Yes, Your Rabbit Hates You (How To Be Friends With Your Bunny)
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If you've recently purchased a fuzzy baby bunny, or perhaps been gifted one by some kind hearted person, you're no doubt a little confused. What exactly does one DO with a bunny? For starters, I am not a fan of keeping rabbits outdoors. Once you get to know them it's kind of like getting a cat and sticking it in the shed, a tad on the cruel side. It also makes it very hard to tame them, and to allow them to express their crazy bunny personalities.
Odds are that your bunny currently regards you with mistrust and suspicion. At least, I would assume so given that a) you are reading this, and b) it is fairly common rabbit behavior. If you have a friendly sweet rabbit then kudos to you, enjoy. If your rabbit is less than you imagined it might be, read on.
Rabbits are bad ass...
The first thing you need to understand about your rabbit is that it has no comprehension that it is a tiny fragile creature. Your bunny thinks that it is the biggest bad ass to hit town since Clint Eastwood. If you push it, your bunny WILL take you on. If you're lucky s/he will warn you first with growls and angry foot scrabbling, but then again, s/he may not. After all, you should know better, and respect the bunny.
It may help to think of your rabbit like one of those martial arts grand masters. They seem peaceable enough, but disrespect them and they will kick your ass. Learn this lesson well.
Rabbits love treats..
Apples and carrots are big hits with many rabbits, and they will oftentimes even get over the fact that you are clearly persona non grata to nibble at a treat from your hand. If you've been having trouble getting them to allow you to touch them, then this is a great way to start. You can get a few pats in this way oftentimes, just realize that the rabbit may realize what you are doing and nip you for your effrontery.
Take it easy, but make them accept you...
This is the delicate part of rabbit taming. When I say taming, I don't mean you should do this with wild rabbits, it would be both cruel and stupid. I am talking about domesticated young rabbits who need to become accustomed to you, their new owner.
First of all, pick them up securely, then place them on the ground and brush them gently. Don't let them run away, even if they are acting like you're trying to kill them. Do be careful though and make sure you have a firm grip around their chest and back legs. They can easily kill their silly selves by fighting too hard, though generally speaking they would prefer to avoid this.
Once your rabbit has settled, let it go gently. It may hop away, it may stay around for a while, it may turn and bite you. For this reason I recommend wearing jeans (which offer some protection) and applying common sense. If your rabbit is growling fiercely, don't let it go facing you. My own rabbit has a habit of retaliatory nipping, but she doesn't take it too seriously, some rabbits will go for blood however.
The thing is not to let it phase you. Treat the rabbit gently and firmly. Make it realize that it has no choice, that you will not hurt it, and that you will reward it with tasty treats. The strange thing is that rabbits actually quite like being petted, and after a while will run up to you and demand attention. This is particularly endearing when you don't see them coming and they get stealthily underfoot. Really, be careful when they're out of the cage.
Of course, all of this is assuming your bunny is at the stage where it can be picked up. If your bunny isn't quite there yet, try spending some quiet time with the cage open, and sitting on the floor, letting it get used to you, then proceed to the aforementioned step.
Remember: Your rabbit is crazy
Probably. Most rabbits have a certain edge of playful insanity to their behavior. They are also capable of holding grudges, and letting you know when you have offended and displeased them. My earlier advice of treating them like small fuzzy martial arts masters will hold you in good stead. They have a strong sense of protocol, which you may never understand fully. That's okay. What we are talking about here is simply the first step, getting your rabbit to be somewhat friendly.
Take your time, be patient, and remember that a good antiseptic brand is worth its weight in gold.
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That does always seem to be the way, doesnt it. Mind you, even though my bunny will still occasionally attack me for the sheer joy of it, and will happily destroy any clothing left in her path, she is still somehow a sweetie :)
lol that is true about bunnies. They are tons of fun though. I have 9 bunnies and they love to play with my pet sloth for some reason. Then perky my sloth gets upset cuz she can't get any sleep! lol
Rabbits are cute, but they sure are messy
I agree
they are cute and messy but i need some help with my rabbit it hates to be picked up so i never get a good chance to examine it properly
Hi Tyler,
You need to take the time to play with your rabbit and pet it gently before trying to pick it up. It might take a while for your rabbit to trust you, and even then to be honest, many rabbits still hate being picked up. Make sure that when you do try to pick it up, you support its hindlegs and make sure that it cannot kick out and harm itself. You should then be able to gently turn it over onto its back and examine it.
If you haven't been able to do this, and you still can't, I would reccomend taking your bunny to the vet, or an experienced bunny owner. These people will be able to have a look at your rabbit and see if it needs any extra grooming, or if it has any other problems.
i just got my bunny Hoppy last week. And he is still not friendly or trust me. I gave him treats, he took it and ate it, then just left me all alone. i want it to hop around me, and enjoy his owner :(
i think my rabbit likes me he eats out of my hand but he scratches me when i try to catch him i also tap him on the back and make him run around in circles maybe he dont like that. how do i know if he is playing or serious.
When I first got my bunny Delilah she was like that. A lot of times they are playing. the best thign I can tell you is that just give ti some time. I live in a college dorm so she is used to having a lot of people around BUT she hates being picked up. She scracthes when I catch her bcause she knows that its time for her to go into her cage
Well, i've tried everything and spot still dis owns me...she use to let me pick her up then she got really mean...and started to bite.
thanx for the tips. hopefully this works or my new bunny SAKIMA im getting from the shelter :P .....i hope my bunny wasnt abused before it came to the shelter, bcuzz it may cause the bunny to fear or feel endangered.
I named it SAKIMA bcuzz im going to spoil him, and SAKIMA means king in a native langauge:P
When I pet my bunny sometimes it corners itself is it scared of me?
I just got a bunny, she was born on easter [i still need a name for her] her mother belongs to my cousin angel, i'v never had a rabbit and being a teen ager whos always out and about, take her with me everywhere. but i dont know if i am bonding right. she never runs from me, she seems extatic when i come to her cage. She just doenst seem to like being pet, she lets me but i cant tell what she enjoys nad doesnt enjoy. I hope that these tips help me even though there sno real problem, i give her treats. and if anyone could help me i'd like to know what age i should start liter trianing her, becasue picking up dozens of her droppings every 10 min. is get old. =]
Great article. I love your sense of humor however truthfulness about bunny rabbits. Bunnies are badass little dudes, and they do play the timid and shy card but inside these little bundles adorable fur there are feisty fearless critters ready to rumble (usually with your leg especially the boy buns).
Hey Kaylan... Litter training starts right away, although I should let you in on a little secret.. it's not really "training". Bunnies tend to want to go bathroom in the same place. Keep the rabbit confined to an area you want it go to bathroom in, and when it picks a spot, put a tray there. The rabbit generally does the rest. I have more hubs on toilet training bunnies if you want more information.
When I take my bunny out of the cage and put him on the bed he runs around for a while and seems to want me to pet him, but when I go to pet him he looks me up and down and attacks me with all of his might by standing on his two back legs and scrawls me with his front claws and whenever he can fit it in, he goes for me and bites me. It hurts a lot and I really don't know what to do about him or whether to correct him or not?
This article is so true. We've been gradually bonding our third (crazy) rabbit to our two (ridiculous) older bunnies and both of us have taken a few hits. It's all about patience and keeping your temper, even while being kicked in the stomach.
My daughter has a bunny who is about seven months old. For all intents and purposes, it's my bunny, since I spend the majority of time with it. The first couple of weeks that I had her, she was timid outside her cage. I thought she was going to be very docile. As time went on, and even after being spayed, she became more confident and would take off around the room upon being out of her cage. I could pet her in her cage, which she seemed to enjoy, but outside, she tended to scoot away, unless she was getting a treat. I recently moved her into the same room with three cats--all of whom seem happy to try to be friends, but she grunts at them. She doesn' t like to be picked up, so I try to relate to her on her terms. I speak quietly to her, offer her treats as she charges by me, and try to make the best of it. It's hard to find a good reason to even have this pet, but I would like to keep trying. What do you suggest--I hear two different opinions. one, don't pick her up. bunnies don't like to be picked up. and two, I should pick her up and handle her if I want her to become more docile. Help.
Hi dana, That's a good question. Your bunny might not like being picked up, alot of them don't, but they do need to at least learn to tolerate it. You may need to pick them up if they get themselves into trouble, or need grooming, or need to go to the vets. If your rabbit is happy with patting and stroking, then pick it up occasionally as well. It doesn't have to be for great lengths of time, just long enough for the bunny to settle in your arms before you put it down again. The rabbit may never be overjoyed about you picking it up, but it is a necessity for you to be able to do so.
Also dana, keep in mind that cats are predators and can easily kill a rabbit. Essentially you are tossing a prey animal in with a group of hunters and wondering why it isn't happy. Imagine being put into a cell with three burly men with guns laying about in it and you might understand why your bunny doesn't want to be "friends". Your cats may not want to kill bunny, but the bunny doesn't know that.
Hello , i love rabbits. but something tarable has happend to me. On thursday june 11 2008 i have just gotten home from a bluejays game with my school. And my parents have told me that they have some "Good news" so i ran to my bunny cage and saw 6 little cute bunnies. at that time i almost broke out crying :P but yea.. So i watched them and noticed that my 2 rabbits where STEPPING on the babies. I didnt know why, so the next day,, i found 4 DEAD!! :'( i was very upset and started to cry.. I didnt know what to do. My parents think that one of them had a desise and pased it on to the others. So i came on the computer and wonderd why blahblahblah.. it had told me to go buy some KMR kitten milk and feed them, so i did. I came home and found only 1 baby left. I fed it and took it out from its parents. i found the poor thing dead this morning. i am very heartbroken i am still upset, and tears comming down my cheek. :'( but i love all of them so very much. i think that this happend because my rabbits are very young. The mother doesnt know what to do. so i dont blame her. its not her fault. I tryed everything. So thats my story. :( goodbye. may all of the babies rest in peace, your grandmother amanda (L)<3
Mandie, get your bunny spayed. You should NOT be breeding your rabbit this way. It is NOT safe for the rabbit or for the babies. It is completely irresponsible for you to have a male and a female rabbit together in the same enclosure unfixed.
i want to know how you can get your rabbiot out of its cage
i just got a little bunny and we put it in the outdoor cage w/ our other 2 bunnies that we got about 5 years ago. they seem to be getting along well, im i doing the right thing??
If they are getting along, then yes, absolutely, no problem. Sometimes rabbits can be very terrirorial and mean, but if they are okay, then I wouldn't worry about it. I hope you have a large enough cage for three rabbits though.... that would have to be a VERY large cage indeed. It is cruel to keep rabbits in a cage that they can't run and jump in.
I wanna a bunny. My mom and dad say on new years but it is August! what do I do?
My Rabbit Mocha always run away from my hand when i feed it cause somehow He is probably scared of me. his daughter Skippy died (she had a nub for 1 of her 4 legs and his wife Strawberry bigger than him ran away) What should i do??
