Petting my Bunny

[Stefan 'Geb']

So as you can read I’ve got my bunny, Ace, from my parents 10 days ago. He is quite comfortable with me being around him and his cage and he isn’t really bothersome with me changing his food and water while he is still in his cage.

First, on of the problem I currently have is that he never EVER likes to be petted and I’ve tried so much with the treats that he doesn’t even want more. Any suggestion on how to train him to be petted?
Secondly, my parents think that any type of animals should not be roaming any room of the house freely and so they tell me to lock him up in his cage which he clearly doesn’t like. Regardless of how many times I tell them to “Bunny-proof” my room the don’t like the idea of me rearranging a room because of a little critter although he doesn’t make a big mess in my room.

And lastly, I’ve got a whole lot of cables behind my desk and no Corrugated loom will do the trick, so i’m quite out of ideas to block that section of the room off, any suggestions?

   Thank you!

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Stefan ‘Geb’ on 2/27/2017 1:14 PM

So as you can read I’ve got my bunny, Ace, from my parents 10 days ago. He is quite comfortable with me being around him and his cage and he isn’t really bothersome with me changing his food and water while he is still in his cage.

First, on of the problem I currently have is that he never EVER likes to be petted and I’ve tried so much with the treats that he doesn’t even want more. Any suggestion on how to train him to be petted?
Secondly, my parents think that any type of animals should not be roaming any room of the house freely and so they tell me to lock him up in his cage which he clearly doesn’t like. Regardless of how many times I tell them to “Bunny-proof” my room the don’t like the idea of me rearranging a room because of a little critter although he doesn’t make a big mess in my room.

And lastly, I’ve got a whole lot of cables behind my desk and no Corrugated loom will do the trick, so i’m quite out of ideas to block that section of the room off, any suggestions?

   Thank you!

You’ve only had him for ten days so it’s not that surprising that he isn’t comfortable being pet, you need to give it more time. It may turn out that he does like being pet but needs to feel more confident, or he may be a bun that doesn’t like being pet. Which you’ll have to respect. I would say just sit on the floor with him and resist the urge to reach out and touch him, allow him to investigate you and when he feels confident, you can try just giving him a pet or two whilst he eats something out of your hand. Stop the petting before he finishes eating the treat. Let him get used to that and then gradually build up.

Secondly, do your parents think cats and dogs should be locked up too? If not, ask them why a rabbit is any different. It’s easy to bunny proof a house and they’re easy to litter train so as far as I’m concerned there is no reason why a bun should be cooped up for a significant amount of time (obviously whilst travelling is an exception) Why don’t they like the idea of rearranging a room? Do they seriously not believe that changes might need to be made to accommodate a pet? (that they allowed?) 

[Wick & Fable]

Hi! In terms of petting, some rabbits don’t like to be pet. That’s something where, if your rabbit goes that route, you just need to settle that he will not be the cuddly, petting pet you imagined he would be. Other factors can be associated with rabbits not liking petting. One can be that hands coming down from above are fearful— thinking out in nature, a shadow coming in overhead and landing on their head means death-by-bird for rabbits; you want to make it clear that it’s your hand, and Ace knows it’s coming out of a place of love, not danger. Another factor is your rabbit doesn’t like your particular petting style. Some like a very light pet, starting from the nose going back and rounding at the butt. Others like a little finger dance on the forehead. Figure out what makes your rabbit’s eyes relax (semi-squint), and bam, you got his favorite petting style. Another factor is your rabbit doesn’t feel comfortable getting relaxed beside you, whether it’s because of you as a person or the environment. When a rabbit gets into a relaxed state to accept pets, whether it’s bunny loaf or a flop, it’s sacrificing milliseconds to sprint away because it would need to re-adjust itself in order to run from a “predator”. If a rabbit snuggles with you, that’s a great sign of trust because it sees the situation as being fine to relax and chill for a petting session.

Since he seems okay with you interacting with his cage, I think your rabbit may just not like to be pet; however, don’t be discouraged! I think any animal hits a point in the day or week where it just wants to unwind, so when Ace hits that time and he is as comfortable with you as it seems, he’ll accept your pets! Rabbits will come to you if they want attention.

In terms of the indoor rabbit scenario, I understand your parents point of view, but Ace needs environmental stimulation and room to wander, just like in nature. I don’t want you to lecture your parents, but to them, I’m sure the home is a place for humans, and pets are simply pets which enter the house area when is convenient for them. This is not to make your parents seem mean, because it’s a completely rational stance, saying they’ve paid for this establishment, they most likely finance and clean the entire thing, so the fact that they don’t want Ace running around is justifiable to an extent; however, they need to realize that in order for Ace to thrive and be a member of the family, he needs his time in the home. They may not be thinking of the big picture of how rabbits are supposed to be outdoor creatures, hence they need running room; they may just be seeing it as it’s a small creature, therefore it just needs a cage slightly bigger than itself. To speak metaphorically, it’s like putting a human in a studio with a bathroom and bed— survival wise, that’s fine, but it’s not something you want to do if you have other means.

