A rabbit is unique as it is a quarry species, unlike cats and dogs, which belong to the predator species. Therefore, it is prudent to create a comfortable environment for your rabbit. Notably, the relationship between the rabbit and its caregiver is the most significant determinant of the quality of the rabbit’s life.
The rabbit may be fearful, independent, and shy in a new environment. A reason why you will need to gain the trust of your rabbit. So, how can you make your rabbit like you?
The following are ways you can make your rabbit like you:
1. Handling the Rabbit Gently
Picking up a rabbit gently and securely gives it the comfort and safety it desires. While holding it, keep on cuddling the rabbits gently, for rabbits love cuddles. Remember not to pick your rabbit by its ears to avoid injecting pain into them.
2. Feeding
Giving your rabbit a healthy and tasty treat like Meadow Loops would be best. Putting some time aside to feed your rabbit improves the rapport between the rabbit and the caregiver, resulting in a positive experience for the rabbit to love you.
3. Provide Playing Toys
In nature, rabbits are curious and love fun. Providing them with playing toys and also sparing your time playing with them will foster a conducive environment for the rabbit, which turns out to love you more.
Remember to always provide safe toys to avoid unnecessary injuries.
4. Giving Company
It is the nature of rabbits to live in pairs. After domesticating one, you ought to spare time sitting or lying with your rabbit to bring yourself to its level.
5. Having a Routine
Since they are prey animals, rabbits survive on predictability, as anything unanticipated puts them on alert quickly. To make it safe and comfortable around you, you ought to adopt a daily schedule such as exercise, feeding, and interaction.
How Long Does It Take for a Bunny to Trust You?
It may take a few months for your rabbit to trust you. It would help if you were patient enough, as the rabbit takes time to adjust to the new environment.
Furthermore, the rate at which the rabbit will gain your trust depends on how you treat it. Its curiosity makes it perfect for conveying sound. Therefore, you should be cautious when speaking to it, for rabbits enjoy human sounds but only when soft and gentle.
Additionally, to win your bunny’s trust quickly, you should allow it to come and inspect you to learn that you are not a threat.
Lastly, avoid picking it or cornering it every time; being of the prey species, it may get alerted at any attempt to pick it.
How Do You Tell If a Bunny Likes You?
After bonding with you, the rabbit will be comfortable around you. Of course, they may take a while to get used to you, but when it happens, their love will look totally different from other pets’ love, such as dogs and cats.
So how do you tell if a bunny likes you?
The following are ways to tell if a bunny likes you:
1. Chinning
When your rabbit rubs its jowl against you when you are around, it indicates that it likes you and your company altogether.
Moreover, when a rabbit bumps you with its mouth, it is a communication of ownership in the sense that they claim you are their own.
2. Binkies
When your rabbit trusts and likes you, it will jump for joy once it sees you. Moreover, when your rabbit jumps upon seeing you, it is a sign that it missed your company.
3. Grooming and Licking
Rabbits express their affection for you by licking and grooming your body. Also, when your rabbit can groom itself in front of you, it is a signal that it trusts you.
To strengthen the bond, you need to counter by gently cuddling them.
4. Lying Next to You
To show that your bunny loves your company, it will be a pleasure to lie beside you. You need to softly tap its fur to enhance its comfort and strengthen trust.
5. Following You Everywhere
Rabbits are fussy in the sense that they don’t allow anyone to be around them. But once it starts following you wherever you go, it clearly indicates that it loves you. Also, it is a sign that they are seeking your attention.
6. Sitting on Your Laps
Willingly, your rabbit will ascend to your lap by itself only if it likes you. Moreover, it will be more comfortable if you reciprocate when it climbs onto your lap by petting and cuddling it.
7. Purring
When content, your rabbit will grind its teeth together, producing a soft snapping sound. Purring is primarily evident when you give your rabbit a full-body massage, which makes it relaxed.
8. Cycling Around Your Feet
Being a social being, your rabbit will send regards to you by running in circles around your feet.
However, running in circles can be a sign of seeking your attention, especially when holding a delicacy in your hand like a banana or carrot.
How Do You Know If Your Rabbit Doesn’t Like You?
Are you having difficulty telling if your rabbit doesn’t like you? Observing its behavior around you makes it easy to tell when your rabbit does not like you. However, patience should be practiced, as it takes some time for your bunny to trust and like you.
So how can you know that your rabbit doesn’t like you?
The following are indicators that your rabbit does not like you:
1. Voicing
A rabbit is not fond of making noise unless it feels threatened. Occasionally, it will growl or grunt, but it will scream when the feeling is extreme. Therefore, when your rabbit behaves like this, it is good to retreat.
2. Letting Out the Front Teeth
Since it is a prey pet, it is fearful and will send a warning by showing you its front teeth. Showing the front teeth signifies that it is ready to counter any attack. At this point, you should never pick it up.
3. Boxing
Boxing is the tendency of your rabbit to show you its paws. This indicates that your rabbit is unhappy and may not like you. At this point, it may even scratch your skin.
4. Running Away
If you seem to be a threat to your rabbit, it will run away from your presence. Notably, running away can result from past experiences that made the rabbit feel insecure.
What Can Make My Rabbit Not Like Me?
Your rabbit’s behavior can make you question yourself: Why does my rabbit hate me? Your behavior around the rabbit can be the basis of your relationship with it. Therefore, paying attention to your manners and making possible adjustments to gain your rabbit’s trust is significant. What might be the possible reasons for your rabbit to hate you?
The following are reasons why your rabbit may dislike you:
1. When You Are Too Loud
The big ears of the rabbit make it sensitive. Loud noise will sound like a threat to the rabbit and may passive you as a predator.
2. Unwanted Attention
Your rabbit may show a sense of dislike if you are forced to interact with it, even when it does not like you. You need not chase it because you want to interact with it; rather, allow it to come to you.
3. Holding
Holding a rabbit can make it develop a phobia of being around you. Most rabbits, indeed, hate being carried. Thus, you must be cautious when holding your rabbit and remember never to pick it up by its ears.
4. Your Scent
One of the attributes of a rabbit is its sense of smell. Your rabbit will know if you have been around other animals because you will smell like them.
For instance, when you have been around predatory animals like dogs, your rabbit will run away when you approach them.
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