I got my 3 bunnies yesterday 8/16/08 and this am they let me pick them up. But I do talk to them on my way to there cage and before i pick them up I place food in cage so they know I am there mom now.
Hi my bunny is a dwarf and it is 2 months i have two and they are sisters and one of them if mean i try to hold it and it jumps away it moves alot and i love rabbits this is my 2 time having one i don't understand please help
I just took in a very very large 3 yr old Lop Eared yesterday. His name is Reidar, and hes neutered. for the first 10 months of his life he was abused then surrendered to the spca, then someone adopted him and for whatever reason gave him up, and now iv got him. Hes very shy and when i hold him he stuffs his face against my arm. Hes nice to my cat who licks him, and last night he was ok, but this morning he jumped out of my arms and ran around and then once back in his cage and settled down i gave him some veggies and he charged at me growling and scratched. I've owned 3 bunnies in my life, first one was a dwarf who nvr rlly bonded with me, then another dwarf who totally loved being picked up and carried around and even would hop up onto me while i play vidgames and would lick my face, and now its this big guy, im patient and quiet with him, picking him up and letting him play (hes nvr been allowed to run around a room before) i feed him veggies and brush him (he sheds sooooo much!) but hes still aggressive, what do you suggest i do to calm him down and show him i wont hurt him?
I have two female netherland dwarfs and I was laughing as I read this. We have had them since they were 10 weeks old. At first they loved to be held and then my daughter who is 4 got independent and "played" with her bunnies on her own. I don't let the kids have them out without me to supervise and she didn't like their nails on her so she never held them without me. She got over that one day and it was traumatic. She was practicing picking them up and when I came in to the room she smiled and said, " Look mama, I hold my bunnies on my own. But I think Smoky puked." She was picking them up too tightly around the tummy. I wanted to puke. We moved the cage and the next day I was cleaning the cage and put my hand inside to clean the bottom and smoky bit me so hard I thought she drew blood. She's got her playful moments, but she bites my daughter everytime she comes near her cage. If I take her out first and hand her to my daughter she's fine. The warning signs are a lot like a cat. Ears back flat and stiff body. And if they thump the bottom of the cage with their foot, walk away or give a treat sweetly. Their inside and are totally spoiled, but they do have quite an attitude sometimes. And then on those rare occasions they allow us to love on them-it is so cute when they stand on their back feet and sniff the kids faces! We lay on the floor on our tummy and let them hop around us. That is when they play the most. Cute little crazies.:)
I keep my bunny outside in a rather large area and it doesn't like me I think but it lets me pick him up...... and what does it mean when a rabbit lying down?
my bunny is EVIL
like you said!! only it wont eat treats off my hand it dives and bites me when i put it's food bowl in it's cage and kicks like a beast!!!
i feel sorry for it though it's sister died - she was really sweet && gentle
but Pandora's gone mad :O
The thing with my bunny is that, (she is just going on a year old this March) she is skiddish, and has an odd way of showing affection. Get too close to her when she doesn't want you, she'll go berserk and start stomping around like crazy. You touch her and your not me, she will bite. Unless your my insane friend who she gives love bites to... She just seems to be stubborn and not WANT to love me no matter how the table turns... ugh. I need help.
I just got my bunny and we are not getting along. Everytime I try to pick him up he just poops on me which just forces me to put him down and thats even if I'm lucky enough to get him in my arms. He sits in the corner of his cage all day long. I got him about 6 days ago and everyday I try to sit and spend some bonding time with him but he wants no part in it. When I try to pet him he crouches down and stares at me... it's kinda scary and I dont want to bother him.
What should I do?!
I have a bunny, Her name is Nevay..
I was actually thinking today about how much I cared about her, and if she actually had emotions for me too... I got her February first [my birthday, last year] And now its about 8,9, days from that same time.
And I was too curious to see if their was anything online to tell me how she may show her affection without me knowing.
Luckly I found this,
and other sources, and took the time to read it. I guess my baby loves me alot.
She's my beutiful young bunny.
And to everyone who is talking about the pickinging up ordeal,
Well Nevay is the nicest, sweetest, crotter to ever oam this earth,
but she grunts and scratches when people try to pick her up.
even if I try,
So don't take it too offensivley, its a matter of personal space.
I just got my little bunny 2 days ago and boy is he a handful already! but it seems like one minute he wants to be held a pet and another he runs away when i try to pet him as if i were going to hurt him...maybe hes still just trying to get used to his new enviornment
Look people, here is the answer to more than half your questions. BE PATIENT and TOLERANT. Also, these are not programmable robots, they are independent creatures. If your bunny wants to come out of the cage, it will when it's ready, if it wants to be touched, it will let you when its ready, if it wants to be picked up... well it might never want that. =)But you cannot force your will on them. They are amazingly single minded and set in their ways. The best you can do is very slowly and gradually introduce new things to them. If you wanted a lap pet or a pet you could boss around then you got the WRONG animal. If you can't accept that then find a better, more loving and accepting home than yours for your awesome bunny to go to!
In other words, you're probably the problem, not them!
I have an almost four month old male lionhead rabbit.....thought I was getting a girl....surprise surprise....we changed his name. I know rabbits are hard to sex at a young age so no big deal! The best thing you can do as a rabbit owner or potential rabbit owner is read read read. I searched and read so many websites before and after getting our rabbit. Those who think rabbits are messy are wrong....mine is litter box trained and I empty and clean it every day. He had some confusion with the whole litter box thing at first and I discovered this is because his litter box was too small! Rabbits are creatures of prey and are most comfortable on the ground where they feel safe thus the reason for not like being held. Mine hates being held...he'll tolerate it for a few minutes but that's it. Rabbits are territorial and I never never stick my hand in his cage for this reason. I put my hand at the door and let him come to me. We have an exercise pen attached to his cage and I will sit in there with him and play with him. When he is aloud to run in the family room this is run time and does not want to be bothered for the most part. When he is ready, he love love loves to have his head and cheeks rubbed. Never never never poke them in the rear....this is where they are usually attacked by preditors and thus startles them. Pet them head to back to get them use to having their rear petted. Like bunniez said they think they are biggest bad ass....I am not going to make him what I want but rather I have to do things on his terms....doing this, we get along great! I love my bunny!!!!
I lalways new bunnys were little kung fu warriors, I know one that everytime someone goes near it it goe extatic and goes into crazy rabbit mode!!!
my rabbit keeps on running away from me
ive had a few rabbits in my time... i had two girls to start with and they were adorable but they had the run of my whol garden 247 and refused to be picked up. Then they died and i got 2 guinea pigs ut then one dies and the vet said that it was to late to neuter the u=guinea pig to allow me to get another so i was reconmeneded to get a rabbit... what a mistake!!! dont get me wrong im in love with my rabbit but it ended up that he chewed this guinea pig to death!!! so then i just had my rabbit but i was looking after a friends rabbit over the holidays and my rabbit escaped while i was giving the other exercise and mated with her... so i had 5new little bunnies.... they were given away: i kept 2, the mothers owner kept one and a friend took the other two. But one of y two got myxamatosis and dies then the other baby i kept got very territorail and attacked anyone that went near him. You couldnt put your hand in the cage without two pairs of gardening gloves!!! but then he died of myxamatosis too. So now i have my original rabbit who is the sweetest one alive. but this holoday im looking after the remaining two babis from my friend but this time my rabbit is staying in another room completetly.
So anyway the moral of the story is that rabbits all have different personalities like us and you can't try and change that.
thank you if you could be bothered to read all of that!
xx
i just got 2 adorable New Zealand bunnies, I'm very curious about their age. They weigh aboout 1 1/2 lbs. They eat on their own hop and play. My guess is 2 months, but i'm no rabbit expert.
by the way I named them Hunni & Bunni, isn't that soo adorable!
So I've had my rabbit now for about two months. He's pretty decently litter trained although he normally just pees on newspaper, which is kinda where I trained him to go on. And he poops everywhere. Anyway He's been chewing and I think eating the newspaper more than he does his food sometimes. Should I be worried about this or is this just a normal thing that bunnies do? I'd like to get him a little box like thing, (but for rabbits) its just I haven't been able to get to the stores cause of my classes. Also he just pooped today and it was a pretty smelly compared to normal, clumped into one ball and pretty slimy. I suppose it may be becasue I gave him a baby carrot last night but im not quite sure. It's pretty nice though cause even though he's still a little shy alot of the time he'll come over to me and nuzzle me, sniff or just kind of play with me... Unless it doesn't mean that he wants to play when he tries to dig on me and then nibbles..
My bunny, oreo is such a dear but he always gets underfoot then gets mad at me. Why is that?
hi
i'v just gotten 2 days ago a dwarf brown and white bunny at first he was really scared but just today he started licking my hand like CRAZY!!!!!!!! his name is moka and hes the cutest bunny in the universe!!!!!! (no affence to other bunnies) and im not giving him away EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
I have 2 Rabbits one girl one boy. The boy is really friendly and loves to be piked up but the other one the girl is more bossy and when i pick her up she scratches me. sometimes when i pick her up she is fine. And then I think she has bonded well with me but the next day when I pick her up she scratches again. I love my bunnies and I want them both to love me so please tell me what i should do :(
I have a tip for bunny owners. If you have 2 or more rabbits and they have been playing in the garden OR they have escaped well all you need to do is put a carrot in the hutch and when a rabbit smells it the rabbit will omidiatly go into the hutch then when the other rabbits hear the rabbit munching away on a carrot the other rabbit will go in the hutch and enjoy the treat :P
i have a rabbit, flossy, she loves me! she comes when i call and understands no and come out, i love her! but i got a new one called nelly, they hate each other and try to kill eachother! not funny but its like rabbit fights i mean, bad ass or what!
i have a rabbit called fudge and she is quite moddy although she is really happy in the mornings and she sniffs you and licks you and she lets me tickle her under the chin which she doesnt noramlly let me do. but in the afternoon, you dont even want to know her. my dad wants her hutch to be outside but i know that wont help coz she will end up wild. i want her to be inside but im not allowed. is there a way i could get her more tame even if she is outside.???
sorry i meant MOODY lol. i av just given her some apple :) she smelt it and just turned around. (she has never seen apple before)
p.s is it possible for birds and rabbits to get along? its just a also have a pet cockatiel called Polo and i put them near each other but polo just bit her whiskers??? is that normal?? hehe
I have a rabbit named Dimey. Shes nice enough. She growls alot and she likes to pee on me when I put her on the couch next to me:P... gross I know. Shes not litter box trained. She lets me pick her up sometimes and pet her but I just dont think she likes me very much. She only bit me once but that was because I made her pretty mad...dont wanna know. BTW she is only 2 years old. Just wanted her to like me more I guess...
