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Bonding with Your Bunny
One thing is for certain: rabbits are like no other pet. As cute, cuddly & plush as they may appear, new owners are often taken aback to discover that rabbits are not nearly as docile or compliant as often assumed. Rabbits just are not the "pick up and hold" kind of pet. Some may eventually come up to you for the occasional snuggle, but it will be on their terms and their time.
Once the 48-hour period has passed, more active steps can be taken to win your bunny’s heart. Before beginning, it would be a good idea to read thoroughly about bunny body language (click button above). This will help you to interpret your bunny’s behavior and know whether what you are doing is helping or hindering the process. There are also 2 charts at the bottom of this page that provide a quick overview of bunny body language.
So, how does one get through to a rabbit and bond with him?
Once the 48-hour period has passed, more active steps can be taken to win your bunny’s heart. Before beginning, it would be a good idea to read thoroughly about bunny body language (click button above). This will help you to interpret your bunny’s behavior and know whether what you are doing is helping or hindering the process. There are also 2 charts at the bottom of this page that provide a quick overview of bunny body language.
So, how does one get through to a rabbit and bond with him?
Patience is key – and lots of it! Your bunny’s first wandering out of his cage should be in a limited area. Don’t give too much space too soon. While he’s in this limited area, it’s the perfect time to begin the bonding process. Sit on the floor in his area. Bring a book or laptop with you if you like. Then simply open his cage door. The goal here will be for him to come out when & if he feels ready, and for you to basically ignore him. Let him get enough curiosity to come to you. He may sniffle you or even put his paws on you. Simply allow him to do so, but don’t attempt to pet him. This is how he learns that you are not a threat. To see this process in action, take a peek at the following video I found by clicking HERE.
Patience is key – and lots of it! Your bunny’s first wandering out of his cage should be in a limited area. Don’t give too much space too soon. While he’s in this limited area, it’s the perfect time to begin the bonding process. Sit on the floor in his area. Bring a book or laptop with you if you like. Then simply open his cage door. The goal here will be for him to come out when & if he feels ready, and for you to basically ignore him. Let him get enough curiosity to come to you. He may sniffle you or even put his paws on you. Simply allow him to do so, but don’t attempt to pet him. This is how he learns that you are not a threat. To see this process in action, take a peek at the following video I found by clicking HERE.
During this time you can try out some of your own bunny talk. While bunny is watching you, mimic washing your face bunny-style, Use your hands (paws) to rub your cheeks in the same manner that a rabbit washes his face. Rabbits won't groom themselves unless they are in comfortable surroundings, so by 'grooming ' yourself in your rabbit's presence, you are basically saying, 'I'm fine with you and everything's cool."
As he gets braver and more comfortable with you (remember the bunny body language you studied), then you can begin interacting more. Have a twig of cilantro to feed him from your hand. If he's still too young for greens, then hand-feed his pellets. Gradually you’ll be able to move on to petting. Talk to him. Let him know your voice.
Observe him and get to know his “yes, you may pet me now” pose. Remember, there are times when your bunny simply won't be in the mood for attention. Those times may follow a consistent pattern, but may not. It depends on your bunny. That is why understanding bunny body language will come in quite handy. If bunny just doesn't want to be bothered, don't take offense. He is just being a normal bunny.
As he gets comfortable having you in his space, the area can be gradually increased. Each time you increase the size, sit on the floor again and allow him to come to you. If he doesn’t, don’t worry. Rabbits can be moody. Observe him and get to know his subtle body language, his moods.
A routine can be helpful as well. I’ve had rabbits that were quite habitual. One, at a certain time in the evening, would move out to a particular area of the family room, sit and stare at me. She, I learned, was telling me, “ok, it is time for my petting. Come do my bidding.” It was a certain stare she gave that I’ve come to recognize.
Some rabbits will be more interactive and demanding of attention than others. It is simply a matter of different personalities and not (necessarily) a reflection on your efforts. Enjoy getting to know & learn about your individual bunny. There’s nothing quite like a bunny!
As he gets braver and more comfortable with you (remember the bunny body language you studied), then you can begin interacting more. Have a twig of cilantro to feed him from your hand. If he's still too young for greens, then hand-feed his pellets. Gradually you’ll be able to move on to petting. Talk to him. Let him know your voice.
Observe him and get to know his “yes, you may pet me now” pose. Remember, there are times when your bunny simply won't be in the mood for attention. Those times may follow a consistent pattern, but may not. It depends on your bunny. That is why understanding bunny body language will come in quite handy. If bunny just doesn't want to be bothered, don't take offense. He is just being a normal bunny.
