It’s been a few months since my boyfriend and I got a bunny, a female we spayed two weeks ago. I know bunnies don’t like to be held since they are prey animals but should I try to get her used to it ? She likes to be pet sometimes but isn’t very social with us yet. Yesterday, after I fought a bit with her, trying to maintain her still and comfortable in my arms, we got a bit cosy and i gave her treats but she still looked stressed so i left her alone. Afterwards she was mad at me and would charge me. Should i discontinue my plan, or should i keep going so she can get used to it ?
by Helianthuw
13 Comments
Did you adopt her as an adult?
Do you let her free roam and lie on the ground when you’re home?
What kind of cage do you keep her in?
They do not like being picked up and you need to respect that. Once or twice a year for vet or nail trimming but other than that it is extremely rare for them to tolerate it
Most don’t.
If you want her to be comfortable in your presence, don’t pick her up and don’t grab at her/
House Rabbit Society is a good online resource for advice and information.
My cuddliest bunny doesn’t like being picked up or held, but he does like to snuggle. I lay down and he looks cranky for a minute waiting for me to scooch him close to me. He cuddles basically in my armpit…with his chin on my shoulder, my arm on one side of him and my rib cage on the other. He will stay that way for a long time…and often snores! But do NOT try forcing this on your bunny.
You’ll likely need to spend time building trust by NOT trying to touch or pick her up all the time…or at all. Just sit quietly on the floor and if she approaches offer a treat, let her sniff you…stuff like that. Don’t even attempt to touch for a while. Hopefully, she’ll get to the point where she lays next to you and accepts pets.
Don’t continue to try to force your bunny to “get used to” being held against her will. She will simply learn to try to avoid you, and building trust with her will be impossible. She’s not a dog or cat. Love her for what she is and in a way she is comfortable.
Nope, bunnies do not like to be held. They are prey animals and being picked up reminds them of being being swooped down upon and being taken away to be eaten. Try sitting of the floor next to her and let her approach you. Speak softly and encourage her to approach you. Give small treats if she does a behavior you want to encourage like sitting next to you or letting you pet her.
3 rabbits,Alfi is a male (I’m the owner) he is ,fixed and has his vax done,he’s a moody brat and hates being picked 6 times out of 10,however he has only eyes for me and can’t sleep away from me ( he completely ignores my bf and prefers our 1 to 1 time)
Sif was the female rabbit,my bf was the owner (never sterilized no vax,nothing) ,she was scared of everything,she never allowed us to touch her until the Ecuniculi episode…she died 3 weeks ago…
Trust me I did argue a lot with my bf about doing all the necessary actions cited above, since the first day we got her…but he never listened..the first time she saw a vet was the GI stasis caused by Ecuniculi…..
Isabella is our 3rd rabbit female 2.5m old,she loves being picked,love cuddles and flops either on us or nearby us and follow us like a dog.. she’s seing the vet soon and live separately from my other rabbit.
All rabbits have their own temper🤷🏾♀️ and I’m actually surprised by the little one not really acting like a prey animal…like at all
Same here. Neither of my two buns like being held.
I have so much envy for all the bunny friends who’s buns let them hold them
Male rabbits tend to be more happy with being picked up I’ve found.
That face! 🤣
Other people have already given you so many valuable information, so I’ll just say how cute your bunny is! She’s so adorable! 💗
While you shouldn’t hold them just to cuddle and also not for long periods, I still think it is important to teach them that sometimes I will grab you and hold you. My bun was neglected by his previous owners so they did not teach him how to behave when being handled, like when cutting the claws and so now I have a really hard time to get him to sit still when I’m doing the necessary stuff. So we have been working really hard on accepting being lifted and held for short periods of time to make cutting claws easier, with a lot of treats involved. At first I had to cut one paw a day and now he can sit still for all four at once, but to get to that point we have been practicing and practising a lot.
The other one hates being caught and held and sometimes even touched but was treated well by her previous owners so she knows that when she is caught I will cut her claws and then it’s over and she is fine with that.
I have read posts in this subreddit and over at the rabbit subreddit where people are upset because they tried to cut the claws and the bun struggled so much that their arms are scratched bloody. Or people who have had to cancel vet appointments because they simply couldn’t catch their bun and it is not supposed to be that way. And to avoid that you have to gently teach your bun that sometimes you have to do things that are not to their liking, but think of the consequences of if you don’t do these things, like the claws curling back in to the paw or an illness not being treated. Sounds like you are on the right path with the spaying and deworming but maybe don’t force her to cuddle with you on the couch just because. And the most important thing is patience and time, Iv’e had mine over a year and we are still working on trust and bonding between bun and human.
Not many do! Some people have the ability to soften bunnies over time, but it’s rare. My wife tries really hard with our dwarf. Patience is key
I use their pellets as treats. I tame my rabbits by feeding them all their pellets by hand and petting their heads and ears, on the floor, where they are comfortable. After they are moree comfortable and trust me then I lure them onto my lap with the treats/pellets until they are comfortable sitting in my lap while I pet them and feed them. Getting your rabbits to do things is all a matter of treating them and repetition.
As long as she lets you hold enough to get things done (nail clipping etc) then that should be fine. No point in pushing things and stressing them out unnecessarily