Hi,
MY rabbit is 8 yrs old and has her hutch outdoors.She spends about six hrs each day running in and out of the house whenever and wherever she chooses,(with supervision always) and she actually spends most of her time outside in the garden being a rabbit doing what a rabbit loves digging,playing with toys lying around and eating. She is so crazy she does binky's all the time esp when i'm laughing,licks me,positions her body up against me when petting her and comes to me when called cause she gets alot of attention.She's litter trained and is very healthy. The myth about cruelty in keeping a rabbit outdoors is over generalized and a poor excuse for keeping a rabbit indoors in such un-natural surroundings when logically any domesticated animal/pet should be given the closest thing to it's natural habitat to live in. Some how I don't quite see how telephone wires, cords(so dangerous), televisions or carpet etc benefit a rabbit.
hey,
i have a dwarf bunnie and hes goin threw his attitude stage
he's very bad when you pick him up he tries to bite and stuf :(
and i really dont know what to do
and theres nothing to do than get him neatured and
hes got to wait because i dont got the money !!!
so when i do will it help to get him neautered please right me back and have a great day and thanks for your time :)
Ashley
I got a rabbit on Easter day, I found her on my porch and my dad grabbed her. She was obviously not wild.
So we brought her in and set her in (we only had 2 cages, 2 guinea pigs, so I had to put both Gpigs together and later that day we got another smaller cage so both gpigs are now in the smaller cages while Tovah is in the biggest cage. We DO have an outdoor hutch but I prefer the rabbit inside, although it was brought up in a hutch).
The reason I know this is
we got a a letter from our neighborhood the next day saying a couple of loose dogs tore down a neighbor's hutch and killed 2 rabbits. So, Tovah is marked dead :)
After some discussion, it was decided we'd keep the rabbit.
Heh. Wish I didn't. I have 2 SCARS on my hand from this sucker. Thinks she SOOO cool... XD
I have trainer her a TINY bit. She doesn't always scratch when picked up, so you can imagine how much more scared I am when I don't know what I am getting out of the deal of picking her up.
I pick her up by the neck. For all intense puproses. My sake, her sake.
So today I put her in the hutch for a couple hours because we ran out of bedding in cage cleaning and had to run and buy more. And after that, IDK, she won't go in her little house in the cage and she kept grunting and kicking the bottom of the cage? I put her out there before for 1 hour and even let her roam the backyard, so IDK why she is doing this now.
My rabbit has NEVER bit me. Yes.. charged me... OMG my heart was pounding after that...
I put my hand in the cage, to try and feed her a carrot, and she went VROOM right to my hand! And I yanked that hand right outta there and so no harm done. But still.. What a thrill!
Anyone know someone who wants a rabbit that lives in Oklahoma? I live in Owasso. Email
RunningWolfProductions@Gmail.Com
This is a GREAT article. I have a dwarf rabbit and we get along very well, but she does let me know when she's annoyed.
My little bun is 8 weeks, got him just 4 days ago, and have loved watching him grow more and more confident with me! It's taken hours and hours of sitting outside with him everyday (his hutch opens into his run), and just getting to know him (and letting him get to know me, too). My best tip would be (in addition to patiently sitting quietly, talking to bun, and watching bun) to place some food pellets on your leg and allow him/her to take the food. At first bun will quickly take the food off, and eat it away from you. Then bun will eat near to you. Then bun will actively seek you out for food! My bun gradually got more confident, and eventually hopped up on to my lap to eat. After just 4 days he now snuggles up on my lap with no food bribes needed! :)
Rabbits are the most selfish, spoilt, horny & vicious little critters known.. I know he majority here wont like my opinion but the only reason alot of people put up with their crap is because theyre cute! Its the truth, isnt it? I will say that theyre smart, i'l give them that, but its in the manipulative way to make you give them what they want. They are too set in their ways to start caring about how you feel about the biting, the piss & poo everywhere, the damage to your house, the affection when THEY want it.. NOT WORTH THE CUTE FACTOR SORRY. By the way i am an animal lover - just thought id state some facts, burst some bubbles ya know'. Rabbits belong wild & free imo. Thanks for reading, and before any bunny lovers start attacking my opinion - please read the last 3 sentences.
stacey you clearly havnt had a lot of pet rabbits. you call your self a animal lover yet clearly you dont understand the first thing about animals. THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME. if you have had even 2 pets you should know that dear. all rabbits are differnt and they have different personalities. granted some are vicous JUST LIKE predatory cats and dogs that are so vicious they need to be put down! so dont speak about a whole species of animal and claim to know how they are. plus if you had a rabbit that damaged your house then it was YOUR FAULT. you should be the smarter animal here and BUNNY PROFF your house BEFORE you let the rabbit out. a animal will only act like a animal so you being a smarter animal (human) should know how to PREVENT such things form happening and take steps to prevent it. i hope i dont come across as overly harsh but a comments and thoughts like yours is just the sort of thing that gets poor defenceless animals put out to fend for themselves on streets...
Jen, rabbits naturally burrow underground. To keep them outside and prevent them from doing so is highly unnatural. You can argue all you want that you think it is more 'natural' to keep a rabbit outdoors rather than indoors, but it is also more 'natural' to die of polio at age 6 than it is to live in a world in which we have artificially controlled the disease.
Responsible bunny owners bunny proof their indoor rabbit's homes and indoor bunnies are well known to be happier and on average, healthier than outdoor ones. Your arrangement works for you, but that doesn't mean that it is truly what is best for a rabbit.
having a pet is like having a kid. it doesn't know what is right and what is wrong, you are there to teach it, correct it and guide it. Give them love, show forgiveness. Try to understand their needs. Even humans have different personalities. Stacy, if you are a true animal lover, you wouldnt have said that.
fyi: rabbits can be toilet trained :)
I've had my mini lop for about a month or so now, she was rescued by me and is just under a year old my vet tells me. she hops over to me happily, nudges and sniffs my hands and face, binkies and eats very well; I spend tons of time on my stomache speaking softly to her, and giving her the odd treat for coming over to me. I'm wondering why she runs when I try to pet her, I keep her cage open always and keep her in a bunny-proofed room so she can roam about as she wishes, everything I can think of I do for her. Why won't she let me touch her? I see lots of posts about rabbits loving to be petted..why not her? please help :(
well for your information bunnys are veary clean! I just got
one and her name is flora. You know what when it comes
to cleaning all bunnys poop up it's a good thing thire poop
is small and dry. AND i hate your doccument and bunny are not evil. I HATE THAT MEAN PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well for your information bunnys are veary clean! I just got
one and her name is flora. You know what when it comes
to cleaning all bunnys poop up it's a good thing thire poop
is small and dry. AND i hate your doccument and bunny are not evil. I HATE THAT MEAN PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i hate it to. it's stupid. you should never make a picture and say that bunnys are divils thay ectaly help us. WOW
GOOD LOOK FOR YOUR FUTURE DUM DUM!
hello,
I found a stray rabbit in Aug this year. She was very badly injured with what apeared burns and some parts of her ears missing.
I took her in after the animal welfare was going to put her to sleep.
OF COURSE i kept her. She has made a full recovery-which amazed the vets as they thought she would need surgery her injuries where so bad.
Anyway obviouly shes had something awful happen-the vet said she was 4years old.
She goes in her hutch/garden in the day comes into the livingroom early evening and then sleeps in our spare room at night. she cant be a house rabbit completley free unfortunatley because there is too much for her to chew and we have a large dog even though they get on fine.
the problem is shes not getting much better with me although theres no rush I just thought she would have calmed down slightly as I socialise with her every day.
When i pick her up she seems to enjoy it and chews her teeth like my old rabbit used to and then when i put her down and reapproach her shes wild again.
someone suggested I get her spade but I thought it would traumatise her more as she is 4 years old.
Also she doesnt keep herself very clean she does use her litter tray and I try not to wash her too much as I always want our interactions to be nice ones!
many thanks Carmen
This article makes me love my bunny named Benny (after Benny Benassi) even more cause I know he loves me. We love eachother....and it's so true. He's wrecked everything in my house, completely damaged a new expensive phone charger I got for xmas and isn't allowed to roam around much anymore buttt EVERYTIME I pick him up and pet him I can't help but to show my affection for him through kisses and sweet little whispers. Corny right? I know!! I always try to make him happy with yummy treats and such but I let him know whose boss. =) he's such a cutie...my baby! My BIG pain in the ass!!!! Haha love/hate relatonship.?
I have bunny that is 8 weeks old, she nips me gently every ever so often but other than that she is an angel, she luvs 2 be picked up and is very affectionate.
My rabbit coco (1 year old) hates to be picked up and to be stroked. My other rabbit scooby (4 years old) loves to be stroked and be picked up he also licks my hand i love to pick him up and have huggs and kisses, i would love to do that with coco as well but cant. What should i do
Ella, most rabbits don't like to be picked up, consider yourself lucky that 1 of yours enjoys it, is Coco altered? I know that my rabbit (Bella) hates being picked up and won't let me touch her, I'm almost certain it's because she isn't fixed yet. I have her going in to be spayed on Jan 13th. I'm hoping it will calm her down...
If Coco isn't fixed you should have him/her altered ASAP, it totally helps with their attitude. good luck
thanks Bella
coco has been altered and she still has a attitude she can be a right cow i may just have to put up with it lol
Good luck with Bella
It could just be part of her personality, try spending some quality time on your tummy with her, some bunnies take over a year to come around, i know my friend's did. good luck
It could just be part of her personality, try spending some quality time on your tummy with her, some bunnies take over a year to come around, i know my friend's did. good luck
i would just like to say that this is a load of bull there are sum good points not many but a few rabbits are out door creatures they like sun and grass and mud not to be hot and fulustered
my bunny honey is very content most of the time but can bite or scracth if i bother him to long or pick him up incorrectly so he is a great bunny and something else is he always uses the bathroom behind my bookshelf what do bunnies hate so i can put it back there and forget about?
Sofeeyah, you can try putting a litter box where your rabbit commonly uses the washroom, behind your bookshelf in this case... if that doesn't work, try using a half and half mixture of water and vinegar, just rub it over the area, rabbits hate the smell and will avoid it, i did it when my lop started peeing on the corner of my carpet...one treatment and she never did it again. hope this helps.
ya sofeeyah i had that my rabbit scooby used to do that behind the christmas tree or chair but all i did was get him a litter tray. if u get a litter tray put cat litter init and if he goes anywhere else put them in the litter trya so he will learn. he will sometimes have some accidents but he is a rabbit not a dog lol
This was very helpful! My rabbit has a really bad attitude
Hi! I just got Binky 2.5 weeks ago ... he's doing pretty well, but wow has he just become King of my apartment. He's a almost 3 month old Holland Lop, and for the most part, he's amazing... he licks me a lot, nips sometimes, but not too much. I've noticed he hates being in his cage, and he's outside of his cage most of the time... I only really put him in the cage if I'm going to be out of the house for the day or at night ... (I'm usually home with him though) I feel awful putting him in the cage when he seems so unhappy in it. I bought his cage from Petsmart, it's the "Large" 36" Rabbit Cage... I do almost feel as though it's too small. Should I get a bigger one?
