We trust the SUN to come up each morning; it always has. BE THAT SUN coming up for your bunnies. Your bunnies are watching you, let them grow to understand through your repetitive daily nurturing actions that they can trust you. Let the sound of your loving words signal good things coming their way: deliveries of fresh hay in clean litter boxes, fresh veggies, fresh water in cleaned bowls - (never bottles), tiny slices of treats to make sure they are feeling good, new toys and hide-y boxes to destroy... Meanwhile, don't count the days, don't measure their "progress", and don't ever feel that nothing will change.
Like humans, bunnies are complex persons from differing backgrounds which influenced who they are. Figuring out their relationship with you is often a MUCH harder adjustment for them than for you. Instead of hoping they will change into who you want, be open to how your bunnies might just teach you and change you in ways you never would have believed.
Keep nurturing them and reaching out to them, but don't ever feel rejected. Chances are, their "rejection" of you is a Love Letter compared to how they would respond to a stranger. You might not think so, but their trust of you has been building. Rabbits never stop evolving, but a fearful rabbit will stay bottled-up. Letting strangers have contact with them can be felt as a betrayal of trust. Not all rabbits are ok with strangers, as is their right 🙂 Don't worry about insulting someone wanting contact with your bunnies; the bunnies need you to prioritize their needs over anyone else's need to touch them.
Let the bunnies have their safe zones without fear of invasion. Their hiding spots need to be respected as such. Invading their hiding places hurts their trust of us, and inhibits them feeling confident about their environment. They need to feel that they have control over protecting themselves.
" REMOVE EXPECTATION👉especially if related to what is posted by bunny parents on social media or YouTube. Be inspired by the love -- but no one's relationship with their bunnies can be duplicated by another. Some bunnies take a long time to trust, and that can be the most amazing journey of one's life. Remain open to your own unique path of discovering who YOUR bunnies are. The bunnies who take the longest to trust are often the ones whose bonds with their humans is the strongest.
It's self-sabotage to expect any relationship to be or feel a certain way. Expectation = pressure, stress, disappointment, frustration, disharmony for all. Like us, rabbits sense all of that... but for them - (as PREY animals) - that spells fear; further distancing them from their caregivers. Remove the pressure. Relax. Be patient. Educate yourself on their proper care. Focus on their needs and keeping them healthy. Spend time next to them without touching them. Let them do the investigating. Be gentle in your actions and tone. Talk to them often and sweetly while performing tasks for them. Be faithful to their daily needs. Miracles will happen.
It is necessary to handle the bunnies in order to groom them and take them to vet appointments. But otherwise, don't impose on them your need to handle them or hold them. There is plenty of time for testing those waters once you have established trust. As a rule, rabbits fear being picked up. Picking them up unnecessarily will NOT help them trust you.
If your bunny is a single. Remember that rabbits are HIGHLY social beings. That does not mean they are outgoing. It means that their need to live BONDED with at least one their own kind is beyond important -- it is their deepest need. (Bonding bunnies is a science, and not to be attempted without expert guidance). For EVERY bunny, there is a match. We should never give up on our single bunnies' need to share a bond with their own kind. They will only love you more for it. Bunnies take care of each other 24/7 and have their own silent language which no human will ever understand or speak. Respecting the truth of that is part of the trust and love pact with your bunny.
There are many methods or "tricks" to help bunnies with trust. But nothing is possible without patient, consistent care; the most important path to gaining trust, as it prioritizes the bunnies, and THAT will lead to the bonds of trust and love shared with your bunnies.
Rabbits are uniquely able to bring their humans to the next level if we are willing. Please be open to their wisdom. Be a patient observer with an open mind and heart.... and let your proper care of them be the priority. All else will fall into place. Never rest on believing you know all you need to about their care. Never stop learning💛
Thank You.
~BWF
Bunny: BWF Spokesbun - William
Original photo taken by his mom, Katherine Carr
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