Bonding with Tenzin

[Elliriyanna]

I have been working on bonding with Tenzin – He Likes to come up and sniff my face and put his front paws on my head. He is getting better about letting me touch him but any signs of picking up are a no go. He Binkies all over the place when its bonding time. 

[Megabunny]

Sounds all good to me. I wouldn’t expect too many rabbits to want to be picked up and carried around for any length of time, so don’t use that as your bar to measure progress. Everything else sounds wonderful. I have to feel that if Monty is THAT freaked out at being petted, he would take off for the hills, not stand there and tolerate it. You’re being a good bunny mom!

[Elliriyanna]

Oh no I don’t want to pick him up and carry him lol. But he needs to be at least not overly stressed by handling so I can check him over for lumps and bumps and trim his nails … Just basic care things. Especially with a neuter coming up and the risk of infection with that.

Tenzin decided yesterday that trying to grab ( wrapping my hands around him like you would to pick up ) Is a HUGE no go … But then he came right back over and laid by my side lol.

[JackRabbit]

Bonding with a bunny happensvon the bunny’s terms and at the bunny’s pace. Like Megabunny said, you’re doing fine. The more time you spend just being with them, the easier it will be — you don’t even have to try to getv their attention, in fact, just sitting on the floor ignoring the bunny while the bunny explores the room works great. He will see that you aren’t a threat and aren’t trying to reach for him or pick him up and he’ll get curious and check you out.

[JackRabbit]

With Monty, try laying on the floor and ignore him — even if he comes over to you. Don’t try to pet him and don’t make any sudden movements. Let him get comfortable coming over to you. Once he’s good with that, offer a treat. Keep taking it at his pace until you can pet him. Before long, you’ll end up being his human jungle gym!

[Elliriyanna]

I would love to do that but the pens really make it difficult. Heck if I thought I could catch them I would do nightly bondings in my hallway.

Tenzin is already using me as his human jungle gym lol. Well as much as he can with only half of my body in his cage.

These doors are SOOO uncomfortable. I end up with my rib cage arched over it. As you can imagine, its not a position I can stay in very long.

[Elliriyanna]

Well I have started getting Tenzin out and letting him play in the hallway. He jumped onto the middle of my back tonight and is getting better about letting me pet him.

Anyone have any ideas about how to get a rabbit that doesn’t want to jump the teeny “hurdle” to get out of his cage … To come out of his cage on his own?

[Lee]

Food? Will he jump out if you show him a delicious (special) treat on the other side of the hurdle? Even if you reward him for just putting his little paws up on the top of the hurdle initially….

[Elliriyanna]

Nope lol that was the very first thing I tried

[Lee]

Maybe if you build him a little ramp to walk over? So he doesn’t have to jump (if that is his issue) and then just open the door and leave him to come out on his own via the ramp…

[Bam]

I think perhaps wait until he choses to jump it? Unless he’s very disabled (and he obviously isn’t) I’m pretty sure he CAN jump it.

I remember trying to construct ramps for Bam to enable him to come up onto the couch and up onto the roof of his hidey-box. I’m laughing at this now, Bam can positively FLY if he wants to. He just didn’t want to back then, in his shy days.

[Elliriyanna]

That’s how tenzin is… He can practically walk over it but wont do it even with veggies even fruit just out of reach.

[Megabunny]

What’s on the other side of the door? Is it slippery linoleum? If so, a piece of carpet will do the trick. Otherwise I’ve got nothing 🙁

[Elliriyanna]

Nope … Its carpet. I guess i am just going to have to try being more stubborn than my bunny. He gets his veggies out of the cage during our bonding time now. But he just won’t come out on his own.

BTW … I posted some bonding pictures in his picture thread.

Btw its his pen door. He has a dog exercise pen with a door. 

[Elliriyanna]

FINALLY … I taught Tenzin how to get in and out of his cage. and it was not a matter of luring him out. that didn’t work. I got him out and put him facing his cage, so he hopped right back in. Thats when I lightbulb went on and he realized that he can hop back and forth over it So he let himself out and when he started trying to get back in his room from the hall I let him in and he put himself back. Pretty much no stress !! He is doing wonderfully. He loves the dog, he hops all over and binkies like a fool. He sniffs my face, hops on my back and now he is starting to let me pet him I think now that he can get himself out for bonding times things should be pretty smooth sailing

[Megabunny]

That’s funny!!

[Elliriyanna]

This morning when I gave him his pellets I opened his cage and let him explore the room the moment he saw me coming with pellets he hopped into his cage and waited for his breakfast lol

[Author]

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