Is wearing a leash & shoes for bunny possible?

[Lupin]

Bunny lives in an apartment in a metropolitan area, and I was wondering if it is possible to bring a bunny to a park and have him on a leash and put on shoes for him?  Hubby is a germophobe, and bun’s feet are so hard to clean. I’ve seen bunnies on leashes but has anyone tried putting on small pet shoes for buns?

[Azerane]

While leashes with a proper harness can be done, they’re not considered overly safe because if your rabbit panics and suddenly darts away, the force when they reach the end of the leash can actually break their backs, often the feeling of having that leash and harness pressure as well is enough to make some bunnies want to run away. When I first had Bandit I leash trained him for the backyard, and even though he was very tolerant of it, we still had times where he would get spooked and dart off and it was quite dangerous for him, which is why I stopped.

In terms of shoes, I would say definitely not. You would never keep them on, and if you did your bunny would likely either be so annoyed at the feeling that he wouldn’t move, or he may run in fear at the feeling on his feet by trying to escape it.

[Lupin]

Thanks for the advice. It’s a shame rabbits are spooked so easily, they couldn’t easily get a chance to explore the world outside. Bill would need to just stay in his carrier and peer through the holes then if I need to take him out.

I’d like to train him to be less afraid though as he needs to travel every other week.. last week I bought him out to an outdoor cafe for the first time and he stayed in his carrier on the chair beside me. He was nervous with all the outdoor city sounds at first, but after 30 minutes or so he started to relax a little. Not sure if rabbits can enjoy themselves like this outside or I’m just anthropomorphizing 😛 I do know rabbits can be trained to be desensitized somewhat if you keep exposing them in a controlled way to unfamiliar sounds/environments but yeah, still probably not a good idea to have him on a leash.

[sarahthegemini]

I’d never put a leash on a rabbit, nor would I put shoes on them. And I’d never take a rabbit to a park. Far too many things that could scare them, and possibly lead to a heart attack.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

I wouldn’t recommend going to the park with him, or putting him on a leash or using socks, for the reasons others described already. You can however train a rabbit to get more comfortable in public transport etc. Exposure to different environments and giving positive experiences are key here. Be careful not to expose your rabbit to extreme temperature changes: always make sure that you have ways to either cool him down or warm him up. Keep trips short (<3 hours) because most rabbits refuse to eat, drink or go to the toilet in a strange environment.

We always travel by train with our dwarf bunny when we visit my BF’s family, the trip is about 2,5 hours. My boyfriend introduced his rabbits to travelling at a young age. Giving treats during the travelling helps them to associate it with positive things. We have a carrier filled with hay, and when we’re on the train I put it on the seat next to me. As soon as I open the door Breintje hops onto my lap and into my arms. He often climbs into my coat as well, sitting there warm and snugly. He enjoys the comfort, and he sits there clicking contentedly for hours.

 

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