# So I have a non-cuddly bunny...



## BrittsBunny (Feb 4, 2010)

...and I've had him for over a year, and you'd think that he would actually like to be held/cuddled? Well that's a big negative! Even if I am sitting down and have him on my lap or on my belly, he gets antsy and nervous within a minute. He'll then start to pull at my clothes or nudge my arm insistently (as if saying "please move it!"). He's even thumped on my chest a couple of times, to let me know that he wants to get down. Now when I am on the floor, on his level, he'll creep out from under the bed and approach me on HIS terms. He likes to climb up on me, but he'll never stay put for long...and if I try to pet him, 95% of the time he'll dash back under the bed. I treasure the little moments when he actually does let me bend down and pet him without him scurrying away! I can tell that he loves me though, because he is always interested in what I am doing around my room, and he WILL come up and give me loving nudges! I just sometimes wish that he was more affectionate! He's a little over 2 years old, so maybe in time he'll settle down and let me love on him more. He was with children for the first year of his life, so I always blame his skittish manner on the kids that had him for 4-H. Any thoughts/advice/tips anyone? Anybody have a bun similar to mine?


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## snap (Feb 5, 2010)

I actually have five permanent rabbits, only one completely puts up with cuddles. My two babies used to, but we're not handling them as much now so they don't approve so much anymore.

It may have something to do with the fact the only cuddle-y one is also the only neutered one? Is your bun neutered?

Show him that you're not a bad person, and petting is good. There's actually an article somewhere in the RO library about bonding with your bunny. But if all else fails, you just have a bunny who doesn't like very much attention. It happens.


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## Baby Juliet (Feb 5, 2010)

Holland lops or Lionheads or mini-rex may be breeds that are cuddly.


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## undergunfire (Feb 5, 2010)

*Baby Juliet wrote: *


> Holland lops or Lionheads or mini-rex may be breeds that are cuddly.


I have both a Holland and a Lionhead...neither are cuddly. In all reality, it comes down to the individual rabbit not the breed. 

Most rabbits aren't cuddlers. My mixed breed bunny, Morgan, will let me pick him up and hold him for a few minutes, but then he wants to get down. Rabbits are ground-loving creatures, so I don't blame them for not wanting to be held/picked up.


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## hartleybun (Feb 5, 2010)

:yeahthat:my two standard rexes arent at all cuddly. you can pet them and smooth them but no cuddling.


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## RandomWiktor (Feb 5, 2010)

I have a rabbit who not only isn't cuddly, but indeed wants nothing to do with people at all. She doesn't like being pet and she won't even approach you unless you have food. And I've had her for seven years! It definitely boils down to the individual animal. Some just aren't big on human interaction.


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## slavetoabunny (Feb 5, 2010)

I have two mini-rex that I have had for six years and neither one of them are cuddlers. On the other hand, both of my fosters are total cuddle buns. The will snuggle with you forever. Flash is a Netherland Dwarf mix and Snowball is a Florida White.


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## Rabbit Hero (Feb 5, 2010)

Shino Wouldn't even tolerate Nose rubs until After he was neutered. But like most bunnies, he hates to be picked up and doesn't like it if I just suddenly reach out to pet him. He needs to be either lying down, or coming to me for a nose rub. Otherwise he just runs away from me.


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## elrohwen (Feb 5, 2010)

I've found that my bunny is cuddly, but only if I cuddle him the way he wants to be cuddled. He absolutely hates being picked up (which is very normal for rabbits) but is happy to lay with me on the floor and gets hugs, kisses, and cuddles. Someone who just tried to pick him up might say he wasn't a cuddly bunny, but he really is. (he's a holland lop)


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## BrittsBunny (Feb 5, 2010)

Wrangler is a Netherland Dwarf the has been fixed. 

Like I said, he'll allow me to pet and hold him...but only on his terms.

He spends most of his time under my bed, but he is always in reach for me to be able to pet him...and he loves that! i'll scratch his ears and his body and he'll close his eyes and doze off. 

