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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Low-energy bunny prefers cage?

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    • BumblesBounce
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        Alright, so we’ve had our lady-bun Fluff home for a week (we adopted her a few weeks ago but the rescue kindly boarded her for us until our young fellow was over his neuter) and she’s been out of her cage twice for probably a grand total of 30 minutes. This is not for lack of trying. I’m sitting her right now and her door has been open for over an hour. She could just care less. She’s in there grooming, flopping, napping.. there’s nothing even remotely cage-aggressive about her, she just doesn’t want to come out. She wouldn’t even get out when I had to take out the carpets and sweep/clean in there last night, she just followed me around trying to throw the dustpan. 

        Her “cage” is a 4’x4′ ex pen, so I’m not super concerned about her not moving around enough, but I eventually want to give her and Fella free reign to roam through the two main floors of the house, once they’re bonded. Buuut she won’t even explore ONE room. 

        When I can coax her out with a few snacks, she’s hesitant, and hops back in every few minutes, even if she turns around and comes right back out. I’ve come up with a couple reasons this could be– tell me if I’m out of my gourd. 

        Her exercise time at the shelter involved being put into an ex-pen for a while to run around every other day. During this time, she didn’t have access to her cage. Do you think she’s worried that we’ll lock her out, if she comes out? We accidentally closed Bumble out of his “room” during playtime a few times, and for a few days after he’d stay in his room as if afraid to lose access to it. 

        Alternately, Fella LOVES playtime, and has marked the crap out of the whole room with pellets (which I always try to pick up quickly) and serious chinning. Does she not like being in “his” room? 

        Any ideas for encouraging her to come out and explore, or should I just leave her be? I’d like her to get more exercise, but I knew before I adopted her that she was a lady of leisure who didn’t like to exert herself overmuch. I would like her to get more out of her life than four walls though!

        This is her, after about fifteen minutes of exploring. Which was apparently very, very tiring.


      • Monkeybun
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          What kind of flooring is outside her cage? She might just not like that kind of floor. Bunnies can be weird like that…


        • BumblesBounce
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            It’s low-pile carpet, very similar to the piece of carpet inside her pen, so no issues of slippin’ and slidin’.


          • JackRabbit
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              Maybe she’s just still settling in and unsure of the area outside her “home base” just yet. Its only been a week, and some bunnies take longer than others.

              She looks pretty happy with her new home base though!


            • LittlePuffyTail
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                I agree with JackRabbit. She probably doesn’t feel comfortable out of her cage yet. I’d give her some time and not force her to come out.


              • tanlover14
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                  I agree with LPT & JR, she may just not feel comfortable enough to come out yet. With a few of my buns, I had to force them out and close the door before they were okay with being outside their cages.


                • MeowBun
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                    It took my Lily more than a week before she would come out of her cage at all, and now she’s out as much as she’s in! Some bunnies just take a little longer to acclimate to the new surroundings. She’ll come around, I’m sure.


                  • Thump
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                      If she’s hungry and if you put fresh lettuce outside the cage, I’m sure she’d be more willing to venture out. Also the time of day matters too. They are most active at dawn and dusk which can be inconvenient for humans but makes a big difference in whether they want to hop around or lounge. My bunnies are usually in a hoppy mood around 10pm. They are usually most sleepy around noon.


                    • BellaRabbit
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                        It took my bun a long time to come out of the safe zone. I bribed her with treats and pats, to let her know it was safe to be out of her area.


                      • BumblesBounce
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                          Thanks, everyone. I’ve managed to coax her halfway out, once, in the last 48 hours. She refuses to be bribed with pellets, treats, veggies or pets. I’ve tried sitting away from the pen to see if she’d come out on her own, but she just completely disregards the open door if I’m not actively interacting with her through it.

                          For those of you who had to wait your bunnies out until they felt comfortable, around how long did you end up waiting? I mean, a week, a month, six months? I want to start bonding her to Fella in a couple weeks, and don’t want being out of her pen to be an extra stress for her when the time comes.


                        • BunnyHugger
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                            Awwww she’s beautiful.

                            Yes, some animals do get “cage bound” if they’re kept in a shelter or otherwise confined too long. It’s hard to say how long it will take, but I’d just keep patiently doing what you’re doing.

                            To give you an idea of how fiercely bonded animals can be to their homes: horses will run back into a burning barn to be in the “safety” of their stalls. You can throw the door open and smack them, but they won’t go. You have to blindfold them and lead them out, one by one. Many horses and people lose their lives this way. It isn’t rational, but that’s how some animals are.


                          • BunnyHugger
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                              Awwww she’s beautiful.

                              Yes, some animals do get “cage bound” if they’re kept in a shelter or otherwise confined too long. It’s hard to say how long it will take, but I’d just keep patiently doing what you’re doing.

                              To give you an idea of how fiercely bonded animals can be to their homes: horses will run back into a burning barn to be in the “safety” of their stalls. You can throw the door open and smack them, but they won’t go. You have to blindfold them and lead them out, one by one. Many horses and people lose their lives this way. It isn’t rational, but that’s how some animals are.


                            • BumblesBounce
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                                I’m all too familiar with the horse issue, BunnyHugger– I work with horses to support my bunny habit, and it’s startling how similar the two can be! I call Fluff and Fella my house ponies. It’s one of the reasons I’m concerned, though– having a safe place she can run to is one thing, but I want her to be comfortable outside of it as well. 

                                Thanks for the support, I’ll keep hangin’ in there and keep you updated!

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                            Forum BEHAVIOR Low-energy bunny prefers cage?