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This article was co-written by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 and worked as a veterinary surgeon for 7 years. Then, Dr. Elliott worked as a veterinarian in a clinic for over a decade.
This article has been viewed 12,453 times.
Rabbits are gentle and friendly creatures that can make ideal pets. However, this shy animal requires a lot of care to feel comfortable with people. Petting rabbits for the first few times is a process done to gain their trust. Once you have gained trust, it will be much easier to cuddle your rabbit.
Steps
Rabbit Approach
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Let the rabbit know that you are approaching. You need to remember that rabbits are hunted animals. That means they are always at risk of being hunted, so if you startle your rabbit they will run away. Therefore, you should give the rabbit a warning that you are approaching so that they do not feel scared. [1] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
- Do not sneak up behind the rabbit. If you walk into a room and the rabbit has its back to you, you should signal to let the rabbit know that you are in the room. Speak softly or make a soft kissing sound. This way, the rabbit won’t feel as if you’re stalking its back. [2] X Research Source
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Lower yourself to the ground when approaching the rabbit. Rabbits can get startled when something as large as you approach them, even if the rabbit is aware of your presence. Especially if the rabbit is shy or not used to touching, you need to approach slowly and try to lower yourself. That way, you can avoid startling the rabbit. [3] X Research Sources
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Sit down and let the rabbit come close to you. Catching/holding rabbits or forcing them to come close is threatening behavior and you could be bitten. To avoid this, when you are close enough, you should let the rabbit come to you. Allowing them to move at their own pace will ensure that the rabbit is comfortable and wants to get close to you. This will make it easier for you to cuddle, play, and hold them. [4] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source
- If rabbits are still unfamiliar with their new home, they may be hesitant to approach you right away. It’s important not to force them to come close. Keep doing this process for a few days until the rabbit starts to approach you to make sure they are comfortable when you start petting them.
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Show the rabbit your hand. Move your hand gently toward the rabbit, placing your hand at eye level with the hand position and to the side. Allow rabbits to sniff their hands if they want to. You can also reward your rabbit at this point, especially if you’ve just brought your rabbit home and they haven’t gotten to know you yet. Hand-feeding is a great bonding exercise, and this will also help your rabbit understand that you are not a threat and that they can safely reach you. [5] X Research Sources
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Avoid startling your rabbit by extending your hand. Although the act of reaching out is part of bonding, you can frighten your rabbit if you do it wrong. You need to keep the following in mind to make sure your rabbit stays happy and comfortable during this process. [6] X Research Source
- Reach out to the front of the rabbit, not from the back. Otherwise, you will scare the rabbit when it detects your hand is approaching.
- Rabbits cannot see things directly in front of or under their jaws. You should move your hand from a slightly off-point to the side to ensure that the rabbit sees the hand moving closer.
- Do not place your hand under the rabbit’s nose. Contrary to the fact that placing the hand under the jaw means submission to dogs and cats, it has the opposite effect for rabbits, because the higher-ranked rabbit will approach the other rabbit in the pack and demand the same. petting by lowering his head below the other rabbit’s nose. If you approach a shy rabbit in this way, they will become more timid, and if you do this with a dominant or dominant rabbit, you may get bitten.
Bunny cuddles
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Make sure the rabbit is comfortable before you start petting it. Remember that rabbits can be shy and don’t like cuddling unless ready for it. If your rabbit has approached you, that’s a signal that they’re really comfortable and ready to be petted. Do not attempt to touch them until the rabbit approaches you on its own.
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Cuddle the rabbit in the right place. Each rabbit may want to be petted in different places. Most rabbits like to be petted on their cheeks, forehead, shoulders, and back. When rabbits lick each other, they often stroke in these places, too, so they’ll love it when you pet them in those places. [7] X Research Source Maintaining petting at these points will keep rabbits happy and have a good experience.
- In general, you should not rub your rabbit’s chin. Unlike cats or dogs, rabbits don’t usually like to scratch their chin and scratching their chin can easily turn into a bite. You should also avoid petting your rabbit’s belly or paws as these are vulnerable areas for them.
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Carefully lift the rabbit. Rabbits need to gradually get used to the lifting motion, which may take a few days or more. This is an unnatural experience that they have to get used to. If your rabbit has never been picked up before, don’t pick it up the first time. See How to Hold a Rabbit to learn how to safely pick up a rabbit.
