Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Approaching your rabbit
• Part 2 of 2: Petting your rabbit
• Tips
• Warnings

Rabbits are gentle and friendly animals that can make great family pets. However, they are also nervous creatures that require a lot of care before they feel comfortable with you. Petting your rabbit for the first few times is a process designed to earn his trust. Once you have gained his trust, petting your rabbit will be much easier from then on.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Approaching your rabbit

1. Let the rabbit know you are coming. Remember that rabbits are prey animals. That means they are naturally used to being hunted, so if you startle them, they will run away. For that reason, you should always give your rabbit a warning that you are coming so that he does not get scared.
   • Do not sneak past your rabbit. If you enter the room and your rabbit is not facing you, give him a signal that you are in the room. Speak softly or make light kissing noises. This way, he won't think you're sneaking past him.
2. Stay low as you approach your rabbit. Rabbits can be startled by something big like yours when you approach them, even if they already know you're there. Especially if your rabbit has a nervous disposition or is not used to being handled, approach it slowly and stay low. That way, you can avoid scaring your rabbit when you approach it.
3. Sit down and let the rabbit come to you. Grabbing your rabbit or forcing it to come to you is a good way to scare it and get it bitten. When you are close enough, you have to let the rabbit come to you to prevent this from happening. Let him move at his own pace so you can make sure he is comfortable and wants to come to you. This will make it easier for you to pet, play with, and pick him up.
   • If your rabbit is new to the house, he may be reluctant to come to you right away. It's important that you don't force him to come to you. Keep doing it this way for a few days until he starts approaching you so you can make sure he's comfortable when you start petting him.
4. Show the rabbit your hand. Move it gently towards your rabbit, keeping it at eye level and slightly to the side. Let the rabbit smell your hand if he wants to. You can also give the rabbit a treat at this point, especially if you just got it and it isn't used to you yet. Hand-feeding is a great exercise for bonding, and it will also teach your rabbit that you are not a threat and that he can come to you safely.
5. Avoid scaring the rabbit when you show him your hand. While presenting your hand is part of the tying process, if you don't do it right, you can scare your rabbit. To help keep your rabbit happy and comfortable in this process, keep the following in mind.
   • Offer your hand to the front of the rabbit, not the back. Otherwise, you will scare him when he realizes your hand is approaching.
   • Rabbits cannot see directly in front of their face or under their jaw. Bring your hand up to him slightly from the side to make sure your rabbit sees it coming.
   • Do not put your hand under the rabbit's nose. While offering your hand under the jaw in dogs and cats indicates submission, it has the opposite meaning in rabbits, one dominant rabbit will approach another and demand that he be taken care of by the other by keeping his head low under the nose of the other rabbit. Approaching a nervous rabbit in this way will likely make him even more nervous, and if you do this to a territorial or dominant rabbit, you could be bitten.

Part 2 of 2: Petting your rabbit

1. Make sure your rabbit is comfortable before you start petting it. Keep in mind that rabbits can have nervous dispositions and may not enjoy being petted unless they are ready. If your rabbit has approached you, it is a sign that he is comfortable and open to being petted. Don't try to touch him until your rabbit has approached you.
2. Pet your rabbit in the right places. Rabbits can be fussy about where they are touched. Their favorite areas are on the cheeks, forehead, shoulders and back. These are areas where rabbits usually groom each other so they will appreciate if you pet them there. Stick to these areas to make sure your rabbit is happy and having a good experience.
   • Don't rub their chin. Unlike dogs and cats, rabbits don't usually like it when their chin gets tickled, and you are easily reachable for a bite. Also avoid petting your rabbit on its stomach or legs as these are vulnerable areas for them.
3. Pick up your rabbit carefully. Rabbits should get used to being handled gradually, possibly over a number of days or more. It's an unnatural experience that they have to get used to. If your rabbit has never been picked up before, don't try to pick it up right away. Read an explanation on how to safely pick it up on wikiHow.
4. Pay attention to your rabbit's mood. Your rabbit will give you signals that indicate whether it is happy or not. Pay close attention to these signals, because you don't want to continue with something your rabbit doesn't like.
   • Purring and gentle chattering of teeth indicates that your rabbit is happy. Rolling over, climbing on you, laying the head on the ground, licking and tapping with his nose also indicate happiness and a desire for attention. Keep petting your rabbit while he's doing those things - he's having a great time.
   • Growls, snarls, and squeaks indicate fear or pain. Stop petting it and put it down until it calms down.
   • Rabbits also sometimes sit on their hind legs and stick out their front legs as if they were about to punch you.This is a defensive stance and if your rabbit does this then you should leave him alone.
   • If your rabbit turns and tries to run, let him go. He may be tired or anxious, and forcing him to play will make it worse. Let him go back to his cage and rest before trying to play again.
5. Carefully return your rabbit to its cage when you are done. Rabbits, especially younger ones, can be rebellious and not want to go back into their cage. Since it can be dangerous to suddenly pick up your rabbit, only force it back into its cage if it is an emergency. Rabbits will usually enter their own cage when they are tired. If you're in a hurry, lure them in by putting a treat in the cage. It also helps to make sure the cage is set up properly so that your rabbit is comfortable re-entering it. Read an article on wikiHow detailing how to set up your rabbit's cage and which treats are safe to give.
   • Don't force him out of the cage either. Rabbits like to have a space where they can retreat and relax. When they want to play or explore, they will figure it out themselves. Leave your rabbit alone when it is in its cage unless you suspect it is injured or sick. If not, you should let him out when he wants to.

Tips

• Always be soft and gentle and never make fast movements and loud noises.
• If using a brush, avoid the eyes and make sure it is clean and soft.
• Avoid the ears and paws until you know him well. Most rabbits will be put off by a sudden touch of the legs or ears.
• Rabbits enjoy being petted the most when they are relaxed and comfortable, for example: While lying down, approach him slowly and rub the top of his head (where they like it best). Use that as a starting point because that's when they are most likely to allow you to pet them. Be patient and he will learn to trust you.
• Keep in mind that younger rabbits can be more difficult to train. They usually reach puberty at about 2-4 months, when they become hyperactive and more rebellious. For a well-mannered rabbit, you should have them spayed or neutered around this age. Or you can adopt an older rabbit so that it is more relaxed when you start training.
• Slowly move towards the rabbit and pet it gently and slowly and let it come towards you.
• Don't rush your workout. If you have a new rabbit, allow him / her to settle in before attempting to train or pick him up.

Warnings

• Keep rabbits on your lap on a towel. If they jump or fall off your arms, they risk serious injury, especially spinal injuries, as their instinct is to kick out which often causes hyperextension.
• Never wash a rabbit unless absolutely necessary. They are like cats in the sense that they clean themselves but very, very, very rarely need a bath. Domestic rabbits cannot swim, and a bath can put them at risk for colds, skin irritation, hypothermia and general unhappiness if you don't do it right.
• When you pet a rabbit, don't force it if it doesn't want to be petted!
• Do not hold rabbits upside down on their back unless you have a special bond with them.