New Owner Questions

[DexterBunny]

Hi!

 We adopted Dexter from our local shelter in early July.  He is 5, was with one family his whole life, and was not neutered.  The shelter neutered him upon our adopting him.

After having him for a couple of months I am perplexed by him.  It might be his age, although his vet said he is not considered an “elder bun” yet.  We read so much about house rabbits before we adopted him and he is nothing like the buns we read about!  It’s almost as if he’s too good but I’m afraid he is unhappy.  He enjoys eating and lounging around and that’s about it.  I have only seen him binky once.  We have tried numerous toys and he has no interest.  He has free run several hours per day and gets into nothing.  He doesn’t chew anything and only goes a few feet out of his pen.  His litter box, blanket and water bowl are in a large dog crate, which is surrounded by an ex pen.  The dog crate door is always open, the ex pen is closed at night and when we aren’t home.  He can run around the entire upstairs and never leaves his little area.  Occasionally he will venture out to the bedrooms for a few minutes but he is doing this less and less.  He enjoys being pet but does not like being picked up which is natural.  I guess I’m just worried he’s unhappy and doesn’t want to do anything!

He also has odd litter box habits.  His paperwork said he is fully trained, and basicallly he is, but once a day he will pee on his newspaper in his cage.  Never outside of the cage.  Doesn’t even leave poops if he ventures out of the ex pen.  Nothing seems to set him off when he does it and all the other pees during the day happen in his litter box.  He pees on his blanket where he sleeps and also pees on this new little bed I got him.  I assumed those were him putting his scent on his things but I can’t figure out the peeing on the newspaper once a day.

Any thoughts are welcomed!  Thanks!

[Bam]

I don’t know why he pees on the newspaper in his cage, maybe he’s been used to going on newspaper? Maybe take away the newspaper, if that’s what’s triggering the peeing? That he pees on soft stuff is sth many bunnies will do, so many bunnies can’t have soft beds.

Your description of him sounds so very like my Bam that I have to smile =) I don’t know how old Bam was when I got him but he was an adult. He’s a great house bun, doesn’t get into things, doesn’t chew except his branches and twigs, lies around contendedly most of the time, makes little trips now and then and runs through his tunnel a couple of times per evening, but nothing too adventurous. In the beginning when I had him, he didn’t even do that much. Perhaps it comes from having been housed in a cage for much of his life. I’ve had Bam for almost 4 years now and he’s more active now than he was during his first year with me, but he’s still just a perfect house bun. I can bring him to my mother’s house and let him have free roam there and nothing gets destroyed.

I still recommend you to protect all electric cables. A bunny may suddenly, like out of the blue, get some new idea into his head and if this idea has to do with cord-chewing, it is of course extremely dangerous to both bunny and humans.

[BunsAndDolls]

Sounds just like my Toby, lol. He rarely binkies, he rarely plays – he eats a lot of hay, digs at his blanket, and lays around. He rarely leaves his corner, other than to jump up and lay on the couch. I don’t think it means he’s unhappy or that there’s anything wrong with him. I think it’s just buns with different temperaments, like anybody else. He’s just a lazy bun, lol

[DexterBunny]

Good, thank you both for your replies…it makes me feel better!  He may just be a bun that likes to chill out all the time!   Good idea about the cords….we have them blocked in the room he is in but figured we’d better get some protective covering on the rest of them upstairs in case he decides one day he likes cords!

[WaterOrchid]

Hey I’m pretty new at this myself but it took my bunnies a little while to get comfortable in my place, for hours they wouldn’t even leave their carrier, then they would hop out and hop in again… I found that they slowly expand their venturing. In regard to the no interest in toys… I had the same issue and was worried they’re teeth wouldn’t wear down but apparently some bunnies just aren’t into that as long as he’s eating and pooping regularly don’t worry too much being in the same home for 5 years he’s probably just still getting comfy and while he may not be an elder bun he’s well.. pretty much middle aged lol so maybe he prefers to be chill.. my bunnies are the same AND I’M SO GLAD that I don’t have to lock everything away in fear of destruction! all the best

[Author]

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