Collar during the day?

[CoolBeans]

Zeus is a netherland dwarf, so he’s quite small. I am in the process of rabbit proofing the living room area to introduce him there and see how he reacts and if he will use his litter box in a new environment. I was wondering if it’s ok to put a bell collar on him for just during the day when he’s out so we can hear him since he is small and take it off at night when he’s in his cage.
Pros and cons to putting a collar on him? Or should I forget the free roam idea since he is so small?

[BanditCamp]

Collars are a bit 50/50 regarding rabbit communities. Their neck bones and spine are really fragile and can break easily and rabbits tend to panic when they get stuck. I’ve seen some photos of rabbits with bell collars but I can confirm that 3 min later they won’t tolerate it.

Also consider rabbits are prey animals and they don’t like to be noticed. A bell would hinder this. My free roam bunny makes hide and seek a game and I reward with a treat if he’s being really stealthy 

[Bam]

I would advice against a collar on a rabbit, they are so fragile. A collar can get caught on sth and the neck snap. And as banditcamp says, a bell goes against the whole naure of a bunny, their survival depends on their ability to go unnoticed.

[jerseygirl]

Im in the no collar camp for the reasons already given by bam and BanditCamp. If you really want to do this, please make sure it is a breakaway collar.

Im guessing your nethie is not going to like having this put on either.

How about putting a couple of those cat crinkle tunnels around the room for him to go in. You’ll know where he is then! Rabbits love tunnels also. Do provide some hiding spots for him during free roam time. Also be very cautious if you have reclining chairs. In the reclined position, rabbits like to go underneath the chair and may get trapped in there or injured once the chair is put back down.

Jersey used to love going under the chair like this so we always left it open in reclined position and had to get in and out of the chair like that. I ended up boarding off the bottom so she could no longer go there.

I love that your little nethie is called Zeus!

[Dface]

I had a bunny who would tolerate his collar without a bother (he was a lion head x so his fur acted like a barrier and he didnt feel iton much) he also had a bell attached which he got used to.
The collar was for the purpose of finding him in the house, and alerting people that there was a rabbit about. It was kind of a trade off- I worried about him getting stood on by accident vs the collar getting caught

However, and I cant stress this enough, it isn’t a good idea. There was never any accidents, but my house is open plan and there was never anything to catch a collar on, all the same, once he learned to come when he was called, I abandoned using the collar.

What I would say is maybe not make him free roam all at once. I have a pen set up, that my rabbits go in if they are getting too underfoot, or when I’m asleep, or if Im having people over- I limit the chances of accidents by keeping them in the pen in scenarios where an accident is likely to occur.
So maybe slowly start increasing the amount of time he is allowed out in the living area, this helps people get used to having a rabbit to be mindful of in the room

[sarahthegemini]

I wouldn’t put a collar on a rabbit. And I don’t think you need to abandon the idea of free roaming just because he is small. My bunnies aren’t dwarf buns but they’ve been free roam since only a few months old. If everywhere is bunny proofed, they can’t get hurt.

[CoolBeans]

Thank you all for your input! I’ll probably let him free roam but make sure I supervise him each time until he is trained to come when called.
Dface can I ask you how long it took for your lionhead to learn his name.

[Dface]

Took him about 2 weeks
I used treats and food to get him to learn it.
Find out what Zeus​ likes as a treat, and everytime you give it to him say his name. (Sampras learned the rustle of the bag faster than his name in fairness)

[CoolBeans]

Do you have any suggestions for treats I can try. I’ve been using pellets, I’ve tried lettuce parsley and carrot and no success. He does eat his veggies when it’s in a bowl though

[Dface]

my girl loves fenugreek treats and will do anything for them, but I trained Sampras using a treat called nibblots, they are not particular good for them (im pretty sure it’s the equivalent of an actual sweet for rabbits)
But in moderation they are very helpful training tools

[sarahthegemini]

What was it like using the pellets? I’d continue with them. A treat doesn’t have to be unhealthy.

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