My bun’s been with me just over a month. He was about 2 years old at the time of his adoption from a shelter. He came to the shelter with 4 of his children(!), as the previous owner had not neutered him and his female mate. He has been neutered since. He lived with his son for a while, but the son began to be quite territorial and bossed my bun around too much, so the shelter had separated them.
He is my only bun at home and my only pet at the moment. He’s settled in very well, I think, and is pretty confident around people. Doesn’t really care for petting too much–will tolerate it periodically but only actually enjoys it when he’s in the mood for it (i.e. already flopped or “loafed” somewhere for a rest, in which case he’ll stretch a bit and chatter-purr). When he’s not in the mood for it, he’ll get up and relocate a foot or two, sometimes turning away from me demonstratively (but he’s not afraid at all).
But here’s what I’m curious about. He gets a complete free-roam of our apartment at all times while we’re at home–everything’s rabbit-proofed (quite a lot of work!) He seems to be very content to be completely on his own for much of the day. Sometimes he’ll follow us around to see what we’re doing, but usually a large percent of that seems to be checking if any food will appear in front of him from us. We only feed him in his pen and rarely give him treats outside (to be keep up with his good litter training), though he does like to scavenge the floor of the apartment for food, and of course finding none as I vacuum and clean regularly. Otherwise he’s either munching on his hay or sitting somewhere on his own, “meditating” on his bunny life Or sleeping.
It can be all day with him doing his own thing, and he’ll barely come into the bedroom to my computer desk to see what I’m up to. I actually go and visit him myself regularly instead, if only just to look in and see what he’s up to, since offering to hang out doesn’t seem to produce much constructive interest with him. He seems to not be very interested in company nor needs any company. He does come to sleep by our bed in the evening, but I suspect it’s only because he likes a tunnel that the bed frame and a long loose blanket make together. And he’s off back to the living room sometime toward early morning. For the first 3 weeks I tried more diligently to hang out with him and get him to like me, but now I wonder if I just bother him.
He’s a single rabbit, and I thought we’d become his family, so to speak, in terms of bonding. But he doesn’t seem to show much affection or disposition toward that idea.
Is that completely normal with rabbits? He’s my first rabbit ever, for reference.