What can i do to make my baby rabbit like me!?

Question

i have had my bunny for about three weeks now and he's a wild rabbit. He never looks at me and he never come out of his tent.i ty to pick him up but he keeps clawing at me. what should i do?

Answer 1

If he is actually a wild rabbit, you need to let him go in the wild.  He will NEVER like you or allow you to handle him, even if bottle raised from birth.  They have an instinctual, deep fear of humans.  Most wild rabbits, when confined, will waste away and die in a matter of weeks or months, they are extremely stressed by being captive and by the presence of humans.  Please free him and get a domestic rabbit instead.  It is really incredibly cruel to keep a wild animal captive.  

If by 'wild' you mean he's wary of you and standoffish but is a domestic breed, then my advice is this.  Do not ever pick up your rabbit unless it's absolutely necessary.  Most hate it and will (as you are experiencing) kick and struggle to get away.  If they struggle hard enough they can and will break their spines or another part of their skeletal structure.  They are extremely delicate animals.  It's a very frightening experience and like being grabbed by a huge predator for them.  How would you feel if some creature 20 times your size grabbed you off the ground and restrained you?  Probably pretty scared and upset, huh?  They are prey animals and you need to remember that when handling them.  They are not like cats and dogs and should not be treated the same way.  Sit or lie down on the floor at his level and let your rabbit come to you.  They are curious and will eventually if you do not frighten them.  If he doesn't investigate you today, leave him alone and try again tomorrow.  If you are patient, curiosity will eventually get the better of him.  Give him treats and do not restrain him.  When he figures out that you are not going to grab him and scare him, he will slowly allow you to pet him.  If you are patient and let the rabbit choose to interact with you rather than forcing it to, he will come around and be friendly with you, but if you grab at him and pick him up, all you are teaching him is that you can not be trusted and you will scare him.  Rabbits are usually NOT what most people expect in a pet, they tend to be aloof and can even be incredibly aggressive.  They are not the right pet choice for most people, it takes a patient, understanding, and non-demanding person to have a good relationship with their pet rabbit.  

Answer 2

He isn't used to you yet. You have to gain his trust. First off open his cage in a room he can't get into trouble in/escape; somewhere bunnyproofed. Then lay down a few feet outside his cage and read a book/do your homework/play a hand held video game with the sound off, etc. Just lay there and be quiet. The idea is to let him come out by himself and investigate you. He will be curious about what you are doing and visit you. This may take time, maybe even a few weeks of sitting there (sit for a few hours or so every day if you can).

Once he comes up to you don't make any sudden moves or try and grab him. Let him just sniff around you and get used to your presence. Try holding a piece of romaine lettuce or some other yummy veggie treat in your hand and just sitting still and letting him take it from you. That will help him associate you with good things. After a few days or so, once he is confident about coming out and visiting you you can try and pet him gently. Don't grab at him or try and pick him up or force him to be pet, just slowly reach out to pet him and do so if he allows it. If not, then wait until he comes back around to you.

An important thing to remember is to try and never force him in or out of his house. His cage should be his personal refuge, not a prison. Try not to invade his personal space by dragging him out of his cage, he will only fight you. Let him come out on his own.

He may never like being picked up, even if you become best friends. Rabbits don't like leaving the ground, think how high off the ground you pick him up, that's like being picked up and stuck in a tall tree for you. You should try and scoop him up quickly supporting his back legs, and placing him against your chest, with his head up towards your chin, his belly on your chest, your arm under his bum and your other one across his back or petting his head to reassure him.

Once he reaches maturity at 4-6 months, if he hasn't already, you should look into getting him neutered, as that will calm him, prevent him from spraying urine to mark territory, and make him happier and easier totrain overall,  http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-...

This may be a long process, but in the end it is the best way to get him to trust you and build a good relationship with him.

Answer 3

you should proubly try bonding with him let him no its okay maybe lay next to his tent or try brushing him to get him used to you and put one of your shirts or items of your sent in his cage at night and try hand feeding him hay!!!!!

Answer 4

I just got a rabbit about 2 months ago. She needs to get used to you for a while. My bunny just started getting to know me better. So just TRY to cuddle with him.