Pets 101: Shy rabbits: how to gain their trust

                              Each one an individual

 A common misconception about rabbits is that they like to be held and cuddled; this is probably because they look like toys, and because children’s stories and the marketing machine have promoted them as timid, cuddly creatures. People tend to NOT do their research ahead of time when adopting pets, they fail to understand the nature of rabbits, and when the rabbits fail to meet their (unrealistic) expectations…they dump them.

There is a wide range of bunny personalities out there; while early handling and socialization are major factors in their tolerance of being held, each bunny arrives in this world with their own set of likes and dislikes. This is a fact not always recognized by even the most well-meaning of bunny owners.

Bunnies are everyone’s lunch in the wild. It is very fearful for most rabbits to be held – certainly to be held far above the ground – where they are not in control of their mobility nor their ability to hide. The newer your bunny is to you and your environment, the stronger her belief that after you forcibly restrain her, you will eat her later on. Further, insisting on holding the rabbit if she is struggling or kicking will result in broken rabbit legs, necks or spines. This is as good a time as any to mention that young children should NOT be holding rabbits. Get them a plush toy til they are about twenty-seven (OK OK, til they’re eight or older, depends on the child).

These suggestions may help you to gain the trust of your bunny buddy, but you are going to have to accept her for herself – whatever sort of personality she may be:

• Sit with your bunny in a private, quiet room or hallway. No other pets or people. No distractions. Have some tiny bits of treats, such as a carrot or apple with you.
• Ideally, you will want the bunny to be able to come out of his hutch and approach you when he is ready.  Obviously, lifting him in the first place will freak him out.
• Lie on the floor or sit and lean against a wall and let the bunny out of his hutch. (I took a book and read and rather ignored my rabbit, while she poked around and ignored me back.). Your bunny's natural curiosity (or the smell of the treats) will eventually get him to come over to you.
• Once the rabbit comes over to sniff you (you have treats in your pocket, remember?) do NOT try to pet him. You can talk to him, but let him sniff you, hop on you and just hang out with you. This will eventually convince him that you are not a predator. After awhile, hold out one of the treats and wait for him to come over to you and nibble on the treat while you hold it.
• Do this daily. Eventually he may allow you to gently rub his forehead. Don’t force anything and don’t chase him or you’ll undo all the work you have done to gain his trust. As he gets used to you rubbing his forehead, you can progress to rubbing him behind the ears, rubbing his shoulders, etc. Note: if your rabbit is very reluctant to let you touch him, try lying on your stomach and see if he will come over and nuzzle your nose (don’t try to touch him). This is frequently much less scary than a hand coming towards the shy rabbit.
• If your rabbit does not approach you - the smell of treats notwithstanding - try just sitting there and talking to her. Or humming, or singing softly. Try to see things from her point of view – you are a big scary stranger, she is all alone (from her point of view), and she has no idea what you might plan to do with her. It is going to take time to win her trust, maybe weeks or months or…well, hopefully you don’t have one like my Cookie.

I remember the veterinarian telling me - after 6 months with no progress - not to give up. Having nothing better to do with my life, I kept working with Cookie – after two and a half years, she will now let me scratch her head, behind her ears, and – a recent development of a few days ago – her shoulders. She will also grudgingly allow me to sit on the floor with her in my lap, though not for long. Naturally she is the softest and fluffiest of my rabbits but alas, I mostly have to admire her from afar.

Be respectful of your rabbit and her personality. Be patient. Don’t give up!

Bonding with another bunny may help - but it has its pros and cons - get more information here

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