Will She EVER Let Me Pet Her?!

[Grace]

Hello everyone,

This is a slight update from my last thread. Thank you to all who have responded, I have read each of your replies. My bunny (now 9 weeks old) is doing a little better, we have successfully hand fed her pellets/oats sometimes (other times she still runs away from our hand). When I let her out into the exercise pen which is connected to her cage, she does multiple binkies and has sniffed me out when I’m quietly sitting there. But the MOMENT my hand goes ANYWHERE near her (and I try to move very slowly), she will bolt away and avoid me for the rest of the day or even the day after. I am crushed. I feel like I will never bond with my bunny. I am SO jealous of seeing pictures of other bunny owners cuddling with their bunny or petting it or even getting really close to it. My bunny treats me like I’m evil ): will she ever warm up??? How long does it take?! WHAT CAN I DO?? I am so desperate. I’m dying to touch her already. Doesn’t she feel deprived from not being touched lovingly in so long??

[vanessa]

9 weeks is young. It can take months for her to warm up to u. Go slow. Sit with her, offer her pellets, pick her ip briefly so she learns that u wont eat her, it will take some time. Dogs respond quickly – rabbits take their time, just like it takes months to bond rabbits with eachother, it can also take months to bond a rabbit with a human.

[Grace]

How long does it usually take others to bond with their bunnies on average? I just can’t help but feel discouraged. I can’t imagine my baby ever warming up to me or coming up to me for pets on her own.. and how would I even know she’s ready to be pet anyway?

[sarahthegemini]

Bunnies like attention on their terms. And at the moment she doesn’t trust you enough to let you touch her, or she just doesn’t enjoy it.

My Peanut would happily take food out of my hand, approach and sniff me, nose bop me and jump on me for treats. He’d allow petting if he was allowed to jump in the hay bag to eat lol. I actually thought he just didn’t enjoy human touch. After sitting on the floor and resisting the temptation to touch him, he learned that a) I was not a threat and b) him being near me didn’t mean I was going to touch him. I had to take it really slow. I started to pet him once or twice and I would stop before he felt the need to move away. Then I built up. Nowadays he comes up for petting, will often run up to me when I come home for attention and actually enjoys being pet. Not for too long tho, he has stuff to do lol.

I’ve had him for just over 6 months

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