I hope this helps!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Welcome Stefan!
Bunnies do take a long time to adjust to new surroundings because they’re easily scared. They need a place to stretch their legs (a cage is definitely not enough!), and a safe space where they can hide (a playhouse or a box with 2 exits). Petting Ace in his cage in this early stage may feel to him like you’re invading his safe space. Best let him out and wait on the floor until he comes to you. When he’s comfortable with you, you can pet him.

Rabbits need a surprisingly large area to run and exercise, they’re very active creatures. Many people think rabbits are like hamsters or gerbils, but they’re actually more like cats or dogs: extremely social animals who need the freedom to walk around and seek your companionship. Keeping him in his cage all day is cruel and very bad for the rabbit, sorry to say it but it’s true. It will cause boredom and loneliness, this may lead to destructive behaviour, stress and/or agression. This will not benefit you and your bunny, unhappiness and stress can even shorten his lifespan by several years. Rabbits can live up to 12 years and can become real friends with you like cats or dogs. Maybe you could read some rabbit information websites together with your parents, so you can show them what a rabbit really needs?

If they’re worried about a mess, I can tell you: rabbits are easily litter-trained. They are very cleanly and prefer to poop and pee in the same spot. The first weeks you may see some territorial poops/pee, but that will clear up quickly if you’re persistent in training. It’s vital that your rabbit is neutered, because intact rabbits will smell more and may spray urine to mark their territory. And a neutered bun is a cleaner, healthier and overall happier bun.

If they’re worried about chewing and digging: yes, rabbits do this instinctively, but it doesn’t have to end in disaster. You can provide your rabbit with chew toys and digging toys, and this will curb destructive behaviours. It’s wonderful to see them play, chew on a cardboard roll or munch on hay. It’s still best to supervise them when they’re out though, because rabbits are very inquisitive.

Bunny proofing a room doesn’t have to be difficult, and you can also work with pens to give him some space when you’re not there. Pens can be built around his cage, so he can walk around a bit when unsupervised. When you can supervise him, you could give him access to the rest of the bunny-proofed room. Ace will seek you out for company, and that will be great.

Let me give you an example of how you could have a rabbit in a small room with hardly any adaptations (read this with your parents, maybe?):

We have a dwarf rabbit Breintje, he is free-range except at night or when I’m out of the house. He lives in the living room of my small apartment. We’ve tried to bunny-proof as much of the living room as we could, but we could only make the sitting area safe enough. He has about 2,5 by 2,5 m of space, which is not large for a rabbit but should be enough. All cables have been protected or hidden under the carpet, and we have blocked off the areas underneath the couches by putting alu foil underneath it. Rabbits don’t like to walk or chew on that. Bunny proofing didn’t take us more than half an hour, and we didn’t need to move any furniture.

Breintjes cage is in a corner of the sitting area, it also contains his toilet. He has a safe space underneath the coffee table: a cardboard box with two holes in it. He has several toys on the floor which we switch regularly to keep things interesting. These are mostly chew toys, digging toys and a play tunnel. His favourite actvities include: napping in his hiding box, digging in his paper box, chewing on paper rolls and following people around to beg for food and pettings. Breintje really seeks people out, both me and my BF and even our visitors. He’ll hop up on the couch next to us and sit there contentedly for hours.

The emotional bond I’ve developed with Breintje is phenomenal. It took a while for the both of us to understand eachother, but Breintje feels very safe and relaxed around me now. He licks me like rabbits groom eachother (sign of affection, very cute), and he loves to be petted. He’s so attuned to me now that he feels it whenever I’m in pain or sad. He walks up to me, hops next to me on the couch and tries to cheer me up by nudging me with his head or licking my hands.

Rabbits are such wonderfully emotional and social creatures. Keeping them locked up in a cage is denying them to be themselves. A caged rabbit never gets the chance to truly shine, and you’ll never get to see what bond you could develop. Please let your parents read this and I hope they’ll reconsider.

[Luna's Mom]

Hi Stefan, the best time for petting Luna is when she has her belly full. Like at night time after she eats her salad she will sit next to you in a little bun loaf for as long as you will pet her. Forget trying to pet her in the morning when she first gets up because she’s on the run!!

[Stefan 'Geb']

Thank you all for your answers, I really appreciate each one of them.

