Is my bunny annoyed with me?

[MuffinMama]

Hi all,
I adopted a bunny from a farm/breeder about 5 days ago. He is an 8 week old long haired holland lop. He is still adjusting to his new home. He has definitely gotten more comfortable with me and allows me to pick bedding out of his fur and such which is definitely an improvement. I have been lying on the ground doing homework next to his cage just to get him more comfortable with my presence. He has taken to lying on top of his hutch fully stretched out facing away from me (towards the wall) while I do this. Is he shunning me? One time I was scooping out soiled bedding and he gave me a quick nip but otherwise hasn’t shown any aggression. I always hang out with his cage door open when I’m there but he has never tried to leave his cage, and I’m trying to let him do it on his own time. Any tips on reading his body language or making him more comfortable with me would be greatly appreciated

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

I don’t think he is annoyed with you. I think bunnies get “annoyed” with humans easily and for a short period of time, but then get over it just as fast haha. You can tell they’re over what you’re doing (like if you pet them for too long) because they’ll hop away from you and keep their back to you, and at that point I would just leave him alone. Have you tried offering him some fresh greens or a treat? See if he will take it out of your hand. I built trust with my bunny this way, she started associating me with good things, and then she would let me pet her. Although admittedly she was already very trusting and affectionate, but I would imagine this would work with most buns. Good luck!

[Luna]

You’re doing great spending time with him! Don’t take the nip personally . It probably wasn’t aggression, but more like a “move” or “get out of my territory” (aka ‘get your hand out of my cage’) kind of nip.

[Aaron]

I don’t think he is annoyed. Sebastian lays not looking at me all the time. Did the nip hurt bad? He could have been a bit territorial.

[MuffinMama]

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I tried to offer him a yogurt drop and a piece of dried fruit, and both times he approached the treat, sniffed it, and then jumped back! He seems scared of treats… what’s up with that??

[Sarah]

Our Lady bunny was very much like this when we first got her. We have built her confidence by feeding nuggets/hay/tasty veggies etc out of our hands whilst trying to tempt her out but not force her. She’s slowly building confidence up and exploring more but this has taken 8 months. She was a rescue and very timid which factored in to her extremely cautious behaviour. Keep it up, you’re doing great and he’s learning your body language whilst your learning his x

[sarahthegemini]

If your hand got a little too close to his face, it may have scared him and that’s why he nipped. Bunnies cannot see straight on so if something approaches their face at that angle, it may very well trigger that sort of response. 

Also, do not feed him yoghurt drops. They are not suitable for rabbits  (despite what pet shops say)

[MuffinMama]

Thanks for letting me know. I thought it seemed strange. I myself don’t eat dairy because it seems so unnatural to consume another species milk, but the breeder i got him from really encouraged me to feed him yogurt. Glad i have you all to help me figure it all out! 

[Author]

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