Am I bonding with my bunny correctly?

[binkysmom777]

I just got  bunny 6 weeks ago. He is a gorgeous cutiepie mini rex with dalmation spots.. seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen!

I spend about six hours with him when he is out of his cage in the evening

He sleeps in his cage at night but i wheel the cage into my bedroom

I also work from home and I wheel him into my office because i dont want him to be lonely

I feed him unlimited timothy hay, 1/4 cup of pellets and fresh veggies and water daily. I hand feed him occasional treats to try to bond with him more. He is affection and follows me around and does binkies and dances around my feet… he seems happy. He also nudges me a lot… he lays down flat and usually he seems to want to petted when he does this…

I get down on the floor to play with him so I wont seem so big and scary

The vet said he is healthy and he is going to be neutered next week.

How do I know if I am doing something wrong or not doing something right? I love him sooo much, I just want him to be the happiest bunny he can be!

 Thanks so much in advance for any advise

[litheandgraphic]

Posted By binkysmom777 on 9/03/2014 8:02 PM

I just got  bunny 6 weeks ago. He is a gorgeous cutiepie mini rex with dalmation spots.. seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen!

I spend about six hours with him when he is out of his cage in the evening

He sleeps in his cage at night but i wheel the cage into my bedroom

I also work from home and I wheel him into my office because i dont want him to be lonely

I feed him unlimited timothy hay, 1/4 cup of pellets and fresh veggies and water daily. I hand feed him occasional treats to try to bond with him more. He is affection and follows me around and does binkies and dances around my feet… he seems happy. He also nudges me a lot… he lays down flat and usually he seems to want to petted when he does this…

I get down on the floor to play with him so I wont seem so big and scary

The vet said he is healthy and he is going to be neutered next week.

How do I know if I am doing something wrong or not doing something right? I love him sooo much, I just want him to be the happiest bunny he can be!

 Thanks so much in advance for any advise

 I have a feeling this is going to get moved to Q&A or Behavior or somewhere else, so don’t be surprised if that happens. c:

Your bunny sounds adorable and sooooo happy! It sounds like you’re doing everything right and that he’s enjoying being a spoiled bunny rabbit. It sounds like he’s already totally taken with you, too! 

Rabbits are quick to let us know when we’ve done something wrong. Here are the telltale signs of an unhappy / offended / discontented rabbit:

•  Body language. There are several positions a bunny will take when they’re upset. I highly recommend reading The Language of Lagomorphs website, which goes into detail about all bunny body language, but I’ll cover the most basic ones right now: foot flicking (a sign of displeasure or offended), “bunny butt” (pointedly turning his rear end to you, a sign of disinterest or mild annoyance), thumping his foot (a sign of impatience, warning, displeasure, or concern / fear), ears flat and back against the head (a sign of extreme irritation / anger — watch out!)
• Running away and hiding. This one should be obvious, but rabbits will run away and/or hide when they’re frightened. 
• Sounds. Rabbits will snort aggressively, often followed by a charge and, if that’s not heeded, a nip or bite, when they’re territorial or scared or extremely annoyed or angry. They will “scream” (horrible, awful sound) when they’re in extreme pain or mortal terror.

Don’t feel too bad if your bunny shows any of these behaviors. They happen from time to time — although, the really scared / aggressive ones shouldn’t happen too often if at all, really. Let us know if they start!

Also, be sure not too feed him too many sugary or carby treats when you’re spoiling him!!

[Flabebe]

Just like FLR said, he sounds super happy! You must be proud And, yes, occasionally there will be signs of displeasure, but there are plenty of happiness too! I bet he also likes pets? Just keep doing what your doing! Though I will say your little guy might not be as cuddling after he is fixed, but that is a part of the final surge of hormones

[Bam]

I agree with Flabebe, he seems very happy! You are doing a great job! And the non-cuddliness after a neuter is generally temporary, they get a surge of hormones that lasts 2-8 weeks, in most cases 2-4, and during that time he may be less cuddly and more territorial – but then the hormones die down and sweetness returns.

[Sarita]

Moving to behavior – this section is for bonding rabbit to rabbit.

[binkysmom777]

Sorry… this was my first question on this site and i did not know it belonged in another catagory. Thanks for all the answers!!

[Author]

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