When we first brought the bunny home, I assumed that I knew how to care for him. I wanted to hold and pet him, but began to be a bit distressed when it seemed that he wasn't interested in being held, and nipped a little when I was handling him.
My sister told me that they had a rabbit for awhile, but that she had taken it back to the pet shop because it started biting her and they could never tame it.
After reading up on bunny behavior, my son and I made part of the house bunny-proof, and began slowly learning how to relate to our new friend on his own terms.
Chris would lie on the floor and hold a carrot in his hand. The bunny would snif around him, even crawl over him! Finally, we would sit quietly, and he would approach us, munching on the carrot from our hands. What a treat!
Now, when we let the bunny out of his cage in his safe area, he will gallop up to us, pushing his head under our hands to demand a scratch behind his ears, or to rub his nose - his eyes half closed. You can almost hear him purr "ooohhhh, that's the stuff!" ;)
I'm so happy we learned to enjoy and appreciate the bunny on his terms - not to try to make him relate to us the way we had in mind.
What a lovely lesson this little creature has taught us. To appreciate life on it's own terms - not to have expectations or demand that only our needs be met. To learn that acceptance can be far more fulfilling than what we had in mind.
Namaste, bunny - I love you. :)