Also, he doesn't seem to be getting the hang of the litter box ... he does sometimes, and other times he doesn't ... How often is "regularly" for cleaning his litter box? I clean his cage every day and the litter box usually every two days or every day - depending on how much is in it ... am I doing something wrong? Or is he just young and getting the hang of things?
my rabbit scooby hasnt been himself lately and always wonts to sleep i got up today and went out there and had to wake him up when i oped the cage coco my other rabbit came over to me but scooby satyed asleep he woke up but later on today i had to wake him up again i have kept a good eye on him but he is not him self. my mum said that it could be beacuse he is 5 1/2 but i thik it's not his age but he might be ill or something
thx E
Lauren, congratz on your new family member Binky! if you got the large cage it's probably the right size for him.. i also have a holland lop, she is her full size and she fits fine in her 36 inch cage, generally as a rule the rabbit should be able to hop 5 times before being at the end of his/her cage, this ensures that they will have enough room to use the washroom in the corner, and eat and play in the rest of the place. My rabbit also is out of the cage all the time, they give you the sad bunny look when you put them in there, but it's only because they're spoiled, haha. My Bella didn't like being cage bound for the past 5 days (she was just spayed) but you gotta do what you gotta do, make sure your Binky has a house inside of his cage, a cardboard box he can run into to have some alone time works well...I use a medium sized box that i cut to size. if you cant get your hands on one of them right away, draping a large towel over half the cage works too. hope this helps
Hello again Ella! keep an eye on how long your sleeping rabbit has been acting different for, a day or two? a week? a few weeks? I would suggest taking scooby to a vet for a physical and check over, only you know if he is acting funny.. a vet can check him over to make sure he doesnt have any physical problems, sometimes a rabbit will be in pain or distress without the owner even knowing it, they naturally hide their pain to avoid predators in the wild. Again my suggestion is to take scooby to the vet, if the vet finds nothing wrong with him physically, he might want to do a blood test or other tests. Has scooby been eating and pooping? make sure you keep a close eye on his intake and output, and that he's well hydrated, if he isn't eating try to tempt him with his favorite veggies and fruits, and if you dont think he is eating at all take him to the vet!!! good luck! let me know how it goes!
Ella, keep a close eye on scooby! only you know if he is acting different from his old self, make sure he is eating and pooping regularly, and take him to the vet, if your rabbit is in pain you might not know because they naturally hide their pain to avoid predators in the wild. the vet will check over scooby and will be able to tell you whats going on. good luck! let me know what happens!
(UGH my computer is messed up... I commented as Ella and as Bella responding to ELLA about scooby!, sorry to post so many times!)
We have had our bunny for over 6 months now, he came from cage life into a free environment indoors as the owners did not have time for him. He has been easy; litter trained ok, not eating wires or furniture. BUT, he although he would sleep on my bed and let us pet him sometimes, he always kept a big distance and scratched A LOT. Until just 2 weeks ago. One day he decided to sit with me on my chair in the office all day, which he has taken to be his daily routine now. His feet go on my shoulder and he nibbles me (v gently) if I forget to stroke him enough and tears up his cage if I forgot treats. Plus I cannot go to the bathroom any longer without being followed. He has started to play a lot, binkies and hops galore. The important thing for us was just learning to bear with him. Giving him attention when he wanted it, and going s l o w. We have a wonderful, friendly, happy bunny who has a stuborn moody side at times. Tiny little lion-head with a HUGE personality. From experience with other bunnies it is never completely straight forward but give them space to grow confidence & time.
Marie, your littl lion-head sounds like a fluffy ball of joy, I wish my Bella was that affectionate, she doesn't even let me pet her outside her cage, like your lionhead, she also came from a caged life, being kept outside in a pathetic excus for a hutch, all alone and starving in th Canadian late fall. I consider her a rescue; I can only hope that she one day will warm up to me and be as loving as your little buck. I had my doe spayed because of her moody-ness, even though i've only had her for 2-3 months I hope she loves me as much as i love her.
Hi! It's Lauren again with a question about my Binky! I'm wondering what the issue may be with his litter training. He just turned 3 months old a few days ago. Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and ALL his pee and EVERY last "cocoa puff" (as I call them) are in his litter box. I haven't had any trouble with him peeing on the floor in the cage, but then other times he will leave cocoa puffs ALL over the cage. I wonder why that is? Any ideas?
The most confusing part to me is this, he seems to be relatively trained... right? Well when I let him out of the cage to run free in the living room - he will never return to the cage/litter box to urinate/"cocoa puff"!! He never urinates in the same place when he's outside of the cage nor does he "cocoa puff" in the same place while outside of the cage... should I get him a second litter box for while he's outside of the cage and train him to use that one while outside? Cause I can't seem to get him to understand to go back INSIDE the cage to the litter box when he needs to go ... even though every time I catch him, I place him back on top of his litter box. He doesn't seem to understand... =/
Hey there Lauren, Binky is still a young buck, and i'm assuming unaltered, sometimes it takes a while to litter train bucks, from what I've heard (I have a doe). Getting him a seperate litter box for outside of the cage would be a great idea, place it where he goes most. Also..try rubbing some vinager and water where he pees, most rabbits dislike the smell and it also neutralizes their scent. I rcommend getting him fixed soon as you can, it could be that he is starting to spray, again, I don't know as much about bucks as I do about does. My Doe has always went back into her cage and used her litter box, but even now she still somtimes will leave little 'coco puff' piles around her cage. It will take time to litter train him, what kind of litter and bedding are you using? While your buck is outside of the cage it's normal for him to leave singular droppings around his area, it's a marking/territorial thing, bucks and does both do it..however I found that once i spayed my doe she tends to do it much less...again my recommendation is that you fix your buck soon as you can, it will benefit the both of you in th long run. let me know if you have more questions...apparently i've taken over Bunniez' Hub page lol
Has anyone else had a problem with excessive chewing after a spay/neuter? I had Bella spayed 2 weeks ago and it seems to have made her chewing worse...I used to have a nice carpet...I can't pick her up to put her in her cage so I have to trap her in there when I see her using her litter box, I know it may not be the right way to do it but if I don't do it then she literally keeps me up all night and destroys my house. Anyone have any tips/tricks/ideas? or will this just pass in time?
my rabbit doesn't like to be held picked up petted all it likes to do is hide under my bed .she like play and she always claws me for no reason. and i've tried everything with her to play with but i cant find any thing to do with her that she like and she need to do something anything helpp any ideas please comment
bunnieslover: how long have you had your bunny for? most rabbits don't like to be picked up because it freaks them out, and lots of bunnies dont enjoy being petted. does she growl when she claws you or does she just claw? she may feel like you are invading her personal space and she is defending it, similar to sticking your hand in a rabbit's cage, they don't generally enjoy it..As for her play time, have you bought her toys at all? rabbits love anything they can throw around and toss; as far as i know rabbits usually dont enjoy playing like cats and dogs, give her something that she can chew, toss, climb, dig, or shred. If she doesnt want to play dont try and make her...i also wouldnt keep her under the bed, or even let her under there because you cannot kep an eye on what she is doing, you might find her eating/chewing your floor under the bed, or the under side of your bed, or your bedding. I guess another important thing is that your rabbit trusts you, if she doesnt then she wont come close to you often and she definatly wont let you touch her, how old is she and is she fixed? horomones also play a HUGE part in a rabbit's personality, i found that my doe is more relaxed now that she has been spayed, she doesn't growl and lunge at me all the time... she even bit my face before hah. anyway good luck with your bunny!
im horrified by all these cruel and ignorant comments. they are not good pets for children, Easter is not a reason to acquire a rabbit, they live for 10-15 years, will you still want your rabbit in more than 10 years? they are delecate and need proper nutrition. above all they must be spayed or neutered and given a safe, large indoor area and a litterbox. adopt rather than shop!
I agree with you totally Paw! Adopt or rescue
hello
scooby is fine he was ok after about 2 days i am sitting with him and coco now coco is getting so much better now i am making sure i ma spending more time with her i have tried so many treats with her to make her come to me but she hates them and only wants to eat the plants out of the garden i am very happy with the response she is now giving me
thanks
Ex
I agree with paw and bella but i never rescued coco or scooby but my friend adopted 3 rabbits from a shelter but sum times its not a good idea because one of rabbits went mad and had to be put down because the previous owner was really mean to them but the other two were ok and she has had them for 2 years now
thanks
Ex
Glad to hear everything is going well with coco and scooby!! dont feel bad.. my rabbit doesnt like most things like yogurt drops.. try giving them a small piece of apple, pear, or pineapple :)
My rabbit tommy came over to me scratched me and then he nipped me. Is something wrong?
It depends where you were and if tommy usually likes you, you gotta give me a bit more to go on than that.
Can someone please help we hd a rabbit dumped on our garden over 4 months ago, we decided to keep him rather than him go to a bad home, took his to vets had his vacs, was such a lovery sweet thing that would let you pick him up.... but now my god.. hes had the run off the garden all summer, and slowly started to disdance hiself away and now goes mental when we go to put him away or pick him up, hes crazy, we have never hurt him, or cornered him, and never would but hes took a massive dislike to me... what can i do to get my lovery natured rabbit back
Have you spend time with him and consistantly handled him while you have had him outside all summer? He's probably adapted to being outside, do you have a hutch for him outside at all? or are you trying to bring him inside? if you are trying to bring him inside i would start by spending as much time with him as you can, he has clearly lost the trust bond between you and now looks at you as a possible threat. try and get your trust back with him, this may take some time but i'm sure you knew it wasnt going to be a quick fix. after you've got him trusting you again you can slowly try to touch him, if he isn't a fan of your affection specifically try another household member who is close with him. tou need to bring him to the point where he likes you and so you can put him into a cage and back in the house if you so wish; he might be upset for the first while but he will get used to it, make sure you're feeding him as much greens and vegetation as he would get in the garden so you dont upset his stomach too much from the location change. hope this helped
my rabbit coco is still like that a bit but i dont give her the run of the garden anymore beacuse she keeps running away i just put her i the run and go out to pick her up every now and then but she is more used to being picked up and is becoming a better rabbit
hope it helps
Ex
It's funny how I have no problem teaching about rabbit care and behaviour, though i still cannot pick up my own rabbit. I think it's because of when i first got her.. i picked her up and her nail split because they were so long; she also is not friendly dispite my best efforts, grunting and growling and lunging at me is not uncommon..even after 4 months and a spay. I am turning to my last resort and i am rescuing another rabbit, a beautiful New Zealand Black. I chose him because he has an increadable disposition, when i went to meet him he was able to be picked up without struggle, i took him and he comfortably relaxed on my lap as a stroked his ears and taught the person i am rescuing him from a few things since i am not able to get him until a couple weeks (he is being fixed tomorrow). I'm really looking forward to getting him, i hope he will help to bring my Bella out of her shell, or calm her down at least..if anyone has any advice on handling my female lop i'm all ears! thanks
Hi, I have a bunny called AShley- shes so cute!!! and my sis has one called Lu Lu. They get along great. we also have a ginea pig too. They get along fine, but the ginea pig is SOOO timid. well kind of. we got leashes for them. they love to hop around the garden and eat some veges! but me and my sis have been trying to train them to come- dispite our best efforts we cant. occasionally when i call 'STOP!' she stops on the spot and eats some grass- but besides that nothing else. how can i make them learn?
