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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.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A How much time with my bunny?

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    • Bumbleberry
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        Hi everyone!
        I heard that you should spend 1-2 hours with your bunny per day. To be honest, I spend about 30 minutes with my bunny MOST days. Sometimes on weekends, I will spend about an hour and a half with her. Is 30 minutes like horrible or will my bunny be fine with that?
        P.s I’m not just being lazy. I have lots of activities to do and I have to go to school. I don’t have a lot of time with homework and everything anyway.


      • skysblue
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          30 minutes doesn’t sound too much. Unfortunately it is a commitment and a responsibility when you have a pet.
          I spend at least 4 hours with my bun a day. More during the weekend. Though sometimes they prefer to have their lone time.
          I used to go to school and have lots of homework while having two rabbits. You just need to set a plan and priorities – “No one is busy in this world. It’s all about priorities.”


        • Mordaith
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            We decided not to get a second rabbit, on the grounds that Fox has over 12 hours of out of cage play time everyday. The less time you spend with your rabbit, the less chance they will have to be socialized. To make sure he gets the bare minimum of 2 hours, I have cut short going to parties, and skipped out on hanging with friends, going to movies and the like. It is as Skysblue says, having a pet is a responsibility.

            Rabbits are very intelligent creatures. They get happy, sad, angry, and lonely. They are very very social creatures, and if you don’t have the time to spend with her and you are unwilling to giver her up, I would recommend getting a second rabbit. When it comes to rabbits, two can often be easier to care for than one.

            But I’ll just echo Skysblue again. Rabbits not an easy pet to have. They require the same attention and care you would give a dog. Often demand the same amount of socialization. And for sure need the same amount of exercise. You just need to sit and decide if the other stuff you got going on is more or less important than your rabbit. There is no right or wrong answer. You just need to be ready to do what is best for the wee bun.


          • Vienna Blue in France
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              I think it dépends if the time is quality spent or not…..

              Do 30 quality minutes actually playing, petting, stroking and talking directly to the bunny equal 2-3 hours of run time alone with no interaction??

              Possibly, yes.

              Or is it just being in the company of each other that counts? (Rabbit asleep in the same room whilst you are on the computer or reading….)
              Does the rabbit spend the other 23 and a half hours each day in a tiny cage or running about in a huge enclosure ??
              It’s a tricky question.

              Spend as much time as you can with her. Be kind and love her when you are with her.
              Can you have an inside x-run and put her in it next to you when you are doing homework?

              Rabbits love companionship.
              Mine chooses to spend as much time outside as with me inside (the door is open) and comes in when she wants a cuddle or a stroke, then 5 mins later boings back outside of her own will….

              If you are thinking to yourself that she may be lonely, then she probably is….

              Trust your instincts and try to make things better if you can.


            • StachesMommy
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                Bumbleberry, I think you are the one who has parents that wouldn’t allow you to keep the bunny inside the home… correct? How did that go? Is he still in the garage or were you able to bring him inside? It’s harder for you to be able to spend a lot of time with your bunny because of the fact that your parents won’t let him inside the house. 30 minutes in my opinion is too little. Bunnies are very social. Mine turns into a cage chewing terrorist if I have to get work done around the house and not be by her. She sees me and she gets upset that I don’t spend time with her. That’s probably my fault though because I give in to her demands… :/ My rabbit is very, very, VERY social and always wants to be out with us even if it is just to come and flop down next to me and sleep. They do get depressed if they get lonely so be careful. There was a study done that proved that rabbits enjoyed just staring at one another and being in close vicinity of each other. Even if it is just doing your homework by him or getting your work done in close proximity would help. Does that mean you have to sit in your garage and do your homework… yes, if your parents won’t let him in. Oh hey, did your parents ever compromise to let him run around the hallway? If they agreed to that… perhaps you can do your homework with him in that same hallway?? If I need to get work done at home I usually sit by her and leave her xpen open (she’s inside a 42inch cage when no one is home) she comes out and just sits in front of me or next to me… or even our dog. I will read, write, etc right there… she feels loved and I get my work done. It’s a win win situation.


              • vanessa
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                  It is definitely not an easy answer. One of my bonded pairs gets the least of my attention because of their location in the room, over a rickety dividing fence. I spend probably 2 hours a day with my bunnie. The bonded pair on the rickety side of the room see me I feed/water/clean in their area, pet them for a few minutes each day, and recently have started bonding them with another bunny. So their interaction with me is not a lot in terms of physical contact – but they enjoy seeing me, they bounce arounbd my feet at feeding time, and let me pet them. They have been very wild – I have spent two and a half years with them, and only now – this week – does one of them flatten down and enjoy being petted. So their interaction with me is on their more aloof terms. But they still enjoy seeing me, and have plenty of play/snuggle time with each other, in a 12ftx6ft space.
                  My other pair is on the more accessible side of the room. And this pair are very snuggly with me. I spend a lot more of those 2 hours petting them. Everytime I walk past the room (it has a screen door so I can see in), if I see a bunny in sight, I walk in and pet them. These two beg and demand attention, The terms of their interaction with me is much more physical. Of these two, One of them uses the rabbit door and slips through the screen door, and runs around in the back half of the house. I never shut off his access. So he visits me in my bedroom, visits me in the back bedroom, and hangs out in the hallway.
                  So 2 hours a d ay with the bunnies – not 2 hours of petting. They choose their level of interaction, and I am satisfied by their behavior, that they are not lonely due to my limited time.
                  The female who has the pal who runs around in the back half of the house – is kinda lonely because she want slots of rabbit snuggles, and her pal is not as snuggly with her as she would like him to be. So I’m bonding her with the other 2, who are both snuggly.
                  The other pair makes up for less petting by being super snuggly with eachother.
                  Only you know how happy your bunnies truly are. Maybe if I counted up petting time – it would be half an hour a day. So like the others are saying, what is the overall living area like? How much free time does your bunny have? What are the terms of your bunnies contact with you?
                  I think that 30 minutes period – might work ok if the bunny has a bonded pal, and enough space to keep busy. But for a single bun, 30 minutes might be tough.


                • Bumbleberry
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                    Starches Mommy
                    Yes, sadly she is still in the garage. But my parents have compromised the front hall for her sometimes. Doing my homework in her pen with her is a very good idea. Thanks everyone for your answers!


                  • cinnybun2015
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                      I agree with vanessa, that isn’t an easy answer. I spend the most time with Chomondeley in the mornings, as that is when he is most active and willing to play. He doesn’t like to be pet much, so we don’t have much petting time, but he does seem to enjoy me sitting with him and tossing him toys. I spend about an hour with him on a regular week day, and then on weekends, 2-4 hours. Whenever Chomondeley’s just resting in his hidey hole, I let him rest and don’t bother him. Maybe carve out some time to spend with your bun? I even read in there with Chomondeley. It’s a great relaxing place.


                    • Mordaith
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                        Fox is very cuddly. But only for about an hour or two out of the time we have him out of the cage. The rest of the time he is content to just hang out near my wife and I, or climb up on the couch and harass us. What your rabbit considers entertainment is very much up to the little creature. And it can be hard to figure out sometimes.

                        Took me forever to realize that Fox was a happy bunny. You know things are good when they purr and the flop. And of course, Binkies.

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                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A How much time with my bunny?