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Pay attention to the rabbit’s mood. Rabbits will give you a signal to let you know if they are happy or not. You should pay attention to these signals, because you won’t want to do something your rabbit doesn’t like. [8] X Research Sources
- The soft purring and grinding of teeth means that the rabbit is having a good time. Rolling back and forth, climbing on top of you, lowering his head to the ground while lying down, licking, and rubbing his nose against you also indicates that the rabbit is in a good mood and wants attention. You can pet the rabbit at this time because the rabbit is feeling very happy.
- Growls, groans, and screams show fear or pain. Stop petting and let go of the rabbit until it calms down.
- Rabbits also sometimes stand on their hind legs and extend their front paws as if about to punch you. This is a defensive position and you should leave your rabbit alone if he does this.
- If the rabbit turns its back and tries to crawl out, you should let it go. It is possible that the rabbit is feeling tired or scared, and forcing them to play will make the rabbit feel more uncomfortable. You should let them go back to their cage and rest before playing again.
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Bring the rabbit into the cage carefully after cuddling. Rabbits, especially baby rabbits, may be disobedient and resistant to being confined. Because sudden lifting of rabbits can be dangerous, you should only bring them into the cage if it is an emergency. Rabbits will usually go into the cage on their own if they feel tired. If you’re in a hurry, you can lure the rabbit inside by placing snacks in the cage. A properly designed cage for rabbits to get in and out of is also a factor in making this easier. [9] X Research Resources Read the article Raising Healthy Rabbits to learn how to build a rabbit cage and learn what foods are safe for them.
- Don’t force the rabbit out of the cage either. Rabbits want space where they can hide and relax. When it wants to play or explore, the rabbit will come out on its own. Leave rabbits alone while they are in the cage, unless you suspect they are injured or sick. Otherwise, let the rabbit come out on its own when it wants to.
Advice
- Always be gentle and slow and do not move quickly and make loud noises.
- If using a brush, be sure to avoid touching your eyes and make sure the brush is clean and soft.
- Avoid touching the rabbit’s ears and feet until it’s really close. Most rabbits will become frightened when their feet or ears are suddenly touched.
- Rabbits prefer to be petted while relaxed and comfortable, for example: While the rabbit is lying down, you can slowly approach and gently stroke the top of their head (the area they like best). Take this action as a starting point as they allow you to cuddle. You should be patient and they will learn to trust you.
- Keep in mind that baby rabbits can be more difficult to train. They usually reach puberty at about 2-4 months, and tend to become more hyperactive and defiant. In order for rabbits to behave well, you should take them to be spayed at this age. Or you can adopt adult rabbits as they are usually calmer when you start the training process. [10] X Research Source
- When the rabbit appears within close range, you should move closer to them slowly and gently stroke and allow the rabbit to approach.
- Don’t rush through the training process. If you have a new rabbit, you need to stabilize them before you start training or picking them up.
- If you want to show affection to the rabbit, gently stroke the cheek because stroking the cheek in rabbit language means “I love you.” or “I like you.”
Warning
- Rabbits should not be bathed unless absolutely necessary. Rabbits are like cats in self-cleaning, but rabbits very, very, very rarely need to be bathed. House rabbits that can’t swim and bathe can cause them stress and risk of chills, skin irritation, hypothermia, and overall bad mood if you don’t do it right.
- Hold the rabbit in your lap/on your lap and line a towel. If they jump or fall out of your arms, there is a risk of serious injury especially to the spine because rabbits’ instinct is to kick their legs out leading to an unintentional accident.
- When petting rabbits, don’t force them if they don’t want to be touched!
- Do not hold rabbits in a downward facing position (like a baby), unless you have a special relationship with your pet.
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This article was co-written by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 and worked as a veterinary surgeon for 7 years. Then, Dr. Elliott worked as a veterinarian in a clinic for over a decade.
This article has been viewed 12,453 times.
Rabbits are gentle and friendly creatures that can make ideal pets. However, this shy animal requires a lot of care to feel comfortable with people. Petting rabbits for the first few times is a process done to gain their trust. Once you have gained trust, it will be much easier to cuddle your rabbit.
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