xxx- Gem :)
Bella- I have some advice-
my rabbit is a mini lop, she is great. lops (including mini and dwarf) are the most friendliest of all rabbits- (or so I have heard) they need a bit of getting used to their areas, but adapt pretty quickly! its important to make sure shelikes the other one. oh and btw the reason the other one is acting wierd may be becuase he is getting old- people can do that too you know! or he may have seen something, a fox perhaps that tried to get in. or a cat or whatever. once my rabbit got a bit scared, i made a plan of taking her inside, letting her run around the room with another rabbit who isnt scared. afterwards i sat on the couch with her and petted her for a long time and gave her lots of treats! she loved it. she wasnt scared anymore becuase she felt safe with me. but be careful, too much lettuce will cuase dioria. I hope that helped. and if that still doesnt work, take him to the vet for a check up.
xxx- GEM :D
I don't think that you can generalize a breed of bun as being 'friendly' or 'good for beginners' it really all depends on the bunny's personality, Bella is a German lop, and I know a few mini and hollands that are aggressive and similar to her; I also know a lot of mini rex's who are super snuggley (mini rex are apparently known for being rowdy) so yea again it's all depending on what the bun has been through. My new bun is a super snuggly New Zealand Black buck, he's essentially the opposite of Bella, they seem to be getting used to each other quite well. Gem I didn't understand anything about your last part of your post, sorry. I don;t have a weird acting old bunny lol.
Bella, it's not a wonder why your bunny doesn't like you. you're annoying and needy. how long have you even had you're bunny and what makes you fancy yourself such an expert?
I never said that I am an expert, nor do I consider myself one. I spend the majority of my avaliable time absorbing all the information I can find about rabbits, from as many sources as I can, which is how I came across this page. As far as I could tell this was a place to ask questions and get answers from other rabbit savvy individuals, not to put others down. I'm here to learn from others, just as I'm sure most of the others who post here are doing. I have only been answering because Bunniez doesn't seem to be around on this forum too much anymore; and since I had some experience or knowledge about the questions that were doing asked I figured I would try to help. Bella, myself, and Pirate are all getting along quite well; she has come from a petting zoo, and has the scars to prove she was in a series of horrible situations with humans and animals before she came into my care, clearly that has an affect on any animal and can cause many trust problems. Again, I never said I was an expert, just someone who wants to learn.
i have a lop eared rabbit that keeps sniffing my guineapig what shall i do
Bradly - what are the sexes of the rabbit and guineapig? and is the rabbit fixed (i dont know a heck of a lot about guineapigs). If they are both males and not fixed I've heard of some pretty unpleasant things happening. If you think your rabbit is taking a little too much interest in your guineapig, then maybe seperate them for a while until you figure out the issue. Lots of this depends on the sexes, two unaltered males can cause serious damage, I've even heard of the rabbit chewing the guineapig to death. Which is why I'm wondering about seperation..I can try and find out more information for you but I need to know more information than the rabbit being a lop.
Are they in the same cage as cage mates? or are they meeting for the first time? as much info as you could give me would be great! and I will see what I can do. Please note that in the previous post I have stated that I'm not a professional, but I'm willing to help and I know quite a bit about rabbits :)
I bought my first rabbit Rocky a long time ago - to be "friends" with my 4 guinea pigs. I had tried out a friend's rabbit with the pigs and it was a blissful day. But this new friendship lasted about 3 minutes. The guinea pigs whistled in alarm as he chased them around and around the cage. I separated them from then on.
All of my house bunnies have had very different personalities. Rocky went to school with me every day; he appeared in the morning to be picked up and taken. He would go outside the house or the school and hang around. Bob, another great bunny, would hop in and out if I left the door open. Peter is 9 months old, fixed, and very timid.
He won't go outside unless I am with him and so far has not attempted the few steps down to the garden on his own. He was great everywhere in the house using his litterboxes except for the living room where he repeatedly peed on the couch. I washed the cushion and covered the couch with a used couch cover (from a neighbor's dog) and we blocked off the room with some plastic fencing. He tries hard to get in there. Today was the first day he went in there (with permission) and did not mark the territory with poop or pee. We have a door to the outside in that room and it was wide open today. Maybe that helped a lot.
My last point: Pete's friendliness varies from week to week. He was just about perfect, then no one could get near him. Since I took him into the garden the other day and he seemed terrified, I was able to pick him up and bring him back inside. Since then I think he thinks I have rescued him and he lets me pet him.
Oh, Peter is a Holland Lop. He is good because we have so many litter boxes - I use middle size and large aluminum cake pans filled with litter from paper with some hay. One in the mudroon, one opposite his cage under a cabinet he likes, two in the forbidden living room. He doesn't go upstairs. He also has a wooden ramp into his cage - his door is always open and he uses the cage litter box too.
He does come when I call as I give him a bit of carrot or oats twice a day. He has a cardboard house near his cage and he spends a lot of time under the breakfront - his command center - in the middle of the large open floor plan.
He also sits on the window seat - he has destroyed the extra pillows but not the main cushions (yet). He has not cchewed any cords yet but loves his wood and moldings.
Here's a great site for all you bunny lovers! It's a bunny version of myspace! and it ROCKS!
www.bunspace.com
my rabbit scooby is becoming domiate over coco she isnt eating when he is around and is very timid he always seems to stand over her as if she belongs to him he isnt aggressive with anyone or coco but seems to be dominate i have tryed to move him away and put herin the hutch first to eat but he will sit out side the hutch and watch her.
can you halp me please :)
thx
Our bunny loves me. He's friendly, would sit on my lap, run around while I work on the floor and just be very sweet. He's clean and trained... but he seemed to be trying to do everything in his power to fight my husband. Like peeing on him. Oh well...
i have a female lionhead rabbit, nearly 13 months old and everytime i put my hand in the cage she runs away, i tryed to feed her dandelion and stroke her and she started to get better but i just dont want her to be frightened of me, if i do finally pick her up shes fine but she can nip. She is a lovely very tame rabbit but i just need to find a way for her not to be scared of me and others, please help
ok well my gf got a rabbit which was cool and cute so ye i wanted to pet it to as everyone else was but whenever i put my hand near it it runs off so i guessed id have to show it my hand first, still didnt work, so i decided to pick it up big mistake it kinda freaked scratched the shit out of me i nearly dropped it and proceeded to poo on me... any words of advice ?
Well, I have had my female lion head rabbit for about 12 ays and she was like that for the beginingbut if you just keep holding her through it and give her treats and treat her with TONS of respect and she'll come around :)
my rabbit hs just been afraid of alot of things lately,she will need to sniff me every time i touch her every time i pick up my shoe she will make a growling and purring noise and i love on her to death and she'll still bite me like a demon bunny she even has my dogs scared of her and they never are in the same room!i wonder what to do!
My bunny scratches me ALL THE TIME! How can I stop this?
I got a 9wk baby dwarf and he has been scared from the moment we brought him home-he hides as soon as anyone is in the same room and wont appear till we leave. We know he comes out as we can hear him from the other rooms an can see his food and water is going down, Really dont know what to do as im pretty sure he isnt happy and this isnt the ideal situation. We cant even coax him out with food or treats and laying on the floor for a few hours at a time doesnt work-he wont come near us. Starting to feel bad for the little guy as i dont think this is heathy for him :-(
hello im 13, ok i got my rabbit about a week ago. . . this is my first one. its name is boo. im new to all of this so i dont know if its normal behavior or not. first whenever i put my hand near it, he puts his head under my hand like its wanting me to pet it. when i do pet it he nibles on my finger. is this normal? hes only done it like 3 or 4 times though. he wont ever let me pick him up. when i try to he kicks and scratches. hes only about 2 months old. so im trying to let him get used to being handled and touched before he gets really big and it will hurt when he does kick. hes a standard rex rabbit. my last question is do you have to get them fixed, if so what age?
plz help, im not sure what to do with him anymore
hi chris. . . my rabbit was scared when i brought him home last week too. he still might even be scared, i did a little research on it. they said it may take time for them to get used to the new enviorment. how old is your rabbit?
Chris101 try this i use it with my nervous rabbits it works in about 4-14 days.
1.TAKE rabbit it is for his own good and put in empty room or warm shed etc. with box with bedding water and food you should be able to see him at all times.
2.Sit down and speak softly ocassionally move your arms slowly.
3. He should start (it can take a while) to come towards you reach towards him and pet his head. he may run away do not follow him.
4.Start to touch his legs and speak a little louder.
5. While sitting try to pick him up and hold to your chest do this when he comes over but not EVERY time he comes over.
He should soon become very used to you and you can move him somewhere else if needed. Hope this helps. Would love to hear how you're getting on.
My two rabbits are lion heads and they are both timid and I really want them to get along with me but they like to bite me and scratch me one of them called thumper thumps me ironicly and dougle likes to attack me they are evil please help me get them to like me !!!!
well when the rabbit is new it needs time to settle in
I LIKE RABBIT BECAUSE RABBITS ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE.
I have a many kinds of rabbit. I like rabbits,because they are Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute.
love to eat
love to eat
This is soooo true, i have two rabbits now, Wybie who is ouside in a roomy hutch lying flat out with his legs kicked out (I can see him through the window) but he hates being picked up but alwways comes to see you when you go near the hutch and liked being stroked on his head. And My little grey lionhead, Saffron (Saffy for short) who i got just yesterday she is quite timid at the moment but does occasionally come out of her little plastic house to explore and eat! I have held her a few times and she hasn't struggled, i thought it was to do with fear but she still lets me pet her and she was still moving and sniffing about when i was holding her. Also she wasn't shaking which i always think is a good sign. By the way neither are fixed (neutered or spayed) but are going to be booked in, in a few weeks when Saffy is settled in and she is a little older, so the rabbits are not living together and Saffy is inside where we can keep a close eye on her because she is only 8 weeks old.