If I lay on the floor, he'll come check me out and hop onto my back or belly sometimes. I wish he'd learn to relax next to me w/o thinking that I am going to grab him tho!


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## tamsin (Feb 5, 2010)

How often do you see two rabbits cuddle, I mean pick each other up and wrap their paws around each other? It's just not a rabbit thing, it's a people thing. Rabbits express affection by sitting next to each other (with the occasional overlap), grooming, hanging out together etc. I think your bunny loves you he's just expressing it in a rabbit way and not a human way 

I think if you continue to get down on his level and don't chase/restrain him when he wants to move away he'll become gradually more confident over the petting. Also make sure when you go to stroke him you move slowly, from the side and don't try to flatten out his ears as part of the stroke.

Rabbits learn continually so there's no reason why he won't continue to learn and become braver.


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## bengal77 (Feb 5, 2010)

Lily doesn't like to be picked up and held (although I've seen her foster mom cuddle with her) but she'll let me pet her sometimes and has just started letting me rub her forehead. If your rabbit doesn't like to be grabbed at then don't do it. If he feels comfortable he'll come to you when he wants some social time. I have two cats. One would sit on my lap all day if I let her, the other wants lap time maybe one hour a month and only on his terms. It's not that he isn't affectionate, just that he has other things to do. Let your bunny show affection in his own way. If he just wants to sit next to you, let him. Eventually he'll probably let you pet him a bit. Just sitting with them and not paying attention to them (watching tv, reading, etc...) can help because you're ignoring him and he feels safe enough to approach you.


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## elrohwen (Feb 6, 2010)

He actually sounds pretty cuddly to me! Really, almost no rabbits enjoy being picked up, but I think you're doing pretty well if he sits near you and lets you pet him. If you stop picking him up, I'm sure he'll trust you more and sit close to you.


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## Baby Juliet (Feb 6, 2010)

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/grd/1563734143.html

has a picture of a kid & rabbit.


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## bengal77 (Feb 6, 2010)

some rabbits will learn to tolerate being picked up and held and cuddled. A few, very rarely, may even like it. But most would prefer to be on the ground and show affection another way.


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## Dragonrain (Feb 6, 2010)

> Holland lops or Lionheads or mini-rex may be breeds that are cuddly.


That hasn't been my experience. I don't really think weather or not they like to cuddly has to do with the breed, but rather with the individual rabbit.

I have a lionhead that absolutely hates most people and wants nothing to do with them. I also have two holland lops, and I wouldn't call either of them cuddly either. They are friendlier than my lionhead is, but hate being picked up and would usually do their own thing than spend time with me.

Actually I've had 5 rabbits in my life time, and the one who was the most cuddly and friendly was a netherland dwarf. I definitely think it depends on the individual rabbit.


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## Mika77 (Feb 6, 2010)

My first, Hoppy, a tiny dwarf mix who was not spayed, was wild at first but bonded with me and became affectionate but it took a very long time. But she was not really cuddly. Now I have three bunnies, all mix breed, not too big and all fixed. Clover and Lilly are bonded and much more interested in each other then they are in people. Clover likes to be petted but hates being picked up. Lilly will sniff me and take food from my hand but does not like me touching her, sometimes will let me pet her a bit but does not seem to like it. My newest bunny, Bindi, is very friendly and affectionate, loves to cuddle, snuggle and has no problems with being picked up. All my bunnies were adopted as adults and I do not know much about their past.


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## Katmais_mommy (Feb 6, 2010)

Two of my buns are VERY cuddly! You'd think they're dogs! Katmai loves to perch on my shoulder like a parrot and just watch tv with me! Although I do have a bunny that hates to be held at all. Sometimes, you can't even pet him. The thing is, the two rabbits i just described are siblings, same mixed breed and everything. So, it's really a personality thing, and doesn't have much to do with the breed.


