Does your Bunny seek attention?

[The Law Bun]

Hello all,

I just wanted to take a quick second to ask if your bunny seeks you out for attention. I realize I have only had Lilith for 2.5 weeks now, but she never comes to me to ask for pets. I can pet her in her condo all day long and she kind of just sits there. Theres no indication whether she enjoys it or not. I see many of you type that your rabbits will come up and nudge you to demand pets. Does this come with trust? She seems to be fine with petting, but its just kind of sad that she never wants to seek me out. She does come up and sniff me, explore me while I am laying down in her cage, but then she just goes about her business. Oh well.

It could also be that she is still super P.O’d with me after I had to pick her up carry her to the bathroom and restrain her while I groomed her. She really hates it, but there is so much hair that if I did not groom her she would definitely get a blockage I feel like, and it requires some physical restraint on my part. Either way, when did your bunny start seeking attention?

[Bam]

As I remember it, it took months. 2,5 weeks is imo virtually nothing when rabbits are concerned. I think it’s a trust-issue.

I do think though that even if your grooming her pisses her off now, it will eventually help make her more trusting of you.

[Paradigm]

I don’t remember when my bunny started seeking attention – I think he came for strokes on the floor long before anything else. It did take a very long time to get to where he is now.

[Little Lion Head]

Everybunny’s different. Pumpkin wants pets so bad she’s outright rude about it. It took at least a month, if not more for her to get to that point though. We’ve had Shamrock for a month, I feel like he’s quite at home, but he never seeks pets and it’s 50/50 if he’ll let us pet him when we seek him out. He really only comes to us when he knows there’s food or we’re in his zoomie path.

[Bam]

LLH, Yohio is also rude about getting pets! He comes and tries to shove his head under my foot and if I don’t comply and pet him with my foot, he boxes and scratches me. In his opinion, I can do everything I need to do standing on one leg while petting his head with the “free” foot. Why else would I have two feet??

[manic_muncher]

It took Bumpy about 6 months before he bonked me on the leg. He comes up to me sometimes and still does it, I reach down and give him a few forehead strokes and he’s on his way again. He really doesn’t want me to pet him much more and it’s probably because I too have to irritate him to try and groom him. I’m not one to be very patient myself, but I can not stress enough how much patience you need to gain their trust, especially if they are less trusting than others.

If you rabbit responds to treats, perhaps having a couple raisins handy for when the grooming session is over will help her forget how horrible you were to her for forcing her to be still and brushing her! Good luck! Don’t despair!

[Bam]

I second manic, a few yummy treats can really help with a bunny. When I pick my Bam up, I always give him a pumpkin seed or two. He loves pumpkin seeds plus it ensures me he’s alright. I mean a bunny can’t really be scared stiff and full of intense hatred and dismay while munching on goodies.

(Treats are also good for determining if your bunny is just sleepy or if he’s about to go into stasis etc. A bunny that refuses treats is not well. But that’s another topic.)

[{Alli}]

I didn’t know buns could have pumpkin seeds! Bun Bun quickly came out of his shell and now he does naughty things or nudges me to get my attention haha

[Kash]

My little boy, Pascal, was a sweetheart from the start, he did get upset a bit and not really seek me out until after he got neutered though. Now if I’m ever in the room he follows me EVERYWHERE! Makes it difficult to walk lol

What I did with Pascal was hang out and read a book or do something really quiet on the floor neXT to his cage. When he came over to me I gave him some pellets (he thinks they’re treats) and pet him a bit, if he would let me. After a few days he started nudging me and bugging me even if I didn’t give him some “treats.”

[The Law Bun]

Thanks for all of the assistance everyone! I will certainly try all of the tips mentioned!

[bestmom]

Pepper does follow me around, bumping me on the leg or standing on his hind paws and leaning against me. I think it took a good month before he started doing that though.

[JackRabbit]

Definitely depends on the bunny too. Kieko has always come to us for pets and snuggles. Once she’s finished zoomies, if I’m laying down she’ll flop up against me or curl up under my arm. If she doesn’t immediately get pets she starts nipping.

With the M&Ms, if one comes over for pets, the other one has to have pets too. If Moshi *looks like* he’s getting close enough for me to pet him, Marlee has to come over and get between him and me or will come over and periscope on my face to divert my attention to her.

[The Law Bun]

Thanks, well thats encouraging. Do you guys find that sitting down with a bunny has the same effect as laying down. To be honest, my back and only take so much laying down on the hardwood (all my apartment has). I put pillows down for me to rest on, but eventually I have to sit up straight, so hopefully sitting down is the same in terms of (getting to their level).

Secondly, she is now 4 months and 1 week old, eating one third of a crasin is fine correct? Its been a few days of one third a day, and her poos have been the same. I may even start cutting the third up even further so it seems she gets more. I just feel so bad that my treat for her is a piece of lettuce. LOL if my teachers tried lettuce as treats for me to do homework, there would be 0 work done (and of course i know bunnies love lettuce I’m merely joking).

[MeketatenBun]

I would sit on the floor with Meketaten when I first got her. Although, I had a carpeted bedroom that she stayed in so I was able to lay down, too. During the bonding time to a bunny, I personally feel like you could sit in a desk chair and ignore them and still make progress. It’s all about your bunny being used to you being around. Keep in mind, I’ve had Meki for 4 1/2 years and just last month was the first time she ever came up to me and laid down against me.

Although what I did with Meki was “train” her in a way. Whenever she was close enough (and not skittish enough to run away) I would scratch at the carpet with my fingertips, then pet her nose. Now it’s gotten to the point where she can be all mad at me for whatever her bunny reason is, and when I scratch at the floor she’ll run and nudge her face under my hand for pets.

[LBJ10]

Sitting on the floor is fine.

I don’t know, it seems like Leopold was always very forward about things. I don’t remember when he started seeking “attention”. But him seeking attention is more like that bit with Stewie where he goes “mom, mom, mom, mommy, mommy, mommy, ma, ma, ma” and then Lois is finally like “WHAT?” and Stewie says “Hi” and then runs away giggling. That is Leopold. He comes up to me, head bonking whatever is within reach. I reach down to pet him and then he binkies away with glee. *sigh*

I guess the point of my story is that not all bunnies will seek out pets. At least not in the way we all wish they would. LOL

[JackRabbit]

LBJ — the Stewie thing is my ringtone for my son! I definitely know who’s calling, and its funny until I forget to mute my phone and he calls during a meeting!

[LBJ10]

Haha JR! I can imagine.

[Sarita]

Bobby definitely does – I’ve had him for approximately 3 years now (I think but I really cannot remember). He is now free roam and has been for at least 2 years – it took him awhile and I just let him do what he does and now he comes down and sits on the “pet a stool” for pets and he jumps on the bed at night. I never encouraged this but I never encouraged it either – I think he just felt comfortable after awhile.

[manic_muncher]

LBJ, that’s Bumpy too. I rarely get on the floor with them, he was raised with me in the computer chair (aside from the first couple months when he was younger). Now he runs up and bonks me on the ankle. Bonk bonk bonk bonk -reaches down to pet on head-
“OH NO!!”-runs away- silly rabbit.

[Lulu Cuteness]

My rabbit does this too!! usually only right when he gets out because he just does not want to be pet! He really grumpy around that time but then after an hour or or two he’ll get tired and start running around me nudging my leg asking to be pet!

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