I don't understand the comment about not letting your rabbit outside. We keep ours in when it is too hot or too cold. But she gets upset during those times and wants to be outside. We have a huge play area for her and she runs and jumps all around when we let her out. She pouts if she has to be in her cage inside due to weather. We have her cage in the living room with us. It's a big dog kennel. We try and totally spoil her, but she stills hates us. The only time she's happy is if we are taking her outside. Then she is calm in our arms. Other wise she wants nothing to do with us. She growls, scratches and bites us all the time. HELP
I've had my mini lop Georgia for about a yr now. She was 7 weeks when u got her. She used to be more friendly when she was younger even though she awlaus been kinda standoffish. Recently she had an episode with mal occlusion and had to have surgery at the vet to get it taken care of. Now she won't let me near her. Everytime I come to play with her she runs away from me and it ends up being me following her around the house till I can get ahold of her. Does anyone have any advice on how to better tame her? Today was the first time she let me sit near her for more than five minutes. You could see she was nervous and shaky wwhile I was sitting with her too. Any hel is much appriciated!!
i foung a rabbit the other day, its full grown, it hates me, i think it makes this funny noise like it wants to kill me, and i put it on the bed on a towell and i tried to take the towel and it pulls digs and scratched to keep it and it throws its food at the wall i dont know what to do??? HELPPP!!!its so cute, but evill, phsyco and crazyy
Last week my boyfriend and I went to the pet shop to buy our snake some food. (not rabbits haha) We had noticed a few weeks ago that the pet shop had a large selection of bunnies. I've always wanted one, and the last one I had was when I was about 10 years old. Day by day the bunnies got sold, and there was one left. By this time she was about 10 weeks old. We spontaneously decided to buy this bunny (and named her Cora). Got it some hay, and lacern, as well as bunny pellets. We then went to build her enclosure. It ended up being pretty big. I'd say 1.5m by 1.5m. So we decided to get another bunny, as a friend for her. We picked out an adorable little black bunny (Which we named L.G (life's good). At first they started fighting, I figured this was purely a pecking order thing, and let them sort out their stuff. They were just fine after a day. A few days later, once again we decided to go get another bunny. That way we'd have 3. We looked high and low for the right bunny, and came across this baby. She must be about 6 weeks old. She was in the pen with a friend. So my boyfriend and I decided to purchase her too. So there we were, 4 new bunnies. In the space of about a week.
We haven't really had any huge problems with the bunnies. They're all very sweet and tame. We allow them to hop freely around our rooms, sleep on our beds, etc. The first bunny we got (Cora). Has become really distant. The first 2 days we had her she was very docile, and easy to handle. But now everytime we pick her up it always seems to be a fight. She doesn't bite or anything, but scratches the hell out of us. She also hides under the bed a lot. We nearly scare her to death when trying to get her out when it's time for them to go back to their pen. I've tried luring her out with food, and snacks. It doesn't seem to work. And waiting for her to come out on her own time, when we're in a rush, isn't that convenient either. Advice?
Our most lovable bunny is LG. a.k.a Fat Kid. She is extremely sweet, lets you pick her up and cuddle her. She lets me carry her around like a baby. But she chews absolutely everything. And by everything, her favorite has to be my hair. She nips a bit as well, which isn't sore, but I'm not sure if it's something I should start to prevent now before it progesses into something more violent, or if I should just let her be and the nipping will ware off. It's not like she does it to be mean. She just likes chewing and eating. Advice?
As for the last two, there is a boy, and a girl. The boy is very sweet, but still a little skittish. I'm guessing because he is so young. The girl is probably the size of my hand, and from some research I've done, was probably taken away from her mother too soon. Which concerns me. The boy I will be getting neutered once he is old enough.
Their diet consists of pellets, hay, lacern. We give them quite a bit of fruit and vegetables everyday. Which after doing a bit of research I realized it wasn't the healthiest decision. Is it true that for the first few months of the bunnies life you should only stick to hay, and lacern etc? We took them all recently to our vet. Had them all checked out, made sure they were healthy got them weighed, etc etc.
Thanks in advance. If you follow the link you can see the pictures. :)
http://s878.photobucket.com/albums/ab341/Necarah/B
There's the link to some pictures. The url didn't work in the title.
:)
i just got a little white/gray dwarf bunny two days ago. he appears to be young and kinda gentle, but when i try to pet him he lays his ears back and cowards down and even sometimes runs away and bugs out his eyes. his name is mason. i keep him outdoors in a hutch that ive kept bunnies in before and treat him like a pet,(give good water food toys etc) and hold him gently every day. but when i pick him up he dosnt try to get away but his heart thuds so loud you think it will explode and and sometimes his eyes bug out. and also when i try to put him back in his cage, not all the time but sometimes, he goes bezerk kicking and trying to get away. he has never bit anyone and he dosnt seem like he will, but you never know. i want him to be able to cuddle up with me and get tame so i can bring him indoors. i want to tame him so badly bcuz my last bunny didnt work out. her name was dippi, and every time you opened the cage door she ran to the other side and would NOT let you have anything to do with her, she wasnt mean, but she acted like she was scared to death of EVERYTHING! i tryed and tryed with her, but the more i tryed the more scared she became and eventually i got tired of not being able to do anything with her and gave her to someone who could tame her. my point is that now im SCARED TO DEATH that mason will turn out like dippi and that it will be my second bunny that i will have gave away and my parents will never let me get another one. i think they are beautiful creatures and LOVE animals so i cant stand to think that i might have to give mason away too. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME WITH SOME MORE BUNNY RAISING TIPS!! I WANT HIM TO BE TAMED SOOOO BAD!
thanks alot, PLEASE reply, urs truly
Samantha M
I am planning on getting a lionhead rabbit but I'm not sure how big they get and how hard they are to care for. Does anyone know how big they get or if they're hard to take care of? (this will be my second rabbit i had a lopeared before this)
My rabbits are both lion heads but they hate me how can i get them to like me please
Rabbits ARE fuzzy martial artists! That is so true!
Can anyone tell me, though, what the HECK the deal is with their crazy sun-upping behavior. My two rabbits seem to be fine...relaxed....sometimes a little crazy but mostly sweet UNTIL the sun rises. And then they just become tiny psychopaths. One of them in particular just becomes totally frantic, hopping around her cage, thumping, and completely wide-eyed terrified of me. I don't know if it's because I work nights and I disturb her peaceful slumber when I come in from work or what but those are the times when she tends to get all growley when I reach into her cage and will lunge at me and deliver nerve severing bites that come out of nowhere. What is the DEAL??
Hia Guys!
I just got two new rabbits but my mother wants me to keep them outside but they hate us and we don't even see them! What's the point of me having a rabbit if I never see him. How can I convince her otherwise?!
i have a one year old netherland named sushi. he, like many of your rabbits, HATES being picked up. he will not let me. he will hop over to me and loves being pet, and kisses me, but if i show any indication im going to pick him up he will run away very fast and stomp his feet at me. he hates it. the only solution i have found for this is to take him to the vet and let him give sushi a check up, and clip his nails for me. my boyfriend often tried to pick sushi up himself, and my rabbit wants nothing to do with him ever, rabbits are very good at holding a grudge, defintley. my rabbit also likes to throw huge tantrums when i put him in his cage, he makes a LOT of noise and often dumps over all his food and water bowl (i give him both the water bottle and a bowl, sometimes he prefers to drink from a bowl). Here is my question for anyone who can answer, I would love to leave him in my room to run around, i hate keeping him in a cage, but the problem is, he will pee and poop all over my bed. he doesnt do that anywhere else, he never poops on the floor, or pees, ever. but he will jump up on my bed just to pee. this has happened four times now, and its becoming a problem because i have to keep him caged because of it, and i have to buy a new duvet, because i cannot get the pee out of it. Does anyone know why he only does this on my bed, and if there is a way of getting him to stop?
And Ellie, my mother is like yours. She thinks rabbits have no feelings or thoughts, and thinks they should stay caged. NOT TRUE! Maybe give her some articles to read on bunnies, or show her some youtube videos.
hi I have a male Dutch rabbit 'lenny'(around 5 months old) i bought him when he was 16 weeks! He's very sweet and laid back...when in his cage, But otherwise even if i put so much as my hand into the cage he lunges (oh and to add he is neutered) but really he doesnt like me at all i cant pick him up, i cant put my hand in his cage (the only time i can ever touch him is around 1 in the afternoon for like 3 minutes cause hes kinda sleepy that time...but otherwise he's just not cooperating at all which is a shame cause i try to talk to him gently and stuff but it just doesnt seam to be working :( And its sad cause when i got him i though, yeh maybe a month or two before he gets use to me but hey...ive heard loads of storys that dutch are friendly creatures ..but not my Lenny...what do you think i could do to make him start to trust me, or could this just be his personality and he'll never be a good boy :) ?
P.S one time he escaped from his 'cage' (he's in my room) it took me about 2 whole hours to get him back in cause hes so fast and jumpy..
To ALL of You Above: You Need to Know this: Female Bunny's NEED to be Spayed by the time they are 1 Year Old- or they can Get Cervical CANCER- 85% of the Female Bun's get this- and this will make them Not want to be Held !!! The Males are the SAME WAY - They need to be Neutered by 12 Months- to Avoid Prostate CANCER- or they are in TERRIBLE PAIN like the FEMALE ! Who Would want to be Picked Up- when you are Having HORRIBLE TUMMY PAINS ??? I'd BITE YOU TOO !!!! Knowledge is your BEST ANSWER. This is Why --they Recommend to spay/neuter your Pet. It is NOT always to Control unwanted pets, or about money.
Sincerely : Dr.Giggle's -Ontario Canada
ibe had a rabbit for 3 days i had it for my birthday it loves being picked up and its so used to me im scared wen spanish people come up to me and say they want to eat it its a dalmation rabbit and it is so cute
My bunny nibbles is so cute. Bt every time i go outside he runs up 2 me I will give him a carrot and then he will Scratck my leg and try 2 bite it. I am startin 2 get even a little bit scared of him because everytime he bites me it hurts !!!!!! He is now 1 year old and is a male .. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help wat shall i do ????????????
nIBBLES,
sorry to say, but your little guy is getting horny and he thinks he is flirting with you. Get him Neutered. yesterday. I promise it will get better.
Just be happy he hasn't 'sprayed' you yet, which is a way of marking your rabbit loved one's as your own.
Trust me, it's the way to go. And give him a couple of weeks after that before getting frustrated, make sure he is eating, make sure he is pooping, and if anything seems wrong, take him to a vet who know a lot about rabbits.
thank you for the info. i'm hoping this will work! i don't dout it.
it's not fare i want a bunny but i can't get one .
i have twomale rabbits who fight when i leave them together,the bite and scratch each other.i dont know how to make them friends with each other.please give an answer to my question.
We just got two bunnies earlier this week. I believe they are what you call a bonded pair. It was really funny the first day. Dusty(dwarf rabbit) was the most adventurous, and was the first one to roam around. Simba(lionhead cross) was very timid and shy, took forever to come out of the box.
But 4 days later it's switched around, and simba has gotten more comfortable and adventurous Simba is starting to let me pet him a little now, while Dusty is the startled one and shy.
