Training two naughty baby bunnies.

Question
Recently I have lost a very special older bunny, who was toilet trained, very affectionate and basically lived inside as part of the family most of the day, although he had his own hutch. Because I have young children, 4 and 6, I thought it might be nice to have two baby bunnies this time round, for company for each other, and so they both had a bunny each. BUT ....  I am having a hard time getting them to bond to us. They obviously love each other ( they are brother and sister, 8 weeks old and the boy is due to be neutered as soon as possible) but they are not very interested in us. We get them out at least 3 times a day, sometimes just for cuddles and sometimes for a long hop around the lounge. We also try to get them out one at a time at least once a day. Both are doing well in the toilet training, and they don't seem too scared of us, ie they come and sniff us regularly when they are running around, but they don't want to cuddle and they won't come to us in their cage ( even though we have always tried to coax them out with yummy food they like rather than catch them). Is the problem we are having because they are young, because we have two, or because of their personality. I want a bunny who will get excited to see me at the cage, come willingly out, and will come up to me for a stroke etc of their own free will, like my precious boy we just lost. Do I need to regime one and just focus on one bunny? If so I have always found boys more trainable? Please give me advice, I am feeling sad and unloved!

Answer
Hi,

you need to be very patient with the new bunnies.  They are 8 weeks old.  They are not your other rabbit who you had for years and was very comfortable and familiar with you and his surroundings.  They are extremely young.  They are learning everything for the first time.

Bonding will occur over time.  Being a pair, they will probably not bond to you as strongly as your solo bunny did.  They will have each other.

In short you can't expect them right now to be just like your former bunny boy.  They will never be like him exactly anyway.  They will bond to you over time, but they also have growing up to do as well and learning how to interact with another bunny at the same time learning your house, and learning about people.  It will happen, it will just take time and lots of love and patience on your part.  The love will come back to you.  Just like your kids couldn't interact with you much and had a lot to learn, that's where these little guys are right now.

And never put expectations of your former rabbit onto these two.  They will have their own unique personalities and may do many things like your former bunny, but they will have their own likes and dislikes and ways of doing things.  Plus they will have each other and that will be different in how they deal with you and others.