At first my parents agreed to let Ace roaming in my room the whole time but after he chewed 3 cables from behind my desk they told me that he isn’t allowed to go freely all day so I had to lock him up and now when I confront them about letting Ace in my room they say that “He has to get used to it because rabbits are ‘normally’ kept in cages”. They got this misconception from our family members like my uncle, which lives in the countryside and grows rabbits for meat. I’ve got no idea to get this way of thinking out of their head since they also keep our dog in a cage, although relatively bigger than Aces cage. Oh, and my dad is also a hunter and brings sometimes wild rabbits for us to eat, so I think that that makes him a little more merciless in the case of Ace.
And I’ve got another question, should I leave the territorial poops in their place or should I pick them up and throw away?
Thanks once again!

[vanessa]

Yeesh! Rabbits shouldn’t “normally” be kept in cages. Just because it happens, doesn’t mean it is right. I also used to think that. Then I started reading some British articles stating that the minimum size space for 1 rabbit is 4ftx8ft. I was surprised. Now I see that they need just as much space as my dogs! There is a lot of misconception about rabbits, leading them to be so high on the surrendered/abandoned list.

I don’t let my bunnies loose in my room unless I’m happy that it is well bunny-proofed. They WILL chew cables. I use NIC panels to form a barrier. For all the cables behind your desk, I would try to find a way to fence it off. Once they have discovered the yummy texture of cable – forget teaching them to leave it alone.
If the various types of cable protectors get eaten, you’ll have to come up with a physical barrier like a fence/gate. A piece of plywood?
A puppy play pen?

Their argument about not bunny proofing is irrational. We baby proof our houses, we pick up our shoes so the dogs don’t chew them, we don’t leave food on the counter for our dogs/cats to steal etc? It sounds like your parents need some education on what rabbits are really about. The house rabbit society has a number of good articles on rabbit behavior and care. I would print/sace some of these articles to show your parents, so they can learn more about rabbits care.

It can take months to years for a rabbit to feel comfortable with you. Try supervised play time in your room, instead of unsupervised free time – as a way to start showing your parents that it is best to give rabbits more space than just a cage. Definitely pick up the territorial poops and put them in the litter box. How old is your bunny? Is he neutered?

[Stefan 'Geb']

He is 4 months old and unneutered yet

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

It’s logical that a rabbit chews cables, nearly every rabbit does it. One of the theories is that it’s something instinctual: in the wild rabbits live in underground burrows, and they chew roots to clear space. Cables are easily protected so that shouldn’t be a problem anymore.

I’m sorry to hear that your parents treat animals so badly. Neither a dog nor a rabbit should be kept caged, it’s very cruel to deny social animals contact like that. Ace won’t “get used to it”, I can guarantee you that a rabbit will get depressed or agressive when kept in these conditions.
If you keep Ace in your room, and let him out when you’re there to supervise him, would that be a solution? Rabbits need at least 3-4 hours a day to walk and exercise their muscles.

Is there a chance that you’ll be moving out some time in the future? That will also give you opportunities to give him a better life.

[Stefan 'Geb']

I try to keep him out for about 4 and a half hours each day.
While im doing my homeworks or if im on my phone, I lay down on the floor so I can stay besides Ace and play with him every 2 mins. I think he is already showing sign of depression since he doesnt get too far away from his cage and is a lot more seemingly sad. Even though I left the cage open, he seemingly doesnt care to get out and play, altough he gets out and stretches, he then lays down and looks at me while I write my homework.
And about moving out, it’s not going to happen any time soon, since im only 14. Another alternative may be that im going to move to my grandparents in the city, but I doubt they’ll welcome and acomodate with him being around.
Thanks for your suggestions so far, I really appreciate all the effort you put in your replies.

[Wick & Fable]

Try to tuck away cables or bar access to them. If there are some you can’t, you need to move your bun away when they seem like they’re going to chew. Linking a sound to the action helps; Wick hates “tsssk”, which is like a snake hiss which starts with a Tuh and ends with a kuh. It’s hard and distinct, so he catches the noise easily.

Wick doesn’t really like to play; he’s just very food oriented. The only thing he likes to do is chase (me), so in my small living room, I’ll go to one side, snap twice and say his name, and he’ll come. When he does, I pet him pretty ferociously. He learned the association because I taught him that command as “come” using treats at first. Now we just do it for fun without treats. It gets him running around and he’s more comfortable with the area because of it. If you can find a small path in your room to get some running and your bun seems to like it, you can play with him that way!

To keep your rabbit feeling stimulated, I suggest talking to him. You don’t need to commit a full-blown, one-sided conversation, but if you just out loud say any frustrations you have (not aggressively though; tone of voice can make you seem like a scary giant), or work through a homework problem out loud while looking at him, it could make him feel a bit more included. I consistently say “Bless you” to Wick because he sneezes so much, haha.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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