I sit on the ground with them and let them come up to me, or I'll lay down on my stomach next to them. Slowly but surely they are getting tamer. They were very squirelly when we first got them, but they are at least a little better now.
my son has ( i think is a lion head rabbit ) we got him at a petstore, and he was about 6 months old and he was the only rabbit running around his cage and jumpin on and down the box that was in the cage,( his name is becker ..i thought that would be a good name since he cannot sit still and was angry ( he reminds me of ted danson on the tv show becker ) all the other rabbits were jsut laying there..he was sweet and mild tempered for about 3 months, then he started spraying my other sons bed and pooping in it as well..( my son would let him roam around his room ..of course he had a cage but my son always left it open..cuz he felt that becker needed freedom as well. well he also started to chase me and he did bite me on my foot ( and yes it did hurt ) and the pooping got worse..so we took him to be neutered..and everyone said his demeanor would be better he would be more humble....oh no... he was sweet for about 2 months and all the biting and chasing me started all over agian..he got along with every one in the house but me...( maybe becuz i talk baby talk to him and he cannot stand it...lol..lol...anyway he is a joy ..my son really takes care of him really well ..he has plenty of veggies and all the timothy hay he can eat ,and an occasional dorito if one falls to the floor...he does not like rabbit toys and if you feed him the rabbit treats ..they make him sluggish like he is really sick..so no rabbit treats for him ..he did give us a scare last year..he had head tilt..we had to do extensive antibiotics around the clock with a syring to get meds in his mouth ..he hated that medicine so much..but he was better after a week even though we had to continue meds for a whole 30 days...well becker is such a nice addition to the family .we got him in 2005 so i guess he would be about 6 years old. and i really adore him .....even though i get chased around my sons room and out the door at times ...rabbits are awesome pets
I have a rabbit that i have had since she was the size of my hand. She is about 3 years now and she still wants nothing to do with me. She would rather bite my hand that take the treat out of it. Am i doing something wrong? is there any way you could help me get along with my rabbit?
i just got 2 bunnies both 12 weeks old , they told me they were both boys , but thomas keeps trying to latch on to george , how do i tell if there boys or girls? another thing is, they come to me and i pick them up and there fine but shortly after they will spazz out . me, my mom, and my bestfriend logan have been scratched to hell from them . is it okay to have there nails cut at pet co ?
I have had my rabbit for a bout a year and when i first got her she didnt mind me picking her up but now she dont like it maybe because i dint give her much attention cause she started getting mean when iw would try to pick her up what should i do
Hi I have just got two rabbits from the shelter. They both hate me with a passion! I give them attention all the time and give them lots of cuddles and treats. I have had them for 3 months now so what can I do ?? Please help me !
With my pet rabbit, i'm not to sure if he likes me or not, he does not wnat me to touch him. He does however follow me around the house at times, if and when he feels like it. My only problem, is that his fur is coming off at the back, now I don't know what's wrong if that's supposed to happen. please assist.
hi i have a house rabbit! she is great! but keeps stomping her foot i always thought it was cause she was angry and didnt trust me, but didnt know! if it was that i wanted to know a really easy way i can make my rabbit have trust in me!
thanks xxxx
hi i have a bunny that had babies but all of them left today but i got to keep one though and it was so mean!thats why i read this and i really like it.
i agree to all of tht hunni
Hi. I'm not sure if you're going to reply to this, since it's been over two years since this was created, but I need help. I've recently gotten a rabbit from my uncle's girlfriend. I don't know what breed it is or how old it is, but I do know that it's a female. Snowflake doesn't seem to mind me stroking it's back and brushing it, but when I try to play with it using some toys, she just ignores them. When I leave the toys in the cage and I go to the other room, I could see Snowflake playing with the toy. When I try to pick her up the proper way, she jumps out of my hand and poops all over my carpet. If you can, please help me. Thank you very much.
hey J.D. some rabbits just never tolerate being held its normal. Let your rabbit get used to you more. It took my rabbit almost a month to let him trust me. He now runs up to me whenever i pass by and hops on the couch when i am on. You just need patience. Also, dont forget to spay her when shes about 6 months. You are doing great so far! ;)
oh and also you can take a visit to the vet to check its breed, age and gender. :)
I have a seal point dwarf lop. He is a doll. I've had him for about two years now and I couldn't have hoped for more. He's very well behaved and fortunately has never bit me, only licks me. In the beginning it took alot of time to get him accustomed to people but now he is very happy. Recently I built him an enclosure so he can run around outside so he's been in a good mood ;] It took alot of getting used to but now her lets me pat him and he loves attention. I sat outside with him in the enclosure watching him goof around doing binkys and running around and as soon as I left I watched him sit at the edge of the cage where I was and sit waiting unblinkingly and as soon as I came back her was back to his show off ways
I got a lop mix rabbit from the shelter roughly a week ago. She refuses to let me take her out of the cage. I talk to her every day in a super soft voice, I also give her lots of treats. What should I do..?
I got a bunny from a pet shop about 2 and a half mOnths ago and he is 5 months old. He is very friendly, loves attention and doesn't resist being held or picked up. He is very sOcial around me ( I spend the most time with him, he is my rabbit) and he let's other people pet him. The only problem is that he wakes up at 6:00-6:30 every morning and claws/ pounds very loudly on his cage, sort of demanding to be let out. It is summertime and I would like to be able to sleep in every morning but he wakes me up so I can't. My mom thinks I should move him out of my room into our guest bedroom but I don't want to unless I have no other choice. Does any body have some ideas or suggestions?
Hey, I have a problem and wondered if anyone could give me some advice. I have a really beautiful little bunny who is about 5 months old, but I've had her for around a month. I know she has been cared for very well in her last home; when she came to stay with me she was a little quiet but didn't mind being picked up that much, she would actually climb all over me and was very inquisitive. She loved being walked on her lead and raced around my room, binkying all the time. I went away for a week and had someone place food and water in her cage every morning, but not handle her. I know they wouldn't have abused her or anything - but I came back and she's changed. Whenever I go near the cage she runs away as fast as she can, stomps her feet like crazy. I have tried to take her out for a walk a couple times but she HATES being picked up, and is generally not interested in being friendly anymore. She squeaks in fear whenever I touch her, or flattens herself on the ground.
I heard something about rabbits of her age, specially females, going through puberty sometimes makes them like this for a month or two, is that true?
Thanks for any and all help :) x
First of all we got my rabbit lola and she was in with another rabbit at the store, it was a male. A month or two later she started showing sighns of being pregnate. so that night she had 4 babies. About 2 weeks later one of the babies had passed away. It was a tragic los.but anyway we kept one of the babies and named it selena. but we think that the boy rabbit that she had, got her pregnate again. Lola is giving me a hard time. so if you can give me any advice i would appreciate it
I've had my bunny for a while now, almost 5 months and I started holding him right at the beginning but then I stopped for a while and the next time I tried to pick him up he bit me. I keep trying but he starts freaking out. I feed him treats all the time and I pet him, but he is just so jittery. Do you think you can explain why???
Hi, Bunniez. I have a question - If I spend a lot of time with my bunny, will it be aggressive to me? I'm a beginner, I have read everything for bunnies, I am ready to take care for a bunny, but I can't find the answer of this question.
PS.Sorry for my bad English, I'm not American! :))
hi, I have two rabbits and they let me pet them, but when i hold them and put them on my lap and stroke them, they kick wildly and run away... what should I do??
@ Georgia Smith
Some rabbits take a lot of getting used to being picked up. For some it may take a long time before they even begin to tolerate being picked up and pet. It depends on their personality, for example one of the rabbits I have only allows me to put him on his lap and stroke him if he is relaxed and has been hanging out with me for over about an hour where as my other bun is very curious and loves to come up to people and demands attention. How long have you had your rabbits for and how often do you 'play' with them?
We have had our bunny Magic since may. Recently she has developed a strange lump/bump typed thing on her chin. I have had a feel of it and it just feels like skin, there no hard bump or really anything to feel at all. Im wondering if this may be because shes a little overweight. Shes very small, when she was born she had a prolapse and had to have an operation which has stunted her growth. Shes otherwise healthy but just a little chubby. Is this just a double chin and she needs to go on a diet or does she need to see the vet?
I know not all rabbits are friendly, but ours is. With one exception. He seems to have a complete hatered of my brother, to the point where he now actively seeks him out just to bite and scratch him. He's been nutered and my brother is always nice to him, speaking softly and giving him treats, what else can we do? The situation is becoming unbearable (espesially for my brother, as our rabbit bites pretty hard) i dont want to have to re-home him, it would break my heart, but if things dont improve it may be our only option, any advice?
Thank you soooo much for this website. Its has lots of usefull info and has finally helped me understand my bunny. She used to be very standoffish and disintrerested but after ALOT of time and patience we have bonded. Its taken alot of time but she finally trusts me and understand im not out to get her. Now she loves to play with me, cuddles and strokes and loves to groom/lick my face when im lying on the floor watching tv. its like having a whole new bunny. Thank you. :D
Hey!!!
im having big troble with the bunny its crazy!!!!
it wont let me go near the cage other wize i will get eatin by the bunny!!??? so i really need help
umm im not really sure if my bunny is sane :S well i live in Africa, which is not the Jungle btw, its a normal continent, and well my friend got me this rabbit and im not sure if its a he or a she but i named it Waffle anyways,Waffle is very mean! i mean, i feed it carrots and lettuce and stuff but if i touch its food to cut it up into smaller pieces, HE ATTACKS ME!! what do i do? + he keeps running from me! and scratching and biting me! any other help besides patience? do you think it may be wild? :S
This article is way too true. I have a 7 month old mini lop and he HATES being carried and coming to humans but will eat out of my hand and except being carried if he has no other choice!
I've had my rabbits -Miaah And Dobby for over a year i bond with them for about 5-15 minutes everyday they've been very tempermental eversince i got them but they dont seem to be getting more calm .What should i do ?
Jodiieee .x
mbkml
i've owned my netherland dwarf/mini rex mix for 2 years now. the key is to get acquainted before you take your bunny home. this is also good to help you pick out the bunny you like best.
my bunny, cashew, has always been super affectionate. he has never bitten me, or even growled at me, even when i annoy the hell out of him by grabbing his feet. all i had to do is put my hands flat in front of him and let him do as much sniffing as he pleased.
I try Stroking them after feeding them a treat and the one just groans its really Kinda annoying,also i hold them on my lap and brush them and the one diggs her naails innn..:L
MY ENGLISH LOP CHARGES ACROSS THE ROOM AT ME WITH BLOOD IN HIS EYES! HE HAS FREE RANGE OF THE HOUSE WHICH MAKES DAILY TASK SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT. HE WAITS AROUND CORNERS FOR ME SO HE CAN BITE WHEN I PASS. I DO NOTHING BUT KISS AND RUB HIM AND HE STILL TRIES TO BITE. THESE AREN'T NIPS IT'S LIKE STEPPING IN A BEAR TRAP. HE WILL EVEN BITE ME AFTER GIVING HIM TREATS. EVERY TIME HE BITES HE DRAWS BLOOD:/ SOMETIMES HE DOESN'T LET GO IMMEDIATELY. I'M THE ONLY ONE HE CHASES AND BITES ON A REGULAR BASES. IF I'M CLEANING OFF A TABLE HE WILL CREEP UP NEXT TO ME AND BITE! PEOPLE CANNOT BELIEVE ALL THE MARKINGS ON MY LEGS COME FROM A RABBIT. I LOVE EL JOBEAN AND WOULDN'T DREAM OF SENDING HIM AWAY BUT WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT HIS VICIOUS BEHAVIOR?
