Topic: tortoiseshell
Denise sent me a note asking about rabbit personalities in general. Are they friendly like a cat, dog, bird, hamster? Do they like to be petted?
In each litter born there can be a mixture of healthy rabbits, rabbits that do not grow as well as the others, coats that are not as good as the others, rabbits with birth defects, rabbits with issues, color surprises and best friends waiting to be made.
Annemie is the later. She is a lover.
I don't often get a doe who is so friendly, for a doe's hormonal mission/nature is to protect and defend the nest. I give does a LOT of room to be who they are, and do not ask too much of them. They mostly learn to live with my occasional intrusion into their lives, and we come to a mutual respect over time (I adore each and everyone of them and they know that). My herd rabbits don't get handled as much as an only rabbit would be, and it takes longer for friendliness to surface. But they generally, here in my herd, don't like to cuddle in the first 10 minutes of any grooming session. Once they have been on my lap for 10 minutes they relax and love cuddling...it just takes longer. Annemie, at 4 months, is an exception (as is her half sister Betina). She presents her head for stroking every time I open her cage door.
That kind of friendliness is standard behavior for bucks from the beginning, and I can usually tell by 8 weeks of age what we've got. That is why I always suggest bucks for pet bunnies...it is in their nature to be friendly as they are always looking for a doe!
I've seen exceptions. You can get a rabbit with an attitude, regardless of gender, that makes him/her unsuitable as a pet. A rabbit that uses his/her teeth to defend territory is an animal that will not coexist well with humans.
The trick is to learn what makes a rabbit fearful and arrange their environment so they aren't, and to bypass the defense attitude entirely. Rabbits are basically creatures that like peace and harmony and will enjoy being petted as long as they feel safe.
