Behavior as they age?

[Philomena]

Philomena is a spayed 8 month old rabbit and I was wondering how her behavior might change as she gets older. I’m also wondering at what age they tend to stop growing. 

Philomena doesn’t like pets even though she nudges my hands and feet. She will let me pet her every once in a while but I can’t help but to think that she is just tolerating it. I’m wondering if this “please don’t touch me” thing goes away with age or if I’m doing something wrong. She will also climb all over me and nudge my hands but when I go to pet her I get the bunny butt. 

And cuddles are out of the question. She will climb on me, she will groom herself on me, she will even use my body as a wall to tunnel behind, but she will not cuddle or lay down next to me. Which makes me sad because I want to one day be able to relax with her close by because she makes me so happy, so I hope to nurture a relationship that will allow this but I can’t figure out the best way to do it or this will come in time.  

[Sarita]

I’ve never had a “cuddly” rabbit but I’ve had some rabbits that were very affectionate in their own way.

Rabbits do tend to be more independent in my opinion….they like pets but on their terms. I have a 5 year old Netherland Dwarf who is affectionate but not cuddly – I’m not sure about cuddling a 1.5 pound rabbit anyway but most days he come downstairs and sit on his ottoman for pets – that is the only place downstairs though that he allows us to pet him – which means I have to sit on the floor – not terribly comfortable and sometimes it’s up and down for pets for him. I do enjoy watching him romp around and run around though because I know it makes him happy.

I cannot be certain at all what he was like as a baby though – I got him when he was an adult – a young adult but an adult and he was dropped off at a guinea pig rescue terribly underweight and with a dental abscess so I know he wasn’t treated well at his prior home…I don’t think he was mistreated but obviously they dropped him off in his cage at their front door and left so I know they didn’t want to pay for any vet bills for him.

Most mornings when I give him his greens though he will come up to me and sometimes allow me to pet him but he’s a bit of a grump in the morning…I think his grumpiness is pretty cute though and it shows some personality.

Your rabbit sounds like she’s very happy and content to me. Give her more time though to get more comfortable. Some of he evenings Bobby joins us downstairs he’ll lay under the side table and relax. He won’t get up on the couch for pets though – some times when it’s just me and not my husband he will jump up on the couch for a short time to explore but that is about it. He will also at times jump up on the bed but he doesn’t understand that I cannot pet him when he is at my feet…

[Philomena]

Thank you for the reassurance. It’s hard sometimes to read all these stories about how buns will cuddle up to their owners and will just love attention and my little girl is so different than that. It’s nice knowing that I’m not doing anything wrong.

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