How to Earn Your Rabbit's Trust
Spend time together alone., Open the rabbit’s hutch at floor level., Let your rabbit come to you., Offer a treat., Be patient., Hold off on touching., Repeat this process daily.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Spend time together alone.
Rabbits can easily be startled or overwhelmed by the noise and movement of multiple people.
Similarly, other pets are likely to terrify a pet rabbit until they’re used to their presence.
In order to start earning your rabbit’s trust, join your rabbit in the room where it lives without any other humans or animals present., A door out of the hutch at floor level is especially important.
You want to avoid reaching in and out of the rabbit’s hutch, as this is the space where they need to feel safe.
Accordingly, give your rabbit the freedom to choose when they come out of their hutch by choosing a hutch with a door that will allow them to leave and re-enter comfortably., After opening the hutch, take a few steps away.
Lie or crouch on the floor away from the hutch.
Wait for your rabbit to approach.
Stay calm, as your rabbit may sense your frustration or impatience and become frightened.
Rest assured that your rabbit’s curiosity will cause them to come say hello., To motivate the rabbit to come out and spend time with you, offer a treat.
Place the treat in the palm of your outstretched hand.
Go with small pieces of carrots, apples, or bananas.
A pinch of oats may also be enticing to your rabbit.Veggies and fruits should not amount to more than 10% of the rabbit’s total diet.
Rabbits should eat mostly hay.Never feed your rabbit anything with chocolate, caffeine, or high amounts of sugar or fat. , At first, this process will be rather slow.
Don’t expect to open the hutch, lie down, and immediately have a rabbit eating out of your hand.
The rabbit must feel safe enough to leave its hutch.
Accordingly, they must determine that you are not a threat before they will approach.
Send the message that you are a friend by staying calm, with a relaxed posture and slow, infrequent movement.This process may take an hour or so.
Your rabbit’s natural curiosity will eventually compel them to come and investigate. , As your rabbit approaches, it may be tempting to reach out and greet them with a quick pet.
Don’t! Simply let the rabbit smell you.
They may even hop onto you to or burrow around your body to investigate.
Allow them to familiarize themselves with you, as this will teach them you are not dangerous.If the rabbit begins to eat the treat you’ve offered, hold your hand still. , After doing this several times, your rabbit will begin to emerge from their hutch more quickly.
Start touching with gentle, slow scratches on your rabbit’s head.
If the rabbit pulls away, let them go and don’t touch them again that day.
Never chase them – this will cause them to fear you. -
Step 2: Open the rabbit’s hutch at floor level.
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Step 3: Let your rabbit come to you.
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Step 4: Offer a treat.
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Step 5: Be patient.
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Step 6: Hold off on touching.
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Step 7: Repeat this process daily.
Detailed Guide
Rabbits can easily be startled or overwhelmed by the noise and movement of multiple people.
Similarly, other pets are likely to terrify a pet rabbit until they’re used to their presence.
In order to start earning your rabbit’s trust, join your rabbit in the room where it lives without any other humans or animals present., A door out of the hutch at floor level is especially important.
You want to avoid reaching in and out of the rabbit’s hutch, as this is the space where they need to feel safe.
Accordingly, give your rabbit the freedom to choose when they come out of their hutch by choosing a hutch with a door that will allow them to leave and re-enter comfortably., After opening the hutch, take a few steps away.
Lie or crouch on the floor away from the hutch.
Wait for your rabbit to approach.
Stay calm, as your rabbit may sense your frustration or impatience and become frightened.
Rest assured that your rabbit’s curiosity will cause them to come say hello., To motivate the rabbit to come out and spend time with you, offer a treat.
Place the treat in the palm of your outstretched hand.
Go with small pieces of carrots, apples, or bananas.
A pinch of oats may also be enticing to your rabbit.Veggies and fruits should not amount to more than 10% of the rabbit’s total diet.
Rabbits should eat mostly hay.Never feed your rabbit anything with chocolate, caffeine, or high amounts of sugar or fat. , At first, this process will be rather slow.
Don’t expect to open the hutch, lie down, and immediately have a rabbit eating out of your hand.
The rabbit must feel safe enough to leave its hutch.
Accordingly, they must determine that you are not a threat before they will approach.
Send the message that you are a friend by staying calm, with a relaxed posture and slow, infrequent movement.This process may take an hour or so.
Your rabbit’s natural curiosity will eventually compel them to come and investigate. , As your rabbit approaches, it may be tempting to reach out and greet them with a quick pet.
Don’t! Simply let the rabbit smell you.
They may even hop onto you to or burrow around your body to investigate.
Allow them to familiarize themselves with you, as this will teach them you are not dangerous.If the rabbit begins to eat the treat you’ve offered, hold your hand still. , After doing this several times, your rabbit will begin to emerge from their hutch more quickly.
Start touching with gentle, slow scratches on your rabbit’s head.
If the rabbit pulls away, let them go and don’t touch them again that day.
Never chase them – this will cause them to fear you.
About the Author
Richard Gibson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical home improvement knowledge.
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