As he gets comfortable having you in his space, the area can be gradually increased. Each time you increase the size, sit on the floor again and allow him to come to you. If he doesn’t, don’t worry. Rabbits can be moody. Observe him and get to know his subtle body language, his moods.
A routine can be helpful as well. I’ve had rabbits that were quite habitual. One, at a certain time in the evening, would move out to a particular area of the family room, sit and stare at me. She, I learned, was telling me, “ok, it is time for my petting. Come do my bidding.” It was a certain stare she gave that I’ve come to recognize.
Some rabbits will be more interactive and demanding of attention than others. It is simply a matter of different personalities and not (necessarily) a reflection on your efforts. Enjoy getting to know & learn about your individual bunny. There’s nothing quite like a bunny!
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Treats are a great way to win over your bunny. This video shows even a cautious Mocha (brown) losing all his inhibitions in the presence of treats!
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GETTING A BUNNY OUT OF HIS CAGE:
I have found a common mistake made by new bunny owners regarding the handling of their new rabbit. Often this occurs when one gets a young (baby) bunny. Young rabbits are generally quite docile and compliant, so they tolerate being picked up and handled. But once they become older, this behavior is no longer tolerated. New owners can't understand why they have trouble picking up their rabbit out of its cage - especially after they seemed to have no problem doing so when bunny was younger. The reason is quite simple... A rabbit needs to have a space of his own. He needs a place that is his sanctuary, his safe zone. That area ought to be his cage. It is the one place in which he ought to know and be confident that he will never be disturbed. By reaching into a cage and pulling bunny out, that safe zone is violated. For this reason, it is highly recommended that one never reach into the cage and grab the rabbit out of its cage (except in emergency, of course). Far better it is to just open the cage door and allow bunny to hop out on his own. Handling exercise time this way is far less stressful for your bunny. It allows him to decide whether or not he feels like coming out and exploring. It also allows him to hop back into his cage at will. This is important if he needs to potty, or gets hungry/thirsty, or just feels like returning to the security of his cage for any reason. For bunny, just having the option of hopping back into the safety of his sanctuary is comforting and allows for a less stressful playtime. |
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GETTING A BUNNY BACK IN HIS CAGE:
Another common mistake with new bunny owners is picking bunny up to place him back in the cage. This may work initially, however rabbits are smart. They quickly learn to recognize when their human is coming to pick them up. Soon the owner finds himself chasing the rabbit around in frustration while bunny gets all stressed in trying to avoid capture. So, how does one go about getting bunny back in his cage? The trick is to coax bunny into thinking he is the one choosing to go in his cage. This goes back to what has already been discussed about making the cage to be bunny’s sanctuary, his safe place, where he knows he won’t be disturbed. It should also be the place he associates with food and hay. The cage should be a pleasant place in which he feels safe- a place he will choose to go with proper encouragement. There are a few ways to coax bunny back in. Early on, or until a regular routine is established, one can make use of that exercise pen. When bunny’s roaming area is limited by the x-pen, slowly shrink in the x-pen so that you are corralling bunny back toward his cage. Soon he will have nowhere to go but in his cage. In bunny’s eyes, this is different than being picked up and forced in the cage. He is actually making the choice and voluntarily hopping in the cage. When bunny is over 6 months and receiving the limited amount of pellets, those pellets can make the perfect bribe to coax bunny back in his cage. My rabbits have the cage door open all day long. Just before bed, I refill their hay (generously for the night) and then put their pellets in their cage bowl. This can easily become an established routine for any bunny and they will eagerly look forward to their nightly yummies. While still in the process of establishing such a routine, it may be helpful to have the pellet bowl set back further in the cage so that bunny must be fully in the cage in order to access the pellets. This makes closing up the cage an easier task. If you find you have to get bunny back in the cage more than once per day, then using pellets each time may not be practical (or they may get overfed). In this case, one can use greens as the bribe (provided bunny is already used to greens in their diet). Using bribes to coax bunny back in his cage is an effective method. One can even establish a phrase that bunny will associate with going back to his cage. Saying something like “time for bed” or “let’s go home” each time bunny is coaxed can serve to teach a bunny to associate that phrase with going to his cage. Some have been successful in doing this and are able to simply say the phrase and have their bunny go back in. Whatever method you choose to coax bunny back in his cage, try to be consistent. Rabbits love routine and will quickly learn what is expected. |
Allowing a bunny's cage to be his place of refuge, his safe place, provides bunny with a sense of security and comfort. For this reason, I strongly recommend against using a bunny's cage for "time out" or punishment. Doing so defeats the idea of maintaining the cage as his pleasant place. The cage should not be used as a place of punishment.
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