Spending time with the buns… Questions

[Betsy]

Hey all –

I’ve been browsing here for about a year now and I am looking for some advice. (Below is the longer story of how we have 2 rabbits)

I’ve got a bonded pair who are about 8 years old. We are at least their 3rd humans (that we know of). They live in an upstairs room in our house and seem pretty content with their new surroundings – they’ve been there a little over a year.

The “problem” is that when we’re home we’re mostly downstairs, and I feel like we don’t spend enough time with them. I’d love to take them downstairs with us to hang out, but whenever we try to take them out of their cage, they immediately turn around and hop back in. 

At first we were nervous about the idea of them being out of their cage because we have 3 cats, but the bunnies and cats all seem to get along great. We occasionally take at least one of them and carry them to our bed to hang out and cuddle a little, but even then we get the impression they want back into their own territory.

I now wonder if perhaps it’s a matter of not being able to teach an old bunny new tricks, if at their age they’re just happy to be indoors, fed regularly, have clean litter boxes and be petted a few times a day and don’t really want or need much else.

How do I know if they want or need more, or if I’m just harassing them trying to get them to come out and hang out?

Especially given their age?

Thanks for any advice!

So the bunnies: They used to belong to neighbors who lived next door and kept them in way too small of a cage outside, in the back yard. One of the classic “Get the rabbits for the 11 year old daughter so she can show she can be responsible before we get her a dog” stories   The owners before that had surrendered them to the SPCA because one of their kids was playing too rough with them. So they haven’t exactly had an easy and good life. 

My husband and I bought them a larger pen, installed animal-safe heating pads in the winter and a heated water bottle, and basically fed and watered and kept their area “clean-ish” for about a year. They were otherwise neglected. When the neighbors moved, they told us that they “noticed” that we liked the rabbits and offered them to us. With 3 cats already in the house we were reluctant, but we took them in. (Rabbits and cats seem to get along just fine! Yay!)

We built them a 2-story, about 5-foot long pen from storage cubes, put in a litter box and some cardboard boxes as “bunny caves”, some things to toss around or chew on, and try to take care of them the best we can. But you can see by my question – we’d like to do more   We just don’t know what that more is, or if what we’re doing is already enough. I feel like I need a “rabbit mentor”.

This was when they first moved in – Vega on the bottom, Thabbit up top. This is about half the length of the cage. The ramp has been improved, as has the towel set-up. One of our cats is in the lower right of the picture. 

[Q8bunny]

I don’t have enough relevant experience to offer situation specific helpful advice.
But I do want to say thanks for giving these two buns what seems like a good home and life, and for loving them.

[Julie23]

I don’t have much bunny experience either. I’ve only had my bunny 2weeks but at first she used to do the same she used run back in the cage but I just started leaving the cage open and to be able to interact with her I would get a strawberry or any fruit and let her smell it and you can make them follow the fruit on to your lap and pet them for but let them run around and leave the door open so they can freely go with the rest of the family to interact if they’re not used to it , it’ll probably take 1-2 days for them to sniff around and get used to it along with you. That’s from my experience. I hope this is any help. Let me know how it goes ?

[Betsy]

Posted By Q8bunny on 6/13/2016 4:36 PM

I don’t have enough relevant experience to offer situation specific helpful advice.
But I do want to say thanks for giving these two buns what seems like a good home and life, and for loving them.

Thanks. We’re trying, and it could be they have everything they want and need.

I just want to be sure  

My husband and I like to say we’re giving them a good retirement

[Betsy]

Thank you, Julie 

I try that from time to time, too. Last night I spent about an hour in the room with the cage door open.

Vega “hung out” with me and a couple of times came to the edge of the cage and sniffed “out there” but never actually left. That’s also part of why I’m thinking they may like their territory just fine, and you just can’t teach an old rabbit new tricks  

But I’m going to keep trying!  

[Julie23]

I wish you the best with your buns ?

[MK]

If they aren’t used to a lot of attention, they will probably be pretty content with pets a few times a day. If it was only one bunny, then more time spent with them would be a necessity, but since there’s two they probably very much like their own company Maybe you could pick one day a week when you have a spare hour and sit up in their room and just hang out, or maybe bring some homework/work/hobby up there with you (bunny-safe, of course) bunnies like to have you in the room, you don’t necessarily need to give them all your attention

[Hopper]

I agree with MK as a possiblity. Maybe you could also try and expand their “territory” so they become comfortable downstairs? Start little by letting them in a space near the stairs (so they have access to that area and their cage), and keep adding on. Otherwise, I would just do what MK said. You’ve definitely given them a home they deserve. They also seem happy.

[Betsy]

Thank you everyone!
I think some of what I was looking for was also some sort of “validation” that maybe they didn’t want or need more attention.
They are a bonded pair and often cuddle together, so I’ve also wondered if that’s really all they need.

I am spending more time upstairs with their cage door open, just hanging out in the room to read and relax.
They look at me like I’m a zoo exhibit when I do that, so I suspect they’re REALLY not used to it.
But they still don’t come out to hang out with me. I figure if they wanted to, they could

Thabbit has an annual check up next week, so I may ask the vet as well.

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