So I'm adopting an abandoned 3 month old male rabbit on Saturday, and I know that he's really shy and scared.
I've done as much reading as I can possibly do about how to get your rabbit to warm up to you over time, but I'd really appreciate some first-hand experience from anyone on here who's owned rabbits. I just want to make sure that I can make the rabbit as happy as possible, considering his shitty start in life.
So any advice, anecdotes, opinions regarding bonding with him would be great.
(This is my first bunny, by the way, so I'm a bit nervous haha.)
Well, rabbits are hard to tame and if they had bad experiences they will hardly open up, and they will always be afraid, remember that in nature they are natural preys so they always feel treatened by other animals or humans, even if you feed them or cares them, We have had many rabbits, some as babies and some already older and we always had hard times to have them as pets, its very hard to get pass their prey insticts. try not to feed him with cabbage or parsley, parsley is like poison to them.
Try to get him a good closed box with a hole were he can get some intimacy if he needs too, rabbits likes to hide, so if you dont get them a place they will search a place on the house, sometimes on hard places to reach like behind furniture and so on.
I've been quite lucky with my friend's rabbit - she was very shy at first but now she bounds over to me and lets me pick her up (she's a giant rabbit too, so you can imagine the ordeal that is, haha). I found that just sitting on the floor with her and offering her bits of apple helped, so I'm going to give that a try with Barney the bunny over the next few weeks.
I'm definitely going to get him a little hiding place too.
Yeah, the best its to be on ground level with him and let him know that you are calm and that you are friendly and that you mean no harm for him, little by little he will get more confident with you. but like I said, its hard, it takes lots of patience, so good luck with it.
I've got 3 cats, but I'll be keeping them well away from the rabbit for a long time. He's going to be kept indoors, so there's little to no chance of him being attacked by any of my cats or any foxes or anything like that. Plus I figured that putting an already-nervous creature outside among predators would be a bit of a shitty move.
hehehe, we also have cats, but we got it easier because the rabbits raised with the kittens, so they were friends. but if they are already a bit grown up, then its different, just introduce them little by little, and make sure the rabbit and the cats get used to each other smells, you can do this by rubbing your cats with a towel and then rubbing the towel in the corners of the room, and vice versa.
first put ur rabit i a safe room then leave 4 30mins so that he may fell safe then come back in the room and open the cage now sit as far away from him as u can let him come out and get use 2 being out then get some rabit treats and vegetables and start calling him OR before u open the cage make a trail of treats and remember how many u put down those will be known as the levels of trusta do this every week and the closer the rabit comes to u the better he trust u ^.^
Aww, I have much respect for you rescuing a rabbit instead of going out and getting one at a store. Rescue animals are very special. Only problem is they're almost always skittish. Especially rabbits. What you should do is go to her cage every day and bond with her for around 15 to 30 minutes or longer. Don't pick her up or pet her if she isn't comfortable, that will not make her more comfortable, it willake her moody and most likely more skittish. Try hand feeding her fresh greens, apples, carrots, or the well loved yogurt drops. She'll warm up to you, guaranteed. If not you have the right to whack me in the head.
Just remember, they don't like loud noises and every time you hold her, hold her bottom and her feet so she doesn't feel like she's falling. Rabbits have a poor sense of balance.
I currently own a timmid netherland dwarf bun, who also lives in the house with me. The best way I found to bring her out of her shell, was to give her her own quiet corner of the house, fill it with her cage - which substitues a warren - and lots of things for her to hide in and explore. That way, not only does it keep her happy when she's got a bolt hole to feel safe in, it also keeps her from nibbling the furniture! Rabbits LOVE to gnaw, so make sure you get lots of rabbit friendly toys for him to nibble on.
As far as bonding goes, I find that if I sit on the floor by her cage, initially she's cautious, but when she works out that I'm not trying to reach out towards her, she gets naturally curious and comes over to sit on my lap. Once there, I give her a treat, and over time she has come to associate me sitting there, and generally socialising, with something positive. It will take an absolute age, but patience pays off
I just want to make sure that I can make the rabbit as happy as possible, considering his shitty start in life.