I just laughed at all these. People gettin bit n scratched. I jus got my rabbit a few days ago. It's about 4 weeks old and I jus left it in the cage for a few days and went to the pet store and bought it HELLA toys and some treats. Gradually I let it out and it loves running around my living room. It loves shredding the cardboard floor I made it. U just laid on the floor and it eventually started to sit next to me wherever I went. Still don't know the sex but wutever
Damn u guys have some crazy ass rabbits. My little rabbit I got a while ago has been perfect. Patience is the key tho....
If you know nothing about rabbits, you shouldn't own one. All rabbits are different. All rabbits have different personalities just like people. Some rabbits enjoy pets and love, some hate it. Just love and respect your rabbit no matter what his/her personality is. And do your damn research BEFORE you get a bunny. Rabbits are not ideal pets for all people-- especially small children. They aren't very durable pets. I had a rabbit hop and kick so hard she stretched the ligaments in her leg. I spent $200 at the vets just to tell me she had a 50/50 chance of living bc she hurt her leg. Rabbits usually give up when the damage their legs. And the next day she passed =(. So these are very fragile creatures here-- learned from a sad experience-- Cad was the best bunny I ever ever had! She was more like a dog lol.
I have 2 youth rabbits from RSPCA rescue 2011. They are brothers Nemo and Simba . Both are spayed and fully vaccinated . They have a run of there own around 8 foot by 5 foot which connects to the hutch. They are also often let out for hours at a time to mooch about and play.
Nemo is friendly , however even after much love and attention and treats and patience totaly refuses to be picked up and opens a can of whup ass back leg death kicks. I've read about it and its simply that rabbits in the wild are only ever picked up if they are about to be eaten by something.
Simba however I can scoop up and place on his back in my arms and pet him no problems.
A cat sometimes comes in the garden however Simba wields some rabbit-fu and simply cains the cat.
My only real issue with them is that rabbits are messy (even when cleaned out very often). They have also turned my once beautiful lawn into disrepair.
They are NOT suitable for young kids and do require as with ANY pet time and money; Hutch , run , straw , hay , water bottle and very frequent refills of water , pellet food (good stuff and DONT over feed), daily greens/ veg , cleaning out at least once weekly and crap tray daily.
Above and beyond all this it is cool to relax in the garden and they just hop around and come over and chill with you get pats n stuff , play and generally look real cute.
Think VERY VERY carefully before you get rabbits
.. ONE ON ITS OWN IS CRUEL ..
Wow. I had no idea. My bunny, skooter always acted the same way as my guinea pig elvis. They were never in contact with each other though. He just sat there quietly and took all of my cuddling and petting. He loved to hide behind the toilet when I took him into the bathroom with me. He'd run left and right to avoid me but that's the only time he ever showed any sign of fear or anger, and it probably wasn't even that. I remember when he stuck his little head into my grandfather's shirt pocket.
I had a super shy rabbit who didn't let me pick him up or anything, he would just stomp his foot and run away. So what i did was i got a large dog cage and put it in my room, i put stuff for him to hide in and when i was around in my room i would let him run around and soon later he would just come up to me and sit on my lap. this worked well and now i can just pick him up so easily.
My rabbit has never bitten, even though intact and had to go to vets alot etc. he doesnt mind being picked up and will let you cuddle for awhile especially if you sing or generally hum a tuneless durge. he loves petting and cuddles. he will go half to sleep even if my head is on top of him. hes quite old now though 8. i think people expect them to be like dogs and constantly want to be all over them. like my friends when they come over. how gross they like to run around and come to you for cuddles. i must say i disagree with the author about keeping them outside. its not cruel its better for them. rabbits do not cope well it heat. they are far better in cold. they prefer to be cooler than us and getting too hot hot can give them heart attacks. thats why they always flopped out in some pet shops they are boiling, their ears should not be boiling hot. obviously abandoning them outdoors is cruel too. i think a large outdoor pen that a human can stand and walk in a bit is good so you can play with your bunny outdoors. we got a buck (intact male) so though he loved attention he could be alone alot and more so in his youth liked to be the boss of his territory although he doesnt mind me or the cat being in there as long as we give him the attention and serve him. But also winters are cold, nights are scary, we have an indoor cage in the back room where its cool and another cage indoors with us incase its a very cold night or hes ill or whatever. and he comes in lounge and dinning room alot to be played with because he is toilet trained. i think a balance between outdoors and indoors is important so they are tame and loved but still retain some instincts especially if they are male because they deserve territory.
i think it will really work because above passage is showing me a trust. i am just going to the cage to apply this. i am really exited and i am sure it will work.(but still fingers crossed).
We just got a Tortoise Holland Lop. He is 2 months old. He seems to be very territorial of his cage.Is there a way to help him past that. Whats funny is that I'm scared to death but my 9 year old daughter isn't. I would just like some ideas on what to do. I want to be able to be around him and him not try to kill me. Lol!Please help! Any tips welcome. :0)
I am getting a bunny tomorrow from a local breeder:D I hope reading all of this helps. I really want her to like me :D
Very good but don't aggree that you think rabbits should not be outside, they are made to live in different climates and can live both inside and out. Where they live makes no difference. I have two bunny's and hold them outside everyday in their large run and are very close,they let me do everything that you say indoor rabbits do. hope this help's anyone that can't have rabbits indoors(:
I agree my rabbit never loves me .he kicks me all the time I come near to her
My lionhead bunny loves to be outside. When I try to take her out of her outdoor run she does this grunting thing and runs to the back of it.
I have a boy and girl(they are both fixed). I had my boy first and he loved me so much, he would lick my face(kind like grooming me in someway) and I alway see him run around and kicking up his heels like a joyful dance. Every day, he would come to me and let me to pick him up. But still, I felt he was lonely(I can't be with him 24/7) and wanted to get him a little friend. So I did, 6 month later, I got him a girl. They fall in love right away.
However, my boy doesn't like me anymore! He would not let me to pick him up and he'll only come to me when I have food... I haven't seen him do the joyful dance ever since! How can I fix this issue?
Hi.
Just wanted some advice. I got 2 rabbits the other day one boy and one girl in separate cages they both like each other and get along but are still separate until one is done. The boy rabbit is lovely and runs around and jumps and skips. But the little girl dwarf rabbit. Is what I can only persume as scared she just hides away in her cage. I try to stroke her when I can and talk to her but she still seams to be scared.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks
I just wanted to update. Tank is doing great!! He is amazing! We no longer have any issues with him. He adores my daughter. He loves to snuggle and to be walked on the leash.He doesn't try to eat me when I put my hand in his cage anymore. Thank God!He actually got 2nd place in his first show. :0)
When i got my bunny like 3 years ago, he was scared at first and didn't trust me, then a few days later he was coming to me and wanting to play. Now i can take him out in the front yard and he hops around and does the happy bunny dance. Its the cutest. He doesn't even try to run away! He eats out of my hand and loves the be tranced and held. He is my boy i love him so much !(((:
Well after reading all these posts, I feel like I got "jipped". You never see this stuff when you research. I adopted 2 English lop does from a breeder and they have now turned into Kung-fu fighting ninja bunnies that have recently started humping each other. They hate being held and fight me (running away, kicking, grunting and biting at me) when I try to transfer them from hutch to play area and vice-versa). I chose the breed specifically because I heard they were great with kids, and they were for the first 4 months. Even with treats, they remain mean. I guess I'm stuck with them for the next 5+ yrs:(
I just got my first bunny about 4 months ago and I love him. He's always been super friendly and never has tried to bite me. I even build him a bigger cage since he's an English spotted rabbit and is getting bigger. I'm in my last year of school and I work a lot so I feel bad for Thumper being alone during the day. Everytime I walk in my room he runs up to the cage door and when I'm laying down and if he's out he jumps on my bed and will lay with me. But I was thinking of getting him/her a friend! I was looking at getting a mini lop rabbit. Thumper is good with other rabbits, my friends have brought theirs over and he loves having someone to play with. Do you think the English spotted rabbit and a mini lop rabbit would get along?
hey i just got my new baby bunny we found out she is a girl yesterday her name is mazie i call her my crazie mazie she is 1 month and 9 days old she is so fun she loves to jump and play she even will come to you she is so sweet and thank you so much for this artical it really helped!
ive had my bunny for two years now, and hes getting a bit lazy .. wat should i do?
Ive got 2 mini lops, the female (5months old) is older by 3 months and she is more of the quiet one. I used to be able to carry her and pet her but now she just hops away when I try! What's wrong?!?! :(((
You think thats bad, I've got a crazy male here, so tempremental, got him a year ago and he was such a sweetheart, now he owns my house!! One minute he is chasing me trying to nip my hands then when I ignore him because he succeds he jumps on me licking me and demanding to be patted. He is so picky with food too!! Im like his personal chef, one day he likes this the next day, no siree he turns his back on it. I just roll my eyes. Having said that I wouldnt change him for the world, he provides me with endless entertainment. Mum reckons he sees me as a sibling, someone to play rough with but when its crunch time he is affectionate.
My hubby and I recently acquired a baby albino standard bunny; Creeper. Creeper was bred by my hubby's grandfather and given to us as a gift. Now, he is only a little over eight weeks old(Just old enough to leave mama). He is just the cutest thing in the whole wide world.
We don't have a lot of money, but we custom build a very nice cage for him and feed him pellets, hay, sometimes grass, and for treats veggies and fruit.
There is one problem; this cage doesn't have a door, so we have to lift Creeper out in order to let him roam about the house and I think this offends him a little bit. Plus we have to lift his food in and out in front of him to refill it. I have a slot cut in the bottom of the cage in order to slide the newspaper with his business out without disturbing him. But I am afraid this lifting/feeding and intruding on his space is really offending him. Creeper doesn't seem to mind being held by my hubby. But I am the one cleaning/lifting and he doesn't like me very much. We are working on getting a little door installed in his cage, but I am afraid by the time that happens the damage on our relationship will be irreversible. What can I do to make this more comfortable for him while the door is in process? I really don't want to offend him right after we got him.
Cathy 4 years ago
As an owner of a pair of rabbits this article rings only too true. One is indifferent to us, the other has taken a dislike to my sister. I'm really enjoying reading these articles, though it's only once you have rabbits, you find pieces like these explaining the truth about them.