Becoming Your Bunnies Best Friend
In order to be a successful pet owner, which ever animal(s) we take on, we have to understand certain characteristics of that animal.
1. We must have acceptance and respect for the animal.
2. We must be patient and understanding of the animal's basic needs and instincts.
3. We must take the time to research and learn about the animal in depth as a wild animal in its natural environment. It is important to understand the reasons behind its behaviours, diet and relationship with others of its own species and other species.
4. Understand how and why it has become domesticated and kept as a pet.
5. We must learn to speak its language, however silent, and adapt to it not the other way round.
6. We must learn about positive and reward training.
If we can do this we will develop a far deeper bond with our pets that will be immensely rewarding and satisfying for us. Our pets will benefit too, as they will be confident, relaxed and it will really help them live a long healthy life and help prevent stress-related illnesses. All animals have natural instincts within them developed through evolution.
Three basic areas we need to comprehend about our pet are:
1. Is it a prey animal or predator?
2. Do its wild relatives live alone or in groups (if in groups, what type of hierarchy)?
3. Is it a “fight” or “flight” animal? Examples of flight animals are horses, rabbits, zebras and antelopes. These will run away if threatened by a predator. Examples of fight animals are dogs, lions and other cats. These will attack anything that approaches them that they feel is a threat. Sadly we do see exceptions e.g. where rabbits are so scared they will bite their owner to protect themselves, or dogs that have been so abused that they are depressed and timid.
Once we understand these things about the animal, we will start to communicate with it, and in turn see positive responses and reactions (what we see as the pet being sweet and friendly). They will be accepting of us understanding that we are a friend (rather than seeing us as an outsider of its own species or as a predator) and will interact with us. Learning to talk the animal’s language and understanding why the animal is reacting to us, whether positive or negative is far more satisfying than just having the animal and not knowing why it loves us or is scared of us. It is also a much kinder way for it to live than forcing the animal to respond out of fear.
Whether your rabbit is from a pet shop, rescue or neighbour, it will be at a certain level of “tameness” - this should be described as trust. To earn our rabbits trust we have to start at stage one. Some rabbits will learn quickly and not need much interaction while others will need lots of time every day and need lots of reassurance and love to enable them to trust us.
It is kinder if rabbits live in pairs as rabbits are not solitary animals in the wild. A neutered buck (male) and spayed doe (female) bond most successfully and through the natural relationship a doe and buck have, they tend to have more relaxed characters when together, compared to same sex pairs.
A rabbit's genetics breed and breeding does have some influence over how placid they are with humans, but environmental factors have a part to play too: The accommodation they are born into and kept in. The relationship the mother rabbit has with the owner and how the mother acts e.g. nervous/ calm.
Their accommodation influences them greatly. For full details and ideas please ask us, but briefly, a shed (or a hutch of at least 6ft x 2ft x 2ft high) joined to a large predator proof run, plus free range access to the garden under human supervision is the most appropriate living environment. It is important to design the bunny accommodation so that it is easy for humans to move about in to interact with the rabbits. An alternative is keeping your rabbits indoors as 'house rabbits' - here they can live within the humans' everyday lives and they quickly learn that they do not need to feel threatened and this helps greatly.
The more time they spend caged/confined, the less able they are to act naturally and the less time they spend with us. If they only see us when we want to grab them and pick them up they will see us as predators. They will feel trapped!
Bonding with your rabbits
Once you have your rabbits' home set up, and your rabbits have settled in, you may now begin to bond with your rabbits.
Make sure you are feeling relaxed and calm, are not in a rush and feeling confident and happy.
Sit in the run with some treats (dandelion leaves, fenugreek crunchies and grass are ideal treats) in your lap or hand and ignore your rabbits. They may ignore you to begin with or feel scared of you and dart off. DON’T MOVE especially your hands!
Eventually they will investigate you, usually within a few minutes. If they take too long and you get bored, go, but leave a spring green leaf where you were sitting.
Do this two or three times a day, or at least once a day. The more you do it, the quicker they will learn. Give them a chance, be patient and don’t get frustrated. Remember we are naturally their enemy. Help them realize you are not a threat.
If they don’t come up to you the first time, by leaving the pieces of vegetable, they will relate you to nice food and it will encourage them to come to you.
However long it takes them to come to you, once they have, the next stage is to get them brave enough to hand feed from you, or your lap. They are most scared of our hands as sadly the majority of rabbits will have been grabbed by their former owners. Keep your hands really still. If your rabbit is particularly timid, feed through the mesh on your enclosure or from outside it with the door open, he will feel safer.
Once they are hand feeding DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO STROKE THEM! Rabbits fear our hands mostly. If your rabbit won’t take food from your palm, try holding a long carrot or hold a whole leaf of spring greens by the stem, it won’t seem as scary to him/her.
You can talk softly to your rabbits. Animals are so sensitive to our vibes, tone of voice and emotions, especially rabbits given their big ears. They are so clever and easily learn simple words with tone of voice; “good bunny” “well done” “no” “home” “food”.
During the investigation stage and hand feeding they will get braver but at times still be unsure, teasing you, taking the food and running off, running up a few times then ignoring you, but eventually they will stay for longer.
Once at this stage, where they should trust your hands, you are now at the stage to teach them about stroking. Rabbits are naturally affectionate to one another. By having a pair you will see them washing one another and where they like to be rubbed. Their backs can be sensitive but they love their foreheads and ears being rubbed. Don’t go near their mouth, you’ll only get bitten. Any rabbit can bite, even the sweetest, they can’t bark or meow, and if we annoy them, sometimes biting is the only way to tell us they are not happy (or they may think our finger is food!) We really must listen to them.
When hand feeding, hover the empty hand over the hand with food in. The only way for your rabbit to get the food will be to push his head between your hands. Don’t push your luck.
I know it’s tempting to start stroking, but don’t! Like with the hand feeding stage wait until your rabbit happily eats out of your hand with the other one over him.
Now lower the hand above so that when your rabbit eats, your hand is touching his head. He will be naturally rubbing his head on your hand. Now you can sneak a few strokes in. If he worries stop and let him continue eating. Don’t panic or react, he’ll only wonder what you are worried about - act as if none of it is a big deal.
In no time you will be stroking your rabbit's head. He will realize it feels good. Before you know it he will be asking for strokes, not just food, but remember don’t get over excited and don’t rush!
You can then stroke his whole body. All this may take only hours, or it could take days or even weeks, but it is so rewarding and worth the wait.
Once your rabbits are happily letting you stroke them and sit with them and play with them, you will be feeling more confident and you will be part of their group. They will trust you and for you to be around them will be natural for them. You will have spent so much time with them by now.
If you are on the floor with them they should be stepping onto your legs and even jumping on you by now.
Did you know that bunnies are really intelligent and can be easily trained to do helpful tasks on command or simple tricks!
Guen Bradbury has a great website full of videos on how to train your rabbit
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/bunnybehaviour.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/welcome-to-my-site/amp/
& also a very useful book
Guen Bradbury has a great website full of videos on how to train your rabbit
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/bunnybehaviour.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/welcome-to-my-site/amp/
& also a very useful book