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## Nancy McClelland (Feb 7, 2010)

we have had Stewart II since he was a kit. We nick named him crabben puff--he is the grouchiest little rabbit on earth. 6 years and counting--he still will try to bite if you aren't careful. He is a Netherland Dwarf Mini Lop mix. At the other end of the spectrum is Serena, a checkered Giant. She is a cuddler for sure. She loves to be held and carried around. Don't know her history at all--she's a rescue and was somewhere between 6 months to a year when we rescued her. Funny story when we had her neutered, I called the vet as she'd been there for a long time. The receptionist told me she was still groggy. When I asked her what exactly she was doing to judge her condition, she told me she had her on her lap and was rubbing her and that she hadn't moved in an hour. I laughed and told her to put her down on the floor while I explained that she loved being held and petting was better than treats to her. You're right, you can come get her. No two bunnies are alike even if they are the same breed and from the same litter.


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## Hazel123 (Jan 17, 2020)

Ugh! I have a bunny like that!! Her name is hazel she’s definitely way younger tho! She’s about 4 and a half months! She’s so sweet and she just recently started giving me kisses! But she’s super skittish with other members of the family and does not like to be held. The problem is she likes to explore so If u put her in a new place she won’t sit with u she has to explore everything first! She’s super sweet but always ends up peeing haha she sometimes nips at me tho! She does not like to be held most of the time. But if I put her in my room and I sit on the floor she will explore then come hopping back to me. So I know she likes me! I am a little confused and looking for advice what to do. I have done bonding with her on the ground! If anyone could help that would be awesome! And if anyone also has similar bunnies!


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## Sunshinerabbit lover (Jan 18, 2020)

I have had my silverfox for a year and i will say that some rabbits just dont like to be cuddled my angora ( the one in my icon) is much more cuddly than my silver fox.


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## Hazel123 (Jan 18, 2020)

Thx so much!


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## Hermelin (Jan 18, 2020)

Hazel123 said:


> Ugh! I have a bunny like that!! Her name is hazel she’s definitely way younger tho! She’s about 4 and a half months! She’s so sweet and she just recently started giving me kisses! But she’s super skittish with other members of the family and does not like to be held. The problem is she likes to explore so If u put her in a new place she won’t sit with u she has to explore everything first! She’s super sweet but always ends up peeing haha she sometimes nips at me tho! She does not like to be held most of the time. But if I put her in my room and I sit on the floor she will explore then come hopping back to me. So I know she likes me! I am a little confused and looking for advice what to do. I have done bonding with her on the ground! If anyone could help that would be awesome! And if anyone also has similar bunnies!



Next time write a new post and more will answer your question. 


I would say that’s just a typical bunny. Some might never want to cuddle except on their term and others will accept being cuddled whenever you want. 

I’m lucky all my bunnies love cuddles now. But they weren’t the easiest in the beginning. I somehow chose the skittish bunnies or the extremely dominant ones. I can pick them up whenever I want and cuddle with them. So my trio of bunnies are my best friends, when chilling on the couch and watching movies. 

Myself own a skittish bunny that’s his personality, he get easily scared and he will often run away from my hand if I sit in the open. Because he can’t relax in big open spaces and someone try to approach him. He have trust issues towards humans. But one thing for sure he love getting cuddles, he will boink my hand asking for cuddles, jump up onto my lap or lay next to me on the couch or bed. 

I would never say this a year ago. I had to wear gloves just to clean his litter box, give him food and water. Otherwise, I would have nice teeth marks on my hands . He was so aggressive and not cuddly at all. He did everything from screaming to lunging towards me. 

How I train my bunnies are the way of positive reinforcement. You reward them when they do good. For bonding I fill my pockets with pellets or veggies as treats, set up a smaller place/area where my bunny can explore a short while but still be close to me. When the bunny comes up to me, I give a reward and say a word like good boy/girl or you can use a clicker. 

Then later you touch and give a reward, just to associate a soft pat will be positive and good. I just keep on doing this and slowly build my bunnies trust towards me and get a better bond. 

Your bunny it’s still young and will be rascal because she will be in her teenage period. But don’t reward the nipping, if she nip ignore her or shove her away. If she boink you give a reward, a way to tell what behaviors are okay to do. My doe was a nipper, but her nip left nasty bruises. The down side of a giant bunny, felt like I had slammed a door on myself. 

Good luck with your girl!


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