Cooping up my rabbit in my room…/:

[DutchRabbitsFtw]

 so as most of you know (maybe…) i got my holland lop rabbit exactly 3 weeks ago. he has warmed up to me a lot (today i found out where he likes to be pet the most! he even “begged” for a few pets/ massages.. like once or twice lol). anyway, he has NEVER ventured out of my room (only once though.. i have NO idea how he got out but he was in my room having some floor time and then i left momentarily and as i was walking back to my room i saw him hopping along in the halls… he got scared since everyone was coming towards him and he just ran into my room).

but today i decided to let my rabbit out of my room for once, its around 12am here so everyone (including the dog) is asleep except for my mom and i. i asked my mom if it was okay and she said it was. so i let my rabbit out for around 10 mins and i was right behind him – following his every step but also giving him space. he was extremely curious and wasnt afraid of anything. after about… 8 minutes of exploring i decided to put him back in my room by offering him a piece of lettuce (not the most enticing but that was the closest thing i could reach without having to dig in the veggie drawer). he completely ignored it! which is shocking since he usually goes straight to his cage when i lure him with any sort of veggie. so then i decided to go to my room to get some of his pellets since he LOVES those. as i was walking to my room he followed me! so i was shocked yet happy and as i opened the door he just turned around and hopped away? lol.. almost as if he wasnt done exploring … 

well i got the pellets and after a few minutes of luring i finally got him in my room (where he happily ate the small portion of pellets i gave him and he is now asleep on my carpet). 

my questions and concerns: i do feel guilty about cooping him up in my room. i will admit that my room is smaller than most but not THAT small. there is enough room gives room for binkies and his little zooms but eh.. just BARELY enough room. i might move his cage so its not just THERE in the middle of my room. but its heavy and i’ll have to do it when my dad is not busy lol. should i allow my rabbit to explore the house at night when the dog is asleep? (he sleeps with my sister in her room since he does NOT want to sleep in my room anymore ever since i got the rabbit ha,. and i closed her bedroom door when i let my rabbit out). there aren’t a lot of wires (just in the “work” place but its all in one place and blocked off) we dont have any house plants (on ground level). and he cant really get lost since i close all the doors before i let him out and there are no “tight” spots in which he can get stuck in/ hide in – but i can never be too careful – which is why i always follow him lol. 

should i occasionally let him out of my room? i worry about how im going to get him back into my room though… i guess i could lure him with his pellets but i mean what if he wants to explore and i cant get him to go in my room? PS. he doesnt like to be picked up. should i just make him stay in my room only? i plan to buy him some more toys/ playhouses when i get the money ha.

[DutchRabbitsFtw]

oh and one quick question that has nothing to do with what i just posted but i might as well ask it while im at it. i heard that bunnies like to forage for their food. so for a few days i decided to get an extra tablespoon of his pellets and hide it in places; in his little hidey house, in his hay, in toys, under paper towels etc. he seemed really into it. however, i dont know which point of view to look at this from?

point of view#1: it stimulates the brain (i guess? since he has to search for them) thus making him not bored and entertained for a few minutes.
but
point of view #2: dont wild rabbits forage for their food? and if so wont this “stimulate” the “wild instincts” of a rabbit? and make it afraid of humans? or act more “wild” and not tame and docile?
i want to provide a mental “game” for my rabbit but i dont want him to act “wild” or anything. this is a dumb question but im curious ha

[LBJ10]

I think letting him have some explore time is fine as long as everything is bunny proofed. How is he with his litter box? You might need to just let him explore the hallway or a similar area at first, until he is more comfortable and you’re sure he knows how to get back to his litter box. You could use a baby gate to corral him. My rabbits will come out in the living room every once in awhile, but they don’t like it too much because there isn’t any carpet. They will usually just go to where the rug is and look for things to get into over there. I don’t normally have trouble getting them back in their room. I just come over and sort of shoo them in that direction.

And yes, rabbits like to forage.

[Monkeybun]

Yes, bunnies like to forage. No, it won’t make them wild Don’t give him extra pellets though, use a portion of his daily amount. An extra tablespoon is a lot!

[DutchRabbitsFtw]

he doesnt poop or pee when he is out of his cage. and ahh okay thanks haha

[Elrohwen]

It’s totally fine to let him out for more exploring time. Hannah is very hard to lure to her cage when she’s exploring a new area, so I find the best thing is to save their dinner until after exploring time. If they’re really hungry and ready to eat they’ll always come back. If they’re full and have just eaten, a couple more pellets won’t be that enticing compared to exploring.

And no, letting him forage for food won’t make him act wild. Pet rabbits are domestic.

[Rei]

Yes let him explore especially if its safe and your there to keep an eye on him I always make Molly’s breakfast and dinner time right before I have to leave in the morning or before I go to bed at night, that way I can easily get her back in her cage when I start putting out her food. Sometimes she even goes to her cage before the food is there and sits and “waits” for her dinner lol

Him foraging is not going to make him “wild.” He will always retain some natural instincts, like digging, foraging, etc., but encouraging it won’t make him afraid of people. The amount of time you do (or don’t) spend with him will play a major factor in his trust of people. If he enjoys foraging, then continue it!!

Also, are you only giving him pellets?? Thats not good if you are. You need to give him lots of hay he needs the fiber. My bun likes to forage in the hay. I will sometimes hide her veggies under the hay and she likes digging for it. It also encourages her to eat her hay by having to dig through it to find other stuff.

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