handle any of them without being scratched and deprived of all my energy. It really hurts to see them not being trustworthy of me whatsoever. Am I doing anything wrong, or are they always going to be this way? Any tips or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!

I don't think you're doing anything wrong at all. That said, you may want to consider adjusting your expectations for the rabbits. They may never be lap-buns or cuddle-buns towards any human. That has nothing to do with you, and maybe not even with their previous owner or breeder -- rather, it's the natural disposition of the specific rabbit.

The young ones will likely go through personality changes as they mature and once they're neutered. I wouldn't worry too much about them not being loving towards you right now.

All I can really suggest is that you keep an open mind and think long-term. It took over 6 months of daily work with my doe to get her to behave to the point I could keep her free range. My buck has been free range for over a year, and just this past week he finally took on the stairs -- now he's running up and down them all the time! I don't know why it took him so long to do this, but I wasn't going to force him... it just took him a little bit longer than the doe. Likewise, it may take a few months -- or longer -- for your buns to get used to you and show their appreciation for you