Working long hours

[Sorayya]

Two days a week I work a twelve hour shift.  I spend 20 minutes in the morning with my lionhead.  Then I leave for the whole day.  When I get home at about 10 o’clock he’s wild with energy, digging the blanket in his playpen.  He nudges me then nips me, digs, and he even thumped for no reason then went back to digging the blanket in his playpen.

Is he mad that I left him all day?  I might try to work three eight hour shifts a week instead so he’s not alone so much.

[Nature Nerd]

Hm. I’m no professional bunny owner so chances are this won’t help much, but….

Lionheads are super social bunnies. Working three eight-hour shifts might help, or getting him a buddy. How big is his house? Maybe you could add on some extra space with an exercise pen or something. Also give him a lot of toys that last a while so that his entertainment isn’t short-lived (when my bunnies chew up their floor, I give them a hay mat and a old phone book to shred up and this normally occupies them). DIY toys are super easy to make….a favorite of my buns for no apparent reason is a cardboard tube with fringes cut at both ends. It might take him a week to get used to (that’s how long it took mine) but now the toy never lasts for than an hour before it’s demolished! 

Hope this helped!

[Mikey]

He sounds like he wants to play more so than hes mad at you. It sounds like its more of a “Yes, youre home! Play with me, now!” kind of a thing. If you are going to keep this shift for a while, it might be worth getting him a new friend, assuming you can afford it and spend a lot of time with bonding sessions until they are used to eachother. Always try more toys first, and/or a bigger space for your bun if possible. But yes, as Nature Nerd stated, bunnies are very social

[Sorayya]

Thanks, guys.

There is a sale at the pet store tomorrow so I’ll go get some extra toys and a dig mat. I think he was excited to see me. I got him from the humane society two weeks ago and the bonding between us has gone super well. He purred for the first time a couple days ago, chinned me, nudges me, and does binkies. I’m really happy with him. He’s a year old.

I can’t really get him a buddy, but I’ll work on enlarging his playpen tomorrow when I do weekly cleaning in the spare bedroom where he lives.

[Mikey]

Always start with the toys, for sure, because that might be all he needs to feel less bored and less lonely Hope it goes well and that